fbpx
Connect with us

Technology

What Are The Biggest Tech Fails of 2021?

Published

on

angry emoji

This year was a mix of vaccine misinformation, random internet outages, and another T-Mobile data breach.

Most of us thought 2020 was the peak of challenges as the coronavirus pandemic shook the world. Several problems we encountered in 2020, ranging from misinformation to ransomware to QAnon, trailed a notch higher this year. And while technology continued to keep us informed and connected during this pandemic, it also complicated our lives. Things kept getting worse. 

Here are the biggest tech fails of 2021:

Misinformation

It seems like a deja vu from 2020’s record. Misinformation was a serious problem last year. Whether it was dangerous and false conspiracy theories about vaccine dangers or the rise of QAnon, it’s gotten difficult to identify what’s real and what’s fake. The extent of anti-vaccine misinformation has led to delays in reaching the targets on vaccination rates stalling. Also, it results in worst cases sending more people to the ICU. 

The blame falls to social media such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. It is where conspiracy theories, false claims, and misinformation spread quickly. 

Capitol riots

Trump’s speech wasn’t the only means that drove the angry mob to gather upon the Capitol, a violent act that even resulted in five deaths. Trump used Twitter and Facebook to push baseless accusations that the election was a fraud. Discussion of revolution exploded on traditional social media sites such as Parler, which went dark after the riots

The clash led to Facebook and Twitter banning Trump from their platforms. Meanwhile, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg took criticism for saying the US Capitol riot wasn’t “largely organized” on Facebook.

Facebook Rebranded to Meta

Facebook COO Sandberg pushing back against any involvement in the election-related riots was just a tip of the iceberg for Facebook. There were many criticisms regarding Facebook last year. There were issues with its Instagram for kids project. Likewise, there were allegations for whistleblower Frances Haugen that the company prioritized profits over containing a toxic platform full of hate and misinformation. 

Amidst all of the controversy, Facebook held its annual virtual reality conference at which it rebranded itself, Meta. The pre-recorded event, which focused on the potential of a new metaverse, was not ideal in the middle of headlines about the company. 

Supply Chain Crisis

We were shocked at the Ever Given cargo ship jammed in the Suez Canal. It was part of a much larger supply chain crisis that has resulted in shortages in everything from PlayStation 5 to tennis balls. 

In addition, automakers have had to suspend car production because of the shortage of supply of lower-end chips that power most of the electronics in vehicles. 

The disruption in the global supply chain and the impact of the pandemic will still be felt through 2022.

Activision Blizzard’s ‘frat boy’ culture

Maybe the only thing as bad as the revelation of the toxic culture at Activision’s Blizzard unit, with accounts of everything from sexual discrimination to rate, has been the mindless response by its leadership. Several issues arose after California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a case against the gaming giant.

Instead of confirming the allegations, Activision Blizzard pushed back through a staff email sent by Frances Townsend, Vice President for Corporation Affairs. But, the letter was drafted by CEO Bobby Kotick, who was reportedly aware of the concerns but failed to take action. 

Now, employees and shareholders ask Kotick to resign, and Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all condemned Activision’s behavior.

Internet outages

In June, the Fastly outage was when their cloud computing service provider suffered a glitch that almost shut down half the internet. It knocked out critical providers like Amazon. 

Then, Facebook’s lousy year continued in October when it suffered its outage due to incorrect configuration, disconnecting the data centers from its various social networks. 

T-Mobile data breach 

T-Mobile suffered a massive data breach that disclosed the information of over 54 million people. It is getting worse, considering this is the company’s fifth hack in three years.

Tesla’s Full Self Driving rollout 

The biggest tech fails of 2021 don’t stop with Elon Musk himself. Tesla’s long-promised Full Self Driving rollout remains unclear. For several years, Tesla buyers have been shelling out thousands of extra dollars for the promise of a self-driving car. 

The billionaire space race

The race among billionaire CEOs Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk to be the first to get to space prompts the question: Why couldn’t you have spent your fortune helping people down here on Earth?

Read more of the biggest tech fails of 2021 here.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Tech Companies?

Published

on

TLDR: For most tech companies, Penji is the best graphic design subscription service. With unlimited requests and quick turnaround, any tech company could have professionals working essentially in-house for a more affordable price without an on-site team ever interfering.

A tech firm needs a redesign of their website – and quick! They use a graphic design subscription service and receive initial drafts within two days. The fully new site within two weeks impresses their investors. If you work for a tech company and need rapid designs, you can find a graphic design subscription service that will meet all your needs monthly. We’ve found the best options for you.

#1 Penji

Penji: Best Graphic Design Service for Tech Companies

Penji is an unlimited graphic design subscription that acts as your design department on demand. For flat monthly fees, you’ll receive a wide variety of design projects.

Pros:

  • Unlimited requests and revisions: No need to pay more or slow down after a certain amount of requests – website designs, app UI, social media graphics, there are no limits.
  • 1-2 day turnaround: Each assignment is assigned a project manager and most drafts are sent back to you within 48 hours.
  • Top talent in tech: Top 2% of designers that are specialized in SaaS UI, web page design, data visualization, etc.
  • Vast array of designs. Logos, landing pages, infographics, email creatives, ad banners, etc.

Cons:

  • As it’s a monthly subscription, it’s not good for one-off projects.
  • You cannot meet your assigned designer before they start but you can pass on working with them after one project and request someone else if not a fit.

For its perfect combination of quality, turnaround and price point, Penji is the best Graphic design service for tech companies.

#2 Designity

Designity is another strong subscription service. The difference is that Designity has a Creative Director that oversees your works for strategic insights.

Pros:

  • Creative Director oversight: A real human oversees all sent back work for quality review and strategic brand level insights for brand consistency.
  • Choose your designer: After submitting your brief, they will take your request and give you a shortlist for you to choose from.
  • Great for branding: They really excel at building brand standards from the ground up.

Cons:

  • Turnaround time may be slower than with Penji due to the additional layer of oversight.
  • Higher pricing usually.

#3 Superside

Superside: Best Graphic Design Service for Tech Companies

Superside is amazing because it’s made for enterprise companies. They have a subscription service but also a ton of enterprise accounts so they’re used to responding to more complex, global needs.

Pros:

  • Dedicated team approach: Over time, you will work with the same team who understands your brand very well.
  • Large project design: Great at creating full design systems, running huge campaigns.
  • Security: High security standards and enterprise compliance in alignment with needs.

Cons:

  • Most expensive option; ticket starting price is high.
  • Not as agile for smaller asks; better for large-scale planned projects.

#4 ManyPixels

Manypixels: Best Graphic Design Service for Tech Companies

ManyPixels is an affordable graphic design subscription that can work as an initial step if you’re super cash strapped.

Pros:

  • Price: One of the cheapest graphic design subscriptions out there.
  • Simple to use: Easy to submit basic requests.
  • Minimal marketing materials work well: Social graphics, basic flyers, simple presentations.

Cons:

  • Quality and expertise provided are inconsistent; not ideal for complicated tech UI/UX offerings.
  • ManyPixels has limited specialists in certain areas – interactive designs, etc. – but not specialized feedback.

Credit for cover image: Tranmautritam on pexels

Continue Reading

Business

What’s the Best Graphic Design Service for Healthcare Brands?

Published

on

nurse typing on a computer

TL;DR: Penji is the best graphic design service for healthcare brands because it understands medical compliance requirements, delivers designs in 24 to 48 hours, and offers unlimited revisions. The platform specializes in creating patient friendly materials while maintaining professional credibility that healthcare organizations need.

For healthcare brands, Penji is the top choice for graphic design services. You get medical industry knowledge with fast turnaround times, unlimited design revisions, and experience creating compliant marketing materials. Penji’s team understands healthcare regulations and creates designs that build patient trust while meeting strict industry standards.

Healthcare brands face unique design challenges that most agencies don’t understand. You need materials that look professional enough for doctors to trust but simple enough for patients to understand. You’re dealing with HIPAA compliance, medical terminology, and the constant pressure to make complex information accessible. Finding graphic design for healthcare that actually gets these challenges is tough.

Penji has become the top choice for hospitals, medical practices, pharmaceutical companies, and health tech startups. The designers understand what works in healthcare and what doesn’t. They know that stock photos of people in lab coats aren’t enough anymore. Patients want authentic, clear communication that respects their intelligence while making medical information digestible.

Why Healthcare Brands Choose Penji

medical professional using a computer

They Understand Medical Compliance

Most design agencies freeze when you mention HIPAA or FDA regulations. Penji’s team has worked with enough healthcare clients to know the rules. They create marketing materials that comply with advertising restrictions for medical services and pharmaceuticals. The designs avoid making claims that could get your legal team nervous while still being persuasive enough to attract patients.

Fast Enough for Healthcare’s Pace

When you’re launching a new telehealth service or responding to a public health situation, you can’t wait three weeks for a designer. Penji delivers in 24 to 48 hours. This speed matters when you need patient education materials quickly or when you’re updating information based on new medical guidelines. Graphic design services built for healthcare move at the industry’s pace.

Unlimited Revisions for Perfect Patient Communication

Getting medical information right takes multiple rounds of feedback. Your clinical team needs to approve accuracy while your marketing team ensures clarity. Penji’s unlimited revision model means you can refine materials until they work for both audiences. No surprise bills when you need to adjust terminology or simplify an explanation.

Creating Trust Through Design

Patients choose healthcare providers based on trust. Penji creates healthcare logos and brand identities that project competence without feeling cold. The designs balance professionalism with approachability. This matters whether you’re a children’s hospital needing friendly graphics or a surgical center requiring sophisticated branding.

Complete Design Support

Healthcare organizations need everything from appointment cards to website graphics to educational brochures. Penji handles it all under one subscription. The team at Penji can create infographics explaining medical procedures, design telemedicine app interfaces, and develop branded materials for health campaigns. Check out their portfolio to see examples of healthcare design work.

Budget Predictability for Healthcare Organizations

Hospital administrators and practice managers appreciate predictable costs. Penji’s flat monthly rate covers unlimited design requests. Whether you need two designs or twenty, the price stays the same. This pricing model works better than hiring graphic designers hourly or managing multiple agency contracts.

Design as a Service for Ongoing Needs

Healthcare marketing isn’t a one time project. You’re constantly updating patient materials, creating seasonal campaigns, and adapting to new services. Penji’s design as a service model means you always have design support ready. Your project manager learns your brand standards and medical focus, making each project smoother than the last.

Conclusion

For healthcare organizations serious about professional design, Penji solves the biggest pain points. Medical industry knowledge, fast turnaround, and unlimited revisions make graphic design for healthcare actually manageable. Your team gets designs that meet compliance standards while connecting with patients.

Get Healthcare Design That Works

Stop settling for generic design agencies that don’t understand medical marketing. Start with Penji and get your first healthcare design within 24 hours. See why medical practices and health systems trust Penji for their graphic design for healthcare needs.

Continue Reading

Technology

10 Best Photo Editing Apps for Personal and Business Use in 2026

Published

on

photo editing apps

Are you looking to improve your photos? Whether you’re a business owner or simply a photography enthusiast, this list of the best photo editing apps will help you create stunning images with its exciting features and capabilities.

These apps have advanced capabilities that let you adjust specific elements of your photos and add effects beyond simple filters. They also have other nifty features, such as face recognition and auto-image correcting. With these photo-editing apps, you can take your picture game to the next level – no matter what kind of photo you have. You can edit professional images or the selfies you snap on your phone daily. Look no further for some of the best photo editing apps to give your photos that special touch.

1. Collage Maker

Collage Maker screenshot

First on our list of photo editing apps is Collage Maker. This is one of those free photo editing apps built to allow the user to create a collage. It features hundreds of layouts, so you’ll have a wide array of choices for your project. In addition, you can also choose from a selection of exciting backgrounds and add text if you want.

It also offers basic photo editing tools, making it a photo editor and collage maker in one.

2. Visage Lab

Visage Lab screenshot

If you need an editor that will make you look like you got eight hours of sleep after an all-nighter, download Visage Lab. This photo editor allows the user to retouch photos, including reducing oiliness, whitening teeth, smoothening skin, and many more. It’s an excellent app if you want to spruce up your selfies.

3. Picsart

Picsart screenshot

Picsart offers reliable tools that allow users to create collages, change backgrounds, and many more. It also features hundreds of stylized filters, so you can find something to fit the look and mood you’re going for. Perhaps one of the best features of this app is it allows you to remove objects from the background, ridding your photo of any unwanted distractions.

4. Canva

Canva screenshot

Canva is surely one of the best photo editing apps today. You can use this app to edit your photos using basic editing features. In addition, you can also use filters and vignettes to easily manipulate your image before you upload it on social media.

The best thing about this app is that it’s not just for photos. Because you can also use it for creating posters and other images, it’s an all-in-one app for your graphic design needs.

5. Bazaart

Bazaart screenshot

Bazaart offers unique effects and excellent design elements, allowing you to create artsy photos. You can use the app’s features to create images ranging from montages to surreal works of art. You can also use it to put text and other graphics on your photo.

6. Foodie

Foodie screenshot

Do you like taking photos of your meals? If so, download Foodie. This is one of those photo editing apps free of charge, specially designed to create mouth-watering food photos. Now, a photo editing app designed specifically for food may sound weird. But try out their 30 filters on that coffee snap you have, and you’ll understand. 

7. Focos

Focos screenshot

If you want your photos to look like they’ve been shot using a professional camera, try using Focos. This app mimics the look of fast lenses in DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, making pictures look sophisticated. For instance, you can edit a photo by selecting various aperture diaphragms, thus giving it a layer of directional lighting or bokeh effects. Users can also simulate lenses, ranging from reflex to swirly.

8. VSCO

VSCO screenshot

VSCO is one photo editing app that offers camera and editing tools, plus an online community. One thing that keeps users on this app is the awesome classic filters that make pictures appear as if they’ve been taken using a film camera. These filters are great to use if you want to make your photos look interesting without utilizing overused Instagram filters.

Aside from the filters, this app has basic editing tools, including cropping, vignettes, and contrast adjustment.

9. Snapseed App

Snapseed screenshot

Also included in our list of photo editor app download options is Snapseed. This option has awesome features, making it powerful enough to compete with desktop photo editors. For instance, this app can create your own filters from scratch. It also offers classic tools, such as frames, straightening, cropping, and many more.

But if there’s one thing that makes this app stand out, it’s the precision masking, allowing users to modify the depth of field by blurring the background to focus on the foreground. It’s undoubtedly one way to make your photos look more professional.

10. Prisma Photo Editor

Prisma Photo Editor screenshot

If you’re looking for an app that can turn your photos into artwork, check out Prisma Photo Editor. Available on Android and iOS, this app can transform images into drawings and paintings not far from the masterpieces of Dali, Picasso, and Munch. This app has over 500 creative filters, giving users a vast selection of options. 

Tips for Choosing a Photo Editing App

Just like collaboration tools, it’s crucial to select a photo editing app that works for your needs. Now that you know what to look for in a photo editing app, you can start searching for the right one. Here are some tips for choosing the right one for you: 

Compatibility

First, you’ll want to confirm that the app you’re interested in is compatible with your device. You’ll want to ensure that it’s compatible with Android and iOS devices. Remember, not all apps are available in both operating systems.

Ease of Use

You’ll also want to find an app that’s easy to use. You want to spend less time figuring out how to use the app. Choose an option with a user-friendly interface and good editing tools without being too complicated.

Features

Of course, you’ll want to find an app with the features you need. The first step is to determine what you’ll use it for. Would you mainly use the app for your Instagram food account, or would you need it to glamorize your selfies? Would you use the app to edit product photos for your business? Knowing what you need from the get-go will allow you to choose the right app that will cater to your needs. 

Continue Reading

Trending