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Hulu could soon launch new service with live TV, sports
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If you love the idea of cutting the cord but hate waiting until the day after an episode airs to watch, you might have a new option in the coming year. - photo by Natalie Crofts
Natalie Crofts
KSL.com
Published: May 5, 2016, 1:03 PM
If you love the idea of cutting the cord but hate waiting until the day after an episode airs to watch, you might have a new option in the coming year.

Hulu, one of the largest providers of online streaming with nearly 9 million subscribers, is working to create a new service that offers live cable and broadcast TV, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. People close to the company said Hulu is currently working on the plans with hopes of launching the service in the first quarter of 2017.

While other companies have attempted to bring traditional TV programing straight to the internet as it airs, Hulu may have the best shot since it is jointly owned by major network providers Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox. Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also a silent partner.

The development comes as traditional pay-TV providers are struggling to maintain their customers. Over the course of 2015, the 13 biggest providers including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and DirectTV lost an estimated 385,000 subscribers, according to the Leichtman Research Group. The number of losses dropped from 2014, but continued the trend of recent years.

At the same time, the Leichtman Research Group reported on April 22 that there are currently fewer pay-TV set-top boxes in American households than internet-connected TVs. Their researchers found 65 percent of television owners in the U.S. have at least one internet-connected TV in their house, with 70 percent agreeing that streaming services similar to Netflix are easy to use.

Hulus new service is expected to offer ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, Foxs broadcast network, Fox News and FX, in addition to national and regional sports channels from Fox, according to the WSJ. The report said that at this point, it does not appear NBCUniversal would contribute content to the live service.

If Hulu does launch the service, it would likely cost more than its current $7.99 basic plan. A media analyst from Sanford C. Bernstein told the WSJ he estimated the live streaming package could cost $40 per month, which an executive close to Hulu said was in the correct range.

In its present form, Hulu offers some free video content but focuses on pushing its two subscription plans. It has streamed over 700 million hours of content and has over 500 content partners, according to its website.
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.