Spending your free time shooting animals is a pretty stupid hobby in the eyes of many people. Especially if you fly to faraway countries and pay a lot of money to shoot the biggest and rarest animals possible. Every now and then a case comes to the public, for example when a dentist shoots a very famous, old lion for fun and shares the photo afterwards on Facebook. But even if the victim is not a celebrity: animal protection organizations like Peta find hunting unnecessary and reprehensible in any case. Since the passion for this questionable pastime is usually passed down from generation to generation and arguments usually fall on deaf ears, Peta, together with the Mulenlowe agency, has launched condoms especially for hunters: Huntsman. And disseminated them in hunter circles with campaigns and promotional activities - including own website. Good shot! (hae)

In western Switzerland, there had been conflicts between photographers and festival operators, particularly at the Paléo music festival in Nyon and the Montreux Jazz Festival. As a result, the photographers and the festivals worked out a charter on working conditions by mutual agreement. The aim is to ensure that the existing restrictions are not extended any further or become an irrevocable habit, as the professional association Impressum announced on Wednesday. This has been achieved with the charter. Photographers can in principle take pictures during at least the first three performances of the artists. The festivals also undertake to make appropriate areas available to them. The festivals also undertake to ensure that the artists do not demand any right of inspection, assignment of image rights or time restrictions for the use of the photographs. In addition, the festivals must disclose if images they have published have been retouched or approved by the artist. At present, the charter only applies to the Paléo and the Montreux Jazz Festival, said Laurent Gilliéron from the Board of Swiss Photojournalists. They have not yet had time to approach other events.

Festivals satisfied

The festivals are satisfied. This charter lays down key values and can act as a preventative measure, said Antoine Bal, media spokesman for the Montreux Jazz Festival. He also recalled the role of the festival, which serves as a link between the musicians' management and the photographers. The Paléo is also "very satisfied", as media spokesperson Michèle Müller said. They have been working for years to ensure that there are as few restrictions as possible. It is also in the interest of the festivals that good quality images appear in the press. (SDA)

Photo: hae/advertising week

In recent weeks, Edelweiss has sent two new aircraft into the air: Accompanied by spectacular events at Zurich Airport, an Airbus A330-300CT was christened "Chäserrugg" and an A320 "Blüemlisalp". Ferris Bühler Communications is responsible for the new naming concept and its implementation. The Baden-based PR and storytelling agency is flying the new aircraft under the motto "Where Edelweiss is at home". They will be named after domestic vacation regions where edelweiss actually grows, thus promoting Switzerland worldwide.

The concept is implemented in cooperation with the respective vacation regions. For this purpose, Ferris Bühler Communications designed domestic relaxation islands that convey wanderlust. Thus, Edelweiss is present in the respective partner regions with a wooden resting bench in the shape of airplane seats. A special signpost tells hikers the number of flight hours to dream destinations in the Edelweiss route network. Tourists can tag their Helvetic vacation moments with the hashtag #flyedelweiss and share them on Instagram. The first Edelweiss flight seat was ceremoniously inaugurated last weekend at Lake Oeschinen in cooperation with Kandertal Tourism.

Responsible at Edelweiss: Corinne Römer (Project Management), Andreas Meier (Corporate Communications). Responsible at Ferris Bühler Communications: Ferris Bühler (Creative Direction), Ennie Bertelli (Project Management & Events), Olga Cudakova (Creative Team), Markus Tofalo/Selica Media (Creative Team)
 

Initially available only in the U.S., the feature complements the "buy" buttons that merchants can embed in photos with items. About ten million products are available via Pinterest through partnerships with 20'000 merchants, the company announced in a blog post late Tuesday. The shopping features have not yet been launched in Switzerland. On Pinterest, users can save photos from the web in online collections and browse image collections. The service sees itself as a "visual search engine" and wants to play a role as an idea generator, for example when people look around for inspiration for new home furnishings, fashion or travel. The shopping focus also fits in with this: users often come to Pinterest when they are looking for something, emphasizes co-founder and chief executive Ben Silbermann. In addition, a feature where similar photo content - whether furniture, buildings or fashion - could be found within the platform is being developed further. Pinterest is experimenting with the possibility of also finding real-world objects on the platform via the camera. Fashion retailer Zalando, for example, also offers a similar function via its app for clothing. According to current figures, the so-called home feed, in which a selection of images is displayed for the respective user, plays a central role for purchases made directly on Pinterest. Around 30 percent of shoppers make purchases from the products displayed there. A quarter find the goods via a search query.

Less annoying advertising

Currently, Pinterest's central source of income is so-called "paid pins," which brands can place in a user's field of vision. The start-up is convinced that such advertising is less annoying than with other online services because it matches the user's current interests. "Buy" buttons, which basically cost brands nothing, could also be placed in this environment, Silbermann emphasized. "We want to create for discovery what Google has achieved for web search," he said. In that regard, Silbermann said one strength of the service is that the collections of photo "pins" would be assembled by users. "People organize content differently than computers - for example, dishes by taste. Computers would sort more by ingredients," he explained. The San Francisco-based company has more than 100 million active users worldwide. Pinterest does not provide specific details on individual countries. Further globalization of the business is on the agenda for this year, Silbermann said. Pinterest was valued at $11 billion in a financing round last year, according to media reports. According to the Wall Street Journal, the startup made about $100 million in revenue last year. (SDA)

A guest article by Sandro Morghen, Senior Experience Designer at Nexum Switzerland.

Few technologies have been the subject of such intense and varied media scrutiny over the past decade as 3D printing, and probably few technologies have been so broadly conceived and endowed with so many technical and commercial implications as the essentially simple idea of reproducing any conceivable object at the touch of a button.

The wealth of applications, which range from mundane marketing gimmicks to sophisticated high-tech innovations, encompasses a multitude of areas of life, business and science: While the production of amazingly detailed miniature statues of oneself, the printing of small jewelry items or the manufacture of simple spare parts are still among the more trivial areas of application, the spectrum of what can be achieved appears to be many times wider. For example, researchers are already working on the foundations that will soon enable them to press far more futuristic-looking products such as human tissue, implants or even artificial meat through the 3D printer. Sensational news from the world of 3D printing regularly makes headlines in the media. In 2014, for example, the first 3D-printed car was unveiled - the printing process took 44 hours - and in April of this year, the first robot produced using the 3D printing process, which does not require any further assembly processes, saw the light of day, so to speak, in the world of technology.

The power of data

In 2013, the then 25-year-old American Internet and gun activist Cody Wilson caused a heated discussion when he published the complete 3D printing data for printing out a functioning firearm on the Internet. The debate, which earned Wilson a place in Wired Magazine's ranking of the 15 most dangerous people in the world, made it clear that the "magic" behind the technology cannot be explained by the design of the 3D printers alone, but is also determined to a significant extent by the 3D printing data available. After all, if a 3D printer is not fed the appropriate data, it is about as useful as a smartphone without an Internet connection.

It is therefore not surprising that 3D printing is increasingly becoming a primarily data- and Internet-driven phenomenon. Makerbot, a pioneer in the manufacture of 3D printers for home use, has created a social network for 3D printing data with its website thingiverse.com and is representative of the trend towards ever greater digitization of the technology. On the website, users upload the print data of their self-designed 3D designs, download the works of others and are also active with likes, comments and shares. Thingiverse is considered a success story - the platform reports considerable growth figures. The more than 50'000 designs currently available range from tools, gadgets and toys to jewelry, household tools, art and accessories for 3D printers. The works on display prove sometimes very, sometimes moderately useful, but overall testify to a vibrant movement, sustained by an enthusiastic fan community driven by the vision and fascination of making objects at home at any time, and remarkably, independent of companies and organized manufacturing. Makerbot itself no longer sees its future exclusively in the development of 3D printers, but increasingly in the expansion of the thingiverse universe, and in April of this year outsourced its own production to China, which is considered a caesura among experts.

Social network for the 3D printing community: On thingiverse.com, users discover hundreds of thousands of product designs. (Image: Screenshot thingiverse.com)

B2B and prototyping in focus

As fascinating as the grassroots movement of 3D printing nerds may be, it has yet to achieve a commercial breakthrough with consumer devices on every desktop. Nevertheless, the American market research company IDC forecasts an increase in global annual investment in 3D printing technology from USD 11 billion in 2015 to almost USD 27 billion by the end of 2019. Experts see 3D printing primarily as a technology that will benefit manufacturing companies in particular.

The research institute also specifically examined the use of 3D printing in the automotive industry as part of its study and found that in 2015, 3D printers were used for prototyping or rapid prototyping purposes at a rate of around 90%. According to IDC, only 10% of the technology is used purely for production purposes.

A technology chameleon

So has 3D printing now found its definitive destiny as a prototyping technology? It would be premature to make a final statement on this. After all, change is one of the few constants of the 3D printing phenomenon. Hardly any other technology has changed so much over the decades, like a chameleon, and has constantly realigned itself as 3D printing has done. And hardly any technology has gone through more than 30 years of development without reaching the commercial mainstream.

A bold idea comes of age: HP has positioned itself in the high-end sector with the "HP Jet Fusion" series. (Image: HP)

3D printing through the ages

3D printing was invented in 1983, just a few years after the introduction of the first IBM PC, under the somewhat unwieldy term "stereolithography. Whereas before the start of the Internet era the miniaturization of devices and ever new materials and improved printing processes brought 3D printing steadily forward, not least the advancing digitization seems to be acting like a fire accelerator on the technology. Never before have expectations of the possibilities of 3D printing technology been as high as they are today. And the euphoria has never been more justified. This is partly due to the astonishing progress that science has made in disciplines such as medtech, foodtech, materials research and nanotechnology, or to the achievements in digital technologies such as artificial intelligence or virtual inventory (for making 3D printing data available on the web, for example).

3D printing has always been closely linked to progress in other areas, and experts see considerable potential in particular in the use of innovative new materials such as carbon fibers, powdered metal or titanium to radically improve the mechanical, chemical and thermal properties of printed products. Advances in artificial intelligence research are also expected to boost 3D printing even further in the near future, according to researchers. Already, the world's first car chassis has been unveiled that was designed based on AI algorithms and then printed on a 3D printer, and just recently, an amazingly detailed replica of a Rembrandt painting caused a worldwide sensation. The 3D printer used was not fed the necessary data by a human being - in this case, the programming was done by artificial intelligence.

Car chassis from the AI lab: Intelligent algorithms independently create their own designs and print them out on the 3D printer. (Image: Forbes.com)

Distributed manufacturing is another area where innovations in 3D printing can be expected in the near future, and experts believe that a significant shortening of the printing process can be expected in the future, which in turn should lead to further exciting areas of application.

Movement in the Swiss market

In Switzerland, too, enthusiasm for the topic of "3D printing" is growing. Numerous agencies, creative studios and so-called "fablabs" offer a wide variety of services. The sometimes colorful range of services includes the production of 3D prints from data brought in, comparable to traditional print and copy stores, support in the production of rapid prototypes, but also seminars and advice on strategic issues relating to 3D printing. And with manufacturers such as Delta Tower, 3D printers "made in Switzerland" have long been available.

Every innovation has its moment

Is it right to call 3D printing a "pincer birth", given the many years we've been waiting for a final breakthrough into the mainstream? After all, other technology trends in the past can claim to have turned entire markets upside down in a much shorter time. Consider the comparatively rapid rise of the personal computer or Apple's iOS universe. Maybe so. But if history has taught us one thing, it's the wisdom that every innovation has its moment, and that applies to 3D printing as well.

Further information and sources:

 

http://www.augment.com/blog/technology-trends-2016-augmented-reality-and-3d-printing/
http://www.talentinternational.com/is-3d-printing-the-next-hot-startup-trend/
http://news.mit.edu/2016/first-3d-printed-robots-made-of-both-solids-and-liquids-0406
http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503360/makerbot-manufacturing-outsource-china-industry-city
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/3d-printing-the-trends-that-will-change-the-game-in-2016/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ricksmith/2016/01/12/8-hot-3d-printing-trends-to-watch-in-2016/#493d75f7319a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody_Wilson
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D-Druck
www.makerbot.com
www.thingiverse.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strati_(automobile)
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3053520/analytics/ai-just-3d-printed-a-brand-new-rembrandt-and-its-shockingly-good.html

 

A song says more than a thousand words. In the show "Ich schänke dir es Lied" people tell their personal story. And they surprise a particular person with a song, the song of their shared story: from romantic pop ballads to folk songs, rap or rock songs - for moments of friendship, falling in love, saying goodbye or happiness. Each song is performed by a well-known artist - the focus here is on Swiss musicians. SRF wants to promote national music and offer a platform to local artists with this event.

The surprise for the recipient can take place anywhere: in the pedestrian zone, in your own garden, in the office canteen or even live in the studio. Sometimes it is huge, sometimes small and intimate - but it always happens for a good reason.

In four live shows from the Bodensee Arena in Kreuzlingen, there are ten people, ten stories, ten surprises and ten songs. In each show, viewers choose three of the ten songs that particularly touched them - in the fifth and final live show, twelve of the total of 40 songs are finally up for selection for the final voting. In the end, the audience decides which is the most emotional song from all the "Ich schänke dir es Lied" shows.

SRF will announce the presenter and the exact broadcast dates at a later date. You can apply for the show at srf.ch/ichschaenkedireslied.

The German industry magazine Kress Pro with editor-in-chief Markus Wiegand stirred up a lot of dust on Wednesday: Research is said to have revealed that ARD expert Mehmet Scholl and ZDF pundit Oliver Kahn are to be compensated with seven-figure euro sums every year (Werbewoche.ch reported).

In response, both ARD and Oliver Kahn harshly criticized the magazine. ARD spoke of "almost deliberate malice", Kahn described the research as a "blatant false report" and appealed to the journalistic responsibility of the media.

On Thursday, the reaction from the Kress camp. Kress Pro editor-in-chief Markus Wiegand demands in a commentary ARD and ZDF to disclose the contracts. Because he stands by the figures he published. "We have researched the story to the best of our knowledge and belief and trust our sources."

Also Kress.de editor-in-chief Bülend Ürük criticizes the reaction of public broadcasters to the research. "When things get tight, attack is often the best defense". Broadcasters, directors and their enforcers in the sports editorial offices had allowed themselves to be "infected by the frenzy of figures for broadcasting rights, million-dollar salaries for kickers and an almost unstoppable commercialization of football".

The situation in Switzerland is somewhat more transparent - and far less spectacular. Opposite Tagesanzeiger.ch SRF studio expert Andy Egli makes no secret of his salary: "I receive 2,000 francs per studio session, including expenses and social security contributions. For a whole day with three European Championship matches, I got 3,000 francs, for a day with two matches 2,500 francs." Another pundit, who does not wish to be named, is also not interested in his remuneration being discussed in the media: "It's nobody's business what I get for a fee. There is a certain amount for a game that everyone has to negotiate personally with SRF." (hae)

Take a look at our new survey on this topic (right).

Anyone who is asked when downloading an app whether they want to allow access rights such as "to record the user's location" or "to send data via the internet" should perhaps think twice before giving their consent. This is because a study by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) considers these rights to be problematic in terms of data protection law. In the study, the authors investigated the extent to which mobile applications are capable of invading users' privacy and collecting information about their behavior.

The study concludes that every second free app has access to sensitive information. According to the study published on Tuesday, just over 50 percent of free apps require permissions that are classified as problematic. In contrast, this proportion is only 20 percent for paid apps. For the providers of low-cost and free apps, the calculation still works out: The ability to access users' personal information is of value to the providers. They make their profit by selling products and services through the app or alternatively with personalized advertising and trading the collected data.

Whereabouts and address book

The authors identified a total of 136 different rights, 14 of which they classify as problematic for the protection of privacy. These include, for example, the right to "identify the smartphone with a unique ID". The conclusion is that around 40 percent of all apps make use of at least one of these problematic rights. 28% of apps had the option of uniquely identifying app users via their ID. In addition, app providers had the option of recording the location of users in 24% of all apps. A further eight percent of apps can access the user's address book.

Trust in the "good reputation"

It is true that the information about the required access rights does not leave users completely cold when making a download decision. According to the study, apps that require critical permissions are installed less frequently. However, this effect is rather small and disappears almost completely if app providers already have a certain level of awareness. The authors observe a "reputation effect" here, which causes users to be more willing to share sensitive information. The study examined the apps available in the Google Play Store in 2012. (SDA)

The magazine's lawyer, meanwhile, speaks of "justified journalism". The two professors Philipp Sarasin and Svenja Goltermann have filed a lawsuit for personal injury against Weltwoche and its journalist Philipp Gut. In the civil proceedings, the two historians employed by the University of Zurich are demanding, among other things, compensation in an amount not quantified in court (Werbewoche.ch reported). In addition, various articles published in Weltwoche are to be deleted from the Internet archive, but the verdict that will one day be passed is to be published in the magazine.

From October 2014 onwards, the Weltwoche published the thesis that Professor Sarasin had helped his mistress Goltermann to get a job at the university. He had not resigned during the selection process in 2009 to 2011. Weltwoche wrote of "relationship corruption." The two professors said they only became a couple in 2013, long after the appointment process.

The professors' lawyer pointed to 19 articles in 14 issues before the Zurich District Court on Tuesday: he spoke of "unprecedented, irresponsible journalism." He said that none of the accusations were true. There was no evidence to confirm the articles. The journalist's defense attorney, on the other hand, spoke of "justified journalism. According to him, Philipp Gut had seven different informants, some of whom came from the university environment. These would confirm the thesis.

As expected, however, the lawyer announced that Gut would invoke the protection of sources and editorial secrecy and would not disclose the names. The court is now clarifying whether witnesses should be questioned. It is not yet known when a decision can be expected in these civil proceedings. In the fall, criminal proceedings on the same matter are scheduled before the Zurich District Court: The public prosecutor's office has filed charges of defamation, among other things. (SDA)

No one has any intention of building a wall. Except Donald Trump. His wonder is supposed to stop Mexican immigrants from crossing the border illegally into North America. But to finally make America great again, he first has to become president. But after we have already seen in Great Britain that many people only look more closely at whether and what they should have voted for after the fact, we are ready for anything in the fall. Until that time comes, the advertising shows us in which direction it could go. Created by agency 180LA and filmed by Oscar winner Bob Richardson ("Django Unchained," "Inglourious Basterds"), the spot shows why the 360-degree camera 360fly-4K is good. You can see everything, in all directions. Even when others can't see it. (hae)

How the portal Kress.com According to reports from the magazine Kress Pro, former soccer star Scholl is to be "compensated" with 1.6 million euros per year from the ARD fee pot for his services as an ARD expert. Former national team goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is also to be paid a seven-figure sum for his ZDF punditry. That would be up to 50,000 euros per assignment.

The two public broadcasters initially remain silent about the figures, but claim that they have to pay the experts in line with the market. This is understandable, says Kress editor-in-chief Markus Wiegand, who describes the sums as a "scandal". "The vast majority of viewers would never approve of such sums if they knew about them. That's why ARD and ZDF prefer to keep the fees for their football public information broadcasters secret." And he goes in his editorial even further: "Scholl and Kahn would actually have to bring money with them to be allowed to use the jointly financed platform. After all, they both market themselves as advertising media and their value lies above all in the fact that they are permanently present in places with high ratings."

The former long-standing editor-in-chief of the specialist magazine Schweizer Journalist is generally against the idea that broadcasts of major sporting events should be paid for by the public sector. This is because private broadcasters would be able to refinance them if the public broadcasters did not outbid them with fee money when awarding rights. ARD and ZDF value football finals and Olympic Games so much because they want to gain legitimacy from the public.

"Almost resembles deliberate malice"

In the course of Tuesday, ARD then takes a clear stance on the circulating figures. "It is almost like deliberate malice what figures are being written and multiplied here in connection with Mehmet Scholl's expert contract," said ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky. "These sums currently being bandied about do not even come close to reality and have no basis whatsoever". However, according to Balkausky, ARD will not comment on the content of contracts with employees.
However, the sources on which Wiegand's published figures are based are still unclear.

The expert concerned, Oliver Kahn, also spoke out on Facebook on Tuesday. It was a "blatant false report that lacks any basis". Kress.de spread misinformation that was deliberately intended to create envy and resentment among the public and spoil viewers' enjoyment of the coverage. Kahn also pointed out that he would not take legal action against the publication. (hae)
 

Two well-known Swiss musicians meet without knowing who their counterpart is. The only thing that is certain: A new song must be written and produced within 48 hours. The two songmates form a community of destiny, chosen by musical director Adrian Stern.

Peter Reber meets Anna Rossinelli. Casting star Luca Hänni is up against multi-instrumentalist Lea Lu. Bastian Baker is looking for a common path with Sina. And James Gruntz has to make common cause with Baschi. However, the song challenge is not only associated with the pressure of the 48-hour deadline. Adrian Stern also gives all songmate pairings a song theme.

Songmates is a mission without a safety net. The tips from the only advisor Adrian Stern prove to be valuable time and again. But the stars have to write the song all by themselves. Luca Hänni and Lea Lu seek initial inspiration in their music studio. There, the young man from Bern proves to be a competent pianist and guitarist. Bastian Baker hits the right note with the first riff, and Sina surprises with "instruments" that the Lausanne native would probably never have expected in connection with songwriting. But it can also be resinous: James Gruntz and Baschi give away valuable hours with funny sayings, rearrangements in the hotel room and countless attempts to get a lyric right. And if the duo Reber/Rossinelli think they are on the road to success, they soon realize that the new song sounds suspiciously like an existing hit.