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What did we ever do without a 24-hour sunglasses vending machine? Thankfully, we can put those unpleasant days behind us. This is just one of the many techie features at Sunglass Hut's new Times Square location, which opened over the weekend. Eye Candy, as the touch-screen vending machine is called, allows users to virtually "try on" a pair of sunglasses before purchase, so you know if the frames suit your face before they pop out. (They're not the first ones to offer a sunglass vending machine in NYC, though.)
If you're around when the store is open—AKA daylight, when people actually need sunglasses—you can send pictures of yourself in sunnies to your friends via tablets at the Sunglass Bar, and even purchase them directly from the store's site. You know, just in case it's too hard to actually talk to a sales associate who's likely twenty feet away from you.
And if you're not in the mood to drop a couple hundred bucks on a new pair of shades, you could just go there to marvel at the futuristic setting. The music from the in-store DJ will be coordinated to an "LED orb chandelier" and an eighteen-foot Bling Wall, which is essentially advertisements for the store on a loop—very helpful in case you've forgotten where you are.
This Hut, like all of its other locations, offers a wide variety of designer frames, including Ray-Ban, Tory Burch, Chanel, and more. Check out photos of the new store in the gallery.—Laura Gurfein
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