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Honda Combines Personal Mobility and VR in World’s First Extended Reality Mobility Experience to Debut at SXSW 2024

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2 years ago

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Honda will introduce all-new entertainment experience fusing virtual reality with UNI-ONE, a hands-free, personal mobility device users steer by shifting their center of gravity Honda envisions UNI-ONE having applications at theme parks, entertainment facilities and retail spaces across the U.S.

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Fasten your seatbelt, Honda will hold the global debut of a first-of-its-kind extended reality1 (XR) experience at SXSW 2024, merging the joy of mobility with virtual reality (VR) adventures. The all-new Honda XR Mobility Experience integrates digital environments with the real-world experience of riding the Honda UNI-ONE, a hands-free, personal mobility device. 

Honda is seeking to collaborate with AR and VR developers to create custom digital experiences.

SXSW attendees will be able to immerse themselves in the all-new Honda XR Mobility Experience at the company’s booth #729 located in the SXSW Creative Industries Expo at the Austin Convention Center, March 10-13, 2024. Watch a demonstration of the Honda XR Mobility Experience at https://honda.us/ExtendedReality.

“With the Honda XR Mobility Experience, we are expanding the joy and freedom of personal mobility into entertainment applications,” said Hirokazu Hara, vice president of New Business Development, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “By combining the unique, physical experience of riding the Honda UNI-ONE with highly immersive digital entertainment, Honda is creating a brand new multimodal experience that takes extended reality technologies to the next level.”

Making Mobility More Fun with UNI-ONE

 SXSW 2024 marks the U.S. debut of the Honda UNI-ONE, a hands-free, personal mobility device that features advanced self-balancing technology and sensors that enable the user to move in any direction based on postural movements.

UNI-ONE features a seat that can be raised and lowered, making mobility more fun when interacting with people at the same eye level. In “high position,” the user is closer to the eye level of someone standing and can move in all directions – forward, backward, sideways or diagonally – as well as turn around with both hands free, simply by leaning in one direction to shift their weight. In “low position,” the user is able to better communicate with those who are seated or small children and can move in any direction by steering with a joystick.

The electric UNI-ONE is equipped with Honda’s original wheel mechanism, Honda Omni Traction Drive System (HOT Drive System), an evolution and advancement of the Honda UNI-CUB β device – first introduced in 2013. UNI-ONE has two units of the HOT Drive System – one on each side – enabling the user to move smoothly in any direction. Based on a user’s posture, UNI-ONE can estimate the user’s intentions, such as a desire to stay in place or move in a specific direction and speed. The stabilization function controls UNI-ONE’s wheels so it does not lean too far and applies feedback to achieve natural behavior that is neither too fast nor too slow.

Beginning in 2023, Honda has been demonstration testing UNI-ONE for multiple use cases in Japan, including at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi; Suzuka Circuit Park in Suzuka, Mie; and the Gotemba Premium Outlets in Gotemba, Shizuoka. For the demonstration testing at Suzuka Circuit Park, Honda integrated UNI-ONE with AR technology to create a game. Users play by holding a tablet and navigate UNI-ONE according to scenes displayed on the tablet. These demonstration trials are helping to validate UNI-ONE as a mobility device for entertainment applications.

UNI-ONE is designed to offer stress-free mobility and appeal to a wide range of users. It is battery-operated and has a maximum speed of 3.7 miles per hour. The maximum user weight capacity is 242 pounds.

New Entertainment Applications with UNI-ONE

 SXSW attendees can ride UNI-ONE and immerse themselves in their own “choose your VR adventure” at the Honda XR Mobility Experience. While wearing a VR headset and shifting their body weight to steer UNI-ONE, users can experience the peaceful feeling of floating in the sky or the exhilarating feeling of gliding along a half-pipe path.

Working toward commercialization in the U.S., Honda envisions people enjoying the XR mobility experience in indoor and outdoor obstacle-free spaces, including theme parks, entertainment facilities and retail spaces such as shopping malls. Honda also believes that UNI-ONE can be used as a mobility device in XR games, such as a racing game where players use their hands while moving freely or a game in which players follow certain routes.

In addition to entertainment and retail business partners, Honda is seeking to collaborate with AR and VR developers to create custom digital experiences choreographed with the movements of riding UNI-ONE. Interested companies can visit Honda’s booth #729 at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo or contact unione@na.honda.com.

UNI-ONE Specifications

Dimensions

(length x width x height)

30.3 × 26.8 × 30.3 inches (lowered)

25.6 × 22.8 × 36.2 inches (raised)

Seat Height

21.7 inches (lowered)

27.6 inches (raised)

Weight

Approx. 154 pounds

Riding Capacity

1 person

Maximum User Weight

242 pounds

Maximum Speed

3.7 miles per hour

Range

5 miles (at 2.5 miles per hour)

Battery

Lithium-ion battery (replaceable)

Drive Wheels

Honda Omni Traction Drive System (HOT Drive) – 2 wheels

*When UNI-ONE is in the low position, HOT Drive wheels and four auxiliary wheels are on the ground. 

Honda in America
Honda started operations in the United States with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1959. Today, Honda employs over 30,000 associates in America engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales and service support of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda power equipment, Honda powersports products and the HondaJet advanced light jet.

Based on its longstanding commitment to build products close to the customer, Honda operates 12 major U.S. manufacturing facilities, working with 600 U.S. suppliers to produce a diverse range of Honda products. Honda has built automobiles in America for over 40 years, and in 2022, more than two-thirds of all U.S.-sold Honda and Acura automobiles were produced in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda also conducts research and development activities at 23 facilities in America where we fully design, develop and engineer many of the products the company manufactures in America.

Learn more with Honda’s Digital FactBook. 

1 XR stands for “extended reality,” an umbrella term for technologies such as VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality) that fuse the real world with the virtual world to enable the perception of things that do not exist in reality.

 

 

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SOURCE Honda

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MATSON ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF 3 MILLION SHARES TO EXISTING SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM AND QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.36 PER SHARE

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April 23, 2026

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HONOLULU, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, approved adding three million shares to its existing share repurchase program and extending the program to December 31, 2029.  As of April 23, 2026, the existing share repurchase program had approximately 0.7 million shares remaining.  The Board also declared a second quarter dividend of $0.36 per common share.  The dividend will be paid on June 4, 2026 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 7, 2026.

“We are pleased to announce an additional three million shares to our existing share repurchase program,” said Matt Cox, Matson’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  “Since we commenced our share repurchase program in August 2021, we have repurchased approximately 14.3 million shares, or approximately 33% of the then outstanding shares, for a total cost of $1.3 billion.  Going forward, we will continue to be both disciplined and opportunistic in our capital allocation, and we remain committed to returning excess cash to shareholders to create additional shareholder value over the long-term.” 

Shares will be repurchased in the open market from time to time at the Company’s discretion, based on ongoing assessments of the capital needs of the business, the market price of its common shares and general market conditions.  The Company may enter into Rule 10b5-1 plans to facilitate purchases under the program.  The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

About the Company

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services.  Matson provides a vital lifeline of ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia.  Matson also operates premium, expedited services from China to Long Beach, California, which includes cargo from other Asia origins, provides services to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific, and operates an international export service from Alaska to Asia.  The Company’s fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and barges.  Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson’s transportation network throughout North America and Asia.  Its integrated logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, supply chain management, and freight forwarding to Alaska.  Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to, statements about capital allocation plans, the timing, manner and volume of repurchases of common shares pursuant to the repurchase program, and use of excess cash.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.  This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release.  We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Matson, Inc.

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Accord Specialty Pharmacy Named Finalist in MMIT’s 11th Annual Retail Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards

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1 hour ago

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April 23, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accord Specialty Pharmacy, an independent specialty pharmacy serving patients across multiple states, has been named a finalist in the MMIT Patient Choice Awards, a recognition based on patient-reported satisfaction and experience.

Accord was selected as the only independent pharmacy among finalists in its category, alongside national pharmacy organizations such as Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy and Walmart Specialty Pharmacy. This distinction highlights the company’s commitment to delivering personalized, high-touch care for patients managing complex and chronic conditions.

The MMIT Patient Choice Awards recognize specialty pharmacies that demonstrate excellence in patient satisfaction, service quality, and overall care experience. Finalists are determined based on direct patient feedback, making the recognition a meaningful reflection of the trust patients place in their pharmacy providers.

“Being recognized alongside national organizations and as the only independent finalist validates our belief that personalized, patient-centered care drives better outcomes. We are building a model that combines clinical depth, national reach, and operational flexibility to better serve patients, providers, and partners.” said AJ Patel, Founder and Pharmacy Manager of Accord Specialty Pharmacy.

Accord Specialty Pharmacy supports patients across complex specialty categories, including oncology, rare disease, and infusion, through a clinically driven, high-touch care model designed to improve access, adherence, and outcomes. The company’s approach emphasizes personalized support, responsive care coordination, and strong clinical engagement to help patients navigate complex therapies more effectively. With a growing national footprint and multi-state licensure, Accord is positioned to support patients, providers, and partners across diverse markets.

For more information, visit MMIT Announces Finalists of the 11th Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards – MMITNetwork.

About Accord Specialty Pharmacy:

Accord Specialty Pharmacy is an ACHC-accredited, multi-state licensed independent specialty pharmacy located in Central Florida, dedicated to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals managing complex and chronic conditions. Through personalized support, clinical expertise, and a high-touch approach, Accord helps patients navigate every step of their treatment journey. Learn more at www.accordspecialty.com.

CONTACT: contact@accordspecialty.com

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SOURCE Accord Specialty

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HAIVISION ANNOUNCES VOTING RESULTS FROM 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

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1 hour ago

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April 23, 2026

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MONTRÉAL, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ – Haivision Systems Inc. (“Haivision” or the “Company”) (TSX: HAI) is pleased to announce the voting results from its annual meeting of shareholders held today in a virtual format.

A total of approximately 45.97 % of the issued and outstanding common shares of Haivision were represented at the meeting.

Election of Directors

Each of the six nominated directors of Haivision was elected as director of the Company with the following results:

Director

Votes
For

% Votes
For

Votes
Against

% Votes
Against

Miroslav Wicha

11,110,245

99.26 %

82,583

0.74 %

Harvey Bienenstock

11,155,137

99.66 %

37,691

0.34 %

Robin M. Rush

11,121,855

99.37 %

70,973

0.63 %

Neil Hindle

10,794,005

96.44 %

398,823

3.56 %

Julie Tremblay

10,941,969

97.76 %

250,859

2.24 %

Lee K. Levy II

9,084,418

81.16 %

2,108,410

18.84 %

2.   Appointment of Auditors

Deloitte LLP were reappointed auditors of the Company for the ensuing year with 12,492,582 (98.84%) votes cast in favour and 146,406 (1.16%) votes withheld.

3.   Approval of the Unallocated Awards under the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan

The Company’s unallocated awards were approved with 8,710,347 (77.82%) votes cast in favour and 2,482,481 (22.18%) votes cast against.

4.   Reapproval of Company’s Shareholder Rights Plan

The Company’s shareholder rights plan was approved with 10,572,490 (94.46%) votes cast in favour and 620,338 (5.54%) votes cast against.

Final voting results on all matters voted on at the meeting will be filed under Haivision’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys® for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com.

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SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.

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