News Blinks — November 18, 2016

Here’s a quick look at some industry news you may have missed this week. 

• Investigators at University College Cork have reportedly found a drug from a contraceptive pill can be used to slow or stop the advancement of Retinitis Pigmentosa.
• A new study from the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil has found the Zika virus can cause severe damage to the retina in infants.
• Dr. Joseph P. Shovlin, a senior optometrist at Northeastern Eye Institute, has reportedly been named president of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).
• Fight for Sight and the Thomas Pocklington Trust have partnered to fund research to help improve the diagnosis for patients with brain disorders, which can often cause visual impairment.
• And Fight for Sight is also teaming up with the Birdshot Uveitis Society to provide grants to researchers in London and Birmingham, U.K., to pioneer studies that could lead to better treatments for birdshot uveitis. 
• Researchers from Quingdou University of Science and Technology in China have reportedly found microscopic magnetic crystals may be a new option in the future for drug delivery in the body.
• The Southern College of Optometry has reportedly donated 23 computers to Literacy Mid-South, which provides literacy resources to learners of all ages and backgrounds.
• Kenmark Optical has renewed its exclusive license agreement for the development, production and worldwide distribution of eyewear for the kensie brand (see press release below).
• Winners of the third edition of the Prada Journal — Prada Feltrinelli Prize have been selected and can be viewed at Prada.com/journal. Launched by Prada in collaboration with Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore and Luxottica, the contest was created to discover new and emerging writers.
• Revolution Eyewear has launched an all-new digital catalog featuring over 100 designs for men and women, new marketing options, and full specs and imagery for each frame and clip combination.
• America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses has been named an official national partner of Monster Jam®.
• The 24th Hong Kong Optical Fair reportedly ended with a record number of buyers— more than 15,000 from 100 countries and regions.
• Canon India Pvt. Ltd. completed four successful years of its flagship CSR initiative "Adopt a Village," which focuses on making an impact in the areas of education, environment and eye care.
• Global apparel manufacturer and exporter Sae-A Trading Co., Ltd. recently led its fourth medical mission since 2012 to Northern Haiti to provide free medical care to more than 3,0000 local residents, including eye care.
• June Phyllis Baker, an author in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., has published a new children's book, See-more's Big Adventure, reportedly about a young squirrel who learns how glasses can help him after a visit to his eye doctor.
• The latest entry into the smart glasses market is coming via Snapchat, who will reportedly be selling them through vending machines. The first such machine, called a Snap Bot, reportedly launched last week in Venice, Calif. And here’s a first look at Snapchat’s new smart glasses.
• And not to be left out, Apple is reportedly exploring its own digital glasses product.
• New research from the University of Michigan says teaching kids the basics of medical insurance and preventive care could benefit their long-term health.
• And for spectacle wearers looking for a love connection, there's now SPEX — reportedly a dating app designed for people who wear glasses.