Airbus, a European multinational aerospace corporation, is pushing boundaries at its ACJ Two Twenty Creative Studio in France, where customers can walk onto the sales floor and use virtual-reality technology to customize the interior of their swanky new ACJ Two Twenty Xtra Large Bizjet.
Passengers can tailor cabins to their top-shelf specifications.
They can receive satellite live television broadcasts, safety instructions in their own language, live views from landscape cameras outside the aircraft, international news or connecting flight information, according to the Airbus site.
These latest-generation entertainment systems are fully integrated into the seat, which provide greater legroom, as well as connecting personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets or laptops.
The basic cabin framework is ready for customization. (Herve Gousse/Master Films)
Each ACJ Two Twenty jet has a pre-designed interior.
Customers can use the Touch controllers on a Quest 2 VR headset to expand on this initial design and configure the interior layout. This included the ability to rearrange walls, add tables and design the ideal window seat.
Customers can also choose the tiniest details by looking at color and fabric swatches, as well as materials for seating, flooring and countertops, in the Creative Studio. They can also move, add or subtract lighting using the VR design studio.
Customers can also add other cool features, like a king-sized bed, a galley for their personal chef, a small movie theater, and a full-sized bathroom with a shower to their ACJ Two Twenty Creative Studio. Each jet can accommodate up to 18 people and has up to six living areas. If that’s the case, they might want to think about adding two bathrooms.
Customers can then move around in virtual reality after finishing the design of their luxury jet. If they want to change something, they can simply open the menu and make the change in real time.
One of the cabin looks designed by ACJ Two Twenty Creative Studio. (Herve Gousse/Master Films)
The virtual-reality experience can also be used by mechanics and technicians to learn where specific cables and access points are located inside the jet.
Airbus has partnered with Comlux Completion to build each custom jet, bringing their virtual reality design to life. Virtual-reality technology allows them to reduce costs while speeding up the completion of each luxury jet, according to Comlux.
Airbus has announced that six custom Xtra Large Bixjets jets have been sold for a total of $81 million each. All customization will take place at Comlux’s Indianapolis facility, after which they will be shipped to Dubai’s FIVE Palm Jumeirah Hotel.
Gervonta Davis’ fights guarantee high-drama, celebrity-filled crowds and knockout victories, and Saturday night’s clash with Rolando Romero was no exception.
“Tank” Davis scored a highlight reel sixth-round stoppage of Romero, defending his WBA 135-pound title before a sold-out arena record 18,970 fans at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Tank is the biggest puncher out of the guys at 130 and 135,” said trainer Stephen Edwards. ”I don’t care what anybody says: He deserves top pound-for-pound consideration.”
Previously unbeaten Rolando Romero (left) rolled to all fours and rose on unsteady legs from a counter left hand by WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta Davis. Referee David Fields (right) waved an end to the fight. (Amanda Westcott/Showtime)
The 27-year-old Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) won his fourth straight pay-per-view match in defeating Romero (14-1, 12 KOs), having consistently produced between 200,000 and 230,000 pay-per-view buys.
Davis knocked out Romero in a star-packed venue including Madonna, tennis star Naomi Osaka, television personality and former NFL star Michael Strahan, former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson and other current and former NBA players.
Davis’ knockout was his third in as many appearances at Barclays.
“This meant a lot to come back to Barclays, where I won my first belt,” said Davis, whose 96-percent knockout ratio ranks second among world champions to that of IBF/WBC 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev (17–0, 17 KOs).
“I knew my Baltimore fans were going to come, but I also have a huge fan base in New York. So to see them show up was amazing. It wasn’t just me who won tonight, I think it was the whole [sport of boxing] that won tonight.”
Rolando Romero (left) fell face-first into the ropes from a counter left hand by WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta Davis (right), resulting in Davis’ sixth-round stoppage victory. (Amanda Westcott/Showtime)
A five-time, three-division title winner, Davis delivered the highest-grossing boxing match at Barclays, which was hosting its first post-pandemic fight since heavyweight Robert Helenius’ fourth-round knockout of Adam Kownacki in March 2020.
There was talk that the bout with Romero might be Davis’ last fight with Mayweather Promotions, but the champion hugged the company’s CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, at the post-fight press conference, stating, “We’re still with Mayweather Promotions, baby!”
“Gervonta Davis is a terrific fighter who does a phenomenal job inside of the ring,” Ellerbe said. “He has a great trainer in Calvin Ford, and when all of these things are working together, this is what you get. That’s big. It shows that we know what we’re doing.”
So did Davis against the 5-foot-8 Romero, who had vowed an early knockout against the 5-foot-5½ Davis.
“Even when we weighed in, I knew that I could out-think him, easily. I knew that I was going to out-box him,” Davis said. “I thought I was going to wind up stopping him in the later rounds, but I knew he was strong off of the first punch he threw.”
Romero troubled Davis with a timely jab, twice forcing the champion to clinch after landing hard second- and fifth-round right hands.
“He caught me with an early shot, and I knew I had to stay out of the way. But I knew that down the stretch, I was gonna break him down,” Davis said. “I knew he would run into something. I was just trying to figure out his range and see how hard he hits. But he definitely has power.”
Davis ended matters with 21 seconds left in the sixth. Davis’ head-jolting, counter-left hand to the face sent Romero crashing forward into the ropes and eventually onto his butt.
Romero rolled to all fours before rising on unsteady leg. Referee David Fields waved an end to the fight. Davis led, 49-46 and 48-47, on two cards and trailed, 48-47, on the third.
“I want the fight again,” said a defiant Romero, 26. “I exposed him and won every single round. I jumped into something and ate a stupid shot.”
Davis compared his fight-ending blow to the right hand by Juan Manuel Marquez that floored southpaw Manny Pacquiao once each in the third and final round of his come-from-behind, sixth-round knockout victory in December 2012. The blow left Pacquiao knocked out cold and in a prone position.
“[It was] something like when Manny Pacquiao got caught. The crazy thing is that I didn’t even throw it that hard. He just ran into it. He just ran into it,” Davis said.
WBA 135-pound champion Gervonta Davis “is a terrific fighter who does a phenomenal job inside of the ring,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe after Davis stopped Rolando Romero on Saturday before a record 18,970 fans at the Barclays Center. (Amanda Westcott/Showtime)
A similar scenario played out in October 2020 for Davis’ sixth-round knockout of four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz, who was knocked out and stopped for the first time in his career by Davis’ ripping left uppercut.
“That was a different shot than the one against Santa Cruz, which just shows you that a focused Tank Davis is a dangerous Tank Davis,” said Ford, Davis’ career-long trainer. “That’s a factor, which speaks for itself in that Tank’s an exciting fighter.”
Davis yet again displayed “an elite IQ,” according to Edwards.
“Tank knew [Romero] was a threat, and his punches had heat on them. Rolly also has reflexes where you can’t just hit him when you want to,” Edwards said. “Tank was trying to take Rolly into deep waters, moving and not allowing Rolly to get set. Tank felt the impact of Rolly’s punches and used his legs to box Rolly and not get touched. While boxing, he got Rolly to run into a money shot.”
“I’ve never seen Tank under-perform, which says a lot about his courage, character and integrity…,” said retired two-time 147-pound champion Shawn Porter, who attended the fight and is a Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions analyst and host of The Porter Way Podcast.
“Tank is a sharpshooter who is very vast and a very good counter puncher who can throw the fight punch at the right time,” said Porter, who called Davis the best fighter at 130, 135 and 140 pounds. “Gervonta Davis is a sellout and a main attraction in Los Angeles and everywhere else when he’s from Baltimore. From a media standpoint, it’s long past the time to give this man the credit he deserves.”
Davis’ victory preceded this Saturday’s 135-pound unification battle of unbeatens in Melbourne, Australia, between IBF/WBA and WBO super titleist George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs) and WBC counterpart Devin Haney (27-0, 15 KOs).
“If you win, and you’re saying all of that. If you win … let’s make the fight happen since you wanna talk crazy,” said Davis of Haney, who must grant a rematch to Kambosos if he wins. “Let’s do that. I wanna fight you if you win. Devin Haney. Just know that the winner [of Haney-Kambosos] can come and see me.”
Alabama Power executives participated in a panel discussion at the inaugural event to kick off a new partnership between the company and the Magic City Bar Association. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama NewsCenter)
Fatburger is commemorating National Hamburger Day, which is Saturday, by handing out 500 limited-edition non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to customers. Each complimentary NFT will grant access to a free made-to-order Original Fatburger, thanks to a collaboration with Supper Club, a Web3 eating community that supports restaurants.
“Americans eat over 50 billion burgers a year, so it’s only fitting we set aside a whole day for these special sandwiches,” National Today says on its website. “Originating in Hamburg, Germany, the hamburger as we know it was developed in Seymour, Wisconsin, a town still famous for its hamburger heroics.”
The restaurant chain Fatburger is giving away 500 NFTs tied to its products to celebrate National Hamburger Day. (Courtesy of Fatburger)
In celebration of that event, Fatburger guests will be able to access their specialty NFTs through their Solana blockchain wallet beginning June 1 and continuing through the end of the month. They will also be able to redeem a coupon for a free Fatburger with any online purchase they make during this time.
If a user has an NFT stored in a Solana wallet, the Fatburger online ordering website will register that fact, and once the user has linked their wallet to their browser, the coupon will be automatically applied. Coupons have a one-time use limit per NFT owner.
“Fatburger’s first foray into the NFT space with Death Row Records [last year] was a huge hit with our fans,” said Taylor Fischer, director of marketing for parent company FAT Brands’ Fast Casual Division. “We are now excited to offer a fun and innovative way for our fans to score a free Original Faberge while also owning a piece of the blockchain with this limited edition, one-of-a-kind NFT.”
There are about 200 Fatburger restaurants, with many of them in the Western United States. (Courtesy of Fatburger)
FAT Brands is a global franchising firm that acquires, markets and develops restaurants and dining concepts. Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean, Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses are among the company’s 17 restaurant brands that it franchises and owns.
According to Fatburger’s website, the chain was started in Los Angeles by entrepreneur Lovie Yancey. In 1947, she opened a three-stool hamburger stand using scrap materials from her partner’s construction business. They called it Mr. Fatburger. But in 1952, Yancey and her partner split up. She shed the “Mr.” from the restaurant’s name and worked to build the Fatburger brand. Its signature burgers are cooked to order, and the chain consists of nearly 200 restaurants about half are in the U.S., with most of them in the Western states.
Microsoft has announced that Kawasaki had become the latest customer for its HoloLens goggles, which are used to work in the metaverse.
According to a report published by CNBC on Wednesday, the deal will allow Kawasaki’s factory workers to use Microsoft’s augmented reality (AR) HoloLens headsets to assist with production, repair and supply-chain management.
AR is created by superimposing computer-generated imagery over a live view of the physical world, and HoloLens, in 2016, was the first product of its kind to become commercially available.
A view of a digital cube through Microsoft’s HoloLens headset. (Courtesy of Microsoft)
In the context of Microsoft’s industrial metaverse, this entails bringing together a number of the company’s technologies, such as cloud computing, to assist factory workers in constructing products in a manner that can be both quicker and more effective.
The goal is to develop what Microsoft refers to as a “digital twin” of the workspace, which can facilitate the acceleration of putting in new production lines, making repairs and other processes.
HoloLens can be used to chat with workers at the job site and guide them through making repairs with visual cues from augmented reality. Instead of calling a repair person to come to the factory to fix a broken part, this can be accomplished by guiding workers through the process with the help of HoloLens.
Managers can also use this technology to increase production if it is required, which is something that Microsoft says offers as a solution to the supply-chain problems now affecting parts of the world.
This is what a virtual factory looks like when viewed through Microsoft’s HoloLens goggles. (Courtesy of Microsoft)
Kawasaki, which produces motorcycles, ATVs, jet skis and other power-sports vehicles, joins the likes of Heinz, which recently announced that it would be using Microsoft’s industrial metaverse in ketchup factories, as will jet-maker Boeing in some of its production facilities.
“These are real-world problems that these companies are dealing with … so having a technology solution that can help unblock the supply-chain challenge, for example, is incredibly impactful,” Jessica Hawk, corporate vice president of mixed reality at Microsoft, told CNBC.
Not familiar with the metaverse? Here’s a handy definition: It’s a “digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually,” Investopedia.com said. “Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound, and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities.
“As the metaverse grows, it will create online spaces where user interactions are more multidimensional than current technology supports. Instead of just viewing digital content, users in the metaverse will be able to immerse themselves in a space where the digital and physical worlds converge. ”
An NFT, a digital asset that represents real-world objects, such as art or music, is becoming all the rage.
Now, an NFT (non-fungible token) initiative called Anim4rt is devoting its efforts to the protection of wild animals and the environments in which they live. Every piece is distinct. The Anim4rt team has put serious effort into refining the details, which has resulted in each Anim4rt being somewhat rare in the NFT arena.
“We are in the process of constructing an interactive universe that will enable holders to live the life of the animal, interact with them and explore the one-of-a-kind world known as the metaverse,” the company says. “The objective is to acquire as much of the rainforest as possible, so that it can be preserved in its natural state.”
The metaverse is a virtual world that often replicates the physical world.
“The efforts of the company will continue until we have altered the globe in such a way that the future is better. Moreover, Anim4rt contains a collection of 10,000 distinct NFTs. Once the initiative is fully operational, holders will have the ability to mint their preferred NFT collectable.”
The metaverse enables NFT holders to live the life of an animal and interact with them. (Anim4rt)
Each NFT contains an integrated narrative about the character, which is stored on the blockchain in perpetuity. There is always an opportunity for a narrative that can transport users into their world.
Users have the chance to explore and engage with Anim4rt metaverse’s one-of-a-kind species, which is only available in that virtual world.
“Once you enter Anim4rt metaverse, you will genuinely be free to experience life as a part of the natural world, which is one of the things that sets it apart from other virtual worlds.”
The company is reaching the goal of becoming the prime animal welfare organization utilizing new web technologies 3.0 to expand awareness of the natural world.
Anim4rt is committed to the protection of wild animals and the environments in which they live. (Anim4rt)
The offering will include the 4rt token, a cryptocurrency that guarantees a rapid return on investment and helps rescue wild animals. To ensure that all financial dealings are open and accessible to the public, anyone who wants to contribute financially must do so using the 4rt tokens.
The metaverse is defined as a “digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually,” Investopedia.com said. “Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities.”
Clothing retailer PacSun is wrapping itself in digital.
The company participated in the ComplexLand 3.0 event, May 25-27, with a three-level virtual-reality store. It’s all part of PacSun’s ongoing metaverse and blockchain efforts, with exclusive merchandise available for early purchase by ComplexLand attendees before launching at PacSun.com and PacSun retail locations in early June.
The garment business started taking various cryptocurrencies — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and Litecoin — through Bitpay in October 2017 to cater to Gen Z customers interested in digital assets. (Gen Z is defined as those ages 10-25, according to Beresford Research.)
“Being a part of ComplexLand 3.0 is a huge milestone for us in the metaverse, coming over a year after we released our initial offering of PacSun-branded products on Roblox,” said Brie Olson, president of PacSun.
Catering to a fully digital generation, PacSun understands Gen Z values their virtual identities as much as their physical ones. (PacSun)
Roblox is an online platform and storefront where users play games.
“There is no denying the metaverse as a whole has an extraordinary network effort,” Olson said “In addition to customers finding community in the area, we as a brand are able to interact with them in a genuine manner and eventually develop our Pac Community in both the digital and physical realms.”
Other retailers, including Forever 21, Crate & Barrel, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Walmart, have also shifted their focus to the metaverse.
However, caution is called for when investing in the virtual realm.
Firms should not spend an excessive amount of resources in a single metaverse component, according to business consultant Gartner, since the adoption of the technologies is still in its early stages.
As companies such as PacSun explore the metaverse and cryptocurrencies, it is unknown to what degree customers, particularly younger consumers, are interested in these technologies.
A research study published in April revealed that more than half of Gen Z gamers want to earn money in the metaverse, and one-third want to develop careers in the field. However, according to a poll, 48 percent of adolescents were unaware of or disinterested in the metaverse.
Another poll indicated that although 74 percent of respondents had heard of the metaverse, just 15 percent felt confident in their ability to describe it to others.
One of PacSun’s first forays into the metaverse took place last year, with the release of branded products on Roblox, an online platform and storefront. (PacSun)
Still, PacSun is targeting younger clients online and offline. The company released a gender-neutral apparel line for kids aged 4 to 14 last year at Nordstrom, its website and pop-up shops. PS Reserve, launched in July 2016, provides verified clothing, shoes and accessories. PacSun Kids opened its first store in the Mall of America in November and aims to open five more this year.
