Communications

Advertising Communications Graphic Design Internet Marketing Media Publishing SEO
News Release Digital Asset Direct

Osmo’s Math Wizard Debuts Two Additions That Let Students Embrace Math, Just As Studies Suggest Larger Learning Loss in Math Due to Pandemic

Osmo

With research suggesting a greater learning loss in mathematics, over reading, among K-8 students during the pandemic, and many school districts have yet to reopen full-time, in-person learning, parents are looking for affordable, supplemental at-home learning to help kids with math, and avoid a gap in learning. They are also looking for products to help a child struggling with math or needing a confidence boost to learn it. To meet this growing demand, Osmo launched, for the first time ever, a learning series-- Math Wizard, which now offers two additions. The curriculum-inspired series’ active learning approach allows kids to learn math through tactile play and use of creativity and imagination, so much that they are eager, if not thrilled, to learn more. “What’s amazing is that 20,000 kids played Math Wizard and solved more than 3.5 million math problems since Oct. 1, 2020,” says Pramod Sharma, CEO of award-winning STEAM brand Osmo. “Parents who witnessed their kids using the product were thrilled with their child’s engagement and really liked the healthy screen time.” Self-Paced Games Build Math Confidence, Decrease Anxiety The eight-part Math Wizard series allows kids to experience math through hands-on, narrative- and adventure-driven games, where kids use manipulatives to experiment, exercise their imagination and creativity. The self-paced games drive enthusiasm and help build math confidence, decreasing math anxiety commonly-felt by students and parents, and inspire kids to solve problems on their own--a hallmark of all Osmo games. For struggling learners, targeted hints are built into the games to nudge them along so they find a correct answer, and remain engaged. The series is intended for kids 6-8 years (grades 1-2), and perfect for learning at home. The first two titles of the series cover the foundations of addition and subtraction, and introduce students to measurement standards, while the third and fourth titles focus on laying foundations for multiplication and division, adding more than two numbers, understanding how equations are formed, and addition and subtraction fluency. Families can start a child’s education by purchasing any title within the series. Newest Additions to Math Wizard The third title in the series is Math Wizard and the Amazing Airships (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which focuses on mathematical thinking, where kids join Rupert the robot mouse in building and designing airships for the many islands of Spellbarrow Port. Using math and Rupert’s magical wrench, kids deliver packages, balance objects so they can fly, and navigate challenges like thunderstorms and high winds. Amazing Airships features two games and the box contains: 1 Magical Board; 16 Ship Pieces; 16 Cargo Pieces; 12 Balloon Pieces. The two games contained within are: Airships - players build airships on their mat and test them in the skies, learning how to balance lift (balloons) and weight (packages, wood blocks) so they can fly. Clockwork - in this all-digital game, players use their fingers and counting skills to wind up a team of quirky clockwork robots, to the right amount, so they can move around the port Kids will learn: Building and balancing equations Practicing addition and subtraction Solving for an unknown value Introduction to algebraic thinking The fourth title is Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which sets the foundations of multiplication and inspires critical thinking. Here, kids create power smoothies and meals for athletes across various competitions! Using math skills, they give their team the right mix of magic ingredients needed to win the gold. The box features 2 games and contains: 1 Lunchbox Mat; 27 Fruit & Veggie Pieces; 1 Juice Mat; 12 Fruit Strips; 1 Magical Token. The two games contained within are: Bento Box - players choose from five different sports and help athletes by packing them a magic lunchbox requiring the best combination of fruits Juice Team - elite athletes across four different sports count upon players to blend the right number of fruits to create a magic juice, so they can win trophies Kids will learn: Repeated addition as a foundation of multiplication Advanced addition and subtraction Number decomposition Analytical skills Osmo also offers a 4-box set featuring 4 Math Wizard titles ( Magical Workshop, Secrets of the Dragons, Amazing Airships and Enchanted World Games ) and includes a base for iPad or Fire ( retail $236 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com). The fifth title in the Math Wizard series will debut in Fall 2021. Praised By Parents & Teachers; Math is a Critical Life Skill “ Math Wizard couldn’t have come at a better time! Since we are distance learning, the kids could use the extra hands on help with math. The creative story lines and fun physical items made teaching math concepts fun! The layout was similar to how they teach common core in school so that was extremely helpful.” Jenielle Chaney, parent, Orange County, California “ Math Wizard is helping my students to subitize basic addition problems. They love to get their turns making potions and that makes them love addition and subtraction. The visual of using tens and ones is also reinforcing place value. Both basic addition and understanding place value are key foundations to success in learning mathematics in the future. To have a successful life, you have to have basic math skills. Math is used in just about every aspect of life.” Zandra Clay, first grade teacher, Lockhart, Texas “In my opinion, math is definitely a critical life skill. Through math, students are able to analyze options, make decisions, and find new ways of thinking and problem-solving. These skills are needed for day-to-day activities....” Alexa Brown, elementary school teacher, Alma, Alabama Additional teacher feedback here. About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand whose products are used in over 30,000 classrooms and 2.5 million homes. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at playosmo.com. iPad & Fire Compatibility for Math Wizard Contact Details Karen O'Dell +1 310-251-0550 karen@playosmo.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

May 06, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Video Image

Graphic novel tackles disinformation around COVID-19 Vaccine and critical 5G infrastructure

Stockwood Strategy

Sophisticated social media campaigns sponsored by bad state actors are responsible for creating and spreading disinformation around the critical Covid-19 Vaccine and emerging infrastructure such as 5G technology for communications. Erly Stage Studios has today published Bug Bytes, the digital graphic novel, which sheds a light on the disruptive forces at work. This book is the second installment of the graphic novels that are a part of the Resilience Series commissioned by the US Cyber Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Bug Bytes will inform and educate people on the dangers and risks associated with dis- and mis- information through fictional stories inspired by real-world events. In Bug Bytes, readers will meet the protagonist Ava Williams, a journalist and academic, patriot and member of Symous - a group fighting disinformation and foreign interference in elections as polling day approaches. Ava’s life gets tangled up in a web of lies as her father, a 5G technician gets hurt and she works to understand what a seemingly innocent poll online related to 5G technology has to do with the 5G Vaccine? Ava is surprised by the reaction of the anti-vaccination community at what is proven to be engineered data and has the unenviable task of making the case to the public at large for how they can be weary on data online with unproven provenance. Farid Haque, founder and CEO of Erly Stage Studios commented: “We’re delighted to have been commissioned by CISA to create a practical and engaging communication tool that highlights the existential threat of disinformation in the context of bad state actors. While the story is fictional many of the approaches shown are very much grounded in the reality of the technology we live with and are exposed to almost daily.” Bug Bytes provides a unique education for the reader about the world of social media and how digital resources can be hijacked to serve a more nefarious agenda. The ability for foreign bad state actors to weld this kind of influence on another nation is unprecedented as is their ability to twist and manipulate a narrative to use domestic groups to do their bidding. The work helps the reader understand the need to exercise care when it comes to consuming news and information via social media platforms and online sources of information. In the story, Ava Williams and a team of patriots are racing against the clock to shine a spotlight on the source of disinformation engineered to hurt critical communication infrastructure and damage the Vaccine roll-out efforts. Ava’s investigative journalism leads her through the metaverse to find allies and discovers through hard graft that foreign actors are tinkering with public data to maliciously mislead and influence perceptions of 5G as a communications technology and its fabricated link to vaccine effectiveness. “Bug Bytes is the culmination of the wealth of experience that Clint Watts brings in cyber warfare and disinformation and our studio’s creative direction and storytelling style. We spent months researching the real life incidents and then wrapped them into a fictional story” added Farid Haque. The graphic novel is being made available by CISA to the general public online as a free resource as the Covid19 vaccine roll out continues to have an impact across the United States and the world at large. The work is available for free for the public and media to read at the following URL: https://www.cisa.gov/cfi-resilience-series-graphic-novels. A first title in the series was released a few months earlier last year ahead of the US elections titled Real Fakes. Watch this space and log back into https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/ to learn more. Contributing artists to Bug Bytes include: Jose Niño Galenzoga, Patricia Beja, Mona Shan and Joel Santiago. Lettering and layouts by Komal N. and Haroon M. Story by Clint Watts and Farid Haque, supported by the script writing team which includes Michael Gianfrancesco and Kabir Sabharwal. Edited by Tolly M. and Laila Khan. Special thanks to Randall Heather and Max Brooks. Erly Stage Studios is an indie publisher, headquartered out of London, United Kingdom, capturing iconic stories in serious graphic novels. We are an expert team of educators, storytellers, and artists working to create awareness about important topics using the graphic novel medium. The team loves shining a spotlight on stories that are yet to see the light of graphic novels. As an expert team of teachers, researchers and designers the team works with innovative organisations and policymakers around the world to deliver soft power through engaging and creative projects. Contact Details Erly Stage Studios Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/

May 06, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Mother’s Day Gifts On-Demand from DoorDash

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/H75CYj5AsR0 This Mother’s Day, whether you’re treating a mom in your life near or far, DoorDash is serving up effortlessly perfect, on-demand gifts for every type of Mom - from the chocolate lover to the floral fanatic, DoorDash has you covered (even if you’re gifting at the last minute)! Additionally, DoorDash is announcing today brand new offerings from Jo Malone and The Honest Company, just in time for Mother’s Day in select markets! Give Mom the gift of self care with one of the five exclusive, limited edition self-care bundles from The Honest Company, available exclusively via DashMart, or check out the Jo Malone virtual storefront on DoorDash for unique, luxury products for the bath, body and home. With DoorDash’s Gifting feature, you can choose from beauty products, flowers, chocolates, baked goods, brunch staples, products made by women, and more from local and national favorites and from DashMart, a new kind of convenience store! Gifting through DoorDash also allows you to put a customized, personal touch on a gift with a wide selection of fun virtual cards, a personalized gift message, and same-day delivery directly to mom’s doorstep, with the option to schedule delivery up to 4 days in advance. For those looking to treat mom with fantastic items from women-owned businesses, customers can check out DoorDash’s Made by Women Program by searching “women owned” on the DoorDash platform to discover local favorites. A gift guide is available for every type of mom, available on-demand through DoorDash! And, as a special promotion for Mother’s Day, DashPass members will receive $10 off an order of $50 at The Flower and Gift Boutique when they order between 5/1 - 5/9 and use code: 10FORMOM Mother’s Day Gifts On-Demand from DoorDash For the Chocolate Loving Mom: Nothing says I love you like an ooey-gooey chocolate treat for the mom in your life. Check out the following dessert shops in select areas to find an assortment of chocolate goodness: Cosmic Brownie Cookie from Crumbl Cookies Chocolate Cupcake from Susiecakes Two Chip Chocolate Chip cookies from Levain Bakery For the Floral Fanatic Mom: Send a beautiful bouquet from the Flower and Gift Boutique or search for the Flowers & Gifts carousel in-app for a wide selection of flowers near you. From now until May 9 DashPass subscribers in select cities can get $10 off their order of $40 or more when they use code ‘10FORMOM’ at the Flower and Gift Boutique on the DoorDash app. For the Mom Who Loves to Brunch: Start Mom's day off right, with brunch delivered straight to her bed, kitchen table, or anywhere she wishes to enjoy the best meal of the day! Whether she's particular to sweet or savory, DoorDash offers a wide selection for every type of palate. Sun in My Belly (Atlanta) Eggspectation (Baltimore) Buttermilk Channel (Brooklyn, NY) D Cuisine (Chicago) Hudson 29 (Columbus) Lucille’s (Houston) Honey Bee’s House of Breakfast (Los Angeles) Sadelle’s (Manhattan) The Egg Spot (Miami) Hope Breakfast Bar (Minneapolis) Sweet Maple (San Francisco) Cassis American Brasserie (Tampa) Maketto (Washington D.C.) For the Mom Who Deserves to be Pampered: Gift mom with one of five exclusive, limited edition self-care bundles from The Honest Company, available exclusively via DashMart. Bundles are available in the following cities: Chicago, IL Houston, TX Denver, CO Carrollton, TX Tempe, AZ Sacramento, CA Baltimore, MD Minneapolis, MN Columbus, OH Indianapolis, IN For the Mom Who Needs a Break from Cooking: Treat mom to an amazing meal from one of these women-owned restaurants in select cities. Goddess and the Baker ( Chicago) Nong's Khao Man Gai (Portland) Kismet (Los Angeles) Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights (NYC) Glen's Garden Market (Washington D.C.) Visit DoorDash.com or TryCaviar.com or download the apps to your mobile device About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 05, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Cincinnati Bell IT Services Division Selects CSG to Power Digital Transformation

CSG

Denver, May 5, 2021 – CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced it is working with IT services provider CBTS to enable its digital transformation as the company moves into a new era of growth. CBTS selected CSG’s Ascendon cloud-first SaaS solution to rapidly bring new digital services to market and leverage the solution’s product catalogue, rating and charging capabilities. “CBTS continuously evolves to better serve the changing needs and demands of our customers in today’s digital age,” said Shannon Mullen, SVP of Administrative Services for CBTS. “To meet and exceed these expectations, we are investing in tools, processes and technology to deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Choosing CSG Ascendon provides the foundation for achieving this goal. Not only does the solution give us the flexibility, convenience and efficiencies we need to scale our operations and meet our growth goals, but CSG’s customer-centric culture and strong reputation made it the clear choice for our business.” CBTS, a division of Cincinnati Bell, is focused on providing communications, cloud, infrastructure, and IT consulting solutions to clients of all sizes. With the move to Ascendon’s SaaS-based platform, CBTS will now benefit from a lower total cost of ownership that delivers the flexibility and scalability it needs to bring new products and services to market faster. CBTS will also use CSG’s Managed Services to outsource its billing infrastructure and operations. Additionally, CSG Output Solutions will provide the flexibility that CBTS requires to quickly tailor invoice design to its customer needs, while leveraging CSG’s industry leading print and mail capabilities. “Today’s consumers and business owners increasingly want a one-stop shop for communication and related technology solutions from their service providers. These heightened expectations place tremendous pressure on our customers to be agile and innovative,” said Ken Kennedy, COO and head of Revenue Management and Digital Monetization at CSG. “CSG deploys solutions that deliver immediate impact to our customers. With the Ascendon SaaS solution, they benefit from the continuous investment we make in the platform. CBTS continues to innovate to better support its customers, and CSG is committed to the company’s long-term success.” CSG is a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for its Revenue and Customer Management solutions, which help companies around the world digitally transform their business to monetize and digitally enable exceptional customer experiences. Through this transformation process, CSG empowers customers to focus on core business functions, reduce capital and operating expenditures, and increase the reliability, scalability, security, and overall performance of their business and network operations. For more information on CSG Ascendon visit, https://www.csgi.com/portfolio/ascendon/. # # # About CBTS CBTS serves enterprise and midmarket clients in all industries across the United States and Canada. From Unified Communications to Cloud Services and beyond, CBTS combines deep technical expertise with a full suite of flexible technology solutions that drive business outcomes, improve operational efficiency, mitigate risk, and reduce costs for its clients. For more information, please visit www.cbts.com. About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Tammy Hovey Global / North America / Asia-Pacific Public Relations +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Kristine Østergaard Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations +44 (0)79 2047 7204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Mediacom, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names that are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

May 05, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

#CincoForGood

YourUpdateTV

Preorder Corona and discover new local restaurants to support through its partnership with restaurant recommendation site the Infatuation In select markets, receive specially curated Corona piñata party kits and tacos at no charge from Postmates, in addition to exciting offers throughout the day on May 5 Shop the Corona Cinco merchandise collection Explore tasty taco and drink recipe pairings This Cinco de Mayo, Corona beer - a brand that’s synonymous with the holiday - invites consumers to celebrate by encouraging them to dine in or order food from their favorite local restaurants through an initiative called #CincoForGood. To celebrate the program, Corona beer teamed up with renowned Chefs Rick Martinez and Sohla El-Waylly who have pledged to put down their kitchen utensils and pick up their phones to order takeout in support of the restaurant industry. Together, the duo will participate in an interactive Instagram Live on May 5 at Noon PT where fans can join them for an interactive lunch, celebrate #CincoForGood and provide support for the long-term recovery of the restaurant industry. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/EEnMIg4lMlg As part of this effort, Corona is donating an additional $1 million this year to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF – the non-profit arm of the National Restaurant Association), which is helping to rebuild the restaurant industry and create opportunities for restaurant workers from all backgrounds. In addition to the #CincoForGood Instagram Live with Rick and Sohla on Cinco de Mayo, revelers of legal drinking age can join the celebration early by following @CoronaUSA on Instagram or visiting CoronaUSA.com where they can: Preorder Corona and discover new local restaurants to support through its partnership with restaurant recommendation site the Infatuation In select markets, receive specially curated Corona piñata party kits and tacos at no charge from Postmates, in addition to exciting offers throughout the day on May 5 Shop the Corona Cinco merchandise collection Explore tasty taco and drink recipe pairings The Corona family of products is available at restaurants, bars, local retailers and via online delivery services nationwide. For more information, visit CoronaUSA.com, and refresh your perspective @CoronaUSA on Instagram and Facebook and @CoronaExtraUSA on Twitter. As always, Corona encourages consumers 21 and older to enjoy its products and relax responsibly. About Rick Martinez: Rick Martinez is a cook, writer and pit master with a deep love of Mexican culture and cuisine. Formerly a Senior Food Editor at Bon Appetit and host of a City Guide video series on Mexico City, Rick spends as much time as possible eating his way around Mexico. Originally from Austin, Texas where he learned the art of smoking briskets, he currently lives in New York dreaming of Tacos. About Sohla El-Waylly: Sohla El-Waylly can currently be seen starring in The HISTORY® Channel’s online series Ancient Recipes with Sohla. In addition, she is currently one of the first-ever Resident Experts for Food52 with Off Script with Sohla - her curated monthly online column and video series and is a contributor to The New York Times Cooking vertical. Recently, Sohla was included in the TIME100 Next list, highlighted as one of the emerging leaders who are shaping our future. She concluded her YouTube special Stump Sohla, which was featured on the Babish Culinary Universe (which holds an audience of 8 million subscribers). Sohla notably rose to prominence from her integral role on the Bon Appetit “Test Kitchen” YouTube channel. She was a strategically-placed expert who appeared to offer informed opinions and suggestions about cooking and baking experiments that were on the verge of either going right or wrong. Sohla currently resides in New York with her husband Hisham, their cat Lucifer and two dogs, Clementine and Vito. About the Corona Brand Family: The Corona brand family is home to Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Familiar, Corona Premier, Corona Refresca and in 2020, the national launch of Corona Hard Seltzer. The entire Corona portfolio is brewed in Mexico by Constellation Brands and imported and marketed exclusively to the U.S. by the company. Corona Extra, the flagship brand of the Corona brand family, is a pilsner-style lager with a golden hue that was first brewed in Mexico in 1925. The refreshing flavor and carefree attitude of Corona Extra have been helping Americans find their beach since 1981. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV i s a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 04, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

U.S. Travelers Opting for Remote Staycations

YourUpdateTV

Given the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest guidance for fully vaccinated Americans, Airbnb guests are increasingly planning their summer travel, opting for off-the-beaten path locations. Recently, Director of International Communications at Airbnb, Cassidy Blackwell, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a satellite media tour to discuss some of the top summer travel trends. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/EGA0NQhgG_Q Searches for more remote destinations in the US over Memorial Day Weekend have increased by nearly 40 percent just in the past month – also indicating a potential economic boom for prospective Hosts in these locales. From open air destinations to off-the-grid unique stays, guests are looking for a truly bespoke experience outdoors. Remote stays in the US between 50-300 miles make up nearly 70% of searches for Memorial Day Weekend. Guests are starting to feel more comfortable with venturing further from home, as stays between 1,000-3,000 miles away are making up the second largest share of searches for Memorial Day Weekend trips. But with this anticipated pent-up demand, for those thinking about taking a trip this summer, guests should consider booking their trip early. Searches for summer travel among U.S. seniors (age 60+) increased more than 60% between February and March 2021. At the beginning of March, one of the fastest growing cohort of bookers is aged 60 and above, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, where vaccine dissemination has been efficient. Rural Hosts make up a quarter of Airbnb Hosts in the US, and on average the typical rural Host has earned about $8,500 in total since the start of the pandemic, over $2,000 more than the average from 2019. New Hosts with only one listing who have welcomed their first guests since the start of the pandemic have already earned more than $1 billion globally. For more information on finding a place to stay, booking an Online Experience, or becoming a host yourself, visit Airbnb.com/host About Cassidy Blackwell: Cassidy Blackwell is the Director of International Communications at Airbnb. In her role she is responsible for leading the teams across EMEA, APAC, LATAM and China to drive initiatives that help to advance business objectives, policy priorities and brand reputation. In her tenure as a marketing and communications professional, Cassidy has experience in working in both tech, CPG, retail and philanthropy, with specialized experience in empowering women, people of color and other underserved communities around the world. Cassidy has been named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, Brand Innovator's 40 Under 40 and a finalist for the Sage Group's Marketers Who Matter. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 04, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Chia Launches its Green Digital Currency (XCH)

Chia Network

Highlights Eco-friendly chia (as “ XCH ”) commences its first transaction today with widespread digital exchange adoption expected in May Over the past 14 days, Chia Network has routinely been the largest and most decentralized blockchain by full node count - usually exceeding 100,000 full nodes Chia Network reinvents “mining” with energy efficient at-home “farming ” for everyone Chia + Chialisp are designed for secure “smart coin” transactions Chia Network Inc. (“Chia"), a new energy efficient decentralized blockchain created by Bram Cohen (the inventor of BitTorrent), today launches its revolutionary digital currency, chia. The green digital currency, chia (as “XCH”), is expected to gain widespread digital exchange listing, and rapid worldwide adoption in the financial, corporate, commercial, and governmental sectors. Founded in 2017 in the U.S. with a global workforce, Chia Network’s protocol seeks to become an alternative to traditional financial networks. It strives to provide a secure, energy-efficient network for modern finance and payments. Chia is green money XCH is Chia Network's native digital currency. Chia is created as a reward to chia “ farmers ” (the analogue to Bitcoin’s or Ethereum’s “miners”). The protocol uses an improved and simplified implementation of Bitcoin’s unspent transaction output (UTXO) model. These simplifications actually increase the flexibility and programmability of coins. Chia farming rewards 2 XCH per block for the first three years as the incentive mechanism that supports its new Nakamoto consensus. “The first chia transaction is an exciting milestone which furthers our long term mission to provide environmentally sustainable financial freedom. I am incredibly proud of our team and our reinvention of Bitcoin’s approach to the ‘everything is a coin’ model. We will continue to enhance the features of Chia and Chialisp in the areas of coloured coins, digital identity wallets, and NFT (non fungible token) support. This is just the beginning of our journey to become the core of a new financial architecture," shared Bram Cohen. Chia + Chialisp = secure “smart coin” transactions Chialisp is Chia Network’s smart coin language based on the functional language Lisp. Everything on the chia blockchain is a coin. Smart coins deliver smart contract and smart transaction capabilities in one package. Chilalisp has been designed for security and simplicity, while allowing for powerful and broad functionality. Applications running on Chia Network’s blockchain are intended to have functionality appropriate for banking, payments, asset issuance, global exchange, and other financial applications. Key feature sets of Chialisp include: Coloured coins Digital identity wallets Rate limited wallets Authorised payee wallets Multi-signature wallets Recoverable wallets Atomic swaps Chia Network’s blockchain will enable users to build and customize sophisticated custody and clearing arrangements. Chialisp will allow chia controls to match and exceed internal accounting controls and to safeguard funds from accidental loss, theft, or hacking with various risk tolerance levels in an easy to audit manner. Chia's Proof of Space & Time uses vastly less energy than Proof of Work In comparison with other blockchains, Chia greatly reduces energy consumption and environmental contamination while improving upon Nakamoto consensus. Chia’s blockchain replaces “Proof of Work”, which is the consensus protocol used by Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the first of its kind "Proof of Space and Time" consensus protocol that eliminates the unfairness, energy inefficiency, and centralization of Proof of Work. Instead of using power hungry specialized computing resources, Chia relies on storage space coupled with the added variable of time (via a “verifiable delay function”, or “VDF”) to ensure the integrity and security of the blockchain. A chia farmer will expend some CPU cycles to create "plots" on hard drives, but will then utilize the energy-efficient resource of drive space over the following years to participate in the consensus mechanism that verifies new blocks on the Chia blockchain. How to farm chia ("XCH") The goal of farming (verifying and ensuring the integrity of transactions on the Chia blockchain) is to utilize unused disk space to help validate financial transactions. Farming in the Chia network is a very lightweight process that leaves your computer free to do other things. To learn more about Chia’s blockchain, chia farming and the chia farming reward schedule, please watch the Company’s March 19th mainnet launch video and read Chia’s Business Whitepaper. For tips on how to plot and farm, please visit chiadecentral.com and review Chia plotting basics posted by Gene Hoffman, President of Chia Network. To get started, visit Chia Network GitHub to install the Company’s blockchain software. Chia offers broad OS support as well as a GUI for simple and easy wallet/farm management. The Company is committed to providing resources to enable simple and straightforward plotting and farming. About Chia Network Chia Network Inc. was founded by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent. Chia Network is a state-of-the-art open-source decentralized blockchain, digital currency, and smart transaction platform. Using the first new secure Nakamoto consensus algorithm invented since Bitcoin, Chia aims to operate an eco-friendly, more secure and user-friendly payment system for cross border payments, issuing financial assets, lending, escrow payments, institutional custody, and distributed identity. Chia’s “Proof of Space and Time” based blockchain reduces waste in “Proof of Work” based blockchains. Built to run Chialisp, the company’s newly developed smart coin language, Chia’s blockchain allows its users to build and execute secure "smart coin" transactions. Chia believes that “digital money” should be easier to use than cash, harder to lose, and nearly impossible to steal. The Company is funded by leading venture capitalists including Slow Ventures, a16z, Naval Ravikant, Galaxy Digital, Greylock, True Ventures, MetaStable, Stillmark, DCM, and others. The Company’s Advisors include Dr. Dan Boneh, Research Partner at a16z and Applied Cryptography Professor at Stanford University; and Dr. Krzysztof Pietrzak, Cryptography Professor of IST Austria; and Ms. Katie Haun, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Investor Relations Contact: Gretchen Lium. For more information, chia.net and connect with us on Twitter ( @chia_project ), Facebook, GitHub, Reddit, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Chia Network Inc. Gretchen Lium +1 303-638-9185 gretchen@chia.net Company Website https://www.chia.net/

May 03, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Seen #TeacherTok? Osmo For Schools Gifts 4 Lucky Teachers $500 Gift Cards For TikTok Videos, For National Teacher Appreciation Week

Osmo for Schools

Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Osmo for Schools, the educational division of Tangible Play, Inc. and part of the award-winning consumer STEAM brand Osmo, announces it has selected 4 lucky teachers on TikTok to each receive a $500 gift card, for their creative and inspiring videos, in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1-7, 2021). “Throughout this past year, we were thrilled to see so many teachers who used their creativity to the max to get kids to learn during this challenging time, and we loved the heartwarming videos they posted on social media, to tell the world what they did and how,” says Jan Richards, head of education sales and marketing at Osmo for Schools, which promotes in-classroom usage of Osmo’s tools and recently received the 2021 EdTech Award for Curriculum and Instruction Solution. “We laughed a lot when the videos were funny, admired their dedication, and got inspired by so many. Osmo for Schools selected 4 teachers who present themselves as heroes going the extra mile during the pandemic.” The 4 winning teachers are: Tristan Campbell @trissssss10 Clamentia Hall, Jr. @mrclementineteach Mandy Curley @mandycurley1 Claudine James @iamthatenglishteacher Says kindergarten teacher Clamentia Hall, Jr., “Osmo has taken educational technology and teacher appreciation to an unprecedented level! It has been an absolute pleasure to share a bit of humor and joy with educators who could use a little morale boost. Osmo has affirmed that educators everywhere deserve an incredible amount of appreciation for the hard work they do.” On July 1, 2021, Osmo for Schools, in partnership with Osmo Cares, the charitable arm of Osmo, will begin accepting applications for its first-ever mini-grant consisting of $2000 worth of Osmo for Schools’ educational technology. A total of 20 in-kind, mini-grants will be awarded to U.S. public schools in time for the fall semester. The mini-grant is intended to help schools which lack needed funding to purchase educational technology. Mini-grant recipients, who will be announced Aug. 9, 2021, will be able to choose from a selection of Osmo for Schools products; only one recipient will be selected per school. Schools must already have appropriate tablets on hand, or a plan to purchase tablets--they are not included. For further details about the mini-grant and application process, visit here: schools.playosmo.com/grants. About Osmo for Schools Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR +1 310-251-0550 carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://schools.playosmo.com

May 03, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Image

CSG and Axiata Digital Labs Announce Co-Collaboration to Deliver Enterprise Digital Marketplace

CSG

BRISBANE, May, 3 2021 – CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced it is working with Axiata Digital Labs (ADL), to create a joint innovation initiative for an open API digital marketplace that will enable rapid time to market for enterprise offerings. The co-collaboration integrates CSG’s industry-leading charging and digital monetisation capabilities with ADL’s Digital Telco Enabler (DTE) open API digital layer technology to deliver a single open API, multi-tenant, cloud platform. “Enterprise opportunities have evolved for service providers and are creating new opportunities for our customers to capitalise on revenue streams that require open, modular, cloud-based architectures for rapid bundling and touchless partner settlement,” said Ian Watterson, head of CSG’s Asia-Pacific business. “This co-innovation between Axiata Digital Labs and CSG combines our collective expertise in cloud, open API, modular architecture and microservices technologies to accelerate the launch of digital monetisation use cases.” Working with Axiata, CSG is extending DTE to its billing and charging communications service provider (CSP) customers, positioning them for accelerated growth and increased abilities to offer new products and services. Concurrently, ADL is extending digital monetisation capabilities to its customers through CSG’s award-winning Ascendon platform, enhancing ADL’s digital capabilities across its consumer and enterprise operations. “Axiata Digital Labs is transforming the way our customers drive revenue and create superior customer experiences through the investment and development of new and emerging 5G technologies, products and services,” said Namal Jayathilake, VP of Emerging Technologies of Axiata Digital Labs. “By partnering with CSG, we are aligning our efforts with one of the global leaders in the wireless sector and creating a breakthrough solution that will help customers from both organizations identify new growth opportunities, operate more efficiently, and create truly unique customer experiences,” he further added. Together, CSG’s Ascendon charging and digital monetisation capabilities combined with Axiata’s DTE technology optimise new service delivery for CSPs by integrating a digital marketplace into their existing network. The solution offers infinite flexible bundling with rapid time to market, giving CSPs the ability to quickly launch new digital offers and services for their enterprise and consumer customers. The joint solution adheres to TM Forum Open API standards and offers a single platform that seamlessly integrates into CSG and ADL customers’ existing ecosystems, eliminating the need for a full network transformation. The platform also provides the flexibility and scalability to support multiple CSP business models, while simplifying operational complexities and reducing cost. Leading companies rely on CSG’s broad portfolio of digital monetisation solutions to efficiently shorten their time to market and reduce operational costs while delivering innovative services and optimising customer experiences. For more information, visit https://www.csgi.com/capabilities/digital-monetization/. # # # About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Tammy Hovey Global / North America / Asia-Pacific Public Relations CSG +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Kristine Østergaard Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations CSG +44 (0)75 0051 8412 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations CSG +1 (210) 687 4409 john.rea@csgi.com About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Mediacom, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names that are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

May 02, 2021 02:05 PM Mountain Daylight Time

1 ... 294 295 296 297 298 ... 336