Director Samuel Bayer, formerly of RSA, has returned to bicoastal/international HSI Productions….Numero 6, the directing duo of brothers Laurent and David Nicolas, has split up. Each has embarked on solo helming careers with Laurent Nicolas joining Passion Pictures, London and Paris, for worldwide representation, while David Nicolas remains at Partizan…..Production house Twist, Minneapolis, has opened a New York office and added two directors, Grady Cooper and Jonathan Bekemeier. Amyliz Pera has been named New York-based executive producer of the company’s commercial division. Twist president/executive producer Jim Geib–who co-founded the company in ’97 with director/DP Rich Michell–continues to head up the Minneapolis office as well as the branded entertainment division. Twist has also promoted Jared Yeater to head of production….. Director/DP Richard Reens has come aboard Kandoo Films, Sherman Oaks, Calif…..Bicoastal Brand New School has added executive producers Jennifer Sofio on the West Coast, and Brent Holt on the East Coast. Holt most recently served as exec producer at Little Bull Films, Torino, Italy. Sofio brings an agency pedigree to her new roost, having served as a producer for MVBMS Euro RSCG, New York, from 2000-’02. She later became executive producer of bicoastal/international visual effects house creocollective…..Michael Neithardt has joined Stardust Studios as senior producer. He will work out of the bicoastal company’s New York office. The overall shop continues to be headed by executive creative director Jake Banks….Wendy Bryant has joined New York-based editorial house The Well as executive producer……
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