The New York Production Alliance (NYPA) added four seats to its board, bringing the total to 25. Starting as 07-’08 members are: John Held, former executive director of the AICE; Benji Whitehouse of Axium International; Elias Scoropanos of HSBC Bank USA, N.A.; and Terry Lawler of New York Women In Film and Television. Starting additional two-year terms are: John Amman of Local 600, Tom Liebau of Televest Daytime Programming, Burke Moody of the AICE, Lynne Twentyman of Local 161, Eileen Newman of Renew Media, Jae Je Simmons of the Screen Actors Guild and Carl Zucker of Media Services, and Anne K. Johnson. They join Jack Turney of the AICP, Roberta Reardon of the American Federation of TV and Radio Actors, Dennis Reiff of DR Reiff & Associates, Stuart Suna of Silvercup Studios, Lydia Deal Pilcher of the Producers Guild of America, John Ford of Local 52, Russ Hollander of the Directors Guild of America, Mitchell Kreigman of Wainscott Studios and Doug Steiner of Steiner Studios who start the second half of their NYPA terms along with chairman emeritus Morton Dubin.
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