See, hear. Those of you old enough to remember comedian Eric Sykes might have heard that his thick-framed black glasses were actually a hearing device. Sykes went profoundly deaf as a young man and relied on these bone-conducting frames to pick up sound. (There were no lenses in the glasses – at least until his eyesight started to go too.) You wonder why the idea didn’t catch on, although the bespoke frames were probably too expensive for the general public. Now, however, EssilorLuxottica has introduced something similar. Nuance Audio glasses are frames that feature built-in, state-of-the-art hearing technology. And they are compatible with prescription lenses. We sat down with Raffaello Infantino, Nuance Audio Director of System & Delivery Integration, to learn more about the technology. Read the article here.

Eye time for a change in children’s vision awareness. New research by Mumsnet has found that parents were more likely to say that dental check ups were “very important” for children (89 percent of 1008 respondents) compared to eye tests (79 percent). The survey also found that nearly a tenth of parents (9 percent) saw no reason to take their child to the optometrist unless they have cause for concern. Rhiannon Evans, Mumsnet’s Head of Communications, concluded, “It’s essential that families receive the guidance they need to look after their children’s vision. Link

Grant-funded places available at BCLA event. J&J Vision is making grant-funded available places to new eye care professionals at this year’s BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition. UK-based students, pre-registration, newly qualified (within two years), and contact lens opticians can apply for the grant-funded places for all three days of the BCLA’s flagship event to be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on June 5-7, 2025. Successful applicants will also be awarded a £150 travel grant, to be claimed after attending the conference. Link

AI in eye care. Experts, patient representatives, policymakers, and eye care professionals gathered for The College of Optometrists’ AI in Eye Care Summit on April 2 to discuss “a shared vision for the future of artificial intelligence in eye care.” Ahead of the Summit, a College of Optometrists’ survey of its members revealed that 91 percent believe AI will have a positive impact on diagnosing eye conditions, 79 percent see it improving patient information and triage, and 77 percent think it will enhance online searches for eye care-related topics, making reliable information more accessible. Link