Reverberate: Media and marketing news you need to know today – Apple Watch launch, Wikipedia to sue the NSA and Uber to enlist a million female drivers
Good morning all, here’s a round-up of all the media and marketing news you should know this morning.
Tim Cook unveils the long anticipated Apple Watch
1. Unless you've been in hiding you're unlikely to have missed Apple's tech launch yesterday. The Wall Street Journal reported live from the launch, as chief exec Tim Cook unveiled the brand's long anticipated Apple Watch and introduced a new 12-inch MacBook that weighs two pounds, as well as announcing an exclusive streaming partnership between HBO and Apple TV.
2. But not everyone is best pleased with Apple, as many iOS users have woken up this morning to find an Apple Watch ad that can't be deleted installed on their iPhone's home screen, reports CNET. The app's purpose is to control the new Apple Watch, but until the product's release in April it can only be used to watch videos promoting the wearable.
3. Business Insider reports that Wikipedia is set to sue the National Security Agency (NSA) and the US Department of Justice, challenging the government's mass surveillance program. The lawsuit, which will be filed on Tuesday, claims that the NSA's mass surveillance of internet traffic in the United States violates the First Amendment.
4. California-based transportation network Uber has said it wants to enlist one million female drivers by 2020 according to Mashable. The initiative is the result of a partnership with UN Women and follows news that the ridesharing startup has pledged to recruit 50,000 service members, veterans and military spouses as drivers as part of its UberMilitary scheme.
5. An NBC and Wall Street Journal poll has revealed strong support for Hilary Clinton's presidential bid amongst the Democrat Party, whilst Republicans have a more mixed view of their field, with only 49 per cent saying they'd back Jeb Bush.
6. Microsoft has produced an ad to recruit female scientists for 2027. The film examines why more women don't pursue roles in the field before instructing want-to-be scientists to contact recruiting2027@microsoft.com, reports AdWeek.
7. Tech website Gigaom has shut down after running out of funding, notes The Verge. Despite a lot of new content flooding the site on Monday, including analysis from the Apple event, management ended the day by announcing that all operations had "ceased" as a result of the firm's debts.
8. McDonald's has announced the "urgent need to evolve" after another decline in worldwide sales, says The Guardian. The slip came amid a new advertising campaign that allowed customers to 'pay with lovin' and global sales fell by 1.7 per cent. In the US, sales at restaurants open at least 13 months slipped by 4 per cent last month.
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