#tech start ups

[delhipragency]

A dedicated PR Agency for technology companies specialize in managing the communication and media relations for clients in tech industry that include startups and established tech giants.

[reasonsforhope]

Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. 

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. 

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings. 

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

--

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes. 

[foldingfittedsheets]

In the VFX class I'm auditing the professor showed us all how to do a small spinning light effect in class, and then expected us to know how to create a dust devil with vertical spinning tunnel of particles based only on that. When we've never used the system.

Another alum is in the class and also has not managed to get a working effect.

Instantly lost respect for the professor when I asked in class if he'd be giving feedback or a demo and he said he wouldn't because it would be, "giving us all the answers."

[nappi]

so late to this party but here's Tech

[the-bi-space-ace]

Echo hates medbay. He hates going. He hates being hooked up to machines and he will avoid it if given the option. He hates it so much the batch starts going with him just to make sure he actually attends.

When Tech comes with him he chats the whole time. He distracts Echo while the medics work and he clarifies and asks questions when he feels the need. Tech is an excellent distraction that Echo would gladly take any day of the week.

Wrecker treats medical visits like a game. He plays with supplies and makes faces over the medic’s shoulders to make Echo laugh. The medics always know there’s some shenanigans going on (they’re too smart not to) but at least Echo isn’t squirming and scowling at everything they want him to do so they’ll consider that a win. Echo is grateful when Wrecker comes with him because he’s never bored.

Crosshair makes every medbay visit feel like a mission. He stands quietly in the corner and watches diligently. Echo’s never felt quite so observed before. If Echo even looked uncomfortable Crosshair would square up like a particularly prickly guard dog. He turns into such a hover hen when the medic even implies something might be wrong. ‘Is it because you haven’t eaten since last night? Someone get a ration bar.’ ‘I bet it’s because you took Wrecker’s night shift last night. Don’t look at me like that I know you did.’ Echo loves him but also wants to throttle him.

Hunter questions everything. ‘Is it really necessary to take his blood today?’ ‘You’re not our usual medic. We’d like the usual medic.’ ‘We have a mission in one rotation we’ll need to make this snappy.’ The second the medic is gone to run labs, ya know do his job, Hunter leans in so no one else can hear them and is like ‘I’ll break us out of here don’t you worry.’ Echo rolls his eyes but mumbles a grouchy ‘thank you’.

Echo used to bulk at them coming with him but he never refuses them now. Whether it’s a check up or physical or illness or injury. He hates medbays. But he loves the batch.

[stars-obsession-pit]

What do you mean my “secret identity”? (DP AU)

Danny never cared to try to keep up a secret identity. Well, he did consider it at first, but then he decided it would be pointless. Ghosts would be able to tell anyway, and presumably his parents must have noticed immediately.

True, he never went around announcing that he’s the half-ghost vigilante, but he never saw a need to. Surely it’s more than obvious enough.

Even if they ignore the words of the ghosts who know, his appearance is still a dead giveaway. His body and voice barely changed aside from his hair and eye color. He wears a full-body suit like the Fentons and uses their tech. Hell, he even goes by nearly the exact same name! “Danny Phantom” may as well be a homophone of “Danny Fenton” even before you consider accents.

…so why do so many people seem to completely ignore the connection?! They could just be pretending so as to not give away the ruse, but that really isn’t necessary for them. Danny doesn’t care, and it’s not like revealing that they know would negatively affect the average person’s life at all (unlike with Danny’s own parents, who might lose business if other ghost hunters stop trusting their work).

[probadbatch]

My favorite part of this episode was Phee meeting Crosshair and immediately giving him shit

[funnywizard3000]

June 2024

[p1ctur3]

@octdl-lee

Random captive TDL au lore dump and some behind the scenes stuff since you asked so nicely :]

Dark in captivity

victim did use dark as a way to train and get the mercs and him used to the box

victim and agent (i would probably explore their dynamic in this au also, mitsi would haunt this narrative because yes)

some behind the scenes things

additional art

[choppedcowboydinosaur]

Low interest rates and their consequences.

You ever just feel insane when you remember that all the biggest tech startups created after 2005 or so have been doing nothing but LOSING money? I think only AirBnB is making some kind of profit and it's not much. None of them are profitable and yet so many of them define our modern existence.

It's madness.

[delhipragency]

If you're looking for a PR agency that specializes in working with technology companies, look no further! We have a team of experienced professionals who can help you achieve your business goals.

[kaiserouo]

Well someone has to give it its driver updates, Gabriel

[ganondoodle]

since tumblr always has to suffer my personal vents and breakdowns and rants and annoyances you get the most wips and pics of unfinished stuff, im sure that makes up for it

the (unfinished) shiekah arm concepts that made me want to explode and i dont think im gonna work on again

[robotsandramblings]

Tech: [watches Hunter put on his helmet and his hair is nowhere to be seen]

Tech: [watches Hunter take off his helmet after hours of intense battle and his hair isn't messy at all]

Tech: that hair does not obey the laws of physics at all

[ohtoeye]

oh platonic soulmates of opposite genders how i do love you

[tragedy-for-sale]

Age of the Batch

This has been on my mind lately

Getting a few things out of the way. None of their wookiepedia pages state how old they are (not given a BBY year). If you simply look up their ages, it places Omega at 12 years (which is confirmed unless I dreamt that), and the batch at 13 (which is incorrect). We also know the oldest clones are 13 (26) by the end of the war.

Omega is older than the batch; Which crosses out the possibility of them being 13/Gen Ones. This means the oldest they could be is 12 (24) by the end of the war. We also know Omega was old enough to remember seeing the mutations of the batch get enhanced. So the question arose of what was the youngest age Omega could consciously remember that and also be an effective lab assist? Around three or four would be the youngest.

When Omega is explaining to the batch, she tells them '...sent to be with the other clones.' Does this infer they went back to their growth jars in those giant rooms, or out consciously? Since we know Omega is able to remember their mutations being done, that means the batch did not initially have all their mutations and had to be modified later in development. (Which complicates things based on the nature of how genetic mutations work). But that's a lot to get into at this moment and I'll spare you that rant because maker I could go on.

If the oldest the batch could be is 12, that would mean their got their mutations at age 2 (4) at the earliest. However, I feel like there is an emphasis on Omega being older than them, not the same age. We can infer the batch did not join the war right away because of the time of their introduction.

I feel it is more likely for the batch to be closer to 11 (22) by the end of the war. That would place them at 8 (16) years at the start of the war, and maybe they didn't make their debut in the war until a year later at 9 (18). This also puts Omega at a standard 4 years older, this makes the most sense because then she would be old enough to remember them being created and getting genetically enhanced during a time in development that's actually scientifically feasible.

If they were making their marks as extremely effective soldiers, who's to say they weren't rushed off to war prematurely. It is said in The Clone Wars that young clones were rushed into service before their 10-year training span was up, and the batch was likely a part of those groups.