Entertainment

Animation Dance E-Sports Entertainment/Celebrity Film Music Radio Restaurants Sports Television Theater Video Virtual Reality
News Release Digital Asset Direct

Kirk Morrison Helps Launch 29th Annual Kickoff to Rebuild Event During Super Bowl Weekend

YourUpdateTV

Rebuilding Together, a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to repairing the homes of people in need, partnered with Lowe’s, the Official Home Improvement Sponsor of the NFL, for the 29th annual Kickoff to Rebuild event during Super Bowl weekend. As part of the event, former NFL player, Kirk Morrison, teamed up with Rebuilding Together President and CEO, Caroline Blakely, and Lowe’s Home Improvement District Manager, John Sayre, on a satellite media tour to discuss the event and the important work being done nationwide. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/trwi5JJf4JY In neighborhoods nationwide, more than 2.6 million homeowners live in deteriorating, physically inadequate homes that threaten their health and safety, including those near Allegiant Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LVIII. Having a safe and healthy home is foundational to so many aspects of our lives, from a sense of community and safety to physical and mental well-being, to economic security and independence. Through its national network of affiliates, Rebuilding Together works proactively and collaboratively with community leaders, long-term residents, funders, and volunteers to foster dialogue and create safe, healthy communities across the country. Kickoff to Rebuild represents Rebuilding Together’s belief that every neighbor should have the opportunity to live in a safe and healthy home and community, and to remain in the places they call home. To date, through Kickoff to Rebuild, Rebuilding Together has made improvements to more than 176 homes, engaged 5,200 volunteers, and invested $6 million to communities in need. Lowe’s has partnered with Rebuilding Together since 2007, and has worked together to revitalize communities and improve the lives of thousands of our neighbors over the years. In 2023, Lowes announced a two-year, $6 million donation to Rebuilding Together to address urgent housing challenges by providing safe homes for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and neighbors impacted by disaster. This year’s event was led by the nonprofit’s local affiliate, Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada, which has helped provide more than 7,800 Las Vegas families with safer community spaces and healthier homes over the past 30 years. As part of this project, volunteers, local contractors and members of the community came together to provide essential repairs including roof and door replacements, extensive bathroom upgrades, exterior painting, landscaping improvements, and new water heaters all at no cost to the homeowners. Additionally, the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada’s John C. Kish Club received a fresh coat of paint to its large gymnasium to provide a safe and enjoyable place for youth to play, learn, build relationships and grow. To learn more, and to find out how to get involved, visit rebuildingtogether.org Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 13, 2024 11:53 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video

Apple Shareholder: Company’s Actions on Human Rights Don’t Match Its Words

NLPC

Ahead of Apple Inc. ’s annual meeting on February 28, National Legal and Policy Center is highlighting a report it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that explains how the iPhone maker’s claims about its respect for human rights fall far short of its real-world engagements and operations. NLPC, a shareholder in Apple, is sponsoring a proposal (No. 8 on Page 97 of the company’s proxy statement ) that asks the company to explain why its actions fail repeatedly to match its statements and policies regarding human rights, especially considering its ongoing pandering to the government of China. The SEC filing builds on the case made in the proposal, with extensive evidence of Apple’s concern for cheap labor and enormous profits, at the expense of the people who buy and make its products under the brutal communist regime. “Over the past ten years, various shareholders have brought at least six different proposals at Apple annual meetings because of its weaknesses when it comes to protecting human rights,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “Why does the Board of Directors have to keep addressing this issue? Because they only pay lip service to it, while their Chinese government business partners constantly violate standards of respect and decency. The U.S. State Department actually calls it genocide.” NLPC’s proposal and SEC filing note the following examples where Apple fails to follow its own proclamations regarding human rights, rendering them empty: Apple removed the New York Times ’s apps from the App Store in China in 2017, and removed apps including HKmap.live and Quartz from its offerings, during the protests in Hong Kong in 2019; The company severely restricted use of its AirDrop wireless filesharing feature on users’ iPhones during protests against Chairman Xi Jinping’s “zero COVID” policies in late 2022; The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice said in January 2024 that it had cracked Apple’s encryption and was able to track senders. According to The Epoch Times, “That allows local police to find ‘several suspects’ who use the iPhone feature to transmit files containing what authorities have referred to as ‘inappropriate remarks,’ according to the agency;” According to Reuters, “Apple has started requiring new apps to show proof of a Chinese government license before their release on its China App Store, joining local rivals that had adopted the policy years earlier to meet tightening state regulations.” Perhaps most telling, the tech giant lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act when it was up for consideration in Congress. “Apple wants to avoid this embarrassing issue so badly, that the Board asked the SEC to prevent our proposal from being heard by our fellow shareholders, by claiming that they were already addressing the issue,” Chesser added. “Fortunately – even under a presidential administration cozy with both Big Tech and China – the SEC staff followed the facts instead of political bias, and decided to allow our proposal at the annual meeting. “We look forward to explaining to our fellow shareholders why Apple’s carelessness over human rights presents fiduciary and reputational risks to the company.” ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

February 13, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

After Two Seasons Of Netflix Show, Kartoon Studios (AMEX: TOON) Continues To Expand 'Llama Llama' Franchise Through Partnership With Penguin Young Readers

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Every parent knows the importance of a nighttime routine for young children. Oftentimes, this routine will enlist the help of trusted stuffed animals and books that transport us to faraway places with cuddly characters. With over 30 million copies in print worldwide, Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama books have captured the hearts of families. The series has been translated into eight languages and provides soothing tales of first childhood experiences and adventures to preschoolers. In 2018, Llama Llama’s success translated to the screen when Kartoon Studios (AMEX: TOON) adapted the stories to a Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) Original preschool series. The show stars Jennifer Garner, who voices the lead role of Mama Llama. Seasons one and two of the series are available to stream. Kartoon Studios is a global company specializing in creating, producing, distributing, marketing and licensing entertainment brands. With a diverse portfolio of original animated content, including popular shows such as Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq's Garage, Rainbow Rangers and Llama Llama, Kartoon Studios seems to have established itself as a prominent player in the entertainment industry. Expanding the Llama Llama franchise, Kartoon Studios has partnered with Penguin Young Readers and KOHL’s (NYSE: KSS) to launch new back-to-back nationwide retail promotions featuring books and plush products from the series. This product line will be part of the popular Kohl’s Cares program, which uses 100% of Kohl’s net profit to benefit non-profit organizations. Kartoon Studios has enlisted two new plush toy licensing partners, Spirit and YOTTOY, to its growing roster, expanding the company’s presence in the merchandise space. Starting February 1, customers can look forward to a charming plush toy and book set. This set features the book Llama Llama Easter Egg from Penguin Young Readers, paired with a plush toy from Spirit. Available for a limited time while supplies last, this set will be priced at $9.00. On April 12, a second release will be introduced. Fans can discover the book Llama Llama Red Pajama from Penguin Young Readers, accompanied by a plush toy from YOTTOY. These items will be available for purchase separately, priced at $5.00 each, for a limited time while supplies last. Both promotions will be accessible to customers at stores nationwide and can also be found online at Kohls.com. “We began our collaboration with Kohl’s and Penguin in 2020 with our introduction of ‘Llama Llama’ into the Kohl’s Cares initiative, and we extended the partnership in 2022 as we continue to steadily grow the brand. Launching two more promotions in 2024 offers us a tremendous opportunity to continue to honor Anna Dewdney with delivering the heartwarming stories she created, along with new quality products from our recently added licensing partners Spirit and YOTTOY,” shared Lloyd Mintz, SVP Global Consumer Products at Kartoon Studios. Kartoon Studios reports that it has a track record of success with licensed manufacturers – Kids Preferred and Books To Bed, plush and pajama partners, respectively, continue to perform well both in-store and online. Kartoon Studios has also expanded Llama Llama’s reach with audio storytelling from Tonies. Speaking on the partnership, Margaret Anastas, VP & Publisher at Flamingo Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, added, “We are thrilled to have ‘Llama Llama’ included in the Kohl’s Cares program twice in 2024. Their promotions do such good charitable work while giving young readers more ways to connect with their favorite character, ‘Llama Llama’.” Kartoon Studio's ability to tap various markets highlights its commitment to being a dynamic company that is dedicated to delivering engaging and diverse entertainment experiences to audiences around the world. Featured photo by Jernej Graj on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

February 13, 2024 08:20 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Crypto Whales Shift Focus to the Emerging Meme Powerhouse Meme Moguls (MGLS), Decreasing Interest in Tron (TRX) and Polygon (MATIC)

Meme Moguls

As market growth slowed in January, crypto whales are shifting their focus to an emerging new project, Meme Moguls. Meme Moguls experienced significant gains over the last few months and is now attracting TRON and Polygon investors, who are selling their tokens due to recent poor performances. Will Meme Moguls Hit 100x Returns In 2024? Since its presale started, Meme Moguls increased in value by 90%. This rapidly expanding P2E project is now expected to take the market by storm. After its presale ends on February 28, Meme Moguls will be listed on Uniswap and several other exchanges that will be announced over the upcoming weeks. This significant milestone is expected to take Meme Moguls to new heights. Meme Moguls is a play-to-earn (P2E) platform that lets players build their investing knowledge. The platform showcases several game modes and includes a virtual stock market where investors will be able to trade meme assets. During each game mode, players will have the opportunity to win prizes, most of which can be redeemed for cryptocurrency. The Meme Moguls development team will showcase a game preview over the next week, which will give investors further insights into different game modes, features, and more. As the Meme Moguls presale starts to sell out, experts predict that it will soon enter the 6th stage of its presale. After hitting this milestone, $MGLS tokens will increase from $0.0036 to $0.0042, its final price before being listed later this month. Investors who buy tokens before the Meme Moguls presale ends will still get a 30% buy bonus. Furthermore, active investors could potentially win giveaways, which have been awarded throughout each presale round. Visit Meme Moguls TRON Rallies 18% In January TRON was one of the best-performing stablecoins in January. Its value surged by 18.76%, and as a result, thousands of investors diversified their portfolios with TRON. This was a much-needed boost for the TRON ecosystem, which has faced several declines over the last few months following controversies with the project's founder. Last year, TRON founder Justin Sun faced several charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While these allegations don’t directly impact TRON, they have created legal uncertainty around the project, thus slowing its growth. Nonetheless, TRON continues to expand. The developers are currently working on a new partnership with ChainGPT, which could be a great addition to the TRON ecosystem. TRON is currently trading at $0.1229, and its price increased by 4.97% over the last week. Crypto Whales Sell Polygon Polygon (MATIC) has faced several challenges in 2024. After its poor price performance, Polygon's daily transaction volume has dropped by 31.7% in a month, and Polygon has dropped out of the top 15 most traded cryptocurrencies. Whales are now losing confidence in Polygon’s following its poor user activity. As a result, record amounts of MATIC tokens have been removed from exchanges. This has caused some experts to question Polygon’s future, with some suggesting that the project may be losing its investors to competitors. According to Polygon’s network data, bridging activity also fell over the last month, which has further shaken whale confidence. Having increased by just 3.5% in 30 days, investors could start to diversify their portfolios and sell their Polygon holdings if the project fails to gain momentum. For more information about the Meme Moguls (MGLS) Presale: Visit Meme Moguls | Join the Community Meme Moguls and all cryptocurrencies are subject to significant price fluctuations and volatility. Investing in or holding Meme Moguls tokens carries substantial risks, including the potential for total loss. Past performance should not be considered indicative of future results. Volatility and Risks: Meme Moguls and all cryptocurrencies are subject to significant price fluctuations and volatility. Investing in or holding Meme Moguls tokens carries substantial risks, including the potential for total loss. Past performance should not be considered indicative of future results. Contact Details Meme Moguls contact@mememoguls.com Company Website https://mememoguls.com/

February 12, 2024 09:05 AM Central Standard Time

Image

Nextech3D.ai announces preliminary results showing 56% increase in revenue

Nextech3D.AI

Nextech3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to unveil the company's preliminary unaudited financial and operating results for the full year 2023. These results paint a picture of robust growth and strategic evolution for Nextech3D.ai, with annual revenue soaring by an impressive 56% to $5 million compared to $3.2 million in 2022. Moreover, the company's annual gross profit margin for 2024 is estimated at 30%, signaling a significant uptick, particularly following the company's pivot to India in Q4, 2023, and enhancements in its AI capabilities. Gappelberg elaborated during the interview, expressing satisfaction with the solid performance in 2023 but also hinting at even stronger gains anticipated in 2024. With the increasing traction of 3D modeling and the company's continued pursuit of economies of scale, Nextech3D.ai is poised for further expansion and profitability. Central to the company's success is the strategic decision to shift operations to India, a move that has significantly bolstered production capabilities and, most notably, profit margins. Gappelberg emphasized that Nextech3D.ai is now experiencing consistent profit margins exceeding 50% across its businesses, marking an impressive 80% improvement over 2023. The impressive financial results and strategic initiatives underscore Nextech3D.ai's commitment to innovation and growth in the burgeoning field of 3D modeling. With a solid foundation and a clear roadmap for the future, Nextech3D.ai is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities and deliver sustained value to its stakeholders. Stay tuned for further updates as the company continues its upward trajectory in the dynamic world of technology and AI. Contact Details Proactive United States +1 347-449-0879 action@proactiveinvestors.com

February 12, 2024 09:43 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video

Crypto Analysis Platform yPredict Completes All 8 Rounds of Presale Successfully, Expands Team to Accelerate Growth

Spark Metro PR

yPredict, an AI-powered crypto analysis platform, today announced it has completed all its presale rounds to develop its platform further. The additional capital will support yPredict's continued growth as it evolves into a fully-fledged asset analysis platform. "We are thrilled to complete this last presale round, which demonstrates strong investor confidence in our vision," said Raj Sharma, CEO of yPredict. "These funds will enable us to accelerate the development of our AI-driven platform as we scale our capabilities to empower crypto & stocks investors with actionable, data-backed insights." With the presale complete, yPredict is expanding its team by hiring for several key roles, including Product Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, Technical Stock Chart Analysis Content Writer, and Crypto Content Writer. These hires will be instrumental as yPredict cements itself as an industry-leading crypto analysis solution. yPredict leverages advanced AI and machine learning to analyze financial market data and identify profitable trading and investment opportunities. The platform delivers personalized, easy-to-understand analytics to help traders of all skill levels make smarter investment decisions. "We are at the forefront of leveraging AI to democratize access to sophisticated crypto market analysis. Our technology enables anyone, not just seasoned professionals, to trade with confidence," continued Raj Sharma. "With our strong funding base and expanded team, we are poised to take yPredict to new heights in 2024 and beyond." For more information on yPredict and its AI-powered crypto investing platform, visit ypredict.ai. About yPredict yPredict provides AI-powered crypto market analysis platform designed to uncover predictive insights and enable high-probability trading. Built by a team of AI and finance experts, yPredict helps crypto investors of all experience levels make smarter trading decisions through advanced analytics and machine learning. The company is based in Wilmington, DE. Contact Details yPredict Ankit Singh +1 302-597-6768 team@ypredict.ai Company Website https://ypredict.ai/

February 11, 2024 05:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Geoff Reiss, Former GM of Yahoo Sports, Named Chairman of StreamLayer

StreamLayer

StreamLayer, a leader in the monetization of live OTT sports content, has appointed Geoff Reiss, the former GM of Yahoo Sports, as the company’s new chairman. Reiss, who also served as Head of Sports at Twitter and CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association, has an extensive record of leading groundbreaking sports media businesses, including his role in launching ESPN.com and ESPN's fantasy platform. As StreamLayer experiences a surge in demand for its video monetization technology, Reiss's timing couldn't be more opportune. The company's technology is increasingly sought after for its ability to unlock new revenue sources and attract younger audiences, a necessity as the industry undergoes a difficult transition from linear TV to streaming. StreamLayer is also planning to unveil a groundbreaking event-triggered, in-game advertising solution later this year, and Reiss will play a key role in its introduction to the market. "We're honored to have Geoff on board,” said John Ganschow, StreamLayer CEO. “His expertise in commercialization and partnership development will be invaluable as we tap into these new opportunities and expand our global reach across the sports media sector." “StreamLayer is at the forefront of developing new and incredibly exciting ways for fans to engage with live sports, and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to help them become a fixture within the industry,” said Reiss. About StreamLayer: StreamLayer is revolutionizing the economic model for OTT providers around the globe. The Company’s proprietary Video Engagement Operating System (VEOS) enables content programmers and broadcast rights holders to transform linear streaming video feeds into highly monetizable interactive viewing experiences, seamlessly integrated into their own native app environments to facilitate valuable first-party data collection. StreamLayer is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Contact Details StreamLayer John Ganschow +1 312-543-0488 john@streamlayer.io Company Website https://www.streamlayer.io/

February 09, 2024 07:00 AM Central Standard Time

Image

Toggle3D.ai reports new Toggle3D platform increasing artist productivity by 100%

Toggle3D.ai Inc

Toggle3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss how Toggle3D.ai's platform is revolutionizing the 3D modeling and texturing process, increasing artists' productivity by 100% and providing substantial cost and time savings. Gappelberg explained that Toggle3D.ai's internal artists have been testing the platform, comparing it to other 3D painting applications. They found that what typically takes 30-45 minutes to texture in other applications can be completed in just 15 minutes with Toggle3D, showcasing a remarkable increase in speed and productivity. This increased speed is attributed to Toggle3D's web-based platform, intuitive user interface, and an extensive library of textures and materials. The application features a pre-built material library with over 1000 4K PBR materials, including metals, woods, plastics, marble, and more. This vast collection empowers users to create rich, photorealistic 3D product experiences quickly and effortlessly. Contact Details Proactive Canada Proactive Canada +1 604-688-8158 action@proactiveinvestors.com

February 08, 2024 10:19 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video

Downtown Music expands partnership with Verifi Rights Data Alliance

Downtown Music Holdings

Verifi Media, a global leader in modern media rights data management services, has announced the expansion of its partnership between Downtown Music and the Verifi Rights Data Alliance (VRDA). Songtrust will be the first of Downtown Music’s publishing services to join the alliance, following Downtown Music company, FUGA in 2022. Members of the VRDA have access to a unique set of collaborative tools for metadata exchange across music’s digital value chain while allowing each entity to maintain its own proprietary database. The new partnership will initially see composition data from Songtrust matched thoroughly across Downtown Music’s recording catalogs and other VRDA member data. These matches will include verification of ISRC/work pairs, validation of writers, and enhancement of product and recording data to help unlock new opportunities. The move to data verification and enrichment will allow VRDA partners to better identify and tackle fraud, to settle and make royalty claims faster and easier than before, and to ultimately bring better licensing and monetization options for all parties within Downtown Music. “This is the first time we’ve seen cross-party data matching within a single organization connected in our VRDA engine, and the initial matching and enrichment results have been remarkable. Our long-time partnership with FUGA and its clients has been growing steadily since our launch in 2020, and we are delighted to welcome Downtown Music into the VRDA to achieve even greater heights in the years to come,” says Chloe Johnson, Verifi’s Chief Client Officer. Harmen Hemminga, Vice President of Product and Services Strategy at Downtown Music also comments, “After the successful integration of FUGA and Verifi Media I am very excited to see more Downtown Music companies join the VRDA and continue to further our group’s mission to create better metadata and rights pictures across our clients’ extensive catalogs. Our combined technologies will allow us to help our clients monetize their music - both recordings and now works - more optimally and significantly speed up time-to-value and revenue recognition. We’re really looking forward to working together on creating a more efficient industry as a whole with Verifi Media and the VRDA members.” Ken Umezaki, CEO of Verifi Media noted: “As the number of digital assets in the music industry continues to expand every day at record-breaking rates, Verifi’s mission to interconnect authoritative datasets, and to provide comprehensive and enhanced metadata for our clients continues to prove vital for the growth of the digital music markets. Downtown Music’s expanded commitment to our partnership and the Verifi Rights Data Alliance strongly indicates the importance and sincerity of our client’s commitment to better data practices. We are truly grateful for Downtown’s continued partnership with us.” Companies that would like to join the VRDA can contact info@verifi.media. For more information on Verifi, visit www.verifi.media. About Verifi Media With offices in London, New York, and Amsterdam, Verifi Media is a global leader in modern media rights data management services focused on empowering media creators through digital data innovation. Using modern tools like graph computing and artificial intelligence, Verifi revolutionizes how media ownership and metadata is enhanced, corrected, shared and tracked across the supply chain, resulting in significantly better business decisions while enabling creators to be paid properly for their work. For more information, visit www.verifi.media. About Downtown Music & Songtrust Downtown Music is the business and professional services division under Downtown Music Holdings, the world’s leading music services company with over 2 million clients in over 145 countries with a catalog of over 38 million music assets in a wide variety of genres and languages. Downtown’s service offerings support creators and businesses in all facets of the music industry including music creation, publishing distribution, marketing, royalty collection, financing, accounting and payment services. Songtrust - a part of Downtown Music’s publishing administration services alongside Downtown Music Publishing and Sheer Publishing Africa - is the world’s largest global royalty collection platform for songwriters and music publishers. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Holly Rust downtownmusic@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.downtownmusic.com/

February 08, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

1 ... 29 30 31 32 33 ... 244