Category: technology

SK Telecom Presents AI Recommendation Model at AAAI-2026

SEOUL, Jan 25: SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) has been recognized for its research achievements in AI recommendation models that understand individual behavioral contexts and explain the reasons behind recommendations, earning a spot on the stage of a world-renowned AI conference.

At the 40th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-26) held in Singapore from January 20 to 27, 2026, the company presented its research paper “Think Wise, Collaborate Effectively: A Rationale-Aware LLM-Based Recommender with Reinforcement Learning from Collaboration Signals” as an oral presentation on January 24 in the session Data Mining & Knowledge Management Recommender Systems 4.

The AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence promotes theoretical and applied AI research as well as intellectual interchange among researchers and practitioners. It is regarded as one of the world’s top AI conferences, alongside the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), and the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR). This year, the number of paper submissions increased to around 24,000 from last year’s 13,000, while the acceptance rate dropped to 17.6% from 23%, making the competition more intense. Only around 4% of submissions were selected for oral presentation.

In addition to its participation in the oral session, SK Telecom also presented a poster on the same day during Poster Session: Data Mining & Knowledge Management 3.

The presented paper covers research on the company’s self-developed LLM-based AI recommendation model One Model Version 4. It also introduces methods for applying “reasoning ability reinforcement learning,” which has recently attracted attention among AI researchers worldwide, to real service environments.

One Model Version 4 comprehensively understands various behavioral data such as customer clicks, usage history, and interests, and generates in natural language which products or services to recommend; why those recommendations are made; and how to compose marketing messages for customers.

In particular, the model goes beyond simple data training by introducing “reasoning ability reinforcement learning,” enabling the AI to improve its own decision-making process and significantly enhance the persuasiveness and accuracy of its recommendations. “Reasoning ability reinforcement learning” refers to a training method in which AI develops its reasoning skills by generating multiple answers on its own and having them evaluated.

One Model Version 4 is also trained using collaborative filtering scores – used in traditional recommendation methods – for AI learning, enabling the model to reflect both LLM-based reasoning and consistent user preferences.

One Model Version 4 has been applied to a range of SK Telecom’s products and services, where its effectiveness in enhancing recommendation performance has been demonstrated in practice. For instance, it is currently being used in rate plan recommendations, T World (online customer support), T Membership (customer membership program), and T Direct Shop (official online store), achieving up to twice the customer response, such as click-through rates, compared to the previous version. Within this year, SK Telecom plans to expand the use of the model to various other products and services, including T Universe.

Since its initial commercial release in 2023 (Version 1), One Model has continuously improved recommendation performance and learning efficiency. Research on One Model Version 1 was accepted at the Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM) 2023, while the second version of the model received the Best Paper Honorable Mention at International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval 2024. One Model Version 3 was introduced at the Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM) 2025 Workshop, where it garnered considerable attention.

“We have once again demonstrated our AI Capabilities by achieving meaningful recognition at world-renowned conferences with our One Model research,” said Seok Ji-hwan, Head of AT/DT Data Office. “We will continue to conduct practical AI research that can be directly applied to actual products and services.”

Real Estate industry leaders to converge at T-Hub to discuss the future of Telangana Real Estate beyond the built-up area

Hyderabad, Jan 23: The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) is to organise a Summit on “Telangana Real Estate: Creating Value Beyond the Square Foot” on 29th January 2026, at The Marvel, T-Hub, Hyderabad.

The summit aims to bring together key stakeholders from the real estate ecosystem to deliberate on the evolving dynamics of value creation in real estate, moving beyond conventional metrics of built-up area. With Hyderabad emerging as one of India’s most resilient and forward-looking real estate markets, the event will focus on future-ready strategies aligned with policy reforms, infrastructure growth and emerging asset classes.

The summit will feature sessions covering critical themes such as mid-segment versus premium housing demand, policy and infrastructure impact on realty, investment strategies for Hyderabad 2034, youth perspectives on real estate, and the rise of alternate assets in Indian real estate.

Industry leaders from FTCCI, NAREDCO Telangana and JLL India, along with prominent developers, investors and consultants, will share insights on Hyderabad’s competitive positioning vis-à-vis other leading Indian metros and explore new opportunities across residential, commercial and alternate asset segments.

The event is supported by JLL as Knowledge Partner, NAREDCO Telangana as Supporting Partner, Nikhila Constructions and Developers as Title Partner, and Truck Dock Logistics as Associate Partner.

The summit is expected to attract developers, architects, asset managers, investors, manufacturers and senior decision-makers from across the real estate value chain.

—

AAEON Releases MEX-BTS, a Modular Workstation with Type A & Type B MXM GPU Compatibility

The MEX-BTS targets industrial workstations, AI-assisted healthcare imaging, and safety monitoring deployments.

(Taipei, Taiwan – January 23, 2026) Industry-leading embedded solutions provider AAEON (Stock Code: 6579) has released the MEX-BTS, a modular MXM system capable of hosting both MXM 3.1 Type A and Type B GPU cards. Designed for flexibility, the MEX-BTS has a number of key characteristics that allow it to be configured to meet the requirements of multiple vertical markets. As such, AAEON has positioned the PC as a suitable platform upon which to build industrial workstation, AI-assisted healthcare imaging, and safety monitoring applications.

The MEX-BTS supports over 30 CPUs from across the 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen Intel® Core™ and Series 2 (formerly Bartlett Lake) ranges, up to 65W. Meanwhile, the system offers support for the Intel® R680E, Q670E, and H610E chipsets, granting additional features such as ECC memory support.

The system’s most notable feature is its accommodation of both MXM 3.1 Type A and Type B GPU cards. This allows users to select and install the most appropriate module for their solution, with cards from both Intel and NVIDIA being compatible. This modularity is the cornerstone behind the product’s value proposition, as its MXM Type A support can be used to run power-efficient, low-latency inference on multiple video streams for smart surveillance applications, while Type B modules can be leveraged for more advanced tasks such as multimodal AI and 3D models for healthcare imaging.

At just 295mm x 186mm x 50mm, the MEX-BTS is slim and well-suited for installation in space-constrained setups. Despite this, the system hosts a generous selection of I/Os. For peripheral cameras and sensor integration, the MEX-BTS offers up to six LAN, four COM, and six USB ports. With these, AAEON claims, the system can leverage its compatible MXM GPU modules to run simultaneous inference on up to eight video streams. For more industrial markets, the MEX-BTS offers 16-bit GPIO, SMBus co-layed with I2C, and a wide 19V to 24V DC power input range.

Where memory is concerned, the MEX-BTS offers two SODIMM slots for up to 64GB of dual-channel DDR5, with ECC support available on SKUs featuring the Intel® R680E Chipset. For expansion, the system hosts two M.2 2280 M-Key slots, giving users access to high-capacity storage. Meanwhile, an M.2 3052 B-Key and full-size Mini Card slot offer wireless expansion.

For OS, the MEX-BTS is compatible with Windows® 10 (versions 22H2 and later), Windows® 11, and Ubuntu 24.04 (Kernel 6.11).

Assam’s power demand to nearly triple by 2035-36, experts flag need for transmission network expansion

Guwahati, Jan 22 : Assam is on the brink of an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, with fresh projections indicating that the state’s requirement will nearly triple by 2035-36. According to the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) Resource Adequacy Plan, Assam’s peak demand is expected to rise from 2,812 MW in 2024-25 to 7,969 MW by 2035-36 a dramatic escalation driven by rapid urbanization, industrial investments, and expanding consumer needs across districts.

While the state intends to scale its generation capacity to more than 17,700 MW by 2035-36, power sector specialists warn that this alone will not safeguard Assam from future shortages. The most pressing gap lies in the transmission network, which experts say must expand far more aggressively to match the steep rise in demand.

According to industry expert Saddaf Alam, who has been associated with Smokeless Power Consulting as Chief Consultant, said,

“Power generation can be contracted, enhanced, or procured from outside the state, but building transmission lines requires years of coordinated planning, land approvals, and right-of-way clearances. Timely expansion of transmission infrastructure will ensure reliable electricity supply and support the state’s holistic growth.”

He further added:

“A robust transmission infrastructure will substantially reduce the high cost of power purchases during peak demand. These savings can then be channelled towards the development and welfare of the people of the state. Strengthening transmission will also reduce grid stress, which otherwise results in heavy transmission loading, higher risks of tripping and voltage instability, and over-dependence on a limited number of corridors. Such vulnerabilities often lead to frequent power cuts and large-scale blackouts, as seen during the May 2025 outage in Guwahati that affected 1.5 lakh consumers, and the July 2024 grid collapse that impacted nearly 2 lakh people across five districts.”

Frequent power outage creates operational disruption of industries impacting overall supply chain, investment deterrence, limits infra upgrade, disrupts irrigation, incur post-harvest loss up to 20 %, disrupts of health services, education and other growth indicators. Uninterrupted power supply alone has potential to generate over 2 lakh jobs in all sectors and open new avenues of industrial growth.

Experts are believed transmission infrastructure has a crucial role to play in the overall power scenario of Assam because without high-capacity corridors even contracted power will remain stuck. Assam’s electricity demand is growing vertically, while transmission expansion has been horizontal and slow. The real bottleneck is the ability to evacuate and deliver that power efficiently. Assam must prioritize transmission expansion as the core of its energy security strategy.

Experts believe the next decade will be crucial in determining whether Assam can keep pace with its economic ambitions. Strengthening transmission lines, accelerating substation upgrades, reducing RoW delays, and building new high-capacity corridors are seen as essential steps.

OPPO India elevates travel photography with the all-new Reno15 Series featuring AI Portrait Camera, PureTone Technology and Popout

Kolkata, Jan 22: OPPO India today launches its premium Reno15 Series, featuring three variants—Reno15 Pro, Reno15 Pro Mini, and Reno15. Crafted for young travellers and photography enthusiasts, the series blends advanced camera system, intelligent AI, and precision-engineered design. Featuring colour finishes inspired by natural elements and first-of-its-kind HoloFusion Technology, the Reno15 Series pairs a compact, ergonomic form factor with rugged build quality. The Reno15 Pro and Reno15 Pro Mini take photography further with a 200MP camera delivering stunning clarity, complemented by a 50MP 3.5x optical zoom lens, up to 120x digital zoom, supported by PureTone Imaging Technology and AI editing tools.

Commenting on the launch of the Reno15 Series, Goldee Patnaik, Head of Communications, OPPO India, said, “With over 100 million OPPO users in India, we have closely witnessed how consumer expectations have evolved towards premium experiences, especially with cameras systems, intuitive AI, distinctive design language and user experience. The consistent growth of the Reno Series our commitment to this trend as consumers look for devices that deliver real-world value rather than incremental upgrades. With the Reno15 Series, we are building on that trust, offering significantly-advanced imaging system, deeper AI capabilities and stronger all-round performance, designed around how young Indians travel, create and capture their moments.”

Industry First HoloFusion Technology

OPPO introduces its HoloFusion Technology, redefining smartphone aesthetics with a three-dimensional layered visual effect being applied to a one-piece sculpted glass design, delivering enhanced depth, tactile texture and fluid light interaction. Complementing this is OPPO’s Dynamic Stellar Ring Design—an elegantly integrated camera layout that catches the light with a soft halo glow, giving the back a clean, seamless finish.

The Reno15 Pro comes in Sunset Gold inspired by the golden hues of sunset beaches that turn the ocean into a sheet of liquid gold, and Cocoa Brown, rooted in the warmth of tea and coffee. The Reno15 Pro Mini retains Cocoa Brown while adding a playful Glacier White that features a three-dimensional ribbon pattern achieved through HoloFusion Technology and a Crystal Pink variant. Reno15 completes the lineup with Glacier White, Twilight Blue and Aurora Blue, drawing inspiration from night skies and aurora-like phenomena.

Reno’s First Pro Mini: Compact without compromise

The Reno15 Pro Mini brings flagship performance to a compact form factor with a 6.32-inch AMOLED display and ultra-slim 1.6mm side bezels. Measuring 7.99mm thick and weighing just 187g, it delivers a powerful, palm-friendly experience without compromise. The Reno15 features a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 93.4% screen-to-body ratio, measuring 7.77mm in the Twilight Blue and Glacier White variants, and 7.89mm in Aurora Blue. All variants weigh around 197g, striking the right balance between screen size and everyday comfort.

Ultra-Slim Design, Ultra-Smooth Viewing

The Reno15 Series is designed to deliver an immersive viewing experience while staying slim, light, and comfortable in the hand. The Reno15 Pro features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with ultra-thin 1.15mm bezels on all four sides, achieving a 95.5% screen-to-body ratio. Despite its expansive screen, it measures just 7.65mm in thickness and weighs approximately 205g, offering a premium yet balanced feel.

Across the lineup, AMOLED panels offer FHD+ resolution, 10-bit colour, and adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and gaming, while intelligently scaling down during static use to conserve power. Brightness adjusts automatically for clarity in all lighting conditions, reaching up to 1,800 nits outdoors on the Pro models, with local peak brightness.

Slim Engineering with Structural Strength

Designed for everyday life, the Reno15 Series is built to handle accidental drops and daily wear with ease. OPPO’s All-Round Armour Body combines shock-absorbing Sponge Bionic Cushioning with an Aerospace-Grade Aluminium Frame, protecting internal components while keeping the phone slim and comfortable to hold. With IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings, the Reno15 Series is resistant to dust, water immersion, and even high-pressure hot water up to 80°C, making it reliable whether you’re caught in the rain, at the beach, or on the move. Even the USB port is reinforced with a platinum coating to resist corrosion and moisture over time. 

Capture Every Detail, Anywhere You Go

Designed for travellers, creators, and everyday storytellers, the Reno15 Series pairs ultra-high-resolution camera hardware with intelligent AI tools that work seamlessly in the background, helping users capture moments just as they see and feel them.

The OPPO Reno15 Pro 5G and Reno15 Pro Mini 5G feature a flagship 200MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera powered by HP5 sensor that captures exceptional detail, allowing photos to be freely cropped and reframed without losing clarity. This is complemented by a 50MP 3.5× Telephoto Portrait Camera with JN5 sensor tuned to the classic 85mm focal length for natural, flattering portraits, and a 50MP Ultra-Wide Camera with GC50F6 sensor for expansive landscapes, architecture, and group shots.

Across all lenses, OPPO’s PureTone imaging ensures balanced colours, natural contrast, and lifelike results without over-processing. On the front, a 50MP ultra-wide selfie camera with a 100° field of view makes it easier to capture group selfies and travel moments.

Studio-Quality Edits, Made Easy

The Reno15 Series introduces AI Editor 3.0, expanding OPPO’s on-device creative toolkit to make photo editing simpler and more intuitive. At its core is AI Portrait Glow, which intelligently analyses each scene and automatically applies the most suitable lighting style, whether Natural Light, Flash Light, Rim Light, or Studio Light so portraits look balanced and flattering even in challenging conditions.

Building on OPPO’s existing AI photography strengths, the series continues to offer familiar tools such as AI Recompose, AI Perfect Shot, AI Livephoto 2.0, AI Best Face, AI Unblur, AI Studio, AI Reflection Remover, and AI Eraser, allowing users to refine, enhance, and reframe moments effortlessly. Together, these features deliver a seamless, AI-first editing experience that helps users get share-ready results with minimal effort.

Make Your Moments Popout

For more playful creativity, features like Popout allow users to combine multiple photos or Livephotos into dynamic compositions where subjects appear to step out of the frame, creating visuals that feel expressive and ready to share. Whether it’s a person, a pose, or a moment in motion, Popout adds a strong sense of depth and dimension, turning ordinary photos into scroll-stopping visuals that look creative, playful, and ready for social sharing without needing any third-party editing apps

Cinematic 4K Video with Seamless Creativity

For creators who shoot on the move, the OPPO Reno15 Pro 5G and OPPO Reno15 Pro Mini 5G support 4K HDR video recording at up to 60fps across the front, main, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. HDR recording preserves detail in both highlights and shadows, delivering footage with natural colours and balanced contrast across varied lighting conditions. With 4K 60fps HDR across all focal lengths, the Reno15 Pro Series gives creators greater creative and editing flexibility. Creators can switch seamlessly between wide shots and close-ups or capture multiple angles within the same moment, with consistent resolution, frame rate, and dynamic range. This ensures smooth edits and visual continuity, without abrupt shifts in colour, exposure, or motion ideal for fast-paced shooting and post-production workflows.

An enhanced Ultra-Steady Video system helps keep footage stable while walking or filming on the move. All cameras support EIS 2.0 stabilisation, with optical image stabilisation on the main and telephoto cameras to reduce shakes when recording handheld or while moving. Creators can switch seamlessly between the front and rear cameras while recording, with consistent optimisation applied across both to minimise exposure and colour shifts. The 0.6× ultra-wide front camera, tuned with a golden focal-length perspective, captures more of the scene while keeping faces natural. Advanced algorithms enhance low-light clarity, balance backlit scenes, and maintain stable skin tones—ideal for vlogs and people-focused video.

Moreover, features like Dual-View Video enable simultaneous front and rear recording with flexible split-screen layouts, while Multi-Output Capture allows photos or motion shots to be taken during video recording without interruption. On the OPPO Reno15 5G, Video Editing 2.0 enables quick on-device editing with trimming, speed controls, transitions, beat-synced edits, and high-quality exports, including high-frame-rate HDR video and motion photo support.

Performance That Feels Effortless

The Reno15 Pro and Reno15 Pro Mini runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8450 All-Big-Core processor, delivering 41% better multi-core performance and 44% higher power efficiency over the predecessor and further optimising video stability through EIS. With an AnTuTu score of 1.66 million, its 7-core Mali-G720 GPU and NPU 880 handle advanced AI and creative workloads with ease.

The Reno15 5G runs on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, offering 27% better CPU performance, 30% faster graphics, and a 65% AI boost over the previous generation supported by Qualcomm Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 for smoother gameplay and better battery efficiency.

Across the lineup, AI LinkBoost 3.0 enhances connectivity with up to 73% faster sharing speeds, while AI HyperBoost 2.0 ensures smooth, stable gameplay at up to 120 FPS, even during the most intense sessions.

Charge Less. Do More.

The Reno15 Series is engineered for long days and heavy use. The Reno15 Pro is powered by a 6500mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC™ fast charging and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging, delivering reliable all-day performance along with the ease of cable-free charging. A quick 10-minute charge gives up to 5 hours of WhatsApp, 4.3 hours of YouTube, or 4.5 hours of Instagram usage making short charging breaks truly impactful. A full charge from 0 to 100% takes approximately 51 minutes. The Reno15 is equipped with a 6500mAh 5-year durable battery as well, while the Reno15 Pro Mini houses a 6200mAh battery. Both support 80W SUPERVOOC™ fast charging, ensuring rapid charging speed while maintaining long-term battery health.

ColorOS 16: AI That Works for You with Google Gemini

The OPPO Reno15 Series runs on ColorOS 16, delivering a smoother, faster, and more intuitive smartphone experience. Backed by the All-new Trinity Engine and the Luminous Rendering Engine and Seamless Animation, everyday actions like scrolling, app switching, and navigation feel fluid and responsive.

ColorOS 16 brings OPPO’s AI features together in the OPPO AI Hub, making them easy to find and use. Tools like AI Mind Space allow instant capture of on-screen content, AI Recorder automatically generates summaries, AI Portrait Glow enhances low-light photos naturally, and AI Writer assists with writing across Notes and social apps. Deep integration with Google Gemini enables natural language commands to control everyday functions like Settings, Calendar, and Clock.

The Reno15 Series also enhances cross-device productivity with O+ Connect for seamless file access and PC control, and Screen Mirroring for multitasking across apps. Built with privacy in mind, OPPO’s AI features are secured through the OPPO AI Private Computing Cloud, powered by Google Cloud’s confidential computing, ensuring user data remains protected.

OPPO brings A Reno for everyone: Reno15c

OPPO expands its Reno lineup with the Reno15c, bringing the core Reno experience to a wider audience. Available in Afterglow Pink and Twilight Blue, the device combines refined design with practical endurance, featuring a large 7000mAh battery supported by 80W SUPERVOOC™ fast charging for reliable, all-day use.

OPPO expands its ecosystem with Pad 5 and OPPO Enco Buds3 Pro+

At the launch today, OPPO also announced two new ecosystem products the OPPO Pad 5 and OPPO Enco Buds3 Pro+, strengthening its portfolio of connected devices designed for productivity, entertainment and everyday use.

OPPO Pad 5 features a large 12.1-inch 2.8K anti-glare matte display that delivers sharp visuals while reducing reflections, making it comfortable for extended reading and viewing. Built for students and professionals, the tablet supports AI-powered note-taking to simplify organisation and boost productivity. A massive 10,050mAh battery ensures long-lasting use across work, learning and entertainment without frequent charging.

Alongside it, OPPO introduced the OPPO Enco Buds3 Pro+, designed for users who prioritise immersive sound and long battery life. Equipped with a 12.4mm extra-large driver, the earbuds deliver deeper bass and clear audio. They offer up to 54 hours of total playback and come with IP55 dust and water resistance, making them suitable for workouts, travel and daily wear. Together, the OPPO Pad 5 and OPPO Enco Buds3 Pro+ extend OPPO’s ecosystem, offering practical features, dependable performance and seamless integration for modern lifestyles.

Comparative Analysis: Decentraland, The Sandbox, and Padma.ooo – Across Audience, Growth Potential, and Earning Models

Introduction

Decentraland and The Sandbox have emerged as two of the most recognizable Web3 metaverse platforms, centered on virtual land ownership, immersive environments, and NFT-driven economies. Both appeared in the early 2020s as decentralized environments where users could build, own, and commercialize digital assets.

Padma.ooo, by contrast, represents a different trajectory within the Web3 ecosystem. Rather than focusing on immersive virtual worlds, Padma.ooo positions itself as a platform for social participation, community formation, and economic empowerment — particularly across emerging markets.

1. Target Audience

Decentraland

Decentraland primarily attracts:

• crypto-native users,
• digital creators,
• NFT collectors,
• investors in virtual land,
• and DAO participants.

Its audience skews toward users with a high degree of technological and financial literacy. The platform also hosts brand activations and cultural events, creating a niche environment for creative experimentation rather than mass consumer adoption. However, mainstream onboarding remains limited due to interface complexity and multi-step wallet/account requirements.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox targets a more gaming-oriented demographic. Its ideal users are:

• builders,
• game designers,
• voxel artists,
• and branded IP partners.

The platform’s toolset — including VoxEdit and GameMaker — reduces barriers for producing interactive experiences, drawing comparisons to Roblox and Minecraft rather than strictly crypto-native platforms. This gives The Sandbox a broader cultural aperture and makes it more accessible to younger demographics and game modders who are not necessarily crypto investors.

Padma.ooo

Padma.ooo aims at a distinctly different end of the Web3 adoption spectrum. Its core audience consists of:

• emerging Web3 participants,
• community leaders and ambassadors,
• socially connected network builders,
• and individuals seeking economic opportunity within digital ecosystems.

The platform is particularly focused on users from high-growth emerging markets such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines — regions where digital participation is rapidly expanding and where Web3 adoption is still nascent. Unlike Decentraland and The Sandbox, Padma does not require technical sophistication or capital investment up front, positioning itself closer to mainstream social platforms rather than metaverse spaces.

2. Growth Potential

Decentraland

Decentraland’s growth potential is measured and niche.

On the one hand, it remains one of the earliest metaverse projects, securing both brand attention and early cultural mindshare. On the other, user engagement metrics have historically been modest relative to its valuation and brand visibility. The platform appeals to a specialized segment, and scaling depends heavily on onboarding additional creators and institutional partners rather than broad consumer adoption. Its market is relatively mature, but not mass-market.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox has a comparatively higher growth ceiling within the gaming and UGC segment. It benefits from:

• strong IP partnerships,
• brand sponsorships,
• event-driven user acquisition,
• and a growing pool of in-platform creators.

Its success is tied to the pace of content development — the more games, events, and branded worlds are built, the more valuable the ecosystem becomes. While competition from traditional Web2 gaming remains an obstacle, Sandbox occupies a differentiated niche: crypto-enabled UGC, which remains underdeveloped elsewhere.

Padma.ooo

Padma.ooo’s growth thesis rests on the network effects of social participation rather than virtual real estate or game content. Its potential is highest in emerging Web3 geographies where:

• mobile-first usage is standard,
• social capital drives adoption,
• and economic participation is a key motivator.

The platform can scale horizontally through community expansion rather than vertically through content production. If successful, this approach could enable mass onboarding into Web3 through a socio-economic rather than speculative or entertainment-based pathway. This growth vector remains largely uncontested in the current Web3 landscape.

3. Earning Models

Decentraland

Earnings in Decentraland are linked to:

• virtual land speculation,
• NFT trading,
• event hosting,
• and monetization of user-built experiences.

These models reward participants with capital, skills, and an understanding of crypto markets. The economic barrier to entry can be significant, making earnings viable predominantly for investors and experienced creators.

The Sandbox

Sandbox enables monetization via:

• game creation and publishing,
• voxel asset design,
• land leasing and trading,
• and sponsorship/brand participation.

Its UGC model democratizes earning potential to a degree, enabling creative users to monetize assets without extensive financial exposure. However, success depends on the volume and quality of in-platform content and the overall competitiveness of the creator ecosystem.

Padma.ooo

As Solomon Odunayo have noticed in his publicatons once Padma introduces a different earning framework based on:

• participation,
• network-building,
• onboarding,
• community activity,
• and social engagement.

Users can gain economically without initial investment, making the platform more inclusive and aligned with the realities of emerging markets where disposable income is limited but social connectivity is strong. In addition, Padma’s integration with financial instruments expands potential beyond purely virtual asset speculation, positioning it closer to a socio-digital economic system rather than a gaming or NFT-centric metaverse.

Comparative Summary

Conclusion

Decentraland and The Sandbox represent the first wave of metaverse experimentation — one centered on ownership, virtual land, NFTs, and branded cultural spaces. Their growth strategies rely on content creation, investor participation, and the expansion of immersive digital worlds.

Padma.ooo represents a second-wave interpretation of Web3: one where mass participation, socio-economic incentives, and community-led onboarding drive adoption. By reducing barriers, demystifying Web3, and aligning digital participation with economic mobility, Padma opens a different frontier — one where Web3 scales not through spectacle, but through social inclusion.

Cloover secures $1.2 billion financing commitment to build the AI operating system for energy independence

Cloover targets $500m sales volume in 2026 underscoring the explosive demand for distributed energy solutions. Rising energy demand by AI, grid instability, and the expansion of electric mobility are increasing pressure on existing energy systems, creating one of the largest infrastructure opportunities of the coming decade.

Berlin, Germany – Jan 21; The globe is racing to secure its energy future as electricity demand rises, grids come under pressure, and households face growing uncertainty over costs and supply. At the same time, demand for decentralized energy solutions like solar, batteries, heat pumps, and EV charging is surging. The missing piece has been infrastructure that can deliver these systems at scale. Cloover was built to solve this gap by creating the operating system for energy independence – and today the company has announced a landmark financing commitment to accelerate the rollout of residential energy independence.

Cloover has secured $22 million in Series A equity financing alongside a $1.2 billion debt facility, bringing total capital commitments to $1.222 billion. The equity round was led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, BNVT Capital, Bosch Ventures, Centrotec, and Earthshot Ventures. The debt facility was provided by a leading European bank to fund customer and installer financing on the platform. Cloover also benefits from a €300 million guarantee from the European Investment Fund, which underpins its financing programs and enables scalable, low-cost capital for the energy transition. In total, Cloover has now raised more than $30 million in equity financing and secured over $1.3 billion in debt.

The scale of this commitment reflects the urgency of the problem Cloover is addressing. Europe’s energy transition depends on hundreds of thousands of small and mid-sized installers, yet most operate with fragmented software, manual workflows, and limited access to capital. Traditional banks are ill-equipped to finance residential energy assets at speed and granularity, creating delays that stall installations and price many households out of clean energy. Cloover takes a fundamentally different approach by embedding financing directly into installer workflows and pairing it with an end-to-end software platform built specifically for decentralized energy.

At the heart of this innovation is AI-powered credit underwriting, which evaluates long-term energy savings rather than traditional credit metrics alone. Cloover also pre-finances public subsidies, allowing consumers to benefit immediately from state incentives. For institutional investors, Cloover opens the door to a new impact-aligned infrastructure asset class, backed by real performance data, climate impact tracking, and full transparency across the value chain.

“With this $1.2 billion commitment, we’re enabling households to become energy independent, without the friction of upfront costs or complex loan applications. Our AI operating system connects stakeholders across the value chain and revolutionizes how energy independence becomes the new norm” said Jodok Betschart, Co-Founder & -CEO at Cloover.

Cloover is building the digital nervous system of the distributed energy economy. Its AI-powered platform integrates workflow management, financing, procurement, and energy optimization into one seamless operating system. It automates complex workflows, detects risks early, and empowers data-driven decisions from the first customer leading to long-term energy-management through Cloover’s EMS and dynamic tariffs. Further, Cloover’s AI Finance co-pilot helps SME installers solve capital flow challenges along the whole value chain and improve liquidity to enable faster growth. By replacing disconnected tools and slow financing processes with one integrated system, Cloover enables installers to close more projects, move faster, and serve a broader customer base.

Installers using Cloover offer financing at the point of sale, increasing conversion rates and unlocking new market segments. Automated workflows reduce administrative burden and improve throughput, while access to capital shortens cash cycles. On average, installer partners generate 30 percent incremental revenue through Cloover by reaching customers they previously could not serve. Homeowners benefit from access to decentralized energy without large upfront investments and see between 20 and 30 percent savings on energy costs through optimized system performance and financing.

By connecting manufacturers, installers, households, and investors in a unified ecosystem, Cloover ensures energy projects scale efficiently, transparently, and collaboratively – mirroring the way software unlocked scale for e-commerce two decades ago.

“Cloover is not just about financing – we’re building the backbone for energy independence. We are creating the Shopify of Energy: a platform that equips manufacturers, installers, households, and investors with the tools to grow, collaborate, and deliver distributed energy at scale” added Valentin Gönczy, Co-Founder & CPO at Cloover.

Cloover was founded after the team conducted extensive research with hundreds of energy installers across Europe and saw the same pattern repeat across markets. Demand for decentralized energy was accelerating, but the industry lacked the infrastructure to support mass adoption. Financing emerged as the most decisive bottleneck. While other sectors such as automotive benefit from thousands of specialized lenders, residential energy assets have only a handful. Cloover was created to close this gap by combining financing with modern software infrastructure and building a platform that supports installers rather than competing with them.

Cloover grew revenues more than 8x in 2025 while remaining profitable, approaching $100 million in sales. The company is projecting $500 million in 2026 and $1 billion in 2027, underscoring the explosive demand for distributed energy solutions.

The company’s growth is driven by powerful market forces. Rising energy demand driven by AI, grid instability, and the expansion of electric mobility are increasing pressure on existing systems. Governments are accelerating policy support for decentralized energy, while households are seeking greater control over their energy costs and supply. These trends are converging to create one of the largest infrastructure opportunities of the coming decade.

“Cloover is tackling one of the largest and most structurally important opportunities in the European energy transition. What truly sets them apart is execution: in 2025 the team delivered outstanding commercial progress while building the foundations of a scalable platform business. Jodok, Peder and Valentin have assembled an exceptional team with deep expertise across energy, software, and credit, and we’re excited to back them as they scale Cloover into a category-defining company.” said Oliver Richards, General Partner at MMC Ventures.

With the new capital, Cloover will expand into additional European markets and is considering France, Italy, the UK, and Austria, deepen its platform with further AI-driven workflow automation and financing products. For now, the team’s long-term vision is for Cloover to become the global platform powering decentralized energy, connecting manufacturers, installers, investors, and households through a single operating system designed to deliver affordable, and independent energy at scale.

City of Titusville extends SwiftGov AI partnership following successful pilot

TITUSVILLE, Fla./Jan 21—The City of Titusville has extended its partnership with SwiftGov®, an AI-powered government permitting platform operated by Swiftbuild.ai, following a successful pilot program that processed 132 real-world development projects. The decision comes as Florida’s Space Coast experiences unprecedented growth, with a record 109 rocket launches in 2025 and major aerospace investments reshaping the regional economy.

Titusville sits at the epicenter of this transformation. Lockheed Martin recently broke ground on a $140-million manufacturing facility in the city, expected to create 300 high-paying jobs. With up to 120 launches projected for 2026, including NASA’s historic Artemis II crewed lunar mission, the demand for predictable, efficient development review has never been greater.

AI as operational infrastructure

SwiftGov’s AI Rule Engine is now embedded directly into Titusville’s development review workflows, supporting planning, zoning, landscaping and engineering reviews. In engineering alone, the system evaluates approximately 250 regulatory rules, each with multiple chapters, sections and subsections, delivering approximately 80% accuracy as a decision-support tool.

The AI does not automate approvals or replace professional judgment. Instead, it accelerates how staff identify applicable regulations, surface potential compliance issues and maintain consistency across reviews. This frees engineers and planners to focus on coordination, judgment calls and long-term infrastructure planning.

“From a development services perspective, SwiftGov is just what we need in an increasingly complicated development environment,” said Brad Parrish, Development Services Director. “It is intuitive for staff, more predictable for applicants and designed to support professional decision-making.”

KB Ofosu, Community Development Engineer, added: “SwiftGov is like a powerful engineering assistant and a second set of eyes. It surfaces the right guidance fast, keeps reviews moving and strengthens judgment without taking decisions out of engineers’ hands.”

Scaling for the space economy

For a region defined by precision engineering and complex systems, the partnership reflects a broader philosophy: apply the same operational rigor to local government that drives aerospace success. It reduces review friction and improves consistency. Titusville is creating a development environment that supports economic growth while maintaining infrastructure standards and environmental protections.

The approach is reinforced by ongoing resident engagement, including rapid community surveys that consistently identify traffic, infrastructure capacity and responsible growth as top priorities. Titusville is pairing AI-powered review with human oversight and public input. The city is showing how to deploy AI as operational infrastructure.

Made in India Platform SEMI AI Set for Soft Launch on Republic Day

Combining Human Judgment with Machine Intelligence for Better Decision-Making New Delhi, January 20, 2026 SEMI AI, a pioneering technology platform that integrates human judgment with machine intelligence, announces its soft launch today on India’s 77th Republic Day. Positioned as the world’s first half-machine, half-human AI system, SEMI AI delivers more accurate, ethical, and context-aware decision-making across multiple sectors.

SEMI AI operates as an intelligent routing system that analyzes incoming queries and decisions. It determines which elements can be handled by AI algorithms and which require human expertise and judgment. When a user submits a query, SEMI AI’s machine learning algorithms process the data, identify patterns, and generate preliminary insights. For straightforward tasks, the AI provides instant responses. For complex scenarios requiring judgment, cultural understanding, or ethical consideration, the platform routes the query to qualified human experts within the SEMI AI network. This hybrid model creates a continuous feedback loop where human insights train and refine the AI, while the AI handles scalability and speed. Saurabh Bhambri, Founder and CEO of SEMI AI, shared, “SEMI AI is Made in India, by Indians, and for Indians. This launch on Republic Day symbolizes our commitment to building technology that serves the nation and reflects Indian values. We are proud to dedicate this platform to the people of India on this historic day.”

The platform addresses a critical gap in today’s AI landscape, where purely algorithmic solutions often lack contextual understanding and ethical considerations essential for complex decision-making in diverse Indian contexts.

Bijay Singh Rajput, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of SEMI AI, shared, 

“SEMI AI will make life easier for Indian citizens by supporting smarter decisions across industries. We also hope the Indian government will support this initiative so it can scale globally and make our country proud on the world stage.”

The platform has potential applications spanning healthcare, governance, finance, education, and public services. In healthcare, it provides diagnostic support with doctor oversight. In finance, it offers risk assessment with human validation. In education, it enables personalized learning with teacher guidance. In public services, it resolves citizen queries with human escalation for complex cases.

The Republic Day soft launch marks a significant milestone in India’s emergence as a global technology innovator. SEMI AI showcases Indian ingenuity in creating next-generation AI systems that prioritize both technological advancement and human values.