Month: January 2023

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While global freedom was already waning before COVID, the response from governments during the pandemic accelerated the loss of freedom worldwide, finds a new study released today by Canada’s Fraser Institute and the U.S.-based Cato Institute.

“During the pandemic, governments worldwide restricted freedom of movement, expression, assembly and other freedoms even more than in previous years,” said Fred McMahon, resident fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of this year’s Human Freedom Index.

While we take no position on the necessity of COVID policies, they unquestionably limited freedom. From 2019 to 2020 (the latest year of available data), 94.3 per cent of the world’s population experienced a decline in freedom.

But again, freedom was on the decline before COVID—the government response simply accelerated the decline. Between 2007 (the highpoint for human freedom) and 2019, freedom declined for 79 per cent of the world’s population.

The index measures personal freedom—the rule of law, safety and security, identity and relationships (i.e. the freedom to choose your relationship partner), freedom of movement, speech, assembly and religion—alongside economic freedom, the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions.

Switzerland, once again, tops this year’s freedom ranking followed by New Zealand, Estonia, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The five least-free countries are (in descending order) Egypt, Iran, Venezuela, Yemen and Syria.

Overall worldwide rankings for other significant countries include Japan (16), Germany (18), the United Kingdom (20), the United States (23), South Korea (30), France (42), Argentina (74), South Africa (77), Brazil (80), India (112), Russia (119), Nigeria (124) and China (152).

Regionally, Western Europe, North America (Canada and the United States) and Oceania have the highest levels of freedom while the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have the lowest levels.

Crucially, people in freer countries are more prosperous than those in less-free countries. For example, the average per-capita income for the top-quartile countries on the index was US$48,644 compared to US$11,566 for the least-free quartile in 2020.

“When government limits the ability of people to move, assemble and speak freely, people are less able to the lives they want to live,” said Ian Vásquez, report co-author and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity.

The complete index, a joint project of the Fraser Institute and the Cato Institute, is available as a free PDF download at www.fraserinstitute.org. The co-authors of the report are Ian Vasquez, Vice President, International Studies, Cato Institute, Ryan Murphy, associate professor, Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, Southern Methodist University, and Guillermina Sutter Schneider, data scientist and research manager, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute.

The 10 freest and the least-free countries in 2020:

The 10 freest jurisdictions	The 10 least-free countries
1. Switzerland 2. New Zealand 3. Estonia 4. Denmark 5. Ireland 6. Sweden 7. Iceland 8. Finland 9. Netherlands 10. Luxembourg	156. Burundi 157. Iraq 157. Somalia 159. Saudi Arabia 160. Sudan 161. Egypt 162. Iran 163. Venezuela 164. Yemen 165. Syria

MEDIA CONTACT:
Fred McMahon, Dr. Michael A. Walker Research Chair in Economic Freedom
Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Mark Hasiuk, Fraser Institute
(604) 688-0221 ext. 517
mark.hasiuk@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8736984

Digital 2023 shows that people globally are becoming more discerning in their internet use

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in social and media intelligence, and We Are Social, the socially-led creative agency, have released Digital 2023, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide.

Digital 2023 shows that the typical internet user globally has reduced their average daily internet use by 20 minutes over the past twelve months to 6 hours 37 minutes, equating to a year-on-year reduction of almost 5 percent. However, time spent on social platforms has increased to more than 2½ hours per day — 40 minutes more than time spent watching broadcast and cable TV. Analysis of the data suggests that people are looking for more purposeful internet use, with a focus on quality over quantity. The daily usage rate is a return to 2019 levels, before the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the world’s digital behaviours.

The 465 page report also shows that social platforms are claiming an ever greater share of the world’s search activity. 16- to 34-year-olds are now more likely to visit a social network when looking for information about brands than they are to use a search engine (48 percent vs. 45 percent), and half of the world’s social media users say that they actively visit social platforms to learn more about brands and see their content. While the rise of TikTok search has already caught the attention of the media, the latest data suggest that Instagram is social media users’ preferred destination when researching things.

The growing importance of social media is reflected in global advertising spend, with investment in social media ads more than doubling since the outbreak of COVID-19, to reach an estimated US $226 billion in 2022.

Additional headlines in Digital 2023, which looks at social media, internet, mobile and ecommerce trends globally, include:

• There are 5.16 billion internet users in the world today, and 4.76 billion social media users.
• Average daily mobile time has increased by seven minutes per day over the past year, and the typical Android user now spends more than five hours per day using their smartphone, however:
• Computers still account for more than half of the time that people in North America and Europe spend using the internet.
• Ownership of cryptocurrencies is in decline: the share of internet users who own at least one form of digital currency fell by three percent between July and October.
• TikTok tops the global list of social media platforms when it comes to time spent per user on Android devices, followed by YouTube and Facebook.

Alexandra Saab Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater said: “”Brands that want to be competitive today need to stay ahead of trends, searching for and identifying them, in order to understand their impact on any given industry. Consumers continue to spend more and more time on social media, and it’s clear that social will play an even more important role in the customer journey as users turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to guide their decision-making process. With more than 5 billion internet users today, it’s becoming more crucial than ever that brands deliver relevant, impactful, and purposeful content to capture attention and create value across digital channels.”

Nathan McDonald, Group CEO and co-founder at We Are Social commented: “Social media’s influence on how we live our lives continues to grow. From shopping to connecting, entertaining to searching, it’s inextricably linked to our habits both on and offline. It’s interesting to see internet use becoming more discerning – while being online is still incredibly important in our everyday lives, people rightly want to make sure it’s time well spent. Marketers and creators will have to work even harder to attract and retain people’s attention in 2023 – it’s never been more important to understand online culture in order to reach people in a relevant way.”

To view and download the report go to: meltwater.com/en/global-digital-trends

About Meltwater
Meltwater provides social and media intelligence. By examining millions of posts each day from social media platforms, blogs and news sites, Meltwater helps companies make better, more informed decisions based on insight from the outside. The company was founded in Oslo, Norway, in 2001 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with 50 offices across six continents. The company has 2,300 employees and 27,000 corporate customers, including industry leaders in several sectors. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About We Are Social
We are a global socially-led creative agency, with unrivalled social media expertise. With over 1,300 people in 17 offices around the world, we deliver a global perspective to our clients in a time when social media is shaping culture.

We make ideas worth talking about. We understand social behaviours within online communities, cultures and subcultures, spanning the social and gaming landscape. We work with the world’s biggest brands, including adidas, Samsung, Netflix and Google, to reach the right people in a strategic, relevant and effective way.

We Are Social is part of Plus Company. To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com

For more information, please contact: pr@meltwater.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8737064

Recent openings by the ground-breaking hospitality group include locations in Kyoto, Sydney, Brooklyn and Toronto

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ace Group International — the trailblazing hospitality company responsible for hotel brands Ace Hotel, Maison de la Luz and Sister City — has entered into an agreement to be acquired by innovative hospitality platform Sortis Holdings, Inc. The transaction is expected to close at the end of Q1 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Sortis acquisition of Ace Group International comes on the heels of a fast-paced few years for the brand. Ace’s evolution has remained constant, with the brand having opened award-winning hotels in new markets including Japan (Ace Hotel Kyoto, opened 2020), Australia (Ace Hotel Sydney, 2022) and Canada (Ace Hotel Toronto, also in 2022). The brand also spearheaded the opening of a sister property to its iconic Manhattan hotel, Ace Hotel New York, with the Ace Hotel Brooklyn outpost opening in Boerum Hill in 2021.

“We are appreciative of the warm reception to the brand’s recent openings in Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto, and take pride in having expanded from our humble beginnings in Seattle to a global company spanning four continents. We could not be more excited to partner with Sortis — a like-minded organization that will support the innovation and mold-breaking that Ace has long been known for, as well as facilitate growth. We have a strong pipeline of new projects, both domestic and international, and we look forward to continuing to share our vision of hospitality with the world.” – Brad Wilson, C.E.O., Ace Group International / Atelier Ace

“During a period of great turbulence in our industry, and the world more broadly, we have been continually inspired and fortified by the strength and dedication of the Ace team globally. In addition to our successful openings over the past several years, and the recent announcement of our partnership with noma at Ace Hotel Kyoto, our team has continued to uphold the core mission set by our founders more than 20 years ago — to challenge the status quo, support artists and creatives of all stripes, and create friendly places for both locals and visitors to feel welcome in. Brad and I look forward to expanded opportunities, with the added resources and expertise that Sortis will bring to the table.” – Meriem Soliman, President, Ace Group International / Atelier Ace

Brad Wilson will remain in the role of Chief Executive Officer, and Ace Group International will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sortis. Sortis and Ace plan to maintain the Atelier Ace team, and the acquisition will bring additional properties under Ace management.

Ace was founded in Belltown, Seattle in 1999, and has since expanded to include 10 locations globally — Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto. Atelier Ace, the in-house creative studio at Ace, also developed Maison de la Luz, a 67-room luxury guesthouse in New Orleans, and the distilled-service brand Sister City.

About Ace Hotel:

Ace Hotel reimagines urban spaces for people who make cities interesting. Our approach to all our projects is simple — we seek to genuinely embrace local culture in the areas we inhabit. We bring together narratives, artists and materials that speak to the building, to the site and to the city. From there, we welcome in the alchemy that’s created.

Our worlds are vast and dynamic. We build relationships with a wide range of people — makers, thinkers, creative do-it-yourselfers in the fields of art, technology, music, fashion, media and gastronomy. We are curious about the history and geography of the buildings and neighborhoods we inhabit, and let these learnings guide us to someplace new. By honoring the architectural and social history of a site, with an eye towards the future that envisions respectful and nuanced dedication to a community, we create inspired spaces full of local art, intentional design and curious possibilities. www.acehotel.com

About Sortis Holdings, Inc.: 

From award-winning hospitality to cult coffee to the world’s first sustainable sushi bar, Sortis Holdings is an ecosystem of idiosyncratic brands that live at the intersection of radical vision, cultural relevance and expansive potential. Through decades’ worth of seasoned market acumen, intuitive brand development and creative business strategy, we empower brands to become more of themselves, amplifying unique voices and moving culture forward in the process. www.sortisholdings.com

Media inquiries:

Atelier Ace 
Shelley Wright 
shelley.wright@atelierace.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8736694

‘Melody’ Takes the Stage in the Mixed-Reality Metaverse

MIAMI, Jan. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian tech company tagSpace will support Warner Music Group and Trinity Entertainment in the upcoming release of the Spanish-language, young adult musical series “Melody,” premiering Feb. 22, 2023, on Amazon Prime.

Melody is a cross-collaboration between Warner Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Warner Music Latina, and Trinity Entertainment.

Presenting at the show’s launch event at Content Americas in Miami, tagSpace CEO and founder Paul Martin will demonstrate how Augmented Reality (AR) is changing the way in which we consume digital content and promote entertainment properties through immersive experiences that play out in real-world environments.

Within the tagSpace mobile app, fans will experience a front-row seat at a Melody concert, with 3D digital-scanned avatars of the show’s stars Melody and Layla performing their duet “Without You.” Free to download and available worldwide, the Melody Augmented Reality zone will be part of a social media campaign that encourages fans to interact, film and share their Melody concert experience with their friends. Prizes for the best entries will be awarded by the show’s sponsors, Gibson and Epiphone.

Paul Martin, tagSpace’s founder and CEO, said, “As leaders in location-based AR, we have enabled dozens of use-cases around the world; we have helped people find each other, their cars, food & beverage and merchandise at music festivals and sports events; we have given people self-guided tourism experiences; and powered city-wide scavenger hunts. This Melody Augmented Reality show is a new experience in our real-world metaverse, which will be live and available simultaneously at spaces all across the planet. We are excited to see the locations that users choose to capture their unique Melody Augmented Reality experiences. That’s one of the unique advantages of AR vs VR — that the same content can look and feel completely different depending on where it is experienced in the real world.”

“As with everything, we have to stay in touch with the world, and my kids remind me of this every day. The way we understand and digest content — it’s so dramatically different now. With tagSpace, we’re creating dynamic and innovative augmented reality experiences that allow us to speak to this new generation, and help us reach new, younger audiences in truly fascinating ways,” remarks Jose Luis Pagan, Melody show creator and producer.

The tagSpace App is available to download on both Apple Store and Google Play via this link: https://publish.tagstorm.com/Melody.

About tagSpace 

tagSpace Pty Ltd. (tagspace.com) is a technology start-up composed of video-game industry veterans and founded by CEO Paul Martin, who was responsible for delivering video game engine technologies to companies such as Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony and Capcom. tagSpace provides a mixed-reality, location-based platform for creating interactive, social experiences running on mobile and wearable hardware, bringing the digital metaverse to the real world.

About Melody

Warner Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Warner Music Latina, and Trinity Entertainment present Melody, a 13-episode Spanish-language, young adult musical series, premiering Feb. 22, 2023, on Amazon Prime. Melody, sponsored by Gibson Guitar Brands and shot in both Miami and Buenos Aires, is a coming-of-age, young adult dramedy inspired by the real-life stories of Yas Gagliardi and Sarah Lenore as emerging, successful recording artists.

Media: 

Photos and Videos available to download at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LotgN8trNNjX921MJhAShSiInuMALvHY?usp=sharing.

Mentions:

@tagspace_co — Instagram

@tagSpaceCo — Twitter

@tagspace — TikTok

@tagspace3809 — YouTube

Contact Information:
Pip Moore
Producer
media@tagspace.com
+61477256625

Related Images

Image 1: Melody Augmented Reality Concert Experience

Melody and Layla Avatars on Augmented Reality Stage

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Attachment

• Melody Augmented Reality Concert Experience

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8736037