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Vehicle connected services — from infotainment apps to self-driving functionality — have been in the slow lane for years. But they may now finally be on the verge of mass adoption. A new research study, "Computer on Wheels: Unlocking the next chapter in connected services," by Roland Berger, the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA) and Geotab® suggests the technology is in place, and many former obstacles to widespread acceptance, such as costs and a lack of user-friendliness, have been largely overcome. In addition, carmakers and suppliers now view connected services as a priority, core product and not just an afterthought. The study is based on insights from nearly 27 industry experts including OEMs, suppliers, research institutions, and dealerships.

Key research highlights

• 7 out of 9 major adoption hurdles, especially technology challenges, for connected services have been largely overcome since 2015.
• Functioning business models and customer acceptance remain a key challenge, with over 50% seeing it as a serious obstacle.
• Automakers have struggled to monetize connected cars with consumers, but fleets see clear value and will pay for tailored services. A shared platform enabling third-party innovation may be the key.

In-depth insights

The study found that the number of respondents citing a lack of connected vehicles as a primary blocker to the rollout of connected services in 2015 compared to 2025 falls from 84% to 0%, while only half of those surveyed perceive customer acceptance and willingness to pay for connected services as a barrier in 2025, compared to almost 100% in 2015. The survey also revealed that the main barrier to widespread adoption of connected services remains a lack of functioning business models (74%). Experts recommend strategies to address this, including embedding connected services costs within vehicle prices and developing differentiated models to target the specific requirements of fleet managers and consumers.

“Achieving these aims will require some radical transformations in the industry,” said Konstantin Shirokinsky, Partner at Roland Berger. “Our study outlines a potential new operating model based around three major shifts away from current practice: decoupling monetization from value creation; developing cross-functional teams that span automotive and software engineering; and industry-wide collaboration to drive system interoperability.” The key message for OEMs and suppliers? Ditch trying to develop the next great feature and instead work together to create a standardized platform that offers users simple and frictionless access to popular digital services.

Different customer groups need targeted approaches

While customer acceptance and willingness to pay for connected services has risen markedly, 54% of survey respondents still regard it as a primary obstacle to roll-out today (compared to 96% in 2015). Some believe it is only a matter of time until customers become hooked on new services, while others believe subscriptions will never take off. Suppliers are more positive than OEMs about their chances. “Interestingly, suppliers are bigger believers in connected services as revenue drivers. 50% of suppliers told us they believe connected services will drive more than 10% of OEM revenue in 10 years, while only 33% of OEMs share the same level of optimism,” said Shirokinsky.

Most experts believe producers should target fleet managers and consumers differently, for example, offering fleet managers services that enhance safety and optimize costs, and consumers more choice of apps. Consumer services are likely to have more appeal if they create value rather than generate revenue as willingness to pay remains rather low. Overall, customers mostly want a few connected services that are useful and work well, such as being able to tune into their favorite streaming services while they are on the road.

Operating model adoption is key

For automotive OEMs and suppliers to achieve a successful roll out of connected services, the challenge will be to adopt a new operating model that fuses new value creation models with software product development processes and traditional automotive engineering. This can be achieved using the three-pronged approach. “Ultimately, there is every reason to believe that an industry with over a century of experience in knowing the consumer and their deepest aspirational values, will find a personal connection that endures long after the customer has driven the car home,” said Shirokinsky.

The full study, "Computer on Wheels: Unlocking the Next Chapter in Connected Services," is available for download here.

About Roland Berger

Roland Berger is one of the world's leading strategy consultancies with a wide-ranging service portfolio for all relevant industries and business functions. Founded in 1967, Roland Berger is headquartered in Munich. Renowned for its expertise in transformation, innovation across all industries and performance improvement, the consultancy has set itself the goal of embedding sustainability in all its projects. Roland Berger generated revenues of around 1 billion euros in 2024. For more information, visit www.rolandberger.com.

About Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA)

The Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance is an open, collaborative, and impactful global community accelerating the full potential of connected vehicles. COVESA is a not-for-profit organization, and the only alliance focused solely on developing common approaches and technologies for connected vehicles. We are well-aligned to address opportunities and challenges in the automotive industry, which is experiencing a digital transformation driven by fundamental customer expectations. To learn more, visit covesa.global.

About Geotab

Geotab is a global leader in connected vehicle and asset solutions, empowering fleet efficiency and management. We leverage advanced data analytics and AI to transform fleet performance, safety, and sustainability, reducing cost and driving efficiency. Backed by top data scientists and engineers, we serve over 55,000 global customers, processing 80 billion data points daily from more than 4.9 million vehicle subscriptions. Geotab is trusted by Fortune 500 organizations, mid-sized fleets, and the largest public sector fleets in the world, including the US Federal Government. Committed to data security and privacy, we hold FIPS 140-3 and FedRAMP authorizations. Our open platform, ecosystem of outstanding partners, and Marketplace deliver hundreds of fleet-ready third-party solutions. This year, we're celebrating 25 years of innovation. Learn more at www.geotab.com and follow us on LinkedIn or visit Geotab News and Views.

Media Contact

Stefan Lysak
Marketing Director, North America
stefan.lysak@rolandberger.com
+1 857-272-4285

Emeril Lagasse Foundation announces its participation in National Mall of Pickleball, hosted by The Trust for the National Mall, Humana Inc., and the Humana Foundation. The Foundation’s involvement comes by special invitation from the Humana Foundation, a generous supporter of Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, the Foundation’s signature program.

During the event, students from Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen will take the spotlight on Center Court—known in pickleball as “The Kitchen”—to present healthy cooking demonstrations alongside local chefs. These engaging sessions will showcase recipes and skills the students have developed through the program, which integrates cooking, gardening, and nutrition education into K-8 schools nationwide.

“With the Humana Foundation’s support, we are honored to bring our students to such a unique national stage,” said Brian Kish, President of Emeril Lagasse Foundation. “This is a special opportunity for them to share their knowledge and passion for healthy cooking with the community.”

Through its partnership with the Humana Foundation, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen extends food and nutrition education beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for young people to share their knowledge and bring communities together through food.

For more information on the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and its programs, visit emeril.org. The Foundation is also on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $22 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides programmatic and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund provides culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth. To learn more about the Foundation and its beneficiaries, visit emeril.org, or follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Media Contact

Ellen Rose
ellen@trio-solutions.com
+1 404-583-8497

Californians can still apply for grants to protect homes from earthquake damage. The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) today reminded Californians that the current Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) grant registration period will close on October 1, 2025. With just weeks left, eligible homeowners and property owners are encouraged to apply now to register for seismic retrofit grant funding.

This registration period, which opened August 20, expanded eligibility to include non-primary residential properties for the first time, giving landlords and other property owners the opportunity to apply for seismic retrofit grants to strengthen wood-framed homes built before 1980 with raised foundations against earthquake damage.

With more than 1,100 eligible ZIP Codes across the state, including 303 added earlier this year, qualified homeowners can apply for grants of up to $3,000 to help cover the cost of bolting houses to their foundations and bracing crawl space walls. These upgrades reduce earthquake damage and provide stronger, safer housing in high-risk areas.

More than $20 million in grant funding is available during this registration period. Since the 2013 program launch, more than 32,500 California homeowners have received EBB grant assistance. The EBB program is administered by CRMP, a Joint Powers Authority between the California Earthquake Authority (CEA)  and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

“We’re entering the final stretch of this registration period. The October 1 deadline is quickly approaching and we want to make sure homeowners and property owners take advantage of this opportunity,” said Janiele Maffei, Chief Mitigation Officer, California Earthquake Authority. “Expanding eligibility to rentals this year means more Californians can strengthen their homes against earthquake damage, but time is running short to register.”

Income-eligible homeowners may also qualify for supplemental grants. Up to $7,000 in additional funding is available for households with an annual income at or below $89,040, which may provide up to 100% of the funds needed to cover a seismic retrofit. Grants are contingent upon meeting eligibility requirements and available funds.

Registration closes on October 1, 2025. Eligible homeowners can register at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where they can also find detailed program information, select a trained California-licensed general contractor, and view the full list of ZIP Codes and program areas.

About Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)

Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, EBB offers up to $3,000 to help California homeowners retrofit their house to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. A residential seismic retrofit makes a house more resistant to earthquake activity, such as ground shaking and soil failure, by bolting the house to its foundation and adding bracing around the perimeter of the crawl space. For more information, please visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.com.

About California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)

CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. For more information, please visit www.crmp.org.

Media Contact

Sheri Pierce
spierce@calquake.com
+1 279-203-1426

Lucra, the leading provider of social competition services, today announced a new partnership with CliqFit, the fitness app that turns workouts into games. Lucra will power social tournaments and user-generated competitions directly within the CliqFit mobile app, providing fitness enthusiasts the ability to compete for cash and rewards while staying active.

This collaboration marks Lucra’s continued expansion into the fitness space, teaming up with an innovative platform that’s making exercise fun, competitive, and engaging for all types of users. By blending Lucra’s gamification infrastructure with CliqFit’s unique challenges, the two companies will deliver a seamless, unified experience that keeps players motivated to move.

CliqFit’s current gameplay format is simple, yet effective: earn squares on your bingo board by working out. Play solo or against friends to see who can complete their bingo board first. Lucra will make those exercise challenges even more exciting, adding a social competition layer with prizes to inspire and motivate the modern fitness enthusiast.

“CliqFit has reimagined what it means to gamify fitness,” said Dylan Robbins, CEO of Lucra. “Their gameplay is approachable, inclusive, and most importantly—fun. It’s not always easy to stay motivated, but by introducing tournaments and user-created challenges, we’re rewarding individuals for getting up and getting active.”

For CliqFit, partnering with Lucra means enhancing user engagement and retention by providing players with a new reason to return daily. “Lucra’s technology fits perfectly with our vision of making fitness more interactive and rewarding,” said Marisa Horn, CEO of CliqFit. “We’re excited to offer our users a more dynamic way to challenge themselves and each other—whether they’re chasing a bingo or their personal best.”

The partnership will officially launch this fall, alongside the debut of an all-new CliqFit fitness game: a word-play mini-game integrated with movement tracking, designed to promote daily activity in a fresh, interactive way.

About Lucra

Lucra is the leading provider of social competition services, offering hospitality, entertainment, and media brands the ability to natively integrate competitive gameplay into their digital platforms. Clients like Five Iron Golf, Puttshack, Backyard Sports, Dave & Buster’s, TouchTunes, and more use Lucra’s white-label technology to power tournaments and challenges, build loyalty, and drive new revenue. Learn more at www.lucrasports.com.

About CliqFit

CliqFit is the only fitness app that lets users compete in games powered entirely by their workouts, and this is just the beginning. CliqFit already has additional gameplay formats in development, expanding the ways people can challenge each other, stay motivated, and make fitness fun. With an emphasis on inclusivity and enjoyment, CliqFit helps people at all fitness levels connect through play while achieving their activity goals. For more information, visit cliqfitapp.com and download the CliqFit app today.

Media Contact

Michael Madding
michael@lucrasports.com

Skapik Law Group is proud to announce a major victory in the federal class action lawsuit Fitzgerald v. Pollard, securing a $3.5 million settlement on behalf of visitors to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) who were subjected to unconstitutional strip searches. The settlement earned the firm a Top 20 Civil Rights Settlement and #1 Prison Negligence Settlement in California for 2024 from TopVerdict.com.

The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, challenged RJD’s policy of requiring visitors to submit to unclothed body searches without individualized reasonable suspicion. Plaintiff Rhonda Fitzgerald, represented by Skapik Law Group, brought the action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Civil action for deprivation of rights) and related state law claims after she was subjected to a degrading search while visiting an inmate in September 2019. The search, conducted without reasonable suspicion or justification, became the reason for challenging the facility’s unconstitutional policy and seeking justice for all similarly affected visitors.

The lawsuit alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment, arguing that RJD’s blanket strip-search policy intruded on the constitutional rights of visitors. The alleged practice was extremely intrusive towards prison visitors, and it was the Plaintiff’s position that the facility routinely subjected prison visitors to such unconstitutional searches absent any probable cause or reasonable suspicion, and despite the fact that less-intrusive means were readily available.

In the key litigation milestones of the case, the Court denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, allowing the proceedings to continue. Additionally, a defense motion for summary judgment met a similar fate, as it was also denied. A significant development occurred when class certification was granted, which included all visitors who had been subjected to similar searches at RJD since May 5, 2018. Furthermore, all attempts by the defendants to appeal or seek reconsideration were rejected.

After extensive litigation and discovery, the parties reached a settlement totaling $3.5 million. The Court issued its Final Approval Order on October 28, 2024, granting the settlement, attorneys’ fees and related relief.

“This case sends a powerful message that constitutional rights do not stop at the prison gate,” said Geralyn L. Skapik, lead counsel at Skapik Law Group. “The settlement not only provides long-overdue justice for hundreds of visitors but also ensures accountability for unlawful practices that stripped individuals of their dignity.”

About Skapik Law Group

Skapik Law Group is a full-service and trusted law firm dedicated to handling complex legal matters that profoundly affect clients’ lives. Since 2003, the firm has successfully represented thousands of individuals across Southern California in cases involving civil rights and police misconduct, employment law, CPS misconduct and catastrophic or life-altering personal injuries. With its main office in Chino Hills, Skapik Law Group proudly serves clients throughout San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area. The firm understands there are no second chances in litigation and is committed to delivering results with compassion, integrity and relentless advocacy. For more information or to discuss the specifics of a potential case, please visit www.skapiklaw.com or call (909) 398-4404.

Media Contact

Joe Marchelewski
AIJ Communications
joe@aijcommunications.com

Kratom Consumer Advisory Council (KCAC) released a position statement refuting misleading claims from the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) that reported low mortality statistics on concentrated synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products in the Poison Control Center dataset proves safety and refutes FDA recommended scheduling.

There are numerous reasons why mortality statistics are grossly misleading:

• First responders, coroners, and clinicians were unaware that 7-OH products existed, greatly reducing the chances 7-OH would be tested for.
• People dying from unknown causes are not routinely tested for 7-OH concentrations. Many opioids, alcohol, and other drugs are routinely tested for post-mortem, so people dying after using 7-OH products in conjunction with another drug would be misattributed. 
• 7-OH products were marketed as “kratom,” so family members and caregivers would likely erroneously attribute deaths to “kratom” and not 7-OH products.
• 7-OH is unstable and degrades quickly in bodily fluids, so samples not taken shortly after death and analyzed expeditiously could fail to detect 7-OH. There are usually long delays analyzing post-mortem samples. 

“Instead of reflecting on the FDA’s well-founded concerns of serious potential health risk, HART continues to misrepresent the data, creating intentional disinformation,” stated KCAC Chair Dr. C. Michael White, Pharm.D., FCP, FCCP, FASHP, and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Connecticut.

In an announcement on July 29, the FDA made clear that synthetic concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine products, but not leaf kratom products, are dangerous and should be considered for scheduling under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. 

KCAC emphasized that the FDA is right to act. Animal studies have shown that high dose 7-OH is as addictive and dangerous as regular opioids. Synthetic concentrated 7-OH products have been associated with severe addiction, rapid dosage escalation, and problems with breathing, agitation, seizures, and adverse heart effects in consumers. KCAC calls on regulators, lawmakers, and the media to take a clear-eyed view of the risks posed by synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products and urges a halt to the sale of these potent synthetic derivatives outside of research settings.

The full position statement, “Why Poison Control Center Mortality Data Cannot Accurately Reflect Synthetic Concentrated 7-OH Risk” is available here.

About Kratom Consumer Advisory Council (KCAC)

Kratom Consumer Advisory Council (KCAC) is an independent board made up of a clinician-scientist and consumers that uses the strongest available evidence to produce position statements that promote evidence-based policy. The KCAC is supported by the Global Kratom Coalition which advocates for regulations that protect consumers and curbs the sale of adulterated or synthetic products falsely marketed as kratom. For more information, visit globalkratomcoalition.org/kcac.

Media Contact

Katelyn Smith
info@globalkratomcoalition.org
+1 916-955-1867

viggoVet, an AI platform designed for veterinary medicine, reports that practices using its system have achieved profit increases exceeding 32%, more than double the veterinary industry’s average rise of up to 16%.

viggoVet serves as the first veterinary-exclusive AI platform engineered to meet the clinical, financial, multi-specialty AI and ethical standards unique to animal healthcare and this result underscores its role in helping veterinary clinics address long-standing operational inefficiencies that undermine profitability: unbilled services, overlooked diagnostics, and heavy administrative burdens continue to cost practices significant revenue each year.

“Practices were losing significant revenue before realizing what had gone missing,” said viggoVet founder Michael Gerges, DVM. “This platform thinks with veterinarians, flags what was performed but not billed, and gives managers the visibility to act before profit slips away.”

The platform was developed in response to common challenges faced by veterinarians with legacy systems and complex data management. Based on his experience as a senior DVM and practice owner, Gerges worked with hundreds of veterinarians worldwide to create a system designed for veterinary practices. The platform uses business AI to connect documentation, billing, and workflow with financial tools that identify inefficiencies and unbilled services in real time.

viggoVet operates through private, clinic-specific instances hosted in Switzerland, Germany, the U.S., the UK, and the UAE. Each instance is isolated, ensuring client and practice data remain protected. Developers cannot access or reuse practice data, supporting confidentiality and compliance with regulatory standards.

In addition to revenue capture, viggoVet reduces administrative tasks. Its AI tools provide SOAP note templates, voice dictation, and document parsing to automate routine processes. The system also integrates client communications through channels including WhatsApp, Telegram, email, and SMS, reducing the need for staff to manage repetitive reminders.

“Saving a missed lab charge or automating a reminder might seem small,” Michael added, “but when those systems catch dozens of inefficiencies every day, the cumulative effect is transformative. For clinics operating on narrow margins, this can be the difference between struggling to stay afloat and achieving long-term sustainability.”

viggoVet’s onboarding process is structured to reduce disruption. Data migration is typically completed within hours or days, enabling practices to use the system without extended downtime. This approach allows clinics to begin addressing revenue capture and administrative efficiency soon after implementation.

The platform applies AI to support veterinary workflows with an emphasis on accuracy, security, and operational efficiency. By linking documentation, billing, and communication in one system, viggoVet provides practices with tools to address recurring operational challenges and measure financial impact.

About viggoVet

viggoVet is a veterinary business intelligence platform integrating practice management with proprietary Veterinary AI. Developed in collaboration with hundreds of veterinarians, viggoVet captures missed charges, automates documentation and communication, and delivers real-time financial and operational visibility. Built for veterinary practice realities, deployed in clinic-specific secure instances under Swiss privacy standards, viggoVet removes inefficiencies that erode profitability. For more information, visit viggo.vet.

Media Contact

Michael Gerges
michael@viggotech.io

MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. shares its formal strategic direction centered on legacy-focused real estate planning for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). The company, which operates Luxury Big Island and Private Listings, has outlined its long-term commitment to facilitating real estate transactions that prioritize generational permanence over short-term gain.

This signals a continued departure from conventional, visibility-driven real estate practices. Rather than focusing on listings, public promotion, or high-volume sales tactics, the firm structures private acquisitions intended to remain in families for generations.

“Our clients are not buying homes to post them. They’re securing assets their children and grandchildren will hold long after they’re gone,” said Harold Clarke, CEO of MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. “The focus is on stability, not attention.”

This formal positioning reflects the company’s active role as a private office managing discreet real estate portfolios for global clients who seek long-term asset retention in the Hawaiian Islands. The company works with families, family offices, and private advisors to identify and secure significant properties—many of which are never publicly listed or promoted.

Through its Private Listings platform, the company maintains a discreet inventory of off-market properties. These include several of the most valuable residential assets in the state, some exceeding $40 million in value. Access to these listings is limited and confidential.

The firm’s public-facing website, Luxury Big Island, continues to serve clients who wish to enter the Hawai‘i market through traditional channels, but with a white-glove level of service tailored to elite buyers and sellers. Both brands operate under the MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. umbrella, which functions as a private office and strategic partner for long-term real estate holdings.

“We’re not chasing market cycles,” Clarke said. “We’re building structures that allow families to hold and protect what matters—across generations.”

As part of its broader mission, MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. supports clients in identifying properties with potential for long-term use, low visibility, and strategic geographic value. The company emphasizes that these decisions are driven by continuity and privacy—not urgency.

The company’s new strategy highlights a growing trend among UHNWIs to invest in real estate as a form of legacy planning rather than short-term speculation. In addition to its direct work with buyers and sellers, MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. collaborates with attorneys, estate planners, and private wealth advisors to support multi-decade planning for residential and mixed-use properties.

The firm’s announcement aligns with its upcoming corporate platform launch, which will publicly present the team, portfolio structure, and services offered across its entities. The new website will also introduce MegaCapital Hawaii Corp’s function as a central access point for private and public acquisition pathways in Hawai‘i.

MegaCapital Hawaii Corp. will continue to operate with a focus on privacy, permanence, and placement through trust-based networks. Its leadership emphasizes that while the strategy has been in place for years, today’s formal announcement reflects a desire to publicly clarify the firm’s model for legacy-driven real estate services in Hawai‘i.

Media Contact

Mandana Clarke
mandana@private-listings.com

Inspired AI, a Singapore-based technology company founded in 2023, today announced remarkable growth for its flagship product, TalkMe AI, an “AI-native” language learning application. The company reported over 1,000% year-over-year growth in both user base and ARR, with revenue doubling in the past three months, positioning it as one of the fastest-growing players in the multilingual learning sector.

TalkMe’s market value was validated in November 2024, when it raised $3.5 million in angel funding from investors including Seas Capital, Jinqiu Capital, and GSR Ventures.

AI-Native Advantage

TalkMe is designed from the ground up as an AI-native application, fully leveraging generative AI. This distinction enables lower content production costs and a faster path to scalable, high-quality personalized content.

Key performance highlights include:

• 10% increase in paid conversion rate
• 20% increase in ARPU
• 3–4x higher 30-day retention compared to industry average

These results demonstrate TalkMe’s strong commercial efficiency and user stickiness.

Product and Technology Roadmap

Central to TalkMe’s strategy is its AI agent philosophy. Beyond hyper-realistic AI avatars, the platform already offers over 10,000 practical lessons and has supported more than 11,000 user-created customized scenarios.

The upcoming generation of AI agents will feature enhanced contextual understanding and judgment capabilities, allowing them to:

• Guide users in uploading personalized learning materials
• Automatically generate long-term course plans
• Adaptively analyze behavior data for highly personalized learning paths

This roadmap underlines TalkMe’s vision to deliver not just adaptive lessons, but end-to-end personalized education journeys.

Global Expansion and Strategic Partnerships

As a participant in the 2024 Google for Startups Accelerator, TalkMe is actively working on expanding into international markets. With its AI-native differentiation, proven growth model, and scalable low-cost structure, TalkMe is well-positioned to reshape the global language learning landscape.

About Inspired AI

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Singapore, Inspired AI is dedicated to reimagining education through generative AI. Its flagship product, TalkMe AI, is the first truly “AI-native” language learning application, delivering scalable, cost-efficient, and personalized learning experiences for users worldwide. For more information, please visit www.talkme.ai.

Media Contact

Inspired AI Marketing
Lea@talkme.ai

Tbilisi’s Business and Technology University (BTU) has created an artificial intelligence system that analyzes voice patterns to identify psychological traits. The technology merges psychology, AI, and psycho-acoustic analytics to reveal the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of individuals with notable precision.

Unlike psychological assessments that rely on questionnaires or subjective interpretation, BTU’s innovation examines the nuances of human speech, including tone, rhythm, resonance, tempo, pause, and emotional fluctuations, to construct a detailed psychological profile. The output, known as a psycho-code, serves as an index that maps how a person thinks, feels, and reacts, revealing personality dimensions that were previously difficult to measure.

The breakthrough was made possible by merging advanced AI algorithms with psycho-acoustic research. During its initial phase, researchers analyzed 500 voice recordings, confirming the system’s effectiveness. The ongoing second phase involves 1,200 participants, broadening the dataset and supporting comparative studies. 

Early findings have already been published in leading European scientific repositories, underscoring the technology’s scientific significance. The system was developed on BTU's AI platform, which brings together expertise from psychology, artificial intelligence, and technology specialists.

This initiative reflects BTU’s growing emphasis on artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of its research agenda. The psycho-code offers a new perspective on understanding human consciousness. Just as DNA carries biological information, the psycho-code provides a “wave code” of psychological processes. This allows specialists to interpret behavior, motivations, and potential for growth. This approach not only advances academic research but also opens doors to practical applications across mental health, education, and personal development.

By turning voice signals into measurable data, BTU’s system advances both cognitive science and artificial intelligence. Researchers emphasize that the technology is designed to complement, not replace, the work of psychologists. By effectively “hacking” the human mind through voice, the system opens possibilities for both scientific research and practical applications, transforming how people understand themselves.

About Business and Technology University (BTU)

Business and Technology University (BTU), based in Tbilisi, Georgia, is a leading higher education institution dedicated to innovation at the intersection of business, science, and technology. The university advances research and practical applications in fields such as artificial intelligence, psychology, and digital transformation, preparing students and professionals to shape the future of technology and society. Learn more at btu.edu.ge.

Media Contact

Maia Noniashvili
info@btu.edu.ge

YOYOS is proud to announce that our documentary short film "Prisms of Experience" created in partnership with Nexus Health, has been officially selected for the 8th Annual Live Mindfield Film Festival, that took place from Aug. 28 to 31, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The film also has been selected as a Platinum Award winner for “Best New Mexico Short Film.”

It was screened at Guild Cinema in Albuquerque on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 8:30 p.m. Three of the four women featured in the film were in attendance to discuss their experience with cancer, resilience and the making of the film.

The selection marks a significant milestone for both YOYOS and Nexus Health, showcasing their collaborative commitment to innovative storytelling that explores the multifaceted nature of human experience in healthcare. "Prisms of Experience" joined a curated lineup of compelling films that were presented to the audiences and industry professionals during the four-day festival.

"We are beyond thrilled and honored to have 'Prisms of Experience' premiere at the Mindfield Film Festival," said Cameron Kit, founder of YOYOS. "This selection validates our collaborative approach with Nexus Health and our shared belief in the power of documentary storytelling to share healing and empower more patients to take charge of their own health. Nexus has been an amazing supporter, especially Dr. Scott Herbert, who connected me with the women in the film.”

"Prisms of Experience" is a powerful short documentary that follows four women living with cancer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as they navigate life with a diagnosis and demonstrate how to live as an example to others. Guided by the philosophy that "cancer is not a death sentence; it's a call to live," the film explores how each woman experiences different perspectives or "prisms of experience" in their daily lives while living with cancer. The documentary uses real prisms as a visual metaphor to illustrate how a diagnosis can fundamentally change one's perspective on life, hope and human connection. 

The inspiration for "Prisms of Experience" came through notable Santa Fe artist Pamela Markoya, whose photography of Virginia King at the Dawn Light Sanctuary in New Mexico caught the filmmaker's attention. When asked about the images, Markoya observed, "Living with cancer is experiencing 'prisms of experience' every day." This insight became the foundation for the documentary's approach, using real prisms as a visual metaphor to explore how a cancer diagnosis transforms one's perspective on life.

The documentary features four remarkable women — Debbie, Andie, Virginia and Pamela — who have courageously shared their personal journeys with cancer. Their stories of strength, resilience, and hope offer universal lessons that extend far beyond their individual diagnoses, demonstrating that their experiences can inspire and connect with audiences regardless of their own health circumstances.

“This is fabulous news and I’m filled with gratitude for Cameron and the whole team at Nexus who made this happen,” shared Markoya.

The festival selection and award comes at an exciting time for YOYOS, who continues to develop projects in partnership with forward-thinking clients like Nexus Health. The collaboration demonstrates how healthcare organizations and creative storytellers can work together to push the boundaries of traditional documentary filmmaking while addressing important health and wellness topics with sensitivity and authenticity.

About YOYOS (You Own Your Own Stories)

YOYOS is a documentary and podcast storytelling company dedicated to bringing real people’s stories into the spotlight. Through award-winning documentary films and podcasts, the company creates emotional and memorable narratives that drive results. YOYOS focuses on resetting the narrative and challenging the hype with true stories that inspire audiences worldwide. For more information, visit www.yoyos.ai.

Media Contact

Shreya Vadlamani
shreya@yoyos.ai

Radixweb, a global software development and product engineering company with 25+ years of experience today explained how it is closing the critical gap between AI ambition and measurable business impact.

What Is the AI Ambition and Business Impact Gap?

Organizations, big and small, across industries are leveraging AI to enhance operational efficiency, and transform how work gets done. Investments in AI infrastructure worldwide will reach $400 billion by 2027, demonstrating this increased inclination towards AI.

But a vast majority of AI pilots fail to produce any tangible business outcomes. That's why for IT leaders and CIOs, turning AI ambition into measurable business results becomes a constant challenge. Staying compliant with industry-specific standards, further adds to their problems.

How Is Radixweb Bridging the Gap?

Radixweb, from years of experience, understands that regulated industries face unique AI implementation obstacles. HIPAA, GDPR, and AML rules slow adoption and add complexity. That’s why as a software development partner, not just a vendor, they take a disciplined approach and integrate AI into existing systems in ways that improve work processes without creating new compliance risks.

They bank on their deep domain expertise and ISO 27001-certified practices to embed AI into mission-critical systems without disrupting existing workflows. This ensures measurable efficiency gains, cost reductions, and operational resilience across sectors like healthcare, legal, HR, logistics, and manufacturing.

The results are clear when looking at some of their recent projects:

• Healthcare: A large American hospital network could enhance patient reporting and intake with AI. The AI-powered system reduced data entry errors by 60% and cut administrative workload by 35%, while ensuring full HIPAA compliance.
• Legal: A global law firm cut down on delays in contract reviews and document searches with AI. Radixweb delivered a cloud-based document management system with AI search and summarization. This enabled lawyers to retrieve documents faster, spend less time on manual review, and collaborate securely across locations.
• HR: A tech startup could bring down recruitment costs and turnover with an AI-powered talent management platform. The system forecasted attrition, highlighted skills gaps, and gave HR leaders actionable insights while staying fully GDPR-compliant.
• Logistics and Manufacturing: AI-driven supply chain tracking cut shipment delays across thousands of shipments. In another manufacturing project, modular APIs paired with AI personalization were implemented to speed up content workflows by 40%. Built-in bias detection and audit trails were used to meet governance standards.

These are just a few examples of the work that Radixweb is doing in the AI software engineering and next-gen product development niche. With a focus on practical projects and not just promissory claims, Radixweb is attracting industry trust and confidence.

"The AI market is full of pilots that promise results but fail to deliver." said Dharmesh Acharya, COO at Radixweb, when asked about how he sees the industry's fascination with all things AI. He adds, "The difference between successful projects and failed fantasies comes from discipline. We ensure AI integrations are meaningful, the core engineering layer is strong, and the focus is always on driving business outcomes. We've helped enterprises gain efficiency without adding risk, and that has been possible by aligning AI deployment with both compliance and business goals."

While generative AI often dominates headlines, Radixweb focuses on back-office automation. Research has shown that reducing administrative burdens and speeding decision-making delivers the clearest returns. With that in mind, Radixweb’s AI deployments across healthcare, legal, HR, logistics, and manufacturing have cut errors, sped workflows, and improved efficiency—without creating compliance problems.

Radixweb favors incremental, modular deployments rather than large-scale overhauls. This approach allows CIOs to audit AI models, adjust them as rules change, and make sure automation does not compromise governance.

From AI Experiments to Enterprise Impact 

As enterprises move away from superficial AI pilots and plan impactful AI adoption, lessons from Radixweb's experiences are clear: technology alone is not enough. Success comes from careful engineering, compliance awareness, and a focus on measurable results. By reducing errors, speeding workflows, and embedding compliance checks, Radixweb helps organizations harness AI safely and effectively.

About Radixweb

Radixweb provides digital product engineering and AI-driven software development services to Fortune 500 clients across healthcare, law, manufacturing, edtech and more than 25 other sectors. The company has a 98% project success rate and more than 25 years of industry experience. Radixweb supports global organizations with scalable, compliant platforms and AI integrations that deliver measurable returns on investment. Learn more at radixweb.com.

Media Contact

Pratik Mistry
marketing@radixweb.com

StartX, the premier community for Stanford founders, has announced a major milestone: a new partnership with Stanford Research Park to serve as the anchor tenant of The Link, a purpose-built innovation hub set to open in early 2027.

This announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for StartX, reinforcing its long-term commitment to empowering Stanford’s most ambitious entrepreneurs.

“To be chosen by the Stanford Research Park to lead this transformative initiative is an immense honor,” said Shannon McClenaghan, CEO of StartX. “The Link offers our founders an exceptional advantage — a permanent home within the heart of Stanford’s innovation ecosystem. This partnership expands our ability to support world-class entrepreneurs with both the infrastructure and community they need to thrive.”

The Link will be located at 975 Page Mill Road, within Stanford Research Park, the 700-acre technology campus that has supported breakthroughs across Silicon Valley since 1951. The new 10,000-square-foot hub is designed to bring the StartX Community together — with space for events, founder-led programming, flexible meeting rooms, and a Coupa Café. Plans also include coworking areas to foster collaboration and connection.

“Our selection of StartX to anchor The Link represents a bold step towards realizing our vision for a truly integrated innovation center,” said Jamie Jarvis, Director of Strategic Programs for Stanford Research Park. “StartX’s unparalleled success in propelling Stanford-affiliated ventures into global leaders makes them the perfect partner to ignite this new hub. We anticipate that The Link will become a beacon for those striving to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.”

StartX began 15 years ago, in 2010, with a single goal: to support Stanford’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. Since then, it has evolved from an elite accelerator into one of the most prestigious founder communities in Silicon Valley. StartX companies have a combined valuation of $120 billion, raise an average of $42 million, and include 20 unicorns pioneering breakthroughs in AI, healthcare, energy, and more.

At its core, StartX has always been about what happens after the accelerator — the deep connections, shared experiences, and long-term commitment that founders give to each other. With a new home on the horizon, StartX is building on 15 years of impact and setting the stage for the next decade.

About StartX

StartX is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Stanford’s most accomplished and visionary entrepreneurs. Since 2010, the organization has supported over 2,700 founders across more than 1,300 companies, including 3 decacorns, over 20 unicorns, and more than 165 startups valued at over $100 million. What sets StartX apart is a trusted, founder-led community built on deep collaboration, shared experience, and long-term support. StartX takes no equity and charges no fees, choosing instead to invest in the potential of people and their ideas.

The mission of StartX is to support Stanford’s most ambitious founders with a trusted community, world-class resources, and the belief that the best companies are built together. With 15 years at the heart of Silicon Valley and Stanford’s innovation ecosystem, StartX offers unparalleled visibility into the next generation of groundbreaking technology, particularly in AI. Key verticals, including artificial intelligence, medicine, and energy, enable targeted knowledge-sharing and powerful peer connections across industries.

For more information, visit startx.com.

About Stanford Research Park

Since 1951, Stanford Research Park has been home to pioneers in high technology, automotive mobility, and life sciences. Its mission is to support the needs of more than 150 tenant companies so they can continue the Park’s legacy of innovation and build a bold future. Stanford Research Park is a community created for people who seek to invent the future.

Scores of Stanford alumni have launched or headquartered their companies within its borders, as have entrepreneurs from around the world who have joined this legacy of success. Founders choose Stanford Research Park for its access to Stanford University’s emerging research and talent, proximity to venture capital firms, and sustainable buildings in a stunning natural environment.

Media Contact

Julia Shoop
marketing@startx.com

Sen. Anna Caballero, author of SB 72, will host a press conference at the Capitol Cactus Garden on Monday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m. to discuss the importance of passing and signing the landmark water legislation into law. Designed to address California’s water shortage, SB 72 has again passed the Assembly floor and is headed to the governor’s desk for signature.

“SB 72 offers the Assembly and the governor a clear opportunity to reaffirm California’s climate leadership and commitment. This bill is a critical next step toward securing our state’s water future in the face of escalating climate threats,” Caballero said. “This press conference is an opportunity to present a clear and compelling case for why this legislation matters — and why now is the time to act.”

The bill addresses the state's water supply challenges with multiple strategies to codify water supply targets, modernize the California Water Plan, and legislate reporting and collaboration among the water community — a novel approach to addressing the water threats in the state and the most significant legislation to improve statewide water planning and future water supply security for the fourth largest global economy in the last 10 years.

Backed by a broad coalition of water, environmental, business, public safety, and agricultural stakeholders, SB 72 is co-sponsored by the California Municipal Utilities Association, the California State Association of Counties, and the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance, and would transform water management in California to:

• Establish necessary statewide water supply targets to capture and produce enough water for all uses.
• Require the state, water community, and stakeholders to work together to develop comprehensive, long-term water supply solutions.
• Enhance the California Water Plan to drought-proof the state.
• Complement Gov. Newsom’s water supply strategy to ensure water supply planning targets and action extend beyond any single administration.

The press conference will feature speakers and bill co-authors, co-sponsors, Craig Miller, general manager of Western Water and president of the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA); Joe Cruz, executive director of the California State Council of Laborers and member of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB); and Graham Knaus, CEO of California State Association of Counties (CSAC).

Additional details about the press conference are available here.

About CA Water For All

CA Water for All is a statewide effort seeking to educate policymakers about the urgent need for a legislative solution to address California’s ongoing water supply challenges. The effort is focused on bringing together the water community, policymakers and stakeholders to collaborate on ensuring Californians have a sustainable and reliable water supply for all beneficial uses now and for future generations. For more information, visit www.cawaterforall.com.

Media Contact

Meagan Luevano
mluevano@ka-pow.com
+1 916-603-1839

The hills outside Nador came alive as thousands of seekers from more than 30 countries gathered to celebrate the Mawlid of the Karkariya Sufi order. The annual festival honoring the birth of the Prophet Muhammad blended devotion, poetry, music, and the mesmerizing Hadra, a sacred dance of rhythm and unity led by Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari.

Throughout the night, participants joined in chants of remembrance, swaying together in circles that rose and fell with spiritual intensity. At the heart of this gathering was the Hadra, where synchronized movement and collective breath transformed into a living expression of faith. Guiding the dance, Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari embodied the order’s teachings of humility, beauty, and love, turning the ritual into both a sermon and a work of art.

Equally striking was the sight of the muraqqa, the distinctive patchwork cloak worn by the disciples. Brightly colored and sewn from pieces of different fabrics, the garment symbolizes the shedding of ego and worldly identity. In the Hadra, these cloaks became a moving mosaic, with Moroccans, Senegalese, French, Brazilians, Indonesians, and Americans stitched together into one rhythm. What could appear as scraps of cloth elsewhere here reflected a deeper truth: diverse lives woven together by devotion and love.

The celebration was not only a moment of spiritual renewal but also a cultural encounter. Food was shared generously, poems were recited, and prayers echoed through the tent that became a temporary home for thousands. The spirit of hospitality and harmony reinforced the order’s message that Sufism offers a universal language of the heart.

"The Mawlid celebration is a beautiful reminder that love and unity transcend borders," said Abdullah Elkammar, a disciple of the Karkariya order. "It is our hope that such gatherings inspire people to seek the inner transformation that Sufism offers and to embrace the principles of peace and understanding in their lives."

As dawn approached and the call to prayer filled the air, silence fell over the gathering. For many, the sight of cloaked dancers swaying in unison remained the most powerful memory. The Mawlid of the Karkariya demonstrated that faith can be expressed not only in reflection and prayer but also in rhythm, color, and the creative expression of the human spirit, offering a vision of peace and harmony that bridges cultures worldwide.

About Al-Karkari Institute

The Al-Karkari Institute aims to engage in research and discourse on the diverse dimensions of Sufism. By exploring the historical significance and contemporary relevance of tasawwuf, we aim to illuminate the path of Islamic inner transformation for a global audience of seekers.

Media Contact

Alan Noble
alan@karkari.org

From Sept. 8 to 12, 2025, the global mobility industry will once again turn its eyes to Munich. On this world-class stage for smart mobility innovation, GIRAFFEVISION — a pioneer redefining the driving experience through cutting-edge visual technology — will present its latest HUD solutions and immersive visual interaction experiences. We warmly invite you to visit us at Hall A2, Booth D10, and join us in an in-depth dialogue on intelligent visual interaction and the future of driving.

Headquartered in Singapore, GIRAFFEVISION operates with a global outlook. Guided by the mission "to show a better world with technology and innovation," GIRAFFEVISION is dedicated to advancing intelligent in-cabin visual interaction through technological innovation — building trust between humans and vehicles, and making driving safer, smarter, and more intuitive.

Our core team stems from a pioneering force in China’s HUD industry. To date, we have enhanced the driving experience for over two million users with clearer, smarter vision systems. Today, we are bringing this expertise and innovation to the global stage, committed to delivering greater value to our customers and working hand in hand with global partners to shape the next generation of immersive, intelligent in-vehicle experiences.

GIRAFFEVISION offers a complete portfolio of HUD solutions — including WHUD, AR-HUD, and PHUD — supported by a full stack of core technologies such as TFT, LCoS, and DLP. At this year’s exhibition, we invite you to explore the following cutting-edge innovations firsthand:

• GIRAFFEVISION HUD 2.0: Designed to reduce driver distraction and serve as an advanced alternative to traditional instrument clusters, HUD 2.0 features a 3.1-inch TFT display and dual internal mirrors, delivering large-format imaging with exceptional dynamic image stability while presenting rich, real-time driving information.
• GIRAFFEVISION HUD 3.0: An upgraded version of its predecessor, HUD 3.0 is equipped with a 4.1-inch TFT display and dual free-form mirrors, capable of projecting a 56-inch virtual image. Thanks to its high-performance architecture, HUD 3.0 can be seamlessly integrated with the AR Cyber system to enable full AR-HUD functionality.
• GIRAFFEVISION HUD 4.0: Featuring advanced local dimming technology, HUD 4.0 significantly enhances brightness in low-light conditions while reducing power consumption by 30% and improving thermal resistance by 30%. It also maintains superior peak brightness in high-light environments, delivering enhanced image quality and an optimized user experience.
• GIRAFFEVISION Ultimate Mirror HUD 5.0: A game-changer in automotive display, HUD 5.0 sets a new benchmark with 2K resolution (1920x1080), achieving an angular resolution of 152 pixels per degree for ultra-clear viewing from multiple angles. Its outstanding performance stems from the integration of 2K imaging and dynamic backlight control technology. The latter, driven by sophisticated algorithms, provides precise light modulation — highlighting bright details while preserving deep contrast in darker areas. This synergy delivers unmatched display clarity and elevates the in-cabin visual experience, redefining industry standards and steering the evolution of premium HUD displays.
• GIRAFFEVISION Deep Scenes AR HUD: As the industry’s first product to feature a coaxial dual-focal-plane design combined with local dimming technology, this AR HUD delivers an enhanced sense of visual depth by synchronizing far and near virtual display planes. It effectively integrates traditional instrument information with AR-based immersive visuals.
• Both display layers offer large image fields: A 130.8-inch far-field canvas that hosts the majority of AR and background content; and a 29-inch near-field canvas dedicated to stereoscopic visuals and instrument display functions. Instrument data is presented with clarity, while AR content is layered and immersive, offering a multi-dimensional visual experience.
• GIRAFFEVISION Slope+Parallel: GIRAFFEVISION Slope+Parallel is one of the next-generation products currently under development. The slope HUD features a virtual image distance ranging from 6.5 to 11 meters, delivering improved depth perception and more realistic ground-level AR integration — aligned with natural human visual habits. Combined with PHUD’s vehicle-wide shared visual interaction capabilities and high availability, the system reduces the need for frequent visual refocusing, allowing drivers to maintain greater concentration on the road.
• IV G1 Cockpit: GIRAFFEVISION integrates a coaxial dual-focal-plane AR HUD and PHUD into the IV G1 Cockpit, enabling precise, scenario-based information scheduling. This system intelligently adapts to various driving conditions — such as urban commuting, highway cruising, parking, and off-road driving — by delivering differentiated information strategies. Through this approach, it builds a "scene–priority–content" hierarchical model, ensuring that the right information is displayed at the right time, based on driving context and user needs.

A global wave of innovation is reshaping the future of mobility. At IAA MOBILITY, GIRAFFEVISION will showcase a proven portfolio of core products that embody an unwavering commitment to safety and efficiency. Through immersive experience zones, you will gain a direct, hands-on understanding of the limitless possibilities of future mobility. These interactive demonstrations will vividly illustrate how intelligent visual technologies are revitalizing the mobility ecosystem — making the future not only visible, but tangible.

We believe the future of mobility goes beyond "driving" — it's about a new way of perceiving the world and traveling safely. We warmly invite you to visit us at Hall A2, Booth D10, and join GIRAFFEVISION in witnessing how smart visual systems are reshaping the driving experience and redefining the boundaries of safe mobility.

About GIRAFFEVISION

GIRAFFEVISION is a technology-driven enterprise that integrates research and development, manufacturing and services. The company is dedicated to its mission: “To show a better world with technology and innovation.” Positioned to become a leading global provider of in-vehicle vision solutions, GIRAFFEVISION creates value for customers, builds a strong presence in the automotive vision sector, and collaborates with global partners to shape a future where virtual and real worlds merge seamlessly.

As a pioneer in smart cockpit visual and interaction solutions, GIRAFFEVISION provides comprehensive offerings, including its W-HUD solution, CyberLens, and its AR-HUD solution, CyberVision, along with other advanced visual technologies. From the earliest stages of product development, the company works closely with OEMs to co-create new vehicle models that elevate human-vehicle interaction and enhance intelligent driving experiences.

For more information, visit www.giraffe-vision.com.

Media Contact

Jennifer Liu
xuanliu@giraffe-vision.com

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (“NetDragon” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock exchange:0777), a global leader in building internet communities, was invited to participate in UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week, held from Sept. 2 to 5 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, under the theme “AI and the Future of Education.”

NetDragon was featured at key events including the opening ceremony and parallel forums. As the only corporate invitee, it joined over 30 education ministers and senior officials from the UK, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye, the UAE and other nations at the Ministerial Roundtable.

Dr. Simon Leung, vice chairman of NetDragon, emphasized in his address at the opening ceremony that the future of education must be a collaboration that transcends academic boundaries and national frontiers, enabled by technology.

During the event, NetDragon showcased a range of its AI education capabilities and products and  also explained why Open-Quest Academy (“Open-Q”)  chose to partner with NetDragon. Among the featured innovations were the interactive AI digital human, the Promethean ActivPanel 10 interactive panel, the ROKID AR immersive learning experience, and the “E-Library for Teachers.” The demonstrations drew global attention and garnered acclaim from international attendees.

Addressing Global Content Creation Challenges

Since the resurgence of large language models (LLMs) in 2023, AI has been a key driver in the acceleration of digital education worldwide. Dr. Leung underscored the transformative role of AI in education at the event.

The global education community continues to grapple with significant challenges, including the shortage and uneven distribution of education resources, as well as the excessive concentration of content within limited regions and languages. During the pandemic, over 500 million students lacked remote learning access, 72% of whom were in underserved regions. Meanwhile, 90% of open educational resources originate from Western countries, with the majority dominated by English.

To address these gaps, NetDragon created the AI Content Factory–a scalable, cost-efficient platform for culturally adaptive content production. By transforming educators’ tacit knowledge into structured data and enabling intelligent multi-agent collaboration across the content creation lifecycle, the AI Content Factory creates a self-improving system that combines human oversight with scalable AI-driven production. Its dual-cycle quality control mechanism integrates real-time teacher feedback and expert reviews, ensuring both accuracy and continuous improvement.

A prime example is the AI Education Platform launched in partnership with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) in May 2025. The platform provides AI-powered vocational training to students and young people across Thailand, aligning with the nation’s “Education 6.0” strategy while supporting growth in high-potential fields like AI, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. Beyond Thailand, with support from the World Bank, NetDragon is also advancing digital school transformation in countries including Cameroon. Going forward, the company will continue to leverage the AI Content Factory to deliver highly customized education solutions worldwide.

Partnership with Open-Q

NetDragon, together with the attending guests, witnessed the launch of Open-Q. Open-Q is an open, future-oriented education ecosystem. With education hubs and content creation centers worldwide, Open-Q brings together experts, teachers, and practitioners to collaborate on metaverse-based learning and teaching platforms. Anchored in its three core principles — technology for equity, co-creation of resources, and incentive-driven participation — Open-Q delivers high-quality, localized digital content to advance equitable and effective education worldwide.

Data shows that the unemployment rate among bachelor’s degree holders aged 20 to 24 has risen by 29% over the past four to five years. In certain fields, such as IT and computer engineering, the rate has surged more than 100% compared with 2018–2019. Amid this challenge, Open-Q is harnessing the power of AI to provide new opportunities and guidance for the future. A core feature of Open-Q is its “Learn-and-Earn” model, a learning community where learners acquire job-ready skills, educators are rewarded for high-quality contributions, and the entire ecosystem benefits from an expanding shared knowledge base.

The decision to partner with NetDragon is grounded in the Company's demonstrated expertise in platform development, proven through multiple country-level initiatives. The Company's collaborative history with UNESCO-affiliated institutions further solidified this partnership. In 2021, NetDragon jointly launched the “E-Library for Teachers” with UNESCO IITE — a platform that now supports more than 100,000 educators worldwide, demonstrating NetDragon's sustained commitment to promoting educational equity through technology.

Looking ahead, NetDragon will leverage its AI Content Factory as a core AI engine to deepen collaborations with UNESCO, national governments, leading global universities, and corporations. Together, they aim to create an educational ecosystem that transcends academic boundaries and national borders — accelerating the vision of a future where everyone can learn anywhere, anytime.

For a video overview of NetDragon’s showcase at UNESCO Digital Learning Week 2025, watch here.

About NetDragon

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (Hong Kong stock exchange:0777) is a global leader in building internet communities, with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. Over the desktop and mobile internet eras, NetDragon previously established China’s first online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China’s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless. 

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Conquer Online, Heroes Evolved and Under Oath. In the past 10 years, NetDragon has also achieved success with its edtech business both domestically and globally. Fully embracing the new AI era, NetDragon is driving its vision of “Infinite Growth” through a dual-focus strategy of “AI+Gaming” and “AI+Education.” With its AI Content Factory empowering operations and working with partners to develop a global learning metaverse, NetDragon is committed to once again building a massive user community in the new AI era.

NetDragon’s overseas edtech business entity, currently a U.S.-listed subsidiary named Mynd.ai, is a global leader in interactive technology and its award-winning interactive displays and software can be found in more than 1 million learning and training spaces across 126 countries.

For more information, visit www.nd.com.cn.

Media Contact

Gillian Wang
ccpa@nd.com.cn

The air hummed, not with modern electric currents, but with a mesmerizing symphony of devotional chants. The invocations rose and fell, interwoven with rhythmic breathing and the soft, insistent tap of drums. This was the sound of remembrance, an intonation both ancient and urgent, rising from the plains outside Nador on the night of Sept. 4, 2025.

Here, beneath a sky pinpricked with stars, thousands of seekers from over 30 nations—from the bustling cityscapes of Europe to the suburbs of North America, from remote corners of Asia to the plains of Africa—gathered in a testament to an enduring spiritual pull that defies borders. They converged on the spiritual heartland of the Karkariya Sufi order for the Mawlid, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad.

Sufism is often described as the mystical or inward dimension of Islam, a path focused on purifying the heart and achieving direct, personal experience of God. Practitioners, known as Sufis, seek to transform their inner selves through practices of remembrance, meditation, and mentorship under a spiritual guide. Central to this tradition is an intense love and reverence for the Prophet Muhammad, who is seen as the ultimate model of spiritual perfection.

This veneration finds its most joyous expression in the Mawlid, a celebration of the Prophet's birth that for many Sufis is a high point of the spiritual year. It is a time for communities to gather for prayers, listen to poems praising the Prophet's life and character, share food, and express gratitude for the message he brought. For the disciples of the Karkariya, this particular Mawlid, held inside a vast tent erected beside the order’s spiritual compound (zawiya), was a soul-altering, night-long vigil.

From dusk until the first light of the dawn prayer (fajr), this temporary sanctuary became a microcosm of the world, defined not by national identity, but by a shared quest for divine love. The night unfolded in waves of spiritual intensity. It began with the night prayer (isha), followed by hours of communal dhikr—a rhythmic, repetitive invocation of God’s names that swelled and subsided, drawing participants into a unified state of meditative presence.

Visually, the gathering was a sea of vibrant color. The disciples, known as fuqara (the spiritual poor), were clad in the distinctive muraqqa—a brightly colored patched cloak. In the context of the Mawlid, this garment took on a profound significance. “The muraqqa strips you of your ego, of your worldly identity,” explained Abdullah, a senior computer scientist who had traveled from his home in the suburbs of Indianapolis, a world away from this Moroccan hillside.

“Back home, I’m defined by my job, my neighborhood, my Americanness,” he said, gesturing to the human mosaic around him. “Here, we wear this patchwork to symbolize that we have shed these external labels. Like these patches, we are all different pieces from different cloths—Moroccan, Senegalese, French, Brazilian, Indonesian, American—sewn together by a single thread: the love of the Prophet. Tonight, we are one body, one fabric.” The cloak, traditionally a sign of asceticism, here became a uniform of unity.

The Karkariya offers a contemporary revivalist expression of the ancient Shadhiliya Sufi order. Its global appeal is a distinctly modern phenomenon, attracting a diverse mix of Western converts and seekers from the Muslim world. Consequently, their zawiya near Al Aaroui has become a major destination for this unique spiritual synthesis of ancient tradition and modern, global identity.

As the night deepened, the assembly’s energy crested into the Hadra, a powerful, swaying spiritual dance of synchronized movement and chanting that aims to elevate the heart. At the pulsating center of the circle, the order’s spiritual guide, Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari, danced among his disciples, his movements anchoring the wave of collective devotion. This was more than a ritual; it was a physical sermon. In each synchronized breath and step, the gathering became a living embodiment of the principles the Shaykh had been instilling in the attendees all week: a commemoration of the Prophet’s community, founded on beauty, love, and profound humility.

The communal spirit extended beyond worship. Generous dishes of food were served well into the night, a remarkable display of hospitality that ensured every guest was nourished. Among the attendees was Aziz, a Tunisian graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in engineering in Germany. For him, the journey was a pilgrimage in search of a spiritual home.

“In Europe, it can be a challenge to find a living, heart-based Islam,” Aziz explained. “Much of the discourse is political or rigidly dogmatic. I was yearning for the ‘why’—for the love that is the engine of our faith. This Mawlid is the ‘why.’ Look at this unity. We are praying next to people we could never otherwise meet, learning a universal language of the heart. For me, this is the true inheritance of the Prophet’s message.”

The all-night vigil is a central Sufi practice, intended to disrupt the routines of the ego and open the heart to spiritual realities. For the Karkariya, this practice serves a more distinct and foundational purpose: to facilitate the vision of divine light. Their teachings emphasize that this is not a metaphor, but a direct perception witnessed with the "eye of the heart." This luminous experience is considered the very foundation of their spiritual path, turning abstract faith (iman) into a perceived reality.

As the hours passed and physical exhaustion set in, many participants spoke of heightened spiritual awareness and a profound sense of release. Tears flowed freely at the climax of the chanting—not from sorrow, but from an overwhelming sense of gratitude and connection.

The final crescendo came with the ethereal sound of the call (adhan) to the dawn prayer. As it echoed across the hushed tent, a deep, resonant silence fell upon the thousands who had stood, swayed, and chanted for hours. With one final prayer, the night was over.

As the sun cast its first rays over the Moroccan countryside, the intense energy of the vigil softened, but the tent did not empty. For Abdullah, Aziz, and thousands of others wrapped in their colorful cloaks, the climax of the Mawlid was not an ending, but the heart of a more profound immersion. Their journey was far from over. Most would remain for the entire week of celebrations, entering a state of temporary renunciation, disconnected from the jobs and worldly demands that await them across the globe. It is a sacred pause, a time to fully absorb the teachings, live in spiritual community, and renew their commitment to the Muhammadan path of love, before carrying the sustained charge of this sacred week back into a fragmented world.

Media Contact

Alan Noble
alan@karkari.org

The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) 2025, one of the world’s leading consumer electronics trade shows, opened today at the Berlin Exhibition Center. Hanvon Ugee made a striking appearance, unveiling its latest products from flagship brands Xencelabs, XPPen, and ugee, while debuting intelligent digital handwriting solutions for industry partners. The showcase highlighted the company’s strong technological foundation and forward-looking vision, spanning professional digital creation, smart office, and everyday applications.

A Three-Brand Matrix Driving Innovation

At the Hanvon Ugee booth, visitors experienced firsthand the company’s three major brands—Xencelabs, XPPen, and ugee—each presenting cutting-edge products that underscored Hanvon Ugee’s breakthroughs in digital artistry.

Xencelabs, the flagship brand specializing in digital drawing tools, is renowned for superior product quality and has earned endorsements from global studios and prominent artists, including Disney animation director Tony Bancroft and 3D artist Zhelong Xu. At IFA 2025, Xencelabs introduced its drawing display and tablet product series, with the upgraded Xencelabs Pen Display 24+ as a highlight. As the world’s first pen display featuring Calman Ready hardware color calibration technology, Xencelabs Pen Display 24+ targets professional industries such as photography, illustration, animation, visual effects, filming, gaming, industrial design, and other color accuracy-critical creative fields. It delivers a “simple calibration, efficient creation” experience, significantly enhancing the efficiency and reliability of color management for creators.

XPPen, positioned in the mid-to-high-end consumer market, resonates strongly with young creators worldwide, meeting their demand for personalized expression and professional-grade tools. At IFA, XPPen showcased a diverse lineup including pen displays, drawing pads, and note-taking tablets. The standout was the upcoming Artist Ultra 16, launching in late September, a new-generation touch-screen drawing display, and the world’s first to integrate a 4K OLED screen, advanced X-Touch interaction technology, 16K ultra-sensitive pressure levels, and Calman-certified color performance. Catering to creative professionals worldwide, this industry-leading drawing display delivers top-tier performance to empower professional creation. With its high performance and portable design, it supports a seamless experience across diverse creative scenarios, setting a new standard for all-scenario drawing displays and marking a new era of intelligent, touch-based creation.

ugee, known for affordable yet versatile solutions for students and young professionals, unveiled its new S-series drawing tablets, UT-series tablet PCs, and Fresound Inspiration Earphones. The Fun Drawing Pad UT2, powered by Android 14 and featuring a 2K NanoMatte paper-like screen with a passive stylus, delivers a smooth, realistic drawing experience. Meanwhile, the Trio Drawing Pad UT3, with its 2.4K eye-protection large screen and ergonomic design, integrates drawing, reading, note-taking, and online learning, making it an ideal companion for efficient study and light office tasks.

World Premiere of AI-Powered Handwriting Solutions

In the industry solutions section, Hanvon Ugee introduced its AI-powered handwriting solution, alongside two groundbreaking products: the world’s first AI Smart Note-Taking Recorder, Aink Note, and a custom passive EMR Mini stylus for the TCL NXTPAPER 60 Ultra smartphone. These solutions mark a significant step forward in integrating digital handwriting into smart office environments.

The Aink Note smart recorder redefines note-taking with its dual “handwriting + recording” mode, enabling seamless, non-disruptive documentation. Paired with a passive EMR stylus, it supports instant writing with real-time digital storage. Equipped with a dual-microphone array for 360° omnidirectional audio capture, the device records high-quality sound while AI algorithms transcribe speech to text in real time, aligning handwritten notes with transcribed content. This innovation addresses the long-standing challenge of balancing listening and writing in meetings. Post-meeting, the companion app generates meeting minutes, to-do lists, and study summaries with one click, greatly enhancing knowledge management efficiency.

In collaboration with TCL, Hanvon Ugee developed the passive EMR Mini stylus solution for the TCL NXTPAPER 60 Ultra smartphone. This ultra-compact EMR handwriting technology integrates a high-precision antenna board and advanced algorithms to overcome the challenge of precise sensing in the phone’s narrow bezel. The passive stylus requires no charging, supports writing, annotating, and drawing, and attaches magnetically for portability. This solution transforms the smartphone into a versatile mobile office device, meeting the growing demand for multifunctional smart tools in the mobile era.

At the exhibition, staff demonstrated the seamless integration of Aink Note and the TCL smartphone using EMR technology. Notes recorded on the Aink Note synced in real time to the app, where users could view and edit them directly on the smartphone with the EMR stylus. This closed-loop system—from paper-based note-taking to digital management—showcases Hanvon Ugee’s leadership in EMR technology and sets a new benchmark for smart office and consumer electronics integration.

Strengthening Global Presence

IFA 2025 served as a key platform for Hanvon Ugee to demonstrate its global strategy and brand influence, while highlighting “Chinese innovation” in consumer electronics. The event not only presented the company’s latest products and technologies but also reinforced its localization strategy in Europe and beyond, solidifying its innovative brand image.

In the European market, Hanvon Ugee has achieved significant success through years of dedicated effort. Its brands have actively participated in major events such as Gamescom and Manga Barcelona, and built deep partnerships with institutions like SAE Stuttgart and IED Barcelona. These efforts have strengthened local engagement and operational foundations. Market data shows that XPPen holds the top market share in digital drawing devices in France and ranks among the leaders in the UK, Germany, and Spain, earning strong recognition among European consumers.

Globally, Hanvon Ugee has established a robust international business network, with eight overseas subsidiaries, more than 20 cross-border e-commerce platforms, and 25 overseas warehouses and logistics centers, covering more than 160 countries and regions. Its AEO certification, a globally recognized “quality passport,” ensures streamlined market access and reduces barriers to expansion.

In today’s competitive consumer electronics landscape, Hanvon Ugee remains committed to advancing digital handwriting and intelligent interaction technologies. The comprehensive lineup presented at IFA 2025 reflects the company’s deep expertise and foresight in shaping future trends. Looking ahead, Hanvon Ugee will continue to increase R&D investment, deepen global collaborations, and deliver smarter, more user-centric digital drawing and writing solutions—showcasing the innovative strength and technological confidence of Chinese brands on the world stage.

About Hanvon Ugee

Hanvon Ugee Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in digital drawing and writing technology and innovative application services. With 26 years of experience, the company provides advanced devices and solutions — including pen tablets, pen displays and related accessories — for a wide range of partners. Hanvon Ugee owns three brands: ugee, XPPen and Xencelabs. Its business scope covers digital drawing, digital handwriting and digital signature approval.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Hanvon Ugee has nine overseas subsidiaries and branch offices. The company operates more than 20 cross-border e-commerce platforms and independent marketing networks, as well as 25 warehousing and logistics service institutions. Its digital marketing reaches more than 160 countries and regions. Research and development and manufacturing are centered in Shenzhen, with sales and distribution spanning the globe.

For more information, visit www.hanvonugee.com.

Media Contact

Tina Li
liyuting@ugee.com.cn

Bluwhale, the decentralized intelligence network powering AI agents across blockchains, today announces the launch of a real-time financial scoring system designed to capture a holistic view of digital consumer financial health by integrating both traditional banking and digital asset data.

The new model addresses a widening gap between how younger consumers earn, save, and invest, and how traditional credit scoring systems evaluate them. Many rely on gig work, freelance income, stablecoins, and crypto income streams, which are often excluded from legacy credit models. As a result, millions remain classified as “thin file” despite being financially active.

 According to a Gemini survey, 51% of Gen Z in the U.S. have owned digital assets compared to 35% of the general population. 

“Gen Z isn’t just participating in the financial system—they’re reshaping it,” said Han Jin, CEO and founder of Bluwhale. “We wanted to build a tool that reflects the reality of their hybrid wealth—crypto, fiat, and everything in between—while also guiding them toward financial freedom in the background.”

The launch arrives at a time when blockchain-based financial activity and AI-powered analytics are reshaping global finance, marking the start of a new era in Web3 where individual data and identity ownership fuel disruption. This shift is redefining credit, risk, and personalization, with decentralized networks powering the next generation of artificial intelligence.

“If your digital money lives outside of a traditional bank account, it should still count toward your financial profile and health,” said Jin. “We’re closing the gap between how people live digitally and how the financial system measures them.”

Addressing Modern Credit Invisibility

Like FICO’s recent inclusion of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) data, Bluwhale expands visibility by integrating alternative income, stablecoins, and digital asset data. Its approach enables lenders, fintechs, and institutions to evaluate modern financial activity without overhauling legacy infrastructure. By putting individuals in control of their own financial data, Bluwhale supports the Web3 principle that identity is an asset class and that democratizing access to personal data can power more personalized, equitable AI systems and agents.

The Whale Score

Bluwhale’s financial score is an AI-powered metric ranging from 0 to 1000, updated in real time across five categories: financial, activity, assets, social, and trends. By aggregating data from banks, gig economy platforms, stablecoins, and digital asset wallets, it provides both consumers and institutions with a unified and actionable view of financial health.

For consumers, the platform offers AI-guided clarity, benchmarking, and tailored recommendations to improve financial standing, combining practical guidance with gamified engagement to make progress measurable. For lenders and fintechs, it delivers a standardized metric that includes crypto, staking income, tokenized assets, stablecoins, and alternative earnings, enabling more accurate risk assessment and market inclusion.

Product Overview

• Unified Dashboard: Crypto and fiat in one place; no manual entry.
• Whale Score (0–1000): Like Whoop and Apple Health function for your personal health, the Whale Score provides advice and recommendations on how to grow and improve your financial health. The score is holistic metric spanning activity, digital and cash assets, social signals, and trend dynamics.
• Social Score (0–100): Quantifies engagement across connected profiles and communities.
• Gamified Benchmarking: Compare and share percentile rankings by age group, city, and profession.
• Dynamic Whale NFT: A living visualization of financial persona and percentile rank, designed for identity and expression.

“Bluwhale is not just a consumer financial health app—it’s an infrastructure for the next phase of AI-powered financial services,” Jin added. “By bridging blockchain and banking data, we can help create a decentralized, consumer-powered financial ecosystem that allows AI agents to deliver the most personalized services and offerings to everyone.”

Rollout and Availability

The platform is launching with an initial target audience of 3.5 million users. The free dashboard is available now, with premium subscription tiers and enterprise integrations in development. As more institutions recognize digital assets and stablecoins, Bluwhale aims to become the gold standard for a personalized, democratized, and decentralized AI-powered financial future.

About Bluwhale

Bluwhale is an AI-powered financial health platform that integrates traditional banking data, alternative income sources, and blockchain-based assets into a unified financial score. Built to modernize financial visibility for a generation underrepresented in legacy systems, Bluwhale bridges traditional and decentralized finance to enable better risk assessment, broader market inclusion, and more personalized financial services. For more information, visit www.bluwhale.com.

Media Contact

Erica Zeidenberg
erica@hottomato.net