Author: ajbweb

For the first time, Alexa users can now hear ALL their messages and email read aloud.

Amazon’s Alexa has become a household name. The world’s most popular virtual assistant is getting smarter every day, and now with Amazon Echo Auto, it’s in your car too. 

“In today’s highly connected world, messaging in the form of emails, texts, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and work channels like Slack, are integral to our daily routine.” says Barrie Arnold, Co-Founder & CRO at ping. 

“Distracted driving is responsible for more than 25% of car crashes and thousands of preventable fatalities every year.” 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could ask Alexa to read your messages when checking your phone is dangerous and illegal – like driving, or simply inconvenient – like cooking or working with your hands. Now you can. 

ping, a specialist in voice technology, has developed a powerful new Alexa skill as a companion to its patented smartphone app, that enables the reading aloud of any message type. Designed for safety, productivity and convenience, “pingloud” is the first skill of its kind for keeping users connected when they need a hand or an extra pair of eyes.

“The ping Alexa skill is specifically designed to help drivers stay off their phones while giving them exactly what they want – access to their messages.” says Garin Toren, ping’s Founder & CEO. 

Opening up Alexa to developers has resulted in an explosion of new skills available either for free or for a fee that unlocks premium services or features. These powerful tools magnify the usefulness of your Alexa device beyond the common tasks like asking for the weather, playing a favorite music artist or requesting help on a homework assignment. According to App Annie the most downloaded apps in 2019 were Facebook Messenger, Facebook’s main app and WhatsApp, highlighting the importance of messaging. 

Once you’ve signed up for ping, it takes a few seconds to link with Alexa, enabling all your messages and emails to be read aloud by your smart speaker or Echo Auto device. Simply say, “Hey Alexa, open pingloud.” ping links your account to your voice profile so unauthorized users with access to your Alexa cannot ask for your messages.“The ping Android app is available worldwide from the Google Pay Store, reading all messages out loud in 30 languages. The iOS version is in global beta testing with the US launch coming very soon,” according to Toren.

All major message types are supported including Texts/SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Snapchat, Slack, Telegram, Twitter DM’s, Instagram and all email types. Promotional and social emails are not read by default.

About ping: “The future is voice.”

ping is patented, cross platform voice technology that allows users to hear all their messages and email read aloud, when touching their device is dangerous, illegal (driving) or inconvenient. Optional software-only telematics provides drivers, parents, fleets and auto insurers with extensive driving behavior analysis and reporting. The platform is also available as a white label app and SDK. www.pingloud.com

Press enquiries: +1 917 622 9900

Bounty Films is excited to announce the he global release of The Set, the world’s first mainstream Queer film. Unavailable for over 50 years, it will now be available via Prime Video, Google Play, Yahoo Movies and Vimeo and on DVD via Amazon Prime on the 21st of February.

‘Reeling from his girlfriend’s sexual past, the sensitive Paul Lawrence (SEAN MYERS, Stork) runs off to Sydney in the hopes of attending art school. What he signs up to instead would end up shocking the nation! Paul becomes the protégé of decadent designer Marie Rosefield (BRENDA SENDERS, The Girl From Tomorrow) and through her, enters THE SET, the sensual and seductive world of the Sydney art scene. 

Swimming through this utopia of flamboyant men, camp queens and fierce sissies, Paul quickly begins exploring his own sexuality. Commissioned to work to a top stage director, he succumbs to the charms of the handsome Tony Brown (ROD MULLINAR, Breaker Morant), who is also going out with Paul’s cousin, Kim (BRONWYN BARBER). Although love finds a way through this thorny predicament, things soon turn violent for the young artist. Paul’s not the only one having a sexual awakening though. Elsewhere, his Aunty Peg (Logie award winner, HAZEL PHILLIPS), bored with her husband, is on the hunt for a BIG BROWN BOY, and she’ll do anything to quench her thirst!’ 

Based on the novel by iconic Australian actor, ROGER WARD (Max Mad), The Set shocked and thrilled Australian audiences upon its initial release with its frank depiction of sex and nudity. More than just titillation, The Set challenged traditional notions of sexuality and gender, and depicted a progressive Australia where same-sex relationships were considered equal. Although a box office success, The Set was a critical failure and fell into obscurity for 50 years! Until now… 

Bounty Films is extremely proud to bring this important film screaming back into the public conscience via VOD and a deluxe 2-disc release packed with HOURS of bonus content, including Roger Ward’s original novel. Stream Now Prime Video: https://bit.ly/primese.

Exhibitors at the 13th edition of the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) exhibition in Dubai see bright business prospects in the Middle East, as schools throughout the region look to enhance their competitiveness by adopting innovative solutions and latest technologies.

Business owners say the many public and private sector initiatives undertaken during the past few years – such as establishing quality assurance authorities, building guidelines, and encouraging technology-driven education and smart initiatives, among others – have all combined to help improve the quality of education.

In addition, exhibitors welcome having a platform such as GESS, where they can meet key decision-makers from a burgeoning education market and who are increasingly allocating budgets to acquire a wide range of products and solutions.

“We’ve worked very hard to set up this platform where companies can explore new or enhance existing business by connecting them with the right people. Our key buyers programme has been the conduit through which we have made this happen, and we are glad that exhibitors are finding the right audience at the event,” said Sarah Palmer, Marketing and Conference Director, Tarsus, organisers of the event.

For his part, Eng. Mohammad S. Almadani, Chief Executive Officer of Classera Middle East, said GESS Dubai is an important part of their expansion strategy in this part of the world. “We are here with the mission to transform the education by using technology in close cooperation with ministries of education in the region. It is the most significant show for us, not just in the UAE, but throughout the whole Middle East.”

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the US-based company has local offices in Jeddah, Oman, Cairo, and Dubai. “Classera has the biggest market share of K-12 using its smart learning solutions in the Middle East,” Almadani said.

Dr. John Collick, Head of International Education Strategy at Promethean, said, “We established business in the Middle East many years ago. We see a significant year on year growth of our company and expect a huge opportunity in developmental projects in the region which is why we participate in GESS Dubai.”

The company already has projects in the region. Last year, the global education technology provider had been appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Education as a strategic partner to enhance teaching digitally and learning throughout the country. The partnership will see the Promethean ActivPanel upgrade 26,000 existing school classrooms and installed in new ‘Intelligent Classrooms’, which will be constructed over the next three years to bolster the country’s education provision.

Besides the UAE, education suppliers are also setting their sights on opportunities now opening up in Saudi Arabia. Representatives from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority shared updates on the kingdom’s education-focused initiatives at the event, saying deals have been closed and licenses issued to several prominent education institutions, such as GEMS Education, Kaplan, Astrolabs and Education First, among many others.

Seven more deals are in the pipeline with US- and UK-based institutions, with an expected combined capital investment of over $1bn to be poured into Saudi Arabia’s education sector.

Support for small businesses

For the past few years, GESS has become the go-to platform for education start-ups keen to showcase their products to a growing market. Face-Up Co-Founder & COO David Spunar said, “The feedback is good, we received a good number of enquiries and hope to get the right partner in the region.”

Launched three years ago, FaceUp is a web and mobile platform through which students can anonymously report bullying and other issues their peers are facing to their school counselors.

Touch Education is another start-up from Lebanon. Its Chief Executive Officer Moussa Sweidan said, “In a world of rapid change, young people need the right mix of skills to thrive. Although academic skills are important, they are not sufficient to foster thoughtful, productive and engaged citizens.”

Robotics is a solution by Touch Education, a forerunner in education technology. The Robotics programme has been developed as a result of collaborative innovation within the renowned education sector.

She said, “In Lebanon, we have many schools using our products. We are focusing on KG students. Every group works with one robot.”

The three-day education conference and exhibition recently concluded at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It was held in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Education and also supported by the Ministry of Education Bahrain, Ministry of Education Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States (ABEGS), British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) as Knowledge Partner.

“We are delighted to see another successful edition of GESS Dubai. The aim of the event is to help improve educational services in the region by providing a platform to share knowledge and best practice as well as key products and solutions that will improve the delivery of education across classrooms in the region,” added Palmer, who announced that a special GESS Leaders in Education Edtech Summit will be held in Dubai on October 6-7 later this year, hosted by the Middle East School Leadership Conference, and designed specifically for educators who directly influence purchasing as well as school owners who direct strategy and training in the edtech sphere.

The GESS exhibition and conference returns to Dubai on March 2-4, 2021 at DWTC.

Renowned Irish rock solo artist Dar.Ra is at it again and this time with a release which fans have been hoping for with the release of his new EP ‘Whiskey n Honey’ which features “The Lights Dark Night Remix’ plus an addition remix of the title track, ‘Neon Fantasy’ remix.

Dar.Ra known for his rock anthems and recent hit album ‘New Kinda Normal’ has recently been making a push towards a new EDM style combining both the rock music and EDM genres to create something truly unique to the artist, allowing for the creation of the style he calls Rock Step. The combination of genres is already proving itself to be a hit with Dar.Ra’s dedicated fan base and following having countless streams and shares across all of the major social media sites by fans of both EDM and rock music.

The EP kicks off with the Title track ‘Whiskey n Honey’ which is a soulful Gothic ballad and tells a tale of a guy that gives up his life in pursuit of a neon fantasy, fast love and temporary highs and exchanged for a loving family who he leaves behind. The tale ultimately ends in the subject’s demise through a realization that everything he does is hollow and meaningless. The track has a David Bowie feel about it, with echoes of Robert Fripp type guitars that you hear in the Fashion and Fame classics.

“The Lights Dark Night Remix” also features alongside the title track and has an EDM style running through its veins and also comes with an official lyric video that has already proven to be a huge success and a benchmark in the artists career as we head forward into the year 2020 with full force.

Followers can keep up to date with Dar.Ra on his various social media accounts as he creates new sounds of rock and EDM inspired music which is guaranteed to be unique and fresh for listeners this year in 2020.

The brand new EP Whisky n Honey by Dar.Ra along with the official lyric videos, are both now available to stream online via Youtube.

MEDIA CONTACT:
http://www.kushadeep.co.uk

Jason DeGeorge Releases masterful blues cover “Nothing At All”

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Renowned instrumental guitarist Jason DeGeorge, who is best known for his work with Country sensation Leanne Weiss and recently touring with Kenny Rodgers, has unveiled a riveting version of the Ben Harper/Charlie Musselwhite’s blues hit “Nothing At All” that Harper has hailed as “A masterful cover.” Available on all digital platforms, the single is the first from a collection of songs 

Describing the track as a “super passionate instrumental interpretation of the original,” DeGeorge’s version has already amassed attraction after Harper featured the single and video on his official Facebook page last week. The single features DeGeorge on guitar, piano and organ as well as Bassist Mike Klemish and Drummer Chris Badami, who also produced, engineered and mixed the song at Portrait Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ. It was mastered by Grammy® Award Winning Engineer Ted Jensen (Norah Jones, Green Day, Guns N’ Roses) at Sterling Sound in Nashville, TN. 

According to DeGeorge, his version of “Nothing At All” shows a much more intimate side and one that he says is the “most expressive melody [he’s] played on guitar.” 

“Fans of mine will hear a more bluesy, elegant, version of my guitar playing,” he explains. “That is easy when playing a masterfully well written song by Ben Harper. I’m honored to have paid him a tribute in my own way!”

The original version of the song was written and recorded by Harper and iconic blues harpist Musselwhite in 2018 for their collaborative album No Mercy In This Land. Hailed as “heartfelt and contemplative” (American Songwriter), DeGeorge says the song immediately resonated with him and he knew he wanted to cover it as it was not a “typical guitar song.” 

“Ben Harper is such an amazing songwriter. The feel and performance of the original version of the song just stuck with me,” he said. “The melody would stay in my head. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my connection to this song wasn’t just as a listener. I wanted to play this song. In my own way.” 

To promote the song, DeGeorge unveiled a video which he was centered around “the concept of self-reflection”. Directed and produced by Laura Desantis-Olsson of LDO Photography, the video depicts a myriad of scenes of self-reflection including DeGeorge playing, a mother with a child and a soldier with his daughter. To view the video, visit https://youtu.be/3bsqHEDG4fU. 

DeGeorge has studied with such guitar greats as:

Vic Juris, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ron McClure, Pat Cerello and many more and been featured on multiple national recordings, including Lauren Marsh’s “Dear Love,” which aired on the hit show “NCIS: New Orleans”.

For more information about Jason DeGeorge visit wwww.JasonDeGeorge.com or on Instagram at @Jasondegeorge or Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JasonDeGeorgeMusic/.

Pop Singer & songwriter DAYVID will be releasing his new single, “Spinning Bottles,” on January 17, 2020. “Spinning Bottles,” produced by Grammy-Nominated producer Morgan Taylor Reid, is a follow up to DAYVID’s popular single, “Wasted Luv,” from his self-titled EP that was released in October 2019. “Spinning Bottles” is the first single from a forthcoming album scheduled for release late this year. 

DAVYID’s last single, “Wasted Luv,” was praised by critics and listeners around the world. Upon its release in September 2019, the single became #4 on All Access Music Top 40/Mainstream Cool Music Chart and has enjoyed Top 40 radio play in major markets across the US, as well as Sirius XM.  DAYVID was also recently named one of Music Connection Magazine’s “Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2019.” 

“Spinning Bottles” is co-written by DAYVID and Reid. The single was mixed by DJ Swivel and mastered by Chris Gehringer. “Spinning Bottles” is released by DAYVID Music with AWAL as the global distributor.

“The song was written as I reflected on a low period in my life when I was depressed as I was dealing with some difficult relationships. I used spinning bottles as a metaphor for the way I was trapped in a cycle of taking the blame, then realizing that it wasn’t my fault. I learned that there are situations I can’t control (they are “outta my hands”), so it is destructive to keep thinking about things I should let go,” says DAYVID. DAYVID goes on to say, “I brought the concept and a portion of the chorus to my collaborator and producer. He loved it, and the entire song poured out within an hour.”

Producer Reid’s prior hailed offerings include Marshmello, Jack & Jack, and CHROMEO.

“Spinning Bottles” will be available on all streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/xcV0gtDhEQ0

ABOUT DAYVID

22-year-old singer and songwriter DAYVID is a San Diego native.  As a child he sang in a church choir, and in high school began dissecting popular music to understand its construction. At 16, he began commuting to Los Angeles to find a path into the music industry and soon found success writing music for artists including Fedde le Grand and Navarra.  At 18, DAYVID moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time music career. Wanting to remain independent, he assembled his own music team of collaborators, and released his debut single “Sure of Me” in Fall 2018. He began a collaboration with Grammy-nominated Morgan Taylor Reid soon after, which spawned the well-reviewed single “VHS” in Spring 2019 and his debut EP (DAYVID), including his successful single “Wasted Luv.”

Believeland musical artist Ben Ryan Metzger has released his new martial arts dance music video for Star Trek Picard.

Ben wrote, composed, and performed all the vocals on this incredibly inspirational pop rock opera track inspired by the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart, master engineered by 13 time Grammy Winner Mike Makowski, and produced by Space Jam Slam phenom Chris Adams.With deeply powerful vocals and soaring high falsettos Ben showcases his amazing voice reminiscent of Elvis Presley and Andrea Bocelli engaging into maximum warp with an Axel Rose flare.

Often compared to Michael Jackson and Bruce Lee, Ben strives to solidify his own unique identity as an artist in this epic music video passionately dancing freestyle and spinning like a sharknado across the dance floor while wielding two Klingon bat’leth’s! As a lifelong figure of peace and justice Ben always expresses his philosophy of fighting with love and only uses his martial artistry to inspire and entertain. 

Experience the extraordinary power to envision all humanity working together lovingly to build our strongest future in Ben Ryan Metzger’s dynamic music video. Make It So!

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/0W5ikwJj4gc

Turf Feeding Systems has developed a new High Yield Growing System™ (HYGS) for Greenhouse and row crop farming, which produces over 80% of the vegetables for the world food markets.

Food production and food security is critical for any country and vegetable production is an important segment.   The new HYGS combines new water treatment technologies and probiotic biology to produce nutrient rich (sweet) irrigation water to increase the efficiency of irrigation and grow plants faster at less cost. This will increase crop production up to 50%.

Michael Chaplinsky, the president of Turf Feeding Systems states, “Our new HYGS is revolutionary combining our fertigation system with MagTek water treatment and other technologies to turbocharge the irrigation water with nutrients and grow plants  as fast as an enclosed hydroponic system, but without cost of the exotic hydroponic system.

Our new H5000 is one of our special packaged HYGS for greenhouse up to ten hectares or an irrigated row crop up to 50 hectares.  Photo Attached

We can add our HYGS to any greenhouse or irrigated row crop and it can grow plants as fast as an exotic hydroponic system.  For an irrigated row crop farm we can create “Open Field Hydroponics” with high yield and lower costs.

Chaplinsky continues, “We have been in the fertigation business for over 30 years and the HYGS is our new Supercharges Fertigation system to help the greenhouse grower and row crop farmers increase their crop production and reduce costs.  We have small HYGS for small greenhouse growers and small rural family farmers, which make up 70% of world farms, and large systems for multi-house greenhouses and row crop farms over 200 hectares.”

Turf Feeding Systems is a fertigation manufacturer in Texas that produces fertigation system for horticulture and agriculture as well as other markets like golf, sports and landscapes.  It has produced fertigation systems for over 30 years and ships worldwide.

Michael Chaplinsky concludes, “We offer the best high-quality affordable fertigation systems for horticulture and agriculture and I am personally focused helping the rural family farmers of the world become more efficient and profitable.”

Bio:

Michael Chaplinsky is the president/founder of Turf Feeding Systems, Inc. a Texas company that manufactures in packaged fertigation systems for agriculture, horticulture, sports, golf and landscapes worldwide for over 30 years. He is an expert in water and soil quality and health as well as irrigation, fertilizers and horticulture and agriculture.

He speaks and lectures worldwide at agriculture and irrigation conferences, and consults on several large international agriculture projects.

His passion, interest and work is to help the rural family farmers worldwide to become more efficient, more self-sustainable, more profitable and more independent from the chemical traders and chemical industry. 

Contact Info:

Turf Feeding Systems, Inc. 19915 Morton Rd., Suite 200, Katy, Texas 77449

Tele +1 832 321 3311

email mc@turffeeding.com  

website  www.turffeeding.com 

WASHINGTON, DC – IAM Magazine, a publication that focuses on intellectual property (IP) from the business perspective, produced a list of the Top 10 Patent Market Developments of 2019. Among the events listed was the recent settlement of Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig client, Advanced Codec Technologies (ACT), a United States licensing company or US Non-Practicing Entity (NPE), headed by Beijing partner Erick Robinson. This case became one of the largest patent litigation settlements in the history of China, and certainly the highest for an NPE.  

Erick Robinson explained that this case “proved to be great for the Chinese patent enforcement system, which over the past few years has emerged as a top patent litigation forum.”  

The case involved six patent lawsuits that were filed in the Nanjing Intermediate Court for ACT against Xiaomi, a cell-phone production company in China, in early 2019. At issue were six standard-essential video compression patents. This settlement involved costs in the high seven figures in US currency.

IAM Magazine determined this case as noteworthy because the patent owner was a United States NPE asserting in China, against a large Chinese-domestic company and received a win. Not only that, but this is a case in which an American company is litigating against a Chinese company amid a massive trade war between the US and China.  

Additionally there was the fact that these patents were standard-essential patents, which typically are complex to litigate and require more time both pre- and post-filing. Just to add to the magnitude of this case, all the patents were nearing their expiration date meaning that there was no threat of an injunction: it was about money damages only.    

To learn more about Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, their areas of expertise, and their philanthropic efforts, please visit them online at www.dbllawyers.com.  

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig – Dunlap Bennet & Ludwig is a veteran-owned law firm with a local presence and global knowledge that boasts over 75 attorneys who are licensed to practice in over 40 states and multiple countries outside of the United States.

DBL prides themselves on prioritizing and caring for their clients, not only offering a full array of business and estate legal services, but – more importantly – by establishing and investing in long-term relationships with the individuals and businesses which they represent.

Future Moons’ debut single ‘Entangled’ is a gripping, affecting experience, straight away establishing the band as one of the more unique, riveting sounds in alternative rock.

Their haunting, vocal-heavy arrangement invokes the dark, sullen stylings of artists like Billie Eilish yet at the same time, they double down on the emotional awareness, each word tinged with the weight of a thousand sentiments. The lyrics of the song detail a passionate connection with a loved one, and the physical expressions that accompany such a spirit. Lead singer Kota Wade’s voice shines through, as her refrain ‘close to you’ echoes between the walls. The production of the song is brilliant: each breath is accentuated, the high notes are allowed to soar high and the guitar in the background is delivered in a vibey and entrancing manner.

Wade’s vocal performance is a highlight in and of itself, its strength rising above the solemn rhythms pursued by the guitar. That is hardly surprising, considering the singer participated in the reality competition program The Voice, where she performed under Gwen Stefani’s team. She is not only a phenomenal singer, having garnered praise by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine and Rihanna amongst others; she has earned over 60 million views on her make-up and fashion Youtube channel Steamfaerie, affiliated with Disney Digital.

Watch the music video here: https://youtu.be/4Q2OPc2Sj2Y

Wade already has an established fanbase, so the band would hope that their debut EP will be received well across the board. It is set to be released in the spring of 2020 and will consist of four songs, each based on a season of the year. Previously the band was called Bad Wolf but they have reset their style, sound, and name ahead of their upcoming EP, and now will attempt to break through all the platforms with their measured,thrilling alternative sound. Wade, speaking on the background behind ‘Entangled’ says:

“I wanted the mood to be melancholy, yet romantic, so you felt invested in the love story playing out, and soon it was  brought to life between Tommy and I performing and producing everything ourselves.”

Coda Wade