Sneaker platform The Edit Ldn enters the metaverse

High-end global marketplace for sneakers The Edit Ldn is entering the metaverse with a premium store within Bloktopia’s crypto paradise.

Swati Bhat

The Edit Ldn, which has grown 525 percent every year since 2020, is now looking to offer its sneaker community digital wearables. Its ‘Edit LDN’ sneaker NFT will be available within Bloktopia allowing customers to dress their avatar in the metaverse while receiving in-hand sneakers for themselves.

Moses Rashid, founder of The Edit Ldn, said in a statement: “We clearly see a trend that luxury brands need a Web3 strategy, and for us, this feels like a natural fit. We're finding our audience is more digitally focussed, has an interest in Crypto and NFTs, and has an increasing desire to attain products in different ways.

“Our partnership with Bloktopia is our first big step to executing our vision of being the most innovative player in the market.”

Bloktopia is a VR Skyscraper made up of 21 levels to pay recognition to 21 million Bitcoin. The Bloktopia metaverse, built in the Unity gaming engine on Web3 technology, is the next iteration of the internet and allows users to achieve anything that can be done in the real world.

Ross Tavakoli, chief executive of Bloktopia, added: “As a big sneakerhead myself, we’re really pleased to be able to partner with the UK’s number 1 sneaker destination, The Edit Ldn. Fortnite makes 2 million US dollars a day from in-app purchases like skins (digital clothing) for avatars. Bloktopia will offer a different, interoperable option.

“Allowing the purchase of digital wearables, in this case sneakers, through an NFT function which means they won’t be restricted to just our metaverse and can be worn across hundreds of games and other metaverses. That makes the fashion industry and the metaverse such a good fit, as it creates a whole new income stream for our partners like Edit LDN. The customer can also be sent the sneakers physically too.”

To reduce manual monitoring, Indian Army deploys AI-based surveillance system at borders

New Delhi [India], August 6: To enhance capabilities, the Indian Army has been deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) based surveillance systems on Northern and Western borders.

Sources in the Defense establishment have confirmed that apart from deploying AI-based surveillance systems at borders, "They are also using it to keep watch on real-time social media monitoring, pattern recognition and prediction of adversary courses of action, etc." "AI-based real-time monitoring software has been deployed for generating intelligence in Counter Terrorist Operations. AI-based suspicious vehicle recognition system has been deployed in eight locations in the Northern and Southern theatre," a source said. It has been said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is capable of providing considerable asymmetry during military operations. It is envisaged that the use of AI will transform war-fighting paradigms.

AI applications can be utilised for surveillance and detection, real-time social media monitoring, pattern recognition and prediction of adversary courses of action, etc. Indian Army has been closely collaborating with Academia and Indian Industry, as also DRDO for the realisation of complex AI-based projects.

For this, an AI Lab has been established at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering wherein AI projects have undergone extensive in-house testing before being given to a production agency for deployment. Indian Army has deployed several units of AI-Powered Smart Surveillance Systems on Northern and Western borders.

The Unit is capable of handling heterogeneous inputs from devices such as PTZ cameras, and handheld thermal imagers. This has considerably reduced the requirement for manual monitoring. AI-based suspicious vehicle recognition system has been deployed in eight locations in the Northern and Southern theatres. AI-based real-time monitoring software has been deployed for generating intelligence in Counter Terrorist Operations.

#thecommunique #tc #tcn #indianarmy #AI #metaverse

Gucci first luxury brand to accept ApeCoin cryptocurrency in store

Gucci is the first luxury house to accept ApeCoin (APE) cryptocurrency in its US stores.

Swati Bhat

Gucci x Superplastic

The Kering-owned maison was quick to adopt digital currencies and will now offer shoppers the possibility to make in-store purchases using ApeCoin through BitPay, the world’s largest provider of online payment services.

Gucci has been trialing a roll-out of digital payments in its stores, starting with its Wooster Street boutique in New York, Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles as well as in Miami, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

70 percent of Gucci’s American retail network now accepts cryptocurrencies, which will roll out to all its stores by early August.

Other cryptocurrencies accepted at Gucci include Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB) and 5 stablecoins linked to the US dollar (GUSD, USDC, USDP, DAI, BUSD).

Earlier this year Gucci launched a digital collab with Superplastic, debuting a three-part series of NFTs co-created by Gucci's Creative Director Alessandro Michele and synthetic artists Janky & Guggimon. The collection was limited to 500 items made.

#thecommunique #tc #tcn #gucci #NFT