The Walking Dead star at the centre of shocking plot twist gives reaction.

via Cult – Digital Spy – News http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s135/the-walking-dead/news/a460981/walking-dead-star-on-major-twist-i-feel-a-little-cheated.html

Kate Bosworth helps Sir Phillip Green celebrate Topshop coming to LA. Instyle

Queen B keeps it simple with a striking US Vogue cover. Vogue.com

Don’t miss the Designer Jumble Sale on Wednesday Feb 20th- serious bargains …. London Fashion Week

Apple announces Macbook and Macbook Air price cuts, if you’re after a new laptop now is the time to buy! Digital Spy

A new UK trailer for The Last Exorcism: Part II has been released, exclusively through Digital Spy. Check it out here.

This sequel follows Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) as she attempts to build a new life in New Orleans following the events of the previous movie. However, the demonic forces that possessed her return to inflict more trauma.

The Last Exorcism Part II opens in the UK on March 15.

Article From August 28 2012

Our site stats tell us two things (well they tell us a lot of things but we don’t want to bore the arse off you with stats and numbers and stuff) – you like gig news and you like pictures. In the absence of gig news, here’s a link to some pictures. We give the people what they want.

(Although this Mr Porter shoot seems like ages ago now!)

Digital Spy talks to Being Human stars Damien Molony, Kate Bracken, and Michael Socha about series 5.

Christian Post: Lego Racism? Jabba the Hutt Set Makes Asians Look ‘Vulgar,’

The Province: Lego accused of racism over Jabba the Hutt Star Wars set

Travelers Today: Lego Racism: Toy Company Accused of Being Racist by Turkish …

National Review Online: Lego Accused of Racism

Zap2it: Lego racism alleged – Is Star Wars ‘terrorist’ Jabba the Hutt living in a …

Examiner: Lego racism accusations fly over ‘Star Wars’ Middle Eastern mosque

 Christian Science Monitor: Lego Racism? Muslim Turks complain about Jabba the Hut

FOX2now: Turkish Leaders Accuse Lego For Racism

Contactmusic: Lego Racism Accusations – Jabba The Hut’s Palace Looks Like …

Hurriyet Daily News: Austrian Turks accuse Lego of racism in Star Wars set

The Hollywood Gossip: Lego Racism  Alleged Over Jabba’s Palace Star Wars Set

Yahoo!7: LEGO STAR WARS ACCUSED OF RACISM

Vibe: Lego Racism: Star Wars Lego Set Seen as Racist?

San Francisco Chronicle: Is Lego’s ’Jabba Palace’ racist?

Latinos Post: Lego Racism at Work in Jabba’s Palace? Turks Take Offense to ‘Star …

Digital Spy: LEGO accused of racism over ‘Star Wars’ model

Simcoe: Lego model incites racism, group says

Mirror: The final af-frontier: Lego accused of racism over Jabba the Hut Star …

The Voice of Russia: Muslims launch a “Star War” against Lego

Onislam: Star Wars Anger Turkish Muslims

Washington Times: Newest threat to Islam: Lego Star Wars

KMBZ: Turks Say Star Wars LEGO Set Is Racist

Holy Moly!: Lego make model of Jabba’s Palace from Star Wars, are accused of …

Patheos: Jabba the Turk?

Toy News: LEGO responds to criticism of Jabbas Palace set

The Sun: Lego accused of fuelling racial hatred with Jabba the Hutt palace …

Big Shiny Robot!: Jabba’s Palace Lego set offensive to Turks

With their new single ‘Chasing the Sun’ out later this month and plans to deliver a new album sooner rather than later, Digital Spy caught up with Jay McGuiness to find out how they’re coping with their newfound international fame.

Congratulations on all of your US success. Has it sunk in yet that you’re now an international act?
“I don’t know. I think… if you are that, it’s often temporary, but I don’t know. We’ve been around Europe and Asia and stuff and that always felt weird. We’ve always been looking at America and just waiting, really. It’s like the testing ground for, is it serious or is it not? I think we were very surprised we managed it. We’re not where we can be yet. There’s still a lot more we can do.”

It all seemed to happen very quickly – does it feel that way from the inside?
“We’ve been very lucky because we’ve had Scooter [Braun] on board since the start. We came to America a couple of times and our record label were excited, but Scooter made all the difference because he knows so many people over here. I was really nervous about radio because in the UK there’s national radio and there’s commercial radio – if you get one of the two, you’re pretty sorted really. In the US, it’s not like that. The actual hardest part about being over here is missing the UK and missing family.”

How have your fans responded to your new single ‘Chasing the Sun’?
“Really good. We were nervous because it’s like when we released ‘All Time Low’ in the UK and it did really good because we liked the song, but we thought we were biased, so after ‘All Time Low’ we were all like, ‘We need to get another Top 10!’ Thankfully we did, but we were really nervous to hear what radio and fans thought of ‘Chasing the Sun,’ but it’s been positive again. Hopefully that translates to chart position. I’m nervous. Only because ‘Glad You Came’ was such a monster, but I’m thinking positive. You just never know if it has the magic.”

‘Chasing the Sun’ is on the US EP, but in the UK, what release can we expect it on?
“Yeah, I think it’ll be a third album. I think we’re trying to catch up the world with the singles with the EP. I guess we’ll bring out a third album which will have ‘Chasing the Sun’ on it – maybe as a bonus track. I don’t really know what a bonus track is, as it’s still on the CD! It will be on our first worldwide album, but our third UK album.”

Is the third album being pencilled in for the end of the year then?
“Yeah, I mean, they can’t give us a date until we have some songs that we think we’re ready for. Our record label are really good at accommodating our writing needs. When we began, it was like, ‘You’ve got three days, guys. Enjoy the album writing!’ We had to fight a lot then, but now they’re very much, ‘How long do you think you’ll need? Do you want to see other writers? Who do you want to write with?’ It’s nice to be catered to. I think the end of the year is the aim, assuming we’re not like. ‘Sorry, we can’t release this album as it’s an absolute dog’.”

So you’re continuing the hands-on approach with the third album?
“I think because it’s our third album in the UK and our first worldwide that we want to show everyone that we learnt a lot with the first album, with the second one got our stamp on it and our third album want to say, ‘We know what we’re doing now. This is our third album. We’ve done two already, we know how to do it well, and we know how to get it better’.

“I think because we’ve been to America and seen how we’re doing, we can actually make this last for a long time. Like the way Girls Aloud have done. We’re past that point now where we’re worried about being written off. Basically, we could do a record that flopped and the record label would be like, ‘It’s cool’. At the beginning, if the song flopped, we were gonna be dropped. I think we’re past that stage now.”

Have you written down any ideas to include on the third album?
“We don’t know really what direction we want go in. We’re in a very party sound right now. I kind of feel like that music’s going to change very soon. ‘Chasing the Sun’ is like, epic, in my opinion. I’m biased, obviously. And the next single is awesome. I think it’s going to fit in nicely in how the music industry goes. We definitely want to work with Dappy. We’ve wanted to do that since the second album. It’s just not happened. We’re pencilling in writing time with him and a few others. Once we have about five or six songs, we’ll see a vibe, but if not we’ll just keep writing more songs and see what happens.”

Was it always your intention to develop your sound into a more dance vibe?
“We always thought we were gonna go more rocky with time, but that just hasn’t happened. I mean, rock music just isn’t selling a lot right now. I don’t know. I guess it changes with time.”

Justin Bieber has tried his hand at rapping recently – can we expect some rhymes from the band?
“[Laughs] Nah. I don’t want to say never. Well, Justin says ‘never say never’! We were working with Guy Chambers on an almost Robbie Williams-type song, and Tom tried a little bit on that, but no. We didn’t fit into it. Maybe we’ll develop into it more over time. We could probably go garage, but we couldn’t’ go hip-hop because you really need some sense of rhythm.”

We always hear about The Wanted’s female attention, but do you ever come into contact with male fans?
“Yeah, we have quite a big male following, whether it’s gay or otherwise. When we first started we did a lot of gay clubs, which is traditional for boybands. We had a great time. When we came to America, we did a lot of them again. As much as we’re a boyband, there are so many advantages to having a real loyal female fanbase, but I’m happy with how much we’ve branched out into the male side of things.”

Will you be back in the UK much this year?
“We have a lot of travelling to do. Some will be America, but there will also be, I think, Australia and places in Europe again. You can’t leave a market for too long. Some people can do it – nobody’s going to forget Rihanna anytime soon. But if you’re establishing, I think it’s good to keep reminding people.”

Rihanna has maintained her popularity in the charts by releasing singles every few months – is that what The Wanted are looking to do?
“I don’t know. I don’t think we’ll ever have that insane level of bringing a single every month because you don’t even know what album it’s on. It’s working for her though, so maybe we should take a note from her book. But we want to be involved on every track. There are five voices on every track. I don’t know if Rihanna writes any of her stuff, but I imagine she has a bunch of really talented songwriters who say, ‘Here’s the next one and here’s the next one’.”

Tatty Devine team up with Louise Gray for a six piece collection- expect bold shapes and eye-popping colours. Vogue.

The Lovely LLG (Sasha) hosts part 2 of The Books that Built Us- tea, cake, good books and fabulous company. LLG.

Lily Pebbles demonstrates just how many looks can be created from my most favourite Urban Decay palette. What I Heart Today.

Rihanna announces plans to launch her next, much-anticipated River Island collection at London Fashion Week. Digital Spy.

Raf Simons’ proves there’s really nothing he can’t do- collaborating with sportswear brand Adidas on a collection of trainers. Grazia.

Article from December 2012

Aiden Grimshaw’s debut album Misty Eye was released earlier this summer, and it was a surprisingly brilliant effort

Read Digital Spy – 10 most underrated music acts of 2012 mentioning Aiden Grimshaw

The Queen acts as a human digger when dressed for it

If, like me, you did bugger all then you’ve probably promised yourself that 2013 will be the year you do that thing you couldn’t be bothered to do, but in the meantime you’re just having a dry January.

It would appear that the world wants you to change more than you do. Every time you turn on the TV, read a magazine or look up at the ads on public transport, everyone is telling you to lose weight, find that special someone and get a new job all at the same time (although if you’re obese, alone and in a crap job you probably did have a crap Christmas).

Whilst cosmetic surgery will help you out with the fat and single bit, First Choice might just have found that new job you want – Official waterslide tester!

The job listing reads: ”It’s a job where ‘going to work’ means donning your swimming gear and hurtling down waterslides. Yep, we’re looking for a Slide Tester who’ll test our waterparks for a living.”

The advert also promises that “no two days will be the same, as you report back with your slide ratings and come up with new ideas for our customers”.

First Choice plans to pick a shortlist of five, who will then complete in a final challenge at a SplashWorld resort so get in there quick!

Via @DigitalSpy

Being Human star Lenora Crichlow talks to Digital Spy on her new role for ‘Doors Open‘ and leaving ‘Being Human‘.

Check out photos of Lenora in ‘Doors Open’ below:

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A few weeks ago I went to this year’s Eurogamer Expo, showcasing the latest and greatest, upcoming releases in the world of video games. Feedback from the event was largely positive with reviews from websites, blogs and forums commenting on a fantastic venue. Some critics noted minor displeasure with the lack of freebies and vast queue times for big games at the show. One issue, however, caused quite a stir lately in the gaming community. Sales tactics from certain sponsors (including Virgin Media the events main sponsor) backfired, when complaints arose regarding advertising through ‘booth babes’.

‘Booth Babes’ was a term coined by the video game industry to characterise promotional models working for video game trade show exhibits. The name comes from models usually working in the stalls or ‘booths’ of their represented company at the show. The strategy is to draw in attendees, purely based on the ‘eye-candy’ of the models, to help distribute the information promoted. The use of these models at Eurogamer has been recently put under scrutiny from people in the gaming community. Complaints from men and women involve businesses deliberately using young, skimpy clothed models, to sport their logo of their advertised brand. Companies see this as a huge selling point as they know the girls would get vast attention from the opposite (or sometimes the same) sex. Some would agree these‘glamour girls’ have little to no interest in video games and are simply there to shamelessly ‘appeal’ to potential clientele. The models, ranging from late teens to early adults, can be seen as media manipulation for businesses using the age old tradition, that “Sex Sells”!

The addition of booth babes can make women attending the event feel uneasy and treated, almost as a secondary entity in an environment domineered by males. ‘Girls are strictly not allowed!’ was the idea of one female blogger who attended the expo. She stated “Lots and lots and lots of boys – a mixture of very endearing geeky types.” She continued “Someone once explained to me why they found awkwardness so attractive – it’s to do with the vulnerability. I can see what they mean now.” “There are loads of the nasty geeks. The snobby ones who troll each other on the internet and spend their time trying to develop porn search engines. You know the ones.” (It’s like she knows me!).

A typical view of a video game fanatic is of a socially-awkward man living in his basement, that hasn’t matured since secondary school. Guys like these, normally live with their mother, only speaking to girls through juvenile jokes. So would booth babes have the slightest effect on the average male attendee? What emotions, hypothetically, would I feel if I can’t ignore the glitz and glamour of these babes at a family event like Eurogamer? On one hand, Gamers are mostly men and these half-naked girls were hired to show off their ‘assets’. I’m a man. I can’t help it. I would love to gaze at their outfits and take photos of their skimpy lycra to show off to friends. (It’s in their job description and they love the attention.) I could have a more realistic feeling that, for once, I won’t worry feeling embarrassed about how I look. This isn’t the kind of place girls would feel the need to be modishly dolled up. Once you saw the Virgin Media girls crassly dressed up to the extreme, all your female insecurities come out. You can’t help but sense awarked and uncomfortable emotions in your own domain. If the industry focuses on the ‘red-blooded’ male perspective of gaming, what views do women have and are females significant enough to be considered a ‘gamer’?

The World of the video game industry has seen incredible women flourish in a heavily male-orientated atmosphere. Over the past twenty years, the amount of women in gaming has grown rapidly. Websites have been set up to increase this demographic with WomenGamers and WomenInGames helping to create female coders and developers for the future. Corrinne Yu, Principal Engine Programmer on Microsoft’s Halo team and Jade Raymond a programmer and Managing Director for Ubisoft, have shown the female perspective can be crucial to rejuvenate the industry.

The gaming World is still, nonetheless, male dominated, with the majority developing and designing video games been men. Specialist and mainstream media have grasped the matter of sexism and gaming. They report on the calls for change in attitudes from publishers, developers and gamers themselves on the industry’s inimical portrayal of females. Women recently responded using social media on their thoughts of the virile behaviour faced on a regular basis. This was after a question, Kickstart’s Games Project Specialist Luke Crane, posted via twitter last week. Crane asked “Why are there so few lady game creators?” Crane got an overwhelming universal feedback from women describing the sexism they’ve endured.  Writer Sarah Maria Griff tweeted “I left my 2 year ‘dream job’ as a teenager in GameStop because of the tireless exclusion I received from my male coworkers. Renee Nejo, a freelance game artist said “I hope that sometime in my lifetime I can say, “yeah, I make games” and it’s not followed with surprise or scepticism”. “I got blank stares when I asked why a female soldier in a game I worked on looked like a porn star,” was another response tweeted by designer Caryn Vainio. Tara J. Brannigan, community marketing manager for PopCap Games, commented on her experience with sexual harassment. Brannigan tweeted she had “been groped by strangers at least once at nearly every major (game) conference”. Stephanie Harvey, a games designer for Ubisoft, illustrated her point by tweeting images of sexist comments she encountered while playing ‘Counter Strike’.

The hashtag Crane created. ‘#1reasonwhy’ in response to his question he posted, has been dubbed “The hashtag that exposed sexism in the gaming industry”. Veteran designer Brenda Romero expressed her delight on the overpowering reaction of the ‘#1reasonwhy’ hashtag. She said “In 31 years, I have never seen this level of support for women in the industry. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. Your voice matters.”

These women have shown, due to this male conquered establishment, games created would likely lead to matching the ideology and expectations of men. Advertisements and promotions would therefore be directed at men and young males and consequently gaming expos such as Eurogamer would be engrossed by men. Fierce debates have risen on the theme of gender bias at Eurogamer, condemning the ‘family-friendly’ venue for been sexist. The expo is accused of playing on the conventional roles to suit the ‘boyish’ genre through the use of booth babes.

The argument conceived by some is, if women choose a career in which they’re extracted to the sum of their erotic parts, that’s exclusively up to them. The matter here is the right of organisations such as Eurogamer using these models before mainstream audiences. Promoters for car exhibitions, boat shows and builder’s conventions use trade show models in their floor space as mature males are the main consumers. Associating pretty girls with the macho theme of the product will help publish the brand’s ‘edgy identity’. What sets these shows apart from Eurogamer is the fact it’s not just the ‘laddish’ male ego that’s governing the floor.

Families and children were a big part of the show. Zones in the PlayStation and Nintendo area were set up specifically for children. The PS3 game Wonderbook: Book of Spells, an interactive family game, was one example of games marketed for children and families at the show. The game was developed by J.K. Rowling as a companion piece to the Harry Potter series, using augmented reality to create magic spells. Eurogamer provided a variety of games of this magnitude to parents and children alike. The expo demonstrated gaming can be suitable and fun for all ages. Throughout its run, models were roaming around the expo with zones filled with children. You can imagine a parent’s or guardian’s discomfort with children seeing men chase after barley clothed girls desperately clinching the models for a quick snapshot. For a venue like this, the behaviour could be considered inappropriate. Reconstructing the behaviour at a venue on a night out could be deemed more suitable (especially if they resembled the girls in the top photo!).

Eurogamer has always had booth babes scouring around at their previous shows.  What pushed people over the edge this year, was the marketing approach of Virgin Media on appealing to more customers. Taking pictures of models dressed to the bear minimum was not the only thing on gamer’s minds. There was also a chance to see enormous QR codes on the back of the girl’s shorts. The idea of this “skit” was for gamers to activate the code on their devices by scanning the back of their red-spandex hot pants. This will then guide them to the information Virgin was promoting. The active encouragement of photographing female exterior has infuriated people, for the way Eurogamer was presenting its show. This criticism led to the MD of Eurogamer, breaking the news, that promotional models were banned from all future Eurogamer events.

Rupert Loman, managing director of the Eurogamer Network and the head of Eurogamer Expo took to the Eurogamer forum. Reasons were given in regards to the disparagement Eurogamer received and to elaborate on the “No Booth Babes” ban policy for the 2013 expo.

Loman began by explaining how the expo and its variety of chartbusting games on display had quickly grown each year since 2008. He then went on to respond to the comments on the forum concerning booth babes at this year’s Expo. He said “We’ve always had an informal guideline regarding booth babes: we don’t think they are right for the Expo.” He added “At this year’s show three companies showed up with booth babes. Two in particular we thought were dressed inappropriately. As a short term measure we told them to move into the 18+ zone, and we asked some of them to put on leggings as well”

Loman discussed his remorse for allowing this type of publicising to happen and how shows like these should be based upon the games rather than the girls. He stated “Although it was only a small number of booth babes, our regret is that we didn’t go further on the first day and just say “this isn’t right” and ask them to change their clothes – or not attend. Instead, with the huge pressures of putting on such a large show and everything that comes with it, we let it go. And that’s what has prompted this debate – and we’re sorry it happened.

Loman appreciated the fact that, “Of course, exhibitors need to bring staff to the show, but they should be interesting, cool and exciting (Master Chief was /amazing/!) and knowledgeable (developers and publisher staff) rather than pretty girls in revealing outfits”

Loman finally signed off with the message “Every gaming show has gone through this process” and “next year the only thing people will be talking about will be the games.”

The story, spread to numerous mainstream gaming, news and media websites, covering the post made by Rupert Loman. The British entertainment and news website Digital Spy and Australian & New Zealand gaming website Gameplanet both reported on Eurogamer’s ban. People’s reactions were mixed with many siding with the Managing Director and head of the expo with the enforcement.

Sydney Swartz wrote in here article on thegamingvault.com, “As a female gamer and someone who wants the people in the booth to actually know about the products they’re showcasing, I’m glad they’re putting a ban into effect. I hope it spreads to Comic-Con, E3 and beyond.” Gavin Mannion writer for lazygamer.net however disagreed. “This booth babe saga just annoys me, He wrote.  “It doesn’t hurt anyone and if you don’t like it then shun the games that use them. People power works and the unfortunate truth is that the majority of people want to see the sexy.” The news even sparked discussion with one of the models themselves. Brandy Amy Brewer (top photo, far left) took to the spotlight to convey here view on twitter. In regards to how men acted towards her, Brewer jokingly said “It’s practically how us glamour girls say hello to one another”

Comedy performer and Eurogamer columnist Rab Florence similarly agreed with the ban. Yet, Florence summarised that “Many (guys) say it’s harmless. Just some harmless fun. Many (guys) say that these women aren’t being exploited, because they’re choosing to do it and are getting paid to do it. Many (guys) say that only prudes get annoyed by these things and that we should all just loosen up, because there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the female form. It’s all pretty much the same kind of defence you hear for The Sun’s Page 3”. Florence continued that the audience, booth babes are aimed at, will objectify to Loman’s comments. He reviewed that these opinions do not represent the greater whole of gamers, who would rather the show focused on the games instead.

While Eurogamer is the first British gaming expo to impose the ban, it is not the first expo to outlaw booth babes. PAX and its sister show PAX East in American have already barred the practice of push-up bras, bikinis and backless clothing from its floor. Security concerns for models were also amidst at the Chinajoy gaming convention in Shanghai. A man interrupted the exhibition by declaring his love to a Booth Babe. He presented her with a bouquet of roses made out of money, only to be ushered away be security. ASUS, an electronics company based in Taiwan, went so far as to apologise after offending people with their misogynistic remark of a booth babe on Twitter. The tweet was in response to introducing the new Transformer AIO tablet in Taipei, at the Computex Summit. Industries from all corners of the World are gradually awakening to effects sexist marketing can have on different gamers.

Booth babes have been the centre of attention but, are these issues really just reserved for them? Eurogamer has made a massive impact banning risqué booth babes, but has no problem with attendees coming in costume which could be classed as risqué. These attendees or ‘Cosplayers” as they’re known in the gaming community, express themselves through costume, wigs and make up. This chic combo is used as a source of affection for the franchise they’re fans off. The breakdown of what’s worn while Cosplaying and the gaming industry can relate to arguments given at the start of this article. If the (typically male dominated) gaming industry design scantily-clad characters, this will properly mean scantily-clad “Cosplaying” as well. How can we then justify, where the line will be drawn, on what’s relevant to wear for booth babes and Cosplayers.

The miscellaneous response from the Eurogamer forum and articles on the web has provoked countless disputes. The deliberation of “selling games with sex Vs. dressing as a sexy character” has boiled over to questioning, whom and what should be excluded. Numerous comments on the forum agree, if skimpy booth babes are banned then so should the skimpy attendees. They argue the very same point Rob Loman used in his statement about effecting children. Others contradicted this, alluding to cases of how Cosplaying is an aspect you can’t really police in public. Prohibiting Cosplaying at expos for families would be like banishing women in bikinis on beaches as children would be present. Most summarised, booth babes and Cosplaying are completely different. Cosplaying is a ‘craft’, with male and female Cosplayers acknowledging their hobby, dressing up provocatively or not.  Booth babes are ‘marketing’, and are likely to be paid to dress up provocatively. It is this sexist advertising of looks rather than interest most individuals objectify too. This is the sole reason why people disapprove of the whole booth babe concept.

Are female booth babes really a big deal in a heavily dominated male industry? If womanly booth babes are outlawed, should womanly Cosplayers follow suit? Should expos be pressured into banning these ladies or is this ‘Political Sexiness Gone Mad’? There is one possible answer to all the above-mentioned questions. Maybe next year, companies can balance things with herds of buffed-up muscular beefcakes, drenched in oil, over their tight vests and speedos. Everyone will be happy then (Right!?).

Why? Because most IT schemes heal technology in isolation. Think about it — your business may be employed on a cloud strategy, social strategy, or wireless scheme. But today’s hottest customer-facing solutions rely on pervasive digital connections in which the one-by-one technologies (cloud, beside area communications, wireless, big facts and figures, etc.) amalgamate to deliver an know-how that looks and feels an alarming lot like our natural behavior. In other phrases, the more connections between people, places, information, and things (aka digital density), the more customers can interact with businesses and each other in a seamless and persuading way. Does your strategy capitalize on that?

Furthermore, associations that aim their strategy on digital transactions based on automating and exchanging personal assets for digital will only seem digital. Such digital substitution schemes create virtual exact replicates of the genuine world, conceiving e-channels, e-stores and other e-surrogates for personal methods. An e-store, for example, still benefits the same rudimentary enterprise model and enterprise methods of its brick-and-mortar equivalent. That may be more effective, but it’s also very simple to replicate. The outcome is larger commoditization by price transparency and a reliance on advocating or “free” income models few companies can profitably support.

A digital brim is distinct from digital automation.

Organizations looking to create income from digital expertise need a strategy that is more mighty than digital substitution. They need to create a digital brim, where digital data and physical resources blend in new ways to conceive worth and income. Enterprises seeking a digital brim change methods, business forms, and the clientele experience by exploiting the pervasive digital connections between systems, persons, locations, and things. Any company large or little, old or new can use this digital technology to conceive a victorious brim for its business and perhaps, its industry.

address Royal Caribbean and its Oasis-class ships. The Oasis-class is the world’s biggest cruise ship with more than 5,000 passengers. regal Caribbean built its Oasis-class boats with pervasive digital attachments that transform visitors’ cruising vacations into ones that permit them larger individual command to influence their experience. To do this, regal Caribbean considered about every facet of the boat and its operations from a guest’s perspective. That know-how formed a easy, yet powerful, aim: none tolerance for lines. “If you have to stand in line,” clarified account Martin, vice president and CIO, “the boat abruptly seems too large-scale and the know-how diminishes sharply.”

Imagine the potential for lines when 5,400 persons on a lone boat want to eat evening meal, see a display, or take an excursion. Rather than making lines more endurable, Royal Caribbean sought to eradicate them. How? By applying distinct combinations of digital and personal resources over the twenty-six methods where travellers could possibly experience a line. The company utilised shape acknowledgement cameras to work out bistro capability and made the information available to travellers inside their natural behavior flows. They used smart cards to turn the method of offshore excursions into one as easy as strolling into an agency building. They transformed the twenty-six method to eradicate lines while defending passenger privacy, conceiving traveller choice, and conceiving the promise for each passenger’s know-how to agree the capabilities of the world largest class of cruise boat. The outcome is a digital edge based on blending digital capabilities rather than only restoring clipboards with iPads.

A digital edge is a presentation brim.

Having a digital edge affairs. According to our study of more than 2,000 businesses, companies with overhead their commerce mean levels of digital income outperform their gazes. They augment faster. They have higher snare margins. They are more capital effective and consign more to shareholder equity. They consign more because managers believe broadly about how digital technology creates value and income. They think about how it will blend to create new capability rather than restore old procedures. That is the essence of a digital scheme.

After years of buying into in “transformation” programs, executives understandably are reluctant to engage in schemes that go after specific, measurable and achievable issue answers. Digital technology just noise like another expensive and disruptive expertise signal that requires funding significant activities with limited results. That is true when digital technology is examined in isolation such as construction large-scale data in customer service, communal newspapers in trading, or mobility in the sales force.

Digital scheme Does Not identical IT scheme

A digital-edge scheme is distinct for three causes:

First, the nature of digital technologies like mobile, communal and analytics is distinct. These technologies compliment rather than contend with current systems and data, endowing greater leverage with less disturbance.
Second, a digital brim brings simultaneously digital and physical assets resulting in business innovation rather than business disturbance.
eventually, thriving digital strategies focus on specific business conclusions rather than applying grand strategies. This donates the effort a clear and manageable aim.

If these facets are not part of your company’s present digital schemes, then it may be time to consider a different approach. Digital density will extend to augment exponentially in the beside and long period. Revenue is seated on the table for those businesses eager to move after meagre process automation and discover how to blend their personal and digital assets in innovative ways for the clientele and business.

Digital Spy got a chance to speak to David Cronenberg about Cosmopolis and his other films for the release of Cosmopolis on DVD in the UK. Click HERE if you need to purchase and check out the excerpt below:

In the making of featurette on the Cosmopolis DVD, producer Paulo Branco describes Don DeLillo’s novel as a mix between Crash and eXistenZ, with its themes of destruction leading to sensation and detatchment from the real world. When you first read the book, did you think it was perfect material for you?
“Well I wasn’t thinking of my own old movies… I don’t really think in those terms. I don’t have a checklist of things that something must have and must relate to my other films. Honestly, each project is as though it’s the first movie I have ever made.

“Now for Paulo as a producer coming to me, he might have his reasoning that’s based on my other movies and that’s fine. It didn’t seem like things that I’d done before, but after having made the movie I can see why people might want to compare it to my movie Crash, for example. At the same time JG Ballard and DeLillo are very different kind of writers, so I don’t think many people can connect them, but when they see the movies, it’s kind of interesting.

“With Cosmopolis, I was a big fan of Don DeLillo’s work. I loved his dialog, which is unique, and Harold Pinter-esque in the sense that you can recognize it when you hear it. It’s realistic but also very stylized.”

It’s very rhythmical too…
“It is very rhythmical and kind of hypnotic, yet it is American speech. But those things are not like my own work, so I respond very directly to the material, rather than be extremely analytical about it. I just think if this is a movie for me, and would I be having great fun and be finding exciting, interesting things while making this movie or not.”

…

There’s an excellent line from Samantha Morton’s character in the movie: “The more visionary the idea, the more people it leaves behind.” Did that resonate with you in terms of the reception to your own work?
“Well, yes, I think it’s one of the consolations when your movie is not widely popular – you say maybe it’s ahead of its time. I have had that happen with a couple of movies includingVideodrome, where the reception at the box office wasn’t great but the afterlife has been quite great.

“Cosmopolis is an art film, not a mainstream movie, so you know that you are gambling in that sense and you hope that it has what they call legs. When I was a kid, if you didn’t see the movie that weekend, you never saw it again. The advent of VHS tapes and later DVDs is fantastic. The movies really do have an afterlife, and it encourages filmmakers to make art rather than just a consumable item.”

Click HERE to read the interview in its entirety

FYI: David Cronenberg, Robert Pattinson and Cosmopolis producer, Martin Katz, are teaming up again in the new year to make another film, Maps To The Stars! We’ve started the twitter and will launch the fansite soon. Follow us if you want more information @MapsToTheStars and keep a look out.

Digital Spy has received an exclusive look at the trailer for the upcoming Brad Pitt feature World War Z. The film loosely follows the book of the same title written by Max Brooks.

Since the film has gone into production there have been plenty of rumors about the various issues plaguing the film, from script rewrites to actual arrests on-set due to a firearm controversy. I can already state that the CGI zombies for some segments of the trailer are distractingly awful looking. Marc Forester is the director which doesn’t bode well for me. His dramatic films such as Monster’s Ball (2001), Finding Neverland (2004) and Stranger Than Fiction (2006) are all excellent but his hand at action films like Quantum of Solace (2008) was absolute crap. I don’t think action is Forester’s forte.

Either way I will definitely make my way to see this when it hits theaters, if not for my love of the book. World War Z is slated for a June 21 release date, pending no further delays. For now here is a link to the Digital Spy exclusive trailer:

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a436652/world-war-z-trailer-brad-pitt-faces-zombie-apocalypse-video.html

…Syed (Marc Elliott) becomes determined to get their relationship back on track in upcoming episodes.
When Syed invites Christian (John Partridge) over for lunch in an attempt to patch things up, he is blissfully unaware that his estranged husband is actually planning to leave Walford and move to America.
Noticing how upbeat his son is, Masood is forced to break the news to a crushed Syed that Christian is leaving.
Later, when Syed sees Christian, he blasts him for keeping secrets and brands him a hypocrite. Throwing his belongings into the Square, Syed then declares that Christian leaving is best for everyone.
It’s no secret that both characters will soon be bowing out, but will they be doing so together or separately?

EastEnders airs these scenes on Tuesday, November 13 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

Norman Reedus has claimed that his character Daryl has “become the breakout character” onThe Walking Dead.

The actor told IGN that fans like the crossbow-wielding wildcard because “it’s hard to put your thumb on him and pin him down”.

“It’s hard not to look cool with a crossbow, first off,” Reedus admitted. “He’s a fighter, and he just really wants a hug. I’ve always said it’s interesting to watch devils cry when angels want to stab you in the back. I like that mixture.

“There are certain things that he’ll fight for, and there are certain things he totally cares about, and they’re very basic things. He’s not an asshole, he’s not somebody who will f**k somebody over. But if you hurt [someone he cares about], he’ll beat the s**t out of you.”

Reedus also hinted at a “huge” reunion between Daryl and his estranged brother Merle (Michael Rooker), who will return to The Walking Dead this season.

“It’s huge, I can’t even really hint at what that is – but it’s not what you expect,” he teased.

“My backstory with Merle is a huge part of season three. You find out reasons why there is even more conflict than you assumed between them.”

The Walking Dead airs on FX in the UK and on AMC in the US.

‘Walking Dead’ star Norman Reedus: ‘Daryl is the breakout character’ – The Walking Dead News – TV – Digital Spy.

(Photo: Frank Micelotta for VH1 Storytellers)

Greetings Taylor Nation,

Here at the Swift Agency, still one guy that can at least claim he has asked one question directly at the Sparkly Dressed, we’re just hoping we can have a full interview one day. Yeah, right. We all know that’s as close as I’ll ever get. Like ever. I don’t want to mislead you, I’m super thankful to everyone who made that hangout happen! I know there’s a huge amount of fans of hers that have never gotten that close. The Blonde With The Sparkly Guitar (see she’s playing it right there) played at Harvey Mudd College on October 15.

UK’s The Guardian, who probably had like their names on nifty press passes and everything, had a chance to conduct an extensive interview with the Princess in Red. It’s a really well written article. I am so impressed because they asked deep questions and really got her to open up. Here’s some highlights.

This is the Enchantress talking about moments in time that she likes to capture with music:

“I’m really intrigued by that. Whether it’s taking a photograph, or painting a picture with your words that make a song as vivid as a photograph. I’ve always felt music is the only way to give an instantaneous moment the feel of slow motion. To romanticise it and glorify it and give it a soundtrack and a rhythm.”

- Taylor Swift via The Guardian

About the passing of time:

“I think that one thing I’m really afraid of is … that magic doesn’t last,” she says. “That butterflies and daydreams and love, all these things that I hold so dear, are going to leave some day. I haven’t had a relationship that’s lasted for ever. I only know about them starting and ending. Those are my fears. I spend a lot of time balancing between faith and disbelief.”

- Taylor Swift via The Guardian

And fairytales according to the Queen of Sparks?

“A fairytale is an interesting concept. There’s ‘happily ever after’ at the end, but that’s not a part of our world. Everything is an ongoing storyline and you’re always battling the complexities of life. But what I got from fairytales, growing up, was a beautiful daydream. I’m glad I had the craziest imagination and believed in all sorts of things that don’t exist.”

- Taylor Swift via The Guardian

You can read the original and full article on The Guardian.

There’s another great interview from Digital Spy you also might want to check about. It’s a bit more on the traditional side, but it does reveal there’s an even more extensive world tour coming up. No details on where yet… you know I’d be all about those deets if they were out already. For now, RED, October 22, 4 days!

Remember to vote for Taylor Swift! She’s nominated for:

• The 2012 MTV EMA (November 11) for Best Female, Best Pop, Best Look, Best Live and Best World Stage. You can vote here.
• The American Music Awards (November 18) for Favorite Female Country Artist. You can vote here.
• The American Country Awards (December 10) for Artist of the Year, Best Female Artist, Single of the Year, Best Female Single and Best Female Video. You can vote here.

(Source: MuchMusic)

MuchMusic’s New Music Live will air an interview with T-Swizzle on October 22. She will surprise three of her greatest Canadian fans who get tricked into going to a fake show but end up meeting their idol. NML Presents: Taylor Swift Revealed airs this Monday at 6pm ET on Much.

• October 18: Taylor Swift will tape and perform at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The episode is scheduled to air October 25.
• October 20: Akoo will become RED TV for Taylor Swift’s 1-hour special program on the upcoming launch of RED.
• 

  (Source: 13 Management)

  October 22: Taylor Swift’s fourth album, Red, is released!

• October 22: Taylor appears live on Good Morning America for the album launch of Red.
• October 22: Interviews on Access Hollywood, E! News and Extra throughout the week.
• October 22: NML Presents: Taylor Swift Revealed airs at 6pm ET on MuchMusic.
• October 23: Taylor appears live on Good Morning America for a live concert.
• October 23: Late Show with David Letterman appearance/performance.
• October 24: Taylor Swift is scheduled to appear on The View on ABC.
• October 24: Scholastic’s Read Every Day live classroom webcast at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
• October 25: The Ellen DeGeneres Show episode with Taylor Swift airs. Check your local listings.
• October 26: She will join Katie Couric on ABC’s Katie. Later the same night, All Access Nashville with Katie Couric airs at 9|8c on ABC. Includes an interview with Taylor Swift.

(Sources: 46th CMA Awards, MuchMusic’s New Music Live)