8.29.14

Entertainment:

·         The film festival community has come together to sign a statement of support for the Beijing Independent Film Festival against the Chinese government

o   http://deadline.com/2014/08/film-statement-support-beijing-independent-festival-826083/

·         Johnny Knoxville signs a first look deal with ABC Studios

o   http://deadline.com/2014/08/film-statement-support-beijing-independent-festival-826083/

·         Youku is launching a film production arm called Heyi Film

o   http://deadline.com/2014/08/global-showbiz-briefs-chinese-web-giant-youku-launches-heyi-film-eone-acquires-seed-producer-force-four-more-826087/

·         2014 has been declared the ‘year of the megadeal’ in the media industry

o   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2014-declared-year-megadeal-media-728721

·         George Lucas’ THX is going to open a Beijing corporate office

o   http://variety.com/2014/film/news/thx-to-open-beijing-office-1201293757/

·         Philip Seymour Hoffman’s accused drug dealer was able to avoid jail time

o   http://www.thewrap.com/philip-seymour-hoffmans-accused-drug-dealer-avoids-jail-time/

·         Please see below for a list of films that will become available on Netflix this September

o   http://www.indiewire.com/article/silver-linings-playbook-all-is-lost-and-more-films-streaming-on-netflix-this-september-20140828

Tech:

·         Google X has been developing delivery drones, called ‘Project Wing’, and has been testing them for the past two years

o   http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/08/inside-googles-secret-drone-delivery-program/379306/

o   http://www.wired.com/2014/08/google-reveals-project-wing-its-two-year-effort-to-build-delivery-drones/

·         Apple is in the midst of launching a mobile wallet

o   http://www.wired.com/2014/08/will-apple-kill-off-the-credit-card/

·         Pomplamoose musician started Patreon to help pay artists for their work

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/28/a-chat-with-jack-conte-musician-and-entrepreneur/

·         CalPal makes it easier to set meetings/events and communicate through your calendar

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/28/calpal/

·         Ustream, live-streams red carpet events, could possibly be the next big acquisition for a media company

o   http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/twitch-ustream-next-billion-dollar-target-1201253157/

·         Apple’s wearable devices allegedly won’t be shipped until 2015

o   http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6083075/apple-wearable-iwatch-reportedly-wont-ship-until-2015

·         Aziz Ansari is directing his Twitter followers to go to his site and input their phone numbers to enter a lottery to win tickets to surprise ‘pop-up’ shows in certain cities

o   http://recode.net/2014/08/28/want-to-see-aziz-ansaris-next-stand-up-show-check-twitter-then-give-him-your-phone-number/

Deals:           

Business:

·         Tencent, Baidu, and Wanda form an $814MM joint venture to take on Alibaba

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/28/tencent-baidu-and-wanda-form-814m-joint-venture-to-take-on-alibaba/

o   http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/to-compete-with-alibaba-a-chinese-e-commerce-company-is-born/?_php=true&_type=blogs&module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Technology&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0

·         Microsoft is shutting down MSN Messenger

o   http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/29/microsoft-is-finally-shutting-down-msn-messenger-the-im-client-nobody-used/

·         Tesla shares reached an all-time high after news was released that they reached an agreement with China Unicom

o   http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tesla-shares-hit-record-high-after-china-unicom-deal-2014-08-29

Exec Moves:

·         Evite names new CEO – Victor Cho

o   http://www.socaltech.com/evite_names_new_ceo/s-0056693.html

·         TNT & TBS head of programming, Michael Wright, to exit

o   http://deadline.com/2014/08/michael-wright-tnt-tbs-head-programming-to-depart-825402/

·         Chelsea Clinton to exit NBC News

o   http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/chelsea-clinton-to-exit-nbc-news-1201293928/

·         Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, hired Pekka Rantala to be name their new CEO

o   http://recode.net/2014/08/29/angry-birds-maker-rovio-names-new-ceo/

Retail:

·         JustFab, an online subscription retailer, raises $85MM in a Series D round at a $1B valuation

o   http://www.socaltech.com/justfab_raises_8_m_at__billion_valuation/s-0056699.html

o   http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/justfabulous

Startups:

Government:

·         Barclays loans Detroit $275MM to help get the city out of bankruptcy

o http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/barclays-agrees-to-lend-detroit-275-million-to-exit-bankruptcy/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Restructuring%20&%20Bankruptcy&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

·         UK terror threat level has been raised to ‘severe’

o http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2014/08/29/uk-terror-level-raised-to-severe.html

Other:

·         Malaysia Airlines to cut nearly a third of its workforce

o   http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/29/us-malaysia-airline-restructuring-idUSKBN0GT0KR20140829