Skip to main content

Instant color-changing lenses are here, are you ready to get fashionable?

x-ray-glasses
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Soon you may never have to worry about your sunglasses not matching your shirt again, because a University of Connecticut scientist just designed a way to produce films and displays that change color nearly instantly.

color changing lenses gogglesWhereas the old style of transition lenses use photochromic films that react passively to changing light levels – and weren’t too quick about it – chemistry professor Greg Sotzing’s new design uses a sandwiched pair of films that are reactive to electric current. These electrochromic films can change color as quickly as the current can pass through them. In other words, just about instantly.

Recommended Videos

Because the films’ color changes are electrically induced, sunglasses or goggles made with them can be both instantaneously reactive to light changes with the use of simple light sensors, or can change color at the user’s discretion.

While it’s a distinct possibility that color-switching sunglasses will come out on the runway in the near future, Sotzing’s film has one of its best applications in the military. Soldiers in rapidly changing environments are currently either stuck with goggles and glasses that aren’t suited for every situation, or time-consuming lens changes. Using electrochromic films eliminates that need, replacing multiple lenses with one always-perfectly-tinted unit.

Sotzing builds his lenses by injecting a binding polymer in between two sheets of the film, which he claims is a cheaper manufacturing process than those used in traditional lens making. This may be a boon to the military, but it’s tough to imagine they’d show up on the consumer market as anything but ridiculously expensive. Still, designer shades aside, eyewear that quickly responds to changing light conditions does seem like an important stepping stone to the utopian future we’ve all been promised. Maybe they’ll even make wearing sunglasses at night cool again. Well, maybe not.

Derek Mead
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more