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Invisible air umbrella pushes away rain
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Air Umbrella - photo by Air Umbrella

NANJING, China — A new product may eliminate the stress of having umbrellas rendered useless by strong gusts of wind.

The Air Umbrella, designed by students from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China, uses pressurized air to keep rain droplets away instead of a waterproof cover. A battery-powered fan blade redirects air so it pushes rain out of the path of the device’s user, according to the Kickstarter page.

The alternative to the traditional umbrella looks like a single rod with a bulb on top, and can be pre-ordered through a Kickstarter campaign. So far it has raised more than $86,000, exceeding its original $10,000 goal. The campaign ends Friday.

However, the umbrella is only useful for short trips at this point in its development. The battery life lasts between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the model, according to the Kickstarter page.

While the idea is novel, the inventors behind the Kickstarter campaign say they are still working on perfecting the product. Those who want try the air umbrella before it hits the market can choose from three options available for preorder through the Kickstarter campaign: a miniature “umbrella-a” designed for women to put in their purses, the basic “umbrella-b” and an “umbrella-c” that can have its length adjusted. The umbrellas cost between $88 and $148 dollars.

The Air Umbrellas will be shipped by December 2015, according to the Kickstarter page.

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.