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New Age Metals $NAM.ca Provides Update on #Platinum Group Metals #PGM and #Lithium Divisions $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:38 AM on Wednesday, March 14th, 2018

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PGM Resource Calculation Concluding, Release Slated for End of Q1 2018

  • NAM’s 100% owned River Valley Project (RVP) is the largest undeveloped primary PGM resource in Canada. Our objective is to open pit (bulk mine) and ship concentrates to Sudbury.
  • The 100% owned River Valley Extension Project (RVE), is undergoing its first NI 43-101 resource calculation.
  • To date, River Valley has 3.9Moz PdEq in Measured Plus Indicated including an additional 1.2Moz PdEq in Inferred.
  • The River Valley/River Valley Extension PGM Projects have excellent infrastructure and are within 100 kilometers of the Sudbury Metallurgical Complex.
  • Updated NI 43-101 resource calculations with WSP Canada are near completion and an announcement will be disseminated before the end of Q1-2018.
  • Ground IP geophysics to test T4-T9 targets are now complete, final report slated for early April.
  • Footwall PGM mineralization, a new discovery and additional source of PGMs at the RVP, will be included in the new resource model. Drilling is slated for Summer/Fall 2018/Winter 2019.
  • Advanced stage mineralogical testing is ongoing in Sudbury at Expert Process Solutions (XPS).
  • The price of Palladium, the prominent metal at River Valley is trading at $971.15USD (June 2018 from Kitco.com) near its all-time high based on limited supply and increasing demand.
  • Lithium Division: A minimum of $500,000 will be expended in 2018 on the companies Lithium division by New Age Metals option/joint venture partner Azincourt Energy Corp. (TSX.V: AAZ) (see news release dated January 15th, and February 22nd, 2018). The 2018 budget will allow for 2 out of the 3 drill ready projects to be drilled. New Age Metals technical team is the field manager.

March 14th, 2018 / Rockport, Canada – New Age Metals Inc.(NAM) (TSX.V: NAM; OTCQB: PAWEF; FSE: P7J.F) Harry Barr, Chairman & CEO, stated; “We are pleased to update our shareholders and interested parties as to our present exploration program on our River Valley PGM project and our 5 Manitoba Lithium Projects. Both of the company’s mineral divisions have aggressive exploration and development plans for 2018 and the balance of this release will provide you with an update of the specific details.”

New Updated Resource Model, NI 43-101

WSP Canada (News Release: Sept 7th, 2017) is progressing through the new resource calculation for the River Valley PGM Deposit under the supervision of Todd McCracken, Manager-Mining at WSP Canada. The new resource model and calculation will incorporate all the past data, geophysics, new drilling since 2012 and the River Valley Extensions (RVE). In 2016, the company purchased 100% of Mustang Minerals’ southern portion of the River Valley contact (River Valley Extension, News Release – Oct 5th, 2016). This added 4 kilometers of mineralized strike length to the southern portion of the company’s main River Valley Project. Approximately $5,000,000 was expended on the RVE by previous operators, including extensive drilling. This will be the first inclusion for RVE in the River Valley resource calculation.


Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 1: The Northern Portion of the River Valley PGM Deposit Showing Regions of Upcoming IP Geophysics. NOTE: Image only represents approximately 3.5 km of the overall strike length of the River Valley PGM deposit. The Pine Zone and T3 are new discoveries and a final report of the T3-T9 Geophysics is forthcoming.

River Valley PGM Deposit, Sudbury, Ontario: Ground IP Geophysics Underway

The current geophysical survey on our River Valley PGM Project is a high-resolution OreVision(R) IP survey performed by Abitibi Geophysics, (Thunder Bay, Ontario), who completed last year’s survey on our new southern discovery, the Pine Zone to T-3 target. New drill discoveries have been made in this region from 2015-2017. OreVision IP can reveal targets at four times the depth of conventional IP without compromising near-surface resolution. The goal of the geophysical survey is to test the footwall portion to the main River Valley PGM Deposit, southward of the Pine Zone IP survey (News Release: Jun 19th, 2017) and to cover the area between target anomalies T4 to T9 (Figure 1). This area represents a survey strike length of approximately 2000 metres. The geophysics have just completed. The Abitibi Geophysics report is expected by the first week of April and will then be given to Alan King, NAM’s Sudbury geophysical consultant. Mr. King’s mandate will be to reinterpret the Abitibi Geophysics report and add his conclusions to our extensive existing geophysics database. Recommendations for the 2018 drill program will follow.

Upon completion of the present geophysical program, the company will outline a series of drill programs to test the new geophysical anomalies generated from T4 through T9 from the 2018 Abitibi survey and outline additional drilling to the north in Pine Zone and T3 where only Phase 1 Drilling has been completed to date.

Go Forward Exploration Plan 2018 River Valley PGM Project

To date an approximate 140,659 meters (461,480 feet) in 628 drill holes have been conducted by the company as operator on the River Valley Project. Several independent 43-101 compliant resource estimates have previously been generated for the deposit through the exploration and development phases. The River Valley Deposit’s present resource, with approximately 3.9M PdEq ounces in Measured Plus Indicated mineral resources and near-surface mineralization, covers over 12 kilometers of continuous strike length. The acquisition of the RVE adds an additional 4 kilometers for a total of 16 kilometers of strike. The company continues to explore and enhance the River Valley PGM Deposit.


Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 2: The Yellow Band represents the interpolated footwall potential area of the River Valley Deposit based on the results of the Pine Zone where footwall mineralization was noted to extend 140 meters eastward from the main deposit. At present the only area that has confirmed footwall mineralization is in the Pine Zone (defined from 2015 to 2017 drilling). Exploration is in progress to test other areas of the deposit.

River Valley PGM Goals & Objectives

During the next year the company’s exploration & development objectives are:

  1. 1.Complete ground IP geophysics (Q1 2018);
  1. 2.Complete a new resource calculation (slated for end of Q1 2018);
  1. 3.Continue with drilling in the northern portion of the project (slated for Q3-Q4 2018 & Q1 2019);
  1. 4.Explore more target areas based on recommendations of the updated 43-101 and the 2018 geophysics (slated for Q3-Q4 2018 & Q1-Q2 2019);
  1. 5.Complete mineralogical studies (Q2 2018).
  1. 6.Continue to advance the River Valley PGM Project towards a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the River Valley PGM Deposit; and
  2. 7.Our corporate mandate is to build a series of open pits (bulk mining) over the 16 kilometers of mineralization. We will concentrate on site and ship concentrates to Sudbury.

Platinum Group Metal Prices & Performance

We are encouraged about the economics surrounding PGMs as we continue to see ongoing deficits being forecasted in both Platinum and Palladium. Most recently the price of Palladium, our primary metal at River Valley, has hit an all-time high, and outpaced all other commodities in 2017 and over the past 10 years. Our second most important metal Platinum, has come off its bottom price in late 2017 and has increased substantially to date. As a reminder to our shareholders and investors our River Valley Project also contains: Gold, Cobalt, Copper, Nickel, and Rhodium, most of which have experienced recent price increases.

Recently the World Platinum Investment Council forecasted a deficit in Platinum production for the next 5 consecutive years. Palladium for the 10 years from 2008-2017, has averaged 21.5% per annum while Gold averaged only 5.8% per annum over that same period. Both Platinum and Palladium, (outside of their extensive uses in catalytic converters which convert harmful gasses from hydrocarbon emissions into less harmful substances in vehicles), are considered precious metals, like Gold and are seen as a store of value.

Exploration Plans for Lithium Division 2018

The Company has five pegmatite hosted Lithium Projects in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, located in SE Manitoba.

In January, NAM announced a signed final agreement with Azincourt Energy Corp. (TSX.V: AAZ) for the Manitoba Lithium Projects. (News Releases: January 15th, and Feb 22nd , 2018 ) This Pegmatite Field hosts the world class Tanco Pegmatite that has been mined for Tantalum, Cesium and Spodumene (one of the primary Lithium ore minerals) in varying capacities, since 1969. NAM’s Lithium Projects are strategically situated in this prolific Pegmatite Field. Presently, NAM, under its subsidiary Lithium Canada Developments, is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field for Lithium. Azincourt Energy Corp. as our option/joint venture/funding partner, is financed for and has committed to a minimum of $500,000 to be expended on exploration this year in Manitoba. A management committee has been formed, NAM was appointed the field manager, and plans are being formalized to begin the exploration process as early as possible in 2018. Our plan is to drill at least 2 of the 3 drill ready projects before the end of the year. Further announcements will be forthcoming.

Current Market Awareness Program

Conferences This Quarter

In early February, our President Trevor Richardson was in South Africa attending 3 conferences with a full schedule, including two 1-2-1 style conferences with over 25 pre-booked meetings with mine finance companies, major mine companies, institutions, stock brokers, and high net worth individuals. In mid-February, Harry Barr (CEO) and Paul Poggione (Corporate Development), had a minimum of 25 pre-booked meetings at the Capital Event Conference in Whistler to meet new and existing investors, stockbrokers and institutions. In March, the entire New Age Metals team assembled in Toronto. We attended the RAI$E Capital 1-2-1 event, where at least 25 different groups were presented NAM’s corporate mandate via our slide deck. On the Saturday before the Prospectors and Developers Association Convention (PDAC), we had various meetings at the Metals Investor Forum Conference. Our main event, the PDAC in Toronto, the world’s largest mining convention, is where our company hosted a small hospitality room that doubled as a boardroom and over 40 meetings were completed to continue our New Age Metals market awareness program. Several meetings were held with prospectors, junior mining companies, and major mining companies, to advance our objectives. Our President, Trevor Richardson was asked to speak in two packed rooms, one for the Canada-China Investment Conference and the second in the Ontario Pavilion, both talks were focused on advanced stage mineral projects in Ontario. Management of NAM believes that the 2018 PDAC was one of the best attended and most positive mining conferences in recent years.

Third Party Social Media, Digital Marketing, and U.S. Radio Campaigns

In the first quarter of 2018, NAM signed contracts with Stockhouse.com, Investing News Network (a fully owned subsidiary of Dig Media Inc.), and International Mining Research. These programs will augment our existing programs with Palisade Global, Agoracom, Alpha Stoxx, and Star IR. We are pleased to be working with these companies whose platforms provide content and contact with thousands of investors every day. In early March, to add to our U.S. marketing program and our OTC listing (U.S. Trade Symbol: PAWEF).

NAM has signed contracts with NYC Radio, LLC, Corporate Profile Minute on the Larry Kudlow Show, which is featured on over 150 radio stations coast to coast, and the Ellis Martin Report, which is broadcasted on 100 terrestrial stations in the United States and worldwide via the VoiceAmerica Business Channel.

Warrant Extension

The Company also announces that it will make an application to the TSX Venture Exchange to amend the terms of 7,124,553 (post-consolidated) share purchase warrants, (the “Warrants”) by extending the expiry date and amending the exercise price.

Subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, the original expiry date of March 28, 2018 is proposed to be extended to March 28, 2020 and the original exercise price of $0.15 (post-consolidated) per share is proposed to be amended to $0.20 in the first year and $0.25 in the second year. The terms of each Warrant to be amended will include an accelerated expiry clause, such that the exercise period of the Warrants will be reduced to 30 days if, for any 10 consecutive trading days during the unexpired first year term of the Warrants, the closing price of the Company’s shares is $0.25 or more and during the unexpired second year term of the Warrants, the closing price of the Company’s shares is $0.30 or more. All other terms and conditions will remain the same.

Opt-in List

If you have not done so already, we encourage you to sign up on our website (www.newagemetals.com) to receive our updated news.

ABOUT NAM’S LITHIUM DIVISION

The Company has five pegmatite hosted Lithium Projects in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, located in SE Manitoba. Three of the projects are drill ready. This Pegmatite Field hosts the world class Tanco Pegmatite that has been mined for Tantalum, Cesium and Spodumene (one of the primary Lithium ore minerals) in varying capacities, since 1969. NAM’s Lithium Projects are strategically situated in this prolific Pegmatite Field. Presently, NAM is the largest mineral claim holder for Lithium in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field. On January 15th 2018, NAM announced an agreement with Azincourt Energy Corporation (see News Release: Jan 15, and Feb 22nd, 2018) whereby Azincourt will commit up to $3.85 million dollars in exploration, up to 3 million shares of Azincourt stock to NAM, up to $210,000 in cash, and a 2% net smelter royalty on all 5 projects. Exploration plans for 2018 are currently in progress.

QUALIFIED PERSON

The contents contained herein that relate to Exploration Results or Mineral Resources is based on information compiled, reviewed or prepared by Carey Galeschuk, a consulting geoscientist for New Age Metals. Mr. Galeschuk is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Harry Barr”

Harry G. Barr

Chairman and CEO

For further information on New Age Metals, please contact Paul Poggione, Corporate Development at 613-659-2773, or [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as “continue”, “efforts”, “expect”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “confident”, “intend”, “strategy”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “project”, “goal”, “target”, “prospects”, “optimistic” or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Company’s ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts’ expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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Tetra Bio-Pharma $TBP.ca Announces #FDA Orphan Drug Designation for PPP001 in Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, March 14th, 2018

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  • Announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation to the active ingredients of its PPP001 drug for the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome 
  • FDA Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to drugs intended to treat rare diseases or disorders that affect less than 200,000 people in the USA
  • Gives Tetra a seven-year marketing exclusivity, after drug approval by the FDA

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(March 14, 2018) – Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. (“Tetra” or the “Corporation“) (TSX VENTURE:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to the active ingredients of its PPP001 drug (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol 9.5% and cannabidiol 2.5%) for the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The Orphan Drug Designation was granted for the active moiety of the drug PPP001 and not the formulation.

The FDA Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to drugs intended to treat rare diseases or disorders that affect less than 200,000 people in the USA. This designation gives Tetra a seven-year marketing exclusivity, after drug approval by the FDA, and provides Tetra potential incentives such as access to federal grants and tax credits as well as a waiver of Prescription Drug User Fee Act filing fees.

Tetra successfully completed a placebo-controlled Phase 1a and 1b study of PPP001 in healthy volunteers and demonstrated that PPP001 can be safely consumed. “We are pleased to receive FDA Orphan Drug Designation for PPP001 and we look forward to discussing the clinical program with the US FDA that will be used to demonstrate the safety and efficacy in patients suffering from CRPS,” said Guy Chamberland, M.Sc., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Tetra.

According to the USA National Institute of Health, “complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition that most often affects one limb (arm, leg, hand, or foot) usually after an injury. CRPS is believed to be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the peripheral and central nervous systems. CRPS is characterized by prolonged or excessive pain and changes in skin color, temperature, and/or swelling in the affected area.”

Appointment of a New Director – Tetra also announced the appointment of a new Director, Mr. Benoit Chotard, effective immediately. Mr. Chotard was previously a member of the Board of Directors from September 2016 to July 2017, he left for personal reasons, no longer applicable, and is pleased to come back. “We are glad to welcome back Mr. Chotard to the board and we look forward to working closely with him in building Tetra as a leading biopharmaceutical organization,” said Andre Rancourt, Chairman of Tetra Bio-Pharma. “Mr. Chotard’s tremendous experience as an advisor of publicly listed companies will be a huge addition to our team. His local and international network will be a key factor in the Company’s growth.”

Benoit Chotard is a corporate finance & development executive who has over 20 years of international corporate finance, management and public market expertise. Previously, Mr. Chotard was employed as managing partner at Capital Force United, as President & CEO, and Director of Orletto Capital Inc., Vice-president Corporate Development for Pakit Inc., Senior Vice-president Finance Corporate Development and acting as Chief Financial Officer for CANTRONIC Systems (Canada) Inc., Vice-President Chief Financial Officer of Victhom Human Bionics, and spent eight years as Head of the Technology Investment Group of National Bank Financial Inc.

Mr. Chotard has been a Member of “Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec” since 1989 and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering (1989) and a MBA (1993) from the Université de Sherbrooke.

About PPP001:

PPP001 aims to be the first smokable marihuana for advanced cancer pain under prescription. It is a dried cannabis pellet designed to be smoked in an inhalation device specifically developed for this product. PPP001 is a unique blend of 3 strains of standardized dried cannabis, creating a drug substance with 9.5% THC and 2.5% CBD.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma:

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX VENTURE:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and clinical development. Tetra is focusing on three core business pillars: clinical research, pharmaceutical promotion and retail commercialization of cannabinoid-based products.

More information at: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “may”, “will”, “should”, “continue”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan” or “project” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation’s ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Corporation to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Corporation’s business plan; the success of the Rx Princeps™ product offering and inhalation device; guidance on expected sales volumes associated with the Rx Princeps™ product offering and inhalation device; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, and other risks disclosed in the Corporation’s public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.
Dr. Anne-Sophie Courtois, DVM
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
(438) 899-7575

For media information, please contact:
Daniel Granger
[email protected]
ACJ Communication
O: 1 514 840 7990 / M: 1 514 232 1556

For investors information, please contact:
[email protected]
(438) 504-5784

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INTERVIEW: Star Navigation $SNA.ca Discusses Patented Real-Time Flight Tracking Technology

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:58 AM on Tuesday, March 13th, 2018

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VIDEO: HPQ Silicon $HPQ.ca – Silicon Metal Is THE #Solar Metal $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $NEP

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:48 AM on Monday, March 12th, 2018

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Marijuana Company of America $MCOA Announces the Offical Launch of Benihemp at the ASD Trade Show $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:04 AM on Monday, March 12th, 2018

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  • Announce the official launch of Convenient Hemp Mart, LLC’s “Benihemp” branded CBD products at ASD Market Week,
  • One of the largest business-to-business trade shows in the world.

Escondido, California–(March 12, 2018) – MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. (OTC Pink: MCOA) (“MCOA” or the “Company“), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, is pleased to announce the official launch of Convenient Hemp Mart, LLC’s “Benihemp” branded CBD products at ASD Market Week, one of the largest business-to-business trade shows in the world.

Convenient Hemp Mart has developed a collection of Benihemp branded, sample sized products for consumers including topicals, tinctures, and edibles packaged in 1-day, 2-day, and 30-day supplies. The target markets are convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations and similar types of retail businesses where CBD commerce has a greater likelihood of generating sales from the impulse buyer at the register.

Convenient Hemp Mart is officially launching the Benihemp product line at ASD Market Week (www.asdonline.com) in Las Vegas, NV. ASD is a comprehensive business-to-business trade show for retail merchandise that annually hosts 45,000 buyers from over 90 countries, representing major department stores, convenience stores, gift shops, grocery stores, and other retail stores. Out of the 45,000 attending the show, 98% of the attendees have purchasing power, and the average buyer spends a total of $82,500 on product orders per show. Benihemp will be located in the lower south hall at booth SL2449.

MCOA has invested $100,000 into Benihemp in exchange for a 25% equity stake in Convenient Hemp Mart, LLC.

Donald Steinberg CEO of MCOA stated “Marijuana Company of America is excited for the opportunity to diversify product distribution into retail markets across the country. We believe in the Convenient Hemp Mart team and their ability to successfully launch Benihemp at ASD.”

“We are eagerly looking forward to the unveiling of the Benihemp brand at this ASD Marketplace event. With the ever-growing Convenience store marketplace hitting a new record of over 140 billion dollars in annual sales last year, we believe this is the perfect place to present the first industrial Hemp derived products developed specifically for this market. Our team has worked very diligently for the launch of the Benihemp brand and are all thrilled that it has finally come to life,” said Sam Girges of Benihemp.

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.

MCOA is a corporation which participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name “hempSMART™”, that targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreations use; and, (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry, as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

About Our Benihemp Products Containing CBD
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized CBD as a safe and effective drug for any indication. Our products containing CBD derived from industrial hemp are not marketed or sold based upon claims that their use is safe and effective treatment for any medical condition as drugs or dietary supplements subject to the FDA’s jurisdiction.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as “anticipate”, “seek”, intend”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, or similar phrases may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company’s reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-12G, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

For more information, please visit the Company’s websites at:

MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com
hempSMART.com
NetworkNewsWires/MCOA

Corporate Communications Contact:

NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
[email protected]

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Monarques Gold $MQR.ca announces the closing of a $5 million financing with Ressources Québec $MUX.ca $SII.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:59 AM on Monday, March 12th, 2018

  • Closed a non-brokered private placement of units with the Government of Québec, through the Capital Mines Hydrocarbures fund managed by Ressources Québec;
  • Pursuant to which the Corporation has issued 12,820,513 units priced at $0.39 per unit for total gross proceeds of $5,000,000.

The addition of this strategic investor strengthens the Corporation’s financial position and allows it to accelerate the development of its gold projects

MONTREAL, March 12, 2018 – MONARQUES GOLD CORPORATION (“Monarques” or the “Corporation”) (TSX.V:MQR) (OTCMKTS:MRQRF) (FRANKFURT:MR7) is pleased to announce that it has closed a non-brokered private placement of units with the Government of Québec, through the Capital Mines Hydrocarbures fund managed by Ressources Québec, pursuant to which the Corporation has issued 12,820,513 units priced at $0.39 per unit for total gross proceeds of $5,000,000.

Each unit consists of one common share of the Corporation and one half of a purchase warrant. Each full warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Corporation at a price of $0.45 per common share for a 36-month period following the closing date of the private placement.

“We are proud to have the support of the Government of Québec during this expansion phase for Monarques,” said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarques. “The proceeds of the financing will go towards advancing the multiple projects we have on the go for 2018, including the 50,000-metre drilling program on Beaufor and Croinor Gold, the 43-101 resource estimates on the McKenzie Break and Swanson properties and the establishment of a development strategy for the Wasamac gold deposit, not to mention the other work we have planned to strengthen our presence in the Abitibi area.”

The financing is subject to regulatory approval. The securities issued pursuant to this financing are subject to a four-month hold period plus one day.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “1933 Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold 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) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

ABOUT RESSOURCES QUÉBEC

As a subsidiary of Investissement Québec, Ressources Québec is the gateway for companies seeking to invest in the mining and hydrocarbon industries. Ressources Québec supports resource companies at every stage of their projects, from exploration and development through to processing. It offers a full range of financial products, including investments in share capital, debentures and various types of loans. Ressources Québec focuses on projects that have good return prospects and foster Québec’s economic development. Its role is complementary to private funders.

ABOUT MONARQUES GOLD CORPORATION

Monarques Gold Corp (TSX.V:MQR) is an emerging gold producer focused on pursuing growth through its large portfolio of high-quality projects in the Abitibi mining camp in Quebec, Canada. The Corporation currently owns close to 300 km² of gold properties (see map), including the Beaufor Mine, the Croinor Gold (see video), Wasamac, McKenzie Break and Swanson advanced projects, and the Camflo and Beacon mills, as well as six promising exploration projects. It also offers custom milling services out of its 1,600 tonne-per-day Camflo mill. Monarques enjoys a strong financial position and has more than 150 skilled employees who oversee its operating, development and exploration activities.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Monarques’ actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Monarques Gold Corporation

View original content with multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2018/12/c8147.html

Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer, 1-888-994 4465, [email protected], www.monarquesgold.com; Elisabeth Tremblay, Senior Geologist – Communications Specialist, 1-888-994-4465, [email protected], www.monarquesgold.comCopyright CNW Group 2018

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Namaste $N.ca $NXTTF Announces LOI With Inolife R&D to Conduct a Research Study to Evaluate Needle-Free Injection Technologies for Medical Cannabis $ACB.ca $HIP.ca $WEED.ca $CMED.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:53 AM on Monday, March 12th, 2018

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  • Signed a non-binding LOI with Inolife R&D Inc.
  • To initiate a research study to evaluate applications for Inolife’s proprietary needle-free injectors in the medical cannabis industry

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 – Namaste Technologies Inc. (“Namaste” or the “Company”) (CSE:N) (FRA:M5BQ) (OTCMKTS:NXTTF) is pleased to announce that it has signed a non-binding LOI with Inolife R&D Inc. (“Inolife”), whereby Namaste and Inolife will negotiate the terms of a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) to initiate a research study to evaluate applications for Inolife’s proprietary needle-free injectors in the medical cannabis industry. Under the terms of the LOI and proposed Agreement, Namaste will hold exclusive rights to research and distribute Inolife’s needle-free injection technologies for applications in the cannabis industry. Namaste will also participate in Inolife’s anticipated private placement by acquiring up to 10% of the shares issued under the offering. Inolife will also provide Namaste with the right to acquire up to an additional 10% of the shares issued under the offering at the same price. Additionally, Namaste will purchase up to 10% of the shares issued in connection with Inolife’s go-public transaction for approximately $250,000. Namaste believes that Inolife’s needle-free technologies could revolutionize dosage and administration of cannabis for medical purposes.

The LOI and proposed Agreement represent a strategic initiative for Namaste’s continued effort to offer innovative products to the medical cannabis market. Namaste believes that Inolife’s technology provides the most accurate and efficient method for dosing with medical cannabis. Namaste expects to work within Health Canada’s current and future cannabis regulations, when proceeding towards commercialization of pre-filled needle-free syringes. Namaste expects to commercialize the pre-filled needle-free syringes through its wholly owned subsidiary and late-stage applicant under Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”), Cannmart Inc. The Company also expects to engage with Canadian ACMPR medical cannabis producers to co-brand medical cannabis oil, to be sold and used for applications with Inolife’s technology.

Key Terms of the LOI

  • Namaste will initiate a research study to determine the viability to use Inolife’s needle-free injectors for medical cannabis.
  • Namaste will bear all costs for research and development.
  • Namaste will participate for up to 10% of Inolife’s anticipated private placement and go-public transaction.
  • Namaste will have exclusive rights to distribute Inolife’s products for the purposes of use with medical cannabis.
  • Both parties agree to a 30-day period from the execution date of the LOI to negotiate terms of a definitive agreement and establish a protocol to proceed with a research study.

Management Commentary

Michael Wright, President and CEO of Inolife comments, “We’re very excited about the proposed partnership with Namaste. We feel that Namaste is best positioned to deliver on our strategic plan to become an innovator of delivery systems for the medical cannabis industry. We’re pleased to be the first company, in partnership with Namaste, to explore needle-free device technology in the context of medical cannabis delivery.”

Sean Dollinger, President and CEO of Namaste comments, “We are very pleased to announce this LOI and our expectation of providing research and development of this innovative technology for applications with medical cannabis. We believe that Inolife’s technology could provide the most efficient and accurate method for dosing with medical cannabis. We see a massive opportunity to revolutionize the industry by bringing this exciting technology to the medical cannabis market. We’re delighted to see that industry-leading companies like Inolife are recognizing Namaste for its value in its database, platform and brand.”

About Inolife R&D Inc.
Inolife R&D Inc. is an emerging specialty medical device company focused on developing and commercializing self-administered medical products using novel drug delivery technologies. The company was founded to take advantage of novel techniques of liquid jet and ballistics-based epidermal drug injection that we believe will improve a patient’s quality of life by making medicines easier to self-administer, work better, and remove the anxiety and inconvenience associated with hypodermic needle injections.

About Namaste Technologies Inc.
Namaste is the largest online retailer for medical cannabis delivery systems globally. Namaste distributes vaporizers and smoking accessories through 24 e-commerce sites in 20 countries and with distribution hubs located around the world. Namaste has majority market share in Europe and Australia, with operations in the UK, Canada and Germany and has opened new supply channels into emerging markets including Brazil, Mexico and Chile. Namaste, through its acquisition of Cannmart Inc., a Canadian based late-stage applicant for a medical cannabis distribution license (under the ACMPR Program) is pursuing a new revenue vertical in online retail of medical cannabis in the Canadian market. Namaste intends to leverage its existing database of Canadian medical cannabis consumers, along with its expertise in e-commerce to create an online marketplace for medical cannabis patients, offering a larger variety of product and a better user experience.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

“Sean Dollinger”
Chief Executive Officer
Direct: +1 (786) 389 9771
Email: [email protected]

Further information on Namaste and its products can be accessed through the links below:

namastetechnologies.com
namastevapes.ca
everyonedoesit.ca
namastevaporizers.co.uk
everyonedoesit.co.uk
australianvaporizers.com.au

For more information about Inolife R&D Inc. and its products please visit inolifesciences.com
Michael Wright
President, CEO
Direct: 1-866-834-3777
Email: [email protected]

Forward Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, Namaste assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company’s disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither reviewed nor approved the contents of this press release.

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How corporate learning is undergoing a major transformation in #India #edtech #betterU $BTRU.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:53 AM on Friday, March 9th, 2018
  • Organizations are overhauling how learning is delivered, turning to online learning platforms, to give their employees never-before access to relevant, in-demand skills and technologies
  • A global insurer anticipated that the skillsets for 50% of its jobs would see a sweeping change by 2020

ETtech  |  March 06, 2018, 12:30 IST

By Raghav Gupta, Coursera

A global insurer anticipated that the skillsets for 50% of its jobs would see a sweeping change by 2020. A few months ago, it took the leap to future-proof the company by reimagining how its workforce could stay agile.

Now, picture the same scenario playing out in different industries, at scale. What we are seeing right now is a revolution in corporate learning! Not just globally, but here in India too.

Organizations are overhauling how learning is delivered, turning to online learning platforms, to give their employees never-before access to relevant, in-demand skills and technologies.

In India, companies across banking, financial services, IT, technology, telecom, consumer goods and professional services, amongst many other sectors, are leading this revolution in corporate learning.

Our conversations with industry leaders produced several insights into why companies are reinventing their approach to learning and development. The answer, I believe, lies in three key factors that are powering this massive transformation.

Blink and you miss it! New technologies are evolving at a rapid pace

The first disruptive factor is rapid changes in technology. “The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum and author of The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

His idea that a range of new technologies are impacting everything in our world at exponential speed is something we are already experiencing. Think of the many applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning in our everyday lives – from spam filters in our mailbox, to voice assistants and personalized recommendations when we shop online.

We now know that these emerging technologies are no longer limited to tech or data teams, but have extended to other functions as well – like applications of AI and Data Analytics in HR or Marketing, for example.

This accelerated technology landscape is reshaping the way an organization needs to upskill its workforce and scale. Phenomenal changes in technology have brought on a widening skill gap.

The gap between the rate at which technology is accelerating and the pace at which individuals are upskilling, is increasing. This affects the ability of businesses to catch up, and it is imperative that they quickly start adopting newer technologies to stay competitive.

We have seen this lead to several Indian companies facing a skills crisis today. If you think about it, some of the most sought-after skills in the current job market did not exist 10 or even 5 years ago. It is estimated that anywhere between 30-60% of skills of the future do not exist within the workforce today. Staying agile and responsive will need constant reinvention, retooling and reskilling.

Engaging our young workforce: Meeting aspirations of the millennials

The second factor propelling this shift in corporate learning is millennials and their aspirations. This is a big factor in India where 65% of the population is below 35 years of age.

We know millennials to be tech-savvy, always connected and on the go. The average millennial is expected to change jobs 13-14 times in the course of his / her career.

What we have also seen is that for a majority of them professional development is important, sometimes weighing more than compensation.

Several companies are already taking steps to address the learning aspirations of this demographic. The other day, we were talking to leaders at a relatively new bank in Mumbai. They anticipate that 40% of their young, graduate workforce will consider leaving to pursue higher education (post graduation / MBA) in a year or so.

Their challenge is how to retain this group, while still meeting their learning aspirations and boosting business agility.

Democratizing high-quality education: Enabling workforce development at scale

Which brings me to the third significant factor empowering companies to revolutionize learning.

Till a few years ago, traditional classrooms allowed only a small number of elite students to graduate from the world’s best universities. The problem spilled over to the workplace – for organizations, providing high-quality, personalized learning opportunities to a global workforce was compounded by tremendous content, cost, and scale challenges.

Today, high-quality education has been democratized. Edtech platforms have knocked down barriers like high cost and location constraints, while providing unmatched quality and on-demand, mobile learning. This is enabling millions – including entire organizations – to access top content from leading universities and industry leaders globally.

For enterprises, online learning can be game-changing, equipping the organization to scale and compete in a fast-changing technology landscape. As important is the talent engagement – building a community of lifelong learners within the company.

Employees, meanwhile, get the opportunity to upskill without taking a career break and can access new career paths. To give you a sense of the shift underway, we are already seeing India take the lead – after the US – in the adoption of Coursera for Business, our enterprise learning platform, with our second largest number of enterprise learners being in India.

NASSCOM predicts that the push to reskill and upskill tech workers will translate to 1.5 to 2 million people working on next-gen technologies in India in the next 5 years. With the revolution in corporate learning well underway, organizations have a clear pathway available to get there.

(Raghav Gupta is India Country Director for Coursera. Views expressed above are his own)

Source: https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/how-corporate-learning-is-undergoing-a-major-transformation-in-india/63173754

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Inside the Explosive Growth of Pro Gaming on a Smartphone $KUU.ca $GMBL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:20 AM on Friday, March 9th, 2018

  • Tencent, one of the largest internet and tech companies in the world, Arena of Valor is based on one of the most downloaded apps in the world
  • Last month they announced that they’ll be hosting the Arena of Valor World Cup in Los Angeles, putting up a bold $500,000 prize-pool

Michael “FlashX” Valore discovered his love for Vainglory in rehab. After a lengthy flirtation with professional DOTA in college, he was abandoning that dream for a career in the Marine Corps – which meant that he had to deal with a nagging leg injury he sustained playing soccer. Every day, he’d set up on a stationary bike at the gym with his iPad mounted carefully in front of him. “I’d go for three to four hours a day,” says Valore. “If you spend that much time playing something, you’re gonna get really good at it.”

Tencent is one of the largest internet and tech companies in the world, Arena of Valor is based on one of the most downloaded apps in the world

This was back in 2015, when Vainglory was crawling out of its lengthy development cycle to debut on iPhone and Android. Valore was an early adopter, and easily capable of transmuting all of his PC ability to the touchscreen. It’s a classic esports origin story: he and two friends broke ground on an upstart team called Ardent Alliance, and entered one of the very first Vainglory competitive events. They expected to wash out immediately, but instead they blazed through the qualifiers and secured a trip to the finals in South Korea. Suddenly, the exclusivity of the upper echelon of pro gaming didn’t seem so opaque, and Valore found himself with a legitimate career in a game he adored. Within months, Ardent Alliance was picked up by Team SoloMid – one the largest esports organizations in America – and they were off to the races. “I quit my job. I was working in sales at the time,” says Valore. “I’ve been playing full-time ever since.”

For years, Vainglory was the only major esport in mobile games. It’s independently published and developed by the (mordantly named) Super Evil Megacorp, who themselves are made up of industry veterans with longstanding backgrounds developing on PC. The idea, says CEO Kristian Segerstrale, was to bring an “uncompromising” competitive experience to the cellphone – nurturing the belief that this platform was made for more than just polychromatic matching puzzles and catapulting birds.

They did this by creating a stripped down MOBA; two teams of three duke it out on a single lane, with abilities and movement all controlled on the touchscreen. I have been to several Vainglory tournaments, and the way they both mirror and diverge from what you’re used to at traditional PC LAN events is surreal. The gameplay itself remains strong, tactile, and technical, but the players are extremely young, even for esports standards. Middle schoolers, high schoolers, from 14 to 16, negotiating their phones with profound native grace. There’s no starker representation of the generation gap in gaming – you and I might prefer a mouse and keyboard, but our cribs weren’t stocked with tablets.

Last month, Super Evil MegaCorp unveiled the long-gestating 5v5 mode for Vainglory, which widens the game’s scope into a more recognizable MOBA, with three lanes and heavier emphasis on team play. Segerstrale talks about the change as an obvious evolution. “We’ve been working on it since we started the company,” he tells me. “We went with 3v3 initially for two reasons. The gamer culture at the time was just Candy Crush. Going from that to a MOBA felt like a very large leap. … The second thing was the tech. We’ve been optimizing the engine to use every piece of processing power that these devices have to bring out a 5v5 experience. For us it was a really natural extension.”

He’s right. Vainglory always felt like a product that was going to evolve over time – free-to-play phone games are nothing if not extremely opportunistic. But there’s a crucial element that Segerstrale leaves out. In a shockingly short amount of time, mobile esports has become one of the most cutthroat sectors in the games industry, and for the first time ever, Vainglory’s place at the top of the mountain is under siege. Nothing captures this moment better than a GIF that rocketed to the top of the Vainglory subreddit shortly after the release of the 5v5 module. The Super Evil MegaCorp logo is embossed over the head of Mirai Nagasu, the first American figure skater to land a triple axel in competition. As she twists in the air, the edge of her pearly skate destroys the superimposed insignias of Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, and Heroes Evolved – three other mobile MOBAs currently tearing up the app store. It’s a silly meme, of course, but it cuts to the anxiety paramount in those within the community. In 2018, cellphone software is just as divisive as the console wars. Why did Vainglory go 5v5? Because it made for a more holistic experience, because it opened more design space, because phone hardware is more powerful. That’s all true. It’s also true that the games getting dunked on in that GIF were already offering a 5v5 mode, and Super Evil Megacorp is trying to stay ahead of the pack.

“There are a lot of diehard Vainglory fans. Even when DOTA and League first came out, everyone in the DOTA community – myself included – hated League of Legends, because it was a copycat,” explains Valore. “Vainglory has been the only game in this space, but within the last six months to a year, you’ve seen other games released. We take a lot of pride in Vainglory … That’s where those memes come from, and I’m definitely guilty of making one or two myself.”

Arena of Valor

The biggest threat, (and the biggest player at the table,) is Arena of Valor. In China, Arena of Valor debuted under the name Kings of Glory on the marketplace as a faithful, rock-solid League of Legends-style MOBA back in 2015, and since then it’s emerged as the most profitable free-to-play app in the world, hosting 80 million daily players, and 200 million monthly active players according to the South China Morning Post. The game is so insanely popular that it’s actually summoned the ire of the Chinese Communist Party, which has enforced municipal play restrictions for juvenile gamers – one hour for kids under 12, two hours for kids from 12 to 18.

A lot of Arena of Valor’s success can be chalked up to its publisher. Tencent is a massive, multinational conglomerate with fingerprints all over the Chinese internet. Their biggest asset is WeChat, the instant messaging service with over 980 million users, which fills in the gap that Facebook and Google left behind after the Communist Party censored those services. Last November, Tencent was valued at over $500 billion, officially surpassing Facebook. The company’s massive reach helped make Arena of Valor so ubiquitous, and over the past two years, they’ve enacted a long campaign to bring the game to foreign markets. First to Vietnam, then Indonesia, then Europe, and just before Christmas last year, to iOS and Android in the United States.

Tencent aren’t messing around about this expansion. Last month they announced that they’ll be hosting the Arena of Valor World Cup in Los Angeles, putting up a bold $500,000 prize-pool. As the Esports Observer points out, that money laps the highest purse Super Evil Megacorp has gathered for Vainglory, which was $150,000 at the World Championship last year. Already, Arena of Valor has seduced major esports companies like Team Liquid and SK Gaming to sign rosters. That might seem premature, but Tencent’s reputation precedes them. This company is directly responsible for publishing and distributing League of Legends in China, and according to an insider who works there, their ultimate goal is for Arena of Valor to mirror that same success.

“We don’t feel that [PC esports and mobile esports] different platforms are rivals, but rather that the two complement each other. The biggest value in mobile is convenience – you can play Arena of Valor anywhere, anytime in short bursts on your phone,” he says. “With that in mind, there is great potential for mobile games as an esports platform, and the accessibility and convenience of being able to get good or ‘train’ for competition makes it easy for the general playing field to offer up new challengers as more people become confident in their skills. We feel this element of what makes Arena of Valor special will lead to a lot more people being involved at a local or regional, or even international level, who would never have otherwise considered entering a tournament.”

When I asked him how he thinks Arena of Valor stacks up against games like Vainglory, his response was short and to the point: “We strongly feel that Arena of Valor stands alone in the space of mobile MOBA gameplay and is the most polished, most fun and best-in-class offering available for a competitive game on the mobile device.”

I wouldn’t say that po-player Michael Valore feels threatened by Arena of Valor, but he does get a little prickly when that game is compared to Vainglory. The easiest parallel to understand the dynamic might be the cold war between DOTA 2 and League of Legends fans. There’s a longstanding snobby belief among Valve lifers that high-level DOTA 2 play is elementally more complex and more beautiful than high-level League. How true that is depends on your own mileage, but that’s the stance the Vainglory community has taken as other games have moved into the space. “Now that Vainglory is 5v5, I truly don’t think, objectively, people can say that those other games are better than what Vainglory brings,” says Valore.

Segerstrale, predictably, is very diplomatic when I ask him about the newly crowded field in mobile esports. “Gamers are naturally tribal. Gaming is an outlet for our hunter-gatherer homosapien brains. So we take all of this stuff as an encouraging sign that the overall expectations of mobile games is growing,” he says. “From our perspective, we go out of our way to respect every other game, and every other game community out there, because making multiplayer games is hard. We need to build this industry together. … because we have the most powerful engine in the market, and because people are passionate about our deep strategies, we hope that people gravitate to our game, but that doesn’t mean that we are the only experience around.”

Vainglory certainly does have the benefit of an ingrained, grassroots base of players, but still, you have to feel for an independent company like Super Evil Megacorp, who’s suddenly been injected into a rivalry with a real-life Super Evil Megacorp like Tencent. To say that this isn’t a fair fight would be a huge understatement. Segerstrale speaks like someone who truly isn’t concerned, but Valore is willing to be a bit more candid with some of his hangups. “They gotta get [Vainglory’s] name out there, so that people know they have choices between all the other MOBAs,” he says, when I ask him what he thinks Super Evil needs to do over the next few years. “Tencent is a huge billion dollar company, it’s very easy for them to throw money at tournaments, and throw money at advertisements. But if Super Evil spends a lot of time on their marketing and advertising so that any player interested in mobile MOBAs know they have a choice, that will do wonders.”

Skillz

I haven’t detailed Mobile Legends and Heroes Evolved, the other two titles named in that triple-axel meme, mostly because they’re minor players. In fact, Mobile Legends first and only claim to fame is getting sued by Riot for copyright infringement, (and as DOT Esports writer Aaron Mickunas points out, it’s not hard to see why.) Both of those games are working the same MOBA gimmick, but they have neither the loyal bedrock of Vainglory, or the bottomless resources of Arena of Valor. I would like to pretend that the esports economy is kind, and will happily concede room for a meritocracy of enterprises, but there’s a graveyard of failed MOBAs who tried to take a bite of the League apple over the past five years. It’s hard to imagine that the same fate won’t await those buying into the mobile space.

However, there is one company that’s trying something different. Skillz is the passion project of Andrew Paradise, a man who had already made a fortune in the online commerce industry. Like Super Evil Megacorp and Tencent, the company is in the business of mobile esports, but the scope of the project is far different. Skillz isn’t trying to build another grim MOBA. Instead, they’re hosting cash tournaments for a bevy of flotsam on the app store; Candy Crush doppelgangers, index-finger billiards, public-access mahjong variants. Everything your mom loves, now with stakes.

You can consider Skillz as more of a blanket service, rather than a specific game. They partner with mobile giants like Zynga and Ilyon and port tournament software directly into their infrastructure. Now, when you go play something like Strike! Real Money Bowling on your phone, you can buy into brackets for as little as a dollar. Paradise says they’ve actually nurtured a community of professionals; imagine that, mastering the physics of touchscreen ten-pin as a full-time job – like stay-at-home dads who struck it big playing fantasy football.

“In 2015, the top electronic bowler on their phone was the fifth highest earning bowler in the world – both online and offline,” says Paradise. “They’re doing stuff we didn’t anticipate, like dripping candle wax onto their phone and scraping it off with a razor blade to better their grip.”

The ethos of Skillz is similar to Vainglory and Arena of Valor, but Paradise is going a step further. He’s betting that someday everyone, literally everyone, will participate in esports – not just stubbly 18-year olds in snapbacks and springy black gaming chairs. I have no reason to doubt him. Phones are changing the ways we think about the games industry at an unprecedented clip, who’s to say that won’t touch esports? Who’s to say the culture isn’t changing right below our feet?

“We are competitive by nature. It’s so fundamental to being human. Whether you’re the world’s best Candy Crush player or the world’s best Vainglory player, the ability to show that skillset and compete with your peers across the world [is valuable,]” says Paradise. “The question is who’s gonna crack the code for games like Candy Crush? Who’s going to create a player competitive experience and a spectator experience? Whether it’s one kind of content or another kind of content, that just changes the kind of audience that’s engaging in it.”

Frankly, the most radical thinking in esports is happening in the mobile industry. For they’re the only ones imagining a future where everyone with a phone and a few minutes on the train can be training for the big leagues. Imagine that, competitive gaming as easy as breathing, free at last from the feeding frenzy, whether you’re matching three or chasing down a pentakill.

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/vainglory-arena-of-valor-esports-w517459

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Star Navigation $SNA.ca Remembers MH370

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 8th, 2018

Sna

  • March 8th will mark four years since the disappearance of MH370
  • Aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER with 239 souls onboard, operated by Malaysia Airlines, was one of the most modern aircraft flying at the time and was en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing

TORONTO, March 08, 2018 – Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE:SNA) (OTCQB:SNAVF) (CSE:SNA.CN) (“Star” or the “Company”).

March 8th will mark four years since the disappearance of MH370. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER with 239 souls onboard, operated by Malaysia Airlines, was one of the most modern aircraft flying at the time and was en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The aircraft disappeared after apparently veering away from its flight path and no one has yet been able to explain what happened or where the Boeing ended its flight. There have been theories and speculation on what happened, but none have been substantiated to date.

The official search, conducted by Malaysia, Australia and China over a period of almost 3 years, was finally called off. Scattered pieces of aircraft debris have been found scattered far away from the initial search zone of 120,000 Sq. Km. A new extended search zone of more than 25,000 sq km, will soon be searched by a private company.

Following the loss of MH370, as well as, Air France flight AF447 in 2009, Star worked with several regulatory Authorities, including the French BEA and the ad-hoc aviation working-groups from the ITU and ICAO, on developing connectivity, advanced tracking and data safe retrieval.

INDUSTRY FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT TRACKING PROVISIONS

Star successfully demonstrated its ability to track and monitor aircraft, even in remote and trans-oceanic areas.  In March, 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted new aircraft tracking provisions designed to gradually take effect by 2021. These provisions include a requirement that aircraft carry a device that can autonomously transmit its location every minute during emergency circumstances, as well as enhancing the ability to recover and make available aircraft recorded data in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, as of this solemn anniversary, the commercial aerospace industry has yet to implement  aircraft tracking technology  that would provide operators, authorities and the public the means necessary to both track the route followed by distressed  aircraft and the health of its critical systems and to effect a prompt rescue or recovery.

STAR NAVIGATION STANDS READY TO DELIVER

Star Navigation stands ready to deliver its patented technology solution now. Star has proven its ability to provide immediate location information of any aircraft in the world  and critical data  with respect to events aboard the aircraft prior to an incident.

The Star solution is independent from the crew and tamper proof. Information transfer is via satellite, encrypted and secure.

The Star solution is not only affordable, it provides significant ROI through savings generated by features ranging from stricter fuel management to more effective preventive maintenance.

The families of the MH370 passengers and crew and future families who are destined to suffer the same fate and anguish until solutions are implemented, deserve more. It is our hope and mission that the human cost of tragedies such as MH370 will be mitigated through the use of currently available technology.

About Star Navigation:

Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. owns the exclusive worldwide license to its proprietary, patented In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS®, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. ® System. Its real-time capability of tracking performance trends and predicting incident-occurrence enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator.

Stars’ M.M.I. Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide. These displays are found on aircraft and simulators, from P-3 Orion and C-130 aircraft, to Sikorsky and AgustaWestland helicopters, as examples.

Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “expected” and similar expressions, as they relate to Star or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Star’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause Star’s actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Star does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release.

Please visit www.star-navigation.com or

Viraf S. Kapadia, (416) 252-2889 Ext. 230

[email protected]

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