Director Geoffrey Barish has signed with bicoastal HSI Productions. He comes over from now defunct Extension Films, a satellite of the recently closed Propaganda Films….Director Steve Carr, formerly of Propaganda, has joined bicoastal Lot 47 Productions for exclusive representation in spots and music videos. At Propaganda, he was best known for his music video work. He has also diversified into features, the latest being Dr. Doolittle 2….Phillip Detchmendy, former executive producer of the shuttered Satellite—a sister shop to Propaganda—has been named managing director of bicoastal Tool of North America. Additionally, Jennifer Siegel has become Tool’s executive producer, succeeding Dierdre Harrington….Bicoastal production house NSF-USA has signed the directing team Civilian….Director Kevin Bourland has joined bicoastal Treat…. New York-headquartered Creative Content Artists (CCA), the parent company to several postproduction/visual effects and audio post houses, has acquired Barasch Music & Sound, a longstanding New York music, sound design and audio mixing shop founded by Mark Barasch. In exchange for selling his 11-year-old company, Barasch gains an equity position in CCA and becomes one of its partners, joining CEO Steve Hendricks and chairman David Carmen. Barasch will serve as president of Octopus’ Garden, CCA’s newly formed music and sound division. Under the tentacles of Octopus’ Garden are Barasch Music & Sound and three other CCA holdings: East Side Mix, Lower East Side and Superdupe Recording. CCA is also parent to Post Perfect, Crush Digital Video and arc.light…..Mixers Bob Giammarco and Tom Goldblatt have come aboard Photomag, New York….Connie Griffin has been promoted from executive producer to managing director of R!OT Manhattan. She succeeds Dan Rosen who will serve as a consultant to the digital post/effects house….
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