Latest news with #RobertPalmer
The National
7 days ago
- Climate
- The National
'New normal': Climate campaigners sound alarm over Arthur's Seat blaze
Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze on the ancient extinct volcano in Edinburgh on Sunday and the fire service believes that it was caused by human activity. The blaze has since been brought under control but activists have said that it should be cause for concern. Robert Palmer, the deputy director of pressure group Uplift, said: 'The wildfire at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, and the ongoing heath blaze in Dorset, are really worrying. Wildfires like these are becoming more likely because of climate change. READ MORE: 20 pictures show fire blazing at Arthur's Seat landmark 'The world is on fire, with wildfires in France and Greece, which have both claimed lives, and there is a megablaze in California. We're facing our fourth heatwave of the summer and have only just started to recover from Storm Floris. 'These are just the latest examples of extreme weather becoming the 'new normal', which the Met office has said is becoming more common because of climate change, which in turn is driven by burning fossil fuels.' (Image: PA) Palmer said that the blaze helped illustrate Uplift's arguments against the Rosebank oil field. The project was approved in 2023, but the Court of Session ruled in January this year that the consent was unlawful as it did not take into account the negative effect it going ahead would cause for the environment. Lauren MacDonald, the lead campaigner at Stop Rosebank, said: 'As a Scot, it has been devastating to see the impacts of storms and wildfires across Scotland this year. Now, the iconic Arthur's Seat is ablaze, in the middle of the Fringe. READ MORE: Latest updates as fire crews continue to tackle Arthur's Seat blaze 'Scotland is experiencing one extreme weather event after another this year, from Storm Eowyn to Scottish Water's warning of water scarcity and Storm Floris which saw winds of up to 90 mph and had a rare 'danger to life' amber warning. 'And of course wildfires which have burned through Scotland's beautiful landscapes including a National Trust conservation site. All Scots serious about ending climate change know it means no new drilling at the Rosebank oil field.'
Business Wire
30-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Aperture Global Real Estate Announces Partnership With Rechat to Power the Next Era of Luxury Real Estate
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aperture Global Real Estate, the first luxury brokerage launched globally from inception, today announced a strategic partnership with Rechat, real estate's AI-powered super app for enterprise brokerages and agents. Aperture has integrated Rechat's mobile-first platform as the backbone of its agent experience, enabling seamless management of marketing, contacts, transactions, and communication – all in one place. Since launching earlier this year, Aperture has expanded to 17 states and four global cities. The decision to implement Rechat reflects the company's commitment to providing agents with smarter, future-ready tools that eliminate inefficiencies and support high-performance workflows. 'Agents don't need more software – they need smarter software,' said Robert Palmer, founder of Aperture Global Real Estate. 'With Rechat, our agents gain a powerful advantage while simplifying their daily workflows. This partnership is about creating more time, clarity, and capacity to serve at the highest level.' Rechat replaces the need for multiple disconnected systems by offering three integrated centers within one intuitive platform: a People Center to manage leads and relationships, a Marketing Center to launch MLS-integrated, brand-compliant campaigns, and a Deals Center to streamline transaction management. Its built-in AI assistant, Lucy, automates tasks like building listing websites, sending email campaigns, prioritizing leads, and completing transaction paperwork, all with voice-activated support. 'Rechat was built to give agents a real competitive edge – not more software,' said Shayan Hamidi, CEO of Rechat. 'With Aperture, we're excited to bring even more agents the kind of technology that gets out of their way and helps them win more business, with less effort.' With 75 percent CRM adoption rates and a 95 percent user satisfaction score, Rechat is redefining how brokerages and agents approach productivity. For Aperture, the integration marks a major investment in agent success, client service, and long-term scalability. 'Our focus is on building smart infrastructure that understands how agents actually work,' said Emil Sedgh, Chief Technology Officer at Rechat. 'Integrating with Aperture allows us to eliminate redundant steps and create tighter, more intelligent workflows that accelerate the listing process.' The partnership also supports Aperture's broader mission: empowering agents to deliver exceptional service in today's fast-paced luxury market. By simplifying the backend, agents can focus more fully on clients, relationships, and dealmaking. 'We knew we needed a platform that could scale with us while simplifying the agent experience,' said Mercedes Saewitz, Senior Vice President of Operations at Aperture. 'Rechat eliminated the need to manage multiple systems and freed up our internal teams to focus more on agent support, onboarding, and training. It's a real shift in how we operate.' With the integration now fully implemented across Aperture, the partnership affirms both companies' belief that technology should empower – not complicate – the agent experience. For more information about Aperture, visit To learn more about Rechat, visit To schedule a product demo, contact audie@ About Aperture Global Real Estate Aperture Global is a next-generation luxury brokerage backed by LPT Aperture Holdings, redefining elite real estate through innovation, influence, and agent empowerment. Launched in 2025 by Robert Palmer, the company operates in the U.S., UK, Canada, Portugal, and beyond—offering global reach, bespoke marketing, and one of the most lucrative agent platforms in the industry. About Robert Palmer Robert Palmer is the founder of multiple award-winning real estate ventures, including LPT Realty—one of the fastest-growing brokerages in U.S. history. A visionary entrepreneur, Palmer is known for integrating cutting-edge technology and marketing strategies to modernize the real estate experience at every level. About Rechat Rechat is real estate's AI-powered super app for brokerages and agents. It was built to solve a persistent problem faced by real estate professionals: toggling between disconnected platforms to manage their business. Rechat includes a fully integrated Marketing Center, People Center, Deals Center, and AI Marketing Assistant, Lucy. Rechat members can now work within one open super app and mobile-first operating platform to streamline tasks, automate listing marketing, create high-quality print collateral, and track transactions from start to finish. Learn more at:
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Can it get any weirder?' Live Aid's last-minute headliner recalls offer to play for 2 billion people
There are many, many ways that pop-culture fans have discovered shapeshifting rocker/actor Michael Des Barres over the decades. Some may know him from his big-screen debut at age 17 in the 1967 Sidney Poitier film To Sir, With Love; or as the frontman of the Deep Purple- and Led Zeppelin-associated bands Silverhead and Detective; or as the cowriter of Animotion's 1983 hit 'Obsession'; or as the longtime host of the Little Steven's Underground Garage morning show on SiriusXM; or as iconic MacGyver villain Murdoc; or for his many other television appearances on shows like Roseanne, Seinfeld, Melrose Place, Northern Exposure, Frasier, and Nip/Tuck. But if you're one of the Gen X kids among the estimated 1.9 billion people (nearly 40 percent of the world population at the time) who watched the global Live Aid concert broadcast 40 years ago, on July 13, 1985, then you might best know Des Barres as the lead singer of the Power Station. More from Gold Derby The Supermen that never were: Here are 5 scrapped Man of Steel movies ranked by their Oscar potential 'Ghost' at 35: How Jerry Zucker pivoted from 'Airplane!' and 'Naked Gun' spoof comedy to an unlikely Best Picture nominee Live Aid was, incredibly, only Des Barres's second public appearance with the Duran Duran-spinoff supergroup — as an extremely last-minute replacement, after original frontman Robert Palmer unceremoniously bowed out. And the Power Station were part of an absolutely stacked Philadelphia bill that included everyone from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and the surviving Zeppelin members; to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; to Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood; to comeback queen Tina Turner and rising pop princess Madonna. And yet, it seems Des Barres was the only performer at JFK Stadium who wasn't nervous that day. 'I'd been in many, many movies. I'd done 120 hours of television by that time. So, getting nervous is not something I do,' chuckles Des Barres, who was a decade older than the Power Station's John and Andy Taylor, and (definitely unlike John and Andy) had already been clean and sober for four years when Live Aid took place. Des Barres's young bandmates, however, were 'very nervous and very frightened about what could happen,' he recalls. The surprise success of the Power Station's self-titled debut album (a success so surprising, in fact, that Palmer, whose only U.S. performance with the group was on Saturday Night Live, quickly decided that it was more of a commitment than he'd bargained for) had impressed all the rockist snobs who'd once wrongly dismissed the Taylors' main band, Duran Duran, as mere pretty-boy teen-pop. And so, Live Aid, which was set to be followed by an international Power Station tour, was a massive opportunity. 'They had prayed for something like this — and now it's happening, but Palmer has split. It was not cool, really, to do that to them,' says Des Barres. 'I mean, God bless him, but a week away from a six-month tour — and he quits? That's kind of heavy.' So, how exactly did Des Barres end up at Live Aid, playing right after Neil Young, in front of a live Philly audience of 100,000 people and a TV audience about 20,000 times that size? 'I was with Don Johnson — in Miami, of course — and we were just gallivanting around. We were doing a record together, me and him,' recalls Des Barres, who was longtime pals with the Miami Vice star and later used that connection to land the Power Station a cameo on an October 1985 episode on the slick NBC cop drama. 'And I get a call: 'Come to New York!'' At first, the talent agent on the other end of the line, Wayne Forte, would only tell Des Barres that he represented a mystery band in desperate need of a new lead singer. But eventually Forte revealed that the meeting in New York City would be with John and Andy Taylor, who'd been impressed by Des Barres's stage presence when another supergroup that Des Barres had fronted — Chequered Past, featuring the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and several members of Blondie — had opened for Duran Duran the year before. 'It was like saying Rudolf Nureyev wanted to dance with me,' Des Barres laughingly says of the out-of-the-blue offer. Des Barres took a whirlwind flight to meet with John and the Power Station's drummer, Tony Thompson of Chic, in New York, where they were 'looking very nervous, because this was millions of dollars at stake.' He recalls that John was actually holding a list of other possible replacement frontmen. 'I look down and I read all these names … I won't tell you who!' he chuckles, although it's known that before Robert Palmer originally signed on, other singers that were considered included Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, and the Psychedelic Furs' Richard Butler. But regardless, after the New York meeting, Des Barres moved to the top of John's list, and he was then flown to London that same night, to meet with Andy. 'I hadn't slept for 24 hours,' Des Barres recalls. 'There was a limo waiting for me at Heathrow Airport. I went to the studio. Five hours, I waited, exhausted. And Andy shows up with two bodyguards, big guys, and he says, 'Go in and sing something.'' Des Barres, who'd been part of Britain's early-'70s glam scene, got in the studio booth and banged out the first verse and chorus of T. Rex's 'Bang a Gong' (the Power Station's cover, released as 'Get It On,' had just cracked the top 10 in America). Andy's reaction was to just say, 'Let's go shopping,' and the two took off to Vivienne Westwood's store for the rest of the afternoon. Des Barres got the job. For a moment, though, it seemed like Des Barres's Power Station stint was going to be the shortest listing on his illustrious résumé, when, after returning to the U.S. via the Concorde, he got a call from his manager, informing him that Palmer had decided to do Live Aid after all. But the very next day, Palmer changed his mind again, this time for good, because 'young girls were not his audience. It's as simple as that. He did not want to play to young, teenage [Duran Duran fans],' shrugs Des Barres. 'Meanwhile, me? I'm in a bikini and eyeliner.' Des Barres was officially back in the band. And so, after just three days of rehearsals and one warm-up gig at New York City's 1,500-capacity Ritz club, the Des Barres-fronted Power Station, introduced by Don Johnson, played Live Aid, performing without a net and literally without any teleprompters. Not everything went smoothly. Andy's amplifier blew up right before their set, and notorious concert promoter Bill Graham was being 'an asshole up there … shouting at us all. I was laughing my ass off, thinking, 'Can it get any weirder?'' Des Barres also recalls being the target of 'a lot of anger from young men' in the JFK Stadium crowd, who were apparently upset that Palmer was a no-show. 'One guy, I'm out onstage and this bucket of water is literally like in slow motion, coming towards me. I was going to be splashed in front of 2 billion people. I dodged it, and it went all over John Taylor,' he laughs. It was also a risk that of the only two songs the Power Station played at Live Aid, they opened with a deep cut of sorts, the non-single 'Murderess.' Des Barres says that decision was made to showcase Andy's little-known and under-appreciated guitar chops. 'It's an Andy song. I thought it was a great song. He was so talented, but he was a rock 'n' roll guitar player, and I think that's why he left [Duran Duran],' Des Barres explains. 'He wanted to play rock 'n' roll, and they're not a rock 'n' roll band. … Andy wanted to be Eric Clapton, essentially, a bluesy rock 'n' roll guitar player. That's why he left.' Duran Duran also played JFK Stadium that day, and notably, this turned out to be the last time that Duran's original 'Fab Five' — guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist John Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and singer Simon Le Bon — would perform together until 2003. Le Bon, Rhodes, and Roger were already fracturing off with their own very different side-project, Arcadia, and when Le Bon hit that infamous, unfortunate 'bum note heard around the world' during Duran Duran's Live Aid performance of their James Bond theme 'A View to a Kill,' the annoyed, exasperated look on Andy's face made it obvious that tensions were running high within Duran's ranks. Des Barres didn't witness much acrimony between the Duran members that day, as he was too busy enjoying the rest of the show from the stage wings (his favorite Philly Live Aid performers were Neil Young, Patti LaBelle, Tom Petty, and Mick Jagger with Tina Turner). But once he went out on the road with the Power Station, he 'could see it splitting apart. [John and Andy] weren't even talking to each other much, and I was there, singing away. And that was that. … I would arrive, I would sing, I would leave. Then they could do their coke.' (Incidentally, Des Barres later helped both Taylors get sober. 'So, I brought more than music to that experience,' he says proudly.) As for the other snafus that took place at JFK Stadium that day, Des Barres may have kept his cool despite the daunting circumstances that led him to Live Aid, but he says, 'Everybody [else] was in a different state of mind than I've ever seen from any artist, ever. It was fascinating. … It was very hard for a lot of people to come on and do 20 minutes, and [promoter] Bill Graham is screaming because the snare drum isn't there for someone. It got them on their feet, really. … They were all scared shitless, every one of them.' Des Barres recalled that 'Madonna was a wreck; she was shaking,' and that 'Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards were all playing in a different key; that was a trainwreck, but it was a fabulous trainwreck, I suppose.' His old Swan Song Records cronies Led Zeppelin, with Phil Collins on drums, were 'not cohesive and didn't have that brotherly Zeppelin vibe. It was almost like a rehearsal or something. And then it probably was a rehearsal! It wasn't as powerful as I think people expected. … And nobody spoke about it [afterwards]. That's the only way to deal with shit like that." Des Barres adds, "The most interesting person there was Joan [Baez], because she hated it and was riffing on how everybody was awful and that only her songs really meant something to the audience. It was the weirdest thing. There was that kind of irrational behavior,' Des Barres continues. 'But I think that was her way of being scared.' After Live Aid, the Power Station recorded one song with the unflappable Des Barres — 'We Fight for Love,' which Des Barres wrote, for the Commando soundtrack — and it was all over by 1986, with John returning to Duran Duran and Andy going solo. But Des Barres will always consider his brief time with the band 'a major chapter in my life,' and he will always be thankful for the opportunity to play for 'the biggest audience ever,' which boosted his career in ways he could have never imagined. 'I love them to this day,' he says. 'I was very grateful to them for getting me on that stage.' Watch Michael Des Barres's full interview about his bizarre Live Aid experience: Best of Gold Derby Billboard 200: Chart-topping albums of 2025 Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025 The B-52s' Kate Pierson talks Rock Hall snub, influencing John Lennon, and fears a solo album would be a 'betrayal' to her band Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quadient Advances AI Capabilities to Help Organizations Power Better Customer Interactions and Revenue Growth
Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announces the release of advanced AI capabilities designed for crafting and orchestrating highly personalized, omnichannel customer interactions. The extended AI is part of the latest release of Quadient Inspire, an industry-leading customer communications management (CCM) solution, and represents Quadient's continued investment in transforming the way businesses dynamically communicate with customers. New AI-driven capabilities include real-time sentiment analysis and scoring, language translation and personally identifiable information (PII) detection. The new advancements enable businesses to deliver seamless, effective and meaningful interactions to their customers while empowering employees to create and improve communications effortlessly. With the integration of advanced AI assistance, Quadient Inspire now empowers organizations to achieve up to 50% faster content creation and double communication output without increasing headcount. By guiding authors with real-time suggestions, Inspire dramatically accelerates time-to-market while improving consistency, quality and regulatory alignment across all customer communications. 'Quadient Inspire has evolved significantly, leveraging AI capabilities for faster content creation and refinement, high-level personalization, language translation and automation of sophisticated workflows,' said Robert Palmer, research VP with IDC's imaging, printing, and document solutions group. 'The latest Inspire release includes expanded cloud environment options, supporting Quadient's AnyPrem promise. Quadient continues to innovate, setting a high standard for customer communication management in an increasingly dynamic digital environment.' 'Quadient is always striving for new heights in CCM leadership, and we're excited to be reshaping the industry with the new opportunities AI and automation provide," said Chris Hartigan, chief solution officer, digital, Quadient. 'Our strategy for driving innovation is focused on elevating customer interactions, streamlining and automating workflows, discovering actionable insights, ensuring regulatory adherence and driving better business outcomes. Quadient's intelligent platform is helping businesses tackle some of the biggest mountains they face today – measuring, optimizing and driving value with intelligent, personalized customer communications.' The latest release of Quadient Inspire (R17) includes more than 300 enhancements, offering advanced content management like importing the latest InDesign and Quark files, leveraging PDF Forms support and utilizing track changes to enhance collaboration and compliance. To strengthen regulatory compliance, Inspire includes a variety of features to simplify the design of accessible communications, with an automated PDF accessibility tool that remediates legacy documents on-demand or in high-volume batches by applying accessibility templates. Additionally, the latest Quadient Inspire release supports even more cloud environments for seamless deployment. For more information on Quadient Inspire, visit: About Quadient®Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit ContactsJoe Scolaro, Quadient Global Press Relations Manager +1 203-301-3673 jscolaro@ Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands Senior PR Director quadientpr@ Attachment PR Quadient Inspire R17 and AI_EN_v1Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quadient Advances AI Capabilities to Help Organizations Power Better Customer Interactions and Revenue Growth
Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announces the release of advanced AI capabilities designed for crafting and orchestrating highly personalized, omnichannel customer interactions. The extended AI is part of the latest release of Quadient Inspire, an industry-leading customer communications management (CCM) solution, and represents Quadient's continued investment in transforming the way businesses dynamically communicate with customers. New AI-driven capabilities include real-time sentiment analysis and scoring, language translation and personally identifiable information (PII) detection. The new advancements enable businesses to deliver seamless, effective and meaningful interactions to their customers while empowering employees to create and improve communications effortlessly. With the integration of advanced AI assistance, Quadient Inspire now empowers organizations to achieve up to 50% faster content creation and double communication output without increasing headcount. By guiding authors with real-time suggestions, Inspire dramatically accelerates time-to-market while improving consistency, quality and regulatory alignment across all customer communications. 'Quadient Inspire has evolved significantly, leveraging AI capabilities for faster content creation and refinement, high-level personalization, language translation and automation of sophisticated workflows,' said Robert Palmer, research VP with IDC's imaging, printing, and document solutions group. 'The latest Inspire release includes expanded cloud environment options, supporting Quadient's AnyPrem promise. Quadient continues to innovate, setting a high standard for customer communication management in an increasingly dynamic digital environment.' 'Quadient is always striving for new heights in CCM leadership, and we're excited to be reshaping the industry with the new opportunities AI and automation provide," said Chris Hartigan, chief solution officer, digital, Quadient. 'Our strategy for driving innovation is focused on elevating customer interactions, streamlining and automating workflows, discovering actionable insights, ensuring regulatory adherence and driving better business outcomes. Quadient's intelligent platform is helping businesses tackle some of the biggest mountains they face today – measuring, optimizing and driving value with intelligent, personalized customer communications.' The latest release of Quadient Inspire (R17) includes more than 300 enhancements, offering advanced content management like importing the latest InDesign and Quark files, leveraging PDF Forms support and utilizing track changes to enhance collaboration and compliance. To strengthen regulatory compliance, Inspire includes a variety of features to simplify the design of accessible communications, with an automated PDF accessibility tool that remediates legacy documents on-demand or in high-volume batches by applying accessibility templates. Additionally, the latest Quadient Inspire release supports even more cloud environments for seamless deployment. For more information on Quadient Inspire, visit: About Quadient®Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit ContactsJoe Scolaro, Quadient Global Press Relations Manager +1 203-301-3673 jscolaro@ Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands Senior PR Director quadientpr@ Attachment PR Quadient Inspire R17 and AI_EN_v1Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
