The Voice coach
Williams is confirmed as one of the coaches on Season 7 of The Voice. The reality show’s official Twitter page makes the announcement.
This is going to be so fun.
Okay, we can OFFICIALLY say it! WE ARE SO #HAPPY to announce PHARRELL WILLIAMS = #NewVoiceCoach for SEASON 7. pic.twitter.com/GayqbMeU1l
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) March 31, 2014
‘New Horizons’ vision
During a debriefing of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, the Pyeongchang 2018 Organizing Committee (POCOG) states that a ‘New Horizons’ theme will be central to their games. Many new winter sports facilities will be built for the games, including areas for figure skating, hockey, speed skating, luge, bobsled, and skeleton events.
Our vision is very clear: new horizons, developing industries, building a hub of winter sports in Gangwon province. Our Games will also be a Games of culture, environment and peace.
Renewed for two seasons
HBO renews the series for another two seasons.
Game of Thrones is a phenomenon like no other. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with their talented collaborators, continue to surpass themselves, and we look forward to more of their dazzling storytelling.
Removes bread chemical
Subway announces azodicarbonamide will be phased out from its bread by next week. Azodicarbonamide is approved by the FDA as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner, but its use in food has been petitioned by consumers who note it is also used in yoga mats and is banned in other parts of the world.
You see the social media traffic, and people are happy that we’re taking it out, but they want to know when we’re taking it out. If there are people who have that hesitation, that hesitation is going to be removed.
Production deal
GFW signs production deal with Biggest Loser creator, Dave Broome. Broome’s 25/7 production company will produce live events and a future unscripted series for the wrestling promotion.
We’re excited to enter this journey with a group as talented as Dave Broome and 25/7, They’ve achieved some great things over the past decade and we feel like they can lend a unique perspective both in and out of the ring.
Raises funding terms
Altman announces the company is increasing the amount it provides to approved startups. In return, it will take a slightly larger equity stake of 7%.
$97k was about right at the time, but the cost of living in the Bay Area has gone up substantially. So we’re increasing the total to $120k, which we hope is enough for the founders to run their business and pay their living expenses for at least six months, and sometimes longer.
Sheeran, The Game collaboration
Sheeran announces he and The Game plan a joint album to be released in 2015. The Game and Sheeran only planed to collaborate on one song together but, when they got in the studio they recorded seven instead.
Ed came up with the idea to start working on a joint album, and we started doing it. He was on that guitar. Acoustically, he’s a genius, man, so when he does that, what comes out of me is songs like (The Game hits) Dreams and Hate It or Love It and My Life. The songs that we got, they’re real songs. And I can’t wait for people to hear ’em.
Preparations on track
The International Olympic Committee says that preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics are on track. This is contrast to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which has had chronic construction delays:
The 2018 Games are on the right track but it is clear that much work remains. With only four years to go until the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games begin, it was important for the commission to be able to survey the progress being made on the different venues. We are pleased to see that work on key sites like the sliding center and coastal Olympic Village has begun.
Joins GOT directors
Slovis joins the lineup of directors for Game of Thrones season 5. During an event at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Slovis reveals that he is set to direct the first and second episodes of Season 5.
Renews contract with TBS
O’Brien renews his TV talk show’s contract for four more years with cable network TBS . Since his move to TBS from NBC, the host has attracted younger viewers to the network. The show produces an average of more than 800,000 viewers, with most of the audience being under the age of 40.
Tried to persuade Saddam Hussein to resign
During a 45-minute question-and-answer Branson says that he, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan were close to persuading Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to resign when the American bombing of Iraq began.
There had to be a better way to get rid of Saddam Hussein than having to kill and maim a lot of people. The after-effects of the Iraqi war and the fallout has been pretty horrendous for a lot of people.
Branson says his non-profit, Virgin Unite, wants to use The Elders, his group that includes Annan, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, to bring an end to conflicts world-wide.
Obviously, everybody in the world must believe that conflict is no longer necessary in the world today. It’s up to organizations like The Elders to stop conflict from happening in the first place.
Groups channels by genre
The provider announces new channel groupings based on genre and makes HD options automatically available to customers with an HD box.
Channels will be grouped into themes like Entertainment, News & Info, Sports, Music, Kids & Teens and Premiums. Likewise, On Demand content will be found on channels 1000 and above in categories like Primetime On Demand, Entertainment On Demand, Kids On Demand and Music On Demand.
All parental control and DVR settings will transition automatically, so customers don’t have to worry about reprogramming their parental control settings or losing recordings of their favorite shows.
Dedicates song to wife
Thicke debuts a song from his upcoming album, Paula, on the 2014 BET Awards. The new song is entitled Forever Love. Before the performance begins, Thicke tells the audience:
I’d like to dedicate this song to my wife. I miss you, and I’m sorry.
Detainees arrive in Qatar
The U.S. government releases Taliban detainees to Qatar to complete the prisoner exchange. A video uploaded onto a Taliban website shows these detainees being welcomed to Qatar.
4 – 5 more years as CEO
At the annual Tesla general shareholders meeting Musk announces that he plans to stay on as CEO for four or five years, or at least through volume production of Gen 3, the mass market, $35,000-a-year car.
No one is a CEO forever. Eventually they carry you out.
Market research supplier named
Nielsen is announced as official market research supplier for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. The company will report public opinion and expectations surrounding the games. This is the third time the company has been selected. Ragasol, President of Nielsen Brazil, says:
Organising these events is the most important showcase that a country can have. Our mission is to help the Olympic Movement take decisions and support Brazil in delivering the best Games in history.
Open Automotive Alliance
Google creates the Open Automative Alliance to bring the Android system to cars. The companies in the alliance include Google, GM, Honda, Audi, Hyundai and Nvidia. The group’s focus is to integrate Android into the entertainment system. They will develop new features that will allow developers to add car modes to the apps. The alliance plans to launch the first cars in late 2014.
Facebook cancellation hoax
A message being spread on Facebook that Season 5 has been cancelled is proven false. The link acts as a lure to a webpage which attempts to convince the user that their Java plug-in needs to be updated. The download is believed to be malicious.
Doodle competition winner
Audrey Zhang of New York wins the Google Doodle art contest. Zhang’s drawing will be animated and displayed on the search engine’s homepage. The doodle, entitled Back to Mother Nature wins out of 100,000 submissions. The scene shows a system that can convert polluted water to clean water for both humans and animals. About her doodle, Zhange comments:
I was thinking that if we didn’t have water, we couldn’t live.
In addition to her work on display, Zhang will receive a $30,000 college scholarships and a $50,000 grant for technology towards her chosen school. Google also will donate $20,000 towards clean water in Bangladesh.
Leprechaun: Origins trailer
WWE Studios releases the theatrical trailer for Leprechaun: Origins. The film, a reboot of the Leprechaun series, stars Hornswoggle, Andrew Dunbar, Brendan Fletcher and Teach Grant.
