Technology

Artificial Intelligence Big Data Cloud Computing Cyber Security Data Management Electronics Enterprise & Network Technology Financial Technology Hardware Mobile & Wireless Nanotechnology Semiconductor Software Telecommunications
News Release Digital Asset Direct

InnerScope Hearing Technologies (OTC: INND) Featured in Official 2023 Super Bowl LVII Game Program

Innerscope Hearing Technologies, Inc.

2023 Official NFL Super Bowl LVII Game Program 1 Million Hard Copies 50 Million Unique Visitors - Digital Edition 500 Million Page Views - Digital Edition McapMediaWire -- InnerScope Hearing Technologies Inc. (OTC: INND ) ("InnerScope"), an emerging and disruptive leader in the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid space today announced its print ad campaign "Hearing Made Easy" is featured in the Official Super Bowl LVII (57) Game Program. Super Bowl LVII is a showdown between the AFC Champions, Philadelphia Eagles, and the NFC Champions, Kansas City Chiefs. The kickoff is this Sunday, February 12th, at 6:30 pm EST, with Chris Stapleton singing the National Anthem and international icon Rihanna taking center stage for Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Official NFL Super Bowl LVII Commemorative Souvenir Game Program features InnerScope's print ad campaign strategically placed on page 229 opposite a full editorial that recaps the first four weeks of the Philadelphia Eagles regular season. The print ad campaign highlights a message of "Hearing Made Easy" – No Prescription Needed – No Medical Exam Needed with InnerScope's iHEAR and HearingAssist brand of Medical-Grade FDA-registered OTC rechargeable hearing aids starting at $499 a pair. The ad also includes a list of selected in-store and online major retailers where iHEAR and/or HearingAssist OTC hearing aids can be purchased, including Walmart Vision Centers, Walmart.com CVS.com, Bestbuy.com, RiteAid, RiteAid.com or directly from iHEARdirect.com or HearingAssist.com. NFL Super Bowl LVII Game Program will be made available to the fans during the game with exclusive distribution rights inside State Farm Stadium on Sunday, February 12, 2023. In addition, the publication will be made available for purchase nationwide at major newsstands, bookstores, hotels, mass and specialty stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, international airports, and online at NFLShop.com at a cover cost of $20 with a circulation of nearly 1,000,000 hard copies with 100% sell-thru and a pass along the value of approximately 5,000,000 (5 readers per copy). In addition to in-stadium and retail distribution, a robust digital component is included to enhance the visibility significantly: In the week preceding and following the game, the digital edition of the 2023 Official NFL Super Bowl LVII Game Program will be made available for free viewing on NFL.com. NFL.com expects to receive more than and experience approximately during this time. To view the digital edition of the 2023 Official NFL Super Bowl LVII Game Program, click the link here: Official Super Bowl 57 Game Program (hozinc.com). To View InnerScope's "Hearing Made Easy" print ad, type in the search box page 229. Also, in addition to the activation on NFL.com, All-Star Players and Media Personalities, with nearly 14 million combined opt-in followers, have agreed to share the publication over social media with their respective followers. FDA Ruling On OTC Hearing Aids Is A Game Changer For InnerScope An "FDA Ruling on OTC Hearing Aids went into effect on October 17, 2022, allowing millions of Americans with hearing loss to purchase hearing aids without a prescription, medical exam, or needing a professional to fit the hearing aids. But until the FDA ruling, getting hearing aids required a medical exam, prescription, and fitting done by an audiologist. In addition, the cost of professionally fitted hearing aids averages over $5,000 out-of-pocket costs for a pair because Medicare or private insurance plans don't typically cover the devices. However, FDA has established that OTC hearing aids are safe and effective for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and are regulated as medical devices by FDA. In addition, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, as many as 30 million adults in the United States currently have some degree of hearing loss and would benefit from using hearing aids. The FDA ruling was a game changer for InnerScope since its iHEAR, and HearingAssist brands of OTC hearing aids have the same type of technology and features as hearing aids sold and fit by hearing healthcare professionals at an average saving of $3,000 to $4,000 per pair. Additionally, InnerScope's iHEAR and HearingAssist OTC hearing aids are designed for consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss with many different models that feature Bluetooth App-Controlled and Full-Streaming for Hands-Free Phone Calling and Listening to Music and/or Podcasts. "We are proud to have our "Hearing Made Easy" ad campaign featured in the Official NFL Super Bowl LVII Commemorative Souvenir Game Program, said Matthew Moore, President and CEO of InnerScope Hearing Technologies. "Forbes has listed the Super Bowl as "the world's most valuable sporting event brand. The Official Super Bowl LVII Game Program is simply the most valuable, content-rich magazine in all sports. In addition, we believe InnerScope's iHEAR and HearingAssist OTC Hearing Aid brands associated with the Super Bowl brand and our "Hearing Made Easy" campaign print ad will provide awareness to millions of people that need hearing aids but, up until now, could never afford them." About InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc. (OTC: INND): InnerScope Hearing Technologies Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of OTC Hearing Aids, Hearing Aid Accessories & Hearing Health-Related Products ("Hearing Products") dedicated to addressing the global demand for affordable hearing solutions. InnerScope's Hearing Products and its B2C and B2B business model break through the barriers that prevent access to effective and affordable hearing solutions. InnerScope's recent acquisition of iHear Medical Inc., a Direct-to-Consumer ("DTC") cloud-based hearing solution provider, gives the Company access to over 40 patents and an R&D facility. In addition, InnerScope has acquired HearingAssist, an established leader since 2008 in the DTC hearing aid market, with a customer base of over 400,000. These acquisitions, combined with a partnership with Atlazo Inc., a semiconductor innovator for next-generation AI smart devices, will allow InnerScope to better position itself in the OTC hearing aid market by selling advanced Hearing Products through Walmart and many other major retailers and pharmacy chains. InnerScope's full line of Hearing Products is currently available through these multiple retail/wholesale distribution channels: Walmart Vision Centers, Walmart.com, Walmart Canada, CVS.com, RiteAid.com, BestBuy.com, Amazon.com, Fingerhut.com, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Hartig Drug, Food City, Cardinal Health™ at-Home, Carewell.com FSAStore.com, HSAStore.com, WellDeservedHealth.com, Wakefern Food Corp. / ShopRite, SpartanNash / VG's Grocery / Family Fare / Martin's Super Markets and Topco Associates representing 1000's of stores. Coming Soon: More major retailers and pharmacy chains for InnerScope's in-store and online Hearing Products. For information related to InnerScope Hearing Technologies' latest hearing aids and related hearing products, please visit: http://iheardirect.com http://hearingassist.com For the most up-to-date information about InnerScope Hearing Technologies (OTC: INND), please visit and follow our official Twitter account @inndstock page: https://twitter.com/inndstock InnerScope Hyperlinks: HearingAssist HearingAssist - Walmart.com HearingAssist - CVS.com HearingAssist - RiteAid.com HearingAssist - BestBuy.com iHEAR iHEAR - CVS.com Acquisition of iHear Medical Inc. Acquisition of HearingAssist Safe Harbor This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, intended to be covered by the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Any statements that are not historical facts contained in this press release are also "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). Such statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions or orders that may be canceled, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the fluctuation of global economic conditions, the performance of management and our employees, our ability to obtain financing or maintain contractual relationships with vendors and customers, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA, Securities Act, and Securities Exchange Act. Contact: InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc. Investor Relations ir@innd.com 833-788-0506 www.innd.com Investor Relations Agency Contact: Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC Lisa Gray, Senior Account Manager One Rockefeller Plaza, 11th Floor New York, NY 10020 Office: (646) 893-5835 Email: lisa@skylineccg.com Contact Details InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc. Investor Relations +1 833-788-0506 ir@innd.com Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC Lisa Gray, Senior Account Manager +1 646-893-5835 lisa@skylineccg.com Company Website http://www.innd.com/

February 07, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Blockfenders unlocks unhindered data sharing potential for companies as it secures funding round

Blockfenders

Data sharing in businesses is broken and current mechanisms are not secure, resulting in data breaches, insider threats, ransomware attacks and unauthorized access. Addressing this impasse, data analytics startup Blockfenders is today announcing a $1.5m pre-seed funding round from a range of institutional and angel investors * to remedy the problem and enable businesses to achieve their goals. Blockfenders has removed the burden on IT and data engineering teams to enable complete data sharing with its enterprise-grade, no-code platform in a zero trust environment while preserving data privacy. It combines the best of blockchain, cloud and distributed ledger technologies (DLT) like Hedera and Hyperledger to create an enterprise data exchange network that simplifies fine-grained and controlled data exchange between multiple parties without revealing raw data. Without any code and just using the Blockfenders user interface, companies can establish data exchange channels with their internal or external partners so that they can start sharing data securely and granularly with zero trust from any data source including databases, data warehouses and other data platforms. Zero trust which is central to Blockfenders enables protecting the actual data resource instead of perimeter of security, adds tamper evident data verifiability and lineage, and allows data owners to control on-demand or scheduled data access using smart contracts and a cryptography based passwordless access control. It automates data workflows and expedites transparent data agreements. Blockfenders minimizes liabilities associated with data sharing using end-to-end encryption, tamper proofness of raw data, and increases data utility at 80% lower costs According to Gartner, companies that encourage data sharing will surpass their competitors in terms of business performance. However, Gartner also predicts that only a small fraction (less than 5%) of data sharing initiatives will be successful in identifying and accessing trustworthy data sources. Further, in a recent survey of Chief Data Officers, Forrester Research found that more than 70% of global data and analytics decision-makers are increasing their capacity to utilize external data. Blockfenders co-founder & CEO Viraj Phanse commented: “Data sharing has been limited to direct access to data sources, data views, APIs, sending data via emails and ETLing. Each of these mechanisms are resource intensive, cost prohibitive and technically complex to implement, thus increasing the dependency on IT and data engineering teams. Because of failing data sharing methods that result in increasing data liabilities, CIOs, CISOs and Chief Data Officers are unable to unlock the true potential of data and maximize its business value. Consequently, zettabytes of enterprise data is locked, siloed and kept inaccessible leading to failed digital transformation initiatives. In spite of spending millions of dollars on cybersecurity and data management, organizations are unable to prevent attacks that cause a lot of brand and reputation damage.” Co-founder & CTO at Blockfenders Niranjan Ingale added: “Enterprises, healthcare and financial services organizations want to share data internally and externally to meet their business and operational goals. Although this is a top priority of their IT, data and security leaders, data sharing while enhancing data privacy and security, is not easy and secure. If performed incorrectly, it can lead to brand and reputational damage with heavy penalties. Blockfenders solves these challenges by making data sharing as simple as sharing photos on the phone. We are democratizing data sharing by enabling business, research and non-technical folks to share data from their own environment without writing any code or worrying about privacy, security and implementation. Now organizations can easily establish a single source of truth of data and share data in a fine-grained manner while meeting stringent regulations and compliances.” Headquartered in Palo Alto, Blockfenders was co-founded in 2022 by friends of 20 years Viraj Phanse and Niranjan Ingale with the aim of making it easier to securely exchange data across borders. Both co-founders have extensive global experience in the tech industry, with Viraj having held leadership roles at AWS, Oracle, Persistent and Aerospike, and Niranjan leading engineering teams at AllScripts and Persistent. In just nine months, Blockfenders has grown to a team of 10 and plans to use its pre-seed funding to grow the team further, build new capabilities like supporting multiple data sources and tokenization, and expand its presence in industries such as healthcare, banking and financial services, enterprises, and technology. Speaking about the investment into Blockfenders, Sanjay Nath, the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Blume Ventures, said, “What excited us about Blockfenders was Viraj and Niranjan’s articulation of the expansive scope of the problem statement and the promising tailwinds associated with it. Enterprises and Healthcare & BFSI companies today struggle with setting up and managing zero trust data-management platforms and Blockfender’s unique positioning and inherent technology moat is well poised to solve for that.” Rashid Mayes, Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft and co-founder at Philanthropy.AI, who is also an angel investor into the current round, added, “Businesses will face a greater reliance on securely and efficiently operationalizing data from diverse sources to meet the growing analytics/actionable insights, intelligence, end-to-end observability, and personalization needs of modern applications and services. Blockfenders’ platform enables organizations to break data silos and drive more value from data without sacrificing privacy, governance, or integrity.” Blockfenders has already gained traction for its innovative approach to help customers collaborate with internal and external partners across boundaries. The company has attracted two major industry players in the USs, including a digital health company in the eye care industry and a global employee engagement platform provider. Both partners are currently undergoing proof of concept and pilots. Blockfenders has also seen keen interest from two global banks for secure data sharing. * The round saw participation from investors including Blume Ventures, Together Fund, Veda VC, Behind Genius Ventures, Better Capital, Arka Venture Labs, Global Devc, FortyTwo, Eximius, GSF Fund, Pointone, Upsparks, and industry leaders like founder and chairman of Persistent Systems, Dr. Anand Deshpande, engineering leader at Microsoft, Rashid Mayes, founder and CEO at IndiaMart.com, Dinesh Agarwal, COO at IndiaMart.com, Dinesh Gulati, investor and sports presenter/producer, Gaurav Kapur, General Partner at Wagmi Ventures, Henry Zitou, and CEO and joint MD at Nazara Technology, Nitish Mittersain. About Blockfenders Blockfenders was co-founded in 2022 with the aim of making it easier to securely exchange data across borders. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States with an operational office in Pune, India. Learn more at https://www.blockfenders.com/ or follow via LinkedIn Contact Details Blockfenders Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.blockfenders.com/

February 07, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Foresight: Rail Vision Signs an Agreement with Israel Railways to Purchase Ten AI-Driven Main Line Systems for $1.4M

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd.

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq and TASE: FRSX), an innovator in automotive vision systems, announced today that its affiliate, Rail Vision Ltd. (“Rail Vision”), signed an agreement with Israel Railways Ltd., Israel’s state-owned principal railway company, to purchase 10 Rail Vision Main Line Systems and related services for $1.4 million. Rail Vision’s Main Line System is a cutting-edge, artificial intelligence (AI) based, industry-leading technology for detection and identification of objects and obstacles near, between, or on the railway. Foresight owns 15.39% of Rail Vision’s outstanding share capital. “After more than a year of evaluating a variety of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), Israel Railways chose Rail Vision’s Main Line System as the solution for its fleet, marking the first major commercial deployment of AI-based vision technology for main line rail industry operations,” commented Rail Vision CEO Shahar Hania. “Our Main Line System outperformed in all aspects of testing during the proof-of-concept program with Israel Railways. We believe this is a strong validation of our solution and bodes extremely well for other pilot programs underway, such as our long-term pilot in Australia with Rio Tinto, a leading global mining group, as well as other opportunities around the globe.” “Using advanced, long-range AI detection systems, our game-changing technology provides unparalleled obstacle detection on and near tracks, making it an ideal solution for major rail operators like Israel Railways and a key driver behind strategic partnerships, such as our relationship with Knorr-Bremse, the global leader in braking systems for the rail industry that has invested $24 million into Rail Vision since our inception,” continued Hania. Israel Railways operates approximately 700 trains daily, traveling along 1,138 kilometers of track, connecting major metropolitan areas in Israel, as well as cities, towns, and rural villages throughout the country. “We currently have a few main line and switch yard pilot programs underway globally,” continued Hania. “The conversion of pilot programs into commercial contracts is expected to accelerate and drive sales growth momentum in the quarters ahead.” About Rail Vision’s AI-based Main Line System Rail Vision’s Main Line System is an AI-driven obstacle detection technology designed to revolutionize train safety. With its extended visual range of up to 1.2mi / 2km, Rail Vision's Main Line System combines sensitive imaging sensors with AI and deep learning technologies to detect and classify obstacles on and near the tracks, such as humans, animals, vehicles, signals, and infrastructure components, quickly and accurately. The system then generates real-time visual and acoustic alerts for the train's command-and-control center, helping to prevent collisions, reduce downtime and delays, increase safety, and improve traffic volume. Rail Vision’s advanced image processing capabilities also allow for image-based navigation, predictive maintenance, and GIS mapping. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other Federal securities laws. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, Foresight is using forward-looking statements in this press release when it discusses its belief that Rail Vision’s AI-based obstacle detection technology is ushering in a new era of train safety, its belief that the agreement with Israel Railways is a strong validation of its solution and bodes extremely well for other pilot programs underway, as well as other opportunities around the globe, and that it expects an acceleration of pilot programs into commercial contracts, which is expected to drive sales growth momentum in the quarters ahead. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Foresight’s current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, performance or achievements of Foresight could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Foresight's annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 31, 2022, and in any subsequent filings with the SEC. Except as otherwise required by law, Foresight undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. References and links to websites have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. Foresight is not responsible for the contents of third-party websites. About Foresight Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq and TASE: FRSX) is a technology company developing smart multi-spectral vision software solutions and cellular-based applications. Through the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Foresight Automotive Ltd., Foresight Changzhou Automotive Ltd. and Eye-Net Mobile Ltd., Foresight develops both “in-line-of-sight” vision systems and “beyond-line-of-sight” accident-prevention solutions. Foresight’s vision solutions include modules of automatic calibration and dense three-dimensional (3D) point cloud that can be applied to different markets such as automotive, defense, autonomous vehicles and heavy industrial equipment. Eye-Net Mobile’s cellular-based solution suite provides real-time pre-collision alerts to enhance road safety and situational awareness for all road users in the urban mobility environment by incorporating cutting-edge AI technology and advanced analytics. For more information about Foresight and its wholly owned subsidiary, Foresight Automotive, visit www.foresightauto.com, follow @ForesightAuto1 on Twitter, or join Foresight Automotive on LinkedIn. Contact Details Investor Relations Contact: Miri Segal-Scharia, CEO, MS-IR LLC +1 917-607-8654 msegal@ms-ir.com Company Website https://www.foresightauto.com/

February 07, 2023 08:10 AM Eastern Standard Time

SIGMA Introduces 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art for Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras, Redefining the Standard Art Prime Lens

SIGMA CORPORATION OF AMERICA

SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan) is pleased to announce the SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art lens. Redefining the standard lens in SIGMA's DG DN lineup (DG = full-frame, DN = mirrorless-exclusive), the 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art expands the impressive line of fast F1.4 aperture primes with professional-level quality that the Art line is renowned for. While further improving optical performance from the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, the new SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art achieves the ideal balance of the size, weight, and autofocus performance. Designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens features outstanding edge-to-edge imaging performance with a completely new optical formula optimized for the short flange distance of mirrorless systems. Sagittal coma flare has been thoroughly improved, resulting in beautiful, rounded star images and a clean bokeh effect. Featuring the new HLA autofocus driver (High-response Linear Actuator) first introduced in the 60-600mm DG DN OS | Sports lens, the 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art achieves swift and silent autofocus, perfect for both still and video capture. With a dust- and splash-resistant build, a manual aperture ring with click and lock switches, an AFL button, and eleven rounded aperture blades for stunning bokeh rendering, this lens is an exceptional choice for all types of photography and video work, in the studio or on location. The SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art will be available for Sony E-mount and L-Mount cameras at Authorized US Dealers for $849 in late February 2023. Learn more about the SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art lens: https://www.sigmaphoto.com/50mm-f1-4-dg-dn-a Exclusively designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras A | Art SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN The new standard for artistic expression. The "Art F1.4" standard with uncompromising optical performance High-speed AF for nimble and comfortable shooting High performance, yet slim and compact Full range of functions and high build quality Supplied accessories: Case, Petal Type Hood with lock (LH782-02), Front Cap (LCF-72mm III), Rear Cap (LCR II) Available mounts: L-Mount, Sony E-mount * The appearance and specifications of the products are subject to change. * Sony E-mount lenses are developed, manufactured and sold in accordance with the E-mount specifications licensed under a license agreement with Sony Corporation. * L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG. The highest level of expressive performance, high-speed AF, and compactness―all combined in perfection. The new standard for "Art F1.4" large-aperture standard prime. Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and tremendous expressive power, SIGMA’s Art line delivers high-level artistic quality. The newest addition to the F1.4 series, which has become synonymous with the Art line, is the SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art, a large-aperture standard lens designed exclusively for full-frame mirrorless cameras. While retaining the concept of the original SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art that defined the reputation of the Art F1.4 series, SIGMA has reexamined from the very beginning what is truly important in a standard lens used in a wide range of shooting situations. By incorporating all the latest technologies, this lens has achieved a high degree of compatibility between the optimum size and high-speed AF required for today's mirrorless systems, while maintaining the highest-class optical performance. In addition to the brightness of the large F1.4 aperture and the large, beautiful bokeh effect, various aberrations have been optimally balanced in pursuit of uniform and balanced image quality throughout the entire image range, from the center to the edges of the frame. The result is the new "Art F1.4 50mm," a lens that is truly all-around capable in terms of expressive performance, maneuverability, and usability, and is designed to help photographers create their best work. Introducing the 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art, SIGMA's ideal "standard" lens. [Key Features] 1. The "Art F1.4" standard with uncompromising optical performance Based on the latest optical design technology, the lens incorporates 14 elements in 11 groups, with 3 aspherical lenses and 1 SLD glass element. The lens effectively suppresses various aberrations such as astigmatism and field curvature, which cannot be corrected in-camera. Despite the large aperture of F1.4, the image performance on the periphery of the image has been optimized, and sagittal coma flare has been minimized to the extent that the lens can withstand even challenging star and night scenes, with demanding severe point light source imaging, from wide open. In addition to clear image quality with no color blur throughout the entire image circle, the large, natural bokeh beauty of F1.4 can be fully utilized in photography. 2. High-speed AF for nimble and comfortable shooting The SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art is the first in the Art line exclusively designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras to adopt the “HLA” linear motor (High-response Linear Actuator). In addition, by using a single double-sided aspheric lens as the focus element, the lens offers fast and quiet focusing and high tracking performance despite its large aperture. With a maximum aperture of 1.4 and a high-performance AF system, the lens can be used in a variety of situations, including shooting in dark places, shooting moving subjects, snapshots, and even video. 3. High performance, yet slim and compact The development of the SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art was focused on slimming down the lens barrel by reducing the weight of a focus lens and optimizing the lens unit layout, to pursue the "optimum size" for mirrorless systems without compromising the "maximum emphasis on optical performance" concept of SIGMA’s Art line. This lens has succeeded in achieving both top-class performance, and the size required for a light and mobile photographic tool. 4. Full range of functions and high build quality The lens barrel is equipped with a Focus Mode switch, an Aperture ring click switch to turn the click on and off, an Aperture ring lock switch to prevent unintended operation, and an AFL button to assign any function from the camera. These features are designed for intuitive operation during shooting. The lens is equipped with a dust and splash resistant structure, and the front element of the lens is applied with a water and oil repellent coating, making it suitable for a wide range of shooting environments. The lens is compact, lightweight, and easy to use, while at the same time ensuring high build quality assured by the Aizu factory's reliable processing technology of "Made in Japan". DG DN "Art F1.4" series lineup includes 5 lenses from 20mm to 85mm [Additional Features] Lens construction: 14 elements in 11 groups (1 SLD and 3 aspherical lenses) Inner focus system Compatible with high-speed autofocus HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) Compatible with Lens Aberration Correction Function available on supported cameras only. Available corrections and auto correction functionality may vary depending on the camera model. On cameras where lens aberration correction is controlled with 'ON' or 'OFF' in the camera menu, please set all aberration correction functions to 'ON' (AUTO). Support for DMF, AF + MF Compatible with AF assist (Sony E-mount only) Super Multi-Layer Coating Water and Oil Repellent Coating (front element) AFL button Only on compatible cameras. Available functions may vary depending on the camera used. Focus Mode switch Support for switching between linear and non-linear focus ring settings (L-Mount only) Aperture ring Aperture ring click switch Aperture ring lock switch Dust and Splash Resistant Structure Petal Type Hood with lock (LH782-02) Compatible with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (sold separately / for L-Mount only) Designed to minimize flare and ghosting Every single lens undergoes SIGMA’s proprietary MTF measuring system 11-blade rounded diaphragm High-precision, durable brass bayonet mount "Made in Japan" craftsmanship Learn more about SIGMA's craftsmanship here: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/craftsmanship/ [Key Specifications] The figures below are for the L-Mount version: Lens Construction: 11 groups, 14 elements (1 SLD, 3 aspherical) Angle of view: 46.8° Number of diaphragm blades: 11 (rounded diaphragm) Minimum aperture: F16 Minimum focusing distance: 45cm / 17.8 in. Maximum magnification ratio: 1:6.8 Filter size: 72mm Dimensions (Max. Diam. x Length): 78.2 x 109.5mm / 3.1 x 4.3 in. Weight: 670g / 23.6 oz. [Product Barcode] L-Mount: 0085126 315696 Sony E-mount: 0085126 315658 [Accessories: Supplied] Product Name / Barcode Petal Type Hood with Lock LH782-02: 0085126 940409 Front Cap LCF-72 III: 0085126 929633 Rear Cap LCR II: (for L-Mount) 0085126 937256 Rear Cap LCR II: (for Sony E-mount) 0085126 929879 [Accessories: Optional] Product Name / Barcode SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 for L-Mount: 0085126 878696 SIGMA WR CERAMIC PROTECTOR 72mm: 0085126 931810 SIGMA WR PROTECTOR 72mm: 0085126 930950 SIGMA PROTECTOR 72mm: 0085126 931087 SIGMA WR UV FILTER 72mm: 0085126 930691 SIGMA WR CIRCULAR PL FILTER 72mm: 0085126 930820 [Contact] For further information, please contact your local authorized SIGMA Service Station listed here: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/world-network/ [Information] SIGMA Corporation: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/ Product information: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/a023_50_14/ About SIGMA Corporation Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, SIGMA has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning still photo and cinema camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan. In 2012, the company introduced SIGMA Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sports. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and SIGMA, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, the SIGMA Cine lens lineup was launched, further cementing SIGMA as an innovator in imaging engineering. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the SIGMA benchmark of excellence, SIGMA Cine lenses meet the needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production. Forming the landmark L-Mount alliance alongside Leica and Panasonic in 2018, SIGMA continues its storied tradition of imaging excellence through groundbreaking innovations such as the native L-mount SIGMA fp and fp L full-frame mirrorless digital cameras, announced in July 2019 and March 2021 respectively. These products, along with over 30 award-winning SIGMA Global Vision lenses available in native L-Mount format, demonstrate SIGMA's continued commitment to the creative community through expanded product offerings. With the fp, fp L and these lenses, even more users can now leverage SIGMA's renowned optical formula to achieve their creative vision with ease. ### For information about SIGMA America, please visit sigmaphoto.com and SIGMA Blog for helpful information about our products. Follow SIGMA America on social media! SIGMA Photo: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram SIGMA Cine: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Contact Details Jack Howard SIGMA Corporation of America +1 631-201-7381 SIGMA.PR@sigmaphoto.com Company Website https://www.sigma-global.com/en/

February 07, 2023 07:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

SIGMA Updates fp & fp L Cameras Appealing to Cinematographers by Adding New Color Mode, 4TB SSD Compatibility, Atomos Cloud Support and More

SIGMA CORPORATION OF AMERICA

SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan) is pleased to announce major firmware updates for the SIGMA fp series cameras: Version 5.0 for the 24-megapixel SIGMA fp, and Version 3.0 for the 61-megapixel fp L. Key updates include the addition of a "Warm Gold" color mode, support for 4TB SSDs, and Atomos Cloud support. With these firmware updates, the fp and fp L are also now the first mirrorless still/cine cameras to incorporate the EL ZONE metering system created by cinematographer Ed Lachman, ASC. EL ZONE is a false-color exposure tool where standard exposure (18% reflectivity) is displayed in gray, with up to six steps of both highlights and shadows displayed in an intuitive, standardized, color-coded format to allow creators to utilize the dynamic range of the cameras to its fullest. Additionally, Open Gate with Anamorphic Desqueeze for the ARRI ALEXA LF / ALEXA Mini LF has been added to the camera and settings registered in Director’s Viewfinder Mode; which will be a benefit to high-end filmmakers utilizing the popular ARRI line of cine products. "The introduction of the EL ZONE metering system, along with the full roster of additional features and functions provided in the latest firmware, demonstrates SIGMA's commitment to the fp camera series." reports Mark Amir-Hamzeh, SIGMA America President. "With each major firmware update, the fp cameras become ever more important tools catering to the needs of the creative community." The firmware updates for both cameras will be available on February 8, 2023, on the sigma-global.com website. The full description of the firmware update follows below. ##### Major firmware update for the SIGMA fp for Ver. 5.00 and fp L for Ver. 3.00 The SIGMA fp and fp L cameras both gain added functionality with the new major firmware update Thank you for purchasing and using our products. We are pleased to announce that firmware update Ver. 5.00 is now available for the SIGMA fp and Ver. 3.00 is available for the SIGMA fp L full-frame mirrorless camera. #SIGMfp #SIGMAfpL #SIGMA [Applicable product] SIGMA fp / SIGMA fp L [Benefits of the update] SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 / SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00 A new color mode "Warm Gold" is added. This Color mode creates a mellow atmosphere with subdued tones and warm colors. The "EL ZONE" option has been added to the "False Color" function, which displays the exposure status of any part of the screen in a color-coded manner, allowing you to monitor the exposure status of any part of the screen. "Focus frame only" *has been added to the information display menu in the |▢| (Display) mode setting * "Focus Frame Only" appears in the menu only when the shooting style in STILL mode or CINE mode is set to STILL-like. The camera can now be switched off even during long exposures. The camera is now compatible with a 4TB (terabyte) external SSD. Open Gate (x1.25 / x1.3 / x1.5 / x1.65 / x1.8 / x2) for ARRI ALEXA LF / ALEXA Mini LF has been added to the camera and setting information registered in the Director's Viewfinder. ATOMOS Cloud is now supported. * * Firmware update of ATOMOS devices is required to use the cloud solution provided by ATOMOS. Please wait for the announcement from ATOMOS for information on compatible devices and the release date of the firmware. To update the firmware, please refer to the following links: SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp/?tab=support&local=firmware SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00 https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fpl/?tab=support&local=firmware [Learn more] About SIGMA fp: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp-series/ About SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 / SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00: https://www.youtube.com/user/sigmaglobalvision About SIGMA's color modes: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/magazine/m_series/cameras/sigma_color_mode_library/ [About instruction manual] The latest versions of the instruction manuals (PDF format) that support this firmware update can be downloaded from the following URLs: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp/#catalog https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fpl/#catalog [Contact] For further information, please contact your local authorized SIGMA Service Station listed at the link below: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/world-network/ We appreciate your continued support for SIGMA products. About SIGMA Corporation Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, SIGMA has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning still photo and cinema camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan. In 2012, the company introduced SIGMA Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sports. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and SIGMA, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, the SIGMA Cine lens lineup was launched, further cementing SIGMA as an innovator in imaging engineering. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the SIGMA benchmark of excellence, SIGMA Cine lenses meet the needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production. Forming the landmark L-Mount alliance alongside Leica and Panasonic in 2018, SIGMA continues its storied tradition of imaging excellence through groundbreaking innovations such as the native L-mount SIGMA fp and fp L full-frame mirrorless digital cameras, announced in July 2019 and March 2021 respectively. These products, along with over 30 award-winning SIGMA Global Vision lenses available in native L-Mount format, demonstrate SIGMA's continued commitment to the creative community through expanded product offerings. With the fp, fp L and these lenses, even more users can now leverage SIGMA's renowned optical formula to achieve their creative vision with ease. ### For information about SIGMA America, please visit sigmaphoto.com and SIGMA Blog for helpful information about our products. Follow SIGMA America on social media! SIGMA Photo: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram SIGMA Cine: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Contact Details SIGMA Corporation of America Jack Howard +1 631-201-7381 sigma.pr@sigmaphoto.com Company Website https://www.sigma-global.com/en/

February 07, 2023 07:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

LAST MINUTE PROCRASTINATORS RULE VALENTINE’S DAY

Getir

Don’t find yourself in the doghouse this Valentine’s Day! According to 2022 proprietary sales data from Getir, the pioneer in ultrafast grocery, customers wait until the very last minute to plan for Valentine’s Day. Last year, chocolate, flowers and condom sales significantly increased in the days leading up to and on Valentine’s Day. For all of those last minute planners, Getir comes to the rescue with a chance to win a Valentine’s Day dinner reservation for two. In addition, Getir customers can order – and receive in minutes – roses, chocolates and themed bundles such as, “The Coupled,” “The Netflix & Chill,” and “The Family” — everything you need to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. “Procrastinators, take heart: we’ve got you covered on Valentine’s Day!,” said Ilay Karateke, head of marketing, Getir U.S. “Whether you are planning to stay in, cook dinner and need groceries, forgot the roses, or need a Valentine’s Day dinner reservation, we’ve got last minute solutions to make a memorable evening for you and your loved ones.” Getir’s U.S. sales data from February 2022 in New York City, Boston and Chicago shows that red roses, chocolate bon bons and condoms had their biggest increase in demand during the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. Red rose sales had a 200% increase on Valentine’s Day compared to the week before. Chocolate bon bon sales saw a threefold jump, increasing upwards of 300% on Valentine’s Day. And, condom sales jumped 40% on this day compared to the rest of February 2022. Last minute planning for Valentine’s Day is not only happening in the U.S.. According to Getir’s European data, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the U.K. collectively saw rose deliveries increase by 700% on Valentine’s Day 2022 compared to the previous week. Valentine’s Day chocolate sales jumped 82% on February 14, 2022 in France, Italy, U.K., and Spain. Valentine’s Day Bundles To minimize the time spent, and stress of planning, for the holiday, Getir has done the thinking for customers with the release of new Valentine’s Day bundles (products vary based on market availability). Customers can choose from: “The Coupled-Up” One Dozen Roses Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Tuscany Candle 10" Taper White Unscented Candles Roberta's Margherita Pizza “The Galentines” SkinnyPop Original Popcorn Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate Nestle Toll House Edible Cookie Dough Funfetti Roberta's Margherita Pizza “Netflix & Chill” Trojan Magnum Thin Lubricated Condoms K-Y Natural Feeling Liquid Personal Lube Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough Ice Cream “The Aphrodisiac” Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Strawberries Farmland Fresh Dairies Real Light Whipped Cream “The Family” M&M's Valentine's Day Milk Chocolate Swiss Miss Indulgent Dark Chocolate Sensation Hot Cocoa Mix Breyer's Vanilla Ice Cream DiGiorno Four Cheese Frozen Pizza with Rising Crust Diet Coke “The I can buy myself flowers” One Dozen Roses Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Roberta's Margherita Pizza Dinner Reservations for Two Sweepstakes Last minute planners, rejoice! Win one of five Valentine’s Day prime-time dinner reservations for two at a local restaurant in New York City, Boston or Chicago on Valentine’s Day (valued up to $250 each). No purchase necessary and eligible participants can enter to win the sweepstakes via the Getir App. The sweepstakes runs from February 6 - February 12, 2023. Full terms, conditions, and rules for the Getir U.S. Valentine’s Day Dinner Sweepstakes can be reviewed here. New York City: Charlie Bird: Located on the border of Soho and the West Village, Charlie Bird serves fresh and local American food with Italian influences. Place des Fêtes: The Michelin-starred Oxalis team’s second restaurant, located in Clinton Hill, features Spanish wines and seafood. Choco Cortés: From its rich hot chocolates and elevated Dominican and Puerto Rican comfort foods to exotic cocktails and luscious desserts - everything is made with chocolate! The restaurant brand of 93-year old Chocolate Cortés, the largest Caribbean chocolate manufacturer, brings to the Bronx a vibrant dining and cultural experience celebrating chocolate traditions and Caribbean flavors. Boston: Brassica Kitchen: Founded by the Whisk pop-up team, Brassica brings creative and comfortable locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to Jamaica Plain. Chicago: Girl & The Goat: One of the most well-known hot spots of Chicago’s culinary scene, Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat, located in the West Loop, serves bold, global flavors with Eastern and Western influences. About Getir: Getir is the pioneer of ultrafast grocery delivery. The tech company, based in Istanbul, has revolutionized last-mile delivery with its “groceries in minutes” delivery proposition, offering approximately 2,000 everyday items to its customers. Getir has operations in all 81 cities of Turkey, and launched operations in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States in 2021. Getir is, first and foremost, a technology company that operates in retail and logistics. It was founded in 2015 by Nazim Salur (founder of BiTaksi, Turkey’s leading taxi app), Serkan Borancili (founder of GittiGidiyor, acquired by eBay in 2011), and Tuncay Tutek (ex-PepsiCo and P&G executive in Europe and the Middle East.) Learn more at www.getir.com/us. Contact Details Arielle Goren +1 212-717-5863 getir@kivvit.com Company Website http://www.getir.com/us

February 06, 2023 11:47 AM Eastern Standard Time

Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

The Minuteman Press franchise in Northvale, NJ has been operating for over 40 years. Alan Schneider and his wife Nadine are celebrating 15 years as owners and share their insights and reflections. Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. Congrats on 15 years! What does this milestone mean to you and what are the keys to your success and longevity? Nadine and Alan: “This is a tremendous milestone for us. Although we have hit this milestone in our tenure, the shop has been in business for over 40 years in this community. We are well known and very involved in the town. For years, people were saying the printing industry was dying. Then the pandemic hit and I think everyone feared a little bit for the future. However, I have to say that I never expected the bounce back from the pandemic to be such a boon for business. I think people realized that community is important, supporting local business is important, and although online marketing has a place, it’s not the only game in town. Print is still king. The keys to our success and longevity are: providing a warm and friendly place to do business; being knowledgeable about our products and services; letting our clients know that their success is important to us and we are here to help them; caring about our clients as people—not just as customers; and, most importantly, reliability and integrity.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Nadine and Alan: “Believe it or not, the pandemic was a blessing for our business. It forced us to take critical look at how we were operating. We took a hard look at our numbers, and strategized on what we could do better in both operations and marketing. On the operational side, we cut out some of the fat and streamlined things where needed.” Alan: “My wife, Nadine, has an MBA in marketing and has owned a marketing and graphic design business for 15+ years. She joined me in our Northvale, NJ location and is providing all the graphic design services. Not only was this a strategic financial/operational move, it was the best marketing move we could have made. We are now truly a marketing, design and printing company – a one-stop shop!” Nadine and Alan: “Our clients are provided with a free consultation on the best ways to market their business. We do the strategy, design and printing. When the clients see the results, they come back for additional products and services—and they tell their friends! The savings we realized from our reduction in payroll was also reinvested in the business by increasing our participation in the SEO/Internet marketing program. We are starting to see an uptick in our internet leads! A couple of other cool things… Last year, we expanded our marketing strategy by promoting ourselves as a local family business. Our holiday cards now feature our family photo – myself, Nadine, and our 4 grown children. The theme is, Family is everything. We appreciate you being part of ours. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received on that card. People feel like they know our family, and always ask how our kids are doing. This year, we will be planning a marketing program to celebrate my birthday on October 26 th. Why? Because we found out that it’s also National Printing Day! We are going to have a lot of fun with that. We also do a lot of in-person networking by being active in our home and business communities. We are BNI members and directors, are involved with many not-for-profits, serve on the boards of the local Chambers of Commerce, and are Auxiliary Police Officers in our hometown. We are always visible helping the community in whatever way we can.” What are your high-demand products and services? Nadine and Alan: “We do a ton of direct mail, particularly EDDM. Although the program has been around for years, it’s really been gaining traction since the pandemic. Once our clients see how well direct mail works for them, they either expand their reach or frequency…or both. We help them build their customer lists as a result of their EDDM efforts, then assist them with targeted direct mail programs to these new customers. We are proud to say that many of our clients credit us with helping them build their businesses through direct mail. They refer to us as the direct mail experts! We also began heavily promoting branded apparel. It’s featured in the front of our store, and we make a point of mentioning it to our clients when they come into the shop. Once we learn about their business, we suggest what types of apparel and promotional items they may want to consider to boost their brand awareness.” What are your key growth areas? Nadine and Alan: “Again, direct mail and apparel are huge for us. Design as well. Our previous graphic designer was more of a layout/production person. Nadine is a true creative. Everything we do for a client now has a marketing strategy behind it, and a creative, eye-catching design. Clients who come in with their ideas are truly blown away by how we bring their visions to life. One successful campaign for a client usually snowballs into more business—and more referrals! But our true measure of success is knowing how we are helping our clients grow their businesses.” How would you best describe your community? Nadine and Alan: “Northvale, NJ is one square mile in area, right on the New York State border. The community is comprised of mostly residential homes, a small downtown with shopping and a handful of light industrial/manufacturing. Since it’s a small-town area, we focus on serving the local trades, retail stores, restaurants, professional services and industrial businesses. We have also built a client list outside of our small regional area by creating relationships with professionals that can provide us with ongoing business.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? What are the benefits of print? Nadine and Alan: “Several years ago, email marketing became extremely popular because it was free. Today, in-boxes are flooded with messages that are deleted before they are even opened. A wasted marketing effort, even though it is ‘free.’ With print, your message is tangible. A direct mail piece in someone’s mailbox is handled – even if it is eventually discarded. Someone saw it, and handled it. Print is the ultimate conversation-starter. Hand someone a brochure, mail them a postcard, or even embroider your company name on your polo – and you are now visible to them. The most successful businesses rely on print for the majority of their marketing, so it is definitely here to stay.” What was your background before franchising? Alan: “I owned a food distribution company prior to owning a Minuteman Press. I wanted something new, but I still wanted to be a business owner. I chose Minuteman Press because of the company’s reputation for training and support of its franchisees. Also, printing is a consumable business which means repeat business.” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Nadine and Alan: “Pick up the phone, send an email, and someone is there to help. The conventions are invaluable. We always come back learning something new, whether it’s from corporate or fellow owners. We look forward to seeing everyone, and meeting new people. It’s like a family reunion! We’ve also come back with new vendors to try which really had an impact on our business.” What are the biggest rewards of owning your business? Nadine and Alan: “Being an integral part of other people’s businesses and helping them achieve their goals. Also, being part of the community.” What advice would you give to others? Nadine and Alan: “Be professional and be persistent!” Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/northvale/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 06, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Hypemachine launches a PR subscription platform with a powerhouse network of top PR executives from bluechip agencies such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and Ogilvy

Hypemachine

New York-based company Hypemachine today announced the launch of their platform and bluechip PR network ( www.hypemachine.io ). The company has attracted early-stage to publicly traded firms globally as clients and replaced what mid-sized PR agencies used to do with its technology and business model. Hypemachine offers à la carte PR subscriptions that can be scaled up or down quickly based on client needs. The company provides bluechip PR agency quality results at a fraction of "big agency” fees. How Hypemachine is different: Hypemachine Match – Hypemachine identifies what media relationships PR executives have, the sectors they worked in, and what they enjoy doing most in PR and matches senior PR teams to clients in tech, consumer, venture capital, and other sectors. Hypemachine Intuitive Dashboard – Hypemachine’s intuitive dashboard provides PR data and recommendations from Hypemachine's executives. The next stage of the dashboard will use artificial intelligence combined with executives' personalized insights. Hypemachine’s dashboard also streamlines the administrative and account management work that junior staffers typically do. Hypemachine Story Strength Score – The company has also created a ‘Hypemachine story strength score’, which assesses clients' announcements and story assets and offers recommendations on how to make them more compelling for reporters. “As a two-time startup founder and former agency SVP at a leading PR agency in New York City, I saw that the agency model was broken for most brands and founders,” says Hypemachine Founder and CEO Olga Orda. "A big part of why we’ve attracted so much incredible A-list, senior talent at Hypemachine is that they feel their work and senior counsel is valued, both in our network and by our clients," Orda said. “Contrary to what many may assume about public relations, we get paid to think, and public relations is more than just who you know. Even if I’m best friends with a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, no reporter will put their career on the line for a terrible or boring story. That’s why we hire the best talent in the industry from leading brands and agencies. We're passionate about helping clients strengthen their storylines and get media coverage.” “Adapting to the changing public relations industry, Hypemachine has created a powerful model for clients to capture tomorrow's audiences," says Andrew Graham, Founder and Head of Strategy at Bread & Law and 2021 PRSA-NY president. About Hypemachine Launched in 2023, Hypemachine ( www.hypemachine.io ) offers a PR subscription platform and powerhouse network of former PR executives from bluechip firms such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, Ogilvy, and other leading agencies. Hypemachine’s senior associates have advised brands and organizations such as Google, GE, Samsung, Unilever, Netflix, Salesforce, and Amazon. The company offers bluechip PR agency capabilities at a fraction of “big agency” fees and an intuitive Hypemachine PR dashboard for clients. Based in New York City, Hypemachine’s clients include early-stage to publicly traded companies globally. Contact Details Hypemachine Media Relations info@hypemachine.io Company Website https://www.hypemachine.io

February 06, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Decentralized, Not Deregulated — The Future Of DeFi Is Changing Following Onslaught Of Lawsuits And Criminal Investigations

Ink Finance

By Rachael Green, Benzinga A slew of lawsuits and investigations have brought crypto platforms and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) under increasingly intensifying scrutiny over the past few months. For all the innovation that DAOs allow, the organizational structure is also being used by some to evade regulation. They do this primarily by classifying their tokens as utility tokens, which are not subject to regulation, rather than as security tokens, which are subject to regulation. But the decentralized and autonomous nature is also being used in some lawsuits to evade accountability for illegal activities. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the latest legal developments that are testing the definitions and regulatory status of DAOs and what it means for financially sensitive protocols, especially in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. DAOs Have Been Used As A Loophole For Avoiding Existing Market Regulations Take the recent case of bZeroX, later Ooki DAO, which was a platform where users could trade and lend crypto tokens on margin. With any other commodity or security, this kind of leveraged trading platform would have had to be registered as a designated contract market as well as a futures commission merchant. Part of that registration process would have included implementing a know-your-customer (KYC) procedure to verify the identity of participants. Said KYC could have prevented or at least reduced the collateral damage that occurred when the platform was hacked in November 2021, allegedly resulting in over $50 million in losses for crypto investors. When a traditional trading platform like E-Trade (NYSE: MS) or Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) sustains losses, it has no effect on the account balances of individual traders on their platforms. Even if the platform an investor traded stocks or commodities on went under, that investor would still be entitled to withdraw the balance of their account. When an unregistered DAO goes under, though, investors on the platform are at risk of being left in the lurch. In the bZeroX case, for example, DAO participants are in the midst of a legal battle over whether or not they are entitled to repayment for their losses and, if so, from whom. Though the failure appears to be exactly the same as those of the centralized exchanges, the DAO formation made things even worse. In buying the governance token, the defendants allege that investors were equal partners in the DAO and, therefore, equally liable for the security gaps that made the platform vulnerable to hacking. But investors argue that they bought the tokens for the purpose of trading and the tokens didn’t give them sufficient control over how the DAO operates. In a statement on a similar case, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Genesis Global Capital with selling unregistered securities to investors on its Gemini Earn crypto lending platform, Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement said that the recent collapse of the platform underscored “the critical need for platforms offering securities to retail investors to comply with the federal securities laws. As we’ve seen time and again, the failure to do so denies investors the basic information they need to make informed investment decisions.” Though Genesis is arguably clearly an centralized entity, what should be particularly alarming to DeFi lending protocols is the categorization of security assigned to crypto lending products. The thorny issue then becomes whether a decentralized organization can evade security law. Recent cases like these are venturing into uncharted territory over how best to regulate crypto markets broadly and financial DAOs specifically. As the contrasting bZeroX and Genesis cases show, there are no easy answers. A tactic called “legislation by litigation” might be used heavily by regulators to curb what they believe as abuses while awaiting legislative actions, i.e., “shoot first and ask questions later”. Regulation Is Coming, But What It Will Look Like Remains Unclear While clear and unified legislation might still be some way off, what seems clear is that some kind of regulation will be necessary to better protect investors, clarify the parameters and risks of their investments, and generally restore trust in crypto. Commenting on the Genesis case, Former Chief of the SEC’s Office of Internet Enforcement, John Reed Stark, said, “The perilous crypto-ecosystem is a mammoth, opaque and incestuous clandestine marketplace with no transparency, no meaningful regulatory oversight and no consumer protections.” Stark noted that an “SEC enforcement sweep” was looming which would bring more trading platforms and lending protocols under scrutiny. “Expect more crypto-runs to trigger, more crypto-defendants to be charged and more crypto-story to be told,” Stark said in a tweet earlier this month. As this unfolds, DAOs, especially in the DeFi space, will likely need to take steps now to prepare for new and varied compliance requirements. Different jurisdictions are likely to implement different requirements and regulations may vary depending on the nature of the DAO’s activities. That means readiness, flexibility, and adaptability could be vital so that the organization can pivot with as little disruption as possible along the path where new regulations form and take effect. DAO toolkits like Ink Finance offer a realistic plug-and-play solution for maximum flexibility in adaptation, the much needed integrity components for KYB/KYC, and greatly enhanced security & accountability features that can better protect against hacking while helping compliance. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Ink Finance is a DAO governance toolset, enabling all kinds of ecosystems to establish governance economy, manage internal finance, and connect with DeFi investors everywhere, through a no-code user experience. As a Financial SaaS built on blockchain, Ink Finance has the most comprehensive financial engineering tools to support on-chain issuance, settlement, clearing, and analysis of Non-Fungible Financial Products.Ink Finance is backed by heavy weight eco builders such as Republic Crypto and DeFi Alliance, partnered with cutting-edge solution providers such as Humanode, Astra, SolvFinance, Polytrade and deBridge, etc. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Camille Zhang camille.zhang@ufit.live

February 06, 2023 09:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

1 ... 331 332 333 334 335 ... 640