By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
At least one Las Vegas hotel will soon scan you for weapons without you even knowing it
d276975b01ed1d4892871486ecd5fe4d2547ff6934359c44d49fdc86689882de
After October's mass shooting, Las Vegas hotels are beefing up security. A new device will discreetly scan every person who walks by for concealed weapons. For some, this means more safety. For others, a violation of privacy. - photo by Amy Iverson
I have terror on the brain again after this weeks subway explosion in New York. An ISIS-inspired man strapped a pipe bomb to himself, and it went off during rush hour.

Luckily, no one died, but one of the first tweets I saw responding to Mondays attack belittled it, noting 58 people died in Octobers attack in Las Vegas. Activist and writer Shaun King denounced Republicans for doing nothing after the Las Vegas mass shooting.

Whether his tweet is factual, one thing is for sure: The many hotels in Las Vegas sure did something after Octobers attack. Bloomberg reported that guests at the Wynn resort faced scanning by metal-detector wands, and all MGM Resorts beefed up security. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Mandalay Bay will now have security at the elevator banks 24 hours a day, and anyone getting on the elevators must show their room key first.

But thats not all. Now, an amazing high-tech device that can discreetly scan guests for potential weapons could really set a lot of peoples minds at ease. On the other hand, it might just give you the privacy heebie-jeebies.

Wired reported the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino is trying out the Patscan Cognitive Microwave Radar device. Security officers can place the device anywhere within 6 feet of its target. Put it under a desk, in a hallway or even behind a wall, and it can detect everything from a handgun to a knife to an explosive vest concealed on a person walking by.

Martin Cronin, CEO of the device creator, Patriot One Technologies, told Fox Business that people go to Vegas for a good time; they want to move freely, not line up for a security check. He said the Patscan CMR is an unobtrusive way to check for concealed weapons, but he added it should only be a piece of a hotels security puzzle.

Patriot One said it trains the device to use its radio wave emissions to identify the shapes of hidden weapons, and it gets smarter with each detection. It will eventually have a database of thousands of weapons shapes. Patriot One said there is no privacy concern because it doesnt generate an image of the person, instead just showing an outline of the weapon itself.

A company wouldnt even need a human to monitor the device, but it could simply notify someone (via alert, email or text) if it detects a weapon. It uses similar technology to what your car uses to let you know if something is in the way when youre backing up, but the company said the Patscan CMR can differentiate between weapons and other innocent objects you may have tucked in your back pocket. The device is about the size of a large cookie sheet, but the company can miniaturize it, which means most people will never even know the device is scanning them.

Would that make you feel safer walking into a Vegas casino? Or violated?

Some gun owners and privacy advocates will no doubt bristle at the thought of covert weapons scanning for all hotel and casino guests. But Patriot One is calling the device a new standard in weapons detection.

After Octobers attack, Las Vegas is getting serious about security. If you plan to be one of the expected 320,000 visitors to Las Vegas for its big New Years Eve celebrations, it will be different from any year before.

KTNV reported 358 Nevada National Guard troops will be on hand to keep things safe after state lawmakers tripled the security funding for Dec. 31 in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Strip will ban backpacks, coolers, large purses and strollers and will have added 800 steel posts to protect pedestrians.

Will these covert scanners be lining the street as well? Youll never know.
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.