By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Amazon files patent to use selfies as passwords
36a75c8f15693083da322ade99c68b6a4ef84c2034df5fd58995cbbb78c83303
An illustration from Amazon's patent application. - photo by Natalie Crofts
SEATTLE Sometime in the future, Amazon shoppers could use photos or videos of themselves at checkout to authorize purchases.

According to a patent filed by Amazon on Oct. 19 that was published Thursday, selfies could provide the next level of protection for consumers. It argued that a selfie-pay system would be more secure than traditional passwords.

While many conventional approaches rely on password entry for user authentication, these passwords can be stolen or discovered by other persons who can impersonate the user for any of a variety of tasks, the patent application reads. Further, the entry of these passwords on portable devices is not user friendly in many cases, as the small touchscreen or keyboard elements can be difficult to accurately select using a relatively large human finger, and can require the user to turn away from friends or co-workers when entering a password, which can be awkward or embarrassing in many situations.

The tech giant is still working out the details of its payment system, but offered several options for how it could prevent imposters from tricking cameras. One proposed idea was to use thermal imaging.

The thermal image captured of a human face will be very different than one captured for a piece of paper, as there will be a significant variance in the thermal characteristics of regions such as the eyes, nose, and mouth of a physical user, while these variations will not be present in a photograph, the patent application reads.

Another option would be to have customers perform different actions, like blinking their left eye or smiling. The technology could also monitor for normal activity, like blinking, in a 30 second window.

In at least some embodiments the action can be compared to information stored for the user previously performing that action, to determine whether the person performing the action is likely the user, the patent application reads. Other motions or actions can be used as well, such as opening and closing the user's mouth, frowning, rotating the user's head, nodding, or performing another such action that cannot be replicated with a two-dimensional image.

For all of these options, the images used during checkout would be compared to information stored on a secure cloud-based server, according to Amazon.

Amazon has not indicated when the technology could be put into place for shopping use.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
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.