<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52223717.cms" /><br />
The 1999 sci-fi thriller ‘The Matrix’ might just be a reality very soon. 
<br /><br /> <keyword id="3289843" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kevin-Ho">Kevin Ho</keyword>, President of <keyword id="6357456" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Huawei">Huawei</keyword>’s handest line, said that the future is closer than we think at <keyword id="3357803" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="CES-Asia-2016">CES Asia 2016</keyword> in Shanghai, China. <br /><br />

	“What would people from ancient society think knowing that we can fly”, Ho asked the crowd.
<br /><br />

	Calling it ‘the scary index’, Ho explained just how scary modern life would be to someone from a different era.
<br /><br />

	The rate of change has accelerated in recent years, Ho explained, meaning that what might be possible in just a few short decades may blow up your mind right now.
<br /><br />

	“In the future, there will be another you living in the parallel digital world.”
<br /><br />

	A digital world exists in parallel to the real world today, he explained. In the present, the two work mostly hand in hand. Dramatic increases in processing power and storage and connectivity will diverge the two.
<br /><br />

	This is what technology would do to us. Purchase the right upgrades and you can enable or transform your virtual self with all sorts of features. Ho called it “spiritual immortality”, and we could get there by 2025, or maybe 2040.
<br /><br />

	For this stellar connectivity and dramatically increased access speed will be necessary. Ho estimated a 3,000 Gpbs peak connection speed in 40, up from 1Gbps right now, and 15,000 zetabytes of data storage worldwide, up from 10 today. Artificial intelligence will continue to take steps forward. Ho also emphasised the need for increased vigilance on the security front.
<br /><br />

	All of these areas are fields into which the company is pouring its R&amp;D efforts and dollars. There are 4.5 billion connections to the internet right now; there will be 100 billion by 2025, and 100 trillion by 40. Likewise, there are about two IoT devices per person today. There will be 256 by 2025, he claimed, and as many as 1,000 per person in 2040.
<br /><br />

	Ho’s vision is about which technology can better life for human beings. What would life be like with such advancement?
<br /><br />

	Huawei has invested $37 billion in R&amp;D over the last 10 years to find some answers, he said. Everyone wants a part of the smarthome, Ho acknowledged. But progress has been slow.
<br /><br />

	The company is working with many technology partners to build open platforms for the future. Huawei also is investigating health, the smart home, sports and medicine and more.
<br /><br /> One surprise: an investment in the <keyword id="727238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-Car">smart car</keyword> space, and the artificial intelligence that will make it possible. The company is working with several very well known companies, he said, Volkswagen is one of them. <br /><br />

	There’s VR and AR as well. Huawei recently launched an open platform that they are talking to several partners about. Virtual Reality is “a portal or window leading us to the future”, Ho described.<br />
	<br />
	You can watch the full video <a href="http://www.cesasia.cn/news/videos/">here</a>.

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	(Image credits: indiatimes)


Huawei’s Kevin Ho believes ‘The Matrix’ could soon be a reality

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Shares of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/intc-stock">Intel</a> are up over 7% on Wednesday on news CEO <keyword id="2219835" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bob-Swan">Bob Swan</keyword> will be replaced by VMware's <keyword id="679588" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pat-Gelsinger">Pat Gelsinger</keyword>.</li><li>The news comes after <keyword id="10591666" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="activist-hedge-fund">activist hedge fund</keyword> Third Point LLC, which holds a $1 billion stake in <keyword id="28115" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Intel">Intel</keyword>, urged "immediate change" at the company.</li><li>Third Point CEO Daniel Loeb wrote to Intel chairman Omar Ishrak arguing that the U.S. will lose its 'leading-edge semiconductor supply' if action isn't taken.</li></ul><p>Shares of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/intc-stock">Intel</a> are up over 7% Wednesday on news CEO Bob Swan will be replaced by VMware's Pat Gelsinger.</p><p>The surprise move comes after activist hedge fund Third Point LLC said "immediate change" is needed to reverse the semiconductor giant's fortunes.</p><p>Third Point CEO Daniel Loeb wrote to Intel chairman Omar Ishrak on December 29 urging immediate action to secure the company's role as a major provider of processor chips for PCs and data centers.</p><p>The New York-based hedge fund holds a $1 billion stake in Intel.</p><p>"Without immediate change at Intel, we fear that America's access to leading-edge semiconductor supply will erode, forcing the U.S. to rely more heavily on a geopolitically unstable East Asia to power everything from PCs to data centers to critical infrastructure and more," Loeb wrote.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-keep-aws-cloud-costs-under-control-2021-1?r=aa-sub?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Web Services has led to an entire booming industry of tech companies that help keep cloud costs under control. Here are 10 players in the space.</a></em></p><p>Swan joined Intel back in 2016 as the company's CFO before being named interim CEO in 2018 and then securing the full-time role in early 2019.  Now Swan is out, and former Intel CEO and chief technology officer Pat Gelsinger is in.</p><p>"After careful consideration, the board concluded that now is the right time to make this leadership change to draw on Pat's technology and engineering expertise during this critical period of transformation at Intel," Omar Ishrak, independent chairman of the Intel board, said in the press release.</p><p>The news comes on a busy week for the semiconductor powerhouse, as the first virtual <keyword id="6370252" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="CES">CES</keyword>, the largest annual tech industry conference, kicked off Monday.</p><p>Intel stock was already rising on the back of news that the company's PC processors outperformed those of rival <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/amd-stock">Advanced Micro Devices</a>, but Wednesday's move pushes the two-day gain for Intel shares over 10%.</p><p>Still, Intel stock has underperformed recently, according to many analysts, sinking 16.8% in 2020 while competitors <keyword id="18542" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="AMD">AMD</keyword> and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/nvda-stock">Nvidia</a> saw their stocks double in value.</p><p>Plus, not all analysts were impressed by Intel's CES performance. Rosenblatt Securities' Hans Mosesmann called the CPU announcements "roughly as expected" and said they represented mostly incremental upgrades.</p><p>Intel currently boasts eight buy ratings, two overweight ratings, 18 hold ratings, three overweight ratings, and seven sell ratings, according to data from the Wall Street Journal.</p><p>Shares of the Santa Clara-based company are cheap based on classic valuation metrics, however, trading at just 11x earnings and 3x sales.</p>

Intel stock surges 7% on news CEO Bob Swan to be replaced by VMware's Pat Gelsinger

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52291941.cms" /> <keyword id="6369781" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virtual-reality">Virtual Reality</keyword> (<keyword id="6380951" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="VR">VR</keyword>) will rule the world in the near future, predicted researches and industry experts at the CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China. VR is slowly and steadily creeping into every aspect of our daily, enhancing our experiences. From education, entertainment to jobs, VR has made things easy and fun. Kevin Ho, president of Huawei’s handset line said at CES 2016 that a time will come when two parallel worlds will exist, thanks to virtual reality. <br /><br />

	One of the industries that have been taken by storm is the gaming industry. Virtual Reality is in fact changing everything about how you play a video game.
<br /><br /> While gamers are coming up with innovative gaming concepts, they have noticed a weird trend. Though they are enjoying the new games, its taking away the sheen from older cult games like <keyword id="61596" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Star-Wars">Star Wars</keyword> and Portal. Probably due to the unappealing concepts! <br /><br /> Hence we have come up with a list of inactive game series that would have the thrill of the technology world with <keyword id="1620564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Oculus-Rift">Oculus Rift</keyword>, <keyword id="16129" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="HTC">HTC</keyword> Vive or Playstation VR. <br />
	<br />
	(Image credits: indiatimes)


5 inactive game franchises that will have a smashing comeback on VR

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3d5ed7aebf4258c60c31c4-2400/robertlloydschellenberg.jpg" border="0" alt="robert lloyd schellenberg" data-mce-source="CCTV/Reuters TV via REUTERS" data-mce-caption="A still image taken from CCTV video shows Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in court, where he was sentenced with a death penalty for drug smuggling, in Dalian, Liaoning province, China January 14, 2019." /><p class="source"><span>CCTV/Reuters TV via REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">A still image of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in court in Dalian, China, where he was sentenced with the death penalty for drug smuggling, in January 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>China sentenced a Canadian man, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, to death over drug smuggling offenses in January, in what was widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest and detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.</strong></li><li><strong>At an appeal hearing for Schellenberg, a court in Dalian, northeastern China, confirmed on Thursday that it would go ahead with his punishment, and said it would announce his sentence at a later date.</strong></li><li><strong>It comes as Meng continues to fight extradition to the US.</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/"><strong>Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</strong></a></li></ul><p>China took another step toward executing a Canadian man over drug offenses, in what has been regarded as retaliation over Canada's arrest and ongoing detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou.</p><p>The Dalian Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning, a province in northeastern China, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-sentences-canadian-robert-schellenberg-to-death-amid-huawei-feud-2019-1">sentenced 36-year-old Robert Lloyd Schellenberg to death in January</a>, in a major escalation of the diplomatic feud between the two countries.</p><p>The same court heard an appeal for Schellenberg on Thursday. It adjourned the trial but said it would "select a day or time to pronounce the sentence," <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3009507/chinese-court-delays-ruling-canadian-robert-lloyd">Agence France-Press reported</a>. Schellenberg has consistently maintained his innocence.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3735f4ad95714a235ca819-1200/china canada huawei trudeau meng xi.jpg" border="0" alt="china canada huawei trudeau meng xi" data-mce-source="Chris Wattie/Reuters; Huawei; Nicolas Asfouri/Pool Photo via AP" data-mce-caption="Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, and Chinese President Xi Jinping." /><p class="source"><span>Chris Wattie/Reuters; Huawei; Nicolas Asfouri/Pool Photo via AP</span></p><p class="caption">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Schellenberg was detained in 2014, and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of drug smuggling last November. A Dalian court bolstered his charge to international drug smuggling a month later, saying that his punishment had been too light.</p><p>Beijing and Ottawa have engaged in seemingly tit-for-tat measures since Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei and daughter of its founder, at the US' request last December.</p><p>The US Department of Justice has since charged Huawei, <span>Meng, and two affiliates with </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhou-indicted-fraud-ip-theft-security-concerns-2019-1">bank and wire fraud, stealing trade secrets, and obstructing justice</a><span> in two separate cases, saying that the company evaded US sanctions on Iran. </span><span>Meng's lawyers say she is innocent.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-indictment-against-huawei-t-mobile-reads-spy-movie-2019-1">Huawei is accused of attempting to copycat a T-Mobile robot, and the charges read like a comical spy movie</a></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd41a97021b4c3394739857-2400/2019-04-11t144932z1lynxnpef3a1exrtroptp4china-tech-smartphones.jpg" border="0" alt="FILE PHOTO: People walk past a sign board of Huawei at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="FILE PHOTO: People walk past a sign board of Huawei at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai" /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A woman walks past a sign board of Huawei at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai. The US Department of Justice charged Huawei, Meng, and two affiliates with bank and wire fraud, stealing trade secrets, and obstructing justice earlier this year.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Days after Meng's arrest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-chinese-state-is-following-through-on-its-huawei-threats-2018-12">China detained two Canadians</a> - former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor - on vague allegations that they threatened Chinese national security.</p><p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have described the detentions as "arbitrary" and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called them "unlawful."</p><p>China's ambassador to Canada, Lu Shaye, appeared to confirm that China is detaining the two Canadians because of Meng's detention, referring to it as "self-defense" in a January op-ed in Canada's <a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/01/09/double-standard-justice-canadians-chinese/182367">The Hill Times</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-accuses-canada-of-white-supremacy-over-huawei-detention-2019-1">China accuses Canada of 'white supremacy' over the detention of Huawei CFO</a></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd3a36a021b4c2f79449933-2400/3b517f4cb2a347959b5d3bbc16f273eb.jpg" border="0" alt="Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, back right, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest after she was detained Dec. 1 at the behest of American authorities, is accompanied by a private security detail as she leaves her home to attend a court appearance in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)" data-mce-source="Associated Press" data-mce-caption="Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, back right, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest after she was detained Dec. 1 at the behest of American authorities, is accompanied by a private security detail as she leaves her home to attend a court appearance in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)" /><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">Meng leaves her home in Vancouver, Canada, alongside her private security detail to go to court on Wednesday.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Meng remains under house arrest in her Vancouver home, and continues to fight extradition to the US. </span></p><p><span>In a document presented to the British Columbia Supreme Court on Wednesday, Meng's lawyers said they intend to seek a stay of extradition proceedings, citing Trump's comments in December that he would intervene in her case if it would help close a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/us-china-trade-war">trade deal with China</a>.</span></p><h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/huawei"><span>Read Business Insider's coverage of Huawei here.</span></a></h2>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mueller-report-trump-takeaways-from-redacted-version-russia-investigation-2019-4">Here are 7 takeaways from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/FoNPyinM-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

China just took another step toward putting a Canadian to death, in apparent retaliation for its arrest of Huawei's CFO

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5697feb3dd089533018b4702-4314-3236/rtx22597.jpg" alt="Ballerina Sunrise" data-mce-source="Reuters/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="Former ballerina Luke Willis plays on a sand berm after sunset in Encinitas, California, January 12, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Mike Blake</span></p><p class="caption">Former ballerina Luke Willis plays on a sand berm after sunset in Encinitas, California, January 12, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Friday.</span></p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/alan-rickman-dies-aged-69-2016-1" target="_blank">Alan Rickman, star of 'Die Hard' and 'Harry Potter', passed away aged 69 after suffering from cancer.</a> </strong>He died in his hometown of London, having kept his illness private.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-indonesia-says-attack-underlines-emergence-of-islamic-state-threat-2016-1" target="_blank">Indonesia must strengthen its defenses against Islamic State and work with neighboring countries to fight it, Jakarta's police chief said on Friday, a day after an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen in the heart of the Southeast Asian nation's capital.</a></strong></p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/gop-debate-recap-fox-business-trump-cruz-2016-1" target="_blank">Republican presidential candidates have clashed in the first GOP debate of 2016.</a> </strong>Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and real-estate mogul Donald Trump faced off on multiple occasions.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/complete-list-of-2016-academy-awards-nominees-2016-1" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio's revenge tale 'The Revenant' has led the way with 12 nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards.</a> </strong>The 88th Academy Awards will take place Sunday, February 28, hosted by comedian Chris Rock.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/investor-optimism-is-evaporating-in-the-asian-trading-session-2016-1" target="_blank">The end of the trading week in Asia is looking lacklustre.</a> </strong>Pushing aside a strong rally on Wall Street overnight, regional stocks are trading modestly higher to lower, although all remain well off the intrasession peaks seen earlier in the session.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-market-volatility-is-here-to-stay-but-the-recent-ructions-are-unlikely-to-last-2016-1" target="_blank">Stock market volatility is likely to increase in 2016 compared to 2015, although it's unlikely to remain around the levels seen in recent weeks,</a><span> </span></strong>Goldman Sachs' Krag Gregory has said.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-to-land-probe-on-dark-side-of-moon-in-2018-xinhua-2016-1" target="_blank">China plans to land the first probe ever on the dark side of the moon in 2018, marking another milestone in its ambitious space program,</a><span> </span></strong>the official Xinhua news agency reported.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-foursquare-ceo-steps-down-company-raises-45-million-in-funding-2016-1" target="_blank">Foursquare's chief executive, Dennis Crowley, is stepping down and will be succeeded by Jeff Glueck, the company's current chief operating officer.</a> </strong>Foursquare, which makes apps that helps users find restaurants and stores and "check" into them, also raised $45 million in funding, Glueck said in a blog post on Medium.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/report-american-apparel-is-rejecting-its-founders-takeover-bid-2016-1" target="_blank">Bankrupt teen apparel retailer American Apparels board has rejected the latest takeover offer involving the company's controversial founder, Dov Charney, a source told Reuters.</a> </strong>Earlier this week, the LA-based company received a $300 million bid from a group of investors who are backing the return of Dov Charney.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/julian-assange-questioning-ecuardor-sweden-cooperate-wikileaks-embassy-2016-1" target="_blank">Julian Assange's confinement in the Ecuadorian Embassy in Knightsbridge, London, may finally be approaching its end.</a></strong> The Ecuador government has agreed to cooperate with Sweden on an interrogation of the activist publisher over a rape allegation, according to RTE and other publications.</p><p><strong>And finally ... <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-ranking-of-the-uks-best-employers-in-2016-2016-1" target="_blank">These are the 22 best employers in Britain, according to a recent study carried out by Bloomberg.</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/volkswagen-brand-chief-apology-ces-scandal-vw-herbert-diess-2016-1">Volkswagen's brand chief gave an extended apology before their CES keynote</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Z2OTcxMDE6jEOoKMTCYmvKW9Pm28yMpX" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; 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The 10 most important things in the world right now

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5899d0bf6e09a824008b5abc-1200/undefined" alt="michael kassan" data-mce-source="MediaLink" /><p class="source"><span>MediaLink</span></p><p class="caption">MediaLink founder and CEO Michael Kassan.</p></div><p></p></div></div><keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">Media</keyword>Link - the US-based media consultancy perhaps best known for setting up high-level meetings and throwing the best celebrity-filled parties at events like CES and Cannes Lions - <a href="http://www.investegate.co.uk/ascential-plc--ascl-/rns/acquisition-of-medialink/201702071158362212W/">announced Tuesday it had sold the company to Ascential</a>, the UK business-to-business media and events company, which also happens to run Cannes Lions.</p><p>Ascential will purchase MediaLink for an initial cash consideration of $69 million, but the total consideration, including earnouts, could reach up to $207 million if the company meets its performance targets.</p><p>The Cannes Lions <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> festival, which takes place on the French Riviera each summer, serves as the picturesque backdrop to the deal and was how the CEOs of the two companies first met.</p><p>Speaking to Business Insider on Tuesday, MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan said: "I think it's fair to say I was one of the first media people to ever go to the Cannes Lions, which was a celebration for creatives. I snuck in one year, accidentally. I was in the south of France about 20 years ago, sometime in the late '90s, and ran into some friends [from the advertising industry] at a pool ... [they explained they were at the Cannes Lions]. It was a creative playground and I was blown away. I grabbed my friend Irwin Gotlieb [now the chairman at the world's biggest media agency GroupM and we started going."</p><p>MediaLink formalized a partnership with the Cannes Lions festival about six years ago. The company takes up a space at the famous Ritz Carlton hotel for its clients to meet, network, and thrash out business deals.</p><p>Last year, the company threw an invite-only party with iHeartRadio at the exclusive Hotel du Cap Eden Roc which featured music from <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/6/25/12030818/cannes-lions-explained">Coldplay's Chris Martin and an impromptu duet with Will Smith, </a>where they performed the "Men in Black" theme to an audience of celebrities and top executives including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. The MediaLink and Condé Nast party at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2016 saw Lady Gaga perform.</p><h2>Why Ascential bought MediaLink and what happens now</h2><p>But MediaLink isn't just about big names and fancy parties - although tentpole events on the advertising calendar give the company a chance to charge its clients to get themselves in front of the most important people in attendance. MediaLink will join Ascential's information services unit, alongside the likes of fashion trend forecasting service WGSN and environmental risk data business Groundsure.</p><p>Kassan describes MediaLink as sitting at the "intersection of <keyword id="6354839" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword>, media, advertising, entertainment, and tech." The management consultancy advises clients - which includes consumer brands and media companies - on business transformation, organization design, due diligence and strategy for acquisitions, executive search, and advertisers' media and creative reviews.</p><p>MediaLink sat in on "somewhere like 60% of the most important advertising reviews in the world," last year, according to Kassan.</p><p>He says the company sets itself apart from its competitors in the marketing and media consultancy space by acting out a "three-legged stool" approach.</p><p>"We advise the client, we help create a strategy, then we figure out the implementation. The third leg is the execution which I think is a step that - and I have respect for traditional management consultancy firms - but it's a step many of them don't get involved in," Kassan said.</p><p>But one of MediaLink's disadvantages versus its rivals is that it is very US-focused. The 13-year-old company has four offices, all based in the US. The US is the world's biggest ad market, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Ascential offers MediaLink bridge into Europe and beyond into Asia.</p><p>Whether MediaLink's US-style approach will work in the European market remains to be seen. Sources told Business Insider that over the past few months, MediaLink had been speaking with a number of Europe-based consultancy and marketing information firms about potential acquisitions in order to help the company grow its footprint beyond the US. Some of those sources suggested MediaLink had been looking to sell itself for a while - and any international offices opened as a result of those acquisitions would likely help boost its valuation.</p><p>Kassan says it wasn't quite like that, although he said that as a "people person," he's always talking to people about potential opportunities. </p><p>He added: "I've always advised clients, and I would tell you in my own perspective, that we have never been for sale. There have been people who have knocked on our door and wanted to advance conversations, and we are always open to a conversation, but it's a Goldielocks approach: one may have been too hot, one too cold, and this one was just right."</p><p>MediaLink's $69 million sale price was a multiple of earnings, based on current earnings. The final valuation will become known in 2021, based on MediaLink's adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization). The total aggregate consideration, including earn-out payments, is capped at $207 million "in the event that stretching profit targets are reached," according to the press release announcing the deal. But Ascential said it expects to pay earn-outs between $42 million and $62 million.</p><p>MediaLink reported a 29% increase in unaudited revenue to $54 million in 2016, while profit before tax rose 24% to $14 million. The company had core assets of $11 million in December 2016, the release states.</p><h2>Kassan: 'I am never going to carry another business card that says anything other than "MediaLink" on it'</h2><p>Kassan has signed a four-year contract to stay on as MediaLink CEO. The 66-year-old suggests he will either stay on longer than that - or retire once the earnouts is complete:</p><p>Kassan said: "The handshake I had with Duncan [Painter, Ascential CEO], not legally, but the spiritual condition precedent to signing the document was a promise we made that I am never going to carry another business card that says anything other than 'MediaLink' on it. Contractually I signed a four-year contract, but spiritually I will be here as long as they will have me."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5763fde152bcd066018c9e85-2400" alt="cannes" data-mce-source="Neilson Barnard/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Neilson Barnard/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">The advertising industry descends on Cannes each summer.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Painter confirmed that MediaLink's president and COO Wenda Millard, who alongside Kassan is considered as the well-connected driving force behind the company, is also "signed up for the long-term" and that the rest of the senior team is "very committed."</p><p>Painter said: "We ... have been excellent in the last few years of making acquisitions and doing them in the same style - an earn-out. Many of the founders that are part of the business remain long beyond the earn-out ... Michael has a great business that is predominantly US-focused. We have operations in 16 countries and we want to enable Michael and his operation to execute brilliantly across all major economies."</p><p>One of the first big events the two will work on together is Cannes Lions 2017 - but Kassan explained that being under the Ascential banner does not mean it will have to dial down its attendance at other events like CES in Las Vegas or Dmexco in Germany as MediaLink will still continue to operate fairly independently.</p><p>In fact, he jokes, MediaLink just signed its partnership for Cannes Lions 2017 just yesterday - and had to pay an increase in the price from last year.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/budweiser-super-bowl-commercial-anheuser-busch-statement-immigrants-2017-1">Watch Budweiser's Super Bowl ad - it makes a strong statement on immigration</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="84cjViOTE66uf5D6w7RMRpuK04n2M-1G" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '84cjViOTE66uf5D6w7RMRpuK04n2M-1G',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Why the well-connected media consultancy MediaLink just sold to the Cannes Lions advertising festival organizer

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58826b3ff10a9a29768b636e-1400/undefined" alt="Professor Einstein   05" data-mce-source="Hanson Robotics"><p class="source"><span>Hanson Robotics</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Professor Einstein packs a lot of personality for someone who stands just 14 inches.</p><p>The walking, talking, expressive bot from <a href="http://www.hansonrobotics.com/">Hanson Robotics</a> debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. He <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/01/07/coolest-thing-ces-2017-robots-steal-show/96241420/">became a breakout star</a> of the convention. <span>Crowds mobbed the company's booth during demos to catch a glimpse of the little guy.</span></p><p>But the team behind Professor Einstein sees beyond a photo opp. Jeanne Lim, chief of marketing for Hanson Robotics, hopes the robot signals the future of personal assistants.</p><p><a href="http://www.professoreinstein.com/">Professor Einstein</a>, the first commercial product from Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, aims to enrich learning for children age 13 and up by combining interactive apps and games with a recognizable robot that follows along. He's outfitted with eight motors and sensors that allow him to make over 50 facial expressions, and he connects via WiFi to a company database that feeds him information during an interaction with a human.</p><p>During a recent demo at Business Insider's office in San Francisco (prior to President Trump's inauguration), Lim asked the professor who Donald Trump is. His eyes darted and his nose wrinkled as Einstein scanned the cloud.</p><p>He described Trump as a&#xa0;real estate mogul&#xa0;who will become president on January 20.</p><p>Lim explains that, in addition to playing puzzles and games on a tablet, Professor Einstein can answer "Who is?" and "What is?" questions, much like a virtual assistant such as Alexa or Siri.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/588280deee14b62a008b9306-1400/undefined" alt="Professor Einstein   01" data-mce-source="Hanson Robotics"><p class="source"><span>Hanson Robotics</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>During my brief interaction with Einstein, I giggled at the sight of his tongue sticking out and found myself absentmindedly petting his soft, white hair. Lim, who has run marketing campaigns for Apple, Cisco, and Dell in the Asia Pacific region, pointed out that most people don't pet their vacuum cleaner or Amazon Echo.</p><p>She believes that personal assistants are most effective when they take on a human form.</p><p>The team at Hanson Robotics likes to imagine a world where, someday, an artificial intelligent system packaged in a human-like shell offers a rich experience between robots and people. The company hopes to target its technology at industries that stand to benefit from having affordable, highly intelligent robots, such as veteran services, healthcare, eldery care, and education. They might teach, serve, entertain, and develop deep relationships with people.</p><p>Japan, at least, is a few years ahead in a race to that reality. The country has social robots working in <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/03/robot-henn-na-hotel-japan/">hotels</a>, <a href="http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/will-your-next-best-friend-be-robot">senior homes</a>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/05/14/403498509/shes-almost-real-the-new-humanoid-on-customer-service-duty-in-tokyo">department stores</a>.</p><p>Hanson Robotics has made some progress. The company's humanoid robot Sophia <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/watch-sophia-sexy-robot-claim-7606152">made a splash with her good looks and amenable spirit</a> at South by Southwest and the Burning Man-like festival, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eye-popping-photos-of-further-future-1-2016-5">Further Future</a>, in 2016. She later wore Gucci on the cover of "Elle Brazil."</p><p>But a future along the lines of "Westworld" is a long ways away. Consumers need to look no further than Professor Einstein to know that's the truth.</p><p>For starters, he is creepy.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58828013ee14b61c008b91fc-1400/undefined" alt="Professor Einstein   08" data-mce-source="Hanson Robotics"><p class="source"><span>Hanson Robotics</span></p><p class="caption">Professor Einstein is always watching.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>You might not really want Professor Einstein, who is cartoonish and reminiscent of the old-timey animatronics at Walt Disney World, perched on your desk during a homework session.</p><p>Professor Einstein also can't yet learn new things, as virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri do. His knowledge come from a database of information compiled by Hanson Robotics. His answer to "Who is Donald Trump?" for example, became immediately outdated the moment the president took the inaugural oath. Lim says the company is working on opening up the platform to outside developers, so the professor can cull information elsewhere.</p><p>Lim says by launching Professor Einstein on Kickstarter, the company hopes to crowdsource funding, as well as feedback.</p><p>Professor Einstein <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1240047277/1763312980?token=7abc5cdf">launches on Kickstarter</a> on January 31. The robot will retail for about $299.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RoboticsTrends: RT BHWatters: A mob scene at RoboticsTrends' CES Robotics Conference  as hansonrobotics'  Einstein… <a href="https://t.co/Aiq3J9r73J">pic.twitter.com/Aiq3J9r73J</a></p>- Ethan  (@NewGenRobotics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/817462555559993345">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div>    <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/BNfksDNgnrZ/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">    </iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/korean-company-built-giant-walking-robot-video-2016-12">This real, walking robot looks like it just stepped out of Transformers</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F3aW5uODE6GDBCQ_y-ircvC0O9hv4kYR" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'F3aW5uODE6GDBCQ_y-ircvC0O9hv4kYR',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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