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4 eccentric billionaire spending habits
Billionarespending
Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft Corp. and now one of the world's leading philanthropists, may want to use technology to help people live healthier, but he isn't strapping on a "smart watch" himself anytime soon. Speaking with editors of Politico on Monday, Gates said, "No, no, no, it's a $10 watch," when the magazine's Mike Allen asked if the billionaire was wearing a "health watch" that could monitor blood pressure and similar conditions. - photo by Justin Sullivan, istockphoto.com/EdStock
Mark A. Kellner
Deseret News National
Updated: Oct 10, 2014, 3:00 PM
Published: Oct 6, 2014, 5:17 PM

Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft Corp. and now one of the world's leading philanthropists, may want to use technology to help people live healthier, but he isn't strapping on a "smart watch" himself anytime soon.

Speaking with editors of Politico on Monday, Gates said, "No, no, no, it's a $10 watch," when the magazine's Mike Allen asked if the billionaire was wearing a "health watch" that could monitor blood pressure and similar conditions.

Since Gates didn't say what brand of watch it was, there's no easy way to confirm his claim. But his response illustrates a trait not uncommon to many of the ultra-wealthy — frugality when it might not seem necessary.

Take the case of Swede Ingvar Kamprad, founder of global furniture titan IKEA. Reported to have a personal net worth of $28 billion, Kamprad, 88, drove an old Volvo for two decades before he was convinced to get a newer car, according to Forbes. The entrepreneur flies economy, lives in a modest bungalow (Britain's Express newspaper reported) and encourages employees to write on both sides of a piece of paper, as he does, according to the Odd Phobiablog.

His motto: "It is better to be a bit stingy than throw money out of the window."

While billionaire Warren Buffet might be known as the "Oracle of Omaha" for his successful investments, the Nebraskan still lives in the modest home he bought in 1958 for $31,500, the Daily Mail reported.

Buffet, who also owns a $4 million mansion in Laguna Niguel, California, enjoys a modest lifestyle in Nebraska's largest city. “ ‘I'm happy there. I'd move if I thought I'd be happier someplace else,’ ” he reportedly told the BBC in 2011, the newspaper said. "I'm warm in the winter, I’m cool in the summer, it's convenient for me," the Daily Mail reported Buffet saying. "I couldn't imagine having a better house."

And Bill Gross, a self-made billionaire — $2.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine — may have enough money to build one of the world's top collections of United States postage stamps, but he wouldn't be caught dead carrying a smartphone.

"Our modern age is becoming more virtual than physical, which I find increasingly depressing if only because I’ve failed to keep pace. I don’t even own a cellphone," Gross wrote in June on the website of PIMCO, the investment firm he co-founded but left last Friday to join Janus Capital.

"I can’t help but be struck by the thousands of cellphones attempting to capture, in near unison, a moment in time that can be texted to hungry audiences," Gross added. "My view is that there is time stored in that cellphone but its vintage may be somewhat sour, as compared to the sweetness of the here and now."

Email: mkellner@deseretnews.com
Twitter: @Mark_Kellner
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.