Month: August 2022

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UN Expert Committee Concludes Review of Lao PDR’s Progress on Disability Inclusion

The UN Expert Committee concluded the review of the situation of persons with disabilities in the Lao PDR. Under the review, 18 international experts held on Aug 30 a dialogue with key ministries on the Government’s progress in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) across sectors, including in education, health, employment, social welfare, protection from violence, and justice.

The dialogue was based on information provided in the Government Report (bit.ly/LaoGovt-CRPDReport), together with the Parallel Reports by a network of national disability organizations (bit.ly/LaoOPDs-CRPDReport) and the UN in the Lao PDR (bit.ly/LaoUNCT-CRPDReport).

“Contributions from different stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, are the core of all country reviews by the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies. UNDP was happy to support the Government and civil society to participate in the disability review and provide the UN Expert Committee with a complete picture of the situation of persons with disabilities in Lao PDR,” Ms. Catherine Phuong, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, noted.

Under the initiative on “Strengthening Participation in the Implementation of the CRPD Convention in Lao PDR,” UNDP partnered with a CRPD Expert from Thailand, Mr. Monthian Buntan, to organize a Mock Session to prepare the Government Delegation for the dialogue with the UN Expert Committee in Geneva. UNDP also led the drafting of the UN Joint Parallel Report and empowered a network of 11 national disability organizations to develop their own Parallel Report, the first civil society-led submission to the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies from the Lao PDR.

“Persons with disabilities no longer want to be seen as the recipients of charity but instead as equal members of the Lao society with a greater say in the decisions that affect our lives. This concept is central to our Report to the UN Expert Committee, which makes 77 concrete recommendations to the Government on how to improve our lives,” Mr. Samnieng Thammavong, Director of the Lao Disabled People’s Association and Chair of the Non-Governmental Delegation for the CRPD review, shared.

With support from OHCHR, Christian Blind Mission (CBM Global), International Disability Alliance, and UNDP, seven representatives of national disability organizations traveled to Geneva to present their Parallel Report to the CRPD Experts and observe the dialogue between the Government Delegation and UN Expert Committee.

Following the review, the UN Expert Committee will issue a list of recommendations to the Government to implement before the next review in four years. The Government is committed to developing a National Plan of Action, in consultation with national disability organizations, to turn the CRPD recommendations into action.

“The CRPD review helped us identify gaps in disability inclusion in the Lao PDR. We will work with national disability organizations, UNDP, and other development partners to develop an inter-governmental plan to close these gaps in line with the priorities of the 9th National Socio-Economic Plan and National Strategy and Action Plan on Persons with Disabilities,” Mr. Padeumphone Sonthany, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Welfare and Chair of the Government Delegation for the CRPD review, emphasized.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Taiwan Pilots, Cabin Crews Bemoan Stringent COVID Restrictions

The flight crews at one of Taiwan’s main airline carriers have voiced frustration about continued COVID-19 policies that require them to adhere to some of the strictest quarantine and testing requirements in the world.

The policies remain in place even as other parts of the world loosen pandemic restrictions and adapt to a “new normal.”

Upon arrival at destinations overseas, pilots and cabin crews from China Airlines must be taken directly to their hotel rooms and provided with room key cards that work only once — when they leave and embark on their next flights.

One pilot for China Airlines, who wished to remain anonymous, told VOA he was “frustrated” with the current conditions.

“It’s really affected [me]. Whenever I went to work, I felt so frustrated … it means I can’t go home for a period of time, and [I’m] also very tired, because I need to continuously [go] back and forth to Taipei and the U.S. or Europe. So, I have to adjust myself, try to sleep more and be more positive. [Being] stuck in a tiny room for long is really uncomfortable, but I still have to get used to it,” he said.

The first officer has worked for the airline for nearly eight years, and he flies both long- and short-haul trips each month. He said the restrictions were worse in the beginning of the pandemic, as pilots were forced to wear goggles, gloves and face masks while on duty, as well as facing quarantine for seven days. And because of the quick turnaround of a pilot flying both domestically and internationally, the pilot described how he was in a constant loop of being quarantined.

“There [was] a period of time we couldn’t quarantine at home, only in the hotel, so I’ve been 22 days and [still can’t] go home,” he said.

Today, the rules for vaccinated flight crews have since been relaxed slightly, removing the necessity of home quarantine in Taiwan. But when pilots and crews go abroad, they are still restricted from leaving their hotel rooms.

“At out stations, we still can’t go out. We only [can] stay in the room, until our pickup time for the next flight. It’s really unhealthy, [I] watch TV, read and sleep all day. I’ll do some workouts, too, and order Uber Eats, but that’s it,” the pilot added, referring to the food delivery service provided by Uber.

Rule change

A local pilots union in Taiwan is now seeking the loosening of some restrictions.

The Pilots Union Taoyuan, which represents nearly half of all pilots working for Taiwan’s airlines, has called the measures “outdated” and is requesting that the Taiwan government ease the strict controls.

The head of the union, Lee Hsin-yen, referred to an in-house survey that found most of the member pilots who have had the coronavirus caught it in Taiwan, the news website Focus Taiwan reported.

VOA has requested a comment from the Civil Aeronautics Administration in Taiwan but has not yet received a reply.

Cabin crews

Cabin crews also have vented their discontent about the rules and said following the restrictions is like being in prison.

A woman calling herself Shirley, who didn’t want to be identified, is a cabin crew member at China Airlines and said she has worked there for nearly seven years.

“The rules are: We are not allowed to leave our room; crews got one-time-use key card, or [the] hotel monitors us via [closed-circuit television] to make sure there’s no crew [leaving] their room. And we’re also not allow to have any contact with locals,” she told VOA.

She said that in pre-pandemic times, cabin crew members would often go shopping, have coffee or enjoy the summertime when overseas.

“That’s how crew members [would] release their stress,” she said.

Today, with the prolonged restrictions, she said, the flight crews in Taiwan are being treated unfairly in comparison to those in the rest of the world.

“In the beginning of the COVID, all these rules seemed to make sense. Nowadays, more and more countries open their borders. It feels like we [are] behind bars when we are in another country, because we can’t go anywhere. When we have [a] layover flight, the only place we can go is on the plane and hotel room. And it seems like the lockdown is endless,” she said.

Taiwan tourism

As the rest of the world is returning to pre-pandemic travel norms, Taiwan is currently closed to overseas tourists. Only residents and business travelers can enter Taiwan, but they must quarantine for three nights, followed by four days in self-health control. This means they are prohibited from visiting public venues or meeting groups of people.

It is an example of how concerns about the infection still linger in East Asia, with parts of the region slow to reopen travel to the world. The trend seems to be gradually changing, as Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan have all opened their respective borders recently for visitors, each with specific measures in place.

Gary Bowerman, an Asia travel analyst, told VOA that Taiwan’s cautious approach is soon going to affect its goals to boost tourism.

“Taiwan is talking about a phased reopening beginning with tour groups from Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea. This is a cautious strategy, which some Southeast Asian countries tried initially. As Southeast Asian countries discovered over the past year, it is only when full border reopenings are activated, and pre-flight and on-arrival testing and restrictions are removed, that travelers gain the confidence to visit in larger numbers,” he said.

With a population of more than 23 million, despite keeping infections low at the beginning of the pandemic, Taiwan is now reporting upward of 25,000 domestic cases daily. Vaccination numbers are high, with 85% of the population inoculated, according to the website Our World in Data.

Source: Voice of America

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Inflation, rising interest rates weigh on New Zealand’s economic recovery

The New Zealand economy is grappling with headwinds, primarily high inflation and rising interest rates, according to a report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

These challenges add to continued labor shortages, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic still evident, particularly in the services sector. These factors are weighing on the economic recovery, with signs of slowing activity across many industries, the institute’s principal economist Christina Leung said on Wednesday.

“Cost pressures remain intense for households and businesses, and this is driving pessimism,” Leung said, adding that central banks around the world have responded to the surge in inflation by increasing interest rates at a rapid clip.

“While this is having the intended dampening effect on demand, there are concerns activity will slow to the point of pushing economies into recession,” she added.

The increase in interest rates has had the most immediate effect on the housing market, with the number of house sales falling and an easing in house prices, Xinhua reported on 31 Aug.

The latest retail sales data show a slowing in retail spending, and this is expected to continue as households hunker down to weather these latest headwinds of rising living costs and increased mortgage repayments, Leung said.

Despite these headwinds, there remain factors supporting the recovery ahead. These include continued growth in incomes, emerging signs that cost pressures are starting to ease, particularly with the recent decline in fuel prices, according to the report.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Prime Minister Phankham receives Cambodian army delegation

Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh received a courtesy call from Deputy Commander of Supreme Military of Cambodia, Lieutenant General Hun Manet and his delegation on August 30 during his working visit to Laos between 29-31 August.

Prime Minister Phankham has expressed his warmly welcome and highly valued the working visit of Lieutenant General Hun Manet who led his delegation paid a working visit to Laos as a great contribution to strengthening the existing cooperation between two countries, especially the cooperation between Lao and Cambodian armies to be developed and strengthened.

Lt. Gen. Hun Manat also expressed his gratitude to PM Phankham for his warm welcome and informed him main purpose of his working visit to Laos.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Matterport Reinvents the Digital Twin with the Revolutionary Pro3 Camera and New Cloud Platform

Breakthrough innovations in 3D capture technology and AI-powered digital twin software create new ways for enterprises to market and manage properties digitally

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Matterport, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTTR), today introduced the all-new Matterport Pro3 Camera along with major updates to its industry-leading digital twin cloud platform. The Pro3 is a breakthrough in 3D capture technology, ready to digitize every aspect of the physical world, indoors and outdoors. Matterport’s next generation digital twin platform builds on the company’s groundbreaking immersive virtual experiences to enable advanced workgroup collaboration and productivity, delivering cost savings and revenue growth for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to global enterprises.

These new offerings arrive as global demand for digital twins – visually immersive, interactive 3D models of buildings and spaces – continues to rise. Forrester Research reports 55% of global software technology decision makers are already adopting digital twins1. As an industry leader, Matterport saw 52% growth in total subscribers in the second quarter compared to the year ago period, and already serves 23% of the Fortune 1000 with its digital twin platform.

“Today marks a pivotal breakthrough in 3D technology with the introduction of the most powerful products Matterport has ever created,” said RJ Pittman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Matterport. “Our new Pro3 camera and cloud platform create some of the world’s most accurate, immersive and stunning digital twins. The opportunity has never been greater for companies to embrace the power of Matterport digital twins to transform their business.”

Matterport for Enterprise
Digital twins empower business leaders to confidently navigate an uncertain economic environment while accelerating the productivity of a mobile and remote-first workforce; 79% of business leaders cite cost savings and 71% point to operational efficiencies as the key drivers of their digital twin investments2. It’s why the new Pro3 camera and cloud platform were built for the demands of enterprises with scalability, reliability and security at the core, making Matterport’s digital twin platform one of the most trusted in the industry.

The new Pro3 camera and cloud platform advancements make it easier than ever for customers to create immersive digital twins. Customers across sectors – factories, retailers, hotels and airlines – report digital twins have reduced project times by 30% and cut travel expenses by up to 50% through greater remote collaboration. One commercial real estate customer reported closing sales up to 85% faster. Hospitality customers find bookings and occupancy rates increase 14% for properties with a digital twin. The benefits aren’t just for large enterprises – real estate agents using digital twins win up to 74% more listings and 71% of residential buyers say they would buy a home sight unseen if it had a 3D digital tour.

The Matterport Digital Twin Platform
Matterport has reimagined the cloud software platform that creates, publishes, and manages digital twins of buildings and spaces of any size or shape, indoors or outdoors. All of these new capabilities integrate seamlessly so customers can securely create immersive environments for their employees, customers and partners to collaborate and explore.

  • Maximize productivity from a single digital twin with a new workgroup collaboration framework called Views, to enable groups and large organizations to create separate, permissions-based workflows to manage different tasks with different teams such as: virtual inspections, remote training, space planning, personalized virtual tours, and so much more.

Views create separate, permissions-based workflows from a single digital twin
Views create separate, permissions-based workflows from a single digital twin

  • Increase customer engagement, productivity and sales conversions with all-new Guided Tours and Tags to elevate the visitor experience. Now marketing and sales teams can create directed virtual tours of any commercial or residential space tailored to the interests of their visitors, and operations teams can create guided virtual training courses for remote workers.
  • Go further with Matterport Capture Services, now supercharged with the new Pro3 camera to get the highest quality professional digital twin from an on-demand capture technician in major cities around the world. Capture Services for Enterprise can now digitize a single space to a portfolio of thousands of buildings, indoors and out. From retail chains to hotel property groups and corporate campuses – it has never been easier to get a dimensionally accurate, photorealistic Matterport digital twin to manage properties online.

 Matterport Capture Services with Pro3

Matterport Capture Services, now supercharged with the new Pro3 camera

Matterport Capture Services brings your property to life, available on-demand globally
Matterport Capture Services brings your property to life, available on-demand globally

  • Take the entire Matterport platform wherever you go with a fully enabled mobile solution that brings together capture, customization, view, edit, publish and restore capabilities to digital twins with the new Matterport App for iOS and Android devices.

Immersive collaboration available anywhere with the Matterport App
Immersive collaboration available anywhere with the Matterport App

The Matterport Pro3 Camera

The Matterport Pro3 Camera provides the highest accuracy digital twins of indoor and outdoor spaces
The Matterport Pro3 Camera provides the highest accuracy digital twins of indoor and outdoor spaces

The Matterport Pro3 Camera is the most advanced Matterport 3D capture device with a powerful combination of sensors working in harmony to create stunning images, both indoors and outdoors. No other camera combines the incredible power of this device at this price point, making 3D capture more widely accessible.

With a custom 20 megapixel sensor and 12-element lens covering an ultra-wide angle, the Pro3 camera produces accurate, detailed digital twins in brilliant, life-like color. Breakthroughs in the high-precision LiDAR sensor enable the capture of millions of measurements in various conditions, from dim light to direct sunlight, up to a range of 100 meters at less than 20 seconds per sweep.

The custom 20MP Pro3 lens covers an ultra-wide angle for life-like digital twins in any environment
The custom 20MP Pro3 lens covers an ultra-wide angle for life-like digital twins in any environment

The Pro3 camera revolutionizes 3D capture, setting new standards for speed, fidelity, versatility and accuracy. Where interactive mesh previously had a 50k polygon limit, it is now unlimited and the mesh for large spaces can easily exceed one million polygons. New digital twins are now streamed on demand as the user moves through a space, available on mobile and web platforms for all users for faster load times, quicker frame rates, and much more detail without compromising performance.

Matterport’s Cortex AI engine is upgraded to capture 5x higher range, enabling customers to transform their interior and exterior spaces, even when encountering difficult foliage, lighting and reflective surfaces. The combined power of the new Matterport Digital Twin platform, Pro3 and upgraded Cortex AI result in some of the most accurate, immersive and stunning digital twins ever created.

“The Pro3 camera reflects years of advanced R&D and listening closely to our customers. The result is a breakthrough in 3D capture technology,” said Lou Marzano, Vice President of R&D and Manufacturing. “The demands of the digital-first industry push our product standards to new levels, making precision, range, and mobility critical to our customers’ success. We put all of this together into a portable device that achieves a new threshold for price-to-performance of commercial LiDAR capture. Some of our largest enterprise customers have already put Pro3 to the test – capturing large outdoor venues from stadiums to campuses with speed and accuracy never before seen. Like the Pro1 and Pro2 that came before it, the Pro3 camera is in a class by itself and I am so proud of the team behind yet another industry first.”

The Pro3 camera is Matterport’s lightest and most compact camera, designed for maximum portability
The Pro3 camera is Matterport’s lightest and most compact camera, designed for maximum portability

With a striking new design that’s uniquely Matterport, Pro3 is packed with groundbreaking features including:

  • Custom built 20 megapixel sensor and 12-element lens for ultra-wide capture of large spaces
  • Captures 100k points per second at depths ranging from 0.5m to 100m
  • High-precision LiDAR sensor for unparalleled precision in various light conditions
  • Camera boot time of less than 40 seconds
  • Removable battery packs for continuous scanning, batteries fully recharge in 3.5 hours
  • Weighing under five pounds, Pro3 is 30% smaller and 35% lighter than the Pro2 camera
  • New tripod mount engineered for Pro3 and new cases for maximum portability and protection

Pricing and Availability
The Matterport Pro3 Camera is available for purchase at matterport.com/pro3 or through one of Matterport’s partners, including: Amazon, B&H Photo and Video, and Adorama.

  • Matterport Pro3 Camera is priced at $5,999 USD and includes:
    • Pro3 Camera in Carry Case
    • One Tripod Mount
    • One Battery and Charging Kit
    • One Year Warranty
  • The Matterport Pro3 Acceleration Kit offers the best value at $7,995 USD. This bundle includes everything needed for a full day of capture:
    • Pro3 Camera in Carry Case
    • 10 Matterport E57 high density point cloud files to complete large projects quickly ($890 USD value)
    • 10 MatterPaks to extract floor plans, point cloud files, and OBJ files from digital twins ($500 USD value)
    • One Tripod Mount
    • Two Batteries with One Charging Kit
    • One Tripod, Wheeled Dolly, Two Door Stops, One Hard Case, and One Backpack
    • 3-year Warranty on Pro3 Camera and Tripod Mount ($2,000 USD value)
  • Accessories available separately in the US, UK and European Union through Amazon. For pricing information, visit Matterport’s website.

Pro3 camera availability varies by region.

  • Customers in North America may place orders today with estimated shipments in early September 2022.
  • Customers in the EMEA region can place orders soon with estimated shipments in early October 2022.
  • Customers in the APAC region can place orders online soon with estimated shipment of early October 2022.

For more information about the Pro3 camera and Matterport’s new digital twin platform, visit matterport.com

About Matterport
Matterport, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTTR) is leading the digital transformation of the built world. Our groundbreaking spatial data platform turns buildings into data to make nearly every space more valuable and accessible. Millions of buildings in more than 177 countries have been transformed into immersive Matterport digital twins to improve every part of the building lifecycle from planning, construction, and operations to documentation, appraisal and marketing. Learn more at Matterport.com and visit our Discover page to browse a collection of digital twins captured by our customers.

©2022 Matterport, Inc. All rights reserved. Matterport is a registered trademark and the Matterport logo is a trademark of Matterport, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Steve Lombardi
VP, Communications and Business Affairs
press@matterport.com

Investor Contact:
Soohwan Kim, CFA
VP, Investor Relations
ir@matterport.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the services offered by Matterport, Inc. (“Matterport”) and the markets in which Matterport operates, business strategies, industry environment, potential growth opportunities, and Matterport’s projected future results. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “forecast,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions).

Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including Matterport’s ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations in the industry in which Matterport competes, and identify and realize additional opportunities. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in documents filed by Matterport from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Matterport assumes no obligation and, except as required by law, does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Matterport does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

1 Forrester Research, “Jekyll And Hyde: The Dual Role of Emerging Tech in Environmental Sustainability”, 04/22
2 Source: Capgemini Research Institute, Digital Twins survey, September-October 2021, N=1,000 organizations.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a0a539e6-d18c-4235-be20-b4752eaad546
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/662660ad-abd9-431a-ba08-fac5f796496e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbf1240e-323d-4341-a4f9-acab75d0970b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c8775582-88e0-4f2d-a438-fc52c79bbc2a
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03ffc7bd-54ea-4b9c-8c9a-acdd87f93cd7
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2cdb9b54-399a-40e3-8a1f-8b1e895dacdf
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f14b7fe6-4a09-4214-a064-22c7fb2ca568

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Meco Limited announces the launch of world first advanced solar-electric cryptocurrency mining rigs for enhanced performance.

LONDON, Aug. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meco Limited (Mecobit) unveiled the much-anticipated Ultimate Solar Power System (a solar power system with amazing backups and cryptocurrency miners) at an elite launch event at the Hong Kong Technology Bureau in August 2020.Compact Solar Station Solar Panel Kit (Complete) Solar Array M4000 Highlights one of the most memorable solar powered crypto equipment in the world. Essential equipment that helps keep running or affects equipment such as appliances, dryers, pool siphons or electric car chargers, or even cryptocurrency mining equipment. We are looking for a boost from the global problems of fossil fuel by-products, high levels of electricity consumption. “It improves the way we approach imagination and planning. Moreover, make this progress reasonable for the customer,” said B. FRANCI, CEO of MECO LIMITED.

With the solar-focused part of the controlled hash rate seemingly easy to develop, many see the potential for sustainable electricity use in Bitcoin mining as a cycle of justice – Mecobit provides an extreme boost to cryptocurrency mining by enabling the mission to use sustainable electricity. The cheapest electricity imaginable will encourage more tasks to focus exclusively on environmentally friendly sources such as solar energy.

Key features of our miners:

⦁ Meco Rack:

Capacity: BTC-4850 TH/s, ETH/ETC-20000 MH/s

Calculation: SHA256, Ethash

8 x Nvidia RTX 3090 (includes warranty)

2 x Mining Frame/Shelf

3 x 930W 110-220V fully modular power supplies.

⦁ M100 miner:

Hash Rate: BTC 450TH/s, ETH/ETC 2000MH/s

Power: 1400 watts

Calculation: SHA256, Ethash

Connection: Ethernet/Wireless

⦁ M200 miner

Hash Rate: BTC 650 TH/s, ETH/ETC 2300 MH/s

Power: 1800 watts

Calculation: SHA256, Ethash

Connection: Ethernet/Wireless

About Mecobit

It was launched in 2015 with the determination to create and demonstrate to the world a solar-powered digital currency mine, and depending on the miner’s inclination, Ethash, SHA-256 or Scrypt innovations can be used. The organization says it is the absolute first solar-powered digital currency mining project on Earth. “We need to disrupt the solar charger business by providing more power at a more reasonable value than was recently thought to be the case.” – B. Franci (founder). Based on Chiswick High Road in London, UK, Mecobit has locations in various urban communities around the world, including the US. Additional information about the organization and its projects is available on the organization’s website www.mecobit.com

Contact: Ben Lukas, ben.lukas@mecobit.com, 852-3001 1453