FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, we have explicitly banned widgets that display video footage -- this feature is much better suited for virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Rift. In contrast, Shima is digital eyewear whose primary goal is to make sure you can see the world around you without interruption. Any widgets that respect this goal are highly likely to be approved for use on Shima. For people wanting a wearable video player, we recommend the Avegant Glyph.
No. We consider our eyewear to be “digital eyewear” because it has features of consumer electronics as well as those of conventional eyewear. Each pair of our eyewear is made specifically for the person who ordered it. This means your eyewear has been built to accommodate for your prescription, the distance between your eyes, and your facial geometry. Furthermore, each pair of eyewear is tied to your LAFORGE account, SocialFLO app, and smartphone. (Please note that all the above is especially true for our eyewear with no prescription.)
Shima weighs between 24 and 27 grams. The weight will vary based on the strength of your prescription and frame style.
Under normal use Shima will last 18 hours on a single charge and can recharge in about 30 minutes. The eyewear is recharged via a USB type-C cable.
Shima will be water resistant, meaning it can handle rain and sweat but should not be submerged in water. We recommend cleaning the lenses with a lens cleaning spray that is made for eyewear lenses (not Windex or glass cleaner) and not holding the eyewear under a faucet.
We are working to integrate Siri and Google Now into the Beta Bold model to expand the possibilities for hands free interaction with the device. This will not be a feature of the alpha release.
Shima is exclusively available online only at laforgeoptical.com.
Shima can be controlled using physical buttons and the touchpad on the temples of the frames. Settings and configurations for our eyewear are available using the SocialFlo app on your smartphone.
Yes. Shima’s display is off by default, giving you the clearest and most immediate connection to the outside world. The display is only on when you receive an update or are touching the touchpad.
Shima™ is a line of Digital Eyewear or “smart glasses” that look like a conventional pair of eyewear. They relay notifications from your phone and overlay them in your line of sight.
When the device launches, it will work on Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android.
We are currently taking pre-orders for the Shima Launch Edition at Laforgeoptical.com. The Shima Launch Edition package costs $590, and it includes the Shima Alpha Edition, which starts shipping 2017, and the Shima Beta & Beta Bold, which will ship in 2018.
Alpha is our first attempt at production digital eyewear. As such delays and bugs are expected. This is why anyone who pre-orders the alpha model, gets the Beta Bold version for free. The Beta is a more refined version of the Alpha. We will be “facelifting” the first four frame styles (for a more integrated look) as well as adding 16 additional frame styles.
Beta Bold is a version of the Beta that features two displays (one per eye) as well as a built-in camera. The purpose of the two displays is to convey more information, not to create a 3D effect. For those seeking a more immersive or 3D experience, we recommend ordering Microsoft HoloLens.
Yes. Free of charge and over the air.
Yes, the purpose of alpha and beta models is to enable a limited number of people to find and report problems that we didn’t think about (or just inexplicably started happening). Simply email us or submit the bug with a screenshot and a few sentences describing the issue and we will get on it right away. Remember alpha and beta wearers are our most important customers and you have an elite level of status at LAFORGE Optical. We will do things for alpha and beta customers that we won’t do for other customers.
There are some other products we are working on that we don’t talk about, but if you like SnapChat, computer vision, or an immersive augmented reality experience, you will be happy with some of our future announcements over the next few years. To put it another way: we are “holding back” with Shima so we can get a better understanding of what the market wants and how to mass-produce this category-defining eyewear.
The screen is located in the temples (side of the frames) of the eyewear. A series of optical elements in the lens make it appear as if the image is focused in front of you.
Yes, without the use of projectors, our technology projects a small virtual image that is focused on your retinas. We use a proprietary combination of lenses and coatings that allow you to see the image in front of you, in focus, no matter where you’re looking.
Absolutely not. The electronics of the device are integrated into the temples of the glasses. You cannot retrofit this device into your existing frames.
Shima™ is an app-driven Bluetooth accessory, meaning that it communicates directly with your phone, and not your network. As long as you own a modern smartphone, this device will work with it.
Shima Alpha Edition will come in four frame styles: Mister DJ, Infinite Loop, Heartbreaker, and Half & Half. The Shima Beta release will feature twenty different frame designs.
Shima Alpha and Beta Bold are currently available in Black, Silver/Grey, Red, and Brown. More colors and customizations will be added in future versions of Shima.
By signing up for an account at laforgeoptical.com, you will automatically be added to our email list, where we provide customers with the most detailed updates on our progress. Users should expect email updates from us every other month, and can view an archive of past email updates here.
LAFORGE should either be spelled in all caps, or with a capital “L” as in “Laforge”. There is no space between the “a” and the “f” in Laforge and there is no capital “F” either.
Feel free to contact us at: info@laforgeoptical.com
- Prescriptions & Sunglasses
- For the visually Impaired
- Distribution & Reselling
- Development
- Custom products or software requests
Absolutely! This eyewear is designed with you in mind. At launch, the device will accommodate people who are nearsighted or farsighted, or have an astigmatism.
Yes! If you have perfect eyesight, your prescription is “0”.
We will be offering support for progressive lenses starting with our Beta Bold eyewear. If you pre-order for the Alpha+Beta Bold package, you will have the option to add a progressive prescription to your Beta eyewear before it ships in 2017.
Yes and No. If your order hasn’t shipped, you can change your prescription at any time simply by uploading a new one to your account. Shipped Alpha models can only have the prescriptions changed if there was mistake made. Wearers of alpha models can update their prescription so the Beta Bold model will have the most up to date prescription applied. Anyone purchasing a Beta or Beta Bold model will be allowed to send the eyewear back once a year if their prescription changes, for a fee.
Shima sunglasses will be available starting with our Beta release. You will have the opportunity to select prescription sunglasses among a whole new collection of frame style options.
We are currently working to facilitate insurance in 2017.
We currently do not, but do intend to. We are constantly evaluating a variety of lens coating technologies. However, we are currently not impressed with the amount of time it takes for the lenses to go from clear to tinted (and back to clear).
We are currently evaluating the limits of prescriptions for nearsighted and farsighted individuals. Though we do encourage everyone to pre-order and upload their prescriptions, we must caution people to be realistic. For example, if your prescription is so exotic or specialized that your conventional eyewear takes over a month to produce or must go to a special company to be produced, then we probably won’t be able to make your prescription.
No. Our device is not used and cannot be used to as a treatment of any degenerative condition of any part of the eye.
No. Our device is not used and cannot be used to as a treatment of any degenerative condition of any part of the eye.
No. We are sold exclusively online and are not seeking distribution or resell partners.
No. We are sold exclusively online and are not seeking repair or service partners. Due to the complex nature of our product we tell all our wearers to contact us and return the product. We will exchange it for a new one.
No. We are sold exclusively online and are not seeking distribution or resell partners.
Initially, developers will only need to alter the way they use notifications. An API will be released after the launch of the Shima™ Developer Kit (SDK). This will allow for limited stand-alone capability on the OS. To get more information on Shima development, please visit the socialFLO website.
Probably not. We are here to support 3rd-party developers of existing apps by creating tools for them to extend their existing smartphone apps to our platform. We recommend contacting them, writing the program yourself, or contracting with a software development firm. We add features based on feedback from those who wear our eyewear and prioritize them based on the impact the new feature would have on everyone else.
No. Each new iteration of eyewear we produce takes over a year to prototype, test, and put into production. This process, though fun, is expensive and demanding. So we do not facilitate requests for a custom product unless you are from a company that has over $10 Million in revenue or investment.