Disney Considering Marvel, ‘Star Wars’ Streaming Services

Even if Disney launches a Star Wars streaming service, don’t expect to catch re-runs of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

With its involvement in Dish’s Sling TV service, Disney has shown that it’s willing to experiment with making its high-value cable programming available to consumers who don’t want traditional cable TV. So why not look into that same approach for its marquee movie titles?

Deadline reports that during a recent call with analysts, Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed the Sling deal, which gives subscribers online access to live TV feeds of at least four Disney properties — the Disney Channel, ABC Family, ESPN, and ESPN 2.

ESPN is generally seen as the most desired piece of the basic cable pie, which is why it’s the most expensive. Iger told analysts that there’s “definitely an opportunity” to explore more streaming opportunities with ESPN content.

The sports network already streams certain content through its WatchESPN service, but viewers must authenticate through a participating cable provider, meaning people without pay-TV can’t access it. Heck, there are still 20 million DirecTV subscribers waiting for the ability to view WatchESPN, even though the two companies announced a deal more than a month ago.

In terms of Disney’s other properties, including its namesake brand, Iger said, “We think we have that opportunity with a Disney branded service. We may have an opportunity with a Marvel type product and possibly even Star Wars.”

Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars films when it bought Lucasfilm in 2012. So it not only has the six already-released live-action feature films — plus the upcoming movies in the series — but also animated feature The Clone Wars and the animated series of the same name.

The Marvel picture isn’t as clear. While Disney now owns Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios, some of the major Marvel movie series are produced by competing studios. For example, Fox has the X-Men films and any movies involving most of its slate of characters, like Wolverine; same for The Fantastic Four. Meanwhile, Sony produces the Spider-Man movies. (Here’s a handy infographic breaking down which studio owns which properties.)

Would either of these be sufficient for a standalone streaming service? That would probably depend on what Disney charged and whether it would create exclusive content or hold back certain movies from services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

It doesn’t sound like any of these are immediately in the offing, but the mere fact that Iger is openly admitting that his company is considering such options seems to indicate that major content providers are looking beyond the traditional pay-TV model and trying to create online packages that are more tailored to specific markets.

[via DSLreports]

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Whoever Called The Cops To Complain About Baby Kangaroo At McDonald’s Must Hate Adorable Things

(WTMJ4)

There are only three reasons I can think of for calling the police over an adorable baby animal such as a kangaroo at a McDonald’s: 1. Said animal is hopping all over the fries 2. Person is unsure if it’s legal to own baby kangaroos 3. You inexplicably loathe tiny, furry cute little faces. It’s unclear why someone at a McDonald’s called the cops to complain about a baby kangaroo in a car seat, but it happened.

The caller in Beaver Dam, WI phoned the cops to say there was a baby kangaroo on the premises — though he didn’t even see it himself and just heard it was around, reports WTMJ4, responding to the dispatcher’s questions of what exactly was going on by saying, “I don’t think that’s right, having a kangaroo in a…. I just come here, that’s what I think.”

After a few more questions, it turns out the kangaroo wasn’t in a cage, but it also wasn’t hopping around willy nilly.

When a police officer responded to the scene, he spoke to the kangaroo’s owner who provided documentation that the animal is a service animal and serves a therapeutic purpose while she’s battling cancer. She provided a doctor’s note saying as much, but did agree to leave the restaurant.

“[She] had indeed brought a small kangaroo, about a one-foot in size kangaroo, inside of a child’s car seat,” says a detective.

The woman owns the joey, named Jimmy, along with her husband, and are well known around the city for owning kangaroos and other animals in the past.

“We’ve dealt with them in the City of Beaver Dam before under similar circumstances,” the police detective says.

The couple weren’t ticketed over the incident after agreeing to leave. McDonald’s says its policy is to make its restaurants accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities and special needs.

You can listen to the complaint call below:

Woman with baby kangaroo asked to leave Beaver Dam McDonald’s [WTMJ4.com]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

AdBlock Plus Still Either Making Advertising Tolerable Or Shaking Down Publishers

(captplanetrocksmysocks)

Ad-blocking browser extensions can make Web-surfing tolerable when you find ads that are animated, pop up, or produce sound tedious. However, users’ ad-eschewing ways are bad for content providers that support themselves with sponsors. The extension AdBlock Plus tries to find a compromise between these competing interests, allowing the least offensive ads through. For a price. Now we’ve learned that big companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are paying to have ads let through the system.

This should surprise absolutely no one. The owner of AdBlock Plus says that about ten percent of publishers that take part in its Acceptable Ads initiative pay the company to have theirs let through. They say that there are about “300 sites/entities” that are part of the program, but does Google count as a single site or entity?

One ad company that’s paying for service is Taboola, one of the companies that provide “Around the Web…” content blocks to sites that lead to seeing the same posts on other sites advertised over and over.

While the company doesn’t say how much they charge whitelisted sites that are asked to pay, sites that have negotiated say that they’ve been asked to give Eyeo 30-33% of the revenues they make from ads that otherwise would have been blocked.

Over 300 businesses now whitelisted on AdBlock Plus, 10% pay to play [Ars Technica]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Whole Foods Recalls Macadamia Nuts In 6 States For Possible Salmonella Contamination

This is what the label looks like for the recalled nuts.

Hey you — Did you buy raw macadamia nuts from Whole Foods? Did you buy them in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee? If so, then you might want to check the label to see if they belong to the batch of nuts being recalled for potential Salmonella contamination.

According to the FDA, the recalled “Whole Foods Market Raw Macadamia Nuts” were packaged in 5.6 oz. plastic tubs with sell-by dates of 4/22/15, 5/4/15 and 5/6/15 and a UPC code of 7-23055-21415-3.

In addition to Whole Foods stores, they were also sold at Greenlife Grocery and Harry’s Farmers Market stores in the above states.

Thankfully, no illnesses have been reported thus far. The possible contamination was discovered during routine testing conducted by an FDA-contracted laboratory.

For those who don’t know, Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

If you have any of these potentially tainted nuts, you can return them to the store with your receipt for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Whole Foods Market Customer Service, 512-477-5566 ext. 20060, Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm CDT.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Traveler Says TSA Jailed Him For Making Complaint, Lied In Court About Bomb Threat

(Bill Binns)

What line does a traveler need to cross before he’s deemed worthy of arrest by airport security agents? According to one man, not only was he detained overnight after attempting to file a complaint about the way he was being treated, but a TSA supervisor then lied under oath about a bomb threat the traveler never made.

The Philadelphia Daily News has the story of a local man who was traveling from Philly to Miami in Jan. 2013 when he was put under scrutiny by airport security.

A scan of his bag brought up some questions about a tube-shaped case that showed up on the scan (it contained a heart-monitoring watch), and screeners asked him if he had any “organic matter” in his bag.

Thinking that organic matter referred to things like fresh produce and not highly-processed packaged foods, the traveler didn’t mention the energy bars he’d packed. This failure to disclose apparently didn’t go over well with the TSA supervisor. According to the traveler, the agent became confrontational.

After the energy bars were determined to not be a danger to anyone on the plane, the traveler asked to file a complaint about his treatment. He says he was told to wait while the form was obtained, but instead of returning with paperwork, TSA agents came back with police officers who handcuffed him and took him to an airport holding cell.

Three hours later, he was taken to another holding cell at a city police precinct, where the traveler says no one told him why he was being detained. It wasn’t until his 2 a.m. arraignment that he learned he’d been accused of “threatening the placement of a bomb” and making “terroristic threats.”

Thing is, he says he hadn’t done any of that. And the TSA agent’s initial statement about the incident doesn’t seem to indicate that there was a real threat made.

When the agent first talked to police, he claimed the traveler had said, “anybody can bring a bomb and you wouldn’t even know it,” which is a matter of opinion and not a threat.

That statement was later upgraded to “I could bring a bomb through here any day of the week and you would never find it,” which someone could possibly argue might be construed as a threat.

But when the case came to trial, that TSA agent testified that the passenger had put his finger in agent’s face and told him, “Let me tell you something. I’ll bring a bomb through here any day I want.”

The agent also claimed under oath that it was the passenger who was making a scene.

“I saw a passenger becoming agitated,” he testified “Hands were in the air… had both hands with fingers extended up toward the ceiling up in the air at the time and shaking them.”

Except the Daily News’s Ronnie Polaneczky writes that the actual security footage from the airport shows quite the opposite. According to her account of what can be seen in the video, the traveler remains calm, with his laptop tucked under his arm and his hands clasped in front of him.

“Not once does he raise his hands,” writes Polaneczky. “Not once does he point a finger… If anyone is becoming agitated, the video shows, it is [the TSA agent].”

The court never got the chance to see this footage as the judge threw out all charges against the traveler within minutes of hearing the agent’s testimony.

But it may all finally come to light now that the traveler has filed a federal lawsuit [PDF] against the TSA, the agent, the Philadelphia police department and the officers involved.

The complaint alleges violations of the traveler’s Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure, and use of excessive force; false arrest; false imprisonment; malicious and retaliatory prosecution; and unconstitutional infringement of free speech.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Delta Air Lines Will Now Serve Starbucks Coffee On All Flights

(emilybean)

Expanding on an earlier deal that had Starbucks name-brand coffee served on certain West Coast shuttle routes and flights from New York’s JFK to California, Delta Air Lines says it will now be serving Starbucks coffee on all its flights, which is about 5,000 flights daily.

The two companies already had a partnership in place, as Delta served Starbucks-owned Seattle’s Best Coffee on its flights since 2011, notes Reuters, but it will now be switching to the Starbucks brand for all customers.

Customers will have the option of Pike Place Roast and VIA Ready Brew Italian roast decaf in co-branded cups.

This is just one part of Delta’s efforts to team up with other brands to lure in customers, including gate-to-gate Porsche service at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

“Going forward we’ll be able to look at other parts of the travel experience, be it on the ground in our Sky Clubs or in other parts of the journey,” said Mike Henny, Delta’s director of onboard customer experience.

It’s worth noting that Alaska Airlines already has served Starbucks on its planes since 2012, so this brings the heat of competition on even more between the two airlines. And it’s likely that other airlines will want to follow suit — something Starbucks would consider.

“We’ll continue to evaluate opportunities as they come to us in the airline and other sectors,” said Michelle Burns, vice president of branded solutions at Starbucks.

Delta Air Lines expands partnership with Starbucks [Reuters]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Conrad Hilton Charged With Disrupting Flight After Alleged Death Threats, Smoking Pot On Plane

(zonaphoto)

There are troublesome airline passengers, and then there are those who take bad behavior to whole new heights. Allegedly. According to authorities, Conrad Hilton, the grandson of the Conrad Hilton who started a hotel empire, interfered with flight crew on a British Airways flight. He allegedly spewed death threats, threw punches at crew, called fellow passengers “peasants” and smoked pot and cigarettes in a plane’s bathrooms.

The 20-year-old brother of erstwhile celebutante Paris Hilton was charged with interfering with a flight crew after a trip from London to Los Angeles back on July 31, reports the Associated Press, during which he allegedly made children cry with his death threats and foulmouthed language.

It all started soon after the flight took off, and lasted throughout the entire 10.5-hour flight, according to a 17-page affidavit by an FBI agent.

Hilton wouldn’t keep his seat belt fastened and started pacing the aisle as the aircraft was still ascending, the report said, complaining that another passenger was giving him the “stink eye.” Oh no, not that.

When the flight crew told him to get back in his seat, he allegedly became disruptive and threatened to kill several flight attendants and a co-pilot in a series of rants, threatening to get them fired, the affidavit said.

“I could get you all fired in five minutes. I know your boss,” Hilton allegedly said. “My father will pay this out, he has done it before. Dad paid $300,000 last time.”

It doesn’t stop there: He’s accused of throwing a punch inches from a flight attendant’s head that missed and hit the bulkhead, though the crew member said that while he felt threatened, he didn’t think he wanted to hurt him.

Though a co-pilot was assigned to babysit him, Hilton allegedly ran to a lower deck restroom saying he was upset by a breakup and wanted to smoke marijuana. The odor of pot drifted out of the lavatory soon after, the affidavit said.

When he was confronted about that situation, he allegedly ran upstairs to the upper deck restroom and smoked a cigarette. A paper towel was found stuffed in the smoke detector.

Finally the little tyrant fell asleep, and was handcuffed to his seat for the 90 minutes left in the flight.

Upon landing in Los Angeles he told the FBI agent he was returning from Greece and had taken a sleeping pill in London. The affidavit said he admitted to calling other passengers “peasants” and said he would have killed a flight attendant if another passenger hadn’t been there to talk him down.

“A hundred percent I would have killed him,” Hilton said. Seriously? the FBI agent asked.

“No, but I would have knocked him the (expletive) out.”

He was charged yesterday in U.S. District Court in ankle chains with his hands manacled at his waist. A judge asked if he understood his rights and the charges, which were filed on Monday. He’s facing a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he’s convicted.

He answered “Yes, your honor” after each question, but didn’t enter a plea. He was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond, ordered to appear for arraignment March 5 and told to continue mental health treatment.

Paris Hilton’s brother Conrad charged with disrupting flight [Associated Press]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Staples Finally Proposes To Office Depot With $6.3 Billion Merger Deal

(Mike Mozart)

(frankieleon)

A day after it was reported that Staples and Office Depot had entered into advanced talks about a merger, it appears one of the companies popped the big question. Staples will buy Office Depot for $6.3 billion in cash and stock in a deal to bring the No. 1 and No. 2 office supply chains together to do battle with big box stores and online retailers.

The New York Times reports that the biggest remaining U.S. retailers of basic office supplies inked the deal after significant pressure from shared investor Starboard Value.

The activist investor publicly demanded merger talks begin and later threatened to take over Staples management if the company didn’t pursue a merger.

Ron Sargent, Staples’ chief executive says in a statement, that the company expects at least $1 billion in savings through the merger.

“These savings will dramatically accelerate our strategic reinvention which is focused on driving growth in our delivery businesses and in categories beyond office supplies,” he said in a statement.

While the two companies appear to have found a mutually exclusive deal, they will likely face close scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

Sargent says that both the Staples and Office Depot boards had analyzed the regulatory environment, and both believed the deal would be approved.

Still, Sargent tells the Times he couldn’t predict how regulators would evaluate the transaction.

“It’s not our place nor could we publicly handicap what the FTC might say,” he said.

If the deal is completed without the company being forced to sell off substantial assets or retail locations, the combined venture will operate 4,400 stores and have sales of roughly $34 billion.

However, if regulators require divestures amounting to more than $1.25 billion in Office Depot’s revenue or have a material adverse affect on Office Depot’s international operations, Staple can walk away from the deal.

Rumblings of a possible merger between Office Depot and Staples began in mid-December.

At that time, Starboard had recently taken a 5.1% stake in Staples and increased its existing holding in Office Depot by about 10%.

This wouldn’t be the first go-around for a union between the two retailers; 17 years ago regulators objected to Staple’s attempt to buy Office Depot.

But analysts say that this time around the companies might face less scrutiny since the office supply landscape has changed significantly with retailers like Amazon and Walmart selling supplies now.

Office Depot previously purchased the other top office supply store, Office Max, in 2013 for $967 million. That deal was given the go-ahead after regulators deemed there was plenty of competition in the office supply industry.

Officials with Office Depot and Staples say they expect the deal to close by the end of the year.

News of the proposed merger marks the second time in recent months that activist investor Starboard Value has been able to flex its muscle and push around companies.

Previously, the company roundly mocked Olive Garden and then seized seats on its board of directors just a few short months ago

Staples to Buy Office Depot for $6.3 Billion [The New York Times]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

10 características de un buen conferenciante para eventos #infografia #infographic #marketing

Hola:

Una infografía con 10 características de un buen conferenciante para eventos. Infografía realizada con Piktochart.

Un saludo

10 características de un buen conferenciante para eventos

Archivado en: Formación, Infografía, Marketing on line, Sociedad de la información Tagged: formación, Infografía, internet, Marketing, tic



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10 características de un buen conferenciante para eventos #infografia #infographic #marketing

Hola: Una infografía con 10 características de un buen conferenciante para eventos. Infografía realizda con Piktochart. Un saludo



TICs y Formación http://ift.tt/1KbDbiZ Via Alfredo Vela y www.bscformacion.com