Paul Matthaeus, Digital Kitchen founder, CEO and chief creative officer, has stepped down as DK’s ranking creative visionary to pursue new creative endeavors outside the company, and has delegated day-to-day creative leadership to DK’s creative managers under the supervision of Mark Bashore as head of creative. Matthaeus will remain a major DK interest holder, board member and creative consultant. Matthaeus explained, “It’s been an amazing ride, but I grew to renew my need for greater intimacy with the creative work. So it’s time to break new ground again- I intend to take my experience founding and building DK and apply it to entirely new initiatives. The opportunity to build something wildly creative is what inspired me to start DK, and that’s what I intend to do again.” “Paul is a visionary,” commented Don McNeill, Matthaeus’ partner since 2000. “For the nine years we’ve built DK together, he’s never lost sight of the importance of great creative work and great talent. But he always keeps a keen eye on what’s next. So I’m excited to see Paul embark on another creative journey. Whatever he decides to pursue will undoubtedly be cool. He’s a great partner and great friend.” Since DK’s inception in 1995, it grew from a three-man shop adjoining the kitchen of Matthaeus’ regional advertising agency into a bicoastal creative design-driven network with over 90 full and part-time employees with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. Matthaeus noted, “If appropriate, I fully intend to deploy the resources and infrastructure of DK in my new ventures.” DK has worked for clients including Nike, adidas, AT&T, Microsoft, GM, Ferrari, HBO, Showtime, Dreamworks, Sony Entertainment, and all the major networks. Matthaeus is probably best known for his creative approach in television entertainment- which includes the opening creative direction for Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, House, Rescue Me, Ghost Whisperer, The Path to 9/11, The Company and Dexter. His latest contribution was in the creation of the opening sequence for True Blood, the highly anticipated HBO series that broke this fall by Oscar-winning creator/writer/director Alan Ball. Over the years, Matthaeus has mentored hundreds of young digital filmmakers, many of who have gone on to found their own firms. He also has evangelized the creative process at numerous design conferences, marketing and broadcast media events.
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