Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have decided to change some wedding plans. Fear not, the ultimate pop-culture couple are still getting hitched. The two have just pushed the wedding date up from July to May.
“North will have a large role in the wedding!” an insider told Us Weekly of the couple’s 8-month-old adorable daughter.
Another source said the two have been planning “lots of events leading up to the big day” for their guests.
It seems like the magical day will not be happening in the states. The KUWTK bombshell spilled the beans to Jimmy Kimmel about the wedding day location.
“We will be getting married this summer in Paris,” she said after putting an end to the rumors saying the location was at the Palace of Versailles.
“We love it there,” the now brunette babe gushed.
It seems the romantic location is the perfect spot for the lovebirds to get hitched considering how close it is to their hearts. Kardashian even revealed that the two share an apartment in Paris.
“It’s like our second home. We spend so much time there,” she continued.
While it was no secret the star had selected Paris at the location, she wouldn’t exactly divuldge as to where the specific location of the wedding and reception would be.
Kimmy also told the talk show host that Kanye was equally as interested in planning the wedding as she was.
“I know they think or they say that the guy usually doesn’t really care and just shows up. Kanye really cares and he’s really passionate about it,” she went on to say.
The legendary singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan, is being sued by a France-based Croatian organization for an alleged comment that he made last year during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Dylan is being accused of comparing the conflict of the Serbs and Croats to the Jewish persecution by the Nazis.
“It’s a distraction. People at each other’s throats just because they are of a different color. It’s the height of insanity, and it will hold any nation back – or any neighborhood back,” Dylan was quoted as saying. “Or any anything back. Blacks know that some whites didn’t want to give up slavery – that if they had their way, they would still be under the yoke, and they can’t pretend they don’t know that. If you got a slave master or Klan in your blood, blacks can sense that. That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood. It’s doubtful that America’s ever going to get rid of that stigmatization. It’s a country founded on the backs of slaves.”
The charges against Bob Dylan in France are illustrative of why I think hate speech laws are awful. http://t.co/j9dMynxAZI
Vlatko Maric, secretary general of the Representative Council of the Croatian Community and Institutions, said that his organization started the case close to a year ago. Dylan was informed of the investigation last month shortly after receiving one of Paris’ most prestigious awards, the Legion of Honour.
Maric explained the organization’s decision to sue Dylan. “An entire people is being compared to criminal organizations like the Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan,” he said. “The Croatians are peaceful people who respect Bob Dylan as an artist, but we must remind him that he can’t make such remarks. We have nothing against him, but the Croatians do not want to be insulted.”
France going after Bob Dylan is dumb and it highlights many of the problems with Europe's hate speech laws http://t.co/4qaHAttsjU
Takashi Yanase, creator of the coveted Japanese cartoon character, Anpanman, died early Sunday. Yanase, 94, had been undergoing liver cancer treatment since August. He passed away due to heart failure at a Tokyo hospital. His studio broke the news today, posting a simple, “R.I.P.” on Facebook.
Yanase took a Japanese snack called anpan, bread filled with bean paste, and turned it into the beloved superhero Anpanman. He battled the villain Baikinman (meaning germ man) to rescue those in need. Anpanman was not averse to self-sacrifice, allowing those who were starving to feast on his doughy head.
After the devastating March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, Anpanman brought cheer to Japanese residents and Yanase, who had briefly retired before the blights, was compelled to return to work.
The voice of Anpanman, actress Keiko Toda, says of Yanase, “Mr. Yanase was the Anpanman. He embraced us gently and taught us to share. We’ve lost a precious guiding post.”
As a rotund, jovial, defender of the weak, Anpanman sports a red suit, a cape and a smiley face on his chest. He got his start in a picture book series dating from 1973 and graduated to a television cartoon series, Let’s Go! Anpanman, in 1988. His popularity has spread throughout Asia and beyond, allowing the book series to reach 68 million copies over 30 years.
Anpanman even has an entry in the Guinness World Records for the largest number of characters (over 1,700) in a TV series, in 2009. The series still holds a prime place on Friday afternoon programming.
Yanase started as a graphic designer. He penned poems and children’s songs, ending his monthly poem this month with, “It’s October as usual. I’m doing fine, so please feel at ease.” Yanase was known for his peace-loving messaging. He served as the head of the Japan Cartoonists Association until last year, when he chose to retire the 12-year post.
Miranda Kerr is back on the catwalk, walking for Chanel’s 2014 Spring-Summer prêt-à-porter show and Stella McCartney’s Spring 2014 show, during Paris Fashion Week. The 30-year-old wife and mother strutted right alongside models almost 10 years younger, including hot ticket Cara Delevingue (21-years-old).
The former Victoria’s Secret Angel is also gracing the cover of November’s Cosmopolitan magazine. She is taking this opportunity to offer commentary about her success and the strength and support she needed to get where she is today. During the Cosmo interview, she gives a shout-out to hubby Orlando Bloom and reveals their son’s opinion—two-year-old Flynn—about who does the bulk of the work in the family, “Flynn says Mommy works and Daddy plays, because Daddy is in a play… so that makes sense.”
“I’m a lot stronger than people think,” Kerr says, talking about starting her own company—Kora Organics, skincare products—and the intensity of being involved at every level. “I’m that person who says, no matter what the problem is, there’s a solution. That’s the way my brain is wired… I can take no for an answer and accept it—but if there’s a solution and I can make it work, why wouldn’t I?”
But Kerr also promotes a little alternative women’s lib, with a plug for McCartney, “Don’t feel like you have to do and be everything. Let the man do some things for you, because if he cares for you, he will want to. When I get home, I’m not the boss like I am at work—I slip into a more feminine role. I take everything off and put on my Stella McCartney silk robe.”
Aussie-born Kerr also spoke about the downsides of the modeling world. “Models are some of the most insecure people I’ve ever met,” Kerr told Cosmo, “They’re constantly being told they’re not good enough. You’ve really got to practice loving yourself.”
Wondering what a super model takes home as a souvenir from all her exotic photo shoots? “I collect underwear from my travels. Lace, lingerie, bodysuits…they’re like souvenirs.”
Goodbye George, hello Jared! Love is definitely in the air, and Jared Pobre looks to be basking in the ambiance of it all with his new love interest Stacy Keibler. After suffering a public summer breakup with Hollywood heart-throb, George Clooney, the actress and former WWE Diva has set her sights on greener pastures, and Jared Pobre is definitely site she sees.
E! has received confirmation from notable sources that the Future Ads’ CEO and business conglomerate is quite smitten with Keibler. However, it’s easy to see that this admiration isn’t some unrequited love affair, as the attraction is blatantly mutual – so mutual that the two are actually enthralled in the throes of budding love right now on a romantic getaway in France for Paris Fashion Week. Keibler shared a glint of her happiness, posting a picture on Instagram. The two were together at dinner raising their wineglasses. The picture’s caption read, “Love being in the city of love! @JaredPobre.”
The picture depicted such a warm embrace that gushed happiness and contentment. Keibler also shared an Instagram picture last week before taking off to Paris. She, Pobre, and two other acquaintances were standing in front of a jet. The picture’s hash-tag-filled caption read, “#killingit #teamlifechange @JaredPobre @AlecMonopoly #DavidTrends.”
Judging from the romantic affinity between the two, her loaded hash-tag caption looks to be true. They’re definitely killing it in Paris, and their love may possibly be life changing.
Goodbye woolen jacket, hello thigh-high slits! Kim Kardashian and rapper beau, Kanye West made their ‘all black’ grand entrance at Givenchy’s Spring-Summer 2014 Runway Show during Paris Fashion Week, Sunday Sept 28. Kim donned a form-fitting black dress that featured a peplum top with a cleavage-baring sheer neckline, a side ruffle, and a thigh-high slit. The dress definitely complemented her post-maternity figure.
West was also adorned in an all black ensemble. The “New Slaves” rapper wore a designer suit with an overcoat and ankle boots.
Kardashian also took time to share a tweet extending her gratitude to Givenchy designer, Riccardo Tisci, for designing the black number on such sort notice. According to her tweet, Tisci, whom she affectionately refers to as “Ricky,” actually just made the dress yesterday.
Riccardo Tisci is definitely no stranger when it comes to Kim and Kanye. He has a designer history with Kardashian as he also created the famed floral maternity design she wore for the Met Costume Institute Ball in May. He also contributed to the design art work for two elements of Jay-Z and Kanye’s collaborative project – the “H.A.M.,” single cover art, and the “Watch the Throne,” album cover.
Most would consider it exhilarating to jet-set across the world to the “City of Love.” However, for reality TV star Kim Kardashian, and her beau Kanye West, the trip is bittersweet. The trip is their first without their daughter, North, who’s a little over three months old now.
“Kim was sad to say goodbye. This is the first time she’s been away from the baby,” an insider told US Magazine.
However, the trip wasn’t one of leisure. It’s actually business as usual. Radar Online reports that the inseparable pair arrived in France by private plan, Saturday Sept. 28 to attend Paris Fashion Week. In an effort to elude the paparazzi given West’s latest media rant and ‘shutterbug’ entanglement, the couple took strategic measures in planning their departure. The two opted to fly out of San Francisco, as West’s legal time has advised him to avoid the paparazzi.
The two were spotted earlier today leaving at the George V Hotel. Kardashian also chimed in on Instagram to share a picture upon their arrival in Paris.
Paris Fashion Week, the two were also seen entering the offices of luxury designer Givenchy. The two visited notably famous Vogue Magazine editor, and close mutual acquaintance, Carine Roitfeld. Kardashian recently posed for Roitfeld’s new biannual magazine, CR Fashion Book. The photo-shoot captured gavid glory in a number of distinctively furrowed photos during Kardashian’s pregnancy. Kardashian appears on the cover of the 340-page magazine, which hit newsstands in France on Sept. 12.
Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend, and baby’s daddy, Kanye West, have left the United States and are now having a romantic getaway in Paris for fashion week.
The couple left on a private jet on September 27, leaving their 3-month-old baby, North West, at home in Los Angeles. This is the first time that the new mom has been away from North.
“Kim was sad to say goodbye,” a source tells Us Weekly. “This is the first time she’s been away from the baby.”
On Saturday, Kim and Kanye checked in at the George V Hotel and were photographed later together while headed to a meeting. Kim posted on of the pictures saying “Bonjour Baby” on Instagram.
Kanye spent several months in Paris prior to North’s birth while working on fashion design.
“I spend 80 percent of my time working on [fashion] and 20 percent of my time working on music,” Kanye told Zane Lowe in a BBC Radio 1 interview on September 26. “Why do you think the song ‘N—as in Paris’ is called ‘N—as in Paris’? Because n—as was in Paris! That’s why we were in Paris. I’ve put in the 10,000 hours.”
Kim was seen earlier this month getting North’s first passport, but the couple has not yet taken her out of the United States.
“The prison hangman loitered in a Lahore graveyard…” sounds like the beginning to a great novel. Rather, it’s the first line of the New York Timesfeature on Pakistani hangman Sabir Masih, who has been idle since Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari declared a 2008 moratorium on capital punishment. Masih is featured in a couple of interviews since 2011, so at least there’s that…
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently announced an investigation into the moratorium, which his adviser, Sartaj Aziz, says is, “not legal.” Zardari will be out of the President’s office on Sunday and will be unable to combat the review, though he has said he will maintain his position against capital punishment for the remainder of his time in office. The Pakistani military also generally supports capital punishment.
Possible reinstatement of the death penalty has drawn out an odd collection of groups in opposition, namely human rights activists and the Taliban.
Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists—who fear the spotted history of Pakistani trials when it comes to convicting guilty and innocent alike—penned a joint letter to Sharif speaking against capital punishment, saying it represents, “a major step back for human rights in the country.” A warning from a European Union trade delegation official, Ana Gomes, closely mimicked the letter, saying Pakistan’s trade future would suffer, “a major setback,” if hangings resumed.
On the other side of the spectrum—though favoring a continued stay for all executions—a Taliban commander in mid-August threatened attacks on Sharif supporters if they moved forward with executing imprisoned jihadists.
Meanwhile, Masih, whose career has racked-up about 200 executions over three years, still reports to work at the Kot Lakhpat prison bordering Lahore. He receives a monthly salary of $120 but he reveals that the majority of his day is spent drinking and smoking at the graveyard with fellow Christians (and out of sight of Muslims, who are restricted from alcohol use).
Some rumors indicate that incoming president, Mamnoon Hussain, may be in favor of extending the ban. Zardari was unable to completely prevent all executions in the last years but he had the power to prevent the majority.
Lamenting the lack of work, Masih says, “My job requires courage… because one moment a person is alive, the next he is gone.” Masih is practical about possibly resuming his duties. He calculates that if the hangings are loosed, “I might have to hang three or four in a day.” He sets his record in one day at six hangings.
Pre-moratorium, Pakistan’s predilection to hangings kept men like Masih plenty busy in comparison to other nations. Up to 27 violations from blasphemy to computer crimes are hanging-offenses and at last count by Amnesty International (excluding China numbers, which probably outrank Pakistan), 8,000 Pakistanis on death row account for about one-third of those serving death sentences worldwide.
Masih has admitted to finding executions difficult initially but he, “learned not to think about it.” He said, “I believe in the Bible and it teaches us, just like the Qu’ran, that it is an eye for an eye. People convicted for murder do not deserve to live, unless the aggrieved party pardons them.”
Masih explains that it is not his job to judge those he hangs, “I just follow orders.” About his customers, Masih says that some cry and most pray. The Lahore hangman revealed some of the science of his work during his interviews, explaining rope measurements, weighing inmates and typical dialogue as the convicted approach the noose.
Note: Video contains some comments of a sensitive nature. Not for all audiences.
Masih, now 29, shared early memories of accompanying his father to the gallows with interviewers back in 2011. The hereditary occupation has been a part of the family since the British ruled the region, involving his father and grandfather. The work is not just in Masih’s immediate family line; his cousin travels around Punjab to perform executions since not many will do the job, and he boasts that the brother of his grandfather was, “the famous executioner of Bhutto.”
Passing the executioner’s craft from father to son is common throughout history as the position is not often coveted. The Sanson family of Paris carried the profession through multiple generations back to the 1600’s. At the height of the French Revolution, Reign of Terror period, Charles-Henri Sanson along with his son and assistants employed the guillotine to execute up to 50 victims a day. Sanson’s memoirs reflect a pragmatic but compassionate practitioner who also considered judgment outside of his jurisdiction.
The biopic is simply titled Diana and it premiered Thursday to controversy that probably ought to have been expected. The star portraying the iconic princess of Wales is Naomi Watts, and Watts seems to be catching most of the lightening. Diana’s death is still very raw and her life, or rumors about it, beforehand drew paparazzi and controversy like few others.
The film about Diana, whose death in Paris in 1997 is being reinvestigated by British officials as of mid-August, is based on the book Diana: Her Last Love, by Kate Snell. The book and subsequent film suggest that Diana started dating Dodi Fayed—pursued by the press along with Diana when the car they were in slammed into a pillar in a Seine-side tunnel, killing both—in order to make Hasnat Khan jealous.
Who is Hasnat Khan you say? He is the London-based Pakistani surgeon who is rumored to be Diana’s true love and one she nicknamed, “Mr. Wonderful.” Khan says he does not intend to see the film and pans it as, “completely wrong.” He has remained silent on the topic of a relationship with the princess.
Watts, a British-Australian actress known for roles in King Kong, Mulholland Drive and recently The Impossible, admits that she was taking a risk by accepting the role. She hopes Diana’s sons with Prince Charles, William and Harry, “will feel that we have done it in a respectful and sensitive way… we try to honor the depiction of her character in the best possible way.”
During a BBC radio interview, with presenter Simon Mayo, Watts stormed out when a question offended her. Watts is getting extra scrutiny for her resemblance to the “People’s Princess,” or lack thereof according to critics, getting flack for wearing a prosthetic nose for the movie. You be the judge…
(image)
The royal family apparently gave some help in terms of film locations but otherwise has ignored the movie. Scenes were filmed in Kensington Gardens, a favorite jogging locale for Diana, but a family spokesman says the Gardens are not under their jurisdiction.
Watts confesses to channeling Diana during filming, saying she was regularly asking her permission to continue: “I felt like I was spending a lot of time with her. There was one particular moment when I felt her permission was granted.”
Here are a few reviews from the British critics off Rotten Tomatoes:
Google has teamed up with the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to create a trio of online exhibitions for the Google Cultural Institute, to let Internet users explore the Eiffel Tower in new ways without having to go to Paris.
Google’s Street View team went up the tower using the Street View Trolley, and shot 360-degree views of the tower’s architecture and its views over the city.
The trolley was made for Google’s Street View cameras to easily fit through museum doorways and navigate around sculptures. It’s basically a camera on a push-cart.
“The first exhibition presents the birth of the Eiffel Tower from the initial idea until its realization,” explains Yoshitake. “You can then follow the construction of the monument step-by-step through photos and sketches. Details on the inauguration and the first visitors lie in the third exhibition, with photos of people admiring the Paris vista on the opening day leading into today’s Street View imagery from the top floor. Did you know that during the Tower’s inauguration for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the elevators were not yet in service but 12,000 people per day rushed to climb the 1710 steps leading to the top?”
While it didn’t make its way into Google Cultural Institute exhibitions, Google also recently captured Street View imagery at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world (in Dubai). For that, Google used the Trekker camera device.
A train has derailed in Paris, leaving 7 people dead and several more injured, authorities say.
The passenger train was carrying 385 people and was head to Limoges when two of the cars derailed and took others along with it. The death toll will more than likely rise as officials scour the scene, and authorities have not confirmed whether or not passengers are still trapped on the train. Onlookers called the scene “chaotic” and said there were unattended children about. An investigation is underway as to what caused the derailment; the crash occurred at 5:15 p.m. Paris time on Friday.
The crash comes one week after Canada suffered a horrific train derailment of their own; Lac-Megantic’s town center was destroyed after a train carrying several cars worth of crude oil rolled downhill on its own and lost control, crashing with a fiery explosion into the downtown area. Officials there believe the death toll may reach as high as 50 as they continue a search for bodies.
This is a developing story; we will update this article as soon as more information is available.
Naomi Campbell, who is among the elite group of women given the “supermodel” title in the ’90s, took to the runway again in Paris on Sunday to cheers from the audience.
The Versace show was held in Paris during their fashion week, and Campbell’s return to the catwalk marked two occasions: the first time she’d modeled for Versace in 15 years, and the first time she’d been back to the City of Light since she was mugged and injured there just before Christmas. Donatella Versace said that her new collection was full of strong pieces that only Campbell could pull off, and she knew she had to have her for the show.
“I started this Atelier Versace collection by dreaming about the perfect aesthetic of the black-and-white era. I wanted to make it new, and pictured a sexy and sophisticated woman with a strong attitude. Only a true icon like Naomi Campbell could open this show,” she said.
As for Campbell, she says she’s been friends with the Versace family for so long that it didn’t require a second thought when she was asked to walk.
“We’ve known each other over 25 years now. Straight away I felt like part of the family, everybody was so warm and supportive. And of course there was Gianni. Apart from being one of the most inspirational and respected of designers of all time, he was like a brother to me…always there in good and bad times the memory will never fade. So as you can tell this is an emotional evening for me. It really is a great privilege to be here,” she told contactmusic.com.
The new Versace collection is being called a study in luxury, with a color palette in black, red, emerald green and deep sapphire and sparkling with Swarovski crystals. It was unveiled for the fall/winter of 2013.
James Lipton is best known for hosting the TV show Inside the Actors Studio, in which he conducts serious interviews with big-name Hollywood actors and actresses. It turns out, however, that the 86-year-old Lipton has a much more interesting past that involves French bordellos.
In an interview this week with Parade, Lipton confirmed that he was a pimp in Paris during the 50s. He stated that he befriended a prostitute in the city, who arranged the job for him after he ran out of money. Lipton said that he represented an entire bordello of women, taking a cut of the revenue.
Lipton emphasized that he believes the women, who were desperate for money just after World War II, were not exploited. He stated that his efforts were “completely regulated” and that the girls received medical inspections on a weekly basis.
“The great bordellos were still flourishing in those days before the sheriff of Paris, a woman, closed them down,” said Lipton. “It was a different time.”
Lipton called the experience “a great year” of his life. He also stated that he doesn’t think people should buy sex, and that if someone can’t “earn it” on their own, they don’t deserve it.
Lipton also mentioned his role in the comedy series Arrested Development during the interview. He has reprised his role as Warden Gentles in the Netflix-produced fourth season of the show, which was released this weekend.
(Image courtesy David Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons)
French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) locked up its first Ligue 1 title in nearly 20 years this weekend, sending the team to the Champions League group stage and prompting celebration in Paris. Unfortunately, police and soccer fans did not get along during the celebration, and a riot in Paris has hurt fans and damaged property.
According to a BBC News report, at least 30 people have been injured and 21 have been arrested after a planned celebratory parade for PSG turned violent. Protesters were reportedly sporadically clashing with police for hours before the city was back under police control. A boat ride for PSG players and a trophy presentation scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled.
The violence reportedly began when thousands of PSG fans grew restless while waiting for PSG players to show up at an event. Riot police fired tear gas and smoke bombs as fans threw rocks and other objects at police. The violence spilled out to the Champs-Elysees, where restaurants closed early and storefronts were vandalized.
PSG has issued a statement, saying that the riot was caused by “a few hundred troublemakers who have nothing to do with football.” The statement, in full:
The party was spoiled by a few hundred troublemakers who have nothing to do with football and even less with those that fill the Parc des Princes on match days with such passion and enthusiasm and in total security.
All the members of the club, the players and the directors, express to all those loyal and passionate fans their heartfelt regret that today’s trophy presentation ceremony had to be cut short.
The celebrations will continue this Saturday at the Parc des Princes for the Ligue 1 match against Brest, when the club and its fans will unite in the joy of Paris Saint-Germain’s first league title in 19 years.
Paris Saint-Germain is more determined than ever to build a huge European club, worthy of the French capital, and far removed from those intent on trying to destroy that dream.
I don’t think anybody would normally associate 3D printing with fashion. One Dutch fashion designer did, however, and the results are pretty fabulous.
Objet released a video interview today with Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen and MIT Professor Neri Oxman, both of which worked on a multi-material 3D printed cape and skirt. The ensemble was composed of “both rubber-like and rigid elements that are 3D printed simultaneously on the Stratasys Objet Connex system.”
The Objet blog gives some more insight into how the cape and skirt were created:
Both the cape and skirt were 3D printed on the Objet Connex500 multi-material 3D printer. They pieces were divided into 4 parts each, with each part consisting of a flexible rubber-like substrate overlaid with rigid shell-like structures – all printed in the same job. The Connex platform is unique in its ability to simultaneously use different materials for the fabrication and simulation of different end parts and properties.
3D printed clothing doesn’t look very comfortable, but I assume most high fashion isn’t meant to be. The design itself, however, is incredibly compelling, and might lead other fashion designers to look into the technology for future designs.
A $1 million Apple heist seems like a terrible plot out of the next Ocean’s 11 imitator, but such a theft actually did occur over the New Years holiday. In fact, the heist shared a number of similarities with Hollywood blockbusters due to how well the crime was organized and executed.
CNN reports that four armed robbers made their way into an Apple store in Paris on New Years. They were able to get in through a service entrance and threatened employees to let them into the back storeroom. From there, the robbers were able to get away with $1.3 million worth of iPads, iPhones and MacBooks.
So, how did they get away with it? It turns out that robbing a store on New Years is apparently easier than it looks thanks to the majority of police attention being given to the crowds outside on the streets. The police note that the thieves also knew exactly what they were doing by going after devices in the storeroom while leaving the display devices on the show floor.
This isn’t the first time that an Apple store has been hit with major thefts since the launch of the super popular iPhone 5. In Japan, thieves hit three major stores in Osaka and made away with over 100 iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5 also continues to be a popular target among those who rob people on the street, but Apple thankfully provides a free service to catch them. Unfortunately, the unactivated iPhones in Paris can not be recovered so easily.
Imagine Louis Vuitton sold high-end sedans instead of handbags and you will get a feel for what BMW was going for with the design of their newest concept store in Paris. Counter to the auto malls you might find a Beamer dealership situated within in the United States, this BMW store hangs with other hip brands from the fashion and cosmetics world in one of the city’s hottest shopping districts.
The store is the realization of what BMW hopes to make the standard of future retail automotive sales. They realize the average BMW consumer is different and has different needs and expectations than past consumers or those interested in other brands. Speaking of other brands, Ian Robertson, head of sales and marketing for BMW, mentioned that BMW is taking a cue from Apple and are moving forward to create something they’re calling “product geniuses”.
In the future, all of their retail sales will be handled by well-qualified and well-informed product specialists (A.K.A. Brand Geniuses) who are fully trained to address and highlight all aspects of BMW’s products. As you would imagine, the future of retail includes a variety of branded lifestyle products on top of the finely engineered vehicles we are all so fond of.
Vistors will find clothing, strollers, umbrellas, mugs, watches, golf accessories, sunglasses and more. BMW even offers miniature bikes designed just for the kids (see photo below). Like I sad, it’s not just a dealership, it’s a store, and it embodies a lifestyle not just a form of transportation.
Checkout Bloomberg’s coverage of the store’s grand opening in Paris:
So that’s what the future of automobile sales looks like according to BMW. If you’re looking for a good example of this on the American side, look at the work Chrysler has done with the Jeep brand. You can find the Jeep stamp on thousands of products. They are all about promoting a rugged outdoor lifestyle, even if you’ve never engaged the four-wheel drive on your vehicle.
Having ties to the royal family can often lead to disastrous media attention, and not even “Her Royal Hotness” can escape it.
Pippa Middleton–who was the object of millions of ogles after sporting a derriere-flattering gown to the royal wedding last year–is now in some hot water after one of her friends pointed a gun at photographer who was following them in Paris this weekend.
Middleton was in the passenger seat of a convertible with three male friends on Sunday when the driver took out a gun and aimed it at a French photographer who was behind the car. Although it appears he did it with cheeky intentions–and it isn’t yet clear whether the gun is real or not– the photographer didn’t appreciate looking down the barrel of a gun and is considering pressing charges.
French gun laws are becoming more and more strict since the fatal shootings of seven Toulouse residents earlier this year, and officials say that if the gun proves to be real, all parties involved could face up to seven years in prison.
“Waving a weapon in public is not only illegal — it’s incredibly stupid,” a security source said.
A Paris court found in favor of a local insurance company against Google last month regarding a dispute offer the search engine’s AutoComplete search results.
Apparently, when users typed in the name of the firm, “Lyonnaise de Garantie”, into Google, AutoComplete offered the term “escroc” associated with the term. “Escroc” means “swindler” or “crook”.
Google explained to the court that it did not influence the results of its AutoComplete technology, but rather the suggestions were the result of other users’ searches. That is to say, other people were searching for results about that insurance company being crooked. Google makes no representation as to whether the statement implied is true, accurate, etc. It simply is there because other people put it there.
“The French court in its ruling said Google can, or should, exercise “human control over the functionality” adding that absent a delegation of powers, every company head “is personally responsible for the information content that the company, according to his purpose, issues to the public.” The fine amounts to approximately $65,000.”
The notion of a party trying to hold Google responsible for simply impersonally reflecting the state of things on the Internet is not unfamiliar to Americans. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, now a Republican Candidate for President, has tried to do that himself, with no success.
As Josh Wolford reported last week, Rick Santorum has had a “Google problem“. And, as is the nature of things online, when he tried to fight it directly, it only got worse. Finally he approached Google as a corporation and demanded that the offensive search results be removed. Google refused.
This is what happens when you put Google Earth on a 48 screen display. In other words, awesome stuff, provided looking at life-sized representations of the cities and places you love does something for you. For me, just seeing it in action is impressive enough.
Thanks to details provided by the Google Lat Long blog, what we have is an awesome representation of Google Earth based on Google’s own Liquid Galaxy feature the mapping service. It should be noted Liquid Galaxy was designed with home computer screens in mind, and not displays that feature 100 million pixels across 48 individual displays that are working in unison.
Nevertheless, Google pulled it off, thanks to a partnership with Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal. The development of the display was done in conjunction with JCDecaux, which, according to their Wikipedia profile, ” is the largest outdoor advertising corporation in the world.”
Besides bringing Google Maps to a 48-screen setup, the goal of the project was also to give Parisans a look at what Paris might look like in the future. Google’s blog post explains further:
Late last year, the Paris Center for Architecture and Urbanism: Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal, approached us asking if they could use Google Earth to power a new interactive display highlighting the Paris metropolitan area in 2020 with upcoming buildings in 3D. Naturally, we were excited about the project, especially when they shared that the display would be 40 square meters – posing a fun and unique challenge.
The larger version of Google Earth is controlled by four touchscreens that can both pinch and zoom on the Google Earth image/area being viewed. Be sure and check out the video if you haven’t already, if, for nothing else, the incredible amount of wiring it took for the project to come to life.
