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Delta to use facial-recognition tech to check bags
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Delta Air Lines announced Monday that it will launch a facial recognition feature for checking bags at the airport. - photo by Josh Furlong
Josh Furlong
KSL.com
Published: May 16, 2017, 2:19 PM
Delta Air Lines announced Monday it will launch a facial recognition feature for checking bags at the airport.

The company said its customers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer will be able to obtain a boarding pass from a kiosk station and then check the bag using facial-recognition technology. The technology, which is the first for airlines in the U.S., will match customers using their passport photo.

Delta said it believes the new technology will help save customers time and will free up employees to provide a more proactive and thoughtful customer service.

The facial-recognition technology announcement is the latest way Delta has tried to streamline the airport process. In May 2016, the company opened up what it called Innovation Lanes at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to help the congestion with the Transportation Security Administration. An automated bin line separates bags into five different lines to help keep lines moving.

This is the next step in curating an airport experience that integrates thoughtful innovation from start to finish, Delta Senior Vice President Gareth Joyce said. Were making travel easier than ever for our customers and continuing to deliver a leading customer experience.

Delta said it will collect customer feedback on the facial-recognition technology in an effort to make it more widely available. It added that a study conducted by the company found that the new technology will allow twice as many customers an hour.
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.