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American Paper Plate Coalition Petitions for Relief from Unfairly Traded Imports from China, Thailand, and Vietnam

American Paper Plate Coalition

The American Paper Plate Coalition (“APPC”), representing the majority of American paper plate production, today petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) to investigate unfairly priced and subsidized paper plate imports from China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions detail unfair trade practices to sell paper plates at less than fair value and allege dumping margins up to 279%, as well as numerous subsidies. The petitions detail the injury suffered by the U.S. industry and its workers, and request relief in the form of special duties on all associated imports to offset unfair pricing and unfair subsidies. “Imports from these countries have used dumped prices and subsidies to continue to grow in the U.S. market at the expense of American producers and workers,” said Bill Biggins, President and Co-owner of APPC member Aspen Products, Inc. “Over the past three years, unfairly priced and subsidized imports have harmed American producers and taken jobs away from hard-working Americans.” The cases filed today cover all types of plates produced from any type of paper, regardless of color, decoration, shape and size. “American producers can compete with anyone in the world, as long as we’re all playing by the same rules,” said Robert Epstein, President and CEO of APPC member AJM Packaging Corporation. “Fortunately, our country’s trade laws are set up to support fair trade. On behalf of our employees, customers, and colleagues, we look forward to seeing those laws enforced and those who violate our laws held accountable.” The next steps in these investigations will be the initiation of Commerce antidumping and countervailing duty investigations by February 14, 2024, and a preliminary ITC determination by March 11, 2024. About the American Paper Plate Coalition The American Paper Plate Coalition, representing the leading U.S. producers of paper plates, is comprised of AJM Packaging Corporation of Bloomfield Hills, MI; Aspen Products, Inc. of Kansas City, MO; Dart Container Corporation of Mason, MI; Hoffmaster Group, Inc. of Oshkosh, WI; Huhtamaki, Inc., of De Soto, KS; and Unique Industries, Inc. of Philadelphia, PA. For more information, visit https://www.ajmpack.com/, https://www.aspenpro.com/, https://www.dartcontainer.com/, https://www.hoffmaster.com/, https://www.huhtamaki.com/en-us/north-america/, and https://www.favors.com/ The American Paper Plate Coalition is represented by Adam H. Gordon of The Bristol Group PLLC, a Washington, DC international trade law firm committed to defending American industry, agriculture, and manufacturing jobs. Contact Details EAH Strategies Elizabeth Posthumus +1 202-445-9858 elizabeth@eahstrategiesllc.com

January 25, 2024 01:05 PM Eastern Standard Time

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The best generative AI solutions of 2024

AIport

January 25, 2024 — Ever since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in the fall of 2022, generative AI (GenAI) solutions have continued to disrupt industries with their surprising and never-before-seen features. Many of the generative AI solutions we hear about today are based on large language models (LLM), which allow them to successfully communicate with end users. Every such model has to be pre-trained on vast amounts of data and then fine-tuned using a variety of different methods. As we’re approaching the end of January, let’s look at the list of the most noteworthy of these models and explore the generative AI solutions they power. Compiled by the AIport newsletter team, this list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a review of what we believe are the LLM-based generative AI solutions and tools that are likely to make headlines this year. GPT (OpenAI and Microsoft) Expectedly, the first LLM on our list with some of the highest expectations this year is at the core of ChatGPT from OpenAI. GPT wasn’t the first LLM out there (there had been others like BERT ), but it was certainly the first one that resulted in a market-ready GenAI product. The original GPT model (Generative Pretrained Transformers) had 170 billion parameters, while the latest version, GPT-4, boasts over 1.75 trillion. The model’s applications are far and wide, being the basis not only for ChatGPT, but also Microsoft’s Bing Chat, which is now part of the Copilot infrastructure. While ChatGPT remains arguably the most impressive text-producing GenAI tool, Bing Chat (unlike ChatGPT) has internet access, making it ideal for web browsing. In addition, the same core GPT model is being utilized by other entities — from Panasonic Connect in Japan, OCBC Bank’s ChatGPT in Singapore, and KPMG’s KaiChat in Germany to the UK government’s upcoming GOV.UK chat. Notably, GPT is also a vital part of OpenAI’s DALL-E suite — a solution that generates images based on descriptions from text. PaLM and Gemini (Google) The next one on our list is Google’s PaLM (Pathways Language Model). The model, boasting 540 billion parameters, was first successfully tested in the spring of 2022. A year later, PaLM 2 was announced and subsequently integrated into Bard — Google’s GenAI chatbot — becoming available to test users around the world. Bard is considered among the finest solutions for productivity, having internet access like Bing Chat, but being less about navigating the web and more about answering burning questions. Bard was seriously bolstered at the end of last year with Google’s highly anticipated launch of the multimodal LLM, Gemini, which had been trained on images and audio/video files, not just text. The jury is still out on how far this update will take Bard, but the expectations are very high indeed. LLaMA (Meta, Microsoft, and Hugging Face) LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) from Meta was released in February last year. However, the 65-billion-parameter model was leaked online as a downloadable torrent only a week later. While the model did not lead to any ChatGPT-like products at Meta, another AI company — Hugging Face — picked it up and released Hugging Chat. Offering internet access, this GenAI solution has been praised as “the first open source alternative to ChatGPT” with a snarky sense of humor. Not to be outdone, Meta partnered with Microsoft to produce LLaMA 2 in July of last year. Following that, the company announced a beta release of Meta AI at the end of September — a GenAI chatbot, currently available in the US, that can “provide real-time information and generate photorealistic images” from text prompts. This solution is expected to reach Meta users across the rest of the globe later in the year. Claude (Anthropic) Our next LLM is made by Anthropic, and it’s named Claude. Founded in 2021, the company along with its language model may be a less familiar name to most non-geeks. But this is likely to change in 2024. That’s the case not only because the latest version of the namesake GenAI chatbot released last year can now process long PDF files of up to 75,000 words, taking moments to summarize entire books. But also because this has already caught the attention of both Google and Amazon who are keen to invest $2 and $4 billion respectively. While Claude doesn’t offer internet access, its processing power, namely input character memory, outpowers every competitor by a wide margin, including ChatGPT. And the company is said to be working on yet more handy features as we speak. HyperCLOVA X (Naver) HyperCLOVA X is both the LLM and the namesake GenAI chatbot released by the South Korean search engine giant, Naver, last August. Boasting over 200 billion parameters, the LLM is being used mainly for AI-assisted web browsing, much like Bing Chat. While HyperCLOVA X doesn’t speak English, the chatbot’s proficiency in Korean is impressive, having learned 6,500 more Korean words than ChatGPT. In addition to answering user queries, HyperCLOVA X has been designed to offer AI assistance to businesses across numerous sectors — from finance to gaming. Naver is also presently working to make HyperCLOVA X multimodal, following in the footsteps of Google’s Gemini, so another big international headline is likely on the way. Pangu (Huawei) Last spring, Huawei, one of the global tech leaders, unveiled Pangu — an LLM with 1.085 trillion parameters in over 40 natural and programming languages. This LLM now powers the Chinese company’s GenAI assistant called Celia, which resides within Huawei’s HarmonyOS 4 operating system. Supposedly, Celia has already outperformed both Siri and Google Assistant as a phone-based virtual assistant in terms of prompt execution accuracy, such as finding specific photos and documents stored on a device. And as more Huawei smartphones are being churned out, Celia is expected to reach more global users this year with further refinements to the Pangu model. In addition, Pangu is available through Huawei Cloud for commercial use. According to a statement from the company’s leadership, the newest Pangu 3.0 utilizes hierarchical architecture, allowing it to be quickly fine-tuned for a wide range of downstream applications (including Huawei’s autonomous vehicle solutions ), which we’ll surely see more of in 2024. MiLM-6B (Xiaomi) Next up is another Chinese company, Xiaomi — one of the largest phone manufacturers in the world. The company made an entry into the LLM race last summer with its MiLM-6B, a lightweight model created for mobile devices. Boasting 6.4 billion parameters, MiLM-6B has reportedly outperformed rivals in its category and achieved notable scores from evaluation platforms like C-Eval and CMMLU. Xiaomi’s leadership has been vocal for some time about integrating LLMs into its smartphones. It appears that the company’s virtual assistant, Xiao AI, has now finally become a fully fledged GenAI chatbot, generating over 11 words per second. By this metric, despite operating locally on the phone, Xiao AI has matched the performance of some LLMs running on cloud computing services. It’ll be interesting to see whether Xiao AI gets assimilated into the company’s other products, as the rumors suggest, including the recently announced Xiaomi SU7, an autonomous-enabled electric sedan. YandexGPT (Yandex) The final entry on our list is an LLM named YandexGPT from the Russian search engine Yandex. The namesake GenAI solution with 100 billion parameters was beta-released in May last year. The more recent release of YandexGPT2 has demonstrated a 65% improvement in response quality, with a 1.5-fold increase in training data. Interestingly, this GenAI solution was tested and scored enough points to enter a Russian university. YandexGPT was also integrated into Yandex’s flagship virtual assistant named Alice, as well as the company’s smart speakers. Furthermore, the LLM has allowed the company’s e-shoppers to view summarized customer reviews in one place. With YandexGPT at the core, the company now also offers visual GenAI solutions, YandexART and Shedevrum, that can generate images from text, much like Open AI’s DALL-E. Currently, the LLM is also being merged with Yandex Search to offer the end user something similar to Bing Chat and HyperCLOVA X. It’s likely that we’ll see a new announcement pertaining to this development later in the year. New kids on the block Apart from the above entries on our list, several brand new LLMs along with their GenAI solutions are expected to arrive any day from other big players. Among them are Samsung from South Korea, Tencent from China, as well as Amazon and Apple. In fact, Apple already has an internal AI chatbot for employees, but its much-talked-about AppleGPT based on the company’s LLM, Ajax, is said to be around the corner. Amazon began to offer a service for building AI chatbots called Lex a while ago, but more notably, the company recently announced its upcoming GenAI solution tailored for commercial use. Japan doesn’t intend to be left behind either — at least three major LLM initiatives are currently being played out. Among them is a joint project between Fujitsu, RIKEN, Tokyo Tech, and Tohoku University who are developing a series of LLMs using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, Fugaku. In addition, both NTT and SoftBank are reportedly in the final stages of developing their “homegrown” LLMs. While much remains unclear and covered in mist (or is it gray goo 😉), one thing is certain — 2024 is going to be the most AI-intense year we have seen yet! If you enjoyed this listicle, visit AIport for more exclusive insights into the latest tech trends, with a focus on the global ML landscape. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Contact Details NettResults PR Nick Leighton +1 949-478-5880 nick.leighton@nettresultsllc.com Company Website https://aiport.substack.com/

January 25, 2024 09:53 AM Pacific Standard Time

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Premier Design-Build Construction Firm Kingham Dalton Wilson (KDW) Announces Executive Leadership Changes

Kingham Dalton Wilson, Ltd.

Kingham Dalton Wilson, Ltd. ( KDW ), a renowned leader in the construction industry specializing in design-build industrial and commercial construction, has announced it will expand its executive leadership team to support a growing range of projects. The design-build firm will add two longtime team members to its C-suite. Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Jay Kingham, who joined KDW in 2006, will serve as President, a role formerly held by Keith Dalton, who will remain Chief Executive Officer. Eighteen-year veteran Rolf Scheffler has been named to the new role of Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Kingham was KDW Principal and Construction Manager, while Scheffler served as Director of Special Projects. “Clients rely on us as a single-source solution that excels in every stage of a commercial development,” said Scheffler. “As COO, I will work to optimize efficiency in processes, implement risk management practices and champion quality control initiatives to meet our 2024 operational excellence goals.” Former Project Manager Michael Mann replaces Scheffler as Director of Special Projects, and KDW’s Preconstruction Manager Mark Camilli has become Director of Preconstruction. With over 128 years of combined experience and a track record of more than 2,000 successful projects, KDW has an established reputation for providing the highest-quality construction services with a dedicated team of professionals who prioritize customer satisfaction and deliver projects within scope, within budget and on time. In 2023, the company launched nearly 40 projects, including Sovereign Flavors’ Kyle, Texas, headquarters, Balcones Resources’ San Antonio-based material recovery facility, Elin Energy’s Waller County, Texas, solar panel manufacturing facility and Newton Nursery’s Spring, Texas, nursery. The momentum continues into 2024, with additional projects slated for completion throughout the year. "As KDW expands in and beyond Texas, we need additional leaders to serve our growing client portfolio and employee base,” said Dalton. “The new structure recognizes and supports our employees’ dedication and professional development and provides a strong foundation for our future.” Kingham Dalton Wilson, Ltd. ( KDW ) is a full-service design-build firm specializing in customized industrial and commercial construction. With a team of more than 100 in-house designers, architects and multidisciplinary building professionals, the company is a single-source, one-contract solution for global and domestic companies, designing and building facilities that meet complex client specifications, often in niche industries such as cold storage, clean technology, food manufacturing and oil and gas. With headquarters in Houston and an office in Austin, KDW has completed more than 2,000 projects across Texas since its founding in 2004. For more information, visit www.kdw.com. Contact Details Jessica Poulalier jessica@centerreachcommunication.com Company Website https://www.kdwltd.com/

January 25, 2024 09:00 AM Central Standard Time

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Trust & Will Bolsters Executive Team with Strategic Hires

Trust & Will

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform in the U.S., today announced that it has made a number of new executive hires amid significant revenue and member growth and future market opportunities. These notable hires include: Dale Sperling joins the company as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing a unique blend of leadership, creativity, and deep knowledge of brand and marketing to the new role. Dale has been a persistent force in the marketing world, most recently serving as CMO at Stash, a financial investing app, and previously held senior marketing roles at Walt Disney Internet Group and AOL. Doug Luftman joins the company as Chief Legal Officer to lead the legal, government affairs, and people operations groups and further elevate such functions as strategic business resources. Over his 25-year career, Doug has served in strategic roles spanning from General Counsel at startups to senior legal executive positions at companies such as DocuSign, CBS & Palm, Inc. Stephany Bader joins the company as VP of Product, to lead the product management and design organization, bringing over 15 years of product management experience to the role. She is responsible for setting the company’s product strategy and roadmap, as well as overseeing product execution and user experience design. Previously she led the investing product at Wealthfront, and held senior product leadership roles at Intuit, Eventbrite, and Google. Michael Jones joins the company as VP of Engineering to lead our engineering practice, bringing over 20 years of engineering leadership experience across fintech, startups, and communities. He has been accountable for building efficient teams from scratch and maturing organizations to scale across multiple engineering disciplines and cross-functional accountabilities. He most recently held senior engineering roles at Fundrise, Acorns, and Capital One. David Weisman was promoted to VP of Sales & Partnerships. He brings over 13 years of experience in partnerships and sales strategy and execution to his role. Previously, David held roles as Head of Business Development at Scoop Technologies and as Global Product Expert at Google, demonstrating expertise in B2B development, market analysis, and driving sustainable revenue growth. After recently announcing brand ambassadors Matthew and Kelly Stafford, along with becoming a Certified B Corporation, the startup is uniquely poised to help every family leave a legacy. "Empowering families to leave a lasting legacy is our mission. With top-tier talent joining our executive team, we're primed to reach the 60% of Americans without an estate plan through our affordable platform. As we gear up for explosive growth in 2024, their expertise and leadership align seamlessly with our vision. I'm confident their contributions will shape Trust & Will's future success," said Cody Barbo, Founder and CEO of Trust & Will. With more than 700,000 members, the digital platform has a 1300% growth rate according to Deloitte, and will reach even more families in 2024 to help with estate planning and probate. Squarely in hyper-growth mode, Trust & Will’s newly enhanced executive team will help propel the company through this next growth phase to serve hundreds of thousands of new members. ABOUT TRUST & WILL Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is a certified B Corporation and is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. Trust & Will is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Contact Details Danielle Nuzzo +1 631-807-7772 danielle@trustandwill.com Company Website https://trustandwill.com

January 22, 2024 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Trust & Will Announces Strategic Investment from Erie Strategic Ventures

Trust & Will

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform, is proud to announce a strategic investment from Erie Strategic Ventures, the venture capital arm of Erie Insurance (ERIE) in partnership with Touchdown Ventures. This financing builds on previous investments, with more than $50 million raised since Trust & Will’s founding in 2017. The new capital will further integrate Trust & Will's award-winning platform with leading financial institutions and insurance providers. “We are honored to partner with Erie Strategic Ventures and Touchdown Ventures to help more families leave a legacy,” said Cody Barbo, founder and CEO of Trust & Will. “With this strategic investment and ERIE’s reputation as a leading auto, home, business and life insurance company, we can bring our innovative digital solutions to people who may otherwise think they can’t afford or don’t need an estate plan.” Nearly 60% of American adults do not have an estate plan. Trust & Will provides an easy and secure way to create estate plans and settle estates online, with the ability to customize legal documents that adhere to individual state and county guidelines. The fintech company recently achieved B Corporation certification, becoming the first in their industry to do so. “Trust & Will has made it easy and affordable for anyone to proactively get their estate in order and we’re pleased to partner with this leader in online estate planning and settlement,” said Keith Kennedy, senior vice president for Next Level Innovation at Erie Insurance. “Similar to the flexible and affordable life insurance that we offer through Erie Family Life, estate planning is an essential part of protecting your family and helping loved ones when they'll need it most.” About Trust & Will Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is a certified B Corporation and is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. About Erie Strategic Ventures Erie Strategic Ventures is the venture capital arm of Erie Insurance (ERIE), a Fortune 500 auto, home, business and life insurance company that generated $8.6 billion in direct written premiums in 2022. Founded in 1925, ERIE is the nation’s 12th largest homeowners insurer, 12th largest automobile insurer and 13th largest commercial lines insurer based on direct premiums written. ERIE is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and has more than six million policies in force and a network of over 13,000 independent agents across 12 states and Washington D.C. Learn more about Erie Strategic Ventures at www.erieinsurance.com/ventures. About Touchdown Ventures Touchdown Ventures partners with corporations to manage their venture capital programs. Touchdown works closely with each corporation to help achieve the financial and strategic benefits from venture capital investments. The firm maintains offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. More information on Touchdown can be found at www.touchdownvc.com. Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. Trust & Will is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Contact Details Trust & Will Danielle Nuzzo +1 631-807-7772 danielle@trustandwill.com Company Website https://trustandwill.com

January 18, 2024 01:47 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Shareholder Statement on Departure of Al Gore from Board of Directors for Apple Inc.

NLPC

Apple Inc. announced that former Vice President Al Gore will not stand for reelection to the board of directors at the annual meeting in two months, attributing his departure to the company’s age limit for members. Ahead of last year’s annual meeting, National Legal and Policy Center – a shareholder in Apple – called for fellow investors to oppose Gore’s reelection, explaining in a lengthy memo filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission why he was unqualified to serve in such an influential leadership role and was detrimental to the company. NLPC wrote in part: Mr. Gore has held a position on Apple’s board since 2003, despite having no relevant experience in technology or core business functions. His primary benefit to the board is his supposed climate change expertise. However, Mr. Gore’s public reputation is inconsistent with his track record, his carbon-intensive lifestyle, and his actual investments. Instead, he has used his public advocacy as a tool for personal enrichment. In addition, his political activism poses to Apple a reputational risk that is not worth his limited skillset. Following the announcement, Paul Chesser, Director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project, stated: “Al Gore was Apple’s longest serving director, for more than 20 years – but he never should have even served a day. How influential were his many distortions and exagerations over the years about energy and climate? How much more did his policy preferences increase the costs of Apple products to unaffordable highs for many more potential customers? How much did his hypocritical jet-setting and personal electricity use undermine the company’s reputation?” “Apple is a great company, but it would have been even greater without the presence of Al Gore. Good riddance.” NLPC is also sponsoring a shareholder proposal at the upcoming annual meeting, which seeks accountability from the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant about its human rights policies versus its actions. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### 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. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

January 11, 2024 06:02 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to Support NCMA Nexus 2024

National Contract Management Association

The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) is pleased to announce the collaboration with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) for the inaugural Nexus 2024 conference, scheduled from March 3-6 in Jacksonville, FL. This strategic partnership is a significant milestone for NCMA as it reinforces the commitment to advancing the knowledge and skills of the defense acquisition workforce. Notably, participants in Nexus 2024 will benefit from transferable credits toward their certifications, making this collaboration with DAU particularly valuable for professionals seeking career development opportunities. Nexus 2024, offers a unique platform for cross-functional collaboration for both government and industry to address pressing issues in federal procurement, including supply chain risk, cybersecurity, and sustainability. The event encourages joint efforts in innovation, strategic discussions, case studies, hackathons, and real-world problem-solving, providing deployable solutions for attendees. The co-hosted event aligns seamlessly with the new Better Contracting Initiative (BCI), emphasizing that multi-functional groups come together to learn the acquisition lifecycle side by side, promoting a comprehensive understanding of each’s others perspective job functions along with federal procurement challenges. One of the emcees for Nexus 2024 is DAU’s Professor of Program Management, Julie Knechtel, expressed her excitement about the event, stating, "I am excited to be part of an event that brings together diverse perspectives and expertise in defense acquisition. It is a great opportunity to train as we work, leverage the expertise of multi-functional teams, and enhance the skills needed to tackle the evolving challenges in federal procurement collaboratively." NCMA's Chief Executive Officer, Kraig Conrad, commented on the natural fit between NCMA and DAU, saying, "The collaboration with DAU at Nexus 2024 exemplifies our shared commitment to advancing the knowledge and skills of the acquisition workforce. We are grateful for their support as together we drive better practices and better outcomes in acquisition and procurement.” Michelle Currier, NCMA's Chief Learning Officer, also shared her enthusiasm, stating, "The Nexus 2024 event underscores the importance of collaboration and continuous learning in federal procurement. DAU's support enhances the educational value of the event, aligning with the goals of not only NCMA, but the federal government overall." Nexus 2024 is open to all professionals involved in federal procurement, providing an ideal opportunity for integrated teams to learn and train together. For more information about Nexus 2024 and to register for the event, visit the NCMA website at http://www.ncmahq.org/nexus. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) – www.ncmahq.org – stands as the premier contract management organization whose mission is to collaborate towards a globally recognized contract management profession that strengthens its nexus with related acquisition communities. Serving approximately 20,000 members in both the public and private sectors, NCMA propels the growth, advancement, and impact of practitioners through a steadfast commitment to serve through the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. DAU is the acquisition learning, development and talent management organization for the Department of Defense with a mission to provide a global learning environment to develop qualified acquisition, requirements, and contingency professionals who deliver and sustain effective and affordable warfighting capabilities. Nearly 160,000 acquisition professionals across all military services and Department of Defense agencies have access to career-long learning and support from DAU faculty and staff. Contact Details Holly DeHesa +1 281-865-3296 dominick.belfiore@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org

January 11, 2024 05:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Human-augmented AI data marketplace Ta-Da debuts on strategic MultiversX incubator xLaunchpad

STORM Partners

Ta-Da, the platform revolutionizing AI data annotation, announces its highly anticipated debut on xLaunchpad, MultiversX’s strategic incubator. This collaboration sets the stage for a groundbreaking advancement in the secure and ethical development of AI, harnessing the power of human-validated data. Founded on over seven years of expertise in AI, Ta-Da leverages the power of MultiversX blockchain technology to disrupt conventional data collection methods. With its focus on video, audio, and image verticals, Ta-Da introduces a hybrid model of data annotation that blends quality, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. Addressing major challenges in AI development, such as bias and high data-related costs, this approach has already proven its efficacy with over 2.5 million tasks completed during its public beta phase. “The future of AI is not just about algorithms but about the quality and diversity of data that trains these algorithms,” says William Simonin, CEO of Ta-Da. “ Our launch on xLaunchpad is a pivotal step in realizing our vision of creating more effective AI systems by harnessing the power of human insight and the robustness of blockchain technology. ” xLaunchpad is the strategic incubator and acceleration platform of the MultiversX blockchain ecosystem. It is renowned for backing the most ambitious and impactful technologies in the web3 space, enabling them to leverage MultiversX’s highly scalable and secure blockchain network, which processes over 30,000 transactions per second at negligible cost. “ Ta-Da’s innovative model for AI data annotation aligns perfectly with our mission to foster technological advancements that have a profound global impact, ” said Beniamin Mincu, CEO and founder of MultiversX. “ Their debut on xLaunchpad is a testament to our commitment to nurturing projects that tap into the massive opportunities that emerge from the convergence of blockchain and AI. ” The collaboration between Ta-Da and xLaunchpad signifies a transformative movement in AI and blockchain technology. It not only propels Ta-Da’s mission forward but also reinforces MultiversX’s position as a leader in supporting revolutionary tech initiatives. This partnership is set to redefine the landscape of AI development, making it more accessible, diverse, and efficient. The public launch event of Ta-Da on xLaunchpad is taking place on February 09, 2024. For more information and to be part of this transformative journey, visit https://xlaunchpad.com/tada About MultiversX MultiversX is a highly scalable, secure, and decentralized blockchain network built from first principles, to solve the two fundamental problems critical for widespread, global adoption: a transition from dialup to broadband, and a significant UX paradigm shift. Distributed by STORM Partners. Contact Adrian Bono for interviews and quotes -adrian.bono@storm.partners or telegram @STORMPartners Contact Details Dan Voicu +1 561-325-8757 dan.voicu@multiversx.com

January 10, 2024 09:12 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair returns to San Francisco February 9-11, 2024

Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America

The 56th CA International Antiquarian Book Fair is making its in-person return to San Francisco next month. The fair, sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), takes place February 9-11, 2024, at Pier 27 (cruise ship terminal). Widely recognized as one of the world's largest exhibitions of antiquarian books for sale, more than 100 exhibitors from around the world will present rare books, maps, illustrations, historical documents, and ephemera on a vast array of subjects and genres. The fair boasts offerings in every conceivable genre including the first-ever catalog on the history of artificial intelligence (AI) from Novato book dealer and ABAA member Jeremy Norman. Part of this timely collection is an extremely rare, first edition pamphlet published in 1832 by Russian statistician and inventor Semyon Korsakov on what is believed to be one of the first machine-learning devices. Korsakov was a pioneer in the concept of “mechanized thought,” or artificial intelligence. The nearly 200-year-old AI print ephemera will be on exhibit and offered at the purchase price of $35,000. The fair’s specialties encompass art, science, medicine, literature, history, gastronomy, fashion, first editions, Americana, philosophy, children’s books and much more. As highlighted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, rare books and other objects have increasingly captured the attention of young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points. Book fair prices range from $100 to millions. This year, the fair welcomes international exhibitors from 9 different countries including the UK, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and The Netherlands. An impressive number of US exhibitors also highlight the wealth of material available stateside. Exhibitors will present a vast treasure trove of items: rare books, maps, manuscripts, fine bindings, illustrations, historical documents, prints and print ephemera. One of the rare maps up for purchase is Augustus Chevalier's stunning large-scale 1911 map of San Francisco, the premier map of the city following the San Francisco Earthquake and one of the most impressive and beautiful urban plans in the history of American mapmaking. The purchase price is $45,000 from S.F. Bay Area-based ABAA dealer, Neatline Antique Maps. Another extraordinary find is a piece of LGBTQ+ science fiction history discovered at an estate sale in Oakland, California – the original cover art for Ursula K. Le Guin’s groundbreaking “The Left Hand of Darkness.” The novel was one of the first examinations of androgyny in science fiction and explored the effect of sex and gender on society. Mark Funke, Novato book dealer and ABAA member, will exhibit the illustration art at the San Francisco fair. The purchase price is $20,000. “This is one of the most important events in the country for rare book enthusiasts, and we are thrilled to return to San Francisco after enjoying nearly a decade of success in Oakland,” says Julie Roper, Director of the 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair. “Post-pandemic, we are seeing resurgent demand for in-person fairs, where a global community of the top dealers offers the most sought-after collections of books, maps, illustrations, and ephemera. The experience of attending in person is like no other – it’s a real-life treasure hunt.” The Book Fair takes place from February 9-11, 2024. Tickets may be purchased in advance here or at the door, and a full list of exhibitors can be found here. MEDIA NOTE: Media preview hours are Friday, February 9, from 4-5p. Media kit with high-resolution images is available here. Please contact Liza Batallones at ABAA@landispr.com for b roll. QUICK FACTS The 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair will open Friday, Friday, February 9, 2024: Media Preview is 4pm to 5pm; Opening Night 5pm to 8pm ( Opening Night is open to the public with the purchase of a Friday ticket and includes complimentary sparkling wine plus a first glimpse and opportunity to purchase.) $25 ticket also includes Saturday & Sunday admission; Saturday, February 10, 2024 - Noon to 7pm • $15 ticket includes Sunday admission and Sunday, February 11, 2024 from Noon to 5pm • $10 ticket Location: Pier 27, The Embarcadero in San Francisco [ map ] The three-day event features the collections and rare treasures of booksellers from around the globe, including manuscripts, modern first editions, children’s books, ephemera, maps, and autographs, as well as antiquarian books on a vast array of topics. Prices range from $100 to millions. The book fair is expected to draw over 5,000 attendees, with more than 120 sellers from 10 different countries. The book fair returns to San Francisco after a decade of success in Oakland. The influx of attendees is expected to generate $2.1 million in revenue for San Francisco restaurants and merchants over a 3-day period. Source: SF Travel The book fair is easily accessible by BART, ferry, or Muni, and offers over 100 free parking spots for attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be food, wine, beer, and liquor available for purchase daily. The fair is open to the public, and tickets range from $10.00 to $25.00. Available for purchase here. Admission is free for librarians, curators, and related non-profit cultural institution workers who register in advance, in addition to students with valid current school ID and children 12 years of age and under. Details available here. ABOUT THE ABAA The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) was founded in 1949 to promote interest in rare and antiquarian books and book collecting, and to foster collegial relations. We strive to maintain the highest standards in the trade. All members agree to abide by the ABAA's Code of Ethics. While our members sell, buy, and appraise books and printed matter, our staff can assist you with finding a bookseller and with other trade-related matters. Contact Details Landis Communications, Inc. Liza Batallones +1 415-766-0846 ABAA@landispr.com Company Website https://www.abaa.org/

January 09, 2024 09:10 AM Pacific Standard Time

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