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5 tips for Black Friday you shouldn't ignore
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Giant Christmas tree in shopping mall - photo by Herb Scribner
Black Friday is nearly upon us, and the advertised sales for the popular shopping day have already begun popping up everywhere.

The annual holiday shopping blitz is a tradition for some families, who get in line before sunrise to snag discounted items at Target, WalMart or Best Buy.

But opinions and theories vary about how much shoppers actually save hitting the stores on Black Friday.

USA Today reported last year that Black Friday is often one of the worst times to buy during the year, as stores create hype around sales to lure you into the store to buy more.

Here are a few tips to ensure you get the deal you intended:

Doorbuster sales vs. guarantees

Doorbuster sales, which often appear to be quite the deal, don't last long and tend to be available to only a few ambitious shoppers, according to Time Money.

If you dont secure a spot at the front of the line or log online the moment a sale starts, you could miss your shot at these big deals, Time Money reports. Shoppers should look for stores with doorbuster guarantees. In some cases, as long as you arrive at a certain time, you can be guaranteed the low price.

Discounts vs. value

Be skeptical of the signs touting discounts. Some stores inflate their base product cost to make the Black Friday deals appear better than they are, according to Time Money.

If you shop this year on Black Friday, dont pay attention to the supposed percentage of the discounts. Instead, judge the value of a product based on the sale price and how it compares with the items price at other stores.

Business Tech suggests reviewing prices now, so you can see how much savings youll receive from the Black Friday sales.

Fake vs. real websites

Discounts and sales might appear too good to be true. When shopping online, triple check the credibility of the websites before embracing the sale.

According to Business Tech, make sure websites include the https:// in front of the URL, or web address, before entering credit card information to make a purchase.

Dont fall for the mail-in rebate

Mail-in rebates often require paying a higher price, with the promise of receiving money back by mailing in their receipt and filling out a form.

But the Dallas Morning News says this often isn't worth the hassle for most shoppers.

Unless you're disciplined enough to fill out the form and wait to receive the rebate, you could end up paying more than you intended," the newspaper reported.

Review return policies

Shoppers should pay attention on return policies, according to TechRadar.com, which monitors prices and deals on tech devices.

"For sale items you might find a return is entirely out of the question, leaving you lumped with a gift card. Bearing this in mind, its worth checking whether this is the case before you commit to a purchase youre not entirely certain of," according to TechRadar.
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
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.