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New app draws criticism for taking makeup off people's faces
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Theres a new app that wants to take away your makeup, and people arent happy about it. - photo by Herb Scribner
Theres a new app that wants to take away your makeup, and people arent happy about it.

MakeApp is a face-filtering app that removes makeup from your selfies. Its not unlike FaceTune and other beauty apps, which add or remove effects from your selfies to change the way you look in your picture.

MakeApp, though, looks to remove all makeup from your face and rid your picture of its polished finish.

Mashable writer Karissa Bell tested the app for her report and wasnt impressed with the results.

The makeup free look was cringeworthy, to say the least, she wrote. While it did a decent job of removing obvious makeup, like lipstick and mascara, it inexplicably made my skin puffier and blotchier and created wrinkles that don't actually exist.

Criticism about the app sprung up on Tuesday. Annoyed users tweeted their thoughts on the app, saying that it will exacerbate insecurities and low self-esteem, according to The Independent.

The apps creator, Ashot Gabrelyanov, told Mashable that hes hoping to fix the negative experiences users have had with the app, which also lightens darker skin colors.

"MakeApp is not our core product and it was really just an experiment/demonstration of some of the technologies our augmented reality company has been working on," he said, according to Mashable. "It was meant to be a fun, entertaining tool."

He similarly told BuzzFeed that the medias attention to the apps makeup function is unfair.

"We built MakeApp as an experiment and released it into the wild a few months ago and unfortunately the media coverage solely focused on the makeup removal function of the app and characterized it as a bunch of 'tech bros' trying to hurt women, which is just so far from the truth," he told BuzzFeed.

Other face-related social apps have experienced similar criticisms. Back in 2016, Snapchat added a Bob Marley feature, which dressed selfie-takers in dreadlocks, changed the shape of their eyes and darkened their skin color, according to CNN.

The app sparked outrage from users who were upset about the "blackface" feature.

FaceApp also added filters that were designed to make people look Asian, black, Caucasian or Indian, according to The Huffington Post.

The company later removed the digital effects after widespread criticism from its users.
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.