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Uber changes pricing model and scheduling options
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Uber's recent changes include more exact pricing, an ability to schedule rides ahead of time and new music options. - photo by Sarah Anderson
Uber, the popular ride-hailing service, is rethinking everything from pricing to when users can schedule a ride and what music they can listen to as they drive.

Previously when users booked a ride with Uber they would get an approximate estimate of their fare. But on Thursday Uber stated that it's moving to more exact pricing.

Imagine buying an airline ticket without knowing the full fare until the end of your trip. Or booking a hotel room online and being told that the real price would be 1.3X, a press release from Uber said.

Upfront fares, as theyre called, have been a feature of UberPool, Ubers carpool service that makes up more than 20 percent of all its rides across the world for the past two years. And now regular UberX users can receive more exact pricing as well, the company said in its press release.

The Christian Science Monitor noted the announcement came the same day that a Senate bill was introduced that would require ride-share businesses to give "clear and conspicuous transportation fare estimates to riders at all times.

However, the company did not mention this as part of its reasoning, instead saying that it was to allow for more transparency in pricing, The Christian Science Monitor added.

Uber has also had trouble with its previous pricing system and its approximations. Such as around New Year's of this year when, as BuzzFeed reports, some customers found that they spent a couple hundred bucks on a ride that was normally $20 to $40, thanks to high demand and unclear pricing.

The Christian Science Monitor mentioned the changes "will make it easier for users to understand when higher prices are in effect."

Quartz reported that surge pricing, or higher fares when demand for rides increases, will still be in effect under the new system.

Mashable reported earlier in June that, like its rival Lyft, Uber is now letting riders schedule pick-ups up to 30 days in advance, shifting away from a solely on-demand business model.

Its not a perfect idea, though.

"The biggest difficulty with pre-scheduled rides for drivers is that they have to clear out their schedule ahead of time in order to make sure that they're available," Harry Campbell, a driver for Uber and Lyft and creator of The Rideshare Guy, told Mashable.

Ubers blog said the scheduled rides options started in Seattle, with plans to bring it to other top business travel cities and to eventually have it available globally. So far, scheduled rides at Uber are priced the same as unscheduled rides, whereas Lyft has riders paying a little extra for the service, according to Mashable.

On a lighter note, Reuters reported Monday that Uber and online radio station Pandora have partnered up to integrate Pandora into Ubers app, allowing users to listen to music on the go.

Uber already had a deal with music-streaming service Spotify, and now Pandora will be offered as another entertainment option for the companys 450,000 active U.S. drivers, according to Reuters.
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.