Teams “Yadrava na Vanua” from Fiji and “Not Basic” from New Zealand win the Grand Prizes for Space Challenge

  • : SpaceBase Limited
  • : 18/02/2022

  • Christchurch—18 February 2022. 

    Yadrava na Vanua (Environment Watch) from Suva, Fiji won the Grand Prize today for the Space for Planet Earth Challenge.

    Their project focused on integrating satellite data on land cover types across Fiji with ground truth measurements, and refining the carbon sequestration data with machine learning analysis of high resolution satellite images from Planet to generate international standard levels of measurements, reporting, and verification of carbon stocks.

    Separately, “Not Basic” from Newlands College, Wellington, New Zealand, won the Grand Prize at the High School level. Their work featured using machine learning analysis of satellite data to predict the conditions leading to coral bleaching as detected within the Allen Coral Atlas with Planet satellite data.

    Six teams from New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji competed in demo sessions with a panel of judges, then a Pitch presentation to a live online audience. The winners are awarded cash prizes of $30,000 and $10,000 each, satellite data from company Planet, and mentorship from SpaceBase.  Additionally the High School team will receive scholarships from the US Based MMAARS Academy to attend their Level 1 Virtual Mars Programme.

    “The presentations that I’ve seen were so amazing…and I was blown away by the ideas and the ability that they’ve shown…Planet is so proud to be part of this competition,” Dr. Tanya Harrison, Director of Strategic Innovation for Planet and a Finals Judge for the competition, said at the event.

    The winners were selected by judges from Planet, the U.S. Embassy to New Zealand, Pacific GIS and Remote Sensing Council, Rocket Lab, Callaghan Innovation, ChristchurchNZ, Callaghan Innovation, and Consegna.cloud.

    The awards were presented by the NZ Space Agency and the U.S. Embassy. 

    “I’ve been extremely impressed with the sophistication of the solutions that have been developed, by the approach of looking for different data sources to incorporate into those solutions, to reaching out to other organisations, establishing partnerships to make this more effective, and the quality of the presentations,” said Dimitri Geidelberg, Principal Advisor to the Agency.

    The Challenge was the brainchild of SpaceBase founders who leverage incentive prizes and space technologies to catalyse innovation while solving tough problems in the region.  “Already, we see the Challenge as pushing the teams to accelerate their research and create opportunities they may not otherwise have been able to realise.” said Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, CEO of SpaceBase. “We think this is only the beginning for these climate change focused innovations, and we hope to continue to support these teams in their progress over the coming months and years.”

    For more information about the Challenge and the Winners, go to spaceforearth.org

    The Challenge is made possible by a partnership between SpaceBase Limited and Planet.  Sponsors include the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand, K1W1, NZ Space Agency, ChristchurchNZ, Consegna.cloud, Clare Foundation, Greenlight Ventures, Namaste Foundation, Engineering Dreams, MMAARS Academy, and Christchurch City Council.

    SpaceBase Limited is a New Zealand based education and consulting social enterprise, whose mission is to democratise access to space for everyone. SpaceBase is creating equal opportunity to leverage space technologies to solve problems on Earth, by catalysing space ecosystems in developing and emerging countries, starting in New Zealand.  Since its incorporation in 2017, it has collaborated with economic development agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups to deliver over 100 educational presentations and workshops; two national space and aerospace competitions, as well as helping birth space communities and organisations locally and globally. SpaceBase created a platform for the NZ Aerospace Directory and a free course, Catalysing a Space Industry in Your Region, for anyone interested in creating a local space industry. SpaceBase is also the NZ Ambassador for the International Space University. 

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  • : Emeline Dulce M Paat-Dahlstrom
  • : CEO
  • : emeline@spacebase.co
  • : 0224021936
  • : https://spacebase.co
  • https://twitter.com/SpaceBaseNZ + https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpaceBaseNZ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/13643678/admin/

OP-ED: Asylum for Assange – How the NZ government can lead the way home for the world’s highest profile political prisoner

  • : Aotearoa 4 Assange
  • :

  • OP-ED by Greg Barns SC and Craig Tuck – Human Rights lawyers from Australia and New Zealand.

    Julian Assange is facing politically motivated criminal charges, laid by the Trump Administration. These charges reflect an abuse of process, designed to silence Assange, and to gag media freedom. Assange’s case has profound implications for the right of the public to know the truth about government wrongdoing – particularly abroad.  In late October a court in London heard argument in an appeal by the US against a decision in January this year by Judge Vanessa Baraitser not extradite Assange.

    New Zealand – as a responsible member of the international community – must stand on the side of fairness and transparency by offering Assange asylum.

    While the legal process continues Assange is being kept in limbo: held in Belmarsh prison while he awaits a decision as to whether he will be deported from the UK to the United States where he faces 175 years in prison for alleged breaches of espionage laws. The evidence against him concerns the publication in 2010 and 2011 of materials (including a chilling video showing US troops killing civilians in Iraq) about the US and its allies’ tactics and war crimes there and in Afghanistan. We now know that in 2017 CIA wanted to “take him out”, or kill him, according to revelations published by Yahoo News.

    The essence of the case can be summarised this way: Assange, an Australian citizen, is being prosecuted by the United States for speaking truth to power (by providing a window into nefarious activities of the military industrial complex). His motivation was the pursuit of transparency, justice, and ultimately peace.

    These pursuits are central to the job of any journalist. In publishing this material, Julian Assange was doing his job – as a journalist and as a citizen. However, he has been cast adrift by the Australian government, despite it professing to be committed to values like freedom of speech and a free media. This refusal by Canberra to speak frankly to its number one friend in Washington and demand the end of the persecution of its citizen Assange provides an opportunity for New Zealand. The opportunity to uphold the human rights values which are at stake here and use its renowned independence and sense of principle to support Assange.

    New Zealand has built its reputation as being at the forefront of human rights advancement, dignity and responsible citizenship – it is trusted internationally as being fair (and kind). It is in many respects a diplomatic powerhouse able to achieve agreements and navigate contentious political waters when others can’t.

    Assange has always stated “The goal is justice, the method is transparency . . . . If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.” This is a totally consistent position with New Zealand’s stance on peaceful diplomacy, from Nuclear Free NZ, to the successful ‘Soldiers Without Guns’ peace mission in Bougainville.

    The other reason for New Zealand involving itself in the Assange case is because of the extraordinarily dangerous precedent this case sets for journalists anywhere in the world. By way of background, the Obama administration initially declined to prosecute Assange due to what it called the “New York Times problem”—the dilemma of indicting Assange for the very same kind of investigative journalism that mainstream media practices. However under President Trump the Justice Department indicted Assange under espionage legislation.

    No media outlet or journalist has ever been successfully prosecuted under the espionage laws Act for publishing truthful information in the public interest, which is protected by the First Amendment.

    But the message from the US to all journalists and citizens, no matter where in the world they are, is if you publish material which Washington wishes to keep secret then you can be the subject of an extradition request.

    The Assange case is not simply a bilateral issue between the US and UK or the US and Australia. It is about critical democratic values being put at risk by a dominant world power. On this basis it is time for New Zealand, with its respected voice on human rights to make a stand.

    New Zealand has long established relationships with the US, UK and Australia. The persecution and plots of assassination against a South Pacific journalist for revealing war crimes, demands a clear response. New Zealand can use its position as a small principled nation to stand for its values and offer Julian Assange asylum.

    —

    NOTE: This OP-ED is released for general non-exclusive publication and is authorised by Greg Barns SC and Craig Tuck – Human Rights lawyers from Australia and New Zealand.

  • Assange - DEA
  • : Greg Barnes SC
  • : Human Rights Lawyer
  • : republicone@outlook.com
  • : 61419691846
  • https://a4a.nz | https://twitter.com/A4Assange | https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/ | https://www.facebook.com/groups/365743181272821

PODCAST: Covid-19 & Melanesian Instability with Buchanan + Manning + Dr David Robie

PODCAST: Buchanan + Manning on Cyber-Attacks and the Evolution of Hybrid Warfare

Alimetry Leaves Stealth Mode to Announce CE Mark on New Wearable Medical Device for Gastric Diseases and Investment

  • : Alimetry Ltd
  • : 16/04/2021

  • Alimetry, a digital healthcare and diagnostic devices start-up, announced today that it has achieved CE Mark for its first product, a pioneering medical device for enabling diagnosis of gastric diseases.

    The new wearable product, called Gastric Alimetry, is positioned to transform the diagnostic pathway for millions of patients worldwide suffering from diseases such as functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis and chronic nausea and vomiting. Gastric symptoms are extremely prevalent and impart a vast burden, affecting around 10% of the global population. The Gastric Alimetry device collects data by non-invasively sensing the activity of the stomach from the body surface. The data is sent to the cloud for analysis, and is used by clinicians to determine the causes of gastric symptoms and direct treatment.

    Co-Founder and CEO Professor Greg O’Grady said “As clinicians, we lack the tools we need to reliably diagnose gastric disorders.  This contributes greatly to the frustration and suffering of our patients.  I was driven to this cause by seeing too many patients go through laborious, invasive and expensive rounds of repeat diagnostic testing, only to end up with inconclusive results and confusion. We invented Gastric Alimetry to help address this need. I am immensely proud of our hard-working team who have delivered an incredibly creative solution with outstanding potential to impact patient care.”

    In addition to successfully achieving CE mark for the Gastric Alimetry product, enabling the company to start commercializing the medical device in European countries, Alimetry also announced today that it had achieved the ISO 13485 international quality management system accreditation. As it grows global operations, the company has enhanced its executive team with new appointments. Hanie Yee joined the company as Chief Operating Officer, from her previous role as Clinical Business Lead at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, and Professor Chris Andrews, a leading gastroenterologist from Canada, has joined Alimetry as Chief Medical Officer.

    Alimetry has been the culmination of over a decade of award-winning scientific research out of The University of Auckland, backed by scientific grants from the New Zealand Health Research Council and the US National Institutes of Health, followed by Callaghan Innovation funding. To support the next phase of growth, the company completed its first institutional investment round, led by IP Group, a leading international intellectual property commercialisation company. The investment round was supported by UniServices Ltd (via the University of Auckland’s Inventors’ Fund), and Matū, a New Zealand early-stage science and deep-tech venture capital fund.  The capital raised by Alimetry will be used to advance the company’s clinical trials, enter the market, and progress regulatory approval in the United States.

    The Managing Director of IP Group Australia, Dr Michael Molinari, said “We are excited to be working with Professor O’Grady and the world-class team at Alimetry to provide a step change in the quality of life for millions of patients with gastric disorders. This technology, at the intersection of multiple exponentially growing fields such as wearable medical devices, digital health, and machine-learning assisted diagnostics, is another great example of the breakthrough innovations coming from our partners at the University of Auckland”.

    About Alimetry

    Alimetry was founded in 2019 as a spin-out company from the University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. The company was founded on a background of world-leading science in gastrointestinal diseases.  Alimetry is dedicated to improving the lives of patients by delivering innovative medical solutions to advance GI diagnostics and enable targeted therapies. www.alimetry.com

    About IP Group

    IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation company focused on evolving great ideas from its partner universities into world-changing businesses. The Group pioneered a unique approach to developing these ideas and the resulting businesses by providing access to business building expertise, capital, scientific insight, and the supporting infrastructure. In Australia and New Zealand, IP Group works in close partnership with the Go8 Universities and the University of Auckland to identify ground-breaking technologies, rooted in hard science, which have the most promising commercial potential. IP Group, which is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol IPO, has a strong track record of success and its portfolio comprises holdings in early stage to mature businesses across life sciences and technology.

    Discover more at www.ipgroupanz.com

    About The University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund.  The University of Auckland Inventors Fund is an evergreen, open-ended $20 million investment fund owned and managed by Auckland UniServices Limited, the commercial company for The University of Auckland.  The Inventors’ Fund provides seed-capital for ventures started out of the University of Auckland.  www.uniservices.co.nz

    About Matū Fund. Matū is a venture capital fund investing in early-stage science and deep technology commercialisation from education and research institutions and the private sector. As an open and evergreen fund, Matū takes a long-term investment view and is aimed at turning ground-breaking ideas into globally focused, IP-rich companies. Matū provides intelligent capital with active governance, executive management, operational support, and mentorship for founding and executive teams.  www.matu.co.nz

    Released images (png format):

    Alimetry Reader

    Alimetry System Light

    Alimetry System on Body

    Contact Information:

    Hanie Yee, Chief Operating Officer

    E: hanie@alimetry.com

    M: +64 (0) 21 651 226

    Social Media:

    Twitter: @alimetry_ltd

  • Alimetry_Reader_Light
  • : Hanie Yee
  • : Chief Operating Officer
  • : hanie@alimetry.com
  • : 6421651226
  • : https://alimetry.com/
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/alimetry-ltd/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

DEEPENING STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UBC AND PIONEERING DECENTRALISED PLATFORM, MANYONE

  • : Manyone
  • : 15/04/2021

  • Vancouver, Canada – April 15th, 2021 – Manyone, a pioneering technology venture in decentralization and digital identity, is delighted to announce that 2021 marks the second year of the strategic collaboration between Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation and the Blockchain@UBC research cluster at the University of British Columbia.

    This academic-industry partnership is one of the first to critically assess the feasibility of decentralized social media, explore engineering possibilities and configure the privacy and security implications of self-ownership of social media data.

    Blockchain@UBC Graduate researchers gain research opportunities at Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation by applying for grants from MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex System), a Canadian non-profit research organization that fosters cross-sector collaboration and develops talents for the innovation ecosystem in Canada. 

    In the next year, UBC researchers will identify technical requirements for decentralized identities, design new system architecture, and explore the value and business models for blockchain-based identity management.

    Chang Lu, Research Manager at Blockchain@UBC states that, “Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation offer an inspiring space for our students to sharpen their knowledge about blockchain. Their vision of decentralized social media represents a paradigm shift in the world of social networks. We are grateful that we can contribute to the shift”.

    Michael Cholod CEO at Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation comments, “As a Vancouver based pioneering enterprise, we value the opportunity to work with academics and researchers in Canada to identify the social and organizational impact of decentralized identity and determine the privacy and security implications of self-ownership of social media data. The academics at UBC help us in understanding the bigger picture and how to look for real world solutions.”

    Dr. Victoria Lemieux, Blockchain@UBC Co-Lead and Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Information, further adds that, “We’re excited to delve further into both the technological and policy ramifications of Manyone’s vision of securing digital data free from manipulation or distortion and to support technical and social innovation in Canada”.

    Manyone, with offices in Vancouver, Canada and Stockholm, Sweden is launching the world’s first decentralised secure messaging and identity sharing platform in April 2021.

  • : https://vimeo.com/497354494/e980b7ee5e
  • : https://www.buzzsprout.com/995260/8076641-hot-topix-facebook-falling-down-under
  • : MICHAEL CHOLOD
  • : CEO
  • : INFO@MANYONE.LONE
  • : 16048361112
  • : https://manyone.one
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/manyoneapp/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

PIONEERING DECENTRALISED SECURE MESSAGING PLATFORM MANYONE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON CENTRE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

  • : Manyone Inc.
  • : 25/02/2021

  • Vancouver, Canada – February 25th, 2021 – Manyone Inc., a pioneering technology venture in decentralization and digital identity, is delighted to announce that it has entered into a new strategic relationship with the globally renowned University College London (UCL) Centre Blockchain Technology (CBT).

    This partnership will support research conducted by UCL CBT’s Senior Research Associate, Dr Geoffrey Goodell, to explore and evaluate end-user technology systems, infrastructure, business imperatives, and regulatory policy to support the privacy, dignity, and market power of individual persons in the emerging digital economy. The research is aimed at identifying the requirements and approaches for systems whose features specifically support the advancement of truly consensual trust relationships, the empowerment of local communities, and the public interest.

    Vancouver-based Manyone believes in empowering solutions and technologies with the potential to produce a new, distributed internet where everyone can feel safe, secure and in control of their digital identity.

    Dr Paolo Tasca, Founder and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, notes that, “On behalf of UCL and the Centre for Blockchain Technologies, I am delighted to begin our new partnership with international industry partners Peer Social Foundation and Manyone. We are grateful for their support and recognition of the impactful research being done to meet our shared ambitions. Thanks to their generosity we will continue our proud tradition of enabling academic research with real-world application.”

    Michael Cholod CEO at Manyone and Executive Director of The Peer Social Foundation comments, “As a dedicated group of decentralists, our teams look to find ways to free communication from manipulation and control by protecting individual, business or governmental digital identities. Part of that mission is to work with the most respected and knowledgeable people in the field. The team at UCL represent some of the best thinkers in the area and we’re honoured to work with them.”

    Dr Geoffrey Goodell, Senior Research Associate at UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, specifically ads that, “The funding from The Peer Social Foundation and Manyone will provide vital resource to explore and evaluate user-controlled identity management, decentralised social networks, and tokenisation as vehicle for authorisation without identification. Our partnership will support the advancement of trusted relationships in the digital economy, the empowerment of local communities for the benefit of public interest. I am excited to deepen our collaboration and share our insights.”

    Manyone, with offices in Vancouver, Canada and Stockholm, Sweden are looking to launch the first decentralised secure messaging solution by Mid-2021.

    ——————————–

    Manyone is a pioneering technology venture that aims to deliver private secure networks and private digital identities, to increase personal and enterprise productivity and digital security. Manyone actively works with The Peer Social Foundation on education and research into topics of interest to consumers and enterprise. The Peer Social Foundation and Manyone believe in empowering a distributed internet where everyone can feel in control of their digital identity. They do this by delivering a self-sovereign digital identity and decentralized communication and sharing platform for enterprise and consumers. A critical component of this is to work beside and support vital education, R&D and the open-source community to connect people, business.

    Find out more here: www.manyone.one  http://blockchain.cs.ucl.ac.uk/

  • : Michael Cholod
  • : Chief Executive Decentralist
  • : info@manyone.one
  • : 16048361112
  • : https://manyone.one
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/manyoneapp/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

Entrepreneur challenges business owners to help save the environment

  • : Paste & Publish
  • : 24/02/2021

  • Paste & Publish, a New Zealand based content marketing agency announced today that they are setting aside 5% of revenue to provide pro bono work to selected environmental projects that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford professional help.

    Paste & Publish Founder, Callum Armstrong, says that this commitment is important because our natural world is in a state of crisis.

    “I believe that it is our responsibility as business owners to help create the future we want to leave for our children.

    There’s no silver bullet in the fight against climate change, but every little bit of help makes a difference,” says Armstrong.

    “That’s why we have built philanthropy into our business model – to ensure that as we grow, so does our positive impact on the planet.”

    The first project that will receive support from their 5% pledge is The Reforestation Fund. This fund, which is set to launch later in the year, provides sustainable and ethical brands with a way to help the environment as part of their offering.

    Companies who support The Reforestation Fund donate a small amount from every sale on selected products, and are allowed to display the fund’s endorsement in return. Money raised is used to help community projects that plant native forests and support groups that look after our native plants and wildlife.

    The Reforestation Fund co-founder, Anna Wentsch, says that people are looking for ways to support the environment, and that the services provided by Paste & Publish will empower TRF to make it easy for people to do just that.

    “We are extremely grateful for the support that Paste & Publish is providing by designing our brand identity and rebuilding our website.

    This will set up the foundations for us to connect people and companies with our natural world,” says Wentsch.

    Armstrong says that companies who design philanthropy into their everyday operations experience a wide range of benefits. They often see higher rates of customer retention and trust, happier staff who know they are doing good in the world, increased sales and less reliance on price based competition.

    About Paste & Publish

    Based in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, Paste & Publish provides content marketing services to companies that want to grow. They help brands to attract their ideal customers by creating high value strategic content, and using sales funnels to convert them into paying clients. To find out more, visit www.pasteandpublish.com.

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  • : Callum Armstrong
  • : Managing Director
  • : callum@pasteandpublish.com
  • : 642102671022
  • : https://www.pasteandpublish.com
  • https://www.facebook.com/pasteandpublish | https://www.instagram.com/pasteandpublish | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71003381

NewzEngine extends service to cover media in Australia and the Pacific

  • : NewzEngine
  • :

  • NewzEngine.com, an online service that enables companies, organisations and individuals to write and distribute press releases, is extending its reach to include media in Australia and the Pacific Region, as well as New Zealand.

    NewzEngine CEO Sarah Putt says the ability to distribute releases to media outlets outside New Zealand is an exciting milestone for the company.

    “As with the New Zealand service, the media outlets are segmented, to ensure that press releases are distributed to the most appropriate outlet. We actively encourage our clients to think carefully about what region/sector to select to ensure their information goes to the most relevant media.”

    In Australia, locations are divided into the five states and two mainland territories, with clients also able to choose media in the business, education, politics and technology sectors. Two areas of the Pacific Region are also covered – Melanesia (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and West Papua), and Polynesia (Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu).

    NewzEngine is also a great way for Australian and Pacific-based newsmakers to reach New Zealand media.

    The purpose of NewzEngine is to provide companies, organisations, and individuals with the ability to send professional communications about their activities, products and services in a way that is easy, effective and cost-efficient.

    Cin7, a technology company that is a pioneer in cloud-based inventory management software (IMS) and point of sale (POS) solutions, is a regular user of the NewzEngine service.

    “We have found NewzEngine to be extremely helpful in getting our message out to relevant media and, by extension, the wider market. From major investment announcements to new senior appointments in our business, it’s proving to be a very useful service,” says Cin7 CEO David Leach.

    Press releases are created through NewzEngine’s platform, then quality-checked by an experienced editor before being distributed to a network of journalists and editors. In addition, press releases are sent to global newswires via the MIL-OSI network (a New Zealand-based open source intelligence company), which include Dow Jones Factiva, LexisNexis, Contify, Thomson Reuters, Newscycle, NewsBank USA, Comtex News Network, Emes, and Gale.

    Organisations can subscribe to NewzEngine.com as a monthly or annual service or send a one-off press release. For more details, visit NewzEngine.com.

  • : Sarah Putt
  • : CEO
  • : sarah@newzengine.com
  • : 0276177235
  • : https://newzengine.com