Virtual reality was supposed to be Imax’s next big thing. Now, the company is questioning its commitment to the new medium.
— Read on variety.com/2018/digital/news/imax-vr-closures-1202906222/

A new study from Harvard reveals that open plan offices decrease rather than increase face-to-face collaboration.
— Read on www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/its-official-open-plan-offices-are-now-dumbest-management-fad-of-all-time.html

NBC News has hired Dylan Byers as senior media reporter, based in LA. Byers will cover Silicon Valley and Hollywood, with focus on Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Netflix and  emerging players.
— Read on deadline.com/2018/08/dylan-byers-nbc-news-hollywood-silicon-valley-cnn-1202446592/

Irony Alert: Disney (Yes, DISNEY!) Whines About ‘Overzealous Copyright Holders’ | Techdirt
— Read on www.techdirt.com/articles/20180815/01040040434/irony-alert-disney-yes-disney-whines-about-overzealous-copyright-holders.shtml

The studio suffers a setback at the summary judgment phase of an ongoing lawsuit.
— Read on www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/disney-finds-not-easy-sue-knock-characters-at-birthday-parties-1134235

Former Baidu Inc. executive Qi Lu has been named head of Y Combinator China, marking the American startup incubator’s first full-fledged international effort.
— Read on www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-15/y-combinator-to-set-up-china-arm-with-ex-baidu-exec-qi-lu-as-ceo

The Information claims Uber is currently spending up to $200 million per quarter on its AV development.
— Read on www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/investors-uber-self-driving-car-program/

As cultural, social and technological change rock the entertainment industry, these top colleges and universities — from USC to AFI — are training the next generation of cinematic geniuses.
— Read on www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/top-25-american-film-schools-ranked-1134785/item/2018-top-25-film-schools-usc-1134784

Why building a business that’s dependent on Facebook is ‘crazy’

Digiday editor in chief Brian Morrissey says publishers were naïve if they didn’t think Facebook would eventually put its own interests above theirs.

https://www.recode.net/2018/8/16/17696534/facebook-digiday-brian-morrissey-peter-kafka-media-podcast?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=81618&utm_content=81618+CID_b8ce0b9023a4e99bb49dc9bbd2858b1c&utm_source=cm_email&utm_term=Why%20building%20a%20business%20thats%20dependent%20on%20Facebook%20is%20crazy

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, Dies at 76

“Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, the eruptive singer who reigned atop the pop and R&B charts in the late ’60s and early ’70s with a succession of albums and singles of unparalleled …

https://variety.com/2018/music/news/aretha-franklin-dead-dies-76-1202907265/

As Jessica Chastain’s director steps down over past assault, the Time’s Up leadership struggles to weigh “varying degrees of misbehavior” and whether a rush to redemption could leave powerful predators invincible: “We can’t let pain and confusion keep us from hearing women’s voices.”
— Read on www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/is-time-up-metoo-grapples-paths-redemption-1134578

The networking giant shows strength in both old and new businesses lines.
— Read on www.wsj.com/articles/cisco-is-getting-its-groove-back-1534371553

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences faces sharp criticism over a plan to overhaul the Oscars telecast and add a category for “popular film.”
— Read on www.wsj.com/articles/as-oscars-get-a-rewrite-many-pan-the-changes-1534420800

Astronomical gap between the pay of workers and bosses exposed in report on earnings of America’s top 350 CEOs
— Read on www.theguardian.com/business/2018/aug/16/ceo-versus-worker-wage-american-companies-pay-gap-study-2018

Celebrities and social media stars investigated for not labelling posts – Evening Express
— Read on www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/business/celebrities-and-social-media-stars-investigated-for-not-labelling-posts/

On YouTube, the personal moment has transformed from bare-bones confessional to something unabashedly public.
— Read on www.wired.com/story/youtube-coming-out-videos/

With a soaring S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average, CEO salaries compared to that of their workers is climbing to recession levels.
— Read on fortune.com/2018/08/16/ceo-salary-pay-workers-gap/

A year after Travis Kalanick left as CEO, Uber reported a $891 million net loss in its second quarter, while revenue growth declined to 49%
— Read on fortune.com/2018/08/15/travis-kalanick-uber-still-posts-massive-losses-sees-revenue-growth-slow/

Do consumers really care if smartwatches look and feel like the wristwatches of old? Samsung thinks so, but millions of Apple Watch owners say otherwise.

— Read on www.fastcompany.com/90219096/why-samsungs-big-round-smartwatch-will-be-roundly-dismissed

First announced a year ago, the integration was supposed to happen by the end of last year, but the two companies “wanted to make sure we got things right.”

— Read on www.fastcompany.com/90219160/after-a-long-delay-amazons-and-microsofts-bots-are-finally-talking

“Believe it, darling!”: A longtime magazine editor enters the hospitality industry.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/style/tower-bar-gabe-doppelt.html

Meredith Kopit Levien, who became chief operating officer last year at the New York Times, has pursued nontraditional advertising deals as she tries to navigate unforgiving waters in publishing.
— Read on www.wsj.com/articles/the-woman-behind-the-new-york-times-high-risk-high-reward-business-strategy-1534325400

Condé Nast Takes First Step Towards Global Integration, Merging Condé Nast Traveller’s US and UK Editions | News & Analysis | BoF
— Read on www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/conde-nast-takes-first-step-towards-global-integration-merging-conde-nast-travellers-us-and-uk-editions

NBC News Is Expanding Its Daily News Program on Snapchat to Instagram | TVNewser
— Read on www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbc-news-is-expanding-its-daily-news-program-on-snapchat-to-youtube-and-instagram/373797

There could be a push to strip its broadcast licenses.
— Read on www.axios.com/sinclair-broadcasting-tribune-media-deal-fallout-54b70cd5-be65-4b7b-8a71-91a6935e0bc0.html