Morning bulletin: Vurb snapped up, BBC bats off Inverdale critics & dark satellite
This morning’s bulletin stretches from the Rio Olympics to outer space as the BBC defends embattled commentator from fresh accusations of sexism, China steals a march on its rivals with a ‘hack proof’ satellite and Snapchat enters the search business fray with its acquisition of Vurb.
China’s technological ambitions earn it a place in Reuters front page this morning following the launch of a ‘hack proof’ communications satellite capable of relaying sensitive data between the Earth and space without fear of foreign powers eavesdropping.
Search start-up Vurb has been subsumed into Snapchat with the ephemeral messaging app coughing up $200m for the ‘experience’ focussed portal which aims to connect people with fun and interesting things to do.
Centre billing at Ad Week is handed to Nike’s ‘Iron Nun’ commercial which shames couch potato’s into action by profiling an 86 year-old triathlete nun whose motto is ‘The only failure is not to try’.
Ad Exchanger picks up the thread of Raycom Media’s recent purchase digital ad platform PureCars for $125m last November, which has enabled local dealers to market themselves on TV alongside the big guns and could even inform branding strategies informed by data on the ground.
Elsewhere Business Insider observes that not happy with having created Android Google is set to unleash another operating system into the world, codenamed Fuschia. Details of the colour coded OS remain sketchy with a leaked description stating simply: ‘Pink + Purple == Fuchsia (a new Operating System)’.
Embattled Olympics presenter John Inverdale has been defended by bosses at the BBC following a toe-curling gaffe in which he was corrected by tennis gold medallist Andy Murray after falsely asserting that he was the first player to win twin Olympic golds (ignoring the achievements of Williams sisters Venus and Serena). Whilst some have claimed this was evidence of sexism the BBC said it was a ‘simple error’.
The Guardian also reports that Radio 5 Live is to cease transmission of its Non League Football Show, although the programme will live on as a podcast, after Audiboom stepped up to the plate to keep fans in the loop.
Google also makes it onto the pages of the FT which covers its belated entry into the world of video calling apps with the launch of Duo, aiming to claw back ground lost to Apple’s FaceTime.
Reuters also reports how consumer products giant Unilever has branched out into the air purification business after acquiring Sweden’s Blueair for an undisclosed sum just one month after concluding a deal for Dollar Shave Club.
Retail Week reports that British Sugar, a division of Primark parent Associated British Foods, has partnered with other industry voices in a rear guard action against a proposed levy on sugar sales.