Famed Japanese designer went from the Olympic Flame to something far more utilitarian. Prominent Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka created the Olympic Flame for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Made of recycled aluminum waste , it was fashioned into the shape of a cherry blossom—Japan’s most beloved flower. But now that the games have been postponed until next summer, Yoshioka has turned his attention elsewhere: a face shield to guard against coronavirus transmission. Read Full Story

Fox Sports’ head of digital David Katz breaks down why the new app is trying to bring everything—news, live games, social—under one roof, in real-time. The first pitches of the 2020 Major League Baseball season will be thrown on Thursday night, as the Opening Night games kick off between the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals, and the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. As with all major sports since the pandemic hit, this baseball season is going to be significantly different. The number of games has been cut to 60, teams are starting with 30-man rosters (up from 26) presumably for some buffer if anyone tests positive for COVID-19. Read Full Story

The athletic world and the virtual realm are playing by a new set of rules. Sport has been forever changed. History might paint the transformation as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, but, in reality, the evolution had already started. The coronavirus has been a catalyst for accelerated change. The playing field has not been leveled; the boundaries have been completely redefined. Read Full Story

The perils of doing a live daytime talk show during a pandemic. These are challenging times. COVID-19 has incited the panic-buying of toilet paper and toothpaste, cancellations of just about every type of event from weddings and funerals to basketball games and Broadway shows, and catastrophic closures of many businesses. With everyone now at least aware that they should #stayhome to #staysafe, there are not many places to turn to escape the chaos. Read Full Story

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has helped spark a digital renaissance in one of the world’s most famous games. As a global pandemic continues to determine a new normal, tens of thousands of viewers have been tuning in to watch people play chess on a live-streaming website called Twitch.tv . An American chess grandmaster, Hikaru Nakamura, along with a number of celebrities of the video game world, is leading a renaissance in the ancient game. Read Full Story

30-second summary: Healthcare and educational institutes win consumer trust while media and government struggle March saw push notifications reach their highest direct open rates and 32% of website visits were through these mobile app push notifications Mobile remains the best way to engage people with push notifications DemandLab’s recent ‘Martech stack optimization survey’ reveals that 53% of marketing leaders have no plan in place for their martech stacks Deals have shown a positive graph, Australia and Germany are opening up their economies due to some relief from the COVID-19 hit Conviva study segments streaming behavior across regions and devices – TV, PC, live streaming, and video on demand Standard ads vs COVID-19 based ads, what performed better? More on what CMOs’ immediate budget actions should be Information is power and mental health is key. In light of current events, we took the onus to save you the effort and have …

Different teams are handling tickets to canceled games in different ways. Some are giving credits, some outright refunds. Last night was a doozy as far as coronavirus news went. The president of the United States announced he was banning most travel between America and certain European countries , then Tom Hanks announced he and his wife have caught the coronavirus, and finally, the NBA announced it was suspending the rest of the basketball season. Read Full Story

The online video game lets Gen Z rebuild its physical campuses from scratch. Coronavirus has forced schools around the world to close, and with the virus showing no signs of slowing down, most institutions have already postponed their commencement ceremonies or moved them online. Students haven’t been able to engage with classmates and coursework in person, but they’ve used their time at home to create a new type of year-end experience using Minecraft . Read Full Story

Under normal circumstances, it would not be surprising that the list of top Breakthrough ads of Q1 would be heavy with Super Bowl ads. This year is no different in that respect, but the coronavirus pandemic has brought about some COVID-19 related ads that have also made their way onto the list. This is per… Read More » The post There Were the “Breakthrough Ads” of Q1 2020 appeared first on Marketing Charts .

CRISPR gene-editing trials have taken off—and may hold the key to medical breakthroughs. CRISPR-Cas9 is a method for quickly and accurately editing the genome of virtually any living thing. Using custom-built guide RNA paired with a cutting enzyme (Cas9), it can find and snip a selected sequence of DNA or RNA, eliminating or replacing a “bad” gene. Since it was first described, in late 2012, CRISPR has drastically accelerated the scope of research and moved into practical applications in medicine. So far in 2020, there are 15 trials underway. In medicine, where new drugs take a decade or more to develop, that’s game changing. Read Full Story