Latest news with #Design
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
HR Ministry to collaborate with Penang govt to develop Penang Chip Design Academy
GEORGE TOWN: Discussions are being finalised for the Human Resources Ministry to work with the Penang state government to develop the upcoming Penang Chip Design Academy. Its minister, Steven Sim said that as the institution intended to develop skilled manpower in the semiconductor and high-tech sectors in Penang, he hoped that the collaboration would add value and upgrade the skill training programmes. "It is a state government project and we are in discussion to finalise the collaboration between the ministry and the academy. "As it specialises in developing the semiconductor and high tech sector in Penang, we wish to add value and collaborate to enhance the skill training programmes," Sim told reporters on Thursday (June 19). Located at the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) building in Bayan Lepas, the academy would support the state's plan for the development of an Integrated Circuit (IC) Design and Digital Park. It is a key component of the Penang STEM Talent Blueprint and would be led by PSDC in collaboration with key industry players, Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool providers, academia, and InvestPenang. Sim had earlier officiated the northern region National Training Week (NTW) 2025 Learning Tour in Raia Inn in Bayan Lepas here. At the event, Sim said the Human Resource Development (HRD) Corporation and Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) have formed a strategic collaboration under the Advanced Technology Meister Programme (ATMP) to introduce the Matching Grant for skills development aimed at helping local industries upskill their workforce in advanced technology sectors. He added that some 420 families of fishermen impacted by the Silicon Island development project would receive training and skills development programmes in fields to expand their career opportunities. The NTW programme themed "Learning Beyond Borders", organised by HRD Corp, had brought together over 600 participants from various segments of the community, including school students, civil servants, community members, persons with disabilities (PWDs), cooperatives, and senior citizens, with the aim of empowering them with practical skills aligned with future workforce demands. To date, it has recorded over 3.2 million enrolments, exceeding its initial target of one million enrolments, with about 167,000 enrolments with almost 800 courses recorded across Penang, Kedah and Perlis in the northern region. NTW 2025 will conclude on Saturday (June 21) with the closing ceremony in Ipoh, Perak.
Digital Trends
5 days ago
- Digital Trends
This might be the coolest way to charge an Apple Watch
If you love a touch of nostalgia and have an Apple Watch, then this new charger from Spigen may well appeal. Joining Spigen's C1 collection featuring accessories inspired by the design of classic Apple products, the Apple Watch Classic C1 charger sports the familiar look of Apple's iconic iMac G3, which shook up the PC market when it launched in 1998. Recommended Videos The $35 device is designed to house your Apple Watch charging puck, which fits snugly in the G3's 'display' after you've fed the wire through the back. It even features the computer's slightly slanted display angle for a comfortable view of the watch face. The charger comes in four different colors that match some of the options offered by the original iMac G3, namely Tangerine, Graphite, Ruby, and the original Bondi Blue. The Apple Watch Classic C1 charger is compatible with the Apple Watch Ultra (49mm), Apple Watch series 10/9/8/SE2/7/6/SE/5/4, AirPods 4 (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2, but just to be clear, the actual charging puck is not part of the package. Apple's iMac G3 arrived at a time when PCs came in one flavor — beige and boring. Indeed, its colorful design signaled that it was more than a computer. It was a promise that tech could be, well, joyful. The all-in-one iMac G3 proved popular with customers looking for something a little different, and its subsequent success played a pivotal role in Apple's resurgence after years of financial struggles. Recognizing its iconic status and keen to highlight its significance in design and technology history, the Smithsonian Institution added the iMac G3 to its collection. The computer sold more than six million units between 1998 and 2003, cementing the foundations of the iMac, which continues as a product line today — albeit with a starkly different look. And now it's inspired the design of an Apple Watch charger, too.
The National
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
The V&A exhibition by disabled artists that wants to reclaim the narrative with humour
One of the pieces in the new Disability and Design exhibition at London's V&A South Kensington is a short film by disabled performance and video artist Katherine Araniello which parodies an advert made by UK TV's Channel 4 for the 2012 Paralympics. Named Meet the Superhumans, the original advert's premise was how inspirational and resilient disabled sportspeople are, depicting them as strong and invincible. In Araniello's satirical version of the advert, she can be seen smoking and stuffing her face with junk food to the same hyper-catchy soundtrack as the original advert. Her mock interviews as an inspirational athlete in a wheelchair are delivered deadpan to camera and riddled with tropes and superlatives along the lines of: "It was the toughest race of my life", "I never let my disabilities hold me back" and "I have inspired a future generation of sporting excellence". It's a deeply funny yet deadly serious reminder that disabled people shouldn't have to be superhuman to be worthy of respect, attention or care. 'And it's a way of saying, 'Hang on, this isn't how I want to seen',' says Natalie Kane, curator of the exhibition that opened on Saturday at the museum's original South Kensington branch. 'It's important to challenge when we don't feel represented,' Kane tells The National, and comedy or humour is a tool that some disabled artists have used successfully to do that. Divided into three sections – Visibility, Tools and Living – the exhibition includes 170 objects from the spheres of design, art, architecture, fashion and photography. Unlike a lot of other exhibitions dedicated to design and disability, the pieces here are made or conceived by disabled people and highlight aspects of living and working with disability that are personal and intimate but also often political and quietly revolutionary. There's Conor Foran's Dysfluent magazine, which gives brilliant graphic form and a visual identity to stammering by repeating certain letters or stretching parts of them. Other standout pieces include Maya Scarlette's incredible hand-sewn Notting Hill Carnival costume inspired by Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Scarlette is a fashion designer with ectrodactyly, meaning digits in her hand or feet are absent. There's also a moving performance piece by Carmen Papalia, who calls himself a non-visual artist. In the piece, Papalia replaces his white cane with a brass band, the latter guiding him though a Vancouver park via a site-reactive musical score and sound cues – when an obstacle is near, the music becomes more shrill. The results of these works, which highlight the need for collaboration and support are joyful, unexpected and, at times, fraught. Disability is not a problem that needs to be fixed posits the exhibition. Rather, disabled people are the experts when it comes to expressing their identities and designing for their own needs, hacking and subverting everyday objects in ingenious ways. A great example of the latter are the low-tech but clever adaptations made by septuagenarian disabled woman Cindy Garni in the US, who added a cable tie to the zip of a purse to help open it, or a stick-on-wall-hook to the screw top lid of a pot of beauty cream to do the same. In the same vein, the McGonagle Reader is an audio-assisted tactile voting device created for people with low vision. But there's also the adapted bike of Palestinian cyclist and founder of paracycling team Gaza Sunbirds, Alaa al-Dali, who was shot by an Israeli sniper in Gaza in 2018. It's a timely and poignant reminder that access to disability rights or activism is even more difficult (and often impossible) for people living under war or the brutality of occupation. The exhibition hones in on the moments when technology or sustainability aren't always the silver bullets we think they are. For instance, the policy to phase out plastic straws that has been problematic for disabled people who require a lot of support as plastic straws are stronger, safer and more hygienic. Or the robotics or GPS elements non-disabled designers have tried to add on to the white cane that have proven unpopular and even dangerous. One modification to the cane that did stick was when a foldable version was produced in the 1950s after a woman asked for a cane that would fit in her shopping bag. But it's not just the content of this exhibition that takes a disability-first approach, the design and organisation of the exhibition does as well. For one thing, visitors are repeatedly reminded to touch objects and, where possible, it's the original object and not just a 3D copy. It feels awkward but it is a useful reminder of how two-dimensional and exclusionary many exhibitions can be. The other is that the show begins with a rest space filled with modular chairs, some with armrests, some without, for different sorts of physical support. Round tables, for example, are much better than square or rectangle tables for deaf people to gain full vision of people who use sign language. There's also an inviting blue and white bench by Finnegan Shannon inscribed with the words: "Do you want us here?" There are further seating options dotted around the exhibition, including an inviting chaise longue in the last room, in what is an obvious attempt to address the startling and deeply exclusionary lack of seating in so many exhibitions. Further attempts to make the space as accessible as possible include a tactile key to the different exhibition sections. But there are also mirrored doorway arches that help deaf people understand what is around the corner in a given space. Or low stools that can be pulled out so that people of all heights can enjoy the displays fully. There are also a range of ways of experiencing the exhibition including tactile maps, audio descriptions, sign language, large print and online audio options. The idea is that the museum, which like many older institutions is grappling with accessibility issues, is accruing knowledge and training in this area and creating a legacy for the future. 'It shouldn't be that a show about disability is the only show where you get access principles,' says Kane. 'The aim is for this design thinking to be applied to future exhibitions.'
Mid East Info
13-06-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
7awi Media Group Leads Community Blood Donation Drive in Collaboration with the Blood Donation Center, Under the Umbrella of Dubai Health
7awi Media Group and Dubai Health Inspire a Culture of Giving in the Workplace and Beyond June, 2025, Dubai, United Arab of Emirates — Demonstrating a strong commitment to community well-being, and celebrating World Blood Donor Day (June 14th), 7awi Media Group, successfully hosted a Blood Donation Drive on June 2, 2025, at the Design House Building in Al Sufouh 1, Dubai. The campaign was organized in collaboration with the Blood Donation Center, under the umbrella of Dubai Health , whose support was instrumental in its success. As part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, 7awi Media Group organized the drive to raise awareness about the importance of voluntary blood donation and its life-saving impact. The event ran from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and drew enthusiastic participation from 7awi Media Group employees, building management, and neighboring companies. The Dubai Health mobile unit ensures a smooth and efficient donation process, providing professional care and guidance throughout the day. 'We are incredibly thankful to Dubai Health for their unwavering support,' said Anas Abbar, CEO of 7awi Media Group. 'Their dedication, combined with the generosity of our donors, made this initiative truly impactful for the wider community.' The drive highlighted the power of collective action, with individuals from across the neighborhood coming together to support a vital cause. 7awi Media Group extends heartfelt appreciation to all who contributed to making the event a success. The company remains dedicated to nurturing a culture of social responsibility, compassion, and meaningful engagement with the community.
New Paper
10-06-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Queenstown three-room flat sold at $935,000; Bedok flat at $730,000
On the hunt for a well-furnished yet affordable home? Chances are slim, especially when 18 districts have broken the record for resale prices of three-room flats, with Queenstown leading the way at a staggering $935,000. Several districts further from the city centre have also seen prices soar above the $600,000 to $700,000 mark. According to data compiled by Shin Min Daily News from the government's data platform , 18 out of 26 towns with resale flats have set new records for three-room flat prices this year. These include areas such as Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, Bukit Timah, Chai Chee, Geylang, Hougang, Jurong West, Kallang, Punggol, Queenstown, Sembawang, Sengkang, Serangoon, Tampines, Woodlands and Yishun. Among these, a three-room flat at Block 95 Skyparc@Dawson in Queenstown had the highest resale price of $935,000 in April. This is the highest price recorded for a standard three-room flat (excluding landed properties), and it remains the only three-room flat resale unit to surpass the $900,000 mark. These units are located within the 34th to 36th storeys, spanning 66 sq m. Such homes are classified as Premium Apartments with a lease of 95 years and 7 months. Previously, Queenstown's highest resale price for a three-room flat was $930,000 for a 108-square-meter landed property unit. For a typical three-room flat, the previous record was $838,000 for a unit at Holland Drive, sold in September 2024. On the other side of the island, a three-room flat in Bedok has broken the $700,000 mark for the first time this year. Last month, a unit within the 13th and 15th storeys of Block 429B Bedok North Woods was sold for $730,000. Other districts like Bukit Batok, Punggol, Tampines and Sembawang have also seen their three-room flat resale prices exceed $600,000. Notably, Punggol's highest resale price has reached $600,000, while Bukit Batok's three-room flat went for $610,000. Flats in Sembawang also saw prices hitting $620,000. Tampines is not far behind, with a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) three-room flat selling for $698,000 last month.
