Agoracom Blog Home

Author Archive

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Ontario to resume issuing new #cannabis store authorizations – SPONSOR: Spyder #Cannabis $SPDR.ca – $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:03 PM on Friday, April 24th, 2020

SPONSOR: Spyder Cannabis (SPDR:TSXV) An established chain of high-end vape stores. Aggressive expansion plan is already in place that will focus on Canadian retail and US Hemp derived kiosks in high traffic areas. Click here for more info.

Ontario to resume issuing new cannabis store authorizations

  • Ontario’s cannabis store regulator will resume issuing new store authorizations for stores that have met regulatory requirements, according to a notice posted to its website today.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) hit pause on new Retail Store Authorizations (RSA) in early April due to emergency measures enacted by the province to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

New store openings in Ontario are essential to maintaining the growth of Canada’s cannabis industry.

Ontario’s five-dozen cannabis stores put the province far behind Alberta and British Columbia – the provincial leaders in marijuana retail – which have opened 181 and 446 stores, respectively.

Despite that, Ontario’s adult-use cannabis sales rose 3% in February to 38 million Canadian dollars ($27 million), leading Canada.

“Restrictions imposed by the emergency order, including the pause to construction work, have delayed many new retailers in the preparation of their stores. However, the AGCO will resume issuing RSAs to those stores that have met all regulatory requirements,” the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said in the statement.

Applying for an Retail Operator License (ROL) is the first step for businesses seeking to open a licensed cannabis store in Ontario. It also determines that store operators meet eligibility criteria.

The next step involves Retail Store Authorization (RSA) applications, which deal with the particulars of a physical cannabis store such as location, layout and security plans.

As of early April, Ontario’s cannabis regulator received nearly 900 Retail Operator License (ROL) applications for marijuana stores since it opened up the process to all comers on Jan. 6.

Ontario previously ordered private cannabis stores to close for two weeks as of April 4 because of the coronavirus. Soon after, the stores were given at least a 14-day window to continue serving customers through curbside pickups and home delivery.

Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/ontario-to-resume-issuing-new-cannabis-store-authorizations/

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Spyder Cannabis Inc. | Comments Off on Ontario to resume issuing new #cannabis store authorizations – SPONSOR: Spyder #Cannabis $SPDR.ca – $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca

#Mhealth Study to Test Cardiac Effects of Potential COVID-19 Treatment – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:35 AM on Friday, April 24th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

mHealth Study to Test Cardiac Effects of Potential COVID-19 Treatment

A French study will use a smartwatch and mHealth platform to monitor ECG data from COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine, a potential therapy for the Coronavirus but one that may have serious side effects.

  • An mHealth study being launched in France will use an mHealth wearable to monitor cardiac activity in COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a drug therapy eyes as a potential treatment for the Coronavirus.

Source: ThinkStock

By Eric Wicklund

April 22, 2020 – An mHealth study being launched in France will use an mHealth wearable to monitor cardiac activity in COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a drug therapy eyes as a potential treatment for the Coronavirus.

Researchers at the University Hospital of Marseille will be using a smartwatch develop by Withings and integrated with an AI-based mHealth platform developed by Boston-and-Paris-based Cardiologs. The platform is designed to remotely monitor a user’s ECG data for QT prolongation.

“A significant QT prolongation can lead to ventricular arrhythmia and potentially deadly consequences” Laurent Fiorina, a cardiologist at the Institut Cardiovasculaire Paris Sud (ICPS) and Cardiologs executive who helped launch the study, said in a press release. “It is thus important to closely monitor the QT interval during this treatment.”

“The objective of our study is to evaluate a new method for QT measurement using Cardiologs’ AI-based solution and ECG data collected via smartwatches,” added Professor Jean-Claude Deharo, head of the cardiac arrhythmia department at the University Hospital of Marseille and the principal investigator of the study. “Smartwatches are already used in the clinical setting but do not have validated QT analysis available. Combining these technologies will enable clinicians to overcome the practical limitations in the context of COVID-19 of the standard cardiac safety strategy that requires heavy patient interaction.”

Often used to prevent or treat malaria caused by mosquito bites, hydroxychloroquine has be held up by several people – including President Donald Trump – as a potential means of treating the Coronavirus. But many in the healthcare industry have pointed out the drug’s potentially dangerous side effect.

Researchers are hoping to determine whether the treatment does pose a threat to a patient’s health – and whether this platform can be used in other non-COVID-19 treatments.

“This study has implications for risk management of drug-induced cardiotoxicity, even beyond the current COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine context,” Professor Jag Singh, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and scientific advisor to Cardiologs, said in the press release. “Personal ECG sensors could potentially find a role in the management of these patients, but also add value in other routine clinical care, since over 300 commonly used drugs may have similar QT-prolongation risks as hydroxychloroquine.”

Source: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/mhealth-study-to-test-cardiac-effects-of-potential-covid-19-treatment

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, CardioComm Solutions | Comments Off on #Mhealth Study to Test Cardiac Effects of Potential COVID-19 Treatment – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

CLIENT FEATURE: Else Nutrition Holdings $BABY.ca An Award Winning, Plant-Based Nutrition Company For Small Cap Investors $MAT $KMB $BMY $ABT $WYE

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:08 PM on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

Highlights

  • $CAD 10 million cash and runway for well over a year;
  • Backed By A Billion Dollar Global Nutrition Company;
  • MOU For International Distribution Of Products
  • US Product Launch Planned For Q2-2020;
  • “Best Health” Award At Global Food Innovation Summit In Milan;
  • Awarded Patents In 22 Countries, 44 Countries Pending;
  • Executives & Advisors From Globally Renowned Companies & Institutions

Why Else Nutrition?

  • Gives Small Cap Investors An Opportunity To Participate In Global Paradigm Shift Towards Plant-Based, Clean Label Foods For Toddlers & Children.
  • Entering Commercialization Stage After 7 Years R&D
  • Launching 1st Commercial Product Into US Market Q2
  • 100% Plant-Based, Organic Toddler Nutrition Product 
  • Market Research Survey Finds Over 60% Positive Purchase Intent For Else Product
  • Fills A Market Gap In Plant-Based Toddler Nutrition (12-36 months)
  • Subsidiary Of Billion Dollar Hong Kong Listed Conglomerate (H&H) Owns Approx 11.15% Of BABY
  • H&H Shares Have Voluntary 12-Month Hold
  • H&H Right To Maintain 11.15% Ownership Through Future Financings
  • Patented World’s First 100% Plant Based, Non-Dairy, Non-Soy Baby Formula

Here’s What The Experts Say

“Finally a high quality, nutritionally-dense, tasty, plant-based alternative that is low in sugar.  Else is filling a much needed gap, and providing an alternative for those looking to avoid dairy or soy, and a viable option for intolerances and other diet considerations.”

Nicole Silber, RD, CSP, CLC

Dairy-free, soy-free, plant-based nutrition for babies and toddlers

Else Nutrition (formerly INDI) won the “2017 Best Health and Diet Solutions” award at the Global Food Innovation Summit in Milan.

The Product

Else Plant-Based Toddler Nutrition

Dairy-free | Soy-free | Corn Syrup-free | Gluten-free

Made with real, whole foods, it meets the highest standard for nutrition

  • Endorsed by leading pediatricians and nutritionists 
  • Ingredients, vitamins & minerals to support your child’s growth and development
  • 92% whole plant ingredients (almonds, tapioca, buckwheat) 
  • Organic & non-GMO
  • Made by the cleanest process possible
  • Globally patented 

Else Nutrition Holdings is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in AGORACOM Client Feature, All Recent Posts, Else Nutrition Holdings Inc. | Comments Off on CLIENT FEATURE: Else Nutrition Holdings $BABY.ca An Award Winning, Plant-Based Nutrition Company For Small Cap Investors $MAT $KMB $BMY $ABT $WYE

Las Vegas Bookmakers Welcoming #Esports Betting – SPONSOR Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:49 PM on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

Las Vegas Bookmakers Welcoming Esports Betting

  • Regulators have approved wagering on seven further esports events, plus the eNASCAR series that involves real-life pro drivers racing on virtual racetracks
  • Other events approved recently include two League of Legends tournaments and the 2020 Overwatch League

Apr 23, 2020 by Chris Sieroty

Before the coronavirus pandemic, race and sports books in Las Vegas dismissed the notion of posting lines and taking wagers on esports.

Why bet on video game competitions, when you could wager on the Vegas Golden Knights or a long list of NBA games.

But now, searching for an alternative to mainstream sports, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has approved bets on different esports series.

Within the past month, however, regulators have approved wagering on seven further esports events, plus the eNASCAR series that involves real-life pro drivers racing on virtual racetracks.

Other events approved recently include two League of Legends tournaments and the 2020 Overwatch League.

Prior to March 25, the control board had authorized sportsbooks to offer bets on only three major esports tournaments that were held in 2016 and 2017.

It is a regulatory decision William Hill and other bookmakers welcomed, but the new betting opportunities have yet to prove their financial worth compared to betting on the NFL or NBA. 

“Like most new markets, a lot of people don’t know that we have them up,” said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill U.S. â€œIt’s very possible that at some point this stuff will take off, you just never know when.”

Support comes from

Bogdanovich said the tickets have been slow for the esports market, except for the eNASCAR events, but he pointed out that people know the drivers in that event. 

The other events like League of Legends and Overwatch haven’t taken off as much and Bogdanovich admits he doesn’t know much about the video games.

“It’s more for people’s entertainment to get them through this gloom and doom time,” he said, “If it ever gets to where we’re writing serious dollars to it, I might have to sharpen up my acumen.”

Despite Bogdanovich’s skepticism, Blaine Grayboyes, CEO of GameCo, believes esports will be a draw for casinos. 

GameGo creates skill-based games for casinos and has partnered with another company to create an esports data platform. Graboyes said more people watch esports than play them.

“Therefore, the opportunity for more people to bet on esports is there as well,” he said, “What we’re doing is looking to offer the optimal solution in the marketplace for sports books like William Hill and others in Nevada and across North America.”

The new platform will deliver data about esports for sports books.

Graboyes said there is a generational shift going on and the kids who grew up playing video games are now the new customer for casinos.

“This is a great demographic for casinos to engage with now, especially if they want to grow their businesses over time,” he said.

GameCo has created skilled-based games for the casino floor that have the interactivity of video games with the thrill of winning money as the slot machine.

Graboyes said 80 percent of spending on his company’s games come from Gen-X and Millennials, but that same audience only spends about 20 percent on slot machines.

“So, it’s an opportunity to attract and monetize a completely different audience than the traditional slot machine player,” he said.

While Tom Brady and LeBron James are household names, Graboyes said the top gamers are absolutely celebrities to their fans.

Source: https://knpr.org/knpr/2020-04/las-vegas-bookmakers-cautious-welcome-esports-betting

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Esports Entertainment Group, Esports Entertainment Group Inc. | Comments Off on Las Vegas Bookmakers Welcoming #Esports Betting – SPONSOR Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Impact of #Coronavirus on Education in India – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca #Edtech

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:23 PM on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.

Impact of Coronavirus on Education in India

  • EDtech reform at the national level that is an integration of technology in the present Indian education system
Coronavirus pandemic has significantly disrupted various sectors in India including oil and gas, automobiles, aviation, agriculture, retail, etc. We can’t ignore that hardly a sector would remain unaffected by the crisis. The impact may be more or less. Same is with the education sector in India. Let us find out the impact of coronavirus on education in India with some possible solutions.

By: Shikha Goyal

Impact of Coronavirus on Education in India

As we know that due to coronavirus pandemic the state governments across the country temporarily started shutting down schools and colleges. As per the present situation, there is an uncertainty when schools and colleges will reopen. No doubt, this is the crucial time for education sector because entrance tests of several universities and competitive examinations are held during this period. Along with them how can we forget about board examinations, nursery school admissions, etc?

The immediate solution of coronavirus is necessary or if like these days pass then closure of schools and colleges does not even have short term impact in India but can even cause far-reaching economic and societal consequences. Let us tell you that due to the closedown of educational institutes it is estimated to affect around 600 million learners across the world. Remember here we are talking about the school going students.

First, let us see what all educational institutions are doing to fight against COVID-19.

Measures taken by the educational institutes are as follows:

– Closed schools

– Postponed or rescheduled the examinations

– Cleaning and sanitisation of premises.

– Consideration of long term uncertainty etc.

What is the impact of coronavirus on gold prices in India?

Education sector: Impact and concern during COVID-19

– As discussed above, all major entrance examinations are postponed including engineering, medical, law, agriculture, fashion and designing courses, etc. This situation can be a ringing alarming bell mainly in private sector universities. Maybe some faculties and employees may face salary cuts, bonuses and increments can also be postponed.

– The lockdown has generated uncertainty over the exam cycle. May be universities may face impact in terms of a slowdown in student internships and placements, lower fee collection that can create hurdles in managing the working capital.

– Another major concern is that it can affect the paying capacity of several people in the private sector, which is catering to a sizeable section of the students in the country.

– Student counselling operations are also affected.

– Several institutions may pause faculty hiring plans for existing vacancies which in turn affect quality and excellence.

– Structure of schooling and learning includes teaching and assessment methodologies and due to closure, it will be affected.

– Technology may play an important role in the lockdown period like study from home and work from home. In India, some private schools could adopt online teaching methods. Low-income private and government school may not be able to adopt online teaching methods. And as a result, there will be completely shut down due to no access to e-learning solutions. In addition to the opportunities for learning, students will also miss their meals and may result in economic and social stress.

– Higher education sectors are also disrupted which again pave an impact on the country’s economic future. Various students from India took admissions in abroad like the US, UK, Australia, China etc. And these countries are badly affected due to COVID-19. Maybe there is a possibility that students will not take admissions there in future and if the situation persists, in the long run then there will be a decline in the demand for international higher education also. Isn’t it!

– Another major concern is employment. Students those have completed their graduation may have fear in their minds of withdrawal of job offers from the corporate sector due to the current situation. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s estimates unemployment shortage from 8.4% in mid-March to 23% in early April. In the urban unemployment rate is 30.9%.

We can’t ignore that technology plays a crucial role in the educational system and the demand for the current situation is this only.

Possible alternatives or solutions for interrupted education during COVID-19

– With the help of power supply, digital skills of teachers and students, internet connectivity it is necessary to explore digital learning, high and low technology solutions, etc.

– Students those are coming from low-income groups or presence of disability, etc. distance learning programs can be included.

– To provide support for digitalisation to teachers and students.

– The necessity to explore digital learning platforms.

– Measures should be taken to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on job offers, internship programs, and research projects.

– EDtech reform at the national level that is an integration of technology in the present Indian education system.

We can’t ignore that at this time of crisis effective educational practice is needed for the capacity-building of young minds. Central Government and State need to take some measures to ensure the overall progress in the country. Time never wait, this tough time will also pass. Till then stay safe, stay at home!

Source: https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/impact-of-coronavirus-on-education-in-india-1587642880-1

Tags: , , ,
Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on Impact of #Coronavirus on Education in India – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca #Edtech

Hollister Biosciences $HOLL.ca Enters Into Definitive Agreement to Acquire AlphaMind Brands Inc. $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:20 AM on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
  • Entered into a share exchange agreement dated April 22nd, 2020 among the Company, AlphaMind Brands Inc. and the shareholders of TargetCo
  • Alphamind Brands is developing a portfolio of certified legal mushroom based natural health products
  • The company’s “ready to ship” product SKU’s include Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, Oyster and Reishi Mushroom based: liquid tinctures, concentrated mushroom powder(s), teas, and chocolate.

VANCOUVER, April 23, 2020 – Hollister Biosciences Inc. (CSE: HOLL, FRANKFURT: HOB, OTC: HSTRF) (the “Company” or “Hollister“) – a diversified cannabis branding company with products in over 220 dispensaries throughout California, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a share exchange agreement dated April 22nd, 2020 among the Company, AlphaMind Brands Inc. (“TargetCo“) and the shareholders of TargetCo (the “Definitive Agreement“), pursuant to which, the Company will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of TargetCo (the “Proposed Transaction“).  

Alphamind Brands is a Canada and US based growth stage company, that is developing a portfolio of certified legal mushroom based natural health products. It is also actively conducting R&D initiatives, led by Dr. Nikos C. Apostolopoulos, who is exploring psilocybin based pharmaceutical treatments.  The company’s “ready to ship” product SKU’s include Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, Oyster and Reishi Mushroom based: liquid tinctures, concentrated mushroom powder(s), teas, and chocolate. 

“We are very pleased to have completed the next step in consummating this very exciting acquisition”, shared Carl Saling, Founder and CEO of Hollister Biosciences, Inc.  “It is a fundamental value of our company to improve the overall health and performance of our customers through our high-quality products and the health benefits associated with medicinal mushrooms are tremendous.  Not to mention, it is our continual objective to broaden our product scope and Alphamind, with its experienced management team, is a perfect foothold for us in the fast-growing market for medicinal mushrooms and complements our existing cannabis and hemp-based product offering.”

“I think we have found a great partner in Hollister”, shared Robert Birmingham, CEO of Alphamind Brands.  “We have medicinal mushroom based product SKU’s ready to ship and R&D is underway to develop an exciting IP portfolio surrounding psilocybin based pharmaceutical treatments. Being under the Hollister umbrella will allow us to access additional markets and leverage their existing manufacturing and distribution infrastructure and will be a fundamental part of the future growth of our business.”

The Proposed Transaction

Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, Hollister will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of TargetCo in consideration for the issuance of 6,000,000 common shares of the Company (the “Payment Shares“) pro rata to shareholders of TargetCo at a deemed price of $0.20 per Payment Share upon closing of the Proposed Transaction (the “Closing Date“).

The Proposed Transaction remains subject to certain closing conditions including, without limitation, (a) the receipt by Hollister of any necessary corporate and regulatory approval; and (b) each party’s representations and warranties in the Definitive Agreement being true and correct in all aspects as of the Closing Date, and each party meeting its terms and conditions and completing its covenants and obligations as contained therein. There can be no guarantees that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as contemplated or at all.

Hollister will not be assuming any long-term debt; no new control position will be created and there is no change in management or the Board of Directors of Hollister in connection with the Proposed Transaction.

In addition, the Company also reports that it will issue 500,000 common shares at a deemed price of $0.12 per share to an arm’s length consultant pursuant to a consulting agreement in which services were provided from December 1, 2019 to the date hereof.  In addition, the Company will issue 90,400 shares to an arm’s length consultant pursuant to a consulting agreement in which services have been rendered since February 17, 2020 (See press release dated February 25th, 2020).  All shares issued pursuant to the consulting agreements will be subject to a four month and a day hold period from the date of issuance.

About Hollister Biosciences Inc.

Hollister Biosciences Inc. is a multi-state cannabis company with a vision to be the sought-after premium brand portfolio of innovative, high-quality cannabis & hemp products. Hollister uses a high margin model, controlling the whole process from manufacture to sales to distribution or seed to shelf. Products from Hollister Biosciences Inc. include HashBone, the brand’s premier artisanal hash-infused pre-roll, along with concentrates (shatter, budder, crumble), distillates, solvent-free bubble hash, pre-packaged flower, pre-rolls, tinctures, vape products, and full-spectrum high CBD pet tinctures. Hollister Cannabis Co. additionally offers white-labeling manufacturing of cannabis products.  Our wholly-owned California subsidiary Hollister Cannabis Co is the 1st state and locally licensed cannabis company in the city of Hollister, CA birthplace of the “American Biker”.

Website: www.hollistercannabisco.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“Carl Saling”

CEO and Director

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

The securities to be issued in connection with the Proposed Transaction have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act“), or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy such securities in the United States.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Featured, Hollister Biosciences | Comments Off on Hollister Biosciences $HOLL.ca Enters Into Definitive Agreement to Acquire AlphaMind Brands Inc. $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

#Esports Is Filling The Programming Void – SPONSOR Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:31 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.


Esports Is Filling The Programming Void

By: Brad Adgate

  • In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019.
  • YouTube also reported a record high 500,000 concurrent viewers during the quarter.
  • Facebook Gaming also had a strong quarter, reaching 554 million hours.
  • This growth in gaming was validated by Verizon, which reported that, since the quarantine, video game usage in the U.S during peak hours grew by 75%.

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc with live sports programming and sports fans everywhere. Television networks are scrambling to fill the programming void without basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and other live sports. To fill the void, ESPN, Fox Sports and other networks have been airing replays, sports-themed movies, documentaries and esports. Esports is competitive video gaming, usually played by professional gamers and watched by spectators.

Esports on TV: Although esports is primarily available for viewing online, televising live esports is not new. Over the past five years, a number of cable and broadcast networks have televised esports, including ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, DisneyXD. The NFL Network, TBS, CW and even CBS. In July 2017, CBS televised Candy Crush Saga in prime time and averaged four million viewers.

In recent weeks, more esports contests have been appearing on television. ESPN created a branded ESPN Esports Day which included 12 hours of programming on April 5. Included in the programming were televised virtual games from Madden NFL20, Formula 1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix, Rocket League (which combines soccer with rocket-powered cars) and the opening round of a 16-team NBA 2K20 tournament event. For the NBA 2K20 tournament, players included NBA stars (and video game aficionados) Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell (both recovering from the coronavirus), Trae Young and the tournament winner, Devin Booker. Booker won $100,000 to be donated to coronavirus relief efforts.

Fox Sports has also been televising esports on their networks, including a Madden 20 tournament featuring former quarterback Michael Vick and other NFL players. Derwin James, a safety on the Los Angeles Chargers, won the eight-player tournament, defeating Vick in the championship game. FS1 also televised an eNASCAR pro Invitational iRacing Series that averaged an impressive 903,000 viewers. Up next on Fox Sports is the inaugural eMLS Tournament.

Esports Online: With the coronavirus and persons quarantined, esports has been flourishing online. As reported by StreamLabs and Stream Hatchet, Twitch, YouTube and Facebook all reported significant increases with online viewing in first quarter 2020. As an example, Amazon’s Twitch reached a record high 3.1 billion hours watched, up 17% from the previous quarter. Twitch also reported a 33% growth in unique channels and record high in average concurrent viewing with 1.4 million.

In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. YouTube also reported a record high 500,000 concurrent viewers during the quarter. Facebook Gaming also had a strong quarter, reaching 554 million hours. This growth in gaming was validated by Verizon, which reported that, since the quarantine, video game usage in the U.S during peak hours grew by 75%. By comparison, overall web traffic was up by 20%, video streaming usage increased by 12% and social media usage was flat. Twitter said conversations about esports grew by 71% during the second half of March (when the coronavirus pandemic impacted live TV sports), compared to the first two weeks of the month.

Revenue: Esports’ popularity has been on the upswing for years. According to NewZoo’s latest Global esports Market Report from February 2020, global revenue will reach $1.1 billion in 2020 with China the largest market ($385 million). This is an increase of 15.7% from 2019 and more than double the revenue of 2016. NewZoo projects revenue to surpass $1.5 billion in 2023. Sponsorship is the largest revenue source, contributing 58% to the total, followed by media rights at 17% and merchandise/ticket sales at 11%.

Audience: Globally, the awareness of esports has also grown substantially. In 2020, 1.955 billion people were aware of esports, compare to 1.1 billion in 2016. The esports audience will reach 495 million worldwide in 2020, with 223 million defined as frequent viewers/enthusiasts and 272 million occasional viewers. This is a sizeable increase from 2016, when there were 121 million frequent viewers/enthusiasts and 160 million occasional viewers. Its projected by 2022 there will be close to 300 million frequent viewers/enthusiasts to esports.  

A McKinsey report said in the U.S., there are over 20 million esports fans, 83% are male and 84% are younger than 35. Among U.S. men under age 25, 38% are esports fans and on average watch nearly one hour of esports each day. Furthermore, 10% of esports fans report watching over 20 hours per week, although only 13% responded that esports is the only sport they watch. Among 18-34 viewers, the League of Legends is now the third most popular professional sports league after the NBA and NFL.

Video gamers between the ages of 18-25 spend 77% more time watching other players online than watching broadcast sports. A Nielsen analysis found over 60% of esports fans on Twitch do not watch linear TV on a weekly basis at all and half don’t have a paid TV subscription. The people in this age group are among the lightest viewers of television, are heavy users of streaming content, grew up playing video games and are a popular demographic to target among advertisers.

Advertisers: Since esports has a desirable viewing demographic and is growing in popularity, more “blue-chip” advertisers are sponsoring events. There are many opportunities and strategies for esports sponsorships. Nielsen reports sponsorships can range from on-air signage and branded content to digital overlays and apparel. Esports has evolved from experiential marketing for numerous advertisers. Many product categories targeting young males sponsor esports. The list includes soft drinks, quick service restaurants, consumer electronics, automotive, apparel, financial services, telecom and insurance companies. eMarketer projects ad revenue for eSports will reach $214 million in 2020, a 20% increase from $178 million in 2019.

Gambling: With live sports on hold, casinos, which would have booked hundreds of millions of dollars with live sporting events are looking at esports to recapture some of the lost revenue. In April,  Nevada Gaming Control permitted wagering on multiple esports events. This could popularize esports even more. Sports gambling has now been legalized in 17 states.

The coronavirus is expected to quicken trends already happening in the entertainment and sports industry. For example, consumers could subscribe to more streaming video content bolstered by several new launches. Cash-strapped consumers could accelerate cord-cutting. Studios could release movies in theaters and for at-home viewing simultaneously. Some newspapers may entirely forego printed editions and produce only online content. To this list you can also add broadcasters, who may add more esports to their programming lineups in order to reach a coveted younger audience.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2020/04/21/esports-is-filling-the-programming-void/#4e6db323533b

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Esports Entertainment Group | Comments Off on #Esports Is Filling The Programming Void – SPONSOR Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

VIDEO: Lomiko $LMR.ca Discusses High Grade #Graphite, #Tesla and Recent #Oil Shock $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca $TSLA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:53 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

Paul Gill, CEO of Lomiko Metals (LMR:TSX:V) (LMRMF:OTCQB) (DH8C:FRANK) is in the midst of proving up a very high grade Graphite deposit.

The La Loutre Flake Graphite property is a high-grade (10+ % Cg) deposit located 117 kilometres northwest of Montreal. It has an indicated + inferred resource of 10 M Tonnes of 6% at the Graphene-Battery Zone.

Lomiko recently completed drilling at the “REFRACTORY Zone” of La loutre.
A second resource that includes recent high grade intercepts of 28.5 Metres of 16.53% Cg and 21.5 Metres of 11.53% Cg reported January 6, 2016 and 9% over 90.75 metres reported September 24th 2015 from the Refractory Zone.

The company reported multiple 100M+ intercepts and multiple 10% CG zones.

On the demand side, Paul provides a compelling argument for the future of graphite and more specifically EV’s (Tesla). Paul’s thesis further suggests that the recent oil shock will do little to curb the long term lifestyle demand of the future Tesla consumer.

Grab your favourite beverage and check it out!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in AGORACOM Via Satellite, All Recent Posts, Lomiko Metals | Comments Off on VIDEO: Lomiko $LMR.ca Discusses High Grade #Graphite, #Tesla and Recent #Oil Shock $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca $TSLA

How Geopolitics Are Influencing The #Edtech Market – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.

How Geopolitics Are Influencing The Edtech Market

  • EdTech market is already quite robust and healthy from a fiscal standpoint, and its foothold in the educational world is only going to increase as the years go on
  • With EdTech booming all over the world, and exponentially in growing powers such as China and India, there is a wave of geopolitical maneuvering which is cresting alongside the increased proliferation of educational technology

By Matthew Lynch

The EdTech market is already quite robust and healthy from a fiscal standpoint, and its foothold in the educational world is only going to increase as the years go on. With EdTech booming all over the world, and exponentially in growing powers such as China and India, there is a wave of geopolitical maneuvering which is cresting alongside the increased proliferation of educational technology.

The global demand for the newest educational technology is shifting the balance of power in interesting ways. With a noted entrenchment and stagnation in enrollment numbers and EdTech investment in the United States, companies are looking globally to expand their footprints and build their clientele. 

With that, the specter of geopolitical power struggles looms large as emerging markets look to take the lead in the EdTech sector.

The United States Is In Danger Of Falling Behind 

While the United States educational technology market isn’t flagging in the slightest, it’s reached a plateau when it comes to spending and demand for enrollment. Projections for American enrollment numbers in online learning courses are remarkably conservative considering the rapid rise of EdTech. 

In addition, spending by United States companies on educational technology seems to be stuck in neutral. Spending has capped in the $1.0 billion to $1.6 billion range over the past five years. It’s not expected to exceed that anytime soon.

This noted stagnation has opened the door for the aforementioned emerging markets, such as India and China, to take the reins of the Ed Tech boom. And seeing that educational technology is only going to grow exponentially by all measures over the next couple of decades, this gives those markets a unique geopolitical upper hand that they may not have had prior.

Is The Balance Of Geopolitical Influence Set To Shift?

Per a report by the folks over at HolonIQ, 70% of the global investment in education technology over the past 12 months has come from just two markets – India and China.

Furthermore, four of the five biggest educational technology deals over the past 12 months happened in China. There are no signs of an impending slowdown, either.

According to the HolonIQ report, “the US and Europe will steadily lose ground to China and India” over the course of the next two decades in regards to control of the educational technology market.

This falls in line with a number of other promising fiscal trends in China and India. There’s an influx of new money in both of these markets and a solid chunk of it is going into educational technology.

With that influx, China and India are bound to gain key geopolitical influence when it comes to both the quality of education of their citizens and the undeniable link between fiscal strength and geopolitical power.

Concluding Thoughts

The rise of emerging markets, such as China and India, is extremely apparent in the shift of power with the educational technology sector. The healthier these markets become, the more likely they will be to increase their dominance in the EdTech sector.

And with EdTech becoming an integral sector to the health of the global economy and the citizens contributing to that, the link between EdTech influence and geopolitical power is only set to strengthen.

Source: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-geopolitics-are-influencing-the-edtech-market/

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on How Geopolitics Are Influencing The #Edtech Market – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Tiredness could be ‘human signature’ used to detect bots on Twitter – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:21 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company is working with US Government agencies on Covid19 and Coronavirus fake news and disinformation. The company also obtained the rights to import and sell COVID-19 test kits from South Korea – Click here for more info.

Tiredness could be ‘human signature’ used to detect bots on Twitter

  • Concerns about the impact of deceptive bot networks spreading disinformation in order to influence democratic events, such as the 2016 US presidential election, had lead to calls from lawmakers, academics and campaigners for social media companies to detect and take down these networks
  • These efforts will include human moderators and machine learning algorithms trained to detect suspicious behaviour

By E&T editorial staff

A study has identified short-term behavioural differences between humans and bots – reflecting what is likely to be increasing tiredness towards the end of a social media session – which could be used to detect and take down networks of bots on social media.

Bots – which are controlled by computers, rather than by humans – serve a wide variety of purposes, including news aggregation and customer service. Despite their benefits, bots have come under scrutiny recently in the context of being used manipulatively as part of large-scale, state-backed projects to spread disinformation on social media platforms.

Concerns about the impact of deceptive bot networks spreading disinformation in order to influence democratic events, such as the 2016 US presidential election, had lead to calls from lawmakers, academics and campaigners for social media companies to detect and take down these networks. These efforts will include human moderators and machine learning algorithms trained to detect suspicious behaviour.

Now, a first-of-its-kind study published in Frontiers in Physics has identified some short-term behavioural trends seen in human-run accounts which are absent in bot accounts. This could provide a “human signature” to detect fake accounts, which are constantly adapting to fool detectors.

“Remarkably, bots continuously improve to mimic more and more of the behaviour humans typically exhibit on social media,” said Professor Emilio Ferrara, a University of Southern California computer science expert and co-author of the study. “Every time we identify a characteristic we think is prerogative of human behaviour, such as sentiment of topics of interest, we soon discover that newly developed open-source bots can now capture those aspects.

Ferrara and his colleagues studied how the behaviour of humans and bots changed over the course of single sessions using a large Twitter dataset associated with recent political discussion. They monitored factors such as propensity to engage in various social interactions and volume and type of tweets they wrote, then compared the results between humans and bots.

They found that humans showed an increase in the amount of social interaction over the course of a session (an increase in the fraction of retweets, replies and mentions in a tweet) and a decrease in the amount of content they produce (a decrease in average tweet length). The researchers suggested that this could reflect humans becoming tired towards the end of the session and being less able or willing to produce original content. This behavioural change was not seen in bots.

The researchers used these results to inform a classification system for bot detection. They found that their model significantly outperformed a baseline model in its bot-detection accuracy, indicating that searching for short-term behavioural patterns like this could be valuable in the implementation and improvement of detection systems.

“Bots are constantly evolving: with fast-paced advances in AI, it’s possible to create ever-increasingly realistic bots that can mimic more and more how we talk and interact in online platforms,” said Ferrara. “We are continuously trying to identify dimensions that are particular to the behaviour of humans on social media that can in turn be used to develop more sophisticated toolkits to detect bots.”

Source: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/04/tiredness-could-be-human-signature-used-to-detect-bots-on-twitter/

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Datametrex AI Limited | Comments Off on Tiredness could be ‘human signature’ used to detect bots on Twitter – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »