Latest news with #LEDs


Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Green signal awaited for led streetlights project
Hubballi: Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) continues to await approval for its LED streetlights initiative, even after four months of delay. The project aims at converting all existing streetlights to LED fixtures. Despite completing necessary procedures and selecting a contractor for the Rs 93-crore project to replace 75,000 streetlights through a PPP model, progress remains hindered. Although the file was forwarded from Directorate of Municipal Administration to the urban development department in March for final approval, it has not received clearance. The project of installing LEDs was a project under Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL), which planned to replace 58,000 streetlights with LEDs. From 2018 to 2022, the HDSCL called for tenders for seven times, but as no one participated, the HDSCL handed over the project to the HDMC. The HDMC has completed all necessary technical evaluations and financial assessments for this energy-efficient lighting initiative. Under the planned implementation, the selected private partner would be responsible for the installation, maintenance, and replacement of faulty lights for seven years. The contractor would also establish a centralised control room to monitor the functioning of these LED lights. Local councillors have expressed concern about the delay, noting that better street lighting is crucial for public safety and improved urban infrastructure. The municipal corporation expects that once approved, the installation work could be completed within eight months. The new LED system would cover all major roads, residential areas, and public spaces in both cities. According to the sources, among the two agencies that participated in the tender, the one with prior experience of implementing LED streetlight projects in Tumakuru and Shivamogga is likely to be selected for the new initiative. SM Ganachari, executive engineer, electricity department in HDMC, said they are actively pursuing the matter with higher authorities and expect to get clearance in a couple of weeks. The deputy mayor of Hubballi-Dharwad, Santosh Chavan, expressed concern over the delayed implementation of the LED streetlights project under the Public-Private Partnership model. He urged the govt to expedite the approval and grant necessary clearances without further delay.


Cosmopolitan
05-07-2025
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
Ulike ReGlow LED Mask Editor Review
As a beauty editor, I obviously love trying out the newest advancements in essences, serums, and creams, but there's just something about a new skincare tool or device that's particularly irresistible. Trying out a piece of high-tech hardware really makes me feel like we're living in the future, baby! So, when I had the opportunity to test out the new Ulike ReGlow LED Light Therapy Mask, I was definitely intrigued and optimistic. I'm fortunate to say my skin tends to behave under normal circumstances. Now in my thirties, I have normal-to-dry skin that's no longer very acne-prone, although now I do like to keep an eye towards anti-aging. I don't have a ton of regular skin care woes other than occasional breakouts and splotchiness when I'm stressed. However (and luckily for you readers), I coincidentally got to test out the Ulike ReGlow mask during a true gauntlet of skin-wrecking activities. These events include, but were not limited to: packing up my apartment and moving during a heatwave, throwing my sister's bridal shower, getting my period, and celebrating my birthday with many martinis. To commit to daily use, I needed to bring the human head-sized mask with me during a beach weekend and make sure to keep it easily accessible while packing and unpacking during my move. (The things I do in the name of science!) But to be honest, as long as I could get my hands on it, using the mask was not difficult to keep up as part of my everyday skincare routine. I tested the Ulike ReGlow LED Light Therapy Mask for nearly a month straight and now I'm convinced it's kept my skin from freaking out during this jam-packed start of the summer. Read on for my full review—plus key info on LED masks and how they work. With consistent and proper use, yes. Light-emitting diodes (a.k.a LEDs) emit visible light when an electrical current passes through them. The different wavelengths of light (observed as different colors) penetrate the skin at different depths, which then promote biochemical reactions in cells for things like collagen production or inflammation reduction. In-office LED light therapy uses more powerful lights, which are more potent and take fewer sessions to see results, but using an at-home device regularly has been shown to give skin-enhancing results over time. LED light therapy is non-invasive and painless, which makes it appealing for most skin care-curious people. The Ulike ReGlow LED Light Therapy Mask is also clinically tested and FDA-cleared for safety and effectiveness. (FDA clearance is a level of regulation for non-invasive and low-risk treatment tools, which indicates the device is proven to be safe and effective as compared to other similar legally marketed devices.) The key to getting results from an LED face mask (and most at-home, high-tech beauty devices) is—say it with me—consistency. Daily use following the instructions for your mask to get the proper 'dose' of LED light is your best bet for seeing a payoff in four to six weeks and beyond. The Ulike ReGlow mask has four settings: Clear, Firm, Glow, and Rejuvenate. The Clear setting lasts five minutes, and the other three settings each last eight minutes. It's choose-your-own adventure when it comes to selecting and layering your treatments, but it is recommended not to use the device for more than 20 minutes at a time. The Ulike mask is shaped to fit the curve of the face, producing even exposure to the lights. It touts 272 LEDs emitting different combinations of red, yellow, blue, and infrared light for each of the four different treatments. My review of the Ulike ReGlow LED Mask: Certain components of the Ulike mask made it feel more elevated and luxurious than some other LED devices I've tried before. Mainly, I noticed right away how many lights were in the mask and how it fit nicely, but not too snugly, due to the interior silicone goggles, which keep the outer shell a centimeter away from your face. The interior goggles also block the light from your eyes, meaning you can actually see while they're on and lit up. I loved how the head strap is thick and padded instead of the elastic, which can get snagged in my hair. Additionally, my cousin said I looked like a Stormtrooper from Star Wars while wearing it. She wasn't wrong and I don't hate it. However, there aren't any nose or mouth openings, which can make the mask feel a little warm and claustrophobic if you try to keep it on for longer than one or two treatments. I think this feature is to accommodate the number of LEDs in the mask, but it's worth noting for comfort and wearability. I liked how you don't have to plug the mask itself into the wall to charge it. It was easier to charge the remote and not have to worry about the mask sitting out or potentially getting broken while charging. But, you do need to keep the remote attached to the mask to turn it on, and then hold onto it in your hand or pocket while it's in use. So, while I was masking and multitasking, I had to be careful not to bump the remote and change the treatment (which also restarts the timer). My favorite tip for remembering to use an LED face mask daily is to tack it onto an activity you already do every day. For me, that means wearing it while I make my bed and my coffee in the morning. It's only those five to eight minutes and then all three tasks are done! I would pick my treatment setting based on a cursory glance of my skin in the mirror and my mood. Once the mask is on my head, it's easy to layer additional treatments, but in a rush I could make sure I used it at least once while doing my morning tasks on autopilot. Firm and Clear were my favorite settings, probably because their promised results are the clearest to visualize, but I was conscious to give all the light settings their fair share of spins to make sure I was getting the benefits of the four-in-one experience. Like any other product I try, at first it seems like nothing is happening, until all of a sudden (after about three weeks or so) I can't help but notice. Hmm, am I looking a little glowier? Is my eyebrow wrinkle a little softer? My skin just looks… good. It's subtle in pictures, but the results are such that I'm excited to keep going and seeing how good they can get. It's hard to say for certain because I was using the mask this entire month, but knowing how my skin usually reacts, I was expecting many more stress and sweat-induced breakouts from all my summertime activities and the 100 degree days. Incorporating the Ulike ReGlow mask into my everyday routine has been easy breezy. It gives great extra skin care benefits with very minimal extra effort. The price tag might be a bit daunting, but in the land of LED masks, it's competitively priced (especially during Amazon Prime Day), with other similar masks retailing for $500 to $600. I think it's worth the investment if you can commit to using it, and I have already found that it's habit-forming in the best way. Next, I want to try to make myself get into daily morning meditation, and using an eight-minute timer with my face mask seems like a good place to start. Sam Neibart is a freelance writer and editor who has been covering beauty over digital and print for nearly a decade. She reports on the ever-evolving landscape of trends, tastemakers, and technology in the industry and loves nothing more than helping friends and readers discover the beauty products that are best for them. Sam Neibart is a freelance writer and editor who has been covering beauty over digital and print for nearly a decade. She reports on the ever-evolving landscape of trends, tastemakers, and technology in the industry and loves nothing more than helping friends and readers discover the beauty products that are best for them. Previously, she held editorial positions at NYLON and Harper's BAZAAR. She currently lives in Manhattan and biannually experiences the strong urge to dye her hair a new color. Follow her on Instagram.


Tom's Guide
02-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
LG QNEDs vs OLEDs: What do you get when you pay more?
If you're shopping for an LG TV this year, there's a good chance you'll be choosing between two types: QNED and OLED. These terms refer to a TV's display technology, and depending on your budget and viewing habits, one may be better than the other. Let's break down the differences between QNED and OLED to determine which LG TV is best for you. LG QNEDs are LED TVs. This means they're backlit by either standard-sized LEDs or smaller-sized Mini-LEDs. Typically, Mini-LED TVs perform better than traditional LED TVs, as they tend to offer better brightness and contrast control. Unsurprisingly, you can expect to pay more for an LG QNED with Mini-LEDs. At one point in time, all LG TVs that carried the QNED moniker featured brightness- and color-enhancing nanocrystals called quantum dots. These days, quantum dots are not a prerequisite for QNED TVs, though some models do come with this feature. Like all OLED TVs, LG OLEDs don't rely on LED backlighting at all. Instead, every single pixel in these displays is self-illuminating. As you can imagine, this has a positive impact on many areas of performance — especially contrast. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. While that core technology remains the same for all OLED TVs, LG OLEDs come in a variety of configurations. For several years leading up to 2024, LG's G Series OLEDs — the brand's flagship OLED series — featured a hardware enhancement known as Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology. This allowed TVs like the LG G4 to offer better brightness than mid-range and entry-level LG OLEDs. Beginning in 2025, LG's best OLED TVs no longer leverage MLA technology for enhanced brightness. Instead, they're built around LG Display's 4th-generation OLED panel, colloquially known as 'four-stack OLED' due to the panel's unique engineering. You can find LG Display's four-stack OLED on LG's top-tier OLED TVs, including the flagship LG G5. According to our test results, the G5 delivers better brightness and color volume than previous G Series TVs, making it the best LG OLED tech to date. The LG G5 is proof that LG Display's 4th-generation OLED technology is the real deal. It's one of the brightest OLEDs we've ever tested, and as a flagship model, it arrives with one of the most exhaustive list of features you'll find on an LG TV in 2025. It's pricier than most TVs, but the cost goes a long way. Entry-level and midrange LG OLEDs, like the LG B5 and the LG C5 — the latter of which recently earned our five-star rating due to its incredible performance and value — do not currently come with LG Display's four-stack panel, but they still deliver better overall performance than LG QNEDs due to the inherent benefits of OLED technology. The amount of A/V- and gaming-related features that LG QNEDs and OLEDs offer depends largely on which class they belong to. Entry-level QNEDs — like the recently released LG QNED80T — don't offer much in the way of features. This TV lacks enhanced HDR formats and can't compete with the robust set of gaming features found in higher-end QNEDs. Such is the case with TVs that prioritize affordability. LG OLEDs are a bit different of a story. Although the most affordable LG OLEDs don't come with a list of features as extensive as flagship LG OLEDs, they still arrive with more features than entry-level QNEDs. Take the LG B5, for instance. This is the most affordable LG OLED of 2025, and while it doesn't support 4K gaming at 165Hz like the G5, it still supports 4K gaming at 120Hz — something the entry-level LG QNED80T doesn't support. This is just one of many reasons why the LG B Series OLED TVs tend to be fantastic options for folks who'd like to experience an LG OLED but who otherwise don't want to shell out for maximum feature availability. The B5 is LG's most affordable OLED of 2025, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's not a terrific TV for folks looking to save money on an OLED. In addition to supporting 4K gaming at 120Hz, the B5 also supports Dolby Vision HDR and costs significantly less than its higher-end counterparts. As of 2025, all LG QNEDs and OLEDs come with LG's webOS smart platform preinstalled. It's not as streamlined and easy to use as Roku or Google TV, but its app support is strong and most people will feel comfortable using it as a daily driver. Generally speaking, if you're spending more on a TV — not just an LG-branded TV — you can expect to receive more features than if you spent less. This is especially true when comparing models within the same brand lineup. I recommend taking a long look at a TV's list of features before buying. It helps to have a handle on what extra features you need versus those that would simply be nice to have. For LG QNEDs, picture quality will ultimately come down to display type. If you're shopping for an LG QNED with Mini-LED backlighting, you can reasonably expect a brighter picture with better contrast control than a QNED with garden-variety LEDs. This likely spells a superior, more-cinematic presentation. The aforementioned, entry-level LG QNED80T, for example, doesn't feature Mini-LEDs, nor does it feature full-array local dimming. This leads to a flat, dull picture, which is one of the reasons we don't recommend it over some of its similarly priced competitors. Even top-tier QNEDs can't compete with the depth and clarity of LG OLEDs. Higher-end QNEDs — like the LG QNED92 — will typically offer a brighter overall picture than entry-level and mid-range LG OLEDs, making them a decent choice for people who watch a lot of TV during the day in sun-soaked living my money, though, even top-tier QNEDs can't compete with the depth and clarity of LG OLEDs. These are among the best TVs you can buy, and OLED's self-lit pixels are a big reason why. If you're worried about OLED's ability to overcome the ambient light in your living room, it's worth noting that LG OLEDs have been getting brighter in recent years. This is especially true of the brand's flagship G Series. Even the most recent LG C Series OLEDs are much brighter than those of just three years ago. If you're looking to cut costs on your next TV, there's no way around it: LG QNEDs represent a better path forward. Nearly all of these TVs are less expensive than LG OLEDs. However, if you have your heart set on a TV with a higher performance ceiling and you don't mind spending $900 or more on a new model, I highly recommend taking a look at LG OLEDs. You don't need to splash out on a flagship model, either. The aforementioned C5 OLED is LG's mid-range OLED TV for 2025, and in my opinion, it's one of the best non-flagship TVs on the market. The C5 is bright enough for most rooms and comes with nearly all of the same A/V- and gaming-related features you'll find on the top-shelf G5. This amount of value is the reason why it earned our coveted five-star rating. This five-star LG OLED TV is one of the best TVs of the year, and it just went on sale for a whopping $1,000 off its usual asking price. If you're in the market for an OLED TV that hits the sweet spot between value and performance, look no further than the LG C5. Generally speaking, LG OLEDs are talked about more often due to their excellent performance and exhaustive features. That said, whichever direction you decide to go, you can be sure that you're choosing a TV-making brand with a pretty great reputation among industry professionals and casual viewers alike.


Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Indian Express
Nothing Phone (3)'s new Glyph Matrix interface is fun and full of nostalgia. Here's why it's different
When the first-generation Nothing Phone was introduced a few years ago, one feature that set it apart from other devices was a series of white LED strips arranged across a transparent glass back, creating light patterns known as 'glyphs.' The glyphs added a new dimension to the phone's design and opened up opportunities for others to explore creative ways to make the rear of the phone more interesting. With the Phone (3), Nothing is moving away from the Glyph lights, and introducing a brand-new interface called the Glyph Matrix. It's a new approach to delivering information — not through strips of light, but via a dot-matrix display, making interactions feel more personal. I attended Nothing's splashy event in London this week, and here's how the Glyph Matrix display works and what you can do with it. The Glyph interface generated a lot of interest with Nothing's debut phone, the Phone (1). The different light patterns indicated who was calling, which app was sending a notification, or even the type of notification from the same app, all without needing to look at the screen. It was a fun way to receive information, though not a perfect implementation. For example, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate between notifications from calls and messages. 'I want to set the record straight on something, because I have seen a lot of discussion online,' said Carl Pei, CEO and co-founder of Nothing, during the Phone (3) launch in London. ' The Glyph is not a gimmick. Eight out of ten of our users have the Glyph interface enabled from day one. We believe that smartphones should work for you, not the other way around, so we built the Glyph interface to create a calmer and more expressive way for you to stay connected, letting you see what's important without turning on the screen.' To understand Glyph Matrix, you first need to know about a dot-matrix display. A dot matrix display is an electronic display that uses a grid of small dots to create text, graphics, or images. You may have seen dot matrix displays on buses, metros, in airports, and in other public spaces used to display information, and in electronic devices such as alarm clocks. Dot matrix displays consist of a matrix of tiny dots that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs), small light sources, to illuminate pixels for graphical output. Each dot is controlled by a corresponding electronic driver circuit, which determines whether the dot is turned on or off. Their primary purpose is to display static or dynamic images, but they can also be used for text or video content. Dot matrix displays are relatively easy to control and programme, making it easy to make applications. However, they do have some limitations, such as lower resolution and limited colour capabilities. They are also less visually appealing than the standard LCD or organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) screens. The significant change in the Phone (3) is the Glyph Matrix, essentially a tiny display on the back of the phone, located near the top-right corner. The matrix consists of 489 LEDs. Press the Glyph button, which sits under the glass back, and the micro-LED screen can display app- or person-specific notifications, or allow users to interact with digital 'toys.' These could be everyday tools, from a stopwatch and battery indicator to mini-games like rock-paper-scissors and spin the bottle. 'Now you might be thinking, 'When am I going to use these toys?'' Pei said. 'And yeah, you know, some of them are just for fun, because we believe that fun also deserves a place in tech too.' So basically, instead of having lights on the back flash in patterns to indicate when certain contacts are calling — as was the case with the Glyph lights on Nothing's previous phones — the Phone (3)'s screen can now display monochromatic images. Nothing says this is an evolution of the flashing lights of the Glyph interface into something more practical. According to Nothing's head of design, Adam Bates, removing the Glyph lights freed up more space inside the phone. Out of the many Glyph 'toys,' my favourite remains the pixelated viewfinder for selfies, which adds a nostalgic vibe, reminding me of the Nintendo Game Boy Camera. The point is that the Glyph Matrix is more useful and functional, too. The dots don't display detailed images, but you can easily communicate information like battery level, time, stopwatch, and more. I can see that over time, the Glyph Matrix will become even more useful and offer many more 'toys' and micro-games. Like the original light-up Glyph user interface on Nothing's earlier smartphones, the new Glyph Matrix is an unusual but clever way to receive information without opening the phone, essentially acting as a secondary display. I don't miss the old Glyph, and I have no regrets. Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. Email: ... Read More

The Age
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
The SRL may be the future but now's needs come first
Cycle of construction Dictatorial powers exercised by the state government on planning approvals, referred to as the 'Development Facilitation Program' reveal symptoms of the government's extreme budgetary stress from long-term structural deficits (' The suburbs set to be transformed by minister's sweeping powers ', 1/7). Planning, land development and construction translate into revenue from a range of land taxes and related revenue sources, designed to stimulate an economy that continues to perform sub-optimally. According to the 2025-26 state budget papers, revenue from land tax is forecast to be $6.4 billion in 2025-26, then grow by an average of 5.7 per cent a year over the forward estimates. This growth rate reflects expectations of high construction levels and property sales. Yet in a globalised economy, revenue from a cycle of construction, property sales and high migration levels does not take advantage of the globalised market place and is self limiting. Sectors such as technology innovation and commercialisation of inventions with international application deliver far greater opportunities for economic growth but do not appear on the horizon of a government that prefers repetition of a self-limiting economy with a focus on manual labour. Liz Burton, Camberwell Lack of openness When the federal IBAC was established in the early days of the first Albanese government it was a breath of fresh air after years of prevarication by the Morrison government. Unfortunately the lack of openness and transparency in its processes has been a great disappointment. The recent findings of corrupt behaviour by a senior public servant in appointing a close relative's friend to a high-profile job (' Senior public servant promoted sister's fiance, forged signature ', 1/7) without naming any of the parties involved is such an example. Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South Blinded to the costs VCAT's decision on an illuminated housing estate sign is to be applauded (' VCAT's dim view on lights at night ', 1/7) with more cases surely to emerge with the full-scale adoption of LED lights by councils. This trend disregards the effect of LED lights on health, not only of humans but also wildlife which rely on darkness to navigate via the night sky. This is not to say that lighting is not necessary at night. Other colours such as the yellow we used to have is preferable to the glare of bright white/blue light from LEDs which contain an imperceptible flicker effect. Much has already been noted scientifically about the effects of our overuse of digital devices upon sleep deprivation and its association with poor health. Now, with the proliferation of LED lights in homes, by retailers, car headlights, street lighting, AFL advertising around the ground and live performances, it is time for authorities to look beyond economics and look to the unintended consequences of new technologies before they are launched on the market. Many of us find oncoming headlights blinding nowadays, even when on low-beam. It would not surprise me if this led to an increase in certain car crashes. Anne Carroll, Brighton East An unhappy outcome The latest pay request by teachers (' State teachers seek 35% pay rise ', 1/7) will no doubt be followed by a strike and then a confusing pay scale update giving teachers a below inflation pay rise of about 2 per cent or 3 per cent as has generally been the pattern since 1982 when I started teaching. The only teaching number at risk of going above 35 per cent is the number of teachers that leave before five years in the classroom. Teaching has been, and can be again, a wonderful career but there is much to be done to return the average classroom to 25 happy, enthusiastic students with one teacher that walks in with a smile. Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill What's super for? Re: ' He proposed it 34 years ago. On Tuesday, Paul Keating's plan comes to fruition ' (The Age, 1/7), the government needs to define just what the purpose of superannuation legislation is. Is it to provide a taxpayer-subsidised investment scheme or inheritance scheme for the wealthy, or to lift ordinary people off the pension and provide them a reasonable income in retirement without recourse to the government pension. I believe it is, or should be, the latter. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia recommendation for a comfortable life in retirement is around $52,000 for singles and $73,000 for couples with the super balance required for that level of income $595,000 for singles and $690,000 for couples. The current individual transfer cap for a tax-free retirement pension, at nearly $2 million (indexed) is very generous. With even conservative investment returns of 5 per cent this would provide an income of $100,000 per annum without diminishing the principal. This amount doubles for couples to $200,000 per annum. If the aim is to move people off the government pension then the transfer cap is the maximum that any person or couple could possibly need for this purpose and super balances should not exceed this amount. Ken Weaver, East Brighton Israel's wins In the recent brief war between Israel and Iran, Israel, having recognised the existential threat posed to it by Iran's public race towards nuclear weapons and rapidly expanding ballistic missile arsenal, destroyed Iran's air defences and killed almost the entire upper echelon of Iran's military, IRGC and nuclear scientists, whose purpose is the total demise of Israel. It also destroyed Iran's air force, its defences against air attack, more than half of its missiles and missile launchers, elements of its nuclear weaponisation program, and many of the regime's institutions of oppression. Then the US inflicted major damage on the rest of Iran's nuclear weapons facilities, once Israel made Iran's skies safe for it. Israel intercepted at least 90 per cent of the hundreds of missiles and all but one of the roughly 1000 drones Iran fired at Israel. While Israel suffered some damage and deaths from Iran's attacks on civilians, it was far less than Israel had feared. So to suggest, as Amin Saikal does, (Opinion, 1/7) that the war demonstrated Israeli miscalculation and Iranian strength simply defies belief and ignores fact. Stephen Lazar, Elwood Trump's achievements Has there been a US president who has achieved what Donald Trump has achieved in just six months? He reduced the flow of illegal immigrants from thousands a day to a trickle. Eliminated billions of dollars of government rorts and waste. Despite the experts predicting that tariffs would create massive inflation and recession, the S&P 500 has just hit a record high and inflation has dropped to the lowest level since Trump was president previously. His work was vital in the peace deal between nuclear powers Pakistan and India, with Pakistan nominating him for a Nobel peace prize. His administration brokered peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo after a three-year war, and conflict that dates back 30 years. His administration negotiated the release of the last US hostage held by Hamas and facilitated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in coming days. He ordered the bombing of Iran's nuclear weapons sites, and Iran is set to resume peace talks. He convinced NATO to dramatically increase defence spending. But Trump's critics will no doubt find a way to criticise these achievements. Robert Box, Chelsea Crisis in Gaza In our lives we have seen few situations as awful as Gaza. Israel's blockade of adequate food, water and medical supplies for several months has led to infants and children becoming severely malnourished. Desperate people seeking limited food from the only provider, which is controlled by Israel, come under lethal fire. The images cause us to recoil in horror as we observe the suffering of the hungry and frightened children, and the anguish of their parents. No history, no previous grievous acts, justifies the continuation of this abhorrent war and blockade. Andrew & Marie Trembath, Blackburn In your hands Sorry, but there is only one reason parliament is dominated by one sector – we voted for them (' We are a diverse nation. Enough stale, pale males ', 1/7). There were plenty of very capable young women who stood in the last election but didn't get the votes. If you looked beyond the party and voted for the best candidate, our parliament would be very different and a lot more effective. Don't blame the pale, stale, male outcome, change the way you vote. Stuart Perry, Longford Quotas work Timor-Leste's 2006 electoral law mandates that political parties include at least one woman for every three of their candidates. Thus women hold 35.38 per cent of parliamentary seats, one of the highest percentages in the Asia-Pacific region. If this young democracy can make quotas work successfully, the Liberal Party can too. Elizabeth Douglas, Melbourne AND ANOTHER THING Trump So Trump is outraged over being called TACO (Trump always chickens out). Does that mean that he is a TAPAS (Trump a president above sanction)? Kevan Porter, Alphington Gender in politics I'm always amused when people oppose quotas on the grounds of 'merit.' If the incumbents are the best merit has to offer, then heaven help us all. Sally Gatenby, Richmond Sussan Ley's experience in aerial sheep mustering may help her keep Canberra's dinosaurs rounded up, and shuffling along. Barbara Chapman, South Yarra AFL What I find strange about the AFL footy is when the teams are not winning or doing well everyone blames the coach: 'Off with his head'. I thought there were others involved in the game? Nola Cormick, Albert Park Supporters should boycott all Saturday AFL games until the games are back on free to air. Peter Gustavsen, Brighton Loading Furthermore Congratulations to the ACT government for leading the way by being the first Australian jurisdiction to raise the age for criminal responsibility to 14 years. Now other states need to do the same and provide the extra funding to keep our children at home safe. Margaret Pekin, Thornbury Re: ' A thorny issue: How sea urchins could offer a perverse climate hope ' (29/7), I recently returned from Greece, with an expensive trip to the doctor to remove seven sea urchin spines from my wrist. As a regular bay open water swimmer, I encourage action to ensure they don't take over our beautiful environment. Kerry O'Shea, Hampton