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A 体育菠菜app推荐 professor was at Haute Couture Week in Paris to help direct a ground-breaking new show for a luxury fashion house and its creative director John Galliano.
教授Andrew快速, of the University’s 最全菠菜网 Institute for the Contemporary 艺术 collaborated with Parisian haute couture house Maison Margiela.
Last week in Paris Professor Quick, the co-artistic director of theatre company 模仿狗, provided text and direction for 电影地狱，一个开创性的新节目.
This was based on an original concept by couturier and creative director John Galliano, for Maison Margiela’s ‘Artisanal 2022’ collection, presented last week at the famous bi-annual Haute Couture Week.
电影地狱 has its roots in American road movies and tells the story of a pair of desperate young lovers on the run, driving across a mythical American landscape, pursued by a group of faceless gunslingers from a bygone era.
As they drive across the desert into the burning sun, they seek shelter in an abandoned picture house, only to find themselves thrown into the celluloid worlds of the films on screen.
As they fall though the violent landscapes of B movies, 西部片, 哥特式恐怖, 和公路电影, there is no escape and they are condemned by their crimes to be on the run for eternity.
在 电影地狱 integrated live cameras and projection created a film that was made on stage before the audience’s eyes.
“演员”, 包括模型, 发现使用对象, 微型集, and giant screens to create a dynamic piece of live cinema.
Professor Quick said: “Working with John Galliano and Maison Margiela has been a genuine collaboration and last week’s reaction to 电影地狱 一直是惊人的.
“The idea was to make something extraordinary and ground-breaking that has never been done on the official Paris Haute Couture Calendar.
“Working with 皮特·布鲁克斯, Simon Wainwright, and the rest of the 模仿狗 team on this project has enabled us to stretch our creativity in new and exciting ways and we have learned an enormous amount about two significant creative industries and how they can collaborate to create such a special event.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate with John and Maison Margiela on this truly game-changing show.”
电影地狱 was staged at Palais de Chaillot, 7月22日，巴黎, for Haute Couture week and was filmed for live streaming by Sodium Films. The stream is now available to view online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = -GI068lnT-M
模仿狗 have been making ground-breaking work for theatres and other spaces for 23 years. 皮特·布鲁克斯, Andrew Quick and Simon Wainwright are the artistic directors and their work, which fuses live performance with digital technology, has a unique reputation in the UK, 欧洲与国际.
Maison Margiela was founded in 1988 by Martin Margiela. The Paris-based house is synonymous with unconventional principles and a philosophy in which deconstruction and heritage create designs showcasing fashion as an art of meaning. John Galliano was named Creative Director in 2014.
Vogue magazine said of the show: “The Maison Margiela show set a new precedent for the fashion show format.”
It added: “Brought to life in collaboration with the Leeds-based theatre troupe 模仿狗, Galliano’s vision for the future of shows was a mind-blowing wake-up call for all the promises fashion made itself during the pandemic.
“Rather than returning to the comfort zone of the runway, Galliano went where no designer has gone before: real change! He dreamed up a format that reinvented the fashion show without ever compromising the attention to the clothes and gave his audiences an unforgettable experience.”回消息


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With the recall of 60 million cans and pouches of tainted petfood in March
the crumpling of a dominating petfood company began. After that things got worse
and it is to be seen if Menu Foods can withstand the strong forces that rule the
Mississauga, Ontario's Menu Foods is now facing big losses, potential
lawsuits, and worst of all, lost clients, including its largest. Procter & Gamble, which accounted
for over 20% of Menu's business, said last month that it would no longer buy
canned food from Menu Foods. P&G sells under the brands Iams and Eukanuba.
petfood giant, Mars Inc., which
sells brands like Nutro
and Royal Canin, also
plans to cut ties with Menu and will buy the company's production facility in
Share price for Menu Foods once
topped $7, but are now trading at just over $2 and second quarter sales dropped
44% from $84.3 million in 2006 to $47.2 million this year. But worse than the
devastating financial figures has been the blow to Menu Foods' reputation.
Reputation buys business for the future.
Menu Foods in June had to put
in place a shareholders' rights plan to ward off the threat of hostile
takeovers. P&G and Mars have used the recall as an opportunity to rein in an
outsourcing problem, and shift some blame to Menu Foods in the process. Some
other smaller companies that contract their production to Menu Foods could yet
Menu Foods cannot afford that; the company has already lost
an estimated 80% of its contract business, in which it supplied other brand-name
pet food makers, which represented about 45% of its total
Private labels not affected
So far, Menu
Foods' troubles haven't spread to the lucrative private label market (where
large supermarkets sell Menu Foods' products under their in-house brands).
Although these supermarkets feel the same way about the situation they
do not have many options to go somewhere else. Prior to the recall, Menu Foods
controlled over 75% of that market in Canada, and 50% in the U.S.
could be many more months before a clearer picture emerges, but analysts are not
counting out Menu Foods yet. The company in the past has proven its
Related news items:
Menu Foods loses largest pet food
Iams soothes consumers with free pet food
Recall of 60 million pet food
$45 million damagae for Menu Foods
Pet food scare: When will it stop?
Scares and emotions
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We have long suspected that Google’s Privacy Sandbox plans were more about enriching the company than improving the privacy of internet users.
Now 27 state attorneys have asserted the same in much more detail, claiming a vast conspiracy by Google to close off the internet and centralize all advertising under their umbrella.
Project NERA was Google’s original plan to create a closed ecosystem out of the open internet. Google documents reveal that Google’s motive was to “successfully mimic a walled garden across the open web [so] we can protect our margins.”
According to Google’s internal documents, the strategy would allow Google to extract even higher intermediation fees. A Google employee aptly described Google’s ambition for Project NERA to “capture the benefits of tightly ‘operating’ a property … without ‘owning’ the property and facing the challenges of building new consumer products.”
This is similar to how Apple is able to extract massive profits from developers on the iPhone without creating the apps, while Microsoft is unable to do this on the open platform that is Windows.
Google main strategy to do this was to leverage its popular browser, Chrome, to track users, by forcing them to stay logged into the browser. Google did this by logging users into the browser when they logged into any Google property such as Gmail or YouTube, and logging them out of services when they logged out of the browser. This dark pattern funnelled users into staying logged into the browser and allowed Google to track users both on and off Google properties.
The Attorneys General notes that as regulatory scrutiny around Google and other Big Tech firms increased globally, Google transitioned from Project NERA to “Privacy Sandbox,” an ostensibly open standard which would still largely depend on the browser to do the tracking. This would also accelerate the preeminence of Google’s ad network by blocking 3rd party cookies used by other ad agencies.
The Attorneys general note:
They note “Google operates on the buy-side and the sell-side, runs an exchange, and participates in the market as a buyer and as a seller,” and continue by saying “Google’s upcoming changes will force market participants to rely even more on Google, a conflicted intermediary, as the arbiter of ad transactions.”
They accuse Google of “trying to hide its true intentions behind a pretext of privacy,” saying:
Google does not actually put a stop to user profiling or targeted advertising—it puts Google’s Chrome browser at the center of tracking and targeting. Google does not put a stop to Google’s tracking of users on Chrome; it does not put a stop to Google’s tracking of users through cookie workarounds; it does not put a stop to Google’s tracking of users across the largest sites in the world. In fact, the new Google Chrome tracking groups create something akin to a Google social credit score based on group identity. As The Electronic Frontier Foundation recently summarized: “Today, trackers follow you around the web, skulking in the digital shadows in order to guess at what kind of person you might be. In Google’s future, they will sit back, relax and let your browser do the work for them. …. The Sandbox isn’t about your privacy. It’s about Google’s bottom line.
At the end of the day, Google is an advertising company that happens to make a browser.”
The accusations have of course not been proven in court yet, but on the face of it, it appears very clear that an advertising company should not be determining how we are being tracked.
The full 173-page antitrust filing can be read here.


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"Just spoke to the Chief Operating Officer of Whole Foods. Employees will now be able to wear their poppies at work."
"I think Whole Foods has made a silly mistake that I'm hoping they will correct very quickly," said Trudeau.
Amazon-owned grocery store chain Whole Foods Market will not permit poppies to be worn by employees under their newly updated uniform policy.
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The Emirati business tycoon Al Futtaim has started to promote the home improvement franchise “Homeworks” with their first OOH campaign since the store opened its doors at CFCM last
Egyptian Bakery & Pastry chain Exception has launched a new outdoor campaign to promote the oriental sweets that celebrate the birth month of Prophet Muhammed.Using multi-artwork backgrounds,
Following their usual OOH strategy, CFC Homes has launched a new limited outdoor campaign, announcing the launching of last phase of their latest project in Cairo Festival City.Part of Al-Futtaim
Real Estate developer IGI has upgraded their OOH presence with a new outdoor campaign to announce that Ashgar City is ready for delivery.Using a mix of real-life and natural view images, the ad
Fashionwear brandOr comes back to the roads with a new OOH campaign to promote the new Fall/Winter collection of 2019.Launching a limited campaign as usual, the ads display dark images of
A new limited Out-Of-Home campaign has hit the roads of Greater Cairo to announce a new development at La Mirada in Mostakbal City.Under the name of “Vivienda” – Spanish for “residence”
Egyptian developer Novus Stanza has launched a new outdoor campaign for their residential project Golden Heights in New Cairo.Using branding visuals in an elegant mix of colors and abstract
Events organizer Green Land has launched a new limited OOH campaign for the upcoming event of “Ceramica Market” this November.The ad copy shows the dates and the location of the official
Mobile manufacturer Huawei has launched a new limited outdoor campaign to promote its latest model – the Huawei nova 3.The mobile brand seems to be keeping a low profile on the billboards
Egyptian fabrics brand Omash can be seen on the roads of Greater Cairo with a new outdoor campaign of “cheerful colors and sophisticated pattern”...
Damask Interior Fabrics, one of Raytex Group’s elite brands, has launched a parallel OOH campaign to partner brand Omash, just in time for Le Marche event ...
Asfour Crystal is back on the roads with a new OOH campaign that announces end-of-the-year discounts at their stores...
A new OOH campaign announces the upcoming Rabab International Arabian Horse Championship...
We are happy to see so many big organizations supporting Leo Messi’s imminent visit to Egypt. As Ambassador of the Egyptian program...
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The internet has become a staple of everyday life, even for society’s youngest members, and the reach of social media has created new risks for people online. Most people can personalize their online experience to the level of anonymity they prefer: posting every meal they eat, posting just once every week, or staying off social media all together. But one group in particular continues to be disregarded in the conversation about consenting to having an online presence: children.
Family channels are a massively popular type of YouTube content — pumping out amounts of videos that strive for quantity over quality — focused on the lives and everyday actions of the families who run them. The ACE Family, for example, has 18.6 million subscribers on YouTube. The channel is run by parents Catherine and Austin McBroom, and features their three children, Elle, Alaia, and Steel. At the time of writing, it features 706 videos, and has garnered over 4.5 billion views. The kids are six, four, and two respectively and have been online for the majority of their lives.
The McBroom children are an example of how family channels exploit their kids for views and profit. Many of the channel’s videos are focused on very personal parts of life — its second most popular video, with over 33 million views, is entirely about the labor and delivery of their second child.
But the bigger issue is that these kids can’t consent to being online in the first place. Often, these child influencers get their start online before they can even form a sentence, much less understand what the internet is. In the case of the ACE Family, all three children have Instagram accounts run by their parents. Elle has had an Instagram account since August 2017, when she was only 15 months old. The account has over 4.2 million followers, and its first video post has been viewed over 8 million times. Her sister’s account has 2.1 million followers, and her brother’s account has accumulated over 987,000 followers in the two years since his birth. The LA Times reported that even though child labor laws “do apply to social media influencers,” they are not regularly enforced because their content is often produced at home.
Online privacy is inherently tied to consent. People should be able to consent to whether or not their personal information is online, because once data is on the internet, it is there forever. This idea is known as digital permanence, and it’s hard-wired into the internet. According to a study done by the Association for Computing Science, even data that is untouched for hundreds of years is expected to “be available for later research or perusal.”
Influencer Maia Knight, who has 8.5 million followers on TikTok, has gained a platform because people love watching her twin daughters, Scout and Violet, grow up. Previously, their faces were included in videos. But on Dec. 23 of last year, Knight announced in a TikTok that she would no longer be posting her children’s faces online. She said, “I’m making a choice for my daughters to protect them.”
Knight’s decision reflects one made by Allison Irons, a “mommy vlogger” whose videos were viewed by large amounts of middle-aged men before she removed her kids from her channel. The New Statesman reported that her videos had been uploaded to pedophile websites, as well as YouTube playlists which are often “hundreds of videos long,” featuring videos of babies in diapers, “breastfeeding and in the bath.”
In order to protect kids, we need to create a culture that widens the scope of our perception of the internet and realizes the implications of broadcasting intimate family moments to the entire world. By taking a step back and considering the permanence of these videos and the privacy risks we are willingly taking on our children’s behalf, invasive content could be discouraged. While there will probably never be a full ban of posting children online, we can protect them a better collective understanding of what the risks are.
Kids may be cute and funny, but being able to watch them online shouldn’t be prioritized over their safety. The internet is an unforgiving place, and we need to keep kids safe from it.


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Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. has reached a significant milestone with the production rollout of its 100,000th Nissan Magnite from its Alliance plant in Chennai. Launched in December 2020, the Nissan Magnite has garnered numerous prestigious accolades, solidifying its position in the market as a top contender. The compact SUV recently received the ‘2023 ICONIC Brand of the Year’ award at the Dainik Jagran INext ICONIC Awards, along with titles such as ‘Compact SUV of the Year 2021’ by Top Gear, ‘Game Changer’ award by Motor Octane, and ‘Value for Money’ by Autocar India, among others.
The Nissan Magnite is a global product and is currently being exported to 15 countries worldwide. Nissan Motor India has successfully exported over a million vehicles from its Chennai plant to 108 destinations, including countries in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia, SAARC, Sub Sahara, and African regions, as well as New Zealand and Australia.
Offered in four variants – XE, XL, XV, and XV Premium – the Nissan Magnite provides customers with a range of choices. The SUV is available with two engine options. The first is a naturally aspirated 1-litre engine that delivers 72ps of power and 92Nm of torque. The second option is a 1-litre turbo petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 100PS and a torque of 160Nm. The turbo petrol engine variant comes with an X-Tronic CVT gearbox for smooth and efficient transmission.
With a starting price of ₹7,39,000 for the base variant, the Nissan Magnite SUV offers a compelling value proposition to customers in the competitive compact SUV segment.
Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director of Nissan Motor India, expressed his enthusiasm about this achievement, stating, “The Big, Bold, Beautiful Nissan Magnite has been a game-changer in the Indian market. The production of the 100,000th Magnite is testimony to Nissan’s commitment to delivering high-value products, prioritizing safety, and providing exceptional customer service. This milestone showcases the global appeal of the Nissan Magnite. At Nissan, we are not just building cars; we are shaping the future of mobility through product innovation, technological excellence, and customer satisfaction.”
Adding to the lineup, Nissan recently introduced the Nissan Magnite Geza special edition in India. This special edition features a single 1.0-litre non-turbo manual engine, capable of producing a maximum output of 71bhp and a peak torque of 96Nm. The engine is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The Nissan Magnite Geza special edition is available in five attractive color options, including Blade Silver, Flare Garnet Red, Strom White, Sandstone Brown, and Onyx Black.


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ONTARIO, CALIF. - In partnership with Feeding America, FiveStar, the maker of Simply Fresh branded products, is distributing fresh and wholesome foods directly to the community as part of a massive USDA-funded program known as Farmers to Families.
The company has committed to providing hundreds of thousands of boxes that include generous portions of Caesar Salad, Coleslaw Salad, Sweet Onion Broccoli Sauté Kit, Asian Stir-fry Kit, Almond Cranberry Salad and Crisp Sliced Apple s through the end of June.
“When the opportunity to work with USDA on this amazing project came about it was an easy decision to make to help bring fresh foods from our farmers to the families that desperately need them. It is a win-win that aligns perfectly with our company’s mission each and every day,” said Tal Shoshan, chief executive officer of FiveStar. “While not easy because of the massive scale of this project, and having only a few days to get it off the ground, it’s been very rewarding to know that our efforts will make a positive impact in so many lives, as well as helping our grower partners.”


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Ford said its Sync radio system has been installed in more than 3 million vehicles, since it was first introduced late in 2007.
Ford first included Sync as a $395 option in its 2008 Ford Focus cars (launched in the fall of 2007). Today, Sync is available on all Ford and Lincoln cars, except those targeted for commercial or fleet use. Car buyers are opting to pay for Sync about 80 percent of the time on the newest car models. Ford says 80 percent of users recommend it to others, up 5 percent from a year ago.
The Consumer Electronics Association, which puts on CES, said in a 2010 study that 55 percent of smartphone owners say they prefer voice commands as their primary means of communicating in a car.
Also, more than 80 percent of Sync owners are likely to recommend the system to others, claims Ford. That's a 5 percentage point improvement over last year.
When we introduced Sync, we were committed to making voice recognition a highly useful tool for the driver, and this research confirms we're on track, said Jim Buczkowski, director of Ford electronics and electrical systems engineering, and research. Ford remains committed to being the company that will continue to raise the bar on voice recognition as the primary user interface - giving customers the connectivity they want while helping them keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
Another study that looked into integration between smart phones and in-car connectivity devices in 2010 showed that more than half of the people who use smart phones prefer as their main user interface voice commands. This research was conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association and published with the title Staying Connected on the Go: A Look at In-Vehicle Smartphone Integration Systems.


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The Scottish Dairy Brand was launched today (October 12) at the Anuga food and drink trade show in Cologne.
The brand and its marque, which were unveiled by the country’s first minister at the Royal Highland Show earlier this year, have been developed to raise the profile of Scottish dairy produce, add value to milk and take advantage of the increasing international demand for products with a strong Scottish provenance.
Susan Beattie, head of food & drink at Scottish Development International, the agency in charge of the Scottish presence at Anuga, added: “Scotland already supplies some of the world’s most sought-after produce to high-end retailers and restaurants across the globe, and with increasing consumer interest in Scottish produce, this is a great time to be launching the new Scottish dairy brand to international buyers, retailers and chefs.
“With our Scotland Food & Drink partners, we have invested in a team of food & drink market specialists based in SDI’s overseas offices, so we have people who can open doors with customers and make connections to Scotland’s high quality suppliers.”
Eleven producers from across Scotland, including Graham’s The Family Dairy and Cambus O’May have signed up to use the Scottish Dairy Brand logo so far, with 18 brands using 40 different products across three ranges: heritage, artisan and organic – all of which are made using 100 per cent Scottish milk.
The logo will be added to products such as cheese and butter and, in addition to signposting shoppers to Scottish produce, it will also help retailers and overseas buyers boost the profile of Scottish dairy produce.


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How secure is your small business?
The devastating effects of cyber breaches on SMBs are well-documented. More than 446 million records got exposed in over 1,200 data breaches within the SMB space in 2018. At the same time, over half of the small businesses that experience a successful cyberattack go out of business within the next year.
Cost of a Data Breach 2019, a study sponsored by IBM Security and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, dives deeper into the subject. The report analyzes data breach costs reported by over 500 organizations in 17 industries across the globe. The report contained some unsurprisingly disturbing findings.
- The average worldwide data breach costs $3.9 million.
- U.S. data breaches cost an average of $8.2 million, the highest total in the world.
- Healthcare remains the most expensive industry, with average data breach costs of $6.45 million.
- A typical data breach involves over 25,000 records.
Meanwhile, the adverse effects of a cyber breach become magnified for startup companies. With 472 million entrepreneurs trying to start a business each year, it’s hard enough to get a startup off the ground. Concerns about network security and data protection often get pushed aside until it’s too late.
In the following article from writer and entrepreneur Ryan Robinson, you get expert entrepreneur advice from Ajay Goel, founder of GMass, and Ashley Leonard, CEO of Cloud Management Suite. Both Goel and Leonard managed to build multiple companies from the ground up. They offer four tips to accelerate the growth of your startup business while remaining safe and secure.
Goel and Leonard offer commonsense advice like “Stay Personally Invested” and “Fine-Tune Your Value Proposition.” However, they also advise entrepreneurs to “Stay on Top of Security.”
At Capital Network Solutions, we possess the tools and expertise to defend small businesses and startups. Our cyber security and network solutions guard your perimeter, while our security awareness training services turn your employees into human firewalls. If you’re concerned about the cyber security posture of your business, call CNS at (916) 366-6566.
In the meantime, check out the following Forbes article about growing a successful startup business.


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This summer, Munich’s opera lovers had a new space in which to enjoy their favorite pastime, a custom-designed building called the Pavillon 21 Mini Opera Space. Those who preferred a more modern take on music could visit the Mini Music Lounge occupied by techno music label Ruta5 and DJ Ricardo Villalobos, while on the live-music side, The Mini In Concert stream featured bands such as The Hurts and The Ting Tings. Music not your thing? The Mini Drive-In Cinema showed the film Exit Through the Gift Shop (directed by the street artist Banksy), as well as the documentary Keep Surfing, about Munich’s city surfer subculture.
The name “Mini” in their titles doesn’t refer to the scope of the organizer’s ambitions. Rather, it harks to the automotive giant, Mini, which not only sponsored but created the events.
Mini wasn’t the only brand strutting its cultural stuff this summer. BMW partnered with the Guggenheim to launch the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a mobile “laboratory” that will travel around the world over the next six years to develop “forward-thinking solutions for city life” in the areas of architecture, art, design, science, technology and sustainability. The dedicated Web site for the initiative features a game, Urbanology, which allows players to create their own “Future City.”
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz kicked off a series of three-day festivals in cities around the world, with each curated by an expert from the creative industry, while Louis Vuitton has allied with 12 artists to create an online art hub for London as part of its Young Arts Project, and has developed a Web site, REcreative, which serves as an online community for young people to share and showcase their work.
In October, BMW and the Tate museums in the UK announced BMW Tate Live, a four-year program focusing on performance art to be broadcast on the Internet, with online viewers able to communicate with each other via e-mail and social media channels.
In fact, forward-looking brands are giving whole new meaning to the term performance art, as they seek ever more innovative and edgy ways to reach their target customers amid the increasing fragmentation of the modern media landscape. Automotive giants, beer brands, luxury goods consortiums and, increasingly, fashion and beauty brands are going far beyond using famous faces to plug their wares, instead deploying branded entertainment strategies in which their involvement has evolved from sponsorship to mainstream content creation.
“Brands now talk to audiences in a very different way,” says Chet Fenster, managing partner of U.S. media agency MEC Entertainment. “Thanks to social media, there’s a two-way conversation, and brands now accumulate audiences, so they need to figure out what they want to say and how they can program that to the people they have. It’s about giving [consumers] something that interests them and is of value to them and that is also part of the brand DNA.”
Agrees Eduardo A. Braniff, chief executive officer of the communications agency Imagination in the Americas, “More and more brands are starting to curate experiences.”
Take the Dutch brewer Grolsch, which is trying to establish itself with independent filmgoers. To that end, it launched its Grolsch Film Works initiative in the spring of this year, promising creative screenings and film workshops around the globe.
More recently, the brand has gotten into the business of actually making a film, announcing in September that it had signed up three directors — one each from the U.S., Poland and Russia — and tasking them with shooting 30-minute segments that will then be stitched together to make a full-length feature.
The filmmakers will follow the same brief based on the idea of a “fourth dimension,” and have been asked to explore what this dimension might be, what it looks like and what it sounds like. Val Kilmer is set to star in the project, which will be the first film to come from Grolsch Film Works and is slated for launch in early 2012.
Range Rover has also gotten into the movie business. Being Henry is a film the brand created earlier this year to promote its Evoque model. It’s a Hollywood-inspired movie in which the lead character, Henry, arrives at numerous junctures in the narrative where he is faced with making a decision. Screened only online, the decision-making process is given over to the viewer, who can select from a range of alternatives to push the action along. So rather than see one single film, the audience gets the opportunity to follow nine different story lines and view 32 separate endings.
Being Henry was shot in English, subtitled in nine additional languages and pushed out globally, targeting urban men and women in their early thirties. The film has so far had more than a quarter of a million plays, while more than two-thirds of those who started the film have gone on to finish it. The audience has spent an average seven minutes with the brand.
“The brief was based on choice because the Evoque is the first car from Range Rover which can be heavily personalized,” says Lawrence Weber, head of digital production for the U.K.-based creative agency The Brooklyn Brothers, which developed the campaign. “To bring this to life, we came up with a character making choices, and then consumers making choices for the character in a film.
“We could have developed a game, but that would have been less premium and more male,” continues Weber, “so we focused on a high-production-value film with good writing to make it a good fit with our audience.”
The Dutch consumer electronics maker Philips decided to leverage the Hollywood elite when it went to Ridley Scott Associates (RSA), the advertising production company founded by the director, to source a series of film shorts, Parallel Lines, that it wanted to use to demonstrate the cinema experience in the home, as delivered by Philips television sets.
“We wanted to stand out from the masses and build a brand for TV, and we felt we could do that by commissioning engaging content,” says Wander Bruijel, director of integrated marketing communications at Philips. “For the brief, we gave RSA a single script of just six lines and asked for different interpretations. We got around 50 scripts from RSA’s directors, from which we chose a half-dozen.”
The Parallel Lines shorts premiered on Facebook in 10 markets, and were later broadcast on YouTube in widescreen 21:9 format to enhance the cinematic effect. Philips then followed up with an open competition, Tell It Your Way, based on the same brief, which attracted 650 entries.
Philips says Parallel Lines got 5.8 million video views over a seven-month period — significantly higher than the brand’s regular key performance indicator, while the campaign attracted 9.5 million views across all platforms. There were close to 8,000 pieces of campaign media coverage, and also a shift in brand consideration from 45.6 percent to 49 percent.
“Branded entertainment is part of the marketing mix, and the way tech has evolved, we feel it is the natural thing to be doing,” says Bruijel. “To get consumers to engage with you, you have to entertain, and so why not work together with them, too?”
Two brands buying into that philosophy are Intel and Toshiba. They joined forces during the summer to roll out what they’re calling a “social film.” For the project, called Inside, actress Emmy Rossum played a twentysomething woman incarcerated in a room with only an Intel-powered Toshiba laptop to keep her company. She uses the computer to contact friends, family and the public to get them to help her work out where she is and how she can escape, with the brands asking viewers to tweet clues and post advice to the character’s Facebook wall. The makers also ran a YouTube online casting call, asking viewers to submit videos to the Inside experience, with one clip getting the chance to feature in the action.
The film aired online in a series of short-form episodes, with the editing team incorporating the posts and video that best fit the story line.
Social media integration apart, Inside, with its episodic broadcasting, is more television than movie, and brands’ involvement in TV reaches back to the early days of the medium with the original soap operas. Television still figures highly in current branded entertainment strategies.
Australian beer brand Foster’s tapped into recent U.K. TV history when it brought back Alan Partridge, a comic creation of actor Steve Coogan’s, after an absence of eight years. With the backing of the brand, Coogan came up with an online series, Mid Morning Matters, featuring the Partridge character, and its 12 episodes have notched up some 5 million views across all digital channels.
“Both we as an agency and Foster’s as a brand felt that sponsorship of an existing property would not be enough to get consumers really engaged; what they really should have been doing was getting into consumers’ lives,” says Matt Jagger, the former head of entertainment at Naked Communications, who worked on the campaign. “We agreed that comedy was the right engagement platform for Foster’s, as the brand already had a history of comic TV ad spots, combined with the Australian disposition of sunny optimism and an easy laugh.
“The idea was to find something exclusive, something that people couldn’t normally see, and we came up with bringing back something successful,” he adds. “In effect, we were buying a proven hit and the audience that brings. Steve Coogan and his production company were behind it, too, which was good because talent can get nervous when a brand is involved.”
Jagger is aware of potential brand-creative conflicts and has a clear view. “It’s important that the brand does not dilute the content so that it is no longer entertaining,” he says. “For us, it was about getting the message over that Foster’s brings something of value, and about generating a good feeling around the brand.”
Steven J. Piluso, chief strategy officer at media agency PHD in New York, agrees. “I’ve done projects in the past where there has been no mention of the brand in the content itself, but then the brand has been wrapped around it. If the content is good, that kind of association can be enough. If you go back to an old TV soap, like Texaco Star Theater, it was recognized then — the show had nothing to do with, say, driving across country.”
However, certain kinds of entertainment fit readily into messaging, and branded liaisons with music have a long history.
“Brands have always been patrons to the arts, while musicians have always had to earn a living,” says Richard Kerstein, founder of UK-based Resilient Music, which specializes in music procurement for brands. “There is an absolute desire from large corporations to want to be loved by consumers. They want to be seen as honest, trustworthy and honorable in an era when so many people distrust large companies. If brands want people to feel good about them, one way of doing that is to support the things consumers love, one of which is music.”
In 2010, Tommy Hilfiger launched its Loud Radio online streamed-music service featuring American and European DJs playing everything from electro to rock to promote the brand’s Loud fragrance. The offering was also made available on more traditional radio frequencies in 18 markets.
Burberry has been running the Burberry Acoustic campaign since last year, supporting emerging British artists and producing music videos to accompany fashion collections. This summer, Burberry broke a new artist, Misty Miller, and in October delved into music making for the first time when it backed The Feeling to produce an acoustic version of the 2006 single Rosé — the song premiered as the track to the brand’s spring 2011 catwalk show at London Fashion Week, and is also the soundtrack to the latest TV spot for Burberry’s Body fragrance.
Converse is diving deeper still into music production. In July, the streetwear brand opened its Rubber Tracks recording studio in an old dry-cleaning facility in Brooklyn, where it gives new bands the opportunity to record their songs in a high-quality studio for free. Converse is also giving artists the chance to use the converse.com Web site and the brand’s social media channels to promote their music to a millions-strong audience.
“We’ve had around 50 artists come through Rubber Tracks so far, and the basic idea is that it is an opportunity to give back to the music industry, which has been good to us for many years. They like us, and we like them,” says Geoff Cottrill, chief marketing officer of Converse.
The core marketing principle is for Converse to be useful to its consumers, Cottrill explains, adding that the idea came from the gyms the brand had opened in a number of American cities. “We asked ourselves how we could work that kind of thing into music, and we came up with Rubber Tracks,” he says.
Converse thinks its work with the recording studio also reinforces brand values and is a good representation of what the brand is about.
“We want to facilitate creative spirits, because then we believe great things will happen,” says Cottrill. “And we also want to put our marketing dollars to use in what is a very difficult economic climate.”
Another brand riffing on music is Paco Rabanne’s Black XS fragrances, which last year rolled out the Black XS Live Sound Take Away Shows, a series of filmed concerts of new music in nine countries. The Puig Prestige Beauté–owned brand is also supporting the Festival Les Inrocks Black XS series of music concerts, together with French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. And two months ago, Paco Rabanne Black XS launched, in partnership with Universal Music France, the Be A Rockstar Web site featuring an app that enables consumers to hook up their Webcams to find out what it’s like to live the life of a top rocker. The site also hosts music videos from Universal artists such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Cold War Kids and Two Door Cinema Club. Vincent Thilloy, vice president for Paco Rabanne at Puig, explains that music and entertainment were programmed into the marketing mix for Black XS from the beginning.
“The fragrances were launched with a rock ’n’ roll attitude, something that was already quite developed in fashion but not in our sector,” he says. “Paco Rabanne is a daring brand, and we wanted to be linked with daring music, with new rock bands.”
The core demographic for Black XS is 16- to 25-year-olds, and music hits the sweet spot for this market. “We still invest in TV and magazines, but if we want to go to a larger scale, we need to use new media and communicate differently,” says Thilloy. Marketing experts agree, noting the key to hooking new consumers is to deliver a truly new experience. “There’s no brand which can’t participate in entertainment to reach consumers in their target audience,” says MEC Entertainment’s Fenster. “But they have to give consumers something they need.”
As Imagination’s Braniff reminds, entertainment is just one aspect of defining a brand — but the impressions it makes are lasting. “A content strategy is an invaluable contributor, and content can lend added value,” he says. “And it’s true that the more a brand gives to consumers, the more it curries favor.”
Let Me Entertain You: 5 Key Points
Be a Culture Vulture: Be it film, television, dance, music, art—brands aren’t just sponsoring cultural events, they’re creating them.
Sending the Right Message: To be truly effective, the content should reinforce the central message. Take Range Rover, which enabled viewers to personalize a film to promote its newest, highly personalizable Evoque model.
Think Outside the (Wii) Box: Gaming, while popular, is also less premium and more male oriented than other forms of branded entertainment.
Be Useful: Whether it’s opening a gym or a music recording studio, Converse believes in enabling consumers to do what they want to do, not vice versa.
Clear Channel: For a message to truly resonate, brands should never — ever — dilute the creative content.


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THE UK’s shops are already a complete f**king nightmare and retailers have confirmed they will remain that way until Christmas.
The announcement covers all shops, from supermarkets to department stores, and is in place from today until at least January 4th, inclusive of evenings and weekends.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium said: “The switch has been tripped. The signal has been given. Welcome to hell.
“From now on every shopping mall will have queues at the escalators, every out-of-town retail park will be gridlocked, every city centre immobilised by Christmas markets.
“In the supermarket you’ll battle past middle-class families with three-trolley convoys and colour-coded lists shouting ‘Butter! Check!’ at each other just to buy a small, squashed loaf.
“In New Look red-faced women will scream ‘I am a size frigging fourteen!’ at blank-faced teenagers, in Toys-R-Us parents will quietly realise their online voucher has actually cost them money, and even at Londis there will be a silent line for booze.”
Shopper Susan Traherne said: “Apparently there’s this thing called ‘the internet’ where you can buy everything, but I prefer the more human experience of elbowing rival consumers in the face.”


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Address : 506, 3rd EYE THREE (III), Opp. Induben Khakhrawala, Girish Cold Drink Cross Road, CG Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, 380009.
Telephone : 079-40098991
News: A UK-based startup has claimed to have developed a Biotransformation Technology that could alter the state of plastics and make them biodegradable.
Biotransformation technology is a novel approach to ensure plastics that escape refuse streams are processed efficiently and broken down.
Plastics made using this technology are given a pre-programmed time during which the manufactured material looks and feels like conventional plastics without compromising on quality.
Once the product expires and is exposed to the external environment, it self-destructs, and bio transforms into bioavailable wax. This wax is then consumed by microorganisms, converting waste into water, CO2, and biomass.
This biotransformation technology is the world’s first that ensures polyolefins fully biodegrade in an open environment causing no microplastics.
Need and Utility:
India is generating 3.5 billion kgs of plastic waste annually and that the per capita plastic waste generation has also doubled in the past five years. Of this, a third comes from packaging waste.
In 2019, plastic packaging waste from e-commerce firms was estimated at over a billion kilograms worldwide, according to Statista. Seeing such a burden of plastic waste, which could potentially harm biodiversity, it is needed to devise technology in order to tackle the Plastic Menace.
Food packaging and health care industries are the two prime sectors that could use this technology to reduce waste.
Advantages of Biotransformation (Bio-T) packaging:
Similar properties to regular polythene during product service life
Will biodegrade in the open environment in the event of littering
Leaves no microplastics behind
Passes ecotoxicity tests - not harmful to the environment
Cheaper and stronger than compostable (starch-based) packaging
Reusable and recyclable in existing waste streams (alongside regular polythene packaging)
Produced using non-renewable fossil fuels
Takes longer to degrade than compostable (starch-based) packaging
Not suitable for industrial composting (does not meet EU compostable standard EN13432)
Not suitable for home composting
Alternatives to reducing Plastics:
Jute or paper based packaging, wooden packaging.
National expo and conference on startups organized by Tamil Nadu government showcased several alternatives to plastics such as using coir, bagasse, rice and wheat bran, plant and agricultural residue, banana leaves etc.


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In July 2019 Nike Corporation nixed a Betsy Ross USA-themed shoe following complaints by former NFL quarterback and Black Lives Matter activist Colin Kaepernick.
The infamous anthem kneeler said the shoe design was “offensive” and “carried slavery connotations.”
The idiot had no idea Betsy Ross was an abolitionist – but whatever.
Well, today Joe Biden displayed the Betsy Ross flag proudly at the Inaugural.
But it’s not an issue because it’s Joe Biden… and he’s a Democrat.
These people could not be more hypocritical if they tried.
Via Jordan Rachel.
Remember when they said the Betsy Ross flag was racist? Now all of a sudden it’s not racist because Biden uses it…? I mean you cannot make this crap up. pic.twitter.com/VXmT11r0ee
— Jordan Rachel (@TheJordanRachel) January 20, 2021


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Throughout the year, we’ve seen some truly interesting — and odd — brand synergy between big-name businesses and rappers as both tried to weather the economic downturn brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic. McDonald’s reached out to Travis Scott and J Balvin, resulting in a pair of personalized meals and some truly outrageous merchandise, while Puma outfitted the NBA with J Cole’s signature shoe as the rapper himself aimed at a training camp experience for a possible roster slot. But the latest brand collab may be one of the most unusual as you’ll soon find a rapper’s face gracing your cereal aisle.
A month after releasing his “Reese’s Puffs Rap (The REE-MIX)” on SoundCloud, Lil Yachty posted a photo of himself to social media, posted up with several boxes of the cereal all featuring his signature beaded braids and grinning face. “I’ve done a lot of things in my career, but this is one I’m probably most proud of,” reads the caption. The rapper has made Saturday morning cartoons a huge part of his brand. Now, he’s adding the other half of the equation. Intriguingly enough, the last rapper to execute such collaboration was none other than Travis Scott, who appeared on the Reese’s Puffs box in 2019.
According to a press release, the box will roll out in 2021, and in an interview with Hypebeast, he called the collab a “super cool and crazy accomplishment.”
Yachty is also one of the performers for TikTok’s upcoming New Year’s Eve live stream.


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John Pack is taking precautions for his Ripon Print Studio customers and employees.
"We've made a couple of changes to make things safer out here," he said via social media amid the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay at home order to help prevent the virus from further spreading.
Pack, who opened the business at 201 S. Stockton Ave. about two years ago, handles most any type of jobs that are out there, from print & copy and grand format printing and finishing, to signage, screen or embroidered apparel and promotions.
One of his recent jobs was making 25,000 rebranding egg carton labels -- the client, Pleasant Valley Farms, actually requested 90,000 such labels, he said -- to retailers during the current high demand for the dairy product.
Another client, Sunbelt Rentals in Stockton and Ceres, ordered banners on the change of business hours since the coronavirus outbreak. Pack said Sunbelt Rentals corporate offices have since taken an interest on the Ripon Print Studio-designed banners.
Helping out those in Ripon are his priority. Keeping everyone safe is even higher on that list.
The front door of Ripon Print Studio is closed in an effort to keep both public and employees safe from exposure to the virus. Rather, those needing Pack's printing services can call the business and handle the transaction online or by phone.
Once the job is completed, customers will be provided an access code to a metal box outside the front door of the printing studio to pick up their item. "They've already paid for it," said Pack, who employs about a half dozen at his local business.
More information on Ripon Print Studio is available at 209.924.9700 or online at www.riponprintstudio.com.


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In many ways, COVID-19 is accelerating transitions that had already been occurring in the commercial real estate world.
“People think we should open up the economy sooner,” says Newmeyer Dillion partner Mike Krueger. “But I don’t think anybody’s saying that this isn’t going away anytime soon.”
Ultimately, Krueger predicts that COVID-19 will force “some very creative repurposing of properties.”
“We’re going to see very creative developers come in and repurpose those properties for their next use,” Krueger says. “At this stage, we don’t even know what the best use of some properties will be.”
Krueger says that is already happening in malls. In some places, they’re being repurposed by medical organizations.
“You may have a J.C. Penney’s in a huge building that could be perfect for an oncology department or maybe perfect for outpatient medical treatment,” Krueger says. “The rest of the stores might still be vacant, but that one building is great for that a medical use.”
Malls may have other advantages for conversion to other uses. For instance, a large mall will be ADA compliant.
“It’s going to have elevators and escalators,” Krueger says “Maybe an abandoned mall is a perfect opportunity to put a nursing home or some assisted living facility because you already have all these access points.”
Malls, which are also near public transit and bus lines, would also provide plenty of space to create completely independent units that are not on central air, if ventilation is a concern, according to Krueger.
“I think we’re still waiting on a lot of guidance,” Krueger says. “The insurance companies are really going to be the ones that are going to dictate this.”
But malls are just one example of how COVID-19 could change spaces.
“We are now looking at a complete revolution in what retail and commercial spaces are going to look like, especially in the restaurant industry,” Krueger says. “Depending on where you are, you’re going to have different counties with different restrictions. At least in the Bay area, we know that the post-COVID-19 restaurant experience is not going to be the same as pre-COVID-19, namely and the occupancy space.”
Offices are another place ripe for change. While teleworking had been growing steadily as a trend for a while, Newmeyer Dillion partner Mike Krueger thinks the news that Twitter is allowing its employees to work remotely indefinitely will spark discussions at a lot of large firms in The Bay Area.
“For large tech companies that are renting out giant spaces in downtown San Francisco or anywhere in the Bay area, anywhere where commercial real estate is very expensive,” Krueger says. “Now, all of a sudden, you see some of the most visible tech companies out there saying, ‘We don’t even need our commercial space.’ I think you’re going to see a significant change around what that space is going to be useful and how that space is being used.”


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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
50% off store sale to be held TOMORROW in Los Angeles!
Did YOU miss the Society's huge thrift store $ALE last week in Los Angeles? Don't worry! With the bad economy and the success of last week's sale, the Society will host another bargain day on TOMORROW, April 30, as store merchandise will be discounted 50% ALL DAY (some exclusions apply).
Again...needed household items 50% off from 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Thursday at the store the Los Angeles Times calls the 'Granddaddy of the L.A. Thrift Store Scene.' Directions to the Society's store, which is located at 210 N. Avenue 21 and just down the hill from Dodger Stadium, can be found on the right column of this blog.
Information: 323-224-6280 or 1-800-97-HELP-1.
Thanks to St. John Bosco High School students for your day of service to the poor and homeless at St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles.
600 Vincentian volunteer members and staff attended the St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles 2018 Annual Meeting Sunday, April 22, 2018, at t...
During Poverty Awareness Month, join the U.S. Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Catholic community in the Unite...


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BEIJING – China said it’s rolling out new tariffs on meat, fruit and other products from the United States as retaliation against taxes approved by U.S. President Donald Trump on imported steel and aluminum.
The U.S. tariff hike has “has seriously damaged our interests,” said a Finance Ministry statement.
“Our country advocates and supports the multilateral trading system,” said the statement. The tariff increase “is a proper measure adopted by our country using World Trade Organization rules to protect our interests.”
The Chinese finance ministry said in a statement that the new tariffs begin Monday. The announcement follows warnings Chinese officials have made for several weeks in an escalating trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
China’s Customs Tariff Commission is increasing the tariff rate on pork products and aluminum scrap by 25 percent. It’s also imposing a new 15 percent tariff on 120 other imported U.S. commodities, from almonds to apples and berries.
The White House didn’t respond to a message from the Associated Press on Sunday seeking comment.
The tariffs mirror Trump’s 25 percent charge on imported steel and 15 percent hike on aluminum. Trump has also announced separate plans to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion in Chinese imports. Trump’s planned tariffs are partly aimed at punishing Beijing for allegedly stealing American technology and pressuring U.S. companies to hand it over.
But the Chinese response could end up hurting American ranchers and farmers, many of whom are from regions that voted for Trump in 2016.
U.S. farmers shipped nearly $20 billion of goods to China in 2017. The American pork industry sent $1.1 billion in products, making China the No. 3 market for U.S. pork.
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Spat Between Samsung and NYC Hedge Fund Takes Nasty Detour Into Jew-Baiting
Paul Singer attacked with shocking illustrations because ‘Jewish money has long been known to be ruthless and merciless’
This screencap of Samsung C&T’s official website shows a slideshow in which the company introduced the character of “Vulture Man,” designed to mock and antagonize Elliott Management CEO Paul Singer. The caption reads “Who is Elliott Hedge Fund?”
A bitter fight between a New York City financial powerhouse and the most important company in Korea has taken an ugly turn with media outlets either sympathetic to or outright controlled by Samsung lobbing anti-Semitic bombs at Paul Singer and his Elliott Management fund.
First some background.
Not everyone is thrilled with the terms of the merger, which would place Cheil, which is already 42% owned by the Lee family, even more firmly under the control of the family plus grant them the nice chunk of Samsung Electronics that’s held by Samsung C&T. Samsung Electronics is the jewel in the Samsung crown and the Lee family actually holds a smallish stake in Samsung Electronics. The New York-based hedge fund Elliott Associates, which owns 7.12 percent of Samsung C&T, has been harshly critical of the terms, charging that the deal dramatically undervalues C&T’s stock in an effort to hand a bargain to Cheil and the Lee family.
Elliott is hardly the only entity opposing the deal. The advisory firm Korea Corporate Governance Service, which is somewhat analogous to proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services in the States, is said to have recommended that the Korean National Pension Service (NPS)—which had owned 10% of C&T and actually acquired a bunch more after the merger was announced—reject the merger. And even that rumored recommendation has been controversial, since KCGS recommendations are issued in secrecy and rarely trickle out. For its part, Institutional Shareholder Services itself produced an analysis that also concluded Cheil was dramatically underpaying for C&T. The merger needs 66.67% of the voted shares to vote yes to proceed.
Anyway, what looked like a garden variety fight pitting acquirer who wants a bargain versus target who wants a payday has turned into an unusual and unfortunate culture war between the traditional Korean business custom of powerful “chaebol”— family-led conglomerates—and a Western style fight for transparency and competitive bidding. And then it got anti-Semitic.
Last week, the South Korean business press began attacking Elliott Associates, noting specifically that it has a Jewish owner and chief executive, Paul Singer. The business news site Mediapen.com has led the way, having published five stories on its homepage about the deal, including one valentine to the wisdom and integrity of Samsung’s leadership and four supporting the merger under the current tems. Last Sunday, writer Kim Ji-ho chimed in on the Samsung-Elliott dispute: “Jews are known to wield enormous power on Wall Street and in global financial circles … It is a well-known fact that the US government is swayed by Jewish capital.”
“Jewish money” also was said to explain why the independent “referees” of these deals also sided with Elliott. After ISS also opposed the terms of the deal, Mediapen bizarrely attacked them along the same lines. Kim wrote that “ISS will be supportive of Elliott’s claims because ISS, like Elliott, is founded upon Jewish money. Elliott’s CEO is Paul Singer, a Jew. ISS is an affiliate of MSCI, which is owned by Jewish major shareholders. … ISS’s opposition to the merger can be interpreted along the lines of Jewish alliance. Jewish money has long been known to be ruthless and merciless.” The story was illustrated by a photo of Mr. Singer, who is identified in the caption as the “greedy, ruthless head of a notorious hedge fund.”
FOR ENTIRE ARTICLE CLICK LINKClick here for the Top 12 Moments in Jewish History...LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN! »


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Vanguard buoyed by US drug approval
Shares in biotechnology company Vanguard Medica were up 8% in early trading after the US Food and Drug Administration said its migraine drug frovatriptan was 'approvable'.
Final permission to market frovatriptan in the US will depend largely on an FDA review of data from a current pre-clinical study.
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Washington, DC - Altai Systems, Inc., the nation’s premier Association Management Software (AMS) company based on the Microsoft Dynamics® CRM platform is excited to announce its participation in the popular technology conference AMSFest.
AMSFest is a one-day event where association professionals mingle with Association Management Software (AMS) solutions consultants and vendors in a more intimate setting than traditional trade shows. The AMSFest event was first launched in fall of 2015 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, and has now continued its momentum west to Workshop Chicago in Chicago, IL. Being held on May 10, 2016, this all day event features speakers such as Reggie Henry, Chief Information Officer, ASAE, and Bruce Moe, Executive Director, Missouri State Teachers Association. In addition, attendees can choose topics they’d like to hear from crowdsourced sessions posted prior to the event.
Teri Carden, Founder of ReviewMyAMS.com and AMSFest, stated her enthusiasm for this event:
"I'm in awe of the association community's enthusiasm for AMS Fest. It means that associations are primed and ready to have real conversations about how we can truly depend on and wisely use our technologies to propel us into the future.
For the second time in a row, Altai was the first to sign up as a sponsor. That's a true testimonial to the fact that they are committed to listening to and participating in these valuable conversations around bettering association technology infrastructures."
Likewise, Altai Partner, Mike Frye said “We really like what Teri has done with AMSFest. Teri has created a true ‘Out of the Box’ atmosphere for innovative associations looking for inventive ideas and solutions. AMSFest is not the same old thing, and I feel it is the perfect home for us to meet ‘thought leadership’ associations that push our products to the next level.”
To register and learn more click AMSFest.


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A class-action lawsuit seeking up to £1.5 billion has been filed in the United Kingdom alleging that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been overcharging people since 2015 for apps purchased at the App Store. According to a report at 9to5Mac, “that Apple’s dominance in the app market enabled it to charge ‘excessive’ fees, citing Apple’s typical 30% commission of paid apps and in-app purchases.”
The charges are similar to those being argued right now in a U.S. lawsuit filed by Epic Games, claiming that Apple operates its App Store as a monopoly that harms developers and consumers. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, Apple commented on the latest lawsuit:
We believe this lawsuit is meritless and welcome the opportunity to discuss with the court our unwavering commitment to consumers and the many benefits the App Store has delivered to the U.K.’s innovation economy.
The commission charged by the App Store is very much in the mainstream of those charged by all other digital marketplaces. In fact, 84% of apps on the App Store are free and developers pay Apple nothing. And for the vast majority of developers who do pay Apple a commission because they are selling a digital good or service, they are eligible for a commission rate of 15%.
Apple in January lowered its commission to 15% for developers who earn less than $1 million.
While Apple fights anti-competitive lawsuits in court, the company may be hedging its bets by beefing up its own advertising business. A report published Monday by Business Insider revealed that Apple hired a former ad manager at Facebook, adding to speculation that the company plans to expand its ad business. According to AppleInsider, Apple has about 50 open job listings for positions related to advertising platforms.
Apple also may be preparing to switch to manufacturing its own 5G modem chips, according to a research note from long-time Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The iPhone 12 series uses 5G modem chips made by Qualcomm, and Kuo believes that the soonest Apple could switch to its own chips would be 2023.
In 2019, Apple acquired Intel’s modem chip business for $1 billion, a necessary step to developing its own 5G modems. The acquisition gave Apple the necessary intellectual property, patent portfolio and engineering talent to develop its own modem that could be integrated into the company’s system-on-a-chip (SoC).


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Indaco Venture Partners has sold Italian advertising specialist AdmantX to Vista Equity Partners-backed Integral Ad Science (IAS), a US digital ad verification company.
Noerr’s Holger Ebersberger and Latham & Watkins’ Hanno Witt to join the firm’s Munich office
London-headquartered GP invested in AI provider MIcompany in first deal for new strategy this week
VC firm aims to raise USD 75m-150m from private and public investors including blue-chip institutional LPs in Europe, MENA and US
More than twice the size of its 2019 predecessor, the vehicle will allow for larger equity tickets, more investments and bolt-ons


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The decline of the dollar is the result of a long list of self-inflicted economic ills, including an impossibly large federal budget deficit, our huge international trade deficit, weak savings practices by Americans and the cost of the Iraq war. As a consequence, Americans might receive the ultimate culture shock: the need to adjust to a lower standard of living.
These factors will lead to significant inflationary pressure. This sudden lower standard of living will be hard for the public to tolerate while wages and the cost of living move up and interest rates climb to keep inflation under control.
However, there is a silver lining behind these dark clouds. The historic decline of the dollar is finally having a positive impact on exports. This is good news indeed in that many U.S. manufacturers were not competitive on a global basis due to high wages and costly benefits at home compared to incredibly low wages and few benefits in some parts of the world. U.S. manufacturers will gain a new sense of competitiveness over the next few years.
There is no escaping the fact that 2008 will be a critical time for U.S. business, labor and government leaders to come together to galvanize cohesive policies to make our economy more competitive and appealing to a global marketplace. This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I only hope we have the selfless leadership and sense of purpose needed to reignite our powerful economic engines.
There is something every one of us can do to help. As a culture, we need to stop taking our success for granted. We've got to understand why our global competitors are winning. Who has succeeded and why? Who is beating our brains out and why? We need to understand what global customers want and need. We need to understand why we are hated in many parts of the world and what is causing the decline of our brand image among friends and allies.
I'm not suggesting that we need to change our culture entirely, but we certainly need to re-evaluate how we communicate our culture.
If the American brand is the sum of everything we say and do, when you look at our cultural communications objectively, it's not pretty. We need to rethink who we are, not by government mandate, but because it makes economic sense. And that is something Americans understand.
James R. Gregory is CEO of CoreBrand. He can be reached at [email protected].


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans may finally be catching a break from relentlessly surging prices - if just a slight one - even as inflation is expected to remain painfully high for months.
Thanks largely to falling gas prices, the government's inflation report for July, to be released Wednesday morning, is expected to show that prices jumped 8.7% from a year earlier - still a sizzling pace but a slowdown from the 9.1% year-over-year figure in June, which was the highest in four decades.
The forecast by economists, if it proves correct, would raise hopes that inflation might have peaked and that the run of punishingly higher prices is beginning to ease slightly. There have been other hopeful signs, too, that the pace of inflation may be moderating.
At the same time, an array of other economic developments are threatening to keep intensifying inflation pressures.


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It wasn’t just all about the wine on the Douro last week – Avalon Waterways christened their newest ship, the Avalon Alegria.
Despite the rain, it was all smiles and sunshine from guests on the christening cruise.
Avalon Alegria is the 15th Suite Ship from the brand and with the ship’s godmother, Cheri Oteri in tow, the new Avalon Alegria’s launch was celebrated in style.
“Today, I name this goddess of Portugal’s Douro River, the Avalon Alegria! Not only is she the newest, happiest ship in Portugal, she is one of the most sustainable vessels in Europe,” said Oteri, during her blessing.
“May her sunny disposition carry this ship, her captain, crew and guests, far as they set sail responsibly, together, through scenic landscapes, sloping vineyards and sleepy villages. Shine brightly on the ‘river of gold,’ Avalon Alegria!”
After reciting her blessing, Oteri cut a rope tethered to locally produced Cuvée – Marques de Marialva Cuvée Primitivo. The bottle smashing against the newly named vessel is a seafaring tradition to bring good luck for her future sailings. P
resident of Avalon Waterways Pam Hoffee, Captain Alberto Moreira and the ship’s crew of 33 and guests cheered the ship’s christening. KC and the Sunshine Band’s 1975 hit, “Boogie Shoes,” played over event speakers to add even more “happy” to the occasion. The song was a special request from the Alegria’s godmother, Cheri Oteri.
The evening was spent dancing the night away with fireworks lighting up the skies after dinner.
“In our search for the best godmother for the Avalon Alegria – our first ship in Portugal with a name that means “happiness” – we knew Cheri Oteri would be the perfect choice,” said Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways.
“As a difference-making entertainer – and one of the ground-breaking women who inspired modern comedy in America – Cheri has brought so much inspiration and joy into our lives. We are thrilled she chose to travel to Portugal to honour us the godmother of our newest, ‘happiest’ ship in Europe. It’s a joy to celebrate Cheri and her accomplishments as part of the Alegria’s christening.”
“We’ve waited a long time for the perfect opportunity to add Portugal to our robust holiday portfolio and that day has finally arrived,” said Hoffee. “Inviting our guests to sail the Douro for the first time, we’re bringing the Suite Ships of Avalon, the grandest views in cruising and whim-powered itineraries to Southwestern Europe. We’re thrilled to officially set sail on the Douro!”
The Avalon Alegria will invite her first, official guests on board to cruise Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro on April 3, 2024.
“For those lucky enough to join our new ship and crew her inaugural year, hillside vineyards and historic villages await them on an eight-day cruise the begins and ends in Porto,” said Hoffee.
“Like our cruises across Europe, this itinerary is filled with included “Classic,” “Active” and “Discovery” excursion choices that promise guests countless ways to enjoy the sheer splendour and cinematic scenery of the Douro Valley.”


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According to the latest tracker from Databeans "Q3-2011 Sensors and MEMS" the sensors market is growing significantly faster than the overall semiconductor market. The sensor market is forecasted to have a 10 percent compound annual growth rate, with average unit prices decreasing by 1 percent over the same 5 year time frame. Contactless smart cards and NFC transceivers are also growing strong with an estimated compound annual growth rate of 20 percent.
The two strongest market segments impacting the sensor industry are the consumer and the automotive industry. The revenue for sensors in the consumer market segment is forecasted to increase to $853 million by the end of 2012 and $203 million for the automotive segment respectively. These two segments constitute 40 percent of the sensors market alone. New technologies and government regulations being developed now are only going to increase these numbers as time progresses.
The consumer segment is being driven by high demand for smart phones and tablet PCs. Although this is no new phenomena, the new sensors that will soon be added these products will make them even more desirable to consumers. Most of these products today already include gyroscopes, accelerometers, touch sensors, GPS, and magnetic field sensors.
In addition the automotive market is continuing its growth of electronic applications. The sensors market is experiencing an immediate push because of NHTSA regulations that mandate Electronic Stability Systems (ESC) and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) for every new vehicle that rolls off the production line. Fuel economy and emissions standards have also increased the demand for exhaust temperature sensors in vehicle applications. These same regulations will soon be adopted worldwide and create some of the growth that will be seen in the automotive sensors market.
Manufacturers should look for a strong push to include NFC (Near Field Communications) chips to be on smart phones and tablets. These transceivers and contactless smart cards will sense and transmit secure information between devices. The most significant application of this technology in the near future will be with the use of currency transactions from mobile handsets. The emergence of this technology is being pursued by many companies, the most well known being Google Wallet. This service is currently in a testing phase because of limited device and financial institution support. During the next couple years however, this will dramatically change.
Currently there are only a handful of phones that are equipped with NFC chips, but it is rumored that even the next generation of iPhone's and iPad's will include them. Most other companies will also follow suit and include the NFC chips in their competing products. The Google wallet system only includes one type of credit card on the Android Nexus S, but there are many other ventures and startups experimenting with this technology too. Companies such as ISIS, Square, Jumio and Naratte will offer competing cards that will be accepted in the developing NFC payment infrastructure. The change in payment medium will be resisted for a short time, similar to the switch from checks to debit cards, but it will eventually be adopted. This adoption will create a large production demand for NFC chips in the consumer segment.
Databeans forecasts the sensors and MEMs market to reach $19.1 billion by 2016, which means the companies involved will profit considerably. Databeans "Q3-2011 Microcontroller Market Tracker" projects that the contactless smart card market will reach $540 million this year. More information on these two markets is available from Databeans a www.databeans.net.


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Need some time to reflect on this, because I am out at a conference and I'm seriously jet-lagged. But this one slipped under my radar before, and I think it bears watching because it will be a guidepost for technology and electronics recycling laws all over the country -- many of which are supposed to kick in during 2010 or 2011.
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition, along with officials from 18 state and local governments, is publicly calling on the Consumer Electronics Association and the Information Technology Industry Council to withdraw a lawsuit they filed back in late July challenging the constitutionality of New York City's e-waste recycling law. Here's a link where you can find the legal papers.
Those opposing the suit claim that if voluntary programs run by manufacturers were more effective, there would not be a need for local laws and that the public sector should not be responsible for bearing the financial burden of responsible e-waste disposal. The short of it is that neither side wants to be left holding the bag.
Here's a statement from Wisconsin State Senator Mark Miller, who sponsored the state's new law passed two weeks ago:
“This lawsuit isn’t really about the New York City e-waste law. This is really about the rights of states and cities to say that the manufacturers of toxic products need to be responsible for their products when consumers are ready to discard them. The outcome of this case could impact producer responsibility laws in all of our states, on a whole host of products.”
Think it doesn't matter to you? Maine was probably the earliest state to pass a law on this issue, but you should care if you're a resident of Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Here's the letter they've sent criticizing the suit.
Arguments in the New York City suit are supposed to start in early December. This time, I'll be standing by.


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Steven Paul Jobs -The man who changed the world, left the world today morning.The Silicon Valley icon and a rare genius who gave the world some of the best technical gadgets like iPod,iPad,iTunes,iCloud and the mighty iPhone resigned as CEO of the world’s largest technology corporation in August.
“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius and the World has lost a creative human being.Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve Jobs have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.Steve Leaves Behind a company that only he could have built and his spirit will forever be the foundation of the apple”.- Apple Corporation says on its website.
For those who know Steve less, here we give a brief profile of his.
Steve was the Founder,Mentor,Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of World’s largest technology company, Apple.He founded Apple in 1976 and nurtured it to be World’s largest Personal Computer maker in a decade.
However a series of events led to his exit from the very same company he founded and he started another company Next Computers.He also bought Pixar Animation Studio which successfully produced several hit animation pictures including Toy Story. Profitability was never a concern for Jobs.
The iconic Great Man was finally brought back to Apple when Apple purchased Next Computers in 1996. He was later made interim CEO and finally CEO in 2000.It was during these days that the greatest inventions of his life was made. In 2001 Apple introduced iPod, in 2005 iPhone Came and in 2010 Apple brought iPad.Needless to say all of them became killer devices the very first day of their launch. He also held several other products like iMac, iCloud, iTunes which are considered as a symbol of creative excellence.
Jobs married to Laurene Powell, on March 18, 1991 and the couple has 3 children. He has been suffering from ailing health since 2004 and was reported to have Pancreatic Cancer. He took leave from his job thrice to undergo treatment, the latest in January 2011. In August he resigned from his role of CEO and served as Chairman of Apple’s Board. Even he was lying on his death bed, his inventions did not halt. The same morning Apple launched the latest version of iPhone 4S (the latest and highly improved version).
The man was not a ordinary man but was a legend and will continue to inspire all of us.In his tribute, US President Barack Obama refers him as America’s greatest innovators and says the world has lost a visionary. In a tweet Obama says “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented”.
Microsoft Chairman and Founder Bill Gates says- “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor.I will miss Steve immensely”. “Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives,” said Mr. Â Gates.
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg mentioned on Facebook “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”
The whole World is mourning his sad demise, but after all its destiny. He came to India in search of Spiritual Enlightenment in 1974 and went back as a Buddhist with his head shaved and wearing traditional Indian clothing
If you wish to send your tribute to the great man you can mail them to email@example.com.


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abandon their online classes or Instagram tutorials; they will remain key to driving e-commerce sales (if you’re in a state that allows it) and collecting data that can be used to improve the marketing approach. If you haven’t considered the way that your online marketing is representing your brand, now is definitely the time to do so. “I think you need to spend a little extra time and money and thought to make sure that image is representing what’s happening on your packaging,” said Don Wright, owner and chief strategic officer at Wright Global Graphics. “Design matters. To simplify the statement, that’s what it comes down to.” The design behind a brand’s packaging and marketing has always been impactful, but without that human element to help make the sale, it is now paramount to success. Investment of the time and energy to incorporate some design into the packaging and the marketing of a brand will certainly continue moving forward, and brands that are familiar with the online marketplace will know to put an emphasis on consistency. That will be crucial in communicating their story to potential consumers. This is also the time to consider whether your brand is staying true to your values or simply riffing on what has been popular in the past. Matt Ebbing, founder and chief creative director at Ebbing Branding + Design, expects the tide to turn on generic spirits labeling: “Take a walk down the whiskey or gin aisle at your favorite liquor store — so many of these bottles look like they were designed for my dad, or my dad’s dad,” he said. “We see a lot of passion (and influencers) in the younger cocktail and spirits audience, and they’re looking for brands to connect with that share their attitude and values.” Taking a risk on a more unique packaging design might not be so risky after all; in a crowded online marketplace, it could be the distinctive label that stands out. To further evince their individualism, a greater number of brands seems intent on taking packaging up a level. According to Stephane Stanton-Brand, Saverglass’ east coast market manager for the US and Canada, bottle personalization was already on the rise before COVID and is showing itself to have the legs to continue. There are multiple ways to do so, including embossment, adornments, and decorations of all sorts. “The most dramatic way is to create your own bottle, and a lot of people are doing that and COVID doesn’t seem to have slowed that down at all,” he explained. Those that choose to invest in the small upgrades that ultimately elevate their product will be sure that they don’t skimp on the imaging side of marketing. Sticking a bottle in front of a white background and snapping a couple of pictures on an iPhone will not do any longer. Now is the time to bug a friend with a decent understanding of Lightroom or hire a professional.
MORE THAN A BUSINESS Seeing that a company is operating in a way that is beneficial to the greater good is of increasing interest for a large segment of consumers. Following COVID-19, a stressful political cycle, and the recent spotlight on inequality, customers are now concerned more than ever with spending their money wisely. They want more than just value; they want to make sure that they are purchasing in an ethical fashion. We have already seen examples of industry members taking action and using their platforms for good. This year, San Antonio, Texas-based brewery Weathered Souls launched the Black Is Beautiful initiative, which is an interactive mission committed to bringing awareness to the injustices suffered by people of color on a regular basis. Participating breweries were asked to donate 100 percent of the proceeds to a local organization of their choosing that supports police reform and legal defenses for those who have been wrongfully arrested. They are also asked to commit to the long-term work of establishing equality and inclusion in the brewing business and beyond. A stout recipe was provided to breweries as a base with a directive that they be as creative as they like to add their own spin. So far, 1,207 breweries from all 50 states and 22 countries have participated in the initiative, and that number is still growing. Within the distilling industry, Du Nord Spirits in Minneapolis, Minnesota established a fund to help build back businesses in the Twin Cities that were affected during the protests, and, in collaboration with Tattersall Distilling and Brother Justus Whiskey Co as the All Hands MN Team, donated one million meals to Second Harvest Heartland in May 2020. Last year, STEPUP (Spirits Training Entrepreneurship Program for Underrepresented Professionals) Foundation was launched and is offering internships to increase diversity within our industry. Brand activism is a part of the future of this business. Consumers have had plenty of time to watch brands as they react to the events of this last year, and they are taking note. For a small business owner, it was always beneficial to be open about their values and what they support; it’s an easy and honest way to find passionate fans amidst the larger drinking public. But moving forward it seems likely that that kind of behavior will ramp up even more. COVID-19 knocked many in this industry back a step, but it also created an opportunity to start to heal old wounds. “You can almost say you’ve looked at this disaster — whatever it is, it’s a disaster — and it’s heightened everyone’s awareness of the things that are broken perhaps,” said Wright. Things that are broken don’t have to stay that way — there is always the opportunity to fix them, if enough individuals are willing to do the work.
Devon Trevathan writes about spirits, wine, and cocktails for a variety of publications. Her focus tends to be on the science behind distillation and the history of drink culture. When she’s not working, she’s probably at home in Nashville painting watercolor tasting notes or dreaming about the pack of dogs she hopes to have one day. You can follow her @devontrevathan on Instagram and Twitter, or find her at a bar with a Negroni in hand.
WWW.ART ISANSPI RI TMAG.CO M
The magazine for craft distillers and their fans.


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Strike action set to grow in Germany
LEADERS of the powerful IG Metall union meet in Frankfurt today to ratchet up strike action across Germany in pursuit of a pay claim.
Plants such as Ford, Porsche, MAN, Bosch and DaimlerChrysler have already been affected and Porsche and printing-press maker Heidelburger Druckmaschine will be hit today.
The union wants 4% - double what is on the table - and rejects employer demands for a longer working week.
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — For some, walking into a brick-and-mortar travel agency might seem like a thing of the past.
But for Bahar Schmidt, CEO of Eluxit Travel, opening the doors to her travel agency is like unlocking a door to go anywhere in the world.
"After 9/11, a lot of them closed down," Schmidt said, adding that airlines started cutting commissions to travel agencies, and that the industry began shifting online with the dot-com boom.
So in 2018, she opened her store to revive the in-person experience.
"To bring the human connection back and to bring back the come and sit in front of a travel advisor and let's book your trip," Schmidt said.
According to December data from the U.S. Travel Association, the pandemic has resulted in over $500 billion in cumulative losses for the U.S. Travel economy since the beginning of March. Those who travel are navigating uncertain waters with changing rules on border restrictions, quarantine, and COVID-19 testing.
While this time has brought heavy losses for Schmidt's business, she anticipates travel advisors will become popular again.
"Yeah, sure, you can do your research online, but are you going to get accurate information that is constantly changing? I don't think so. I think it's better if you just pick up the phone and call an advisor and have all of your answers right there," Schmidt said.
Data also shows that two-thirds of Americans say the current pandemic situation makes them less likely to travel in the first quarter of 2021.
The Nehdar family, however, said they're ready to jump back into the travel waters, as they're headed to Mexico for a surfing trip.
"The waves in Sayulita are so much better for me specifically," said Rina Nehdar. "They're smaller, longer, the water's warmer."
Nehdar and her family are savvy travelers. She is the editor of the digital magazine L.A. Family Travel which helps Southern Californians find and optimize their vacation time.
As she helped her youngest son Knox pack, Nehdar explained they aren't fearful of taking their first trip outside the country since COVID-19 because they are hyper-aware about staying safe.
"We follow all the rules, so we just want to live our lives, because COVID isn't going anywhere," she said.
While they haven't used a travel advisor for this trip, Rina said she believes the general public would be more apt to utilize that support in light of COVID-19 and its uncertainties.
"Google can't help you find the things that might be only available to an actual person who has experience in the area who has contacts who can bail you out of a sticky situation," she said.
And if there's one silver lining in this pandemic when it comes to traveling, as Nehdar explained, organizations such as hotels are finally taking the responsibility to make everything clean.
"As customers, we just assumed they were like that, but they weren't, but now they are," she said.
While the lights in this office have mainly been dark since March, Schmidt keeps the faith that the future will be bright again for the travel industry.
"With the vaccines coming out, hopefully, I know things will look different, and I'm optimistic."


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Mexico has opened its pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha where the country showcases diversity of landscapes while featuring a great variety of agricultural production. The opening was in the presence of dignitaries from the Mexico embassy and Expo 2023 Doha officials. The pavilion, according to a press statement from the Mexico embassy, is especially focused on the Mexican agri-food sector. “It allows all visitors to acquire a better understanding of the Mexican agri sector. It helps Mexican companies obtain information, not only about Qatar and Middle East’s dynamic markets but also about the latest technologies, top innovations and common challenges, among partner countries,” the statement said.
“Mexico is an important producer and exporter of agri-food and fishing products in the world. We are currently the 11th world food producer and 9th food exporter, reaching more than 160 countries, including the markets of the Middle East and North Africa,” it said.


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Berlei’s global brand ambassador and iconic sports star Serena Williams at the official launch on Thursday 25th June in London. Berlei Australia has already enjoyed a 2 –year endorsement relationship with Serena, who has actually worn the sports bras for 10 years. She is widely known as the ‘Queen of the Court’ having held her World Number 1 position for longer than any male or female player since her debut in 1997. She has a second title now ‘Bounce Master’ as Berlei’s official international ambassador. The event was attended by buyers, retailers, press and VIPs who enjoyed a fashion show modelled by athletes and dancers.
Serena spoke passionately about her association with the brand when interviewed by presenter, Rob Walker, and revealed her favourite of the Berlei bras – the Shift (as seen here). First deliveries of the Berlei sports brand will commence January 2016.


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Soft2Bet is all set to launch its operations in the Swedish Market. The Casino and Sportsbook operator group has secured a license from the gambling regulator Spelinspektionen and is planning to launch two of its brands in the market.
The company confirmed that Campobet and Yo-Yo Sites will be rolled out in Sweden. Both of the brands have been clarified by the BMM Laboratory Agency already. This makes the brand fit to be released into the market.
Campobet is known for its sports betting and online casino games. Yo Yo sites however only focus on the online casino games.
Soft2Bet has already acquired the license permits in Malta and Curacao and now it has entered the Swedish market as well. The company said that it would look to enter a more regulated market in Europe and seek licenses in the future. It needs to be seen which country the company targets after Sweden.
Uri Poliavich, the Chief Operating Officer of Soft2Bet said that it is a great achievement to obtain the license from Swedish Regulatory offices. He thanked the team who have put in a great effort to meet the regulations as well.
Soft2Bet has many other consumer focus brands as well like Malina Casino, Cadoola, Zulabet, Wazamba, and Nomini.


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In a bid to bring balance to the UK's mobile industry, communications watchdog Ofcom has confirmed it will limit BT and EE's role in upcoming 4G auctions. Next year, Ofcom will sell off 190 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz bands, upping Britain's overall 4G footprint by almost a third, but BT and its newly-purchased subsidiary will be excluded from bidding on the entire 2.3 GHz band. Ofcom is worried their involvement "could harm competition in the next few years" if they were allowed to own nearly half of the usable spectrum in the market.
As it stands, BT and EE own 45 percent of the "immediately useable" UK spectrum, which is mobile connectivity that can be deployed right away. Vodafone has 28 percent, while O2 and Three own 15 percent and 12 percent respectively. Regardless of what happens in the auction next year, BT and EE's share of useable spectrum will fall from 45 percent to 42 percent as a result of Ofcom's block.
The good news for BT and EE is that there won't be any limits placed on the 3.4 GHz band. That's because this part of the spectrum can't immediately be deployed and is earmarked for the development of 5G services. The idea is to let operators acquire spectrum early so they can begin advancing and testing the next standard in mobile networking.
In a statement, EE said that the block is unwarranted: "While we don't agree that competition measures should be introduced for this auction, we will now examine Ofcom's detailed proposal carefully and respond to the consultation. We are unique in our ambition to expand 4G coverage to 95% of the UK's landmass by 2020, further than any other UK network has done, and will continue to use our spectrum and network to ensure UK consumers benefit from being at mobile technology's leading edge."
Although Ofcom first announced plans for the auction in November 2014, the process has been beset by delays. The original plan was to sell off the bands in late 2015, early 2016 but when Three owner Hutchison Whampoa tried (but ultimately failed) to buy O2, the auction was delayed again.
Three, which has pushed for spectrum caps for all providers in the past, had this to say:
"Ofcom exists to promote competition and protect consumers but it has once again shown it is not willing to make the big decisions needed to deliver the best outcome for the UK. It has allowed BT and Vodafone to stockpile valuable mobile airwaves and put genuine choice for consumers at risk. It made empty promises to the European Commission that it would tackle this issue but it doesn't have the courage to do so.
"The mobile industry is failing customers and Ofcom has showed it has no interest in addressing that. A 30% cap on total spectrum ownership and a spectrum reservation for smaller operators are the only measures that will preserve competition for the benefit of UK mobile consumers."
When the 2.3 GHz allocation is made available, more carriers will be able to offer speeds of up to 450 Mbps. Newer iPhones and Samsung devices already cater for Cat 9 bands, but device makers are already beginning to include support for faster 4G in new devices as standard.


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As a long time user of Sibelius, I was dismayed at Avid’s firing of the design team in August of last year. Since then, the team was hired by Steinberg to create a brand-new notation editor.
Product Marketing Manager Daniel Spreadbury has a blog detailing the development. He recently posted an early version of a new notation font, Bravura, and it looks great. Even more promising is that it’s licensed under a SIL Open Font License.