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NOV 13, 2015
PUSHES
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ACTIVISION PLANNING ‘CALL OF DUTY’ FILM, ‘Si KY
JAPAN ITS OWN ENEMY IN PUSH TO IMPROVE CYBERSECURITY 24
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ACTIVISION PLANNING
‘CALL OF DUTY’ FILM,
‘SKYLANDERS’ SHOVV
Activision Blizzard Inc. is moving deeper into the
film and TV business.
The video game maker unveiled plans Friday at
an investors meeting during the annual BlizzCon
fan convention to create and release its own film
and TV series.
The first projects from the newly formed
Activision Blizzard Studios will be based on the
“Call of Duty” military shooter franchise and kid-
focused “Skylanders” toy-game series.
Activision Blizzard Studios co-president Nick
van Dyk noted that the division will be directly
involved in the creation, development and
marketing of movies and TV series based on
Activision Blizzard properties.
“We'll have a fraction of the overhead of the
typical studio since we're starting with a blank
page and building an organization that is right-
sized for our intended creative output and for the
future of the industry,’ van Dyk told investors.
The first TV series from Activision Blizzard
Studios will be “Skylanders Academy.’ The
computer-generated show is set to debut in
2016 and will feature the voices of Justin Long,
Ashley Tisdale and Jonathan Banks.
The studio also is working on a“Call of Duty”
film series, with the first installment likely ready
for deployment in 2018 or 2019, according to
van Dky.
“Our releases will be consistent with the high
adrenaline, bad-(expletive) action that fans expect
from this franchise, but we're going to deliver this
intellectual property to the broadest movie-going
audience,” van Dyk said. “This will be tent-pole
action-adventure of the widest appeal.”
The move follows Activision Blizzard partnering
with Legendary Pictures for a film based on
Blizzard's “Warcraft” fantasy franchise. The movie
centering on the battle between the game's orcs
and humans is set for release June 10 and will be
distributed by Universal Pictures.
“Warcraft” filmmaker Duncan Jones was on hand
Friday with the film's cast to debut a trailer for
the movie at BlizzCon, a two-day celebration of
Blizzard series at the Anaheim Convention Center.
“(Activision Blizzard) seems to feel pretty
confident that video game movies might
actually work,’ said Jones backstage. “That's
a win for ‘Warcraft! | think as long as they get
the right people involved, I’m sure they'll be
incredibly successful.”
The formation of a devoted studio is similar to
Activision rival Ubisoft establishing a film and
TV division in 2011. That studio is responsible
for the Nickelodeon series “Rabbids Invasion,’ as
well as an “Assassin's Creed” film based on the
historical series starring Michael Fassbender, due
Dec. 21, 2016.
A similar venture didn’t work out for Microsoft.
After two years, the company closed its Xbox
Entertainment Studios in 2014. The division had
been tasked with creating series based on such
Microsoft game franchises as “Halo,’”Forza” and ’ a
“Gears of War.’
Activision Blizzard announced earlier this week
that it is acquiring “Candy Crush Saga” publisher
King Entertainment for $5.9 billion.
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MYSTERIOUS ELECTRIC CAR STARTUP
LOOKING TO BUILD $1B FACTORY
The luxury electric car market may be small, but
it’s lucrative enough to get another jolt - this time =
from a mysterious startup that says it wants to re-
imagine how people interact with their autos.
The startup’s name is Faraday Future, and it has ~
been hunting for a place to build what it says
4
will be a $1 billion manufacturing plant for a
new line of cars. Four states are contenders and
the company says to expect an announcement
within weeks.
Headquartered in a low-profile office just south
of Los Angeles, Faraday is holding a lot of details
close. Though it won't confirm the source of its
funds, documents filed in California point to a
parent company run by a Chinese billionaire
who styles himself after Apple's late Steve Jobs.
14
15
Based on the few other public clues, Faraday
is following the path blazed by Tesla Motors,
its would-be rival hundreds of miles away in
Silicon Valley.
Like Tesla, Faraday’s car will be all-electric, and
debut at the high end.
The startup of about 400 employees has
poached executive talent from Tesla and also
draws its name from a luminary scientist -
Michael Faraday - who helped harness for
humanity the forces of nature.
Even Faraday’s public announcement that
California, Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada are
finalists for the factory mirrors the approach
Tesla took to build a massive battery factory.
Nevada won that bidding war among several
states last year by offering up to $1.3 billion in
tax breaks and other incentives.
Faraday hopes to distinguish itself by branding
the car less as transportation than a tool for the
connected class.
17
“People’s lives are changed by their mobile
devices, the way that we interact,’ Faraday
spokeswoman Stacy Morris said. “The car
industry hasn't caught up sufficiently. The car
still feels like a place where you're disconnected.”
Just what that means could hit the road as early
as 2017, when Faraday has said it wants to bring
a car to market.
The timeline is ambitious, given that it typically
takes automakers at least three years to go from
concept to production - and that's when they
already have their factories up and running.
“Developing an electric vehicle platform from
scratch takes many years and doing it in 18 to 24
months would be a precedent-setting event, if
it could be done,’ said John Gartner a director at
the market intelligence firm Navigant Research.
Then again, Faraday was around for more than
a year before its recent public coming out. It
was originally incorporated in California in May
2014 as LeTV ENV Inc., according to papers
filed with the California Secretary of State.
The address in Beijing is associated with Letv,
a holding company founded by Chinese tech
pioneer Jia Yueting.
18
Yueting is referred to as China's equivalent of
Jobs, both for his talk of “disrupting” traditional
industries as well as his jeans and T-shirt
wardrobe at product launches.
Faraday spokeswoman Morris wouldn't
comment on Yueting.
“We're in stealth mode where we're not
revealing ownership,’ she said. “There's a
significant investor who wants the company to
stand on its own merit before being associated”
with it.”
Navigant projects that the luxury plug-in market
will grow in the U.S. from 109,000 cars or SUVs
next year to 468,000 in 2023. With a market
share increase from 0.7 percent to 2.6 percent of
all “light duty vehicles” (which also includes vans
and pickup trucks), it’s still a niche market.
And by 2023, there will be even more
competition - automakers other than Tesla plan
to compete for customers who want luxury
electric vehicles.
“The market's only going to get more
challenging,’ Navigant’s Gartner said.
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JAPAN ITS OVVN
ENEMY IN PUSH
TO IMPROVE
CYBERSECURITY
Apart from rogue hackers, criminal organizations
or even state-backed cyberwarfare units, Japan's
businesses and government agencies are facing
a unique cybersecurity foe: themselves.
Even with the frequency and severity of
cyberattacks booming worldwide, efforts by the
world’s No. 3 economic power to improve its
data security are being hobbled by a widespread
corporate culture that views security breaches
as a loss of face, leading to poor disclosure
of incidents or information sharing at critical
moments, Japanese experts and government
officials say.
Improving cybersecurity practices has emerged
as a top national priority for Japan, stung in
recent years by embarrassing leaks at Sony
Pictures, the national pension fund and its
biggest defense contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, which possibly suffered the theft of
submarine and missile designs.
24
Toshio Nawa, a top Japanese security consultant
who is advising the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
organizers, said he encountered a telling
instance this summer when he was called
to investigate a breach at a major Japanese
government agency.
Nawa found that five different cybersecurity
contractors employed by the agency had
discovered the breach - but that not one
reported or shared their findings.
With evidence from the contractors pooled
together, Nawa matched the digital fingerprints
to a Mexican group that he believes was
responsible for a previous attack on Japanese
diplomatic servers. The breach was patched, but
Nawa walked away flustered.
“In the U.S., if they find a problem, they have to
report,’ he said. “The Japanese engineer feels
he fails his duty if he escalates a report. They
feel ashamed.’
To be sure, the cybersecurity industry around
the world, not just in Japan, frequently echoes
the call for greater transparency within and
among organizations. The U.S. Senate last
month passed the Cybersecurity Information
Sharing Act to ease data sharing between
private companies and the government for
security purposes, although civil liberties
advocates warned it posed a threat to privacy.
But the problem may be particularly acute
for Japan’s private sector behemoths and
government ministries - sprawling bureaucracies
wrapped in a “negative culture that cuts against
wanting to communicate quickly,” said William
H. Saito, the top cybersecurity adviser to Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe.
26
While rank-and-file workers fear reports of
security lapses may get them punished, the
problem reflects a broad lack of understanding
of cybersecurity in the Japanese C-suite, Saito
said in an interview on the sidelines of the
Cyber3 conference in Okinawa.
“This is Japanese culture where in some
situations the upper management doesn’t
know how to use email and IT integration is
voodoo magic,’ said U.S.-born Saito, also an
executive at Palo Alto Networks, a security firm.
“The reality is companies either have been
hacked or will be hacked. My message is, ‘It’s
m
not your fault
In 2013, the latest year of available data,
the Japanese government network faced
an eightfold increase in cyberattacks from
two years prior, with attacks spreading
into civil infrastructure, as well as the
telecommunications and energy sectors.
Against that backdrop, the Abe administration
has pinpointed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a
chance to upgrade Japan’s national security
capabilities while calling for a more hands-on
government role to nudge companies to take
cybersecurity seriously.
A Cabinet-level cybersecurity agency in
September published a strategy paper that
proposed, among other things, extending
government-run cybersecurity classes to
companies, awarding financial incentives for
firms that demonstrate improved security
capabilities and requiring companies to fill a
chief cybersecurity officer role.
The Cabinet report also highlighted the
issue of disclosure, saying “it is essential to
relieve (network) operators’ psychological
burden of possibly losing credit or ruining
reputation of their business if providing
information to others.”
30
Jim Foster, a former U.S. diplomat and
Microsoft Japan executive who heads the
Keio International Center for the Internet and
Society in Tokyo, said the fast-evolving threat
of hacking poses a looming challenge for
Japanese industry, which never developed
a deep pool of cybersecurity expertise with
active exchange of ideas and know-how.
“Japanese companies grew up too big too
quick and didn't have to cooperate or rely on
outside expertise,’ he said. “But now there's
this new threat unlike anything else and things
suddenly get difficult.’
But changing habits is hard, said Nawa, the
security adviser for the Olympics, who is now
holding simulations and educational sessions
around the country, where he emphasizes to
security engineers - who do not necessarily
lack technical chops - the importance of
sharing findings and speaking up when they
spot a problem.
He said he uses a simple mantra on the
training circuit: “What | say is: ‘Please remove
m
your pride.
31
Apple in
business:
a thriving
ecosystem
APPLE AND IBM UNITE TO TRANSFORM
CORPORATE PRACTICE
Image: Beck Diefenbach
Traditionally, Microsoft has been the dominant
tech player in enterprise - a situation largely
encouraged by widespread and deep-rooted
corporate familiarity with the company’s
ecosystem and the reluctance of Steve Jobs’
Apple to take serious steps against the
Redmond giant in this area. However, the tide
is slowly turning, as more businesses follow
consumers in moving from the desktop to the
mobile space, and Apple ties up several crucial
enterprise initiatives under Tim Cook.
Nonetheless, boosting its appeal to businesses
is no mean feat for the Cupertino company -
especially as rivals like Microsoft and Google
are making their own moves to woo the same
clients. So, what is the current state of Apple's
ecosystem for business? How has Apple been
seeking new opportunities away from its usually
consumer-oriented strategy? And how have
businesses responded?
AN IMPRESSIVE BUSINESS “QUIETLY
BUILT IN NOT TOO MANY YEARS”
Pursuing corporate markets was far from an
evident priority for Apple under Steve Jobs.
As PCMag's Tim Bajaran notes, he differed in
this respect from his predecessors at Apple -
particularly Michael Spindler, who, during his
tenure in the mid-1990s, brought the Mac closer
in similarity to the PC and licensed the Mac OS.
However, Bajarin also implies that Apple long
had the potential to shake the foundations of
enterprise - it simply hadn't dedicated enough
support and resources to actually doing so.
It is for this reason above all that Tim Cook’s
more corporate-friendly approach could trigger
35
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more than a few shockwaves among both
established leaders and ambitious upstarts
in this area. In many ways, it already has. At
Apple's quarterly earnings call last month, Cook
reported that, during the 2015 fiscal year,
the company’s enterprise business grew by
40% to $25 billion. He remarked:“I doubt very
many people knew that we have a $25 billion
enterprise business that we've quietly built in
not too many years.”
A ONCE UNLIKELY ALLIANCE THAT IS
NOW “SERIOUS BUSINESS”
Though, as Cook acknowledged at the
conference call, Apple’s business penetration
remains low, its progress shows the company’s
change of direction to be reaping dividends.
Indeed, a closer look at the Cupertino company’s
high profile enterprise projects in both this and
last year help to clarify why it has succeeded
in making such great bounds. One of these
projects is what would have been considered
highly unlikely in the 1980s: a partnership with
one of Apple’s historical rivals, IBM.
First announced in July 2014, this partnership
was set to unite Apple’s strengths in mobile
technology and IBM's advantages in big data
and analytics to transform business practices
in several key ways. The ambitious plans
included introducing over 100 industry-specific
solutions exclusively for iPhone and iPad, iOS-
optimized unique cloud services and enterprise-
tailored AppleCare service and support. The
following September, a portfolio of ten business-
focused apps was launched.
These apps, which were presented under the
IBM MobileFirst for iOS banner and designed
37
to meet the needs of workers in various
sectors, including retail, financial, insurance,
government and hospitality, quickly won
enterprise endorsement. Writing for Wired,
Tobi Schneider, the founder and CEO of
Bouncepad, reported seeing “an increased
demand for more control over tablets in
the sectors that MobileFirst is specifically
targeting”, dubbing the Apple-IBM alliance’s
aims “serious business”.
“EVERY MAC THAT WE BUY IS MAKING
AND SAVING IBM MONEY”
The corporation nicknamed Big Blue has also
been successfully deploying Apple devices
to its own workforce. In August, we reported
IBM's plan to purchase up to 200,000 Macs
annually - and, in the process, become by far
Apple's largest corporate customer. This move
proved highly fruitful - last month, at the JAMF
Nation User Conference, IBM's Vice President
of Workplace-as-a-Service, Fletcher Previn,
reported that its Macs required much less help
desk support than its PCs.
To be more exact, Previn reported that, at IBM's
internal help desk catering for the company’s
130,000 Macs and iOS devices, there were a
mere 24 staffers - while only 5% of the Mac users
even turned to this help desk, compared to 40%
of the PC users. He added that, as each Mac “still
has value three or four years down the road’,
each purchased Mac was “making and saving
IBM money”.
This extent of Apple’s reach with one of the
world’s most prestigious tech corporations
looks even more impressive considering
Apple's relatively small dedicated sales team
38
Image: Richard Drew
for corporate markets. At the aforementioned
earnings call, Tim Cook indicated that this
team is unlikely to grow significantly in the
foreseeable future, with the company instead
continuing to rely on its 75 ability partners and
their own direct sales forces.
iOS: ALREADY DEEPLY ENTRENCHED
IN BUSINESS
The mobile revolution that has engulfed the
consumer market has hardly left businesses
untouched; in August, Good Technology’s
Mobility Index Report for 2015’s second
quarter revealed that organizations were
more frequently using multiple mobile apps.
Excluding email apps, 67% of all analyzed
organizations used more than one app.
Furthermore, iOS was still largely driving
this development, having seen 64% of both
smartphone and tablet activations in
enterprise during the quarter.
iOS was found to be an especially popular
mobile platform with public sector
organizations, schools and healthcare firms,
scoring an adoption rate of over 70% with
these organizations. There is also anecdotal
evidence, noted by Architosh, that the
largest architecture, engineering and
construction firms in Japan are increasingly
standardizing around iOS, on the strength
of the iPad’s design applications. Reportedly,
this news led major German design app
developer Graebert to announce its own
support for iOS.
42
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44
A BIG TABLET THAT COULD MAKE
A BIG DIFFERENCE
Given this emerging trend, undoubtedly
instrumental to Apple's continuing enterprise
drive is the iPad Pro. Workers in the education
and health sectors are likely to have been
especially engrossed by the demonstrations
of feature-rich productivity and healthcare
software on the tablet at Apple’s September
keynote. Meanwhile, the 12.9-inch slate’s
optional Apple Pencil accessory has obvious
appeal for designers, architects and engineers
- especially after renowned animation studio
Pixar's endorsement.
Apple is still working hard to promote the 12.9-
inch slate to enterprise, as particularly evidenced
by Eddy Cue’s recent appearance at Dropbox’s
Open conference. Cue, Apple's Senior Vice
President of Internet Software and Services,
used the occasion to show off the tablet's use
of Dropbox’s upcoming collaborative editing
app Paper and point out other advantages of
iOS in the corporate world, including that
“everyone upgrades really quickly.’ But to
what extent can such advantages help Apple to
further fracture a widespread business model
built around Microsoft and Windows products
and services?
45
HOW APPLE'S FUTURE IN BUSINESS
COULD UNFOLD
Gigaom’s Nathaniel Mott reckons that the
iPad Pro bodes well for Apple's future in
enterprise, citing the popularity of the iPad in
the workplace even as its maker was looking
away from that market. He gives his readers a
tantalizing vision: “If the iPad found a place in
enterprise when its claim to fame was HBO Now,
imagine how well it could do now that it comes
with a dedicated keyboard accessory and what
appears to be a rather capable stylus.’
PCMag's Tim Bajaran is similarly optimistic,
suggesting that the value of Apple’s enterprise
operations could double over the next half-
decade. These are all bold claims, and no-one at
Apple appears under any illusion that knocking
Microsoft off the corporate perch will be easy.
But, with Mac and iOS usage already rising
in this field and Apple finally making explicit
attempts to win over business customers, we
can see another major break from Jobsian
strategy turning out increasingly worthwhile. ™
by Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan
47
48
GOOGLE, HEART ASSOCIATION TEAM
UP ON NEW RESEARCH VENTURE
age A company whose name is synonymous with
‘ee eyeballs on the Internet is turning its attention
to hearts. Google Life Sciences, a research group
recently spun off from its parent corporation, is
teaming with the American Heart Association in
a $50 million project to find new ways to fight
heart disease.
The heart association’s half, $25 million over five
years, is the largest single research investment
in its history. For the Google group, its latest
biomedical venture will join projects that
include whiz-bang devices such as driverless
cars, contact lenses that monitor blood-sugar for
diabetics and health-tracking wristbands.
49
The project was announced Sunday at a heart
association conference in Orlando.
Heart disease is the world’s top killer, a problem
that “seems ripe for new innovation” and
disruptive, unconventional thinking, said Andy
Conrad, Google Life Sciences’ chief executive.
Progress has been slow and “we should shake it
up a little bit,’ he said.
Besides cash, Google has tech tools to offer such
as sensors to monitor the health of “people in
the wild” versus just when they go to doctors
and huge capabilities for data analysis. The
company is aiming for a cure, Conrad said.
There's no guarantee of success, but “the only
thing we can promise is that we'll try harder.’
50
By early next year - Valentine's Day, “a big heart
day,” Conrad said - a team from Google and
the heart association hope to pick a project
leader, who might be a cardiologist, a nurse or “a
teenager from Wisconsin,” depending on what
skills and ideas that person can bring to the table.
The team is looking for “a maverick,” he said.
The venture “really allows us to think about ...
doing research in a different way,’ said Dr. Robert
Harrington, chairman of the Stanford University
School of Medicine and a member of the heart
association's board.
Traditional research has brought only incremental
improvements in heart disease treatment.
“We are trying to do something disruptive here,’
Harrington said.
51
52
‘WARCRAFT’ CAST UNLEASH
FILM TRAILER AT BUZZCON
The director and cast of “Warcraft” are
hammering down on BlizzCon.
A trailer for the film adaptation of the long-
running interactive fantasy series debuted
to thunderous applause Friday at the
fan convention.
The footage teased the tusk-filled, armor-laden
conflict between orcs and humans that has been
depicted in the 11-year-old online role-playing
game “World of Warcraft” and the original
“Warcraft” games from the 1990s.
“Warcraft” filmmaker Duncan Jones introduced
the preview on stage at the Anaheim
Convention Center with cast members Clancy
Brown, Dominic Cooper, Ben Foster, Toby
Kebbell, Paula Patton and Daniel Wu.
53
“That was incredible,’ said Jones backstage after
the unveiling. “I've been working on this movie
for three years and coming to BlizzCon for the
past five years. | know this crowd from both
sides, so it was fantastic to be able to finally
show them in person and release the trailer
online for everyone who couldn't be here.’
Jones, the filmmaker behind the critical sci-fi
successes “Moon” and “Source Code,’ said he
understands winning over the BlizzCon crowd is
only half the battle.
“We have to convince people who aren't fans
of ‘Warcraft’ that this is a movie that they're
going to understand, enjoy and love,’ said
Jones. “I keep telling everyone here that this is
an opportunity for those who love ‘Warcraft’ to
communicate to everyone else exactly what it is
they love about ‘Warcraft.”
Despite the game series’ 20-year-old history
and die-hard fanbase, Foster said he was
undaunted when tackling the role of the
magical Medivh. He didn’t care that “Warcraft”
was a game before a film.
“It doesn’t matter,’ said Foster. “It’s about two
sides of a war. There’s compassion on both
sides. To me, that felt like a worthy way to
spend a few months in a very accessible way.
If you can use the engine of big dollar
Hollywood to talk about both sides of a war,
that feels exciting. By the way, nobody did it
for free.’
Patton, who plays the half-orc, half-human
Garona, acknowledged one of the biggest
challenges of her part was attempting to act
while wearing pointy ears and tusks. She would
take them home to practice.
54
* |
©
&
“My son loved it,’ said Patton. “He would call me
orc mommy. | would tape my pointy ears on him
and rehearse my lines with the tusks on while
cleaning the house or whatever.”
Ahead of the “Warcraft” trailer debut, Activision
Blizzard Inc. announced plans during an investor
meeting at BlizzCon to create and release
its own film and TV series based on the “Call
of Duty” military shooter franchise and the
“Skylanders” toy-game series.
Activision Blizzard partnered with Legendary
Pictures to produce “Warcraft,’ which is set
for release June 10 and will be distributed by
Universal Pictures. Jones said he's envisioned
with Chris Metzen, Blizzard's chief of story and
franchise development, that the film could be
the first installment in a film trilogy.
Online:
http://www.warcraftmovie.com
MAICH GROUP
PLANS TO RAISE
UP TO $466.2M
FROM ITS IPO
The owner of Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid
hopes to raise as much as $466.2 million in an
initial public offering, which would put the value
of the dating site company in the neighborhood
of $3 billion.
Match Group Inc. disclosed in a regulatory filing
Monday that it will price its IPO of about 33.3
million shares between $12 and $14 per share.
The underwriters will have a 30-day option to
buy an additional 5 million shares.
The online matchmaker will list on Nasdaq
under the symbol “MTCH.”
Parent company IAC/InterActiveCorp, controlled
by billionaire Barry Diller, has been snapping
up online dating sites as the industry grows in
popularity. In July it bought Vancouver-based
dating website PlentyOfFish for $575 million.
60
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62
mage: Evan Agostini
The Match Group offers dating products
through nearly 50 brands in 40 languages
around the world.
About 31 million Americans have used a dating
site or app, according to a 2013 Pew Research
Center study.
The Dallas company says it has turned a profit in
each of the last three year and had $1 billion in
revenue over the 12 months ended June 30.
Match Group has about 59 million active
monthly users, 4.7 million of them paid, using 38
languages in more than 190 countries.
There will be three classes of stock: common
stock, Class B common stock and Class C
common stock. Common stockholders will be
entitled to one vote per share, while Class B
shareholders will get 10 votes per share. Class C
shareholders cannot vote.
Parent company IAC/InterActiveCorp will own
all shares of outstanding class B stock. It will
maintain majority control of the company after
the offering. |AC/InterAcrtiveCorp also owns
Web properties like Vimeo, HomeAdvisor, About.
com and CollegeHumor.
Match Group said that it currently plans to
use all of the offering’s net proceeds to repay
related-party debt owed to IAC/InterActiveCorp.
Match was the second high-profile tech IPO
pricing in as many weeks.
Last week, Jack Dorsey's Square, the six-year-
old company known for its white, cube-shaped
credit and debit card readers, offered just over
31 million shares at a maximum of $13 apiece for
total value of up to $403.7 million.
63
APPLE BOSS PUSHES
BUSINESSM@UplEte S@n ts
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
64
Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke to faculty and
students at Bocconi University, Italy’s top
business school on Tuesday, his first speech to a
European university.
Here are the highlights from what he said:
65
Image: Ariel Zambelich
ON COMPANIES’ CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY
14
Now more than ever businesses are in a position to help
societies solve their greatest problems. The responsibility should
not rest on governments alone. Whether we are talking about
climate change or equal rights, the challenges we face are simply
IJ
too great for businesses to stand on the sidelines.
67
68
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
bh
The environment must also be on the business agenda.
As business leaders, we have a responsibility to address this,
and urgently. We have obligations to our companies and our
shareholders because climate change impacts supply chains,
IJ
energy crises and overall economic stability.
ON EQUAL RIGHTS
T4
We know that discrimination against anyone holds
everyone back. So at Apple, we welcome everyone, no matter
where they come from, what they look like, how they worship
or who they love.
71
|”?
Image: Ashley Gilbertson
ie
ON DATA PROTECTION
Today our iPhones carry not just our conversations and
our photos, but our financial information, our health data, and
our most intimate conversations. We believe that kind of data
is personal data. It is yours and no one elses. We keep it secure,
; IJ
and leave it alone.
74
ON APPLE’S DECISION TO SHARE TECHNOLOGY ON
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MATERIALS
bh
While some people might look at that as a competitive
advantage, we are giving the information to our competitors for
free. Because when our goal is to leave the Earth better than we
IJ
found it, we need them to join us as well.
inal
7
#01 - Acapella from PicPlayPost
By Mixcord Inc.
Category: Music
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This app is optimized for iPad Pro.
#02 - Facebook Messenger
By Facebook, Inc.
Category: Social Networking
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#03 - Instagram
By Instagram, Inc.
Category: Photo & Video
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#04 - Facebook
By Facebook, Inc.
Category: Social Networking
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#05 — iTunes U
By Apple
Category: Education
Requires iOS 8.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#06 - Snapchat
/ hat, Inc.
Photo & Video
S 7.0 or later. Compatible with
»y fi e i ‘s
Category: Music :
Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iP 1, ind iPod touch.
x _ This app is optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.
McDonald's USA
Category: Food & Drink
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
{i
#01 - OS X El Capitan
By Apple
Category: Utilities
Dr SX 10.6.8 or later
Fotor Photo Editor
_ By Chengdu Everimaging Science and Technology Co, Ltd
Category: Photography
Compatibility: OS X 10.6 or later, 64-bit processor
a #01 - Minecraft: Story Mode
Ua CRNET By Telltale Inc
eer ae” Category: Games / Price: $4.99
Da Requires iOS 7.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#02 - Minecraft — Pocket Edition
By Mojang
Category: Games / Price: $6.99
Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#03 - Geometry Dash
By RobTop Games AB
Category: Games / Price: $1.99
Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#04 - Plague Inc.
By Ndemic Creations
Category: Games / Price: $0.99
*
.* Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
e*
" **
ss Wipe - . «
, > . .
Re Sire #05 — Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies
= Ss ea ewe . By Activision Publishing, Inc.
oe ie . Category: Games / Price: $6.99
- ~ ~ .
Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
icks Ltd.
Photo & Video /
By Young Horses, Inc.
Category: Games / Price: $4.99
Requires i0S 8.0 or later. Compatible with i
#08 — Akinator the Genie
By Elokence
Category: Entertainment / Price: $1.99
Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#09 - Bloons TD 5
By Ninja Kiwi
Category: Games / Price: $2.99
Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
#10 - Lumino City
By State of Play Games
Category: Games / Price: $4.99
Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Be
#05 - Disk Aid
+ By FIPLAB Ltd
Category: Utilities / Price: $14.99
Famed Compatibility: OS X 10.7.5 or later, 64-bit processor
#06 — RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum
By Aspyr Media, Inc.
Category: Games / Price: $9.99
Compatibility: OS X 10.8.5 or later
— Document Writer
#08 — Disk Doctor
By FIPLAB Ltd
Category: Utilities / Price: $2.99
Compatibility: OS X 10.7.3 or later, 64-bit processor
#09 - FaceTime
By Apple Thx,
Category: Social Networking / Price: $0.99 oe
68 - ae
Compatibility: OS X 10.6.6 or later : 3 \ ug ds
. #10 — OS X Server eae,
F\ By Apple = = : RS
Category: Utilities / Price: $19.99 | :
od Compatibility: OS X 10.10.5 or later
2 Out
ixar's most popular movies yet; Inside
llows 11-year-old Riley as she navigates
ng house and starting a new school,
from the perspective of the five emotions
inside her mind; Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and
Sadness. This clever movie personifies the five
emotions, for a movie that perfectly showcases
the turmoil of growing up.
FIVE FACTS:
1. Some of the memory balls shown in Riley's
mind show scenes from other Pixar films,
including Carl and Ellie’s wedding in Up (2009)
2. Amy Poehler, who plays Joy, and Rashida
Jones, who plays Disgust, are known for
starring together in popular comedy TV show
Parks and Recreation.
3. The creators originally wanted to have 27
emotions in the film, but dropped it down to 5
to make it less complicated.
4. Psychologists and other experts were
consulted, so the way Riley’s mind was
portrayed could be more scientifically
accurate.
5. The film's development began back in 2009.
See more in
iTunes =
Amy Poehler on Pixar's “Inside Out”
The Gift
A couple's fairly happy life slowly unravels
as Simon (Jason Bateman) bumps into a
mysterious figure from his past.“Gordo’, as
he's known, slowly weaves his way into the
couple's life, but what is his motive?
FIVE FACTS:
1. The Gift is Joel Edgerton’s feature
movie debut.
2. Edgerton has also starred in The Great
Gatsby (2013), The Thing (2011), and two of
the Star Wars movies.
3. Jason Bateman is known for starring as
Michael Bluth on popular TV show Arrested
Development.
4. Bateman has also starred in a multitude
of feature movies, including Juno, Horrible
Bosses, and Up in the Air.
5. The film was shot in 25 days.
84
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by Joel Edgerton
Genre: Thriller
Released: 2015
Price: $14.99
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150 Ratings
Rotten Tomatoes
86
The Gift: Director Joel Edgerton “Gordo”
Behind the Scenes Movie Interview
REALITi
Musi
88
(i
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Ol
Genre: Electronic
Released: Nov 06, 2015
14 Songs
Price: $9.99
KKKKK
369 Ratings
Art Angels
Grimes
Grimes has been on the go since 2010, but
after her third album Visions became one of
the most-loved alternative albums of the year,
and after it won a fair share of awards, she
quickly shot to fame. Art Angels is one of the
Grimes’ most accessible pieces of work yet, and
is one of the most anticipated after the first
attempt was scrapped in 2014. Art Angels are
already being accepted in the mainstream pop
world, but is still quirky and unique, and will
likely please older fans.
FIVE FACTS:
1. Grimes is signed to both 4AD Records, an
independent music label, and Roc Nation, Jay
Z's management company. Roc Nation also
manages other well known artists such as
HAIM, Kanye West, and Rihanna.
2. One of Grimes’ singles, Go, was allegedly
originally written for Rihanna.
3. Grimes has a wide range of music
influences, including industrial artists such as
Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, pop stars
such as Beyonce and Mariah Carey, and even
Aphex Twin.
4. Visions was proclaimed album of 2012
by AllMusic, record shops Rough Trade and
Resident, and came second on many other lists.
5. Art Angels also features popular American
recording artists Janelle Monae.
See more in
iTunes
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In the Lonely Hour
(Drowning Shadows
Edition)
Sam Smith
An extended edition of four-time Grammy
winner Sam Smith's debut album. Originally
released in May 2014, this edition comes with
13 extra tracks.
FIVE FACTS:
1. Smith is the third-cousin of popular British
singer Lily Allen, and her actor brother, Alfie.
2. He composed and sang on the theme for
the latest James Bond film Spectre, which then
became the first James Bond theme song to
go to number on in the UK.
3. Smith has collaborated with a wide host of
other artists including ASAP Rocky, popular
dance act Disclosure, and John Legend.
4. He cites his main influences as being
Adele and Amy Winehouse, and states that
he “didn't listen to male vocalists until about
two years ago.’
5. Smith recently broke two Guinness World
Records- one for the first James Bond theme
song to go to number one in the UK, and
another for the most consecutive weeks in the
UK top 10 with a debut album.
92
SAM SMITH kun
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Genre: Pop
Released: Nov 06, 2015
23 Songs
Price: $13.99
KKK KY
208 Ratings
Writing’s On The Wall
Interview
96
“SPECTRE
SHOOTS TO $73
| MILLION, MISSES
4j ‘SKYFALLS' MARK
It took the combination of James Bond and
Charlie Brown to save the box office after
a disastrous few weekends of flops. Both
Spectre and The Peanuts Movie reinvigorated
moviegoers who turned out in droves to check
out the new fare, including buzzy limited-release
titles like Spotlight.
Spectre took an easy first-place spot with an
estimated $73 million, according to Rentrak
estimates Sunday, to become the second-biggest
Bond opening of all time. The 24th film in the
53-year-old series stars Daniel Craig as the dapper
spy and cost a reported $250 million to produce.
Domestically, Spectre failed to live up to the
record-breaking standard set by Skyfall, which
debuted to $88.4 million in 2012 and went on
to become the first film in the franchise to earn
over $1 billion worldwide.
97
We never expected it to open to the level of
‘Skyfall’ It was a very different scenario. The
competition was different, the weekend was
different, said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of
worldwide distribution. One thing | am certain
of is that the Bond franchise is as healthy and
strong as ever.
Distributor Sony, who co-produced the film
with Eon Productions and MGM, tried to
manage expectations going into the weekend,
predicting an opening in the $60 million range.
It’s still a great number, said Paul
Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s senior media analyst.
For a franchise that’s over 50 years old, it’s really
an astounding achievement.
Spectre’s worldwide take is a different story.
The film opened No. 1 in all 71 territories and
earned a total of $117.8 million. It has earned a
whopping $300 million worldwide in less than
two weeks and still has yet to open in a few
major markets, including China.
Stateside, though, reviews have been mixed, and
Spectre, unlike Skyfall, had competition in its first
weekend in theaters with another beloved set of
characters - Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
The Peanuts Movie provided a family-friendly
alternative to James Bond’s guns and martinis
and took second place with a strong $45 million.
The film cost around $100 million to make.
98
Audiences, 70 percent of whom were
families, gave The Peanuts Movie a strong A
CinemaScore, suggesting that word of mouth
will be strong for the animated pic.
The cross-generational appeal was no accident
for the Fox marketing team, who were looking
to appeal to all ages.
Chris Aronson, Fox’s president of domestic
distribution, attributes the success to getting
both parents and kids excited.
We were everywhere, he noted of the campaign.
That's what we thought we had to do to get
through the noise of Bond to connect with
moviegoers from 8 to 80 which | think we really
were successful in doing.
Holdovers The Martian, “Goosebumps, and
Bridge of Spies rounded out the top five, while
new opener Miss You Already, staring Drew
Barrymore and Toni Collette, opened in 384
theaters to only $572,160.
Three possible awards contenders also made
their debut in limited release to mixed results -
Spotlight, “Brooklyn, and Trumbo.
Spotlight, director Tom McCarthy's film about
the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning
investigation into the sex abuse scandal in the
Catholic Church, was the strongest of the pack,
opening to $302,276 from only five theaters.
Brooklyn, a 1950s-set immigrant story starring
Saoirse Ronan, took in a respectable $181,000
from five theaters this weekend after opening
Wednesday. Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston,
took in $77,229 from five theaters.
Overall, things are looking up at the box office.
The final installment of The Hunger Games
100
franchise opens in two weeks, and Star Wars The
Force Awakens bows in just over a month.
We certainly needed this infusion of excitement
into a marketplace that has been just lying
there doing nothing almost for the past few
weeks, Dergarabedian said. This is good news for
Hollywood to get things back on track.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through
Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters,
according to Rentrak. Where available, the
latest international numbers for Friday through
Sunday are also included. Final domestic
figures will be released Monday.
7 Spectre, $73 million
« ($117.8 million international).
The Peanuts Movie, $45 million
« ($4.6 million international).
The Martian, $9.3 million
# ($9.3 million international).
Goosebumps, $7 million
# ($3.8 million international).
Bridge of Spies, $6.1 million
« ($3.1 million international.
103
Hotel Transylvania 2, $3.6 million
# ($15 million international).
Burnt, $3 million
« ($3.6 million international).
The Last Witch Hunter, $2.7 million
s ($10.7 million international).
The Intern, $1.8 million
# ($2.8 million international).
7 O Paranormal Activity The Ghost
s Dimension, $1.7 million
($6.9 million international).
104 mere,
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday
at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and
Canada), according to Rentrak:
7 Spectre, $117.8 million.
a2 Maze Runner The Scorch Trials, $21.3
« million.
Ex-Files 2 The Backup Strikes Back,
« $17 million.
4 Hotel Transylvania 2, $15 million.
5 Everest, $13.1 million.
107
| 108
6 The Priests, $11.5 million.
7 The Last Witch Hunter, $10.7 million.
8 The Martian, $9.3 million.
9 Paranormal Activity The Ghost
« Dimension, $6.9 million.
7 O Last Woman Standing
« (Sheng Zhe Wei Wang), $6.3 million.
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast
Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics
are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney,
Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned
by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are
owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units
of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors
including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn;
Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned
by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
109
110
GIFT GUIDE: GADGETS THAT
MAKE YOUR VVRIST SMARTER
If you're looking for a device to track your
fitness, alert you to incoming messages and
occasionally let you buy stuff with a scan or
a tap, there’s no shortage of computerized
wristwatches to choose from.
Over the past several months, I've tested
numerous smartwatches for iPhones and
Android devices, along with fitness trackers that
have some smarts. I've even worn six watches
at once during three marathons over the past
month, courting both ridicule and some lousy
times. (I’m blaming the extra weight.)
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are relatively
early devices with a lot of growing up still
to do. Temper your expectations, and you
might be pleasantly surprised. Just don’t
go in expecting magic, because that’s a recipe
for disappointment.
111
Your options will vary depending on whether
you use an iPhone or Android, as most of these
watches require a companion phone for their
smarts. There are also big differences between
all-in-one smartwatches and simpler gadgets
that primarily track fitness.
SMARTWATCHES FOR ANDROID:
- Samsung's Gear S2 (starts at $300)
Samsung smartwatches have improved
tremendously. Instead of swiping through
screen after screen, you now rotate the watch’'s
circular outer ring to select apps or view
notifications. The watch faces can display
information ranging from stock quotes and
headlines to sports scores. | tracked some Mets
games that way, though the watch doesn't
guarantee a win.
The main shortcoming: limited apps. The Gear
$2 works with Android phones but doesn’t run
Android apps, putting it in a kind of limbo. A few
apps from big-name partners like Yelp, The Wall
Street Journal and Nokia's Here (for maps) are
available, and Uber is coming soon. But most
apps | looked for weren't there.
As for exercise, the watch mostly tracks footsteps
and heart rate. Its mileage calculation is way off
unless you're also carrying a phone with GPS.
Alternatively, you could consider the Gear model
with both GPS and 3G data for about $50 more,
plus an additional $5 or $10 a month for the
data plan.
The Gear S2 works with most Android phones,
though some features specifically require a
Samsung phone.
113
- Android Wear (starts at $129)
Several companies make smartwatches that
run Google's Android Wear software. | tried the
cheapest, Asus’s ZenWatch 2, as a starting point.
You can pay more for better bands, features
such as built-in GPS or sheer luxury - right up to
$1,500 for a model Tag Heuer developed with
Intel and Google.
Android Wear has also gotten better. One swipe
gets you apps, with recently used ones on top.
Swipe again for contacts and again for common
tasks. The screen can stay on without draining
the battery, something rare in a smartwatch.
App selection has also improved; many apps
available for the Apple Watch now have Android
Wear versions.
Sony's GPS-enabled SmartWatch 3 worked
well for me while running, but other non-GPS
devices, including the ZenWatch, were more
frustrating. The main health app, Google Fit,
doesn't let you start or stop workouts manually,
with or without GPS. It relies on automatic
detection and accused me of walking parts of
my marathons, even though | didn’t (really!).
Several apps offer manual controls, but require
built-in GPS or a phone, which can be a pain to
carry onarun.
You need an Android phone for full functionality.
Android Wear works with the iPhone, but
it's handicapped. You don’t get turn-by-turn
navigation on the watch, for instance, as |
learned the hard way driving to Toronto with a
Moto 360.
114
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116
SMARTWATCHES FOR iPHONES:
- Apple Watch (starts at $349)
Android Wear will work, but Apple Watch is the
one you need for full functionality. Apple put
a lot of thought into it, with the inclusion of a
lefties mode and a passcode in case you leave it
ona bathroom sink somewhere.
Apple Watch stands out in fitness. Although the
watch doesn't have GPS, it learns your walking
and running patterns when you have the phone
with you, so it’s more accurate than other non-
GPS watches when you leave the phone at home.
Apple's smartwatch doesn't just count steps.
Instead, it challenges - or nags - you to exercise
at least 30 minutes a day and to take 12 walk
breaks throughout the day. For a perfect score,
you also need to burn a certain number of
calories - determined by your age, sex, weight
and fitness level. With rival devices, | meet my
default goals easily. With Apple Watch, even an
eight-mile morning run isn’t enough. Bring on
the challenge!
Apple Watch lacks advanced features found in
sport-specific devices. | rely on a Garmin running
watch during workouts, but Apple Watch
nudges me the rest of the day.
Battery life isn’t as good as Samsung and many
Android Wear devices, though | made it through
the recent marathons with plenty to spare by
turning off the heart-rate monitor.
117
118
FITNESS FOCUSED, FOR iPHONE,
ANDROID OR WINDOWS:
- Microsoft Band 2 and Fitbit Surge ($250 each)
These are among the few fitness trackers with
built-in GPS and heart-rate monitors. Don't
confuse the Surge with cheaper Fitbit models,
which mostly track footsteps. The Surge and
the Band are limited smartwatches that can, for
instance, notify you of new texts or calls. The
Band also offers news headlines and a few apps
from the likes of Starbucks and Facebook.
But the Band‘s battery life doesn't cut it for heavy
exercise. | outlasted the Band for all three 26.2-
mile races. Even turning off the screen didn't
keep it from dying before the finish, in one case
just a third of a mile short. By contrast, the Surge
lasted each race with plenty of charge to spare.
Under normal use, the Surge lasts up to a week.
Both are solid fitness companions - at least for
shorter workouts, in the case of the Band.
But neither is a replacement for a sport-
specific device.
119
AFTER POKING
FACEBOOK, LIFE
AIN'T EASY FOR A
SITE NAMED TSU
Suppose every time you posted on Facebook,
the social network tallied up the ad revenue
it earned against your update and passed a
percentage back to you. Of course, Facebook
does nothing of the sort - but its much smaller
rival Tsu.co does.
Though now Tsu (pronounced “Sue”) appears
to be paying a different sort of price. In late
September, Facebook started deleting millions
of posts that included links to Tsu - more than
9.5 million of them, the smaller company claims.
Facebook also blocks new posts that merely
contain the text “tsu.co” but no links, warns
users that links to Tsu are “unsafe” and fails to
deliver Instagram posts and texts via Facebook
Messenger that mention Tsu’s Internet address
or link to the site.
120
Facebook defends its Tsu ban as a way to
prevent its service from turning into a hangout
for scam artists and opportunists hoping to
make a quick buck. Tsu says Facebook just
doesn't want its users to realize that their
photos, videos and personal observations
might actually be worth something.
Facebook, which has an understandable
interest in protecting its 1.5 billion users from
an onslaught of digital rubbish, is one of the
Internet's largest gatekeepers. That gives it
extraordinary sway in determining who can
reach its vast membership - not to mention
what those members can discuss using its apps
and services.
That can be a big issue when the subject
involves a challenge to a company’s core
business - in this case, selling advertising
against the material Facebook users contribute
for free. Facebook has earned $2.1 billion on
revenue of $12 billion during the first nine
months of this year alone. The company now
has a market value of about $300 billion, and
no particular interest in generating traffic for a
potential competitor.
There's along history of similar disputes
among technology companies, who almost
always claim to be acting in the interests of
their users. Amazon, for instance, recently
yanked Google and Apple streaming-TV
devices from its virtual shelves, clearing
the way for its own such gadgets. In just
the past few days, several banks have
blocked outside financial-planning apps
from connecting to their systems, citing
security concerns.
122
Tsu, which launched just over a year ago, has
grown quickly; CEO Sebastian Sobczak says it
has 4 million members. It has raised about $11
million in venture capital.
Facebook's Tsu purge came without warning and
affected a swath of users that included rap artist
50 Cent, who shared a link to a video on Tsu with
more than 38 million Facebook fans. The team
that handles 50 Cent's social media accounts
didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Facebook says that Tsu pays its users to post
links on other sites, an incentive that breaks
its rules for connecting with its social network.
In a statement, Facebook said it doesn't let
outside publishers pay users to post links on
its network “because it encourages spammy
sharing.’ The Menlo Park, California, company
declined to elaborate.
Sobczak denies that his service is paying
people to post links on Facebook. Tsu users are
paid based on how much advertising it sells
alongside their posts. That revenue-sharing
setup is similar to financial models used by
major digital services such as Google's YouTube;
Facebook users widely share YouTube links with
one another.
“It feels like we are being singled out and they are
trying to stop a competitor with a more efficient
business model,’ Sobczak says. “What are they
afraid of?” Sobczak, a former venture capitalist,
says Facebook hasn't responded to his inquiries.
Claudia Everest, a frustrated Facebook user
who embraced Tsu to find buyers for her
$30 drawings of dogs, says Facebook is trying
to deflect attention from Tsu’s revenue-
sharing concept.
124
“| don't think they are afraid of Tsu as much
as they are of anything that lets people know
their content has value,’ says Everest, who lives
in Stoke on Trent in England. “That picture you
posted of your dinner last night may not seem
like it has value, but it does to the advertisers.”
Facebook does, however, frequently rejigger its
algorithms in ways that sometimes limit how
many people see any given post. Such changes
have alienated some longtime users such as
Kevin Hinkle of Lake Mary, Florida. Hinkle had
built a Facebook following of nearly 5,000
people, but felt as if his posts weren't reaching as
many people over time.
For Hinkle, the reduced exposure meant fewer
people to advise in his self-described role as a
“joyologist.’ He’s been pleased with the response
on Tsu since he set up an account late last year.
Hinkle says he has made about $4,100 on Tsu
while averaging 10 to 20 posts per day.
“Now it looks like it could become a Facebook
competitor,’ Hinkle says. “I think Facebook sees
where things could be heading and knows it
wouldn't be good for them at all.’
126
SCIENCE
ay
GLOBAL
[ire Tess
AVERAGE
T]
COULD BE
1.8 DEGRE
FAHRENK
HIGHER
data from NASA and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration in the U.S.
On Monday, WMO reported that levels of carbon
dioxide and methane, the two most important
greenhouse gases, reached record highs last
year, continuing the warming effect on the
world’s climate.
Carbon dioxide (CO,) levels rose to nearly
398 parts per million, from 396 ppm in 2013,
WMO said.
The CO, level fluctuates throughout the year
and the monthly average crossed the symbolic
400 ppm threshold in March 2015. The WMO
said the annual average “is likely to pass 400
ppm in 2016.”
Pushed by the burning of coal, oil and gas
for energy, global CO, levels are now 143
percent higher than before the industrial
revolution. Scientists say that’s the main
driver of global warming.
WMO said methane levels reached a new
high of about 1,833 parts per billion in 2014.
About 40 percent of methane emissions come
from natural sources and about 60 percent
from human activities like cattle breeding, rice
agriculture and the extraction of fossil fuels.
“Every year we report a new record in
greenhouse gas concentrations,’ WMO
Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said. “We have
to act now to slash greenhouse gas emissions if
we are to have a chance to keep the increase in
temperatures to manageable levels.”
World governments are meeting in Paris at the
end of this month to craft a new U.N. pact to
rein in greenhouse gas emissions. More than
132
150 countries - including top greenhouse gas
polluters China, the United States, the European
Union and India - have pledged to cut or curb
their emissions in the next decade.
Meanwhile, climate change is already
transforming the Earth, melting Arctic sea ice,
intensifying heat waves and warming and
acidifying the ocean.
Climate scientists say if global warming
continues unabated, its dangerous effects could
include the flooding of coastal cities and island
nations, disruptions to agriculture and drinking
water, the spread of diseases and the extinction
of species.
“We're already seeing large impacts all around
the world - a third global coral reef bleaching
event, the triggering of irreversible loss of
ice from the West Antarctic ice sheet, and
extraordinary storms and heat waves,’ said
Bill Hare, the head of the Berlin-based Climate
Analytics research group. “World leaders need
to see this as a massive wake-up call.”
136
Sie Piss nis een
MIMUTe
UIGIa7
HELLO
ADELE
TENNESSEE WHISKEY
CHRIS STAPLETON
SORRY
Justin BiEBER
HOTLINE BLING
DRAKE
DRINK YOU AWAY
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
LAST MINUTE LATE NIGHT
Kane Brown
GIRL CRUSH
Lirmte Bic Town
I'LL SHOW YOU
Justin BiEBER
DIE A HAPPY MAN
THOMAS RHETT
LIKE I'M GONNA LOSE YOU
(FEAT. JOHN LEGEND)
MEGHAN TRAINOR
137
138
TRAVELLER
CHRIS STAPLETON
MR. MISUNDERSTOOD
Eric CHURCH
STORYTELLER
Carrié UNDERWOOD
25
ADELE
PURPOSE (DELUXE)
Justin BIEBER
BETWEEN THE PINES (ACOUSTIC MIXTAPE)
Sam Hunt
WE LOVE DISNEY (DELUXE)
Various Artists
PAIN KILLER
Lit7te Bic TOWN
MONTEVALLO
Sam Hunt
MADE IN THE A.M. (DELUXE EDITION)
One DIRECTION
139
140
MUSIC VIDEOS
HELLO
ADELE
ARIANA GRANDE
{OTLINE BLING
WILDEST DREAMS
Tavtor Smier
PERFECT
One DIRECTION
GIRL CRUSH (DELUXE VERSION)
Lime Bi Town
STRIP IT DOWN
Luxe BRYAN
USED TOLOVE YOU
GWEN STEFANI
141
(aa5
IVSHOWS
HERE’S NOT HERE
THE WALKING DEAD, SEASON 6
THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT
THe FLASH, SEASON 2
STRONGER TOGETHER
SUPERGIRL, SEASON 7
AMONG US HIDE...
Marvet’s AGENTs OF S.H.1.E.L.D., SEASON 3
BEWARE OF YOUNG G/RLS
SCREAM QUEENS, SEASON 7
BRIAN FINCH’S BLACK OP
Limitless, SEASON 7
PLAYTIME’S OVER
Vanoerpump Rules, SEASON 4
SENT ON TOUR
Bunpspor, SEASON 7
PAYBACK
THE Goop Wire, SEASON 7
FEAR AND TREMBLING
Faro, SEASON 2
143
TROUBLEMAKER
LEAH REIN! & REBECCA PALEY
THE CROSSING
Micwaet CONNELLY
ROGUE LAWYER
JOHN GRISHAM
STRONG LOOKS BETTER NAKED
KHLOE KARDASHIAN
THIRTY-FIVE AND A HALF CONSPIRACIES
DenisE GROVER SWANK
STARS OF FORTUNE
Nora RoserTs
OLD SCHOOL
JeFF KINNEY
SEE ME
NICHOLAS SPARKS
THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS
STEPHEN KinG
PROMISE TO KEEP
Jessica Woop
145
GOOGLE MAPS
OFFERS OFFLINE
OPTION WHEN
INTERNET IS SPOTTY
Google Maps is getting disconnected.
With an update for Android phones Tuesday,
you'll be able to search nearby businesses and
get driving directions, including turn-by-turn
voice prompts, even if your Internet connection
is spotty or non-existent. Google says a version
for iPhones will come soon.
The feature is ideal if you're trying to leave
an underground parking garage or a remote
national park. It’s also great if you're travelling
abroad and want to conserve on expensive data
plans. Google is also targeting users in emerging
markets, where cellular speeds are slower and
prices are higher relative to typical incomes.
Mapping apps included with Windows phones
have long had this feature, but Windows has a
tiny market share compared with iPhones and
Android. Offline mapping is also available with
some third-party apps, including Nokia's Here.
146
Google Maps has had a limited offline feature. It
lets you save a small region ahead of time, but
it’s the equivalent of displaying a paper map in
a phone app. You can't use it for navigation and
other tasks we’ve come to expect in digital maps.
With the new version, you'll be able to do most
of what you can do now.
You'll need to download databases ahead
of time, preferably when you have a Wi-Fi
connection. To do so, start by searching for a
location, such as a city. Then pinch in or out to
select what area you want to download. Larger
areas will give you more flexibility for navigation,
but they also take up more storage. As you
change your selection, you're told how large the
file is and how much storage on the phone you
have left.
Once you download an area, Google will
periodically refresh the data with new
businesses and road changes. By default, that’s
done only when you're on Wi-Fi.
What you won't get with offline mapping is
traffic information. Once you're back online,
Google Maps might suggest a detour if there’s
unusual backup ahead. You also won't get
photos and user reviews for businesses. But you
do get contact information, hours and an overall
user rating.
For directions, the feature initially works only
with driving. It’s not yet available for walking,
biking or public transit - so you might still be
stuck in subway stations.
148
149
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APPLEMAGAZINE.COM
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