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FCC Cites Brattle’s Analyses in Landmark Decision for Inmate Calling Rate Fairness

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WASHINGTON, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Following a July 18 vote, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules to enforce the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. These new rules, which now prevent phone carriers from sharing their profits with the facilities they serve, will reduce the cost of a 15-minute phone call by more than $10 at some facilities. These more reasonable rates for Incarcerated People’s Communications Services (IPCS) will allow incarcerated people and their loved ones to stay connected, preserving families and reducing the chances of reincarceration. 

The FCC order establishing the new rules extensively references Brattle’s analysis. The phone carriers serving this market advocated for higher rates, ones covering costs that went well beyond providing phone and video services in prisons and jails. Brattle’s model carrier approach for setting just and reasonable rate caps for audio and video communications services demonstrated the reasonableness of the FCC’s new rates.

A Brattle team – led by Principals Coleman Bazelon and Paroma Sanyal – served as the pro bono economists for the leading group advocating for the FCC to lower the costs of calls in prisons and jails, the Wright Petitioners. Working with their pro bono counsel, Jenner & Block, Brattle provided independent analysis estimating per-minute costs for audio and video calls in small, medium, and large facilities, drawing on the 2023 ICPS Mandatory Data Collection as well as market data.

“This is a landmark victory for those who have endured exorbitant IPCS rates for an unjustifiably long time. After more than a decade refuting the carriers’ inflated cost analyses, incarcerated people and their loved ones will finally pay rates to talk to each other that are related to the costs of providing service,” said Dr. Bazelon.

According to the FCC’s order, reducing calling rates for the incarcerated population has several positive financial and social impacts. Financially, lower calling rates provide crucial relief to both inmates and their families, easing the strain of exorbitant communication costs. Socially, promoting affordable communication in prisons not only upholds basic human rights but also contributes to lower recidivism rates by helping inmates maintain vital connections to the outside world.

“We applaud the FCC for taking this important and monumental action. This order serves as a transformative win for incarcerated people and their loved ones who for far too long have had to grapple with outrageous IPCS rates,” said Rebekah P. Goodheart, co-chair of Jenner & Block’s Communications, Internet, and Technology practice. “Thanks to the relentless advocacy of various groups and civil rights organizations, much-needed relief will be provided.”

Since 2013, over 30 individuals have contributed to Brattle’s pro bono analysis on this topic, with exceptional contributions from Senior Research Analyst Shea Peretz and Research Analysts Preetul Sen and Natalie Selfe.

ABOUT BRATTLE
The Brattle Group answers complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has 500 professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please visit brattle.com.

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SOURCE The Brattle Group

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Desay SV Collaborates with Qualcomm to Deliver New Intelligent AI Cabin Platform Powered by Snapdragon Elite Automotive Platforms

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Highlights:

New Desay SV G10PH is designed to support superior computing, graphics, and advanced AI-enabled cabin products for automotive OEMs, ensuring cutting-edge performance and functionality.The G10PH is engineered for real-time decision-making, adaptive responses, and proactive assistance to create tailored and intuitive driving experiences.Collaboration is built on a strong and long-term working relationship, marked by the successful development of innovative cabin platforms for global automakers.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Desay SV and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. held a joint signing ceremony at CES today to commemorate the companies’ co-innovation to deliver Desay SV’s next-generation intelligent cabin platform, the G10PH. Desay SV and Qualcomm Technologies have a strong long-term relationship focused on developing innovative cabin solutions, which are now integrated into millions of vehicles across the globe. Building on this, the companies will collaborate on the G10PH intelligent cabin platform powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon® Cockpit Elite platform. 

The G10PH harnesses the advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, superior computing and high-definition graphics of the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite platform to push the boundaries of automotive technology. With the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite’s state-of-the-art Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU, Qualcomm® Hexagon™ NPU for accelerated AI performance and improved Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU, this cutting-edge system provides automakers with the tools to deliver a smart, intuitive, and personalized experience for drivers and passengers*. Additionally, the G10PH enables real-time decision-making, adaptive responses, and proactive assistance, creating an exclusive intelligent cabin assistant that is finely tuned to users’ habits. Every vehicle utilizing the G10PH will feature seamless user interface and support personalized features designed to enhance comfort and convenience befitting a premium user-centric driving experience. 

“At the new inflection point of ‘Software-Defined Vehicle’ and ‘AI-Defined Vehicle,’ Desay SV, together with Qualcomm Technologies, launched the premium AI intelligent cabin platform G10PH, which marks another technological revolution in the process of intelligent cabin and is an important example of Desay SV leading the development of cabin intelligence upgrade,” said Jian Xu, CEO of Desay SV. “We hope that this platform will give a strong impetus to the intelligent transformation of global automotive manufacturers, reshape the new ecosystem of future mobility, and accelerate the realization of the era of intelligent mobility.”

“The automotive industry is on the brink of a new era of intelligent transformation, driven by software and AI. Qualcomm Technologies and Desay SV have built a robust foundation of collaboration, and with our combined expertise in intelligent cockpits and we are excited about the new products featuring Snapdragon Cockpit Elite,” said Nakul Duggal, group general manager, automotive, industrial, and cloud, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “These innovations will enable automakers to deliver more advanced AI features and experiences to consumers, setting a new standard in the industry.”

Intelligent cockpit is the carrier of various sensing and interaction technologies, and it reflects the state of development in intelligent vehicle technology. According to KPMG’s analysis, China’s intelligent cabin market will reach RMB212.7 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of about 17% from 2022 to 2026, and the penetration rate is expected to increase from 59% to 82%. According to the “Smart Cockpit Assembly Data List for January-September 2024” by Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute, Desay SV holds the leading position in the market with an assembly volume of 630,492 units, accounting for 15.5% of the market share.

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About Desay SV

Desay SV (002920.SZ) is a leading mobility technology company with R&D and service branches in Germany, Japan, Singapore, Spain, USA, etc. The company focuses on efficiently integrating smart cabin, smart drive, and smart service. Relying on 39 years of accumulation, Desay SV has excelled in R&D, design, quality management, and intelligent manufacturing. Desay SV’s continuous innovation and comprehensive capabilities earn the long-term trust of global customers, including Chery, Geely, SAIC, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, etc., and have helped it rank 74th in the Automotive News 2024 top 100 global auto parts suppliers. For more information, please visit Desay SV online at www.desaysv.com or follow us on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13690363

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Our proven solutions drive transformation across major industries, and our Snapdragon® branded platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences. Building on our nearly 40-year leadership in setting industry standards and creating era-defining technology breakthroughs, we deliver leading edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Together with our ecosystem collaborators, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress. 

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patents are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm, Snapdragon, Qualcomm Oryon, Hexagon and Adreno are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

*All performance targets are compared to previous generation, based on preliminary internal testing, and subject to change upon final validation. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/desay-sv-collaborates-with-qualcomm-to-deliver-new-intelligent-ai-cabin-platform-powered-by-snapdragon-elite-automotive-platforms-302347873.html

SOURCE Desay SV

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VerifiedX Releases VFX SwitchBlade Wallet Featuring First-Mover Bitcoin Utility at BitMart

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TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The VerifiedX (VFX) Network, VerifiedX.io, has launched its mainnet non-custodial wallet VFX SwitchBlade, which enables full native Bitcoin functionality. The VFX SwitchBlade also supports a ‘first-mover’ fully decentralized and self custodial Bitcoin Tokenization (Verified Bitcoin) with on-chain native features, enabling real day-to-day utility, while solving current frictions for all Bitcoiners globally today. 

 

Verified Bitcoin (vBTC) enables anyone the ability to save, spend, withdraw, borrow, lend, mint & transfer media / documents, and vault actual Bitcoin with on-chain recovery features eliminating the need for third-parties or hardware wallets, through a feature rich simple text smart contract. This incredibly unique Bitcoin token provides for enhanced privacy with near-instant transaction finality, all with near-zero fees. Verified Bitcoin tokens are transferable in any denomination completely peer-to-peer, so long as they have a native Bitcoin balance and always maintain a fully decentralized and non-custodial evergreen 1:1 peg. This means that 1 vBTC will always equal 1 BTC and token owners may withdraw their underlying Bitcoin anytime with a ‘one-click’ multisig action or off-ramp the token itself, in whole or in part, at any participatory liquidity provider.

This empowering development will inevitably help provide congestion relief for the Bitcoin network, dramatically reduce Bitcoin holders cost of ownership and transfers, enable media embedding, and increase self-custodial security exponentially, adding immediate utility to holders of the largest digital asset class. It is anticipated that Verified Bitcoin may also help facilitate additional native scarcity with Total Value Vaulted (TVV) over time on VerifiedX Vaults.

VerifiedX – VFX (VerifiedX.IO) is the first open-source decentralized network that is both a universal layer 1 and a Bitcoin specific sidechain for the purpose of tokenized self-custody, on-chain storage, and peer-to-peer commerce of both digital & physical assets.

For Further Inquiries:
Website: https://verifiedx.io/
Discord: https://discord.gg/7cd5ebDQCj
Twitter (X)): https://twitter.com/vfxblockchain
Github: https://github.com/verifiedxblockchain

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/verifiedx-releases-vfx-switchblade-wallet-featuring-first-mover-bitcoin-utility-at-bitmart-302348083.html

SOURCE VerifiedX.io

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Ratehub Inc. launches a new personal loans marketplace powered by its LoanFinder tool

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Canadian financial technology company launches a personal loans marketplace, simplifying borrowing for Canadians and helping members manage debt better

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2025 /CNW/ – Ratehub Inc., a leading Canadian financial technology company, has launched a new personal loans marketplace as part of its mission to empower Canadians with the tools and resources to make confident financial decisions.

This launch brings Ratehub closer to its vision of becoming Canada’s go-to source and one-stop shop for all personal finance products. With LoanFinder, Ratehub’s custom-built tool, members can easily explore and compare a range of loan options tailored to their unique needs. Members can quickly secure pre-approval for the best rates, saving both time and money—all within one easy-to-use platform.

“Our launch into personal loans is an important milestone towards achieving our vision of being the one-stop shop for all consumers’ financial needs – spend, save, borrow, invest, and protect,” said Naga Parvatharajan, CEO of Ratehub Inc. “LoanFinder, is a game-changer for Ratehub members. It uses our own data and credit bureau information to pre-approve you for the best loan offers, all without impacting your credit score. We’re thrilled to be working with Fig Financial and Spring Financial as our first partners to bring Canadians simpler borrowing options and help them manage debt better.”

Ratehub members will benefit from:

Comprehensive loan marketplace: Best pre-approved offers through LoanFinder matched to the lender, maximizing members’ approval odds without impacting their credit scoresSeamless digital experience: A fast, fully digital loan application process from the convenience of members’ homesFinancial education: Access to expert articles and resources to guide members on what to look for when selecting loansTransparency: Clear and unbiased information to help members make informed decisionsValue: Save money by refinancing credit card debt, reducing monthly payments, funding home improvement projects, or other needs

“In today’s challenging financial environment, it’s more important than ever to provide the tools and resources that help Canadians make confident decisions,” said Natasha Macmillan, Director of Everyday Banking at Ratehub.ca. “Our goal is to support every Ratehub member based on their financial needs and journey. Our launch of personal loans will allow members to navigate these products and empower them to make well-informed decisions.”

Currently offering comparisons for personal loans, Ratehub’s ultimate goal is to provide a complete range of loan types, with personalized recommendations that help members find the perfect match for their eligibility and financial situation. Ratehub is committed to helping Canadians find their best borrowing option based on their unique financial needs, and ultimately empowering them to manage debt better and take control of their financial future.

About Ratehub Inc.
Ratehub Inc. is the one-stop shop for all consumer finance needs – Save, Spend, Borrow, Invest and Protect. We connect Canadians to the best financial tools, advice, and products on the market through our financial product comparison site and mortgage brokerage, Ratehub.ca, mortgage lender, CanWise, insurance brokerage, RH Insurance, and personal finance website, MoneySense. Millions of Canadians visit Ratehub.ca and MoneySense every year to get personalized recommendations on the best mortgage rates, credit cards, savings accounts, GICs, and insurance products. To learn more, visit www.ratehub.ca or www.canwise.com or www.rhinsurance.ca or www.moneysense.ca.

SOURCE Ratehub Inc.

SOURCE Ratehub Inc.

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