Street Talk
CEO Charles Day and COO Christine Tardio, founding partners of The Whitehouse–with shops in London, New York, Chicago and Santa Monica–last week announced their intention to leave the company, effective May 13. The husband-and-wife team simply decided it had accomplished what it set out to do some 11 years ago by helping to build a world-class editorial house. Day and Tardio want to now move onto new challenges, but have not set any formal plans. Whether those new challenges will be in or outside the industry remains to be seen. Ownership of The Whitehouse will be among the five remaining partners: Alan Kubicka and editors David Brixton, Russell Icke, Rich Lawley and John Smith….Last week, what was billed as being “a press release from Avid Technology,” with an April 16, 2005 dateline (for the upcoming NAB) circulated via e-mail in the Avid user community. It announced “the worldwide availability of the new Neo versions of its editing systems: HD Neo, Media Composer Neo, Film Composer Neo and Avid Neo PRO.” The document triggered a flurry of speculation, but Avid has stated that the release was a hoax…….Greg Hessinger has been named national executive director and CEO of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). He takes on the new dual role on May 2, succeeding Bob Pisano. Hessinger formerly served as national executive director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists….Directorial team Coodie and Chike has signed with A Band Apart, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in commercials and music videos. The duo’s credits include the Kanye West video “Through the Wire,” which recently earned video-of-the-year honors at The Source Hip Hop Awards….Bicoastal design company Hornet has signed new directing team JJ & Maithy–a.k.a. helmers/designers JJ Walker and Maithy Tran–for exclusive representation……Director Ernie Mosteller, known for his work in kids spots and comedy fare, has returned to Fried Okra Entertainment, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based commercial production house he founded in ’01. He had been previously handled nationwide by Tag Team, Los Angeles, which will continue to represent him on the West Coast. Stuart Sternbach of independent rep firm Pangea, New York, will continue to cover the East Coast for Mosteller….Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More