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For press photographers and photojournalists who often have to work in a variety of situations, zoom lenses tend to come in handy because they cover a wide range of focal lengths, making them versatile. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a good zoom lens:
Focal length: A zoom lens with a range from wide-angle to telephoto (such as 24-70mm or 24-105mm) is often a good choice. This will allow you to capture landscapes and group shots as well as details from a distance.
Luminosity: A lens with a large maximum aperture (e.g., f/2.8) has the advantage of performing well in low-light conditions and providing a shallow depth of field that blurs the background and highlights the subject.
Image stabilization: especially at longer focal lengths, image stabilization is helpful for avoiding camera shake and getting sharp images in low light.
Autofocus speed: Fast and accurate autofocus capabilities are important for capturing fast movement or rapidly changing situations.
Build quality and weather resistance: because press photographers often work in a variety of environments, rugged construction and weather resistance is an advantage.
Weight and size: Since photojournalists often carry their equipment all day, a balance of performance and portability is important.
Examples of popular zoom lenses that offer these features might include:
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM or Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS
It is important to note, however, that technology is constantly advancing, and there may be new models on the market by now that may better suit the current needs of press photographers. Therefore, I recommend seeking current reviews and recommendations from trusted photography websites or trade magazines to be up to date on available options.
Julia is a high-performance, flexible, and easy-to-use programming language designed specifically for scientific computing, technical computing, and data analysis. It was first released in 2012 and has since attracted a growing developer community.
The main features of Julia are:
Speed: Julia was designed to provide outstanding performance comparable to other powerful programming languages such as C, C++, and Fortran. This is achieved through just-in-time (JIT) compilation, which allows code to be optimized at runtime.
Simple syntax: Julia provides an easy-to-understand syntax that makes it easier for programmers to write code. The syntax is similar in many aspects to other popular programming languages such as Python.
Multiple Dispatch: Julia uses a concept called "multiple dispatch" that allows functions to be overloaded based on the types of multiple arguments. This allows more efficient and specialized operations to be performed on different types of data.
Comprehensive Libraries: Julia has a growing collection of libraries for a wide variety of applications, including numerical computation, data analysis, machine learning, visualization, and more.
Interoperability: Julia provides opportunities for seamless integration with other programming languages such as Python, R, C, and Fortran, making it possible to leverage and extend existing code.
Open Source: Julia is an open source programming language, which means that the source code is freely available and continues to be developed by an active community of developers and users.
Scientific Computing: Julia was developed with the goal of meeting the needs of scientists, engineers, and data analysts who need to process large amounts of data and perform complex mathematical calculations.
Because of these features, Julia is often used in areas such as numerical simulation, statistical analysis, data processing, machine learning, scientific research, and engineering.
YouTube, the world's leading video streaming platform, has introduced a drastic new method to combat ad blockers. The move is aimed at protecting ad revenue, which makes up a significant portion of the company's income. Users who block ads on YouTube will now see a countdown in the upper right corner of the screen, covering a period of 30 to 60 seconds. Within that window, users have a choice: they can either deactivate their ad blocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium to continue accessing all videos and content.
The new measure follows a previous warning introduced about a month and a half ago. That warning told users with ad blockers that the video player would be disabled after watching three videos. At the time, there was an option to whitelist YouTube from the ad blocker, turn off the extension, or subscribe to YouTube Premium. The current strategy represents a tightening of those policies and illustrates YouTube's determination to crack down on ad blockers.
This new measure has been well received by some users, who argue that revenue from advertising is essential to maintaining platform operations and supporting content producers. Still, there are also concerns about usability and potentially raising barriers to accessing content.
Google, YouTube's parent company, stresses the need for advertising revenue to run the platform and compensate content creators. Since its launch more than five years ago, the monthly fee for YouTube Premium has been 11.99 euros. However, there is speculation that an upcoming price increase to 13.99 euros is being considered to reflect rising operating costs.
The response from users will be crucial in determining how successful this new strategy from YouTube will be. The debate between those who see ad funding as essential and those who see the increasing complexity and restrictions as problematic will show how well YouTube will fare against ad blockers.
The digital display advertising market in Germany recorded impressive growth of 24.7 percent in 2021 and an increase of more than one billion euros compared to the previous year. This is according to data from the Online-Vermarkterkreis (OVK) in the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW). The Corona pandemic acted as a catalyst for this development, driving digitization and increasing demand for digital advertising. In total, digital display advertising revenues amounted to EUR 5.12 billion in 2021.
The OVK's "Paid Content" trend study sheds light on users' willingness to pay for editorial content on the Internet. Only 21 percent of users resort to paid online content. Men (63 percent) and young users between 16 and 29 (27 percent) in particular show an above-average willingness to pay for such content.
The study also shows that paid subscriptions to e-papers and e-magazines are used most frequently, followed by paid access to news portals or online services and paid podcasts. The age structure influences these preferences: Older people aged 50 and over are more interested in e-papers or e-magazines, while younger users prefer podcasts.
Nevertheless, about 37 percent of non-payers believe news content should always be free. Those who would pay for editorial content are open to different access models. For example, about 66 percent could come to terms with agreeing to website cookies as an alternative to pay models, while about 54 percent would accept mandatory registration, provided they could continue to access content for free.
Steffen Bax, deputy chairman of the OVK, emphasizes that advertising revenues are still indispensable for financing journalistic content on the Internet. Both paying users and users of free content see advertising as an accepted method of supporting journalistic content online.
The OVK is committed to the development of a new online media platform.
The OVK continues to expect double-digit growth in the digital display advertising market despite the pandemic effects fading. For 2022, they forecast growth of 11.8 percent to more than EUR 5.7 billion. Programmatic advertising is expected to exceed the 4 billion mark and stabilize at a level of 71 percent. Moving image advertising will also generate revenues of EUR 2.1 billion in 2022. In-page advertising will remain dominant, accounting for 63 percent of revenues.
The global pandemic not only brought health effects, but also triggered far-reaching changes in the economy and consumer behavior. Online retail in particular experienced an unprecedented boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers increasingly used digital shopping options. In Germany, however, the economic situation has changed, and the country is now facing a recession that poses new challenges for the e-commerce sector. In addition, inflation of up to 10% is adding additional burdens.
From boom to bust: e-commerce in recession
During the pandemic, the trend toward online shopping continued at an accelerated pace. Many consumers increasingly used online platforms for safety and convenience, which led to a surge in e-commerce sales. Companies that already had established online presences benefited from this shift and saw significant sales growth.
However, the tide has turned as Germany is now going through a recession. With economic uncertainty, online retail demand is down. Consumers have become more cautious in the face of financial worries and uncertainty, especially when it comes to non-essential spending. This change in attitude has led to a noticeable decline in e-commerce sales.
Challenges in times of inflation
The economic situation is further complicated by inflation of up to 10%. These price increases affect the purchasing power of consumers and could lead them to be even more cautious with their spending. For online retailers, this creates several difficulties:
Price pressure: Inflation may increase the cost of goods and services, putting pressure on online retailers' margins. They may be forced to avoid price increases in order to remain competitive.
Customer behavior: In times of inflation, consumers may pay more attention to deals and discounts in search of bargains. This can lead to increased competition and a challenge for customer loyalty.
Logistics issues: price increases may also affect logistics and shipping costs, which could impact online retailers' profitability.
Opportunities and adjustments in the e-commerce sector
Despite the challenges, recession and inflation also present opportunities for online retailers:
Creativity in product design: companies could offer products that are in high demand during times of crisis and inflation, such as affordable alternatives or durable goods.
Efficient supply chains: Optimized logistics and efficient supply chains can help reduce costs and alleviate pressure from rising prices.
Customer intimacy: An increased focus on customer communication, customer-focused solutions and personalized offerings can strengthen customer loyalty.
Conclusion
The e-commerce sector has moved from a boom to a period of challenges as Germany faces recession and noticeable inflation. The adaptability of online retailers will be critical in coping with the new economic realities. Companies that act flexibly, develop innovative strategies and focus on consumer needs in these uncertain times could emerge stronger from the crisis and consolidate their position in the long term.