Latest news with #XSpace
Business Insider
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The Sandbox Launches Largest LAND Sale to Date on GBM Auctions
Over 110 LANDs and 220 avatars go live in the metaverse's most IP-rich auction to date, all powered by GBM's Win-Win protocol. The Sandbox, the leading social gaming metaverse, is partnering exclusively once again, with GBM Auctions to launch its largest set of auctions for LAND to date. The drop includes 110 LANDs (including 4 Estates exclusive to this sale) and 220 branded avatars across 22 IPs, all distributed via GBM Auctions' Win-Win auction protocol. In a first for The Sandbox, auctions will precede its own platform sale, highlighting a shift in how LAND is brought to market and underscoring GBM's role as the auction layer for Web3-native asset distribution. A Fairer and More Transparent Way to Buy LAND Traditional NFT sales often reward speed or capital, using first-come-first-serve mechanics or gas wars. GBM's Win-Win model changes the experience by rewarding every participant rather than just the final buyer. With GBM's Win-Win auction model, even outbid participants are rewarded. Every bid: Is fully refunded if outbid Comes with an incentive reward based on auction mechanics Contributes to true, onchain price discovery The Win-Win model flips the typical auction dynamic on its head. Instead of punishing latecomers or smaller bidders, it turns participation itself into a value-generating act, transforming auctions from winner-takes-all battles into high-engagement, trustless events where every bid matters and every bidder benefits. 'We're thrilled to bring this expanded LAND auction to our community for the Training Grounds LAND sale through GBM. Their Win-Win Auction model offers a new, gamified way for people to enter the ecosystem and build the metaverse with us. ' - Cédric Neumann, The Sandbox NFT Sales Director 'This is the biggest LAND and avatar sale we've hosted with The Sandbox, and a blueprint for how branded assets should be distributed in the open metaverse.' - Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM What's in the Drop The auction will feature 80 regular LANDs, 26 premium LANDs, and four estates, including three 3x3 plots and one 6x6 estate; the estates are exclusively available through GBM and not sold on The Sandbox's platform. In addition to the LAND, this drop includes 220 avatars from 22 different brands, with 10 avatars per brand available via auction. Participating IPs include well-known names like Cirque du Soleil, with more to be revealed during the campaign. Timeline and Activation The Sandbox and GBM kicked off proceedings by co-host a live X Space on 14 July, featuring NFT Sales Director Cédric Neumann, Stream Product Owner PandaPops, and GBM Co-Founder Hugo McDonaugh, who discussed the drop and how the Win-Win auction model works. Users can check out the recording of the Spaces here. The X Space was followed by The Sandbox's blog post and email campaign to its whole community base. The auctions officially went live on 15 July at 2:00 PM UTC and is running for seven days, closing on 22 July. All auctions are primary listings only; assets aren't available through open marketplaces or secondary resale during this campaign. Why This Drop Matters This is the first time The Sandbox is leading with auctions before launching the public sale on its own platform, a shift from its typical sales sequence. Estates included in this drop are also exclusively available via GBM, making them inaccessible through any other marketplace or channel. With avatars and LANDs from more than 20 brands, this is one of the most multi-dimensional and IP-rich activations to date. Powered by GBM's protocol-native incentive system, the drop ensures every bidder receives value, not just the final winner. How to Join the Auction To view and participate in the auctions, once live, users can visit: All auctions will use GBM's Win-Win model, ensuring every bid counts, and every participant receives value, even if they're outbid. About GBM Auctions GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3. GBM has powered over $200M in volume and distributed more than $6M in rewards to date. About The Sandbox The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and more. The Sandbox leverages web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both players and creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Attack on Titan, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, users can visit and follow the regular updates on Twitter, Medium, and Discord. Disclaimer - The GBM token is a utility token for participation in the GBM ecosystem. It is not an investment, security, or financial product. Participation in the GBM IDO does not guarantee profits or returns.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rainmaker CEO To Speak Publicly Amid Cloud Seeding Scrutiny Over Texas Floods
As Texans reel from one of the deadliest natural disasters in state history, the CEO of a weather modification company at the center of growing public suspicion is preparing to face questions in a live forum. Augustus Doricko, CEO of Rainmaker Technology Corporation, will appear in a live X Space hosted by conservative commentator @Amuse to respond to scrutiny surrounding a cloud seeding mission his company conducted two days before catastrophic floods swept through the Texas Hill Country on July 4. Rainmaker confirmed it flew a 20-minute cloud seeding mission on July 2 over Karnes County, located southeast of the flood zone. The operation targeted two clouds that reportedly dissipated later that afternoon. No further flights were conducted before the floods began. Doricko said Rainmaker suspended all operations the same day, citing compliance with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) safety criteria. Still, the timing has fueled rampant speculation online. Critics want to know: could the July 2 flight — however brief or distant — have influenced the deadly storm system that followed? Veteran Houston meteorologist Travis Herzog weighed in this week, calling the theory scientifically unfounded. 'Cloud seeding cannot create a storm of this magnitude or size. In fact, cloud seeding cannot even create a single cloud,' Herzog said. 'All it can do is take an existing cloud and enhance the rainfall by up to 20% — and even that is on the high end.' He compared the theory to blowing out a candle and assuming one could extinguish a wildfire. 'It is a matter of scale,' he said. Herzog, who grew up near the Texas Hill Country and studied meteorology at Texas A&M, emphasized that catastrophic flash floods are not new to the region, referencing similar disasters in 1987, 2002, and 2015. He attributed the July 4 event to a stalled mesoscale convective vortex fueled by remnant tropical moisture, not cloud seeding. 'We want to make sense of this tragedy,' Herzog wrote. 'And we never want to see it happen again.' The flood dumped more than 18 inches of rain in some areas, triggering a surge on the Guadalupe River that peaked at 34.29 feet, inundating homes, camps, and low-water crossings. Rainmaker has released flight logs and meteorological analysis showing no operations after July 2. The company says it welcomes scrutiny and followed all state guidelines, noting it stood down before the National Weather Service issued any watches or warnings. Now, Doricko says he's ready to address critics directly.
The Citizen
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Entrepreneurship thrives when youth gain vocational skills early
TVET improvements focus on practical assessments and relevant math and science to prepare youth for trades and entrepreneurship. Economist Dawie Roodt set the cat among the pigeons recently when he said many public universities should be converted into colleges that produce skills the economy needs. Only 10% of young people should go to university, he said, adding that the greater economic need is for artisans. It can easily be argued that in some respects technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is failing young South Africans, just as it would be correct to say academic education is the wrong choice for others. Stigma One of apartheid's many indignities was inferior technical and vocational training for black South Africans. Ironically, the reason the stigma needs to be broken is to break the economic shackles that bind young people, and it's been done elsewhere in Africa: Many Mauritians have technical and vocational qualifications and the government invests heavily in this sector. Economic growth in Mauritius was 4.7% last year. Kenya has numerous TVET institutions, with a growing emphasis on public-private partnerships and the recognition of informal prior learning. Economic growth was 4.7% last year. Ghana has reformed its TVET sector and prioritised competency-based training in key skills needed in the large informal sector. Economic growth was 5.7% last year. Rwanda has linked its TVET system to the needs of the informal economy and seen a significant increase in TVET enrolment. Economic growth was 6.9% last year. ALSO READ: Higher Education and Nsfas vow action amid Durban student protests In South Africa, where economic growth was 0.6% last year, moves to improve the impact of TVET include the introduction of qualifications that place greater emphasis on practical skills. Vijayen Naidoo, CEO of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, told a recent X Space discussion, hosted by Kagiso Trust, that instead of writing four theoretical exams at each level, students would have an assessment that tests their theoretical and practical skills. Importantly, only the 'appropriate level' of maths and science to practise a trade would be required, not a matric pass. Key steps Panellist Rodney Mokoena studied entrepreneurship at a TVET college, then launched the Global Application Office, which supports students as they apply for university and TVET places. He said those with skills were well placed to find employment. It's a sentiment that was high on the agenda at an event flowing from SA's 2025 presidency of the G20: the Future of Jobs Summit in Joburg last month. ALSO READ: Frustration mounts as higher education websites remain offline for days The person named at the summit as the 2025 Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year was someone whose business was built on vocational skills. As a schoolboy, Sheldon Tatchell started cutting hair on a stoep in Eldorado Park. All he had was clippers and a chair. Today, he has more than 70 Legends barber shops in five African countries. Speaking recently at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Tatchell highlighted the power of vocational education. In October, delegates at last month's summit will table their Future of Job Creation Report with the Presidency, parliament, and the 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities. There is no doubt TVET will emerge as a prominent part of their strategy, making the report a milestone in giving vocational training the status it deserves.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Week in AI: Mary Meeker Drops 340 Slides on the Revolution
Today's article and video will focus on just one-fifth of what you'll get in our new X Space around noon Eastern every Friday. I'll share that link further rapid-fire show, co-hosted by my colleague Ethan Feller, is where we each give you our Top Six events, reveals, and innovations of the AI revolution -- from just the past few days!That's how fast things are moving right Meeker's Monster Slide DeckThe bulk of the video that accompanies this article goes over a dozen graphs and datapoints produced by the infamous Bond Capital research team in their annual Trends report.I rely primarily on a great X thread by Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, which summarizes his "Top 10 Points for B2B and enterprise founders." He can be found on X @jasonlk and SaaStr is the world's largest community of SaaS (software as a service) executives, founders, and wrote "Mary Meeker has been doing extremely well researched, deep analyses of internet trends since the earliest days the web took off. First at Morgan Stanley, then at Kleiner Perkins, and since then, at her own growth VC fund, Bond Capital."In the video, I run through Jason's top 10 picks and I also highlight another excellent thread by a VC at Menlo Ventures, who goes by Deedy @deedydas on pulls out 20 graphs and datapoints from the Meeker/Bond report and the bottom line is that these two guys make it easy: they read the report we probably never would have and give us useful intel from it at our Week in AI is Live on X, But Also RecordedIf you come live or catch the recording of our X Space -- Friday's at NOON Eastern -- you'll also see me put all these links in the comments section of the Space so you can easily access them.I keep a separate Bookmarks folder for this show, but it's getting so full I might have to make a separate one for each of full, all of our brains are overloaded with news and noise about stocks and technology, that it's easy to lose sight of the big trends and the I also do a cool thought experiment at the end of today's Would You Put on the Mount Rushmore of Physics?First, I review my February info-graphic that explains why I believe we are 5 years into the 5th Industrial I share an X post where a physicist created a beautiful AI rendition of Mt. Rushmore with four great physicists: Galileo, Newton, Einstein, and he also asks us if we would do it any different. I had to chime in, and as much I dig me some Feynman, he had to step down for someone who even Einstein would probably vote for: James Clerk Maxwell, who did key research and calculus on electromagnetism and its wave functions in the point of this thought experiment is to get us to think about the AI revolution in the same way the electrical one changed the world five generations AI is transforming the world even faster, it's the big trend and signal we want to stay focused on. It's why I've taught my fellow investors in TAZR Trader to always hold, and never sell, our NVIDIA NVDA shares that we last purchased at $12.50 in late I just wrote an article about the European industrial company ABB ABBNY which is making plans to spin-off its robotics division. In that article, I share "big trend" insights from Marc Andreessen about the robotics revolution because he's closer to it than I thought as an investor in Tesla's TSLA Optimus platform.I suggest that the ABB spin-off next year will "chart a path" for the dozens of start-up humanoid robot companies all vying for funding and sure to watch the video above and try to join us in the X Space today, or at least catch the replay which is available immediately. I'll be addressing one skeptic's views of the "AI hype" that make him sound like the detractors of automobiles and airplanes at the turn of the 20th Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report ABB Ltd (ABBNY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
News18
23-05-2025
- News18
WhatsApp Now Lets You Start Voice Chat For Groups Of All Sizes: Here's What It Means
Last Updated: WhatsApp Group voice chats have been available but only if you have many members, now that feature is open to all group sizes. WhatsApp Groups have supported voice chats as long as there are plenty of members in it but now the messaging app is removing those limits and making it available for the smaller groups as well. Voice chats were a fad with apps like Clubhouse raking the mileage for a brief time and now WhatsApp is offering the feature to a wider audience. WhatsApp is bringing the new Group feature to both Android and iOS users over the coming days. WhatsApp Voice Chat For Small Groups: How It Works WhatsApp is calling the new update a new audio hangout, as it effectively let's small group of members on the messaging app start a voice conversation similar to a personal podcast. WhatsApp also mentions that starting a voice chat will not notify or ring anyone (the user) which makes it easy to join or leave the hangout whenever they want to. advetisement The platform is also keeping the voice chat pinned to the bottom of your chat so you can easily access call controls, while new members can join when they want and see who else has already. The update brings features that X Space and Clubhouse have offered with their respective platforms, now coming to WhatsApp. So how can you start these voice chats in WhatsApp Group? You just have to go to the bottom of your chat, swipe up from the chat box and hold it for a few seconds to activate the voice chat in the group. We got to try out the feature on WhatsApp running on our Android phone and it is already working for groups with 3 members, and you can start a voice chat easily by following the steps mentioned here. Why Now? WhatsApp doesn't say why it needed this feature rolling out now but it does assure that like all the chats, calls and media files, the voice chats are also protected by end-to-end encryption by default. First Published:
