Revenues rise past $2bn after 45pc jump in people viewing Facebook via mobile phones but shares fall as it admits younger teens use site less
"Our best analysis on youth engagement in the US reveals that usage of Facebook among US teens overall was stable from Q2 to Q3, but we did see a decrease in daily users, specifically among younger teens."
Around 874m people a month now use Facebook via mobile phones, up 45% in a year.
Revenue from advertising was $1.8bn, a 66% increase from the same quarter last year. Mobile advertising revenue accounted for approximately 49% of advertising revenue for the quarter.
Facebook has, however, delayed the roll-out of video advertising, and of advertising on its Instagram photosharing platform, which Mr Zuckerberg bought for $1bn.
Investors expect video to play an increasingly important part in the future advertising revenue of the site, but have largely welcomed the cautious approach to any roll-out.
The results meant the site’s share of the global advertising market has surged to an unprecedented high and it now accounts for more than 5% of this market online and around 25% on mobile devices.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The pictures may be small, but YouTube’s stars are getting bigger
http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/content/arts/anonymous/youtube-television
Reports of the death of traditional television may be greatly exaggerated—it still pulls off the event moments, like "Downton Abbey", the "X Factor" final or the Superbowl—but some of its signs are looking less than vital. As far back as 2001, the UCLA Centre for Communication Policy found that internet users were watching 4.5 hours less television per week than their off-line counterparts. In June, the BBC admitted that more than 428,000 British households had claimed exemption from the licence fee in the preceding year, as they no longer used television sets to watch live broadcasts. That figure represents only about 2% of the British audience, but it still amounts to a loss of more than £62m in revenue (and it’s slowly rising: up almost 2,500 from the previous year). Meanwhile Nielsen records that American 18- to 24-year-olds watch television for three hours less every week than they did in 2012—the so-called "Lost Boys" of the traditional audience, the ones who instead spend their screen time adrift in World of Warcraft, or downloading sci-fi shorts from Machinima.
Reports of the death of traditional television may be greatly exaggerated—it still pulls off the event moments, like "Downton Abbey", the "X Factor" final or the Superbowl—but some of its signs are looking less than vital. As far back as 2001, the UCLA Centre for Communication Policy found that internet users were watching 4.5 hours less television per week than their off-line counterparts. In June, the BBC admitted that more than 428,000 British households had claimed exemption from the licence fee in the preceding year, as they no longer used television sets to watch live broadcasts. That figure represents only about 2% of the British audience, but it still amounts to a loss of more than £62m in revenue (and it’s slowly rising: up almost 2,500 from the previous year). Meanwhile Nielsen records that American 18- to 24-year-olds watch television for three hours less every week than they did in 2012—the so-called "Lost Boys" of the traditional audience, the ones who instead spend their screen time adrift in World of Warcraft, or downloading sci-fi shorts from Machinima.
How open-data compares against other national metrics
The open society and its enemies
Yet comparing the index against GDP, corruption perceptions (from Transparency International’s annual ranking) and the UN Human Development Index uncovers surprising findings. The clusters and outliers suggest that for middle-income countries there is a link with open-data practices, but not among the richest countries. Likewise, some of the least corrupt countries are nevertheless middling in making their data open. Together, the charts suggest there is still a long way to go to get states to release their data openly.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Hollywood struggles to halt an exodus of film-makers
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/26/hollywood-struggles-to-halt-film-exodus
The exodus has been given a name: runaway production. Adrian McDonald, a research analyst at FilmLA, a non-profit organisation that arranges filming permits, called the flight "staggering". Of the 50 top-grossing movies this year, just four were filmed in California. In 1996, 20 of the top 50 were. On-location movie production in LA has plummeted 60% in 15 years. Not even Battle Los Angeles, an alien invasion romp, was filmed here.
The exodus has been given a name: runaway production. Adrian McDonald, a research analyst at FilmLA, a non-profit organisation that arranges filming permits, called the flight "staggering". Of the 50 top-grossing movies this year, just four were filmed in California. In 1996, 20 of the top 50 were. On-location movie production in LA has plummeted 60% in 15 years. Not even Battle Los Angeles, an alien invasion romp, was filmed here.
Recent releases confirm the trend. Iron Man 3, shot in North Carolina; The Lone Ranger, New Mexico; The Great Gatsby, Australia; Gravity, England. England will also host Disney's reboot of the Star Wars franchise. Vancouver and Hawaii hosted Warner Bros/Legendary's coming Godzilla blockbuster.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
John Sculley: Apple, Misfit Shine and the future of technology
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10405648/John-Sculley-Apple-Misfit-Shine-and-the-future-of-technology.html
Sculley says that Apple’s greatest problem will therefore be maintaining its customary high profit margins, and points to the prospect of the company moving in to payments or TV services. "I would expect Apple will find a role in TV services, but it’s much tougher than music because the negotiations are more complicated. One of the things Steve Jobs was spectacular at was this genius ability to connect the dots and see what ought to go together with what, and he was also a superb negotiator."
Sculley says that Apple’s greatest problem will therefore be maintaining its customary high profit margins, and points to the prospect of the company moving in to payments or TV services. "I would expect Apple will find a role in TV services, but it’s much tougher than music because the negotiations are more complicated. One of the things Steve Jobs was spectacular at was this genius ability to connect the dots and see what ought to go together with what, and he was also a superb negotiator."
"If I were Apple I would really be thinking about all the advances Google is making with what goes on in the cloud and the big data analytics. Apple’s real competitor is not Samsung – it’s Google and probably Amazon. So who’s the next Steve Jobs? It’s probably [Amazon founder] Jeff Bezos. He’s smart, he makes every important decision himself. The devices you do commerce with will not be nearly as important as the services. Amazon is out to commoditise the stuff Apple does."
Friday, October 25, 2013
A suitably industrious account of how Jeff Bezos and Amazon swept all before them
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/277390ec-3b13-11e3-a7ec-00144feab7de.html#axzz2ifxrkCuZ
Bezos was building a company that broke the rules of retailing – for example, by allowing hostile reviews of products that it sold. He was thinking and pushing his way into a world that he had envisaged in theory but had to forge in reality.
Bezos was building a company that broke the rules of retailing – for example, by allowing hostile reviews of products that it sold. He was thinking and pushing his way into a world that he had envisaged in theory but had to forge in reality.
“Jeff does a couple of things better than anyone I’ve ever worked for,” one executive told Stone. “He embraces the truth. A lot of people talk about the truth, but they don’t engage their decision-making around [it] ... The second thing is that he is not tethered by conventional thinking ... he is bound only by the laws of physics. He can’t change those. Everything else, he views as open to discussion.”
My Autobiography, by Alex Ferguson - Review by Simon Kuper
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/8c068480-3ca1-11e3-86ef-00144feab7de.html#axzz2ifxrkCuZ
Perhaps managerial greatness always arises from an unrepeatable combination of person, place, moment and luck, and therefore cannot be taught by a book. Other managers can’t simply decide to be like Ferguson. Despite that lecture about control, Blair lacked the power to discard Brown as Ferguson had Beckham. If it were possible to copy Ferguson’s management secrets, everyone would have done so long ago.
Perhaps managerial greatness always arises from an unrepeatable combination of person, place, moment and luck, and therefore cannot be taught by a book. Other managers can’t simply decide to be like Ferguson. Despite that lecture about control, Blair lacked the power to discard Brown as Ferguson had Beckham. If it were possible to copy Ferguson’s management secrets, everyone would have done so long ago.
Twitter's IPO
No longer priceless
Investors will also want a clearer picture of how profitable Twitter is likely to be in the future. Unlike Facebook, which was making money when it went public, Twitter is still bleeding red ink. It lost $134m in the first nine months of this year, compared with a loss of $71m in the same period of 2012. The six year-old firm says it is still in expansion mode and that as it matures it expects to start pumping out profits. But much will depend on how successful it is at developing new ad formats that allow it to capture more of the $118 billion spent each year on digital advertising around the world.
Investors will also want a clearer picture of how profitable Twitter is likely to be in the future. Unlike Facebook, which was making money when it went public, Twitter is still bleeding red ink. It lost $134m in the first nine months of this year, compared with a loss of $71m in the same period of 2012. The six year-old firm says it is still in expansion mode and that as it matures it expects to start pumping out profits. But much will depend on how successful it is at developing new ad formats that allow it to capture more of the $118 billion spent each year on digital advertising around the world.
Xbox One: Steven Gerrard stars in ad for new games console
Microsoft also recruits Star Trek's Zachary Quinto for multimillion-dollar marketing battle against Sony's PS4 launch
Microsoft declined to comment on the cost of its Xbox One campaign, the largest ever undertaken for its flagship games console brand. However, the cost of such a global marketing blitz including TV advertising is likely to be at least $100m, according to industry sources who have worked on such campaigns.
Piers Harding-Rolls, director, head of games, at analysts IHS, said that the launch is critical in Microsoft's battle against rivals such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation franchise.
"Xbox One is enormously important to Microsoft and represents the company's core strategy for engaging the consumer in the living room," he said. "Microsoft aims to spread its gaming and entertainment wings on to new Windows platforms and third-party devices to maintain direct engagement with consumers across multiple screens."
Microsoft declined to comment on the cost of its Xbox One campaign, the largest ever undertaken for its flagship games console brand. However, the cost of such a global marketing blitz including TV advertising is likely to be at least $100m, according to industry sources who have worked on such campaigns.
Piers Harding-Rolls, director, head of games, at analysts IHS, said that the launch is critical in Microsoft's battle against rivals such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation franchise.
"Xbox One is enormously important to Microsoft and represents the company's core strategy for engaging the consumer in the living room," he said. "Microsoft aims to spread its gaming and entertainment wings on to new Windows platforms and third-party devices to maintain direct engagement with consumers across multiple screens."
Viral Video Chart: Anchorman 2 trailer, Superman and the Simpsons
Will Ferrell is back as Ron Burgundy, we celebrate two cartoon legends – and Washington's baby giant panda has her first jab
1. Anchorman 2: The legend continues - Official Trailer - United Kingdom
Headline comedy
2. Baby pandas thriving in DC, Atlanta
Cute and cuddly
3. The Tea Song - by Yorkshire Tea
Brew ha-ha
4. 10 Amazing Facts About The Simpsons
Ay Carumba!
5. Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short
Clocking Clark Kent
6. Ohio State Marching Band "Michael Jackson Tribute" - Halftime vs. Iowa: 10-19-13
They're so good they're Bad
8. Super funny to watch everyone! 2013 Cat
Cat versus windscreen wiper
9. Baby LED light suit halloween costume preview
A small scare
10. The worst two ball innings of all time
Stumped!
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 24 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
1. Anchorman 2: The legend continues - Official Trailer - United Kingdom
Headline comedy
2. Baby pandas thriving in DC, Atlanta
Cute and cuddly
3. The Tea Song - by Yorkshire Tea
Brew ha-ha
4. 10 Amazing Facts About The Simpsons
Ay Carumba!
5. Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short
Clocking Clark Kent
6. Ohio State Marching Band "Michael Jackson Tribute" - Halftime vs. Iowa: 10-19-13
They're so good they're Bad
7. GoPro: Backflip Over 72ft Canyon - Kelly McGarry Red Bull Rampage 2013
Tyreless bravery
Tyreless bravery
Cat versus windscreen wiper
9. Baby LED light suit halloween costume preview
A small scare
10. The worst two ball innings of all time
Stumped!
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 24 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The market for tablets has already split into two
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21588377-market-tablets-has-already-split-two-overdose
Just as remarkable as the iPad’s success, however, is the proliferation of cheaper imitators. A mere three-and-a-half years after the first iPad was sold, the market for tablets already has a premium and a budget end, like that for cars. The cheap models, most of which have seven- or eight-inch screens against the standard iPad’s ten, use Google’s Android operating system (which is free) and are sold for as little as $100 or less. The least expensive iPad Air and the Lumia 2520 will be sold for $499 and Microsoft’s Surface 2 for $449.
Just as remarkable as the iPad’s success, however, is the proliferation of cheaper imitators. A mere three-and-a-half years after the first iPad was sold, the market for tablets already has a premium and a budget end, like that for cars. The cheap models, most of which have seven- or eight-inch screens against the standard iPad’s ten, use Google’s Android operating system (which is free) and are sold for as little as $100 or less. The least expensive iPad Air and the Lumia 2520 will be sold for $499 and Microsoft’s Surface 2 for $449.
Ben Wood of CCS Insight, another research firm, reckons that North America already has two tablets for every five people. Cheap devices, he thinks, are often bought for children who covet a parent’s iPad. The two-car family took decades to arrive. The two-tablet family has taken three years.
Google breaks promise and experiments with banner ads
A "limted test in the US" is showing large picture adverts above search results
“There will be no banner ads on the Google homepage or web search results pages. There will not be crazy, flashy, graphical doodads flying and popping up all over the Google site. Ever.”
“There will be no banner ads on the Google homepage or web search results pages. There will not be crazy, flashy, graphical doodads flying and popping up all over the Google site. Ever.”
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
10 reasons why today's TV is better than movies
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/oct/23/10-reasons-tv-better-movies
Forget what you've read about cinema's dominance over the small screen. Television has plenty to teach the movies about characterisation, storytelling and breaking new talent
1. Longform storytelling
2. TV is (currently) less franchise-fixated
3. TV still has the power to surprise
4. Word of mouth
5. Actors do their best work on TV
6. The British excel at TV
7. British actors have ruled US TV for years
8. The bond with characters
9. The biggest film stars of tomorrow are on TV now
10. TV made Netflix successful
Forget what you've read about cinema's dominance over the small screen. Television has plenty to teach the movies about characterisation, storytelling and breaking new talent
1. Longform storytelling
2. TV is (currently) less franchise-fixated
3. TV still has the power to surprise
4. Word of mouth
5. Actors do their best work on TV
6. The British excel at TV
7. British actors have ruled US TV for years
8. The bond with characters
9. The biggest film stars of tomorrow are on TV now
10. TV made Netflix successful
Airline customer service - Mr O’Leary takes to Twitter
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/10/airline-customer-service
“We don't pander to all the twats on Twitter, or the crap on Facebook. If you want to be a friend of somebody, go buy a dog. We're not interested in being your friend. We want your money and we want your bum on our seat, and frankly that's about it … We don't have a Facebook site. We don't have a Twitter site. We don't feel the need to have them, because we're not trying to communicate with our passengers, other than getting them to book on our website, and come back and check-in on our website.”
“When you look at complaints about unfriendly staff; Gestapo at the boarding gates; being charged for excess bags; being charged to re-print your boarding card: none of it stops us growing month-on-month,” Mr O’Leary noted. “People keep coming back.”
'You are more likely to summit Mount Everest than click on a banner ad'
http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/oct/23/buzzfeed-jonathan-perelman-ad-banner
"You're more likely to summit Mount Everest than click on a banner ad," he told a room full of delegates at Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi. Moments earlier he had posed a question to the room: "Has anybody been on the internet in the past 24 hours?" Naturally, every hand in the room shot up, before Perelman followed up with another question: "Can you remember the last banner ad you saw?"
No hands went up.
"Nobody comes to Buzzfeed to look at the ads, but they'll come for the content," said Peretti. "When the advertising is content – good content they're willing to click on and engage with, and share if it's good – that's the future for publishers."
But what about distributing that content? "Content is king, but distribution is queen, and she wears the pants," Perelman said in another pithy one-liner. "You have to create good content – you start with that as a base… but you have to understand how it's going to travel and spread in the social world."
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
10 reasons today's movies trump TV
http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/oct/21/10-reasons-cinema-better-than-television
Over the last year or two, newspaper columnists, festival speechmakers and bus-stop sages have concurred in a damning judgment. To the point of tedium and beyond, they've insisted that television has displaced filmas the home of involving drama and grownup comedy. Nowadays, supposedly, it's the small screen that provides convincing characters, credible plots and incisive wit; the senior medium offers only crude stories, infantile rudery and mindless spectacle. What's more, cinema's failings reflect not mere passing weakness but intrinsic deficiencies that will leave it forever eclipsed by its impudent offspring.
Over the last year or two, newspaper columnists, festival speechmakers and bus-stop sages have concurred in a damning judgment. To the point of tedium and beyond, they've insisted that television has displaced filmas the home of involving drama and grownup comedy. Nowadays, supposedly, it's the small screen that provides convincing characters, credible plots and incisive wit; the senior medium offers only crude stories, infantile rudery and mindless spectacle. What's more, cinema's failings reflect not mere passing weakness but intrinsic deficiencies that will leave it forever eclipsed by its impudent offspring.
Now, things look a little different. Breaking Bad has at last departed, with no comparable successor in sight. The Wire, Mad Men, The Sopranos and The Office are fading into memory. In their place, the small screen has been trying to tempt us with the likes of plodding Downton Abbey, dreary Homeland, ludicrous Atlantis, melodramatic Peaky Blinders and not much in the way of piquant comedy. Meanwhile, cinema has suddenly been shaping up.
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Ominous Return of Putin's Media Enforcer
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/vladimir-kara-murza/ominous-return-putins-media-enforcer
The recent return of Vladimir Putin’s longtime éminence grise, Vladislav Surkov, to the Kremlin was widely discussed in the media. Much less noticed was the appointment of Mikhail Lesin, Putin’s former information minister, as the new head of Gazprom-Media, Russia’s largest—and de facto state-run—media group, which incorporates several broadcast, print, and online outlets. Lesin’s return to a senior position is no less symbolic than that of Surkov—and says a lot about the Kremlin’s plans for Russia’s few remaining uncensored media.
The recent return of Vladimir Putin’s longtime éminence grise, Vladislav Surkov, to the Kremlin was widely discussed in the media. Much less noticed was the appointment of Mikhail Lesin, Putin’s former information minister, as the new head of Gazprom-Media, Russia’s largest—and de facto state-run—media group, which incorporates several broadcast, print, and online outlets. Lesin’s return to a senior position is no less symbolic than that of Surkov—and says a lot about the Kremlin’s plans for Russia’s few remaining uncensored media.
Popular Demand - US Media in Numbers
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/21/business/media/21mostwanted.html?ref=media
Moviegoers spent almost $8 billion at the box office through Sunday, and that’s just on films that opened in 2013.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex
Is Japan providing a glimpse of all our futures? Many of the shifts there are occurring in other advanced nations, too. Across urban Asia, Europe and America, people are marrying later or not at all, birth rates are falling, single-occupant households are on the rise and, in countries where economic recession is worst, young people are living at home. But demographer Nicholas Eberstadt argues that a distinctive set of factors is accelerating these trends in Japan. These factors include the lack of a religious authority that ordains marriage and family, the country's precarious earthquake-prone ecology that engenders feelings of futility, and the high cost of living and raising children.
Japanese-American author Roland Kelts, who writes about Japan's youth, says it's inevitable that the future of Japanese relationships will be largely technology driven. "Japan has developed incredibly sophisticated virtual worlds and online communication systems. Its smart phone apps are the world's most imaginative." Kelts says the need to escape into private, virtual worlds in Japan stems from the fact that it's an overcrowded nation with limited physical space. But he also believes the rest of the world is not far behind.
Jonah Peretti: And at number one on Buzzfeed's list is...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jonah-peretti-and-at-number-one-on-buzzfeeds-list-is-8891785.html
Buzzfeed's "thing" is lists. Lots and lots of lists. "We're obsessed by them," Peretti confesses, smiling. "If we take the same point and make it not a list, people don't like it as much."
Buzzfeed's "thing" is lists. Lots and lots of lists. "We're obsessed by them," Peretti confesses, smiling. "If we take the same point and make it not a list, people don't like it as much."
Not that lists are anything new: witness the Ten Commandments (or, as The New Yorker would have it, "10 Judeo-Christian Moral Injunctions You Need in Your Life Right Now"). But Buzzfeed has taken list-writing to the next level, turning the genre into an art form. But be warned: they're addictive, which explains the hours I lost sidetracked while, ahem, researching Peretti.
Crucially, lists are easy to read on your phone, or "MO-bil" in Peretti-speak. And mobiles account for 50 per cent of Buzzfeed's traffic, which, as he told a packed conference room just before we met, means "content can't spread if it's not viewable on mobile". And "content spreading" is what Buzzfeed is all about: a whopping three-quarters of people clicking on one of its stories did so because one of their virtual friends shared a link on a social network. This has all sorts of implications for the future of media, which Peretti, a quintessential nerd genius, has been quick to exploit.
And a list of buzzfeed lists...
* The 29 Stages of a Twitterstorm
* 13 Simple Steps to Get You Through a Rough Day
* 12 Reasons to Consider a Robot for Your Next Life Partner
* The 30 Most Important Cats of 2012
* The 21 Absolute Worst Things in the World
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Lunch with the FT: Greg Dyke
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/8b8dcf44-3293-11e3-91d2-00144feab7de.html#axzz2i9O6AMoa
Dyke went on to become a sensation in TV. In a stint as editor-in-chief at the struggling TV-am, he boosted ratings thanks to a hand puppet named Roland Rat. He acquired a reputation for dumbing down but ended up, in 1991, as LWT’s chief executive.
Dyke went on to become a sensation in TV. In a stint as editor-in-chief at the struggling TV-am, he boosted ratings thanks to a hand puppet named Roland Rat. He acquired a reputation for dumbing down but ended up, in 1991, as LWT’s chief executive.
Before Dyke, few TV executives had shown much interest in screening English football. At ITV Sport in the 1980s, he offered some club chairmen £12m a year for TV rights to the entire Football League. “These chairmen had eyes bulging, they couldn’t believe it,” he recalls fondly. Brian Clough, then Nottingham Forest manager, told him: “I wanna shake your hand, Mr Dyke, because you’re the first person that’s given football what it’s due: 12m quid.” Today the Premier League of 20 clubs gets about £1.6bn a year from TV.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Guinness World Records
The roar of the crowd
Guinness World Records has sold more than 130m copies of its books in 100 countries since 1955, and around 750m people watch its branded television shows across the globe. Businesses have cottoned on to how lucrative breaking a record can be, and the promotional dividends that come with it.
For example, Vim, a washing liquid made by Unilever, set up a world record for the longest line of washing by scrubbing 17,000 dishes with a single bottle of the soap and linking the event to a TV advertising campaign. De’Longhi, best known for its coffee-making machines, created the world’s largest cup of coffee, a caffeine overload holding 13,200 litres of steaming Joe (the cup was exhibited at London’s Canary Wharf Tube station). In South Africa, an event by Virgin Mobile at the opening of a new store broke the world record for the most people to fit into a Mini Cooper (a very snug 25).
Guinness World Records receives 50,000 applications and inquiries a year. In 2012, 92% of those came from a business or other commercial entity. Alistair Richards, its president, says it is easier for a business to get the money and round up the people to beat a record than it is for an individual. Businesses have the added motivation of hoping a media fuss about the record will rake in more money.
Guinness World Records has sold more than 130m copies of its books in 100 countries since 1955, and around 750m people watch its branded television shows across the globe. Businesses have cottoned on to how lucrative breaking a record can be, and the promotional dividends that come with it.
For example, Vim, a washing liquid made by Unilever, set up a world record for the longest line of washing by scrubbing 17,000 dishes with a single bottle of the soap and linking the event to a TV advertising campaign. De’Longhi, best known for its coffee-making machines, created the world’s largest cup of coffee, a caffeine overload holding 13,200 litres of steaming Joe (the cup was exhibited at London’s Canary Wharf Tube station). In South Africa, an event by Virgin Mobile at the opening of a new store broke the world record for the most people to fit into a Mini Cooper (a very snug 25).
Guinness World Records receives 50,000 applications and inquiries a year. In 2012, 92% of those came from a business or other commercial entity. Alistair Richards, its president, says it is easier for a business to get the money and round up the people to beat a record than it is for an individual. Businesses have the added motivation of hoping a media fuss about the record will rake in more money.
Technology and luxury goods - Catwalk credentials
Why Burberry’s boss is a perfect fit for Apple
A bigger job will be to ready Apple for the coming fusion of fashion and technology. The most talked-about new devices are wearable. Google’s Glass smuggles a smartphone into a pair of spectacles. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear squeezes some smartphone functions into a wristwatch. Apple is also keen to surf the wearable wave. An iWatch, which Apple may launch next year, would pull it towards Ms Ahrendts’s home turf, since it would compete with fashionable timepieces like Burberry’s.
Apple has long been something of a fashion house. Its product launches are choreographed like catwalk shows. But its glamour has faded since the death of Steve Jobs, its founder, in 2011. His successor, Tim Cook, is striving to regain it. He recently hired Paul Deneve, the boss of Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion house. Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s design guru, now oversees the look of software as well as hardware. Ms Ahrendts brings another eye for beauty, and a knack for seducing consumers.
A bigger job will be to ready Apple for the coming fusion of fashion and technology. The most talked-about new devices are wearable. Google’s Glass smuggles a smartphone into a pair of spectacles. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear squeezes some smartphone functions into a wristwatch. Apple is also keen to surf the wearable wave. An iWatch, which Apple may launch next year, would pull it towards Ms Ahrendts’s home turf, since it would compete with fashionable timepieces like Burberry’s.
Apple has long been something of a fashion house. Its product launches are choreographed like catwalk shows. But its glamour has faded since the death of Steve Jobs, its founder, in 2011. His successor, Tim Cook, is striving to regain it. He recently hired Paul Deneve, the boss of Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion house. Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s design guru, now oversees the look of software as well as hardware. Ms Ahrendts brings another eye for beauty, and a knack for seducing consumers.
Viral Video Chart: Game of Thrones, Banksy in New York and Chinese food
Watch Tyrion Lannister, Ned Stark and more in a dumbass comedy trailer, plus street art stunts and the new Rebecca Black
1. Alison Gold – Chinese Food (Official Music Video)
Panda pander
2. "Medieval land fun-time world" — A Bad Lip Reading of Game of Thrones
Joust a laugh
3. Cats Stealing Dog Beds Compilation
Cat-napped
4. Art Sale Banksy
who?
5. Sirens of the lambs
Art-iculated lorry
6. The GOP's little rule change they hoped you wouldn't notice
Senate shenanigans
8. Hell No: The Sensible Horror Film
The no fear factor
9. That Awkward Moment - Red Band Trailer (2014) Zac Efron, Miles Teller - Official Movie HD
Dating game
10. Gold Digger Prank!
Driven off
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 17 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
1. Alison Gold – Chinese Food (Official Music Video)
Panda pander
2. "Medieval land fun-time world" — A Bad Lip Reading of Game of Thrones
Joust a laugh
3. Cats Stealing Dog Beds Compilation
Cat-napped
4. Art Sale Banksy
who?
5. Sirens of the lambs
Art-iculated lorry
6. The GOP's little rule change they hoped you wouldn't notice
Senate shenanigans
7. Zombie pizza prank
Topping fun
Topping fun
The no fear factor
9. That Awkward Moment - Red Band Trailer (2014) Zac Efron, Miles Teller - Official Movie HD
Dating game
10. Gold Digger Prank!
Driven off
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 17 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Argos and Tesco have released own-brand tablets but are they simply gathering customer data?
Analysts say the retailers' move into a new market is a significant development in data-driven business and will enable the chains to add significantly to their giant data pools with the behaviour and insights of millions of customers
Matthew Rubin, a retail analyst at Verdict, says: "What the Hudl really gives Tesco is not just what people are buying but how they are buying it. It has the potential to give them locational data and the time spent browsing.
"The Tesco apps are intertwined with the device and it may give them more information than just your credit card details. The long-term potential is great – it's following the footsteps of Amazon who have been so successful on the back of customer data and insights."
Matthew Rubin, a retail analyst at Verdict, says: "What the Hudl really gives Tesco is not just what people are buying but how they are buying it. It has the potential to give them locational data and the time spent browsing.
"The Tesco apps are intertwined with the device and it may give them more information than just your credit card details. The long-term potential is great – it's following the footsteps of Amazon who have been so successful on the back of customer data and insights."
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Future of travel - The automated passenger
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/10/future-travel
The report points out that Millennials are more inclined to worry about the availability of WiFi, to write and use travel reviews online, and to use their smartphones to book travel. There is no groundbreaking insight here, but that can be often the way with futurological write-ups that extrapolate from what younger people are doing now. What is more interesting, perhaps, is the suggestion that Millennials are more comfortable with blurred boundaries. This makes them readier to mix leisure and business than older travellers. A generation that checks e-mails last thing at night and first thing in the morning is already used to interweaving work and play. For them it is logical to combine a business trip with sightseeing.
The report points out that Millennials are more inclined to worry about the availability of WiFi, to write and use travel reviews online, and to use their smartphones to book travel. There is no groundbreaking insight here, but that can be often the way with futurological write-ups that extrapolate from what younger people are doing now. What is more interesting, perhaps, is the suggestion that Millennials are more comfortable with blurred boundaries. This makes them readier to mix leisure and business than older travellers. A generation that checks e-mails last thing at night and first thing in the morning is already used to interweaving work and play. For them it is logical to combine a business trip with sightseeing.
Automation should make the whole airport experience rather more agreeable, too. In Expedia's vision, “passengers glide, with their e-passports and smart visas, through terminals uninterrupted by checkpoints and not held up by queues; the journey monitored by sensors that ‘talk’ to their requisite personal device. At certain touch-points, like immigration and security, they might encounter automated kiosks for biometric identification that use face, fingerprint, iris or voice ID.”
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Fukuppy, Fukushima Industries new mascot, is branding disaster
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/fukuppy-fukushima-industries-new-mascot-is-branding-disaster-8881883.html
The refrigerator company has now removed Fukuppy’s Western name from the release. The correct pronunciation of the egg's name is actually Foo koo pee.
Is this the future of 3D cinema?
With cinema-goers clearly willing to pay extra, Kaleem Aftab reports on a new technology with a difference
In the two weeks since it launched, Gravity, the sci-fi spectacular starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has made $191m (£119m) at the box office.
Indeed, before Gravity’s eye-popping numbers were revealed, many critics had been talking about the death of 3D. For Ryan Gilbey of the New Statesman, the technology has a fundamental problem it can never overcome – the need to wear glasses. “3D puts a barrier between us and the screen. You need to be immersed in a film to truly enjoy it and all of a sudden you have equipment that prevents that,” he said.
But a rival technology has emerged that could change all that. The X, the first film to use Screen X technology, was unveiled last week at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. Screen X presents viewers with a 270-degree field of vision that creates an immersive experience without the need to wear 3D glasses. It even solves the widescreen problem that has hindered the format since 3D first appeared in 1915.
In the two weeks since it launched, Gravity, the sci-fi spectacular starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has made $191m (£119m) at the box office.
But it’s not just the size of the receipts that has surprised movie experts – it’s the fact that 80 per cent of the audience are prepared to pay a premium of between $3 and $5 to watch the film in 3D. To put that in context, it is a higher proportion than for Life of Pi or even Avatar, the film that broke all box office records in 2009 and was supposed to herald the coming of 3D as a mass-market phenomenon.
Indeed, before Gravity’s eye-popping numbers were revealed, many critics had been talking about the death of 3D. For Ryan Gilbey of the New Statesman, the technology has a fundamental problem it can never overcome – the need to wear glasses. “3D puts a barrier between us and the screen. You need to be immersed in a film to truly enjoy it and all of a sudden you have equipment that prevents that,” he said.
But a rival technology has emerged that could change all that. The X, the first film to use Screen X technology, was unveiled last week at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. Screen X presents viewers with a 270-degree field of vision that creates an immersive experience without the need to wear 3D glasses. It even solves the widescreen problem that has hindered the format since 3D first appeared in 1915.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Neil Gaiman : the future of books, reading and libraries
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/14/neil-gaiman-children-books-reading-lecture
Gaiman said most of the publishing industry was trying to figure out what is going to happen in five or 10 years. "None of them know. All of the rules have changed … they are just making it up as they go along."
Gaiman said physical books were here to stay. He recalled a conversation with Douglas Adams more than 20 years ago in which Adams said a real book was like a shark. "Sharks are old, there were sharks in the ocean before the dinosaurs and the reason there are still sharks around is that sharks are better at being sharks than anything else is. Physical books are tough, hard to destroy, bath-resistant, solar operated, feel good in your hand – they are good at being books and there will always be a place for them.
Tom Standage on ancient social media
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/10/tom-standage-ancient-social-media
"Writing on the Wall", a new book by The Economist digital editor, illuminates the 2,000-year-old history of social media
Eating popcorn in the cinema makes people immune to advertising
Study by Cologne University concludes that chewing makes advertising ineffective
"This finding suggests that selling candy in movie theaters actually undermines advertising effects, which contradicts present marketing strategies. In the future, when promoting a novel brand, advertising clients might consider trying to prevent candy being sold before the main movie."
The reason why adverts manage to imprint brand names on our brains is that our lips and the tongue automatically simulate the pronunciation of a new name when we first hear it. Every time we re-encounter the name, our mouth subconsciously practices its pronunciation.
However, according to the study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, this "inner speech" can be disturbed by chewing, rendering the repetition effect redundant.
"This finding suggests that selling candy in movie theaters actually undermines advertising effects, which contradicts present marketing strategies. In the future, when promoting a novel brand, advertising clients might consider trying to prevent candy being sold before the main movie."
The reason why adverts manage to imprint brand names on our brains is that our lips and the tongue automatically simulate the pronunciation of a new name when we first hear it. Every time we re-encounter the name, our mouth subconsciously practices its pronunciation.
However, according to the study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, this "inner speech" can be disturbed by chewing, rendering the repetition effect redundant.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Is 2013 the Greatest Year for Movies Since the Gone with the Wind Era?
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/10/2013-best-year-at-movies
One recurring obligation for film critics is griping about the current state of cinema. Woe be to Hollywood, perpetually stuck between the rock of cynical blockbusterdom and the hard place of middle-brow Oscar bait! But I hereby break character to declare that 2013 might possibly be one of the greatest movie years ever. Yes, “might possibly be” are weasel words, but it’s only October. We could still fall off a movie cliff—Anchor Man 2 could be the most disappointing sequel sinceThe Two Jakes. Be that as it may, however, I will always treasure a year that has brought not one but two first-rate apocalyptic comedies, in This Is the End and The World’s End. And at some point in the last couple of weeks, it occurred to me: I’ve seen a lot of good-to-great movies this year. I hope you have too.
One recurring obligation for film critics is griping about the current state of cinema. Woe be to Hollywood, perpetually stuck between the rock of cynical blockbusterdom and the hard place of middle-brow Oscar bait! But I hereby break character to declare that 2013 might possibly be one of the greatest movie years ever. Yes, “might possibly be” are weasel words, but it’s only October. We could still fall off a movie cliff—Anchor Man 2 could be the most disappointing sequel sinceThe Two Jakes. Be that as it may, however, I will always treasure a year that has brought not one but two first-rate apocalyptic comedies, in This Is the End and The World’s End. And at some point in the last couple of weeks, it occurred to me: I’ve seen a lot of good-to-great movies this year. I hope you have too.
The Future of TV
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/oct/13/with-so-much-television-will-less-become-more
This month the TV industry has gathered on the French Riviera for the annual Mipcom conference, trying to work out where the industry should be heading.
TV TRENDS
New networks
DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg came up with the surprise of Mipcom, revealing that he had offered the makers of Breaking Bad $75m to make three more episodes. The twist: they would then be split into six-minute episodes released daily for a month, for 50 cents a clip. His offer was rebuffed, but Katzenberg thinks such minisodes' time will come.
Social TV
Facebook and Twitter are courting the TV industry, promising that social networks are the key to persuading people to tune in. Facebook is copying Twitter's hashtags and trending topics features and telling TV firms that they will help its users discover their shows, while Twitter is working with US firm Nielsen on charts showing the most buzzed-about programmes.
This month the TV industry has gathered on the French Riviera for the annual Mipcom conference, trying to work out where the industry should be heading.
TV TRENDS
New networks
Subscription service Netflix recently won an Emmy for House of Cards, its remake of the British political drama. This is the tip of the iceberg of "original content" being commissioned by tech companies such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. With big budgets and more creative control, they are genuine competition to broadcasters.
Binge viewing
Netflix makes every episode of its series available at the same time, so people can "binge-view" them as they might a DVD box set. At Mipcom, the talk was about how this is influencing the shows: longer, more complex story arcs and deeper exploration of individual characters, with clunking cliffhangers rendered obsolete.
MinisodesBinge viewing
Netflix makes every episode of its series available at the same time, so people can "binge-view" them as they might a DVD box set. At Mipcom, the talk was about how this is influencing the shows: longer, more complex story arcs and deeper exploration of individual characters, with clunking cliffhangers rendered obsolete.
DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg came up with the surprise of Mipcom, revealing that he had offered the makers of Breaking Bad $75m to make three more episodes. The twist: they would then be split into six-minute episodes released daily for a month, for 50 cents a clip. His offer was rebuffed, but Katzenberg thinks such minisodes' time will come.
YouTube stars
The TV industry is simultaneously excited about YouTube and nervous about the way it is creating stars and companies without a broadcasting history. Children's video network AwesomenessTV attracts 60 million viewers a month on YouTube, while 23-year-old Swedish gamer Felix Kjellberg's PewDiePie is the world's biggest YouTube channel, with 14.3 million subscribers and 215 million views a month. He will be offered a traditional TV show soon, but does he need it?Social TV
Facebook and Twitter are courting the TV industry, promising that social networks are the key to persuading people to tune in. Facebook is copying Twitter's hashtags and trending topics features and telling TV firms that they will help its users discover their shows, while Twitter is working with US firm Nielsen on charts showing the most buzzed-about programmes.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Watching television - Cracking the screens
Media bosses hope mobile devices will help, rather than hurt, television
Old-fashioned TV companies see the opportunity too, and insist the second screen will not hurt their first, and primary, source of advertising revenue. Viewers who are multitasking with other devices tend to tune in for longer, because they are commenting on the shows online or interacting with extra content through the networks’ apps. A survey by Bravo, an American network owned by Comcast, found that viewers using mobile phones were also more likely to sit through adverts. TV executives predict it will become more common to sync TV and mobile ads, so marketing messages are reinforced across the two screens. On October 7th, Nielsen, a firm whose ratings determine how much TV networks get paid for ads, launched a new product that analyses how many people comment about shows on Twitter.
But with more screens, advertising may become confusing. Firms will start to advertise on mobiles while viewers watch a TV ad for a rival product, predicts Charles Muirhead of Rightster, an online-video platform. And media firms must be careful not to besiege viewers with too many ads and novel features. “There’s a fine line between providing consumers with information they want and annoying them,” says Alan Wurtzel, president of research at NBCUniversal, a media firm.
Old-fashioned TV companies see the opportunity too, and insist the second screen will not hurt their first, and primary, source of advertising revenue. Viewers who are multitasking with other devices tend to tune in for longer, because they are commenting on the shows online or interacting with extra content through the networks’ apps. A survey by Bravo, an American network owned by Comcast, found that viewers using mobile phones were also more likely to sit through adverts. TV executives predict it will become more common to sync TV and mobile ads, so marketing messages are reinforced across the two screens. On October 7th, Nielsen, a firm whose ratings determine how much TV networks get paid for ads, launched a new product that analyses how many people comment about shows on Twitter.
But with more screens, advertising may become confusing. Firms will start to advertise on mobiles while viewers watch a TV ad for a rival product, predicts Charles Muirhead of Rightster, an online-video platform. And media firms must be careful not to besiege viewers with too many ads and novel features. “There’s a fine line between providing consumers with information they want and annoying them,” says Alan Wurtzel, president of research at NBCUniversal, a media firm.
Viral Video Chart: Miley Cyrus and Ron Burgundy's dancers on the run
Ron runs into trouble, Carrie horror movie makes a mocha of drinkers and football fans strip a coach of his pride
1. Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise
Coffee to drink in – or Carrie out?
2. Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus & The Roots Sing "We Can't Stop" (A Cappella)
Miley gets back to her Roots
3. Camera Obscura 'Troublemaker'
Great 80s sci-fi parody
4. Levski New Coach Ivaylo Petev Gets Stripped Off Kicked Out By The Angry Fans First Press Conference
Sent off
5. Malala Yousafzai amazing answer on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Brave schoolgirl
6. James Arthur hits himself in face while trying to chat up reporter during interview
The Ex factor
7. Dodge Durango, Ron Burgundy, "Ballroom Dancers"
Taking the wrong step
8. Typewriter, computer
Old but still funny
9. Cut Hand Prank
The bleedin' obvious
10. Sesame Street: Mi Amiguita Rosita
Mexican roots celebrated
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 10 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
1. Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise
Coffee to drink in – or Carrie out?
2. Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus & The Roots Sing "We Can't Stop" (A Cappella)
Miley gets back to her Roots
3. Camera Obscura 'Troublemaker'
Great 80s sci-fi parody
4. Levski New Coach Ivaylo Petev Gets Stripped Off Kicked Out By The Angry Fans First Press Conference
Sent off
5. Malala Yousafzai amazing answer on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Brave schoolgirl
6. James Arthur hits himself in face while trying to chat up reporter during interview
The Ex factor
7. Dodge Durango, Ron Burgundy, "Ballroom Dancers"
Taking the wrong step
8. Typewriter, computer
Old but still funny
9. Cut Hand Prank
The bleedin' obvious
10. Sesame Street: Mi Amiguita Rosita
Mexican roots celebrated
Source: Viral Video Chart. Compiled from data gathered at 14:00 on 10 October 2013. The Viral Video Chart is currently based on a count of the embedded videos and links on approximately 2m blogs, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Amazing world of online retail giant Amazon
Fifteen years after its UK launch, the shopping site employs tens of thousands of people in areas where traditional industries have gone under. Simon Usborne takes a browse behind the scenes
Amazon stats
The UK site now offers more than 100m products in more than 30 categories.
The company has 6,000 permanent employees in the UK, and is now recruiting more than 15,000 agency workers for the Christmas rush.
Amazon UK’s delivery bill has exceeded £1bn in the past five years.
On 3 December 2012, Amazon.co.uk’s busiest day, a lorry left one of its warehouses on average once every two minutes and 10 seconds. The site received 3.5m orders in those 24 hours, or 41 every second. Two million products were delivered.
Workers, or “associates” can be required to walk up to 15 miles per day while picking products. They are entitled to a 30-minute lunch break during an eight-hour shift. Agency workers may be let go at any time.
£4.2bn Total UK sales last year
Turnover topped £320m
£2.4m Amount Amazon paid in corporation tax last year, out of a total tax bill of £3.2m
£2.5m Amount Amazon received in Government loans last year.
Amazon avoids paying tax on UK sales because it routes them through its European headquarters in Luxembourg, which has low taxes.
Amazon stats
The UK site now offers more than 100m products in more than 30 categories.
The company has 6,000 permanent employees in the UK, and is now recruiting more than 15,000 agency workers for the Christmas rush.
Amazon UK’s delivery bill has exceeded £1bn in the past five years.
On 3 December 2012, Amazon.co.uk’s busiest day, a lorry left one of its warehouses on average once every two minutes and 10 seconds. The site received 3.5m orders in those 24 hours, or 41 every second. Two million products were delivered.
Workers, or “associates” can be required to walk up to 15 miles per day while picking products. They are entitled to a 30-minute lunch break during an eight-hour shift. Agency workers may be let go at any time.
£4.2bn Total UK sales last year
Turnover topped £320m
£2.4m Amount Amazon paid in corporation tax last year, out of a total tax bill of £3.2m
£2.5m Amount Amazon received in Government loans last year.
Amazon avoids paying tax on UK sales because it routes them through its European headquarters in Luxembourg, which has low taxes.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Toys-to-life - Reaching for the Skylanders
http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/10/toys-life
In 2007 consoles held 90% of the video-games market in America, with the rest played predominately on PCs. That market has since fragmented. Marquee sequels still produce headlines upon release, but revenues overall are in freefall as fibre-optic broadband, social media and mobile apps create other ways for promoting, distributing and selling games. Angry Birds, conceived by Rovio in Finland, is the best known: basic in concept, a shallow learning curve, and as addictive to high-flying business executives as it is to toddlers. By 2012 half of game sales were coming from digital formats. And although big developers are on the mobile bandwagon, expensively produced high-end games are not their mainstay.
BuzzFeed president: 'We feel strongly that traditional media have given up on young people'
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/oct/09/buzzfeed-facebook-al-jazeera-social-news
"We feel strongly that traditional media have given up on young people, and have not made a commitment to tell stories that are interesting for people under 40 or 50 years old," said Steinberg.
"We feel strongly that traditional media have given up on young people, and have not made a commitment to tell stories that are interesting for people under 40 or 50 years old," said Steinberg.
BuzzFeed now has more than 100 full-time writers, with a growing proportion focusing on news and politics. Steinberg said that around 40% of the site's traffic comes from links shared on Facebook, and 70% from social sources in general.
"We're bringing more hard news on a relative basis than a lot of the traditional television networks do now," said Steinberg, although he also talked about BuzzFeed's partnership with one of those networks – CNN – on the CNN BuzzFeed YouTube channel.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Rise and shine: the daily routines of history's most creative minds
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/oct/05/daily-rituals-creative-minds-mason-currey
Benjamin Franklin spent his mornings naked. Patricia Highsmith ate only bacon and eggs. Marcel Proust breakfasted on opium and croissants. The path to greatness is paved with a thousand tiny rituals (and a fair bit of substance abuse) – but six key rules emerge
1. Be a morning person
2. Don't give up the day job
3. Take lots of walks
4. Stick to a schedule
5. Practise strategic substance abuse
6. Learn to work anywhere
Benjamin Franklin spent his mornings naked. Patricia Highsmith ate only bacon and eggs. Marcel Proust breakfasted on opium and croissants. The path to greatness is paved with a thousand tiny rituals (and a fair bit of substance abuse) – but six key rules emerge
1. Be a morning person
2. Don't give up the day job
3. Take lots of walks
4. Stick to a schedule
5. Practise strategic substance abuse
6. Learn to work anywhere
Monday, October 7, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Chess - A sporting chance
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21587245-professional-chess-has-chequered-history-fans-hope-revive-it-sporting-chance
Last year Andrew Paulson, an American businessman based in London, bought rights to stage the game’s most prestigious contests, including November’s duel. For $500,000 the World Chess Federation (FIDE) granted Mr Paulson media and marketing licences for a decade—and the chance to make chess a profitable enterprise.
Last year Andrew Paulson, an American businessman based in London, bought rights to stage the game’s most prestigious contests, including November’s duel. For $500,000 the World Chess Federation (FIDE) granted Mr Paulson media and marketing licences for a decade—and the chance to make chess a profitable enterprise.
Mr Paulson, who made a fortune in Russian internet ventures, says chess matches can make “heart-gripping, heart-pounding entertainment”. (He is standing for president of the English Chess Federation on October 12th.) He plans more competitions in big cities beyond Russia and eastern Europe, where many now take place. In March he launched ChessCasting, a web application that offers statistics and commentary on big events as well as discussion boards for amateur pundits. He talks of reporting competitors’ sweating, eye movement and heart rate.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
A new camera that calls its own shots - Jonathan Margolis
http://howtospendit.ft.com/cameras/36843-a-new-camera-that-calls-its-own-shots
A “life-logging” wearable device that uses sensors to photograph your entire day – without the touch of a button
A “life-logging” wearable device that uses sensors to photograph your entire day – without the touch of a button
England expects … quite wrongly - By Simon Kuper
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/8683a198-2bc4-11e3-a1b7-00144feab7de.html#axzz2gmfnUXKh
In fact, we should expect England to lose. Three factors predict much of a national team’s performance: size of population, length of football experience and wealth (rich countries generally do better at sport). England has a modest 53 million inhabitants; its national team has played no more matches in its history than most leading countries; and England isn’t exceptionally rich. Szymanski calculated that England should expect to be about the world’s 10th-best football country – and it usually is. Historically, in fact, England has marginally overachieved relative to its resources.
In fact, we should expect England to lose. Three factors predict much of a national team’s performance: size of population, length of football experience and wealth (rich countries generally do better at sport). England has a modest 53 million inhabitants; its national team has played no more matches in its history than most leading countries; and England isn’t exceptionally rich. Szymanski calculated that England should expect to be about the world’s 10th-best football country – and it usually is. Historically, in fact, England has marginally overachieved relative to its resources.
Alternatively, the English could steal foreign ideas. Probably because they live on an island, they don’t quite understand how to play football. English kids learn the wrong things. Youth academies here have enough money; more than, say, Spanish or Brazilian academies. But English youth coaching overvalues size and willpower, whereas what matters most is passing. As a youth coach at Barcelona told me, “If he’s small or if he’s tall, for us that is not important.” Spain became world champions by borrowing and updating Dutch “total football”. Germany and Belgium bucked recent declines by stealing best practices from around Europe. The English should try it, instead of fantasising about isolationism.
Friday, October 4, 2013
The News Business - Channel Change
What newspapers can learn from television
Television and newspapers seem to have little in common. The business of flickering screens is thriving while newspapers are shrinking.
Pay-TV companies lure and retain subscribers by adding features, such as free films and channels. Mr Darcey thinks newspapers should, too. Earlier this year News UK reportedly paid £30m ($48m) for three-year mobile and online rights to clips from English Premier League football matches. They sit behind the newspapers’ paywalls and are thus an incentive to subscribe. If this works, other newspapers may join the bidding for rights to sports and entertainment videos.
Television and newspapers seem to have little in common. The business of flickering screens is thriving while newspapers are shrinking.
Pay-TV companies lure and retain subscribers by adding features, such as free films and channels. Mr Darcey thinks newspapers should, too. Earlier this year News UK reportedly paid £30m ($48m) for three-year mobile and online rights to clips from English Premier League football matches. They sit behind the newspapers’ paywalls and are thus an incentive to subscribe. If this works, other newspapers may join the bidding for rights to sports and entertainment videos.
Viral Video Chart: woman quits with Kanye West dance, drive-thru prank
Watch a disgruntled journalist resign with an 'interpretive dance' and a great comic stunt in our rundown of the top online clips
1. Jaguar Attacks Crocodile (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)
Snappy moves
2. Box
Boxing clever
3. An Interpretive Dance For My Boss Set To Kanye West's Gone
At least it's not 'N Sync's Gone
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Official Main Trailer [HD]
Ringing it dry?
5. An Interpretive Dance From Next Media Animation Set To Kanye West's Gone
What's the point of a rooftop pool if your staff are unhappy?
6. Drive Thru Skeleton Driver Prank
'Would you like sauce with that sir?'
7. I Quit - the WAHM Version of Marina Shifrin's Quit-eo
Striking a chord with work-at-home mothers
8. Jay Foreman - Every Tube Station Song
What a memory!
9. Baby's first reaction to ice cream
Got it licked
10. Frisky fella! Baboon gropes TV reporter live on air
Reporter keeps her cool as guest goes ape
1. Jaguar Attacks Crocodile (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)
Snappy moves
2. Box
Boxing clever
3. An Interpretive Dance For My Boss Set To Kanye West's Gone
At least it's not 'N Sync's Gone
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Official Main Trailer [HD]
Ringing it dry?
5. An Interpretive Dance From Next Media Animation Set To Kanye West's Gone
What's the point of a rooftop pool if your staff are unhappy?
6. Drive Thru Skeleton Driver Prank
'Would you like sauce with that sir?'
7. I Quit - the WAHM Version of Marina Shifrin's Quit-eo
Striking a chord with work-at-home mothers
8. Jay Foreman - Every Tube Station Song
What a memory!
9. Baby's first reaction to ice cream
Got it licked
10. Frisky fella! Baboon gropes TV reporter live on air
Reporter keeps her cool as guest goes ape
Thursday, October 3, 2013
How technology is creating a revolution on TV - Video
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131003-new-tube-why-tv-gets-better
The days of waiting impatiently for an episode of our favourite TV shows is over. We expect to be able to enjoy them at our leisure – either bingeing on box sets or watching the episodes we’ve missed on catch-up TV.
The days of waiting impatiently for an episode of our favourite TV shows is over. We expect to be able to enjoy them at our leisure – either bingeing on box sets or watching the episodes we’ve missed on catch-up TV.
The ability to see them on tablets on the way to work or in marathon sessions on a Sunday afternoon may mean the end of the water cooler discussions about last night’s TV, but it may have helped create better TV, says Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.
He believes the flexibility makes TV series more attractive to top writers – which in turn attracts better directors and actors.
Future Demographics
The best places to spend one's golden years
By 2030 some 1.4 billion people will be aged 60 or over. Yet where ought one fritter away the years? Sweden, according to a new index by HelpAge International, a British charity. Its Global AgeWatch index considers four areas: income security, health, employment and education, and the social environment. Rich countries obviously do best—which is useful since they will have the biggest share of elderly.
Comparing the index against GDP (which was included as a small component) reveals widely differing experiences of old age across countries despite similar levels of economic and social development. South Korea scores significantly lower than Spain and Italy despite having a similar GDP; New Zealand scores twice as well. In some cases, poor countries can offer lessons to rich ones: the elderly in Sri Lanka, Bolivia and Mauritius fare better than those of Greece, Turkey and Russia. And the regional disparity is vast: by 2030 a quarter of Europeans will be 60 or over while only 6% of Africans will be.
By 2030 some 1.4 billion people will be aged 60 or over. Yet where ought one fritter away the years? Sweden, according to a new index by HelpAge International, a British charity. Its Global AgeWatch index considers four areas: income security, health, employment and education, and the social environment. Rich countries obviously do best—which is useful since they will have the biggest share of elderly.
Comparing the index against GDP (which was included as a small component) reveals widely differing experiences of old age across countries despite similar levels of economic and social development. South Korea scores significantly lower than Spain and Italy despite having a similar GDP; New Zealand scores twice as well. In some cases, poor countries can offer lessons to rich ones: the elderly in Sri Lanka, Bolivia and Mauritius fare better than those of Greece, Turkey and Russia. And the regional disparity is vast: by 2030 a quarter of Europeans will be 60 or over while only 6% of Africans will be.
100 years of Vanity Fair
Condé Nast’s Vanity Fair was founded in 1913 with the goal of recording “truthfully and entertainingly the progress of American life.”
Since then, the title has featured the highest-quality journalism, photography, and commentary on all aspects of culture. On our 100th birthday, see the highlights of our history in slide shows, films, essays, articles, and full issues. Use the navigation above to focus in on a particular era, or scroll down to see century-spanning coverage.
Since then, the title has featured the highest-quality journalism, photography, and commentary on all aspects of culture. On our 100th birthday, see the highlights of our history in slide shows, films, essays, articles, and full issues. Use the navigation above to focus in on a particular era, or scroll down to see century-spanning coverage.
Men's Health covers - in pictures
The 200th issue of the UK edition of Men's Health – which launched in February 1995 – is published on Wednesday.
The Hearst title is the UK's biggest selling paid-for men's magazine, with an average monthly circulation of 203,741 in the first half of 2013. To mark the 200th edition, we bring you a selection of notable covers from the past 18 years
The Hearst title is the UK's biggest selling paid-for men's magazine, with an average monthly circulation of 203,741 in the first half of 2013. To mark the 200th edition, we bring you a selection of notable covers from the past 18 years
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Russian Mood-Sensing Retail Device Readies for U.S. Invasion
Synqera, a Russian point-of-sale analytics and loyalty startup founded in 2010, uses tablets mounted to kiosks that sync people's facial emotions and personalize shopping.
Sensors on the machine scan a customer's items to see exactly what you're getting, or based on your appearance, what you may want to purchase. Based on time of day, season or mood, Synqera offers promotional offers. The service then collects data on what you buy to predict offers you may be interested in purchasing on subsequent visits.
The company wants to drive sales by expediting shopping and turning customers' idle time in line into engagement. i-Free Ventures, a major player in the Russian mobile market, invested $4 million in the company. Currently, Synqera employs 29 people and is based in Saint Petersburg with offices in New York.
Sensors on the machine scan a customer's items to see exactly what you're getting, or based on your appearance, what you may want to purchase. Based on time of day, season or mood, Synqera offers promotional offers. The service then collects data on what you buy to predict offers you may be interested in purchasing on subsequent visits.
The company wants to drive sales by expediting shopping and turning customers' idle time in line into engagement. i-Free Ventures, a major player in the Russian mobile market, invested $4 million in the company. Currently, Synqera employs 29 people and is based in Saint Petersburg with offices in New York.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
How to tell your boss you are quitting: Marina Shifrin resigns by uploading Kanye West dance video - and receives 4m views in just three days
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/how-to-tell-your-boss-you-are-quitting-marina-shifrin-resigns-by-uploading-kanye-west-dance-video--and-receives-4m-views-in-just-three-days-8851377.html
However, despite wanting her own film to focus on content and not views, the video – entitled ‘An Interpretive Dance For My Boss Set To Kanye West’s Gone’ – has gone viral, receiving over 4 million views in just three days.
However, despite wanting her own film to focus on content and not views, the video – entitled ‘An Interpretive Dance For My Boss Set To Kanye West’s Gone’ – has gone viral, receiving over 4 million views in just three days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)