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Apple vs. Facebook: Why the two tech giants are at war
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The confrontation began when Apple CEO Tim Cook told Recode he never would have allowed peoples data to be breached the way Facebook did over the last two years. - photo by Herb Scribner
Executives from Facebook and Apple exchanged a word war this week over data security.

The confrontation began when Apple CEO Tim Cook told Recode he never would have allowed peoples data to be breached the way Facebook did over the last two years.

Cooks comments specifically referenced the data breach involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, a data firm that improperly bought Facebook user data from a third party.

The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer if our customer was our product. Weve elected not to do that, Cook said.

Cook said Apple sells products, which he feels is a healthier business model to keep customers happy.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg struck back at Cooks comments in an interview with Vox.

You know, I find that argument, that if youre not paying that somehow we cant care about you, to be extremely glib and not at all aligned with the truth, he said.

Zuckerberg said Facebook remains a free product, so advertising is the only way the company can make money.

Having a free product, he said, makes Facebook unique.

I thought Jeff Bezos had an excellent saying on this in one of his Kindle launches a number of years back, Zuckerberg said. He said, There are companies that work hard to charge you more, and there are companies that work hard to charge you less. And at Facebook, we are squarely in the camp of the companies that work hard to charge you less and provide a free service that everyone can use. I dont think at all that that means that we dont care about people.

Zuckerberg added, "I think its important that we dont all get Stockholm Syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you."

According to Mashable, Cook has had the final laugh in the ongoing dispute since Facebooks stock has dropped $40 billion in market value over the breach.

Cook previously spoke out against Facebook on March 23 at the China Development Forum in Beijing just after reports came out about Facebooks data breach, according to Bloomberg.

"I think that this certain situation is so dire and has become so large that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary," he said. "The ability of anyone to know what you've been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your life from my own point of view it shouldn't exist."

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg said he hopes to make Facebook a little more democratic and give its members a chance to make their own decisions about what they trust on Facebook, BBC News reported.

He said he hoped to create an independent entity much like the Supreme Court, with impartial hires, who could make the final decisions when it comes to whats appropriate to have on Facebook.
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.