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Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Announces Successful Launch of New “Immune Support” Product $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:23 PM on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020
http://blog.agoracom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Mota-Square-Logo-For-Blog.jpg
  • First Class CBD has launched a new “immune support” product that has generated significant demand since it was released
  • This is the first of a number of new CBD products aimed at promoting personal immune health that First Class is developing
  • During the first four days, company acquired over 1,000 customers and will be scaling rapidly

VANCOUVER, BC / March 18, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ1)(OTC:PEMTF) (the “Company“) announces that First Class CBD has launched a new “immune support” product that has generated significant demand since it was released. This is the first of a number of new CBD products aimed at promoting personal immune health that First Class is developing.

One of our primary competitive advantages as a business is our ability to adapt to market changes. With the immense demand in the market for products to promote personal immune system health, we launched a First Class immune product; during the first four days, we acquired over 1,000 customers and will be scaling rapidly. Next week we will be launching a complete line of immunity products, including a CBD oil plus B-vitamins, Vitamin C and Zinc.

Our mission is to provide pure and efficacious products to our customers that depend upon us throughout the United States and Europe. Our supply chain is functioning uninterrupted. The Company has personally met with suppliers in the United States and are confident in its ability to continue to meet the demands of the current sales volume, and new product lines for March 2020 and beyond.

“I am extremely pleased with the success of our launch of our new product line. Our ability to adapt and innovate is stronger than ever. Demand for our new immune category has been exceptional and I believe this will be a significant driver to revenue in 2020,” stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company.

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota is seeking to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand. Its plan is to cultivate and extract CBD into high-quality value-added products from its Latin American operations and distribute it both domestically and internationally. Its existing operations in Colombia consist of a 2.5-hectare site that has optimal year-round growing conditions and access to all necessary infrastructure. Mota is looking to establish sales channels and a distribution network internationally through the acquisition of the Sativida and First Class CBD brands. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MOTA VENTURES CORP.
Ryan Hoggan
Chief Executive Officer

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact the President of the Company, Joel Shacker, at +604.423.4733 or by email at [email protected] or www.motaventuresco.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are “forward-looking information” with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to the business prospects of First Class CBD and its new product lines, its plans to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand, its plans to cultivate and extract cannabis to produce CBD and high-quality value added CBD products in Latin America for distribution domestically and internationally. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Company’s public filings under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

SOURCE: Mota Ventures Corp.

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VW Appears To Be Eyeing Vehicle-To-Grid Technology, Could Sell Energy From Electric Vehicles SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals $LMR.ca $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 5:12 PM on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko owns 80% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information

Volkswagen plans to have millions of electric vehicles on the road by the end of the decade and that opens up new opportunities for the automaker.

According to Reuters, Volkswagen’s chief strategist revealed the company is exploring new business opportunities related to the energy stored in electric vehicles.

As Michael Jost explained, “By 2025, we will have 350 gigawatt hours worth of energy storage at our disposal through our electric car fleet.” He went on to say that number will increase to 1 terawatt hours by the end of 2030.

That’s a massive amount of electricity and Jost noted it’s “more energy than is currently generated by all the hydroelectric power stations in the world.” This opens up a new opportunity for the automaker as Volkswagen can tap into this energy using vehicle-to-grid technology.

Essentially the opposite of charging, vehicle-to-grid technology allows electric vehicles to send energy back to the electrical grid. This would typically occur during times of high demand.

This represents an interesting opportunity for Volkswagen as they could become a makeshift energy company. While Jost didn’t go into too many specifics, it’s not hard to imagine how such a service would work.

In theory, electric vehicles would be charged at night when demand for electricity is low and so are energy rates. When demand and rates increase, Volkswagen vehicles could sell some of that energy back to the grid. Consumers would likely be paid for this, but Volkswagen could potentially take a cut of the profits.

It remains unclear if that is what Volkswagen is thinking, but it could be a potential win-win situation. Consumers would get paid, while energy companies could tap into affordable electricity. Likewise, Volkswagen could get a slice of the action.

There’s no word on when this capability could be added to electric vehicles from Volkswagen, but a number of companies are exploring vehicle-to-grid technology. Nissan has even demonstrated how electric vehicles could be used to power your home in the event of a power outage.

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/03/vw-appears-to-be-eyeing-vehicle-to-grid-technology-could-sell-energy-from-electric-vehicles/

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Posted in All Recent Posts, Lomiko Metals | Comments Off on VW Appears To Be Eyeing Vehicle-To-Grid Technology, Could Sell Energy From Electric Vehicles SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals $LMR.ca $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Gold is Setting Records Dating Back Over 5,000 Years — Against Silver SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Affinity_Metals_Corp_Logo.png

Sponsor: Affinity Metals Corp. (TSX-V: AFF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company building a strong portfolio of mineral projects in North America. The Corporation’s flagship property is the drill ready Regal Property near Revelstoke, BC where Affinity Metals is making preparations for a spring drill program to test two large Z-TEM anomalies. Click Here for More Info

Gold hasn’t been such a terrific hedge of late against the turmoil from the coronavirus pandemic that has upended financial markets.

Over the last month, gold futures GC00, 3.014% have retreated by 5%. While that’s a long way better than the 28% decline in the S&P 500 SPX, 5.485% , it trails the performance of other assets that are perceived as safe, such as government bonds. The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF IEF, -2.167% , for instance, is up 7% over the last four weeks.

But where gold is looking lustrous is relative to silver SI00, -0.593% .

According to Marshall Gittler, head of investment research at BDSwiss, the ratio of gold to silver is the highest it’s been for 5,120 years.

Yes there’s data back into Pharaoh Menes’ time in ancient Egypt, when the ratio was a more modest 2.5, and it was 6 in King Hammurabi’s day in Babylon.

On Monday the ratio reached nearly 124. On Tuesday morning, the ratio slipped to 119.

Gittler said the best correlation he has found is with the 10-year U.S. breakeven inflation rate — but the gold-to-silver ratio goes up when inflation expectations are down.

“Lower expected inflation would mean a) central banks cut their policy rates, and lower interest rates tend to boost the gold price, and b) lower expected inflation probably stems from lower expected economic activity, which might imply less industrial demand for silver – although I must admit I couldn’t find a clear link between industrial activity and the price of silver,” he writes.

Aakash Doshi, an analyst at Citi, also pointed to that connection with expected inflation.

“Even as the excessive collapse in inflation breakevens may be viewed as a headwind for gold upside, the yellow metal should outperform silver in a deflation and growth shock scenario,” he said.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-is-setting-records-dating-back-over-5000-years-against-silver-2020-03-17?mod=mw_latestnews

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Posted in Affinity Metals, All Recent Posts | Comments Off on Gold is Setting Records Dating Back Over 5,000 Years — Against Silver SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

AGORACOM Welcomes New Age Metals $NAM.ca A North American Leader in PGM and Lithium Exploration- River Valley #PGM Project hosts 2.9Moz #Palladium Equivalent (Measured & Indicated) $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:50 AM on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

(NAM:TSXV)


A Green Metals Company

  • New Age Metals has two divisions which focus on the exploration and development of green metals: Platinum Group Metals and Lithium

i.) PGM Division: focus on development of the 100% owned River Valley PGM Project.

ii.) Lithium Canada: focus on exploration of hard rock lithium, in Manitoba, Canada.

  • Eric Sprott is a strategic shareholder and has an 18.56% ownership of the Company’s current issued and outstanding shares on a post conversion beneficial ownership basis

PGM DIVISION – River Valley PGM Project near Sudbury, ON

  • Largest 100% owned undeveloped primary PGM project in North America, Palladium is the main payable metal accounting for 65% of revenue stream based on 2019 PEA.
  • 1:0.4 (Pd:Pt).
  • Excellent infrastructure and within 100 kilometers of the Sudbury Metallurgical Complex.
  • NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimation Q1 2019.
  • PEA Q3 2019.
  • 2020 plan to follow up on PEA recommendations.

Preliminary Economic Assessment demonstrates positive economics for a large-scale open pit mining operation.

PEA Highlights (CDN$):

  • Life of mine (LOM) of 14 years, with 6 million tonnes annually of potential process plant feed at an average grade of 0.88 g/t Palladium Equivalent (PdEq) and process recovery rate of 80%, resulting in an annual average payable PdEq production of 119,000 ounces.
  • Pre-Production capital requirements: $495 M.
  • Undiscounted cash flow before income and mining taxes of $586M.
  • Undiscounted cash flow after income and mining taxes of $384M.
  • Average unit operating cost of $19.50/tonne over the life-of-mine.
  • Potential for up to 325 jobs at the peak of production.
  • Using March 11, 2020 spot Palladium price (US$2,275/oz) River Valley Project After-tax IRR is 30% and After-tax NPV (5%) is $C858M.
Map-nam-1

Figure 1: River Valley Project site map including results from the 2019 Mineral Resource Estimate by zone.2020 River Valley Project Exploration & Development Plan

Management has developed a three-phase exploration and development plan for the balance of 2020. 

  • Phase One will focus on drilling to expand the boundaries of the Pine Zone discovery and to generate rhodium data for future mineral resource estimations.
  • Phase Two will involve drill testing further geophysical targets in the Northern area of the project, identified in the 2017/2018 induced polarization surveys. The target areas to be drill tested in this program are outlined in Figure 1.
  • Finally, Phase 3 will be focused on metallurgy – with the primary objective being to improve process recoveries of platinum metals, particularly palladium and including rhodium. We plan to start Phase 1 in early Q2-2020.
  • Note that each phase is contingent on success from the previous phase.
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PGM DIVISION – Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska

On April 18, 2018 New Age Metals acquired the Genesis Platinum Group Metals Project.

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Figure 3: Genesis Project location map. The road accessible Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project adjacent to Richardson Highway and 138 kv electric lines. The project is 460 road kilometers to Fairbanks, Alaska and 120 road kilometers to the all-weather port city of Valdez

  • The Genesis project’s PGM-Cu-Ni mineralization is hosted in the Tonsina mafic-ultramafic complex, an undrilled, virtually unexplored layered mafic-ultramafic complex. Recent petrology indicates the Genesis mineralization is similar to the Stillwater and Great Dyke complexes.
  • Known PGM mineralization covers a distance of 9 km across the prospect.
  • The Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project is an under explored, highly prospective multi-prospect drill ready property that warrants follow-up drilling, additional surface mapping, sampling to expand the known footprint of mineralization and to determine the ultimate size and grade of the layered mineralization outlined to date.
  • The stable land status, ease of access and superb infrastructure make this project prospective for year-around exploration, development and production.
  • Summer 2019 exploration efforts doubled the strike length of prospective mineralization at our road accessible Genesis PGM-Ni-Cu Project in Alaska.
  • Currently, New Age is seeking an Option/Joint Venture Partner to assist in the exploration and development of this project.
  • Drill ready PGM-Ni-Cu reef style target with 2.4 grams/ton Palladium (Pd), 2.4 grams/ton Platinum (Pt), 0.96% Nickel (Ni), and 0.58% Copper (Cu).
  • Reef mineralization is open to the west, east, north, and at depth
  • Mineralized reef identified in outcrop for 2000 m along strike and a 40 m true thickness
  • Separate style of chromite mineralization contains Platinum Group Metals (PGM) up to 2.5 g/t Pd and 2.8 g/t Pt.
  • No historic drilling has been done on the project.
  • Project is within 3 km of a paved highway and electric transmission line.

Lithium Division

New Age Metals is the largest mineral claim holder in the prolific, Winnipeg River – Cat Lake Pegmatite Field. All of the claims are held by Lithium Canada Development, a 100% owned Lithium Division of New Age Metals. The company presently has eight Lithium Projects in the region which are along strike of the Tanco Pegmatite and the claims encompass several pegmatite groups. 

Situated around the Tanco Mine which in 2019 was acquired by Chinese miner Sinomine, the projects are located 140 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

  • Three of the projects are considered drill ready. Lithium One, Lithium Two and Lithman West
  • Active exploration of the claim holdings is ongoing.
  • New Age Metals has signed an exploration agreement with the Sagkeeng First Nation in regards to the exploration and development of any of the company’s claims that are located on traditional Sagkeeng territories.
  • The Tanco Mine was one of North America’s only producers of Tantalum, Cesium and Lithium minerals (Spodumene), with the mine opening in 1969. Owned by the Cabot Corporation as of 1993 until 2019, when Chinese miner Sinomine purchased from Cabot for US$130M.
  • Presently the Tanco Mine produces Cesium Formate, a completion fluid for the petroleum industry.
  • Management is actively seeking a qualified and dedicated Option Joint Venture Partner to assist in the exploration and development of these highly prospective projects.
Lithium-Projects-locations-1
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Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Schedules Conference Call $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM at 4:10 AM on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (MARCH 17, 2020) – MOTA VENTURES CORP. (CSE: MOTA FSE: 1WZ: GR OTC: PEMTF) (the “Company”or “Mota Ventures”) an emerging direct to consumer global CBD brand, is pleased to announce it will be hosting an investor conference call on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 with Mota Ventures management, Ryan Hoggan, CEO and Joel Shacker, President to discuss current developments

The call will be held on Wednesday, March 18th, at 1:15 pm Pacific Time.  Media are invited to attend on a listen-only basis.

Conference details:

Canada/USA TF: 1-800-319-4610

International Toll: +1-604-638-5340

Germany TF: 0800-180-1954

Callers should dial in 5 – 10 min prior to the scheduled start time and simply ask to join the call.

Conference replay

Canada/USA TF: 1-800-319-6413

International Toll: +1-604-638-9010

Replay Access Code: 4251

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota Ventures is seeking to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand. Its plan is to cultivate and extract CBD into high-quality value added products from its Latin American operations and distribute it both domestically and internationally. Its existing operations in Colombia consist of a 2.5-hectare site that has optimal year round growing conditions and access to all necessary infrastructure. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MOTA VENTURES CORP.
Joel Shacker

President

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President at +604.423.4733 or by email at [email protected] or www.motaventuresco.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

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Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca – #Marijuana Survey Shows #Boomers Embracing #Cannabis & #CBD According to Aging Expert, Lisa Cini $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 6:15 PM on Monday, March 16th, 2020

SPONSOR:

Why Empower Clinics

  • A leading owner/operator of physician staffed health and pain management clinics.
  • Patient database of over 165,000 patients 
  • Platform generating $1.4M USD (9 months ending Sept. 30, 2019)
  • Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
  • Recently launched CBD extraction facility
  • First extraction system capacity = 2,300 Kg per year.
  • CBD based products are poised to be a $20B global industry by 2022
  • Medical cannabis is poised to be a $100B global industry by 2025
  • Company to Create Psilocybin and Psychadelics Division Leveraging Corporate Wellness Clinics and Franchise Clinic Network

Marijuana Survey Shows Boomers Embracing Cannabis & CBD According to Aging Expert, Lisa Cini

COLUMBUS, Ohio -With 9 in 10 Americans favoring legalization of Marijuana for recreation or medicinal purposes and New York weeks away from a decision, aging expert Lisa Cini shares details of marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) usage among the 11,000+ boomers who responded to her marijuana survey and answered a variety of questions on marijuana consumption, opinion, and usage.

“It’s time to mainstream senior-friendly tools for using marijuana, and consider implications for designing seniors’ living spaces, or help those marijuana-using seniors living in multi-generational homes to partake in designated ways and areas as not to offend family members who don’t use, including children and grandchildren.”Tweet this

“I’m not surprised that 83% of the respondents are using some form of cannabis for recreational and medical reasons. 66% partake daily and believe that marijuana and/or CBD use is an important component of their lives,” says Lisa Cini, senior living expert and author of BOOM: The Baby Boomers Guide to Leveraging Technology, so that you can Preserve Your Independent Lifestyle & Thrive. “Don’t forget that much of the boomer generation grew up smoking weed. Some never stopped, resumed in retirement, or when they were no longer raising children. Because the aging process is unforgiving as it relates to pain, seniors are finding relief from achy bones and joints, arthritis, sleeplessness, and many other ailments, proving that there’s a great deal more to marijuana than just getting high, especially for those battling health and comfort challenges.”

Seniors are using weed in any number of ways, from smoking to baking and preparing full meals with cannabutter for many perceived health benefits including relief from insomnia, anxiety, chronic pain, depression, muscle tension, arthritis, and migraines in addition to getting high.

For those who desire CBD without THC, popular brands like vitafusion™ now offer gummy vitamins with full spectrum hemp extract and natural phytocannabinoids (225mg & 10mg CBD per gummy), Blissful Sleep with 5mg Melatonin (300mg with 10mg CBD per gummy) to induce sleep, and Chillaxed Mood with natural phytocannabinoids & 10mg L-Theanine (300 mg & 10mg CBD per gummy) to promote calm mental alertness, in contrast to the restless energy sometimes produced by caffeine. CBD creams and other skin care products are touted for anti-aging and appeal to boomers. CBD Anti-Aging Cream with Apple Stem Cells, was voted #1 Best Anti-Aging CBD Skin Cream in 2019 and for those with sensitive skin, Abinoid Botanicals Face Serum – Blue Chamomile & Hemp was voted #2 best hemp cream.

“Marijuana and CBD use is a reality that can no longer be ignored, as it’s very much a part of the daily lives of so many,” adds Cini. “It’s time to mainstream senior-friendly tools for using marijuana, and consider implications for designing seniors’ living spaces, or help those marijuana-using seniors living in multi-generational homes to partake in designated ways and areas as not to offend family members who don’t use, including children and grandchildren.”

Lisa Cini is an award-winning senior living designer, President / CEO, Mosaic Design Studio and author of BOOM: The Baby Boomers Guide to Leveraging Technology, so that you can Preserve Your Independent Lifestyle & Thrive, The Future is Here: Senior Living Re-imagined, and Hive, which describes her family’s four generations living under the same roof in her own home. Go to Lisamcini.com to sign up for her blog. If you want to find the best tech products that help seniors Embrace Aging and Live Independently, visit BestLivingTech.com.

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200309005150/en/Marijuana-Survey-Shows-Boomers-Embracing-Cannabis-CBD

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Synthetic media: The real trouble with #deepfakes – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:22 PM on Monday, March 16th, 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 announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

Synthetic media: The real trouble with deepfakes

By M. Mitchell Waldrop

  • The snapshots above look like people you’d know. Your daughter’s best friend from college, maybe? That guy from human resources at work? The emergency-room doctor who took care of your sprained ankle? One of the kids from down the street?
  • “Deepfakes play to our weaknesses,” explains Jennifer Kavanagh, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation and coauthor of “Truth Decay,”

Nope. All of these images are “deepfakes” — the nickname for computer-generated, photorealistic media created via cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology. They are just one example of what this fast-evolving method can do. (You could create synthetic images yourself at ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com.) Hobbyists, for example, have used the same AI techniques to populate YouTube with a host of startlingly lifelike video spoofs — the kind that show real people such as Barack Obama or Vladimir Putin doing or saying goofy things they never did or said, or that revise famous movie scenes to give actors like Amy Adams or Sharon Stone the face of Nicolas Cage. All the hobbyists need is a PC with a high-end graphics chip, and maybe 48 hours of processing time.

It’s good fun, not to mention jaw-droppingly impressive. And coming down the line are some equally remarkable applications that could make quick work out of once-painstaking tasks: filling in gaps and scratches in damaged images or video; turning satellite photos into maps; creating realistic streetscape videos to train autonomous vehicles; giving a natural-sounding voice to those who have lost their own; turning Hollywood actors into their older or younger selves; and much more.

Deepfake artificial-intelligence methods can map the face of, say, actor Nicolas Cage onto anyone else — in this case, actor Amy Adams in the film Man of Steel.

Yet this technology has an obvious — and potentially enormous — dark side. Witness the many denunciations of deepfakes as a menace, Facebook’s decision in January to ban (some) deepfakes outright and Twitter’s announcement a month later that it would follow suit.

“Deepfakes play to our weaknesses,” explains Jennifer Kavanagh, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation and coauthor of “Truth Decay,” a 2018 RAND report about the diminishing role of facts and data in public discourse. When we see a doctored video that looks utterly real, she says, “it’s really hard for our brains to disentangle whether that’s true or false.” And the internet being what it is, there are any number of online scammers, partisan zealots, state-sponsored hackers and other bad actors eager to take advantage of that fact.

“The threat here is not, ‘Oh, we have fake content!’” says Hany Farid, a computer scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of an overview of image forensics in the 2019 Annual Review of Vision Science. Media manipulation has been around forever. “The threat is the democratization of Hollywood-style technology that can create really compelling fake content.” It’s photorealism that requires no skill or effort, he says, coupled with a social-media ecosystem that can spread that content around the world with a mouse click.

Source: https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/technology/2020/synthetic-media-real-trouble-deepfakes

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Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Announces 832% Growth in February 2020 over the Same Period Last Year and Provides Update on First Class CBD Sales $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM at 5:33 PM on Friday, March 13th, 2020
http://www.smallcapepicenter.com/Mota%20Square%20Logo%20For%20Blog.jpg

VANCOUVER, BC / March 13, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ1)(OTC:PEMTF) (the “Company“) is excited to announce that for the month of February 2020, its First Class CBD brand achieved sales of Cdn$2,981,000, with related expenses for the same time period totaling Cdn$2,814,000. Due to accelerated marketing efforts in late January 2020, the brand was able to improve gross margins by 4.9% from January 2020 to February 2020. The Company anticipates these efforts will yield a further positive impact on revenue and margin in subsequent months. Sales for February 2019 were Cdn$320,000; therefore, February 2020 represents an increase of 832% over the same period last year.

First Class offers a CBD hemp-oil formulation intended to provide users with the therapeutic benefits that hemp may offer. The hemp oil used in the products is derived from hemp grown and cultivated in the United States. The extraction process is designed to maintain all the beneficial qualities that hemp may offer. First Class offers a range of products, which include CBD oil drops, CBD gummies, CBD pain relief cream, CBD skin serum and CBD coffee. The Company plans to continue growth of First Class in the United States over the balance of 2020, as well as an expansion into the European market.

“I am extremely pleased with the performance of the First Class brand through the beginning months of 2020. The continued growth we are experiencing is evidence of the strong consumer demand in the CBD market. While eCommerce demand is generally weakest in January and February, we continue to demonstrate our leadership through achieving approximately Cdn$5,874,000 in revenue through the first two months of the year,” stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company.

The Company cautions that figures for revenue, expenses and margin generated from the sale of First Class CBD products have not been audited, and are based on calculations prepared by management. Actual results may differ from those reported in this release once these figures have been audited. These figures were translated from US dollar into Canadian dollar using the Bank of Canada monthly average exchange rates of 1.3301 for January 2019, 1.3206 for February 2019, 1.3087 for January 2020 and 1.3286 for February 2020.

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota Ventures is seeking to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand. Its plan is to cultivate and extract CBD into high-quality value added products from its Latin American operations and distribute it both domestically and internationally. Mota has established distribution networks through the acquisition of First Class CBD in the United States and Sativida in Europe. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MOTA VENTURES CORP.

Ryan Hoggan
Chief Executive Officer

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President at +604.423.4733 or by email at [email protected] or www.motaventuresco.com

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How Swiss scientists are trying to spot #deepfakes – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:13 PM on Friday, March 13th, 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 announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

How Swiss scientists are trying to spot deepfakes

By Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi

As videos faked using artificial intelligence grow increasingly sophisticated, experts in Switzerland are re-evaluating the risks its malicious use poses to society – and finding innovative ways to stop the perpetrators.

In a computer lab on the vast campus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), a small team of engineers is contemplating the image of a smiling, bespectacled man boasting a rosy complexion and dark curls.

“Yes, that’s a good one,” says lead researcher Touradj Ebrahimi, who bears a passing resemblance to the man on the screen. The team has expertly manipulated Ebrahimi’s head shot with an online image of Tesla founder Elon Musk to create a deepfake – a digital image or video fabricated through artificial intelligence.

It’s one of many fake illustrations – some more realistic than others – that Ebrahimi’s teamexternal link has created as they develop software, together with cyber security firm Quantum Integrityexternal link (QI), which can detect doctored images, including deepfakes.

Using machine learning, the same process behind the creation of deepfakes, the software is learning to tell the difference between the genuine and the forged: a “creator” feeds it fake images, which a “detector” then tries to find.

“With lots of training, machines can help to detect forgery the same way a human would,” explains Ebrahimi. “The more it’s used, the better it becomes.”

Forged photos and videos have existed since the advent of multimedia. But AI techniques have only recently allowed forgers to alter faces in a video or make it appear the person is saying something they never did. Over the last few years, deepfake technology has spread faster than most experts anticipated.

The team at EPFL have created the image in the centre by using deep learning techniques to alter the headshot of Ebrahimi (right) and a low-resolution image of Elon Musk in profile found on the Internet.​​​​​​​ (EPFL/MMSPG/swissinfo)

The fabrication of deepfake videos has become “exponentially quicker, easier and cheaper” thanks to the distribution of user-friendly software tools and paid-for services online, according to the International Risk Governance Center (IRGC)external link at EPFL.

“Precisely because it is moving so fast, we need to map where this could go – what sectors, groups and countries might be affected,” says its deputy director, Aengus Collins.

Although much of the problem with malign deepfakes involves their use in pornography, there is growing urgency to prepare for cases in which the same techniques are used to manipulate public opinion.

A fast-moving field

When Ebrahimi first began working with QI on detection software three years ago, deepfakes were not on the radar of most researchers. At the time, QI’s clients were concerned about doctored pictures of accidents used in fraudulent car and home insurance claims. By 2019, however, deepfakes had developed a level of sophistication that the project decided to dedicate much more time to the issue.

“I am surprised, as I didn’t think [the technology] would move so fast,” says Anthony Sahakian, QI chief executive.

Sahakian has seen firsthand just how far deepfake techniques have come to achieve realistic results, most recently the swapping of faces on a passport photo that manages to leave all the document seals intact.

Read More: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sci-tech/manipulated-media_how-swiss-scientists-are-trying-to-spot-deepfakes/45595336

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CLIENT FEATURE: Vertical Exploration $VERT.ca Partners with AREV Brands to Distribute Wollastonite to the Cannabis and Hemp Industries $TORR.ca $FA.ca $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 11:13 PM on Thursday, March 12th, 2020

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