Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory – The Birthplace of Adidas and Puma. July 3, 2012

Born to Christoph von Wilhelm Dassler and Pauline were Rudolf Dassler and Adolf Dassler, who later became the pioneers in the field of shoe and sports apparel manufacturing. Rudolf Dassler is older brother of Adolf Dassler, and their father Christoph von Wilhelm Dassler worked in a shoe factory, hence the brothers had some insight about shoe manufacturing. In 1928, the brothers together formed the company Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik or the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, which engaged in shoe manufacturing. After the two brothers split, Rudolf Dassler formed a separate shoe manufacturing company in the name of Ruda, which was later registered as Puma; and Adolf Dassler continued with his own company Adidas. This division sparked one of the epic rivalries between Puma and Adidas, both of which are the world’s far-famed shoe and apparel brands. 

                  

Founded in 1948 and based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Ruda (‘Ru’dolf ‘Da’ssler) manufactured sports shoes. The name Ruda was later changed and registered as Puma, which is the German name for cougar. Puma’s first milestone was the manufacturing of the world’s first screwed football boots called the Super Atom. Today, it has entered into all the apparel related businesses and has become one of the best-known sports brands around the world. Puma sponsors sports athletes belonging to different countries around the world. Some of the renowned athletes who are sponsored by Puma are Usain Bolt, Sergio Aguero, and Mario Gomez, among others.

 

Initially, a part of the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, Adidas was formed after Adolf Dassler, the older brother Rudolf Dassler split up to form a separate company. Adolf Dassler was nicknamed as ‘Adi’, which was later used in the naming of the company as Adidas (‘Adi’ ‘Das’sler). Based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Adidas has grown to become one of the global leaders in the field of apparel, sports shoes, and sportswear manufacturing. Currently, Adidas manufactures products for a wide range of sports such as football, cricket, basketball, tennis, and rugby, among others. Adidas also endorses famous sports athletes such as Lionel Messi, Sachin Tendulkar, and Andy Murray, among others.

Over the years, the family feud transformed into brand rivalries, as Adidas and Puma pioneered the apparel industry with their products. Both Adidas and Puma, market and advertise their brands and products through promotions , sponsorships, advertisements, and also by organizing sports-related activities. The rivalry between the two brands has also been brought to life by sponsoring rival sports teams and clubs. In spite of the rift and rivalry, it would be fitting to say that both Rudolf Dassler and Adolf Dassler are the groundbreakers in the field of shoe manufacturing. Adidas and Puma may share intense rivalries in the sports apparel manufacturing space, but one has to remember the fact that both these companies originated from the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.

The World’s Most Famous Mobile Phone Manufacturer “Motorola” Divided. June 29, 2012

Motorola is one of the renowned manufacturers of telecommunication equipment and mobile phones. Founded in 1928 by Paul Gavin, Motorola was the developer of the first commercially successful car radio. Up until 1998, the company primarily engaged in the manufacturing of radio-related equipments, walkie-talkies, defense electronics, and televisions. Then in early 2011, the company split into two different companies in the name of Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.                         

Up until split up, Motorola designed, developed, and manufactured tablet computers, mobile phones, smart phones, two-way radios, networking systems, cable television systems, wireless broadband networks, and RFID systems. Analysts state the split up was due to Motorola’s inability to compete with the likes of Apple, Nokia, Samsung, LG, and other telecommunication device manufacturers. The split up was furthered fueled by the economic recession of the 2008 during which time the spin-off was actually announced, but was effective from January 2011.

 

 After split-up, Motorola Mobility functioned as a separate public company and was listed on New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘MMI’. The company focuses on the manufacturing and marketing of mobile phones, smart phones, cable modems, and set-top boxes. Motorola Mobility designs and supplies set-top boxes and DVRs for Verizon’s flagship digital TV service Verizon FiOS TV. In November 2011, Google and Motorola Mobility entered into merger agreement. According to the agreement, Google offered $40 per share to Motorola Mobility’s shareholders with a total transaction value of $12.5 billion. Analysts stated that the acquisition was a result of immense pressure on Google to protect its promising Android franchise from legal challenges.

 

Motorola Mobility’s product portfolio comprises of mobile phones, accessories, cordless phones, home digital video, remote access software, tablets, DSL modems & gateways, phone software, and home networking products. Motorola Mobility has overseas operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Google stated that Motorola Mobility would continue to operate as a standalone company.

 

Motorola Solutions is the other company which was formed as a result of the split up. The company was formed in 2011 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. It operates in two divisions: Enterprise Division and Government Division. The Enterprise division focuses on the development of wireless infrastructure, bar code scanning, two-way radios, wireless broadband networks, and RFID solutions. The Government division focuses on the development of analog & two-way radios, mobile computing, voice & data communication equipments, and Wireless LAN securities, among others. As of 2011, the company employed about 23,000 people and reported revenues of about $8 billion.

                                                              

 The split-up of Motorola has certainly helped to diversify its business and also focus on niche market areas. Even though the company has split-up into two separate companies, the brand recognition and reach of Motorola brand name still lives on and certainly will for many years to come. As a testament to this, the Motorola Xoom tablet device has hit worldwide markets garnering rave reviews. The legacy created by Motorola in the telecommunication market will survive the tough market competition for decades to come.

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Oscar Jamboree June 19, 2012

Academy Awards, or the Oscars as it is commonly known, is a ceremony organized by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize the extraordinary contribution of professionals towards the film industry professionals. It is the oldest award ceremony and is one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization, which maintains the voting membership of different branches of film production. The celebrities of the film industry, VIPs, business magnates, and other definitive people walk the red carpet flaunting postures to the media gathering.
The event is primarily held in Hollywood, and it takes place mostly in February or March after the relevant calendar year. The first Academy Awards ceremony happened on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, ever since, there has been 83 Academy Award ceremonies organized successfully till date. Since 2002, the Hollywood and Highland Center (Formerly Kodak Theater) in Hollywood has become the permanent venue for the ceremony.

Academy Award statuette

  The Academy Awards are bestowed to individuals for their excellence in 24 film related categories:

• Best Picture.
• Actor In a Leading Role.
• Actress In a Leading Role.
• Actor In a Supporting Role.
• Actress In a Supporting Role.
• Animated Feature Film.
• Cinematography.
• Art Direction.
• Costume Design.
• Direction.
• Documentary Feature.
• Documentary Short.
• Film Editing.
• Foreign Language Film.
• Makeup.
• Music (Original Score).
• Music (Original Song).
• Short Film (Animated).
• Short Film (Live Action).
• Sound Editing.
• Sound Mixing.
• Visual Effects.
• Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
• Writing (Original Screenplay).

                                                                           There are certain rules which have to be met by the individuals or films in order to qualify for the aforementioned categories, and the same also applies during the voting procedures by the members of the AMPAS organization. There are also seven other types of awards which are presented during the ceremony, namely: the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, the Scientific and Engineering Award, the Technical Achievement Award, the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation, and the Student Academy Award.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The Academy Award statuette is made of gold plated britannium and weighs about 3.85 kilograms. Its design depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes representing the five branches of the academy, which include actors, writers, directors, producers, and technicians. Since 1983, the Oscar statuettes are being designed and manufactured by R.S. Owens & Company, which is based in Chicago, Illinois.

                                                                                                                The award ceremony is televised in about 100 countries around the world annually. The ceremony receives a lot of attention from the world media, and has become one of the most anticipated events honoring the excellence in the filming industry every year. For the actors, technicians, producers, directors, and writers, receiving an Academy Award or being nominated for one itself would be a high-grade achievement in their filming careers. With the Oscar fever for the 2011 season yet to fade away from our memories, it would right to say that the film industry professional s have already started to work on their projects targeting a seat and a screening for their project in the famous Hollywood and Highland Center for the 2012 season.