News Hub | News Direct

Hunter Biden Plea Deal Rejected by Federal Judge

National Legal & Policy Center

Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika in Delaware rejected a sweetheart plea deal whereby Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax violations and enter a pretrial diversion program for a felony gun charge. The gun charge would be dropped if he stayed off drugs and alcohol and complied with other conditions for two years. The prosecutors also recommended that there would be no jail time for the two tax charges. The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), an ethics watchdog group, had previously blasted the lenient plea agreement between the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, David Weiss, and Hunter Biden. NLPC called upon Judge Noreika to reject the deal. The plea deal fell apart when the prosecutor told the court that the investigation is still ongoing, but Hunter and his attorneys thought the plea deal would give him immunity for any other crimes he may have committed. The frustrated judge gave the two sides some time to settle their differences during a break in the hearing but further problems arose regarding the gun charge. If Hunter did not abide by the terms of his pretrial diversion program, the judge was concerned that she would be the one to decide that the prosecution of the gun charge should proceed. She made it clear that the judiciary does not have that prosecutorial power under our Constitution’s separation of powers. She gave the parties thirty days to file additional briefs on a revised plea deal. Notably, Judge Noreika grilled Hunter during the hearing on the source of his foreign income. Hunter admitted receiving taxable income from Burisma oil company in Ukraine, where he was on the Board, and from a Chinese energy company. Yet despite the five-year investigation, no charges were brought against Hunter under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for engaging in political activities on behalf of Burisma and Chinese interests, despite overwhelming evidence that NLPC had presented to the Justice Department in 2020. “It’s outrageous that after a five-year investigation of Hunter Biden, and the recent IRS whistleblowers’ sworn testimony of a Justice Department coverup and obstruction, the best that the prosecutor can come up with is a couple of misdemeanor charges and recommend probation as a slap on the wrist,” said Paul Kamenar, counsel for NLPC. “Thankfully, Judge Noreika rejected the plea deal as we urged, but it remains to be seen if a new deal is agreed to,” Kamenar added. "The two-level system of justice whereby the Biden family gets a pass is rightfully perceived by the public as the politicization of the justice system,” said Peter Flaherty, Chairman of NLPC. “If the Justice Department continues to cover up for the Biden family, Congress must vigorously pursue its investigation, which appears to be leading to impeachment proceedings.” ### Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability 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

July 27, 2023 11:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Boost Mobile is Modernizing Their Network: Here’s How

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Check out Boost Mobile’s $10/mo for 2GB of 5G/4G data deal for qualifying new customers! Picture this: a busy intersection in a busy city, people bustling from one location to another, busily typing away or talking on the phone as they walk – and, inevitably, at least one or two of those people will be raising their phone up toward the sky trying to get better service, or tapping on their screen with increasing frustration, fruitlessly trying to get their WiFi to work. These breakdowns can cause significant disruptions in mobile services, leading to revenue losses and customer dissatisfaction. The root cause of these breakdowns can vary from hardware failures to software glitches to natural disasters. The surge in mobile traffic frequently overwhelms the infrastructure, leading to slowdowns and outages. Simply put, older infrastructure is dying out. To address these issues, one would assume that mobile carriers are investing heavily in upgrading their infrastructure and implementing new technologies. However, despite these efforts, many carriers are still struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change. This is where Boost is set apart – Boost is building new infrastructure to get ahead of this issue. Natural disasters are also worsening the issue of infrastructure breakdowns for mobile carriers, with climate change making it even more challenging. Hurricanes, floods and wildfires can damage or destroy physical infrastructure, leading to prolonged outages. To make their infrastructure more resilient, Boost Mobile (NASDAQ: DISH) is exploring new solutions, such as deploying backup power systems and improving network redundancy. Additionally, the deployment of 5G networks can help solve this issue by providing faster and more reliable services, allowing for more efficient disaster response and recovery efforts. Boost Mobile is actively working to bring 5G technology to all its customers, which can help mitigate infrastructure breakdowns. With the evolution of mobile technology, 5G promises to deliver high-capacity and blazing-fast mobile technology that will enable the next wave of mobile wireless innovation. Boost plans to leverage its 2.5 GHz spectrum and deploy Massive MIMO radio technology to achieve this goal. The Massive MIMO technology can deliver greater capacity than current LTE systems, which will enable Boost to offer faster speeds, increased network capacity, and an overall better experience for its wireless customers. By deploying 5G technology, Boost aims to stay ahead of the competition and provide its customers with the latest and most advanced mobile technology available while also improving the resilience of its infrastructure and reducing the risk of breakdowns. The company is also expanding its 5G network with new towers and new hardware to ensure that all of its users have access to the best network available with better quality service and more coverage. Boost Mobile is also offering a promotional deal exclusively for new customers, providing unlimited talk and text, along with 2GB of 5G/4G data and mobile hotspot capability. The deal also includes a free SIM kit valued at $9.99 and free two-day shipping. The service is compatible with most unlocked GSM phones. In addition to low rates, by prioritizing the resilience of its infrastructure and the needs of its customers, Boost seems to have positioned itself well to succeed in an increasingly connected world. Boost's deployment of 5G networks can also facilitate more efficient disaster response and recovery efforts in addition to improving the resilience of its infrastructure. With faster and more reliable services, Boost can help first responders and affected communities stay connected during natural disasters, making it the carrier of choice for those seeking the latest and most advanced mobile technology available. Check out Boost Mobile’s 2GB for $10/mo deal for qualifying new customers! Based on a comparison of the Boost $25/mo. Unlimited plan to other carrier's $29/mo. unlimited plan. After 1 mo., you will pay $25/mo. Unless you call to cancel. AutoPay required. 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

July 27, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Kevel Establishes OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media

Kevel

Platform monetization leader Kevel today announced the formation of an industry working group to establish an OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media, a groundbreaking update to the OpenRTB framework. The protocol will set new standards for programmatic advertising in retail media and address challenges industry stakeholders are facing in privacy and data protection, data optimization, and transparency. “We are in the midst of a retail media rebellion, where it has never been more clear that retail media needs to seize control of platforms, infrastructure and data to stay competitive in a crowded marketplace,” says James Avery, CEO and founder, Kevel. “The OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media is going to fix that by setting a standard to address challenges concerning efficiency, flexibility, and trust. With this newly established framework, we’re offering the industry a comprehensive set of updates and enhancements that can help streamline the programmatic advertising ecosystem.” Kevel’s OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media will provide industry stakeholders with many benefits and features including: Biddable Product Sponsored Listings: the new framework supports biddable product-based sponsored listing creative formats, enabling advertisers to bid on relevant in-store sponsored listing ad inventory with real in-stock products based on their product catalog. Enhanced Privacy and Data Protection: adhering to the latest privacy regulations and industry best practices, offering improved user consent management and data protection mechanism enables publishers and advertisers to prioritize user privacy while delivering relevant and personalized advertising experiences. Bidstream Data Standardization: introduces standardized bidstream data, ensuring consistency and compatibility across different platforms and technology providers. This facilitates seamless integration between buyers and sellers, leading to increased operational efficiency and reduced friction. Supply Chain Optimization: advertisers gain improved visibility and control over the programmatic supply chain, allowing them to detect and mitigate fraud, verify ad placements, and optimize campaign performance more effectively. Increased Transparency and Trust: promotes greater transparency by providing clear and standardized mechanisms for transactional data sharing, supply path optimization, and ad fraud detection. This fosters trust among industry participants and strengthens the overall programmatic advertising ecosystem. “OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media marks a significant milestone on how we can improve digital and programmatic advertising now and for the future," says Avery. “By introducing these cutting-edge standards and capabilities, we are giving publishers, advertisers, and technology providers the tools needed to navigate the dynamic digital landscape with confidence and achieve their goals more efficiently." Are you ready to join the rebellion? Kevel invites all stakeholders in the digital advertising industry to explore OpenRTB Protocol for Retail Media and leverage its powerful features. Click here for information. ABOUT KEVEL Kevel offers the infrastructure APIs needed to quickly build custom ad platforms for sponsored listings, internal promotions, native ads, and more -- allowing brands to drive new revenue in a user-first way. Kevel is committed to the vision that every online retailer and publisher should be able to add privacy-focused ad revenue streams and take back the Internet from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other digital monopolies. Customers like Ticketmaster, Yelp, Strava, Klarna, and many more have already launched successful ad platforms on Kevel. The company has received many accolades, most recently winning the 2021 Digiday Technology Award for Best Monetization Platform for Publishers and recognized by Insider as one of the hottest adtech companies of 2021. Learn more at www.kevel.com. Contact Details Veronica Ruth +1 845-430-8743 kevel@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.kevel.com/

July 27, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Neuroinflammation A Key Indicator For Alzheimer’s, But Current Treatments Show Little Success In Reducing Or Even Increase It — Could This Rising Company Have The Answer?

Benzinga

By David Willey, Benzinga There have been several accelerated approvals granted to treatments for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recent months, and there are several treatments also in development. Tiziana Life Sciences (NASDAQ: TLSA), a biotechnology company with a robust pipeline of therapies, is looking to bring a novel therapy to market that would tackle neuroinflammation in patients with AD. In 2021, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Aducanumab, developed by Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB), and early in 2023, it gave accelerated approval to Lecanemab, developed by Eisai Co Ltd (TYO: 4523) and Biogen. Both immunotherapies target the disease pathology by reducing amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. While Lecanemab does slow the rate of cognitive decline, it includes the risk of adverse events, and Aducanumab was denied authorization by the European Medical Agency, partly because of fears of side effects like swelling in the brain. A couple of other treatments are currently in development for treating AD, including Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Donanemab, which expects a decision from the FDA by the end of the year, and Acumen Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ: ABOS) ACU193, which has announced safety and efficacy results from its phase 1 trial. Tiziana Focusing On Neuroinflammation For AD While these drugs target amyloid, none of them are focused on reducing neural inflammation. However, neuroinflammation is a key indicator for AD, caused by microglia – the primary immune cells of the brain – that are activated by the buildup of amyloid plaque. Targeting neuroinflammation has the potential to be a successful therapeutic strategy for tackling mild to moderate AD. An investigational new drug (IND) application has filed for Foralumab, a treatment that dampens neuroinflammation by binding to T-cells. “There are no FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease specific to the neuroinflammation caused by microglia activation triggered by amyloid beta plaque,” said Matthew W. Davis, the Chief Medical Officer of Tiziana. “We plan to study 3-months administration of intranasal foralumab in Alzheimer’s disease patients to see if neuroinflammatory activated microglia will return to the baseline homeostatic state.” The company has already seen positive results with foralumab in a trial for indications against multiple sclerosis. Because this drug has already undergone a phase 1 trial, Tiziana may now potentially be able to fast-track foralumab as a treatment for AD. It has applied for a $3 million grant from a prestigious Alzheimer’s research foundation to support a potential phase 2a trial. If it is granted approval, Tiziana’s drug could provide a novel treatment for patients with mild to moderate AD. The Alzheimer's therapeutics market was worth $5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $18 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19% over 2022-2029. Click here to learn more about Tiziana and its pipeline of treatments on its website. 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

July 27, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Bluepeak Internet Ranks First in Communities in Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota

Bluepeak

Bluepeak internet service is ranked number one for fastest internet speeds, most consistent network and lowest latency in several markets in its service area. That’s the conclusion of Ookla’s newly released SpeedtestTM Market Index report for the second quarter of 2023, including data collected from millions of consumer-initiated tests across the country. The report – which ranks mobile and fixed broadband speeds from internet service providers around the world monthly – shows that Bluepeak is ranked highest for delivering the fastest median download and upload speeds, most consistent network and lowest latency to its internet customers in several different places during the second quarter of 2023.* The achievements for each market where Bluepeak service received a top ranking, verified by Ookla®, are as follows: Wyoming The fastest download and upload speeds, most consistent network and the lowest latency in all of Wyoming. The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Cheyenne and Laramie County. The fastest download and upload speeds, most consistent network and the lowest latency in Laramie. The fastest download and upload speeds in Casper and Natrona County. Oklahoma The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Stillwater and Payne County. The fastest download and upload speeds in Lawton. The fastest download and upload speeds in Altus. The fastest download and upload speeds in Bartlesville and Washington County. North Dakota The fastest download and upload speeds and most consistent network in Grand Forks and Grand Forks County. South Dakota The fastest upload speeds in Springdale Township. The fastest upload speeds in Madison and Lake County. Minnesota The fastest upload speeds in Marshall. As a result of Bluepeak’s competitive service, residents of these communities benefit from greater choice among their internet options. Research shows, greater competition for consumer goods – like internet – benefits consumers by lowering prices, boosting investment and enabling innovation. In addition, a 2020 report by Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond on “Bringing Broadband to Rural America” determined that broadband access and adoption are linked to increased job and population growth, higher rates of new business formation, higher home values, and lower unemployment rates. Ookla® is the global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights. Over eighteen million tests are actively initiated by consumers each day across all Speedtest platforms, with over 45 billion tests completed to date. As a result, Ookla has the most comprehensive analytics on worldwide internet performance and accessibility. For more information on Bluepeak, visit mybluepeak.com. *Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data for median download speeds, upload speeds and consistency score, and multi-server latency, in the identified geographies, U.S., Q2 2023. About Bluepeak Bluepeak is building a faster, more reliable internet without the things that get in the way of great service - like red tape, hidden fees, and slow response times. Offering up to 5 gigabits of speed for residential customers and 10 gigabits for businesses, Bluepeak is a whole new ballgame - from internet to TV, to connecting every device in a home, to powering a business, Bluepeak not only provides the best fiber connections in the communities it serves, but also meets the growing needs for how its customers live. Contact Details Bluepeak Jesse Granger +1 720-703-4315 jesse.granger@mybluepeak.com Company Website https://www.mybluepeak.com

July 26, 2023 09:23 AM Mountain Daylight Time

PBX Pickleball partners with Zinc Agency to Provide the Ultimate Corporate Pickleball Experiences with Retired Professional Athletes

PBX Pickleball

PBX Pickleball, a new organization that unites the pickleball community with retired professional athletes, announced a partnership with Zinc Agency to lead the planning and implementation for customized corporate experiences centered around the game of pickleball. Zinc becomes the official corporate sales and hospitality partner of PBX Corporate Experiences, which is one of four platforms of PBX Pickleball that will feature top retired professional athletes from all major sports, including baseball, hockey, football, and basketball. “Through PBX Pickleball, we plan to create the ultimate pickleball experience and provide a new client entertainment platform for business leaders to participate with their clients and prospects alongside professional retired athletes,” said Gary Rosenberg, Chief Revenue Officer at Zinc Agency. “Golf has always been considered the ‘sport of business,’ but we see pickleball opening up a new channel for client engagement and relationship building.” Zinc Agency has over 25 years of experience creating customized corporate events across various lifestyle categories. The company is known for leveraging professional talent to curate customized private experiences with professional athletes, chefs, speakers, musicians, illusionists, and other entertainers. “As the fastest growing sport in America that anyone can play, pickleball is the perfect activity for businesses to leverage for entertainment, networking, and team building outside of boardrooms and video calls,” said Jason Clement, CEO of The Sports Facilities Companies, the parent company for PBX Pickleball. “Zinc Agency has a successful track record of selling corporate experiences across various sports and entertainment categories. When we add the element of retired pro athletes as PBX Pros, we thought Zinc was the ideal partner to create that ultimate experience.” PBX Pickleball consists of four experiences: PBX Tour brings together retired sports stars turned avid pickleball players, starting with athletes who previously competed at the highest levels of their sports. Each player represents their respective sports in PBX Pickleball tournaments for audiences watching in person, via television broadcasts, and through digital media. PBX Pro-Ams allow amateur pickleball players to play with and against former male and female stars of major sports teams. PBX Pickleball Pro-Ams align with professional pickleball tour stops and occur adjacent to these events, including the PBX Tour. PBX Dream Weekends offer the ultimate pickleball experience for amateur participants. Pickleball enthusiasts can learn from professional pickleball players and interact with dozens of retired athletes. PBX Corporate Experiences are fully customizable with turnkey services to support corporate meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Your employees, partners and prospects can play pickleball with retired professional athletes. Since forming in June 2023, PBX Pickleball has also confirmed partnerships with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) and the NHL Alumni Association. About PBX Pickleball PBX Pickleball creates memorable experiences by uniting well-known retired professional athletes with amateur pickleball players and fans. Established in 2023, PBX Pickleball consists of four experiences: the PBX Tour, PBX Pro-Ams, PBX Dream Weekends, and PBX Corporate Experiences. The company is part of The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the nation’s leading resource for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. To learn more about PBX Pickleball, go to https://pbxpickleball.com or follow @pbxpickleball on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About Zinc Agency Zinc is an agency focused on curating creative, one-of-a-kind experiences that leverage the power of talent in sports, music, fashion, the culinary world, theater, and any of life’s other passions. Zinc’s approach is to always deliver a truly memorable experience that allows our clients to build and strengthen relationships with their customers. Zinc works hard to conceptualize unique themes, whether attached to a specific personality or aligned with a major event. From there, Zinc ensures all the details are flawlessly executed with a turnkey approach to event management. In addition to client entertainment, Zinc delivers entertainment solutions for corporate retreats, conferences and sales incentive trips. For more information, go to www.zincagency.com. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.pbxpickleball.com/

July 26, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Locality Appoints Michael Mayer as Chief Product Officer

Locality

Locality, the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider, today announces the appointment of Michael Mayer as Chief Product Officer. Mayer brings 25+ years experience in building ad platforms and in driving the industry forward through his work in streaming, broadcast, and cable to his new role. He will report to Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming and Ann Hailer, President of Broadcast at Locality. Mayer joins Locality following his involvement as a founding member of the leadership team at Peacock, where he helped form the team and launch the product, steering NBCU into streaming. Prior to this role, Mayer spent seven years within NBCU Ad Sales, building the Ad Sales Platform which unified media selling across broadcast and digital platforms. Throughout his 25+ year career, Mayer has proven himself to be a leader in helping organizations transform and succeed. Mayer's experience will be instrumental in reshaping the ways Locality enables brands to form meaningful connections with local audiences at scale. “Here at Locality, we are dedicated to increasing collaboration across broadcast and streaming” said Kazerman. “Mike’s expertise in building teams, streamlining processes, and delivering innovative solutions will help deliver transformative results, meet our customers' evolving needs, and ultimately drive more dollars to local video. His strong relationships with leading industry partners, and systems experience to know where to build and where to buy will be key in Locality’s continued growth.” "We believe in empowering our team with the best talent, and Michael Mayer's addition reinforces this commitment. With his vast experience in building ad platforms and transforming organizations, we look forward to his leadership in shaping a game-changing go-to-market strategy for local television. We are actively investing in product and technology to build a converged future, and Michael's appointment aligns with this mission,” said Hailer. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Locality team to lead on product strategy, innovation, and development,” said Mayer. “I believe in Locality’s goal of creating seamless processes between broadcast and streaming and look forward to working with the team to develop simplified solutions to drive growth.” Locality is the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider, committed to addressing the evolving needs of advertisers by unlocking the power of local and driving dollars to the local video marketplace. Formed through the union of CoxReps and Gamut, Locality brings together the best talent in both broadcast and streaming. With more than 11 locations in the US, Locality helps brands tap into the mindset of the local consumer and precisely reach optimal markets, nationally. Having served more than 1,500 ad agencies and 4,500 advertisers, to date, Locality offers the best premium inventory that the industry has to offer to help brands optimize their spend and target audiences at scale. For more information, please visit www.locality.com. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Kerriann Becker kerriann@kitehillpr.com

July 26, 2023 09:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AI Singapore Awards S$20M in Research Funds to Address Challenges Relating to Increase Use of AI in Emerging Apps

AI Singapore

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 26 July 2023 - AI Singapore (AISG) announced today that it will award up to S$20 million, through the Robust AI Grand Challenge and the AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge, to support five multidisciplinary teams which will address challenges related to the increasing use of AI in emerging applications. AISG launched both Grand Challenges in December 2022 in collaboration with the Future Systems and Technology Directorate (FSTD), MINDEF Singapore, and DSO National Laboratories (DSO). Each Challenge is a first-of-its-kind and represents a major milestone in research collaboration between the academia and defence ecosystems. The research outcomes will have the potential for dual-use applications and can be leveraged by both the industry and defence to benefit Singapore. The grant awards were presented by Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence at the Joint Grant Awards Ceremony. In his speech, Mr Heng said, "The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will open up new possibilities and MINDEF/SAF is poised to harness its power to build important capabilities for our future. MINDEF's approach is to collaborate extensively with local and global partners from research institutes, and institutes of higher learning and industry. MINDEF's Defence Technology Community, which designs and develops technological capabilities for the SAF, will play a key role in this effort. "Moving forward, we will also be expanding our partnerships with industry, to accelerate progress in developing AI technologies and applications. I encourage the various communities to come together to co-ideate and co-innovate. I would like to invite all researchers and practitioners with bold ideas to reach out to us. Together, let's collaborate, innovate and build an exciting and better future, he added." Professor Mohan Kankanhalli, Deputy Executive Chairman for AISG, said that the current development efforts and outcomes can be translated into better and safer technologies for everyday living. "The problems that are being addressed have dual-use applications and can be leveraged by both industry and defence ecosystems to benefit Singapore. We are excited to work with our valued collaborators, FSTD and DSO, as they have deep expertise in both grand challenges to advise, guide and empower our research teams to develop novel AI solutions that can effectively address important problems faced by Singapore and the world. We believe that there is potential for these technologies to be scaled globally in the future". Robust AI and AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenges AISG's Grand Challenge programme takes an outcome-driven approach to solve important problems faced by Singapore and the world through multidisciplinary collaboration and translation of AI-based solutions from research to deployment. Researchers from local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Research Institutes (RIs), along with their collaborators from the public and/or private sectors, were invited to propose ground-breaking research ideas that adopt AI techniques to address both Grand Challenges' statements. Each challenge statement was jointly defined by AISG, DSO and FSTD. Robust AI Grand Challenge - "How can we design robust CV systems for AVs that can recover at least 80% of their original accuracy after physical testing-time adversarial attacks?" Computer vision (CV) systems based on AI/ML are vulnerable to adversarial attacks which could compromise their safety and security, thus limiting their performance and adoption in critical environments. In the field of autonomous vehicles (AV), these could result in delays, accidents and potentially, even death. This Grand Challenge aims to encourage the development of innovative approaches that increase the robustness of these CV systems, to accelerate the adoption of CV systems in critical environments. AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge - "How can AI accelerate inverse material design to discover advanced materials that are 50% lighter while retaining and/or enhancing their functional properties?" Technological breakthroughs and the development of next-generation systems such as lightweight transportation vehicles and energy-efficient buildings are often underpinned by the discovery and development of new and advanced materials. However, this discovery process can be prohibitively long and expensive. In addition, conventional methods can be limited by a scientist's personal experience, knowledge and even biases, resulting in only incremental discoveries. This Grand Challenge aims to advance the state-of-the-art applications of AI in materials discovery, to develop solutions that can help scientists accelerate material discovery process and overcome the constraints of conventional methods. This would in turn enable them to keep pace with the increasing demand for new and advanced materials for next-gen systems. AISG received 16 (7 Robust AI; 9 AI for Materials Discovery) quality research proposals from multidisciplinary teams in response to both grant calls. The teams comprise lead Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). They also involve industry partners and/or collaborators from overseas universities. An Evaluation Committee comprising members from various stakeholders in the AI ecosystem selected five projects to be awarded Stage 1 funding: Robust AI Grand Challenge Holistic Moving Target Defence for Autonomous Driving Perception (by Associate Professor Rui Tan, NTU) - This project will develop a Moving Target Defence (MTD) approach that creates and deploys AI mechanisms that are diverse and rapidly changing to limit the exposure of vulnerabilities and opportunities for attacks, increase the complexity and cost for attackers. Development of Stable Robust and Secure Intelligent Systems for Autonomous Vehicles (by Professor Shuzhi Sam Ge, NUS) - This project will harness the collective strengths of machine learning, stable control and generative AI to develop a robust and intelligent system that can adjust its neural network's behaviour and characteristics in real- time to counter adversarial attacks in complex environments. Towards Building Unified Autonomous Vehicle Scene Representation for Physical AV Adversarial Attacks and Visual Robustness Enhancement (by Professor Yang Liu, NTU) - This project will develop novel multi-view and multi-modal defences based on a unified framework that comprises a novel AV scene representation that will be used to generate realistic scenes with diverse conditions and attack vectors. The projects are expected to deliver suites of multi-modal attack and defence techniques that can be deployed in the real world to increase the robustness of AI models applied in multi-sensor CV systems. AI for Materials Discovery Grand Challenge MATAI: An AI-Powered Generalist Material Discovery Platform (by Professor Bo An, NTU) - This project will develop an AI-powered generalist platform with three key components: a holistic material database, a foundational material property predictor and a generalist multi-property material designer in a large search space. Design Beyond What You Know: Material Informed Differential Generative AI (MIDGAI) for Light-Weight High-Entropy Alloys and Multi-functional Composites (by Professor Ivor Tsang, A*STAR) - This project will develop a generative AI framework for materials design that combines with discriminative models to enhance robustness and overcome data scarcity. By incorporating domain knowledge, the AI model will enable a more controllable, directed, and efficient exploration of material design spaces through advanced optimisation algorithms. The projects are expected to deliver AI solutions that can be used by AI and materials researchers to (i) discover novel materials based on performance needs, (ii) efficiently explore beyond the boundaries of conventional methods, (iii) exploit new and existing scientific knowledge and (iv) reduce resource and time cost of material discovery cycles. In Stage 1, the teams will be awarded up to S$4M each to work on their project for the next three years. Funding support for Stage 2 will be determined as part of the final evaluation near the end of Stage 1. Selected teams could be funded up to S$5M over 2 years where the teams will have the opportunity to work with agencies to adapt and scale up the developed AI techniques for dual-use applications. About AI Singapore AI Singapore (AISG) is a national programme launched by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to catalyse, synergise and boost Singapore's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to power our future, digital economy.AISG will also bring together all Singapore-based research institutions and the vibrant ecosystem of AI start-ups and companies developing AI products, to perform use-inspired research, grow the knowledge, create the tools, and develop the talent to power Singapore's AI efforts.AISG is driven by a government-wide partnership comprising NRF, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Economic Development Board (EDB), Enterprise Singapore (ESG), amongst others. Contact Details Communications Consultant Joseph Rajendran +65 9228 7801 joseph@wiredcomms.sg Company Website https://aisingapore.org/

July 26, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

News Release

Toggle3D.ai hires former Amazon marketing team member Anita Matte as Director of Growth Marketing

Toggle3D.ai Inc

Toggle3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to to announce the appointment of Anita Matte to the newly created role of Director of Growth Marketing. In this key position, Matte will be responsible for driving subscriber growth and increasing Software as a Service revenue for the company. Gappelberg shared with Proactive that Matte brings a wealth of experience to Toggle3D, having previously worked at Amazon, where she played a vital role in driving marketing strategies for the technology giant. With over 10 years of experience, Matte possesses a deep understanding of the B2B market and its challenges. Her familiarity with pain points and value propositions in various markets, coupled with her comprehensive understanding of the B2B industry, makes her a valuable asset to the company. As the Director of Growth Marketing, Matte's main objectives will be twofold. Firstly, she will work on Increasing Brand Presence by implementing comprehensive digital marketing strategies to enhance the company's visibility and reach within the market. Secondly, she will focus on Conversion Rate Optimization, aiming to convert free subscribers into premium users, thus driving revenue growth for Toggle3D's SaaS platform. The addition of Anita Matte to the team is expected to bolster Toggle3D's marketing efforts and accelerate the company's growth trajectory. With her expertise and strategic insights, she will play a crucial role in advancing Toggle3D's market presence and driving the company's expansion in the competitive B2B landscape. Contact Details Proactive Canada +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

July 25, 2023 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video