LAURA EMBRY / Union-Tribune photo illustration

A new San Diego company wants to prevent people from looking and feeling like computer geeks. Gunnar Optiks, which started 18 months ago in the garage of one of its owners, is launching a line of computer glasses that aim to prevent the dry eyes, blurry vision and headaches that can be caused by sitting for hours in front of a computer screen, BlackBerry or video game.

Steven Kinkead has diligently put money into his 401(k) over the course his 27-year career as an engineer in anticipation of enjoying a comfortable retirement someday.

Over the past nine days, the world has been entranced by the Beijing Olympics. For Americans, of course, the Olympics are more than a chance to see the world's greatest swimmer grab another gold, or to debate when those “16-year-old” Chinese gymnasts were born.

Are you tired of the U.S. market upheaval but itching to start investing some of the cash you've been stashing away? If so, you may be confused about which direction to head. Like every down market, there is little clarity about the near term. Investors warm up to financial companies one day and dump them the next.