Industry Notes for the week of Sept. 7

GaryPageau

NFIB: Half of U.S. small businesses are understaffed

Reuters reports the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) says “half of U.S. small-business owners reported unfilled job openings in August as finding qualified workers remains an ongoing challenge. The trade group said, in its monthly jobs report, 50% of small business owners reported unfilled job openings in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from 49% in July. August’s reading is 28 percentage points higher than the 48-year average of 22%.

Mixbook raising funds for childhood cancer fight

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Personalized photo product brand Mixbook is contributing 100% of sales of select products to support research into the fight against childhood cancer. You can also make a donation directly to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) at this link.

Photo Finale has long been actively supporting Team Mathias, a charity supporting childhood cancer patients and their families.

CNET: The mirrorless camera is surpassing the DSLR

CNET tech personalities Brian Cooley and Steve Shankland discussed how the DSLR is facing replacement by the mirrorless format. Shankland adds the DSLR will not fade away soon, due to the massive installed base.

PetaPixel: Canon quietly raising prices

PetaPixel reports Canon has quietly raised the prices of several of its products, most notably popular RF lenses saw a price increase of $100 as well as increases to cameras like the Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR camera body from $2,499 to $2,699. PetaPixel confirmed Canon raised the price of the PowerShot SX620 from $299 to $319.

Pastbook world tour kicks off in New York

Pastbook announced the company is conducting workshops around the world for user testing of its new iPhone App. The kick-off event is Sept. 10, 12-3 p.m., at The Liberty NYC; register here. After New York, the tour continues to Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 19., then moves to the Netherlands and Ukraine.

Apps and software

PicMonkey updates mobile Android app

PicMonkey added a one-click background eraser, similar to that of its desktop app, to its mobile app for Android. This is a PicMonkey Pro feature.

 

Written by 

Gary Pageau is principal of InfoCircle LLC, continuing his marketing communications career. InfoCircle LLC is a marketing and communications consulting firm, specializing in business-to-business markets. For nearly 25 years, he was with PMA International, serving most recently as Publisher, Content Development and Strategic Initiatives. His primary responsibilities included overseeing the Association’s editorial department, marketing research unit, education and corporate relations department.