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Social Betting Marketplace BettorEdge Achieves 75% User Retention, Surpassing Industry Average Retention Rates

BettorEdge

BettorEdge, a no-fee social betting marketplace connecting sports fans, announced today it has achieved a 75% user retention rate in its first 18 months of operation. Three-fourths of users stay on the BettorEdge platform after completing their first order, far above research that shows an average of only 40% after a customer first downloads a mobile app. [ Apptentive ] As of June 2022, 36 jurisdictions have passed legislation legalizing sportsbooks. BettorEdge retains 75% of its users in states where sportsbooks are not yet legal, and 72% in states where they are available. BettorEdge’s social betting marketplace is qualified to be live and legal in 45 states because there is no fee involved. “Our data shows that sports bettors are craving a different experience that the sportsbooks aren’t currently providing,” said Greg Kajewski, Co-Founder of BettorEdge. “Bettors want social interaction, transparent pricing and the option to give back to people in need. BettorEdge combines all of those aspects in an easy-to-use app.” The sports betting boom in the past few years has betting operators placing greater significance on retaining valuable users, but it is proving more difficult as bettors are “promotion hopping” and the well-known fact that bettors only choose one or two operators to use in the long-term. BettorEdge has cracked the code by offering a more equitable betting experience. “BettorEdge’s community is strong and growing. We experienced a 750% increase in order volume from 2021 to 2022 during the NCAA tournament,” said James Seils, Co-Founder of BettorEdge. “We have plans to expand our features and make the experience even more engaging ahead of football season, including a discover feature that will show users personalized orders, events and posts based on past activity.” Since launching in January 2021, BettorEdge has grown to a community of almost 11,000 users who have bet $36 million in orders collectively. On the platform, users are shown what they saved in fees on each order and are offered the opportunity to donate that saved fee to one of BettorEdge’s charitable partners. To date, one-fourth of users have donated and earlier this year, BettorEdge donated $10,000 to Chad Greenway’s Lead the Way Foundation. About BettorEdge BettorEdge was founded in 2019 following a University of Minnesota Sportradar Innovation Challenge. Iowa native founders, now Minnesota residents, had a vision of creating a more efficient sports betting marketplace that offered a better fan experience at no fee to the consumer within the US. BettorEdge has a strong emphasis on giving the edge to the bettor through offering a fair market, providing data and analytics and creating a seamless social community. Access to their webapp can be found at app.bettoredge.com and additional information at BettorEdge.com. Contact Details Hot Paper Lantern Bailey Irelan +1 614-795-3308 birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.bettoredge.com/

June 29, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CleverTap Recognized by Great Place to Work® Among India’s Great Mid-size Workplaces

CleverTap

CleverTap, the modern, integrated retention cloud, has been recognized by Great Place to Work® India as one of India’s Great Mid-size Workplaces 2022. CleverTap is recognized for creating and sustaining a high-trust, high performance work culture. In its 6th edition this year for India, the list has grown to include the top 75 companies, up from the top 50 until last year. The rigorous methodology to assess workplace culture and identify India's Great Mid-size Workplaces 2022 is considered the gold standard globally. In the Great Place to Work® India study, they have observed that the Great Mid-size Workplaces have gone above and beyond to create and sustain aspirational organizations. Effective leadership is visible in these workplaces that are fostering a culture of fairness and originality, while offering flexibility to their employees in the current hybrid work environment. Organizations that succeed in establishing high-trust, high-performance cultures, and maximizing human potential by bridging experience gaps, will be Great Places to Work For All in the future. “We’re very excited to be recognized by Great Place to Work® India as one of India’s Great Mid-size Workplaces. Even before the pandemic hit, we believed that an empathetic and flexible work culture is the essence of an organization’s growth,” says Sidharth Malik, Chief Executive Officer, CleverTap. “Our employees and their holistic well-being have always been the top priority for us. The recognition by Great Place to Work® India is a testament to our commitment of building a workplace that is inclusive and driven, and one that provides its people an environment to thrive and succeed in everything they do.” “With homes becoming an extension of people's workplaces, this year companies around the world were challenged to put their people at the center of their strategies. But the organizations that invested in their culture and people before the pandemic have overcome these challenges effortlessly. Being recognized as one of India’s Best Workplaces 2022 demonstrates these organizations' commitment to improving their culture and putting their people first, whatever challenges they face,” says Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, CEO, Great Place to Work®, India. As a global authority on workplace culture, Great Place to Work® has been studying employee experience and people practices across organizations for over three decades. Every year, more than 10,000 organizations from over 60 countries partner with Great Place to Work® Institute for assessment, benchmarking, and planning of actions to strengthen their workplace culture. About CleverTap CleverTap is the modern, integrated retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. CleverTap drives contextual individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML-powered insights, and automation enabling brands to offer hyper-personalized and delightful experiences to their customers. 1,200+ customers in 60+ countries and 10,000+ apps, including Gojek, ShopX, Canon, Mercedes Benz, Electronic Arts, TED, Jio, Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, Papa John’s, and Tesco, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long-term revenue. Backed by leading venture capital firms, including Sequoia, Tiger Global Management, and Accel, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Sofia, São Paulo, Bogota, Amsterdam, Jakarta, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap’s belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could amount in the actual result being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages Contact Details Sony Shetty sony@clevertap.com Company Website https://clevertap.com/

June 24, 2022 03:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Bat Boy Found in West Virginia Cave 30 Years Ago; Americans Push to Make June 23rd a National Bat Boy Holiday!

Weekly World News

Weekly World News (WWN) celebrates the 30 th anniversary of its ground-breaking June 23, 1992 cover story “ Bat Child Found In Cave. ” WWN introduced the half-human, half-bat child to readers around the world, and its ongoing coverage has fostered a growing national movement to make June 23 an official National Bat Boy holiday! Weekly World News is celebrating the anniversary with a special tribute on its website. It all started in Pendleton County, West Virginia where Dr. Ron Dillon discovered this unique “creature,” who would become known as Bat boy, living in a cave in the Allegheny Mountains. Explorers captured Bat Boy, who was living almost two miles underground. Weekly World News' Bat Boy reporting went “viral,” spreading faster than any news story could in the days before the Internet and social media – it was a peaceful time. Scientists and reporters quickly learned that Bat Boy is a very skittish and elusive creature who is frequently on the run, often disappearing for extended periods of time. Bat Boy has been known to be quite tricky and unpredictable. He even managed to steal a vehicle and drive it at high speed, leading to a multi-state run with law enforcement in pursuit. When explorers discovered Bat Boy in Hellhole Cave, they estimated his age at around 10 years old. But further research has identified a genetic deformity that has locked Bat Boy in the very same age for the last 30 years. It seems Bat Boy will never age, however his intelligence and global interests continue to grow. Bat Boy has long demonstrated a keen interest in political and social issues which have thrust him into the limelight, as he has befriended and advised a range of U.S. Presidents and candidates for national office. Bat Boy’s political interests even led to an unsuccessful 2020 run for the U.S. Presidency. Close advisors admit that cryptid prejudices along with the candidate’s communications challenges and non-traditional demeanor posed major obstacles in the campaign. Dr. Ron Dillon, one of the foremost experts on Bat Boy, describes him as a “human-bat hybrid creature. His father was likely a bat or a creature heavily dominated by bat genomes, his mother, Susan Boy, was a human being. We have since traced Susan’s ancestry to passengers on the Mayflower.” Bat Boy's life has been nothing short of a whirlwind and even spawned an off-Broadway musical. Weekly World News does its best to keep readers up to date on his comings and goings. In the years since his discovery, Bat Boy has met Travis Scott, Elvis, Nelson Mandela, Frank Sinatra, every living U.S. President. He is adored by most celebrities – though given his reclusive nature, very few have been lucky enough to meet him. In anticipation of his run for president, Bat Boy abandoned his pagan ways and converted to Judaism and then to every other religion, seeking to play a unifying role for all people under his “Right Wing AND Left Wing” platform. He’s also had a busy and sometimes stormy romantic life, dating Farrah Fawcett, Jennifer Lopez, Jean Kirkpatrick, Cher, Kim Kardashian and more recently, Taylor Swift, but never really settling down. Bat Boy has no known offspring. Bat Boy has become a reluctant cultural icon and national treasure, who savors hiding in plain sight. He has been a subject in numerous TV shows and films such as The Simpsons, American Dad, The Boys, 12 Monkeys and many others. When Bat Boy isn't evading the paparazzi, law enforcement or government scientists, he apparently enjoys supporting his fans via surprise appearances in pop culture outlets. Recently, Bat Boy was knighted by the Queen Elizabeth and blessed by Pope Francis, and there are growing rumors about another presidential run in 2024 under his healing and unifying right-wing plus left-wing message. Leaders of the Bat Boy holiday movement urge all supporters to contact their elected representatives to voice support for a National Holiday to honor Bat Boy and his achievements and to demonstrate support for cryptids of all shapes and sizes. Supporters also encourage of Bat Boy themed apparel, some of which is coincidently available in the WWN online store! There are rumors that Bat Boy will be biking with President Biden today, but with Bat Boy, one never really knows. BAT LINKS WWN Bat Boy Tribute Page Bat Boy the Musical Book - Going Mutant: The Bat Boy Exposed Bat Boy Mask, Socks, Koozies, Pins, etc. Bat Boy Blanket! I © Bat Boy T-Shirt About Weekly World News Since its launch in 1979, Weekly World News has emerged as the defining brand for reliable tabloid news, known for exclusive coverage of Bat Boy, Manigator, P’lod the Alien, SpyCat, the three-legged, Bigfoot and scores of other notable characters. WWN boasts a global fan base of millions, is regularly profiled in the media and relaunched its reliable reporting online in 2019. The brand is expanding into exciting new areas including an online store, advertising and promotions, licensed merchandise and the recent formation of Weekly World News Studios, to bring its iconic characters and stories to big and small screens across the universe. Contact Details Weekly World News Media Contact Carl Woodward press@weeklyworldnews.com Company Website https://www.weeklyworldnews.com

June 23, 2022 08:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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SPARK Microsystems Releases SDK for Simple, Fast UWB Application Development

SPARK Microsystems

SPARK Microsystems, a Canadian fabless semiconductor company specializing in next-generation ultra-wideband (UWB), today announced the availability of its Software Development Kit 1.0 (SDK) for its SR1000 Series UWB transceivers. SPARK’s SDK can be used to simplify and accelerate development of high data rate, low power, and low latency UWB communication links for various applications. This software development kit uses SPARK’s Evaluation Kit (EVK) board as a reference hardware platform for code development and debugging. The SPARK Software Development Kit includes a comprehensive set of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to facilitate development of various software applications without requiring direct access and control of the UWB transceiver. Combined with various example application code included in the SDK, this enables more efficient development of new products using SPARK UWB communication technology. “Release of the SPARK SDK 1.0 represents another milestone in our effort to proliferate our products using the unique SPARK UWB technology and support fast time to market for a wide range of customer applications.” said Frederic Nabki, Co-Founder and CTO, SPARK Microsystems. The SPARK SDK is a collection of software development tools and examples in one comprehensive package for use by developers to create UWB-based products and applications. The SDK provides multiple simple and concise application examples to educate developers on using SPARK core libraries, such as the SPARK Wireless Core and the SPARK Audio Core, which bring additional functionality and accelerate development time. It also provides a board support package (BSP) that will enable developers to try the application examples on an already supported and tested hardware platform. In addition, SPARK’s SDK offers an effortless way for developers to experiment with SPARK technology by customizing existing applications and then testing and debugging code on SPARK’s EVK boards. In booth 326 at Sensors Converge 2022, SPARK Microsystems will highlight the many advantages that UWB delivers for sensor applications compared to legacy short-range wireless platforms like Bluetooth. The company will demonstrate its new Wireless Sensor Kits (WSKs) based on the SDK. This extreme low power and compact reference module – just 40mm X 40mm – houses multiple sensors (optical, gyroscope, motion sensors/accelerometers) and leverages a SPARK SR1020 UWB transceiver for point-to-point sensor applications. This kit comes with software examples and necessary information for customers to design sensor modules specific to their own applications. About SPARK Microsystems​ SPARK Microsystems is a fabless semiconductor company that is leading the way towards ultra-low power wireless communications for consumer and IoT-connected devices. With its patented technologies, SPARK Microsystems is bringing to market a high-performance wireless transceiver that allows for orders of magnitude improved power consumption, latency and more accurate ranging and positioning, while providing higher data rates than competing technologies. ​For more information, please visit www.sparkmicro.com.​ Contact Details Rainier Communications Jenna Beaucage +1 508-340-6851 jbeaucage@rainierco.com Company Website https://www.sparkmicro.com

June 22, 2022 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ripken Baseball Adds Its Fourth Ripken Experience™ through Partnership with Elizabethtown Sports Park in Kentucky

Ripken Baseball

Ripken Baseball, the leader in youth sports events, announced it will add its fourth Ripken Experience™ location in the United States through a partnership with Elizabethtown Sports Park in Elizabethtown, Ky. Officially named The Ripken Experience™ Elizabethtown, Ripken Baseball will bring world-class youth baseball and softball tournaments, plus week-long experiences, to the state-of-the-art complex starting in 2023. This year marks Elizabethtown Sports Park’s 10th anniversary since opening the complex, which has attracted 160,000 visitors annually. Within the past decade, Elizabethtown Sports Park has been responsible for generating $150 million in direct economic impact for the city. With the goal of bringing even more teams and families to Elizabethtown, Ripken Baseball will host events on the 12 interchangeable baseball/softball turf fields. “The fields and facilities at Elizabethtown Sports Park are in the top tier of youth complexes in America – a category I believe includes our other Ripken Experience™ locations across the country,” said Cal Ripken, Jr., who founded Ripken Baseball with his brother Bill. “When we think about The Ripken Experience™ Elizabethtown, the key word is experience. Our teams and their families will be treated like big-leaguers, creating lifelong memories together.” The Ripken Experience™ Elizabethtown joins Ripken Baseball’s lineup of youth sports destinations, including complexes in Aberdeen, Md.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Across its facilities, clinics, and tournaments, Ripken Baseball hosts more than 120,000 participants and 350,000 guests from all 50 states and 12 countries annually. “Bringing The Ripken Experience™ and the Elizabethtown Sports Park together creates the ultimate win for families and players,” said Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory. “The excitement and energy behind this partnership are exactly why we feel it’s a perfect fit for us and we look forward to welcoming teams and their families to our community.” To start planning your trip to The Ripken Experience™ Elizabethtown, visit www.ripkenbaseball.com or give a Ripken Baseball teammate a call at 410-306-7575. About Elizabethtown Sports Park Elizabethtown Sports Park is a true destination for events of all sizes and caliber with three quads for baseball and softball, two championship-style turf fields, three large pavilions for events, and one accessible field with spectator seating. The mission of the sports park is to create experiences for people who yearn to be in the big leagues. This is the perfect place to play. A place for athletes to play like the pros. A place where everyone becomes a champion. The Ripken Experience is the premier baseball/softball partner with the sports park where we look to provide players, coaches, and families with the experiences and lifelong memories that will allow them to enjoy and play the game for as long as possible. For more information, visit: www.etownsports.com. About Ripken Baseball Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), and The Ripken Experience™ Elizabethtown (Kentucky). Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/

June 21, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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DistroTV Adds 120 New Channels, Citing Impressive Channel Growth of 87% YoY, and Launches New Regional Channel Bundles to Continue Global Content Expansion as FAST Market Heats Up

DistroTV

DistroTV, the nation’s largest, independent, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platform, today announced it has added 120 new channels to expand its core content categories, across news, media & entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. This in addition to growing its multicultural content line-up, to include new channel offerings to cater to English, Southeast Asian / Indian, and Spanish-speaking audiences, as well as a new bundle of channel content targeting the African community. This brings the DistroTV total channel library to more than 270, with DistroTV now available in more than 60 markets through its apps on streaming devices and smart TVs, as well as worldwide through distro.tv on the web. The company continues its rapid global expansion, empowering media companies to break down content barriers and bring diverse and independent content to our global viewers, wherever they may be watching, amidst an evolving free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) market. Through DistroTV’s easy-to-use interface, viewers can instantly watch their favorite channels and shows, with no registration, sign-up, or fees required. “The FAST market is on an incredible and steep upward growth trajectory, with even paid streaming platforms now understanding that if they do not embrace and ride this wave, they’ll get left behind,” said Navdeep Saini, co-founder and CEO of DistroScale, parent company of DistroTV. “At DistroTV, we’ve long been on a mission to break down barriers to entry and provide free TV for global audiences who want and deserve access to free, engaging programming across a range of cultures and languages. If our growth figures are any indication, we’re well on our way to accomplishing our goals, and we have no plans of slowing down.” Key highlights include: An impressive wave of new channels available to stream for free that appeal to DistroTV’s core US, UK, and Canadian audiences which includes a total of: 45 sports channels, doubling the initial channel count to include the most diverse collection of live & linear mainstream sports, combat sports, niche sports and outdoors channels, like beIN SPORTS Xtra, Swerve Sports, IMPACT Wrestling Channel, FightNetwork, ACL Cornhole, MotoAmerica TV and FuelTV. 13 documentary channels, with notable new additions including Goalcast, Beautiful Planet, and True History. Notable new additions to the entertainment & lifestyle category, including AXS TV Now, Heritage+, Planet Eat, and the return of Canadian foodie favorite, GustoTV. A total of 21 Spanish-language channels available in North America, such as Casa Comedy and Spanglish to the existing bundle of entertainment, documentaries, news and sports channels launched earlier this year, for a total of 25 Spanish-speaking channels globally. DistroTV Español is aimed at speakers in the U.S., as well as in Latin America and included the platform’s premiere of its first original movie, Escándalo Secreto: En Plena Cuarentena, which has seen impressive adoption across all LatAm audiences, both in the US and Latin American markets. The expansion of free-to-stream Indian channel content through DistroTV Desi; the bundle doubled since launch from 15 channels to 36 live streaming channels, featuring new additions such as ABP, Bollywood Prime, Epic, FOODFOOD by renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Desi TV, and more. The addition of these channel bundles will bring even more viewing access and content options to a multicultural Spanish speaking and South East Asian audience; The release of a new African channel bundle, DistroTV Africa, featuring 11 entertainment and music-oriented channels available to stream for free globally and available in countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania, and in those countries’ native languages; Since its launch in 2019, DistroTV has taken note and delivered on the demand for growth concerning its breadth of content and global audience. The streaming platform continues to focus on building a robust global network that delivers news, entertainment, music, sports, and lifestyle programming to international audiences. To become a part of this international audience, visit https://www.distro.tv or install DistroTV on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS or Android. About DistroTV DistroTV is the largest, independent, free, ad-supported streaming television service on the market. Launched in 2019 by parent company DistroScale, the platform caters to a multicultural, rapidly expanding, globally-minded audience of passionate viewers. Satisfying the growing demand for premium video content in multiple languages, DistroTV delivers premium video content from producers globally across North America, the UK, Bollywood, Latin America, China, Southeast Asia, and growing. With more than 200 channels plus thousands of Video on Demand (VOD) shows, DistroTV cultivates content that covers a broad spectrum of topics to connect with people’s passion points around Entertainment, Lifestyle, Sports, News, Documentaries and International Content in live, linear and video-on-demand formats. DistroTV is available to stream for free on the web, as well as through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and iOS and Android devices. About DistroScale DistroTV is the first direct-to-consumer offering from DistroScale, a technology company founded in 2013 and known for providing a global clientele of thousands of media properties with the industry’s most comprehensive video platform for web, apps, and streaming. DistroScale is an all-in-one solution providing infrastructure, content delivery, curation, analytics and a full suite of monetization options. Video enabled by DistroScale reaches more than 250 million visitors per month. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. To become a DistroTV viewer, visit www.distro.tv. More information on DistroScale & DistroTV is available at www.distroscale.com. Contact Details Mackenzie Gavel +1 631-739-5716 mackenzie@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.distro.tv

June 21, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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The Connected Devices Making a Splash this Summer

News Media Group, Inc.

Contact Details News Media Group, Inc. Karl Wayne +1 334-440-6397 karl@newsmg.com Company Website https://newsmg.com/

June 21, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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trooVRS Launches as the First Editorial Platform Built for the Metaverse at Cannes Lions 2022

Troo Media

Troo Media, the creators of media platforms for the metaverse, today launched trooVRS, the first fully virtual and immersive editorial platform designed for the metaverse dedicated to reimagining men’s editorial, at Cannes Lions. Through immersive, VR-powered environments, trooVRS will deliver high quality editorial content and experiences in written, video, and audio-based formats that will empower male audiences across generations, race, nationalities, sexual orientation, and more with the tools and practical knowledge to positively impact their well-being. The trooVRS platform is built around the concept of “solutions journalism”, which is focused on curating content designed to provide practical knowledge and offer solutions, and elevate the quality of life of readers. On the platform, this content will target the interests and needs of men from all backgrounds by focusing on core subject matter like relationships, work, physical and mental health. The launch of trooVRS coincides with Men’s Health Month to reinforce the company’s commitment to serve as a constant voice of awareness for men’s health and encourage positive living choices. trooVRS will recruit writers and content creators from across the globe that represent a diverse set of ethnicities, nationalities, and perspectives in order to deliver a comprehensive experience for men of all backgrounds. This immersive editorial content is delivered through high-quality pixel streaming 3D “virtual worlds” which offer readers a safe space to discuss topics and build communities. The first virtual world, a remote, Scandinavian-inspired home built directly into a mountainside, is accessible today for brands and agencies to begin ideating customized experiences and activations on the platform. In addition to its core editorial offerings, trooVRS will also deliver curated NFT offerings across its environments with male audiences that support the editorial’s initiative of fostering self-care and community. trooVRS was conceptualized by Adrian Whant, a digital media and advertising veteran who has held leadership positions at companies like NBCUniversal, Univision, ABS-CBN, and digital startups, and Lisa Cavalli, the creator of influential digital Latina-focused publications HipLatina and BELatina. The two saw an opportunity to revitalize the stagnant men’s editorial space by capitalizing on the rapid expansion of metaverse-based solutions and the need for more modern and nuanced content that breaks down the dated stereotypes of masculinity. “While new media companies are emerging to connect with an increasingly diverse spectrum of audiences, we have seen very little in terms of platforms that reflect the modern values and ideals of men, which now cover a vast range of identities, interests and aspirations. The metaverse presents us with an opportunity to deliver content in a more immersive, intimate and effective environment, and its inherent decentralization will allow for the amplification of and participation from audiences that have been historically shut out in traditional media formats. With this in mind, we’re excited to introduce trooVRS as the new way for men to validate their own experiences and focus on self-improvement,” says Adrian Whant, Founder and CEO of Troo Media. The trooVRS platform also offers brands the opportunity to deliver highly curated and branded metaverse experiences to connect more deeply with male audiences. The virtual worlds are purpose-built with several environments where brands can hold activations such as presentations, tutorials and demos in relevant environments such as stages, kitchens, gyms, showrooms and more. They will also be able to offer exclusive real and virtual goods and services, including NFTs powered by blockchain technology. trooVRS is already in advanced discussions with leading brands to conceptualize initial activations on the platform. “It has been my long held belief, through direct experience, that culturally hyper-relevant content is the future of publishing success, for both media companies and brands. With trooVRS, our goal is to take the concept of solutions-driven journalism and disseminate it through new and exciting ways to create more enriching and fulfilling experiences and pave the way forward in the metaverse-driven era,” says Lisa Cavalli, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Troo Media. The virtual worlds on the trooVRS platform are designed by SPINE, an award-winning interactive media and 3D visualization studio. In collaboration with the trooVRS team, SPINE focused on constructing highly detailed, photo-realistic environments that set the platform apart from the standard gamified experiences with most current metaverse solutions. “I’m very excited to be working with Troo Media to bring their vision to life and to be building something that is both meaningful and forward-thinking. trooVRS is headed in the direction of where I see digital media evolving towards and I’m looking forward to pushing the platform to its highest potential,” says Kevin Smith, Founder and CEO of SPINE. trooVRS launches at Cannes with one virtual world already live and with an additional 5 nearing completion. The company is focused on building out its editorial roster, activating brands on the platform and continuing to build out the technology infrastructure. Troo Media will also be focused on building strategic partnerships in the coming months to bolster the growth and development of the platform. To learn more about trooVRS, please visit: https://troovrs.io/. About Troo Media Founded in 2022, TrooMedia is a purpose-built platform that serves as the foundation for trooVRS, an immersive media platform for users to engage with non-stereotypical men's lifestyle content across virtual editorial environments, shared experiences and worlds. TrooMedia was born out of the desire to create solution-driven storytelling that provides practical knowledge to readers, elevates the voices of global creators, and, most importantly, builds content that positively impacts people's lives. TrooMedia, with its partner SPINE 3D, builds virtual worlds in the metaverse designed to deliver cutting edge immersive and collaborative possibilities that deliver highly curated experiences between brands and consumers. The company is led by media, technology, and publishing leaders and is a proud minority, LGBTQ+, and women-owned digital media company. Contact Details North 6th Agency for Troo Media Kevin Pryor +1 212-334-9753 kpryor@n6a.com Company Website https://troovrs.io/

June 20, 2022 09:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Summer Dating Tips from an Expert

YourUpdateTV

According to a recent survey conducted by Bumble, more than one-third of respondents in the U.S. say they are more open to exploring a relationship with someone who lives in another city. Recently, Sex & Relationships Expert at Bumble, Shan Boodram, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss her top tips for finding a date this summer and advice on optimizing your dating profile. A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtu.be/T7jBcsH4Mbs Travel is expected to be at an all-time high with vacations and weddings in full swing, which means the perfect opportunity for a summer romance in a new city or country. Dating apps like Bumble, the women-first dating and social networking app, can help you find new people you may be interested in – or at the very least, help you meet some new friends. “We’re excited to see all of the connections that will be made this summer, both abroad and at home, especially as we’re seeing a natural progression and eagerness for folks to meet in person again,” said Shan Boodram, Bumble’s Sex and Relationships Expert. “Though dating while traveling can just be a fun summer fling, we also found in a recent survey that more than one-third of respondents in the U.S. say they are more open to exploring a relationship with someone who lives in another city, so we encourage you to get out there, no matter where you may be!” Here are tips on dating while traveling, just in time for a summer of fun – and maybe even love. Plan ahead and save time: If you want to make the most out of your dating experience, lean into dating app features that may help you get a sneak preview of who you can connect with - before your trip. For example, Bumble offers a Travel Mode, which allows you to change your location to a new city so you can look for local connections before your arrival. Be open-minded: Just like you might be more open to trying a new food or activity when on vacation, apply that same attitude to meeting new people while abroad. If you meet someone who isn’t necessarily your type, don’t immediately dismiss them. Try to have an exploratory mindset and be willing to meet someone different. Update your bio: Every time you travel to a new city or country, updating your dating app bio can be a helpful way to attract the people and experiences you’re seeking. This can include the languages you speak, how long you’ll be in town, and even asking a question about the best local spot in the city. Ending on a question or an itinerary point on your travel list makes for easy conversation starters. Remember that you can change your radius to see people who are between 1-50 miles from you, too! Hop on a video call before meeting: Many online dating platforms provide secure and safe ways for people to connect. In turn, singles everywhere are getting creative, figuring out how to learn more about each other before meeting. On Bumble, you can make voice and video calls directly in the app, so you can speak to your date without sharing any personal information, like a phone number or email address. This can also help check if your new match is someone you want to spend time with on your vacation. Schedule a date as soon as possible: The time it takes to slowly build a connection is a luxury you don’t always have when traveling. Once you connect with someone you’re interested in and feel comfortable and confident with meeting them in person, don’t be shy about suggesting the first date or respectfully following up on a conversation. Also, don't be afraid to invite this person into your existing plans! People love to delight in their own city and you'd also be surprised at how many people haven't been tourists in their own town. Take charge when choosing the location: Being in charge of choosing your date location is a simple but effective way to feel safe when dating abroad. Ensure that your first date spot is somewhere in an open and public space, and suggest a daytime date for a first meeting, or if you're traveling with friends, invite them to join the group and bring friends too! Before going out and meeting someone new, let a trusted contact know where you're going, such as your rental home host, the hotel concierge, or a friend, and set time to text or check in with them every so often. If you’re on the date and feel like it’s not for you, pre-plan a natural exit strategy for yourself because if you feel uneasy at any point, it’s important that you trust your gut and put yourself first. Always feel like you can enlist the help of a bartender or server if needed and ensure that you’re familiar with local emergency contact numbers, too. For more data-driven tips, expert advice, and resources to help guide your dating journey this summer, visit bumble.com/the-buzz. The app is free and available worldwide within the App Store and Google Play. About Shan Boodram, Bumble's Sex & Relationships Expert: Shan Boodram is a certified sex educator and intimacy expert. Boodram is host of the top podcast, "Lovers and Friends," the best-selling author of “The Game of Desire,” resident expert on Netflix's “Too Hot to Handle,” and currently stars in Peacock’s new show “Ex-Rated with Andy Cohen". She is an ambassador for AIDS Healthcare Foundation and WomensHealth.gov, and a member of the American Sexual Health Association. About Bumble: Bumble, the women-first dating and social networking app, was founded by CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014. Bumble connects people across dating (Bumble Date), friendship (Bumble BFF) and professional networking (Bumble Bizz). No matter the type of relationship, women make the first move on Bumble. Bumble is built on the importance of equitable relationships and how crucial they are to a healthy, happy life. They've built their platform around kindness, respect, and equality – and their community plays an important part in that. Bumble holds its users accountable for their actions and has zero tolerance for hate, aggression, or bullying. Bumble is free and available worldwide in the App Store and Google Play. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 17, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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