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Slack Tim Cook Spotify

Reverberate: Media and marketing news you need to know today – Tim Cook slams 'anti-gay' law, Jay-Z launches streaming service and Slack admits attack

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 30, 2015 | 4 min read

Morning everyone. Here's your briefing on the media and marketing news you should know today.

1. Apple CEO Tim Cook has slammed laws passed in 20 states, most recently Indiana, that allow businesses to refuse to serve people because of their sexuality on the grounds of "religious freedom". In an op-ed in the Washington Post, he wrote that the laws "rationalize injustice" and "have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality".

2. Music streaming service Spotify is launching today on Sony's PS3 and PS4 consoles, reports The Verge. The exclusive deal means Spotify won't be coming to Xbox One any time soon.

3. In more streaming news, Jay-Z is launching his own Spotify rival, Tidal, in New York today with the backing of Taylor Swift, Madonna and Daft Punk, according to Page Six. Jay-Z has cut deals with a host of artists, including Rihanna and Kanye West, to stream all their content on his service.

4. Apple is going to great lengths to sell the most expensive version of its new smartwatch, the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, claims 9to5Mac. It details how those looking to buy the luxury device will be treated to an eight-step hour long experience, and won't be subjected to having to wait in line like everyone else.

5. US coding site Github has been forced to defend itself from a massive cyber attack, says Reuters. The Wall Street Journal is citing China as the source of the Denial of Service attack.

6. Slack, the workplace instant messaging service said to be worth over $2bn, has also come under attack. In a blog post, the firm admitted hackers had access to information in its user database, which stores user names, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.

7. Amazon is to remove a “non-compete” clause from its employment contracts for US workers paid by the hour, reports the Guardian. The move follows criticism that it is unreasonable to prevent such employees from finding other work.

8. But Amazon has denied that it is in talks to acquire the London-based luxury web retailer Net-A-Porter, reports Forbes. “We are not in talks to acquire Net-a-Porter,” an Amazon spokesperson said.

9. Google and Johnson & Johnson are joining forces to develop robots that can perform surgery, according to Business Insider. The companies say they are developing a "platform" to make robotic assistants to help doctors during surgery.

10. Mountain Dew is resurrecting “Do the Dew” in its first-ever global marketing campaign, says the Wall Street Journal. The new spot debuts Monday to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of Mountain Dew’s well-known marketing slogan.

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