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Kia OTA update adds SoundCloud and enhances EV Route Planner and voice control

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The latest Kia over-the-air (OTA) update includes music streaming from SoundCloud and improvements to planning EV chargingUpdate has more than 150 changes, with additional voice commands enhancing the in-car experienceDriver speed assistance warning can be turned off using the mute button at the steering wheel

FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Telematics-equipped Kia vehicles from the model year 2022 onwards are eligible to get over-the-air (OTA) updates. The latest batch of updates available includes 153 changes, with music streaming service SoundCloud, enhancements to the EV Route Planner and new voice commands all added.

 

Using the Kia Connect App, customers can benefit from a range of digital features and services from the Kia Connect Store that can elevate the vehicle’s capabilities and performance, with the vehicle being updated remotely via OTA. A bandwidth that is three times wider than before now enables OTA updates to be completed faster. The latest updates available are designed to enhance and improve the in-car experience. Driver speed assistance warnings can now be deactivated simply by using the mute button at the steering wheel*, while a split screen for the EV Route Planner provides easier viewing of arrival time, state-of-charge and charging point information.

“The array of intelligent changes available in this latest update is strong proof that over-the-air updates deliver significant improvements that enable the vehicle to get better throughout the ownership experience,” said Sjoerd Knipping, Vice President of Marketing and Product at Kia Europe and Managing Director of Kia Connect. “At Kia, we are always looking at ways to make our vehicles better, and our customers now get to enjoy these improvements several times a year, without having to do anything.”

Wireless technology is used to download the latest available software, and, once the download is complete and the ignition is turned off, a confirmation window appears on the infotainment screen. SoundCloud is a leading music streaming service offering more than 375 million tracks from 40 million artists. In Kia vehicles, SoundCloud joins Amazon Music – now supported by voice recognition – as the second method for music streaming.

The Kia EV Route Planner, one of the first updates made available through the Kia Connect Store, enables the vehicle’s navigation system to detect charging stations along the route and add them as waypoints automatically. Now, it is available in a split screen, to give the driver an improved overview of key charging information. It can also now automatically add charging stations to the route if the set destination cannot be reached with the vehicle’s current charging level, resulting in faster route calculation. 

Other key updates include:

Battery conditioning being activated when the customer searches for charging stations via voice recognitionVoice control that supports new commands for flight information, date/time, ambient lighting and cluster information Changing the priority related to the parking button; when the parking button is on, the nearest EV station is displayed with a higher priority than the parking icon

An initial one-year trial bundles two free OTA updates for the vehicle’s navigation maps and infotainment. After that, a subscription service is available on the Kia Connect Store from 89 EUR* per year, with the update packages delivered twice per year. Prices may vary depending on the country.

 

Notes to editors
(*) Only available for some models. Remaining models will only follow with the next software update.

About Kia Europe
Kia Europe is the European sales and manufacturing division of Kia Corporation – a global mobility brand that is creating innovative, pioneering and leading sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities and societies around the world. As a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider, Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around.

Kia Europe, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, employs in total over 5,500 employees from 40 nationalities in 39 markets across Europe and the Caucasus. It also oversees European production at the company’s state-of-the-art facility in Zilina, Slovakia.
Kia’s innovative products continue to attract great acclaim, notably the EV6 battery electric vehicle becoming the first Korean car to be named European Car of the Year in 2022.
Further information can be found here: www.press.kia.com

About Kia Connect
Kia Connect is the European subsidiary of Kia Europe delivering connected car services to Kia customers. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it covers more than 30 markets.
Kia Connect in-car and app-based telematics services are designed to make driving and charging a smarter and more intuitive experience. Features include accurate traffic and ETA prediction, ‘best-in-class’ data provision, remote access to vehicle information, and now over-the-air software updates. Kia Connect’s suite of on-board technologies can be accessed through the vehicles’ head unit.

EV owners can also use the Kia Connect smartphone app to set climate control levels, view their vehicle’s charging status, plan smart charging schedules and check the range radius based on the remaining charge. Users can also check and change their vehicle settings directly from their smartphone, including navigation, radio and Bluetooth preferences. The Kia Connect smartphone app is available for download via the Google Play and Apple App stores.

Contact:
Pablo Gonzalez Huerta
+49 69 850 028 100
Kme-press@kia-europe.com

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Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2316606/KIA_LOGO.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kia-ota-update-adds-soundcloud-and-enhances-ev-route-planner-and-voice-control-302255949.html

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Eddid Financial Honored with “Professional Services Award in RWA” by HKCT Highlighting its Leading Edge in Web3 and Digital Assets

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HONG KONG, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eddid Financial (the “Group”) has won the “Professional Services Award in RWA” at the HKCT Business Awards, hosted by the Hong Kong Commercial Times. The award recognizes the Group’s exceptional professional service capabilities and innovative achievements in the Real-World Assets Tokenisation (“RWA”) sector. This prestigious honor serves as a strong industry endorsement of the Group’s dedicated efforts in the RWA space, affirming its leadership in bridging traditional and digital finance while injecting significant momentum into Hong Kong’s digital asset market.

The HKCT Business Awards evaluates candidates based on four core criteria: corporate achievements, market competitiveness, brand philosophy, and professional standing. As one of the most credible and influential business awards in Hong Kong, it aims to recognize outstanding enterprises across various sectors for their performance over the past year, encouraging companies to continuously enhance their core competitiveness and pioneer innovative economic directions. During this year’s selection process, the judging panel conducted a comprehensive assessment of Eddid Financial’s compliance infrastructure, innovative services, and industry contributions within the RWA sector, highly commending the Group’s professional strength and forward-looking vision in asset tokenisation.

Compliance-Driven: Building a Full-Chain Service Ecosystem

As a licensed pioneer in Hong Kong’s RWA landscape, Eddid Financial has consistently relied on compliance as its foundation and innovation as its driving force. Having deeply cultivated the digital asset space for years, the Group has established a full-chain professional service ecosystem that encompasses asset screening, product design, compliance auditing, and distribution operations. Eddid Securities and Futures, a subsidiary of the Group, became one of the first brokerages in Hong Kong to upgrade its licenses in September 2023. It subsequently secured further upgrades for its Type 1 and Type 9 regulated activity licenses, making it one of the few institutions authorized to distribute tokenised securities and RWA products. This regulatory milestone has laid a solid, compliant foundation for the Group’s RWA business operations.

Successful Launch of Landmark Precious Metal RWA Projects

In terms of practical application, Eddid Financial has actively spearheaded the launch of several landmark RWA projects, setting a new benchmark for the industry. Notably, the Group partnered with Timeless Resources Holdings Limited (8028.HK) and HashKey Chain to introduce Hong Kong’s first silver RWA project. By leveraging blockchain technology to tokenise physical silver assets, each digital coin is backed 1:1 by one ounce of physical silver, strictly held by an independent trustee. This initiative not only lowers the barrier to entry for precious metal investments but also enhances asset liquidity. The project’s product design and issuance framework received a “no further comment” reply from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), demonstrating the highest standard of compliance.

Concurrently, the Group has collaborated with CAC Fintech to advance China’s first agricultural RWA project. By converting agricultural products, land management rights, and future agricultural revenue rights into on-chain digital certificates, this project addresses critical pain points such as poor liquidity and low financing efficiency in agricultural assets. Furthermore, it supports the national rural revitalization strategy and explores novel pathways for the innovative integration of agricultural assets with financial markets.

Leading the Upgrade of the Regional RWA Industry

Beyond launching landmark projects, Eddid Financial continues to drive the ecosystem construction and market development of the RWA sector. The Group’s research department published the “Core Guide to RWA: From Basic Theory to Global Practice,” sharing its leading experience in asset tokenisation to help establish industry standards. Simultaneously, the Group has built a tripartite development model encompassing “Technology + Compliance + Ecosystem”. Internally, it has assembled a dedicated fintech team to advance underlying technologies; externally, it connects core stakeholders, including asset holders, investors, and licensed exchanges, to form a comprehensive RWA service ecosystem that provides clients with all-encompassing, one-stop professional services.

Looking ahead, Eddid Financial will continue to leverage its comprehensive licensing advantages, expert service teams, and robust technical support to drive the digital transformation of a diverse range of real-world assets. The Group is committed to delivering highly flexible, efficient, and compliant RWA services to its clients while actively supporting the standardized and international development of Hong Kong’s digital asset market, thereby cementing Hong Kong’s status as a premier global digital finance hub.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/eddid-financial-honored-with-professional-services-award-in-rwa-by-hkct-highlighting-its-leading-edge-in-web3-and-digital-assets-302760892.html

SOURCE Eddid Financial

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Elevate Appoints Wade Clark as Chief Growth Officer

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Industry veteran to lead organic growth strategy across Elevate’s national platform

LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Elevate, a national operator-led accounting and advisory platform, today announced the appointment of Wade Clark as Chief Growth Officer. Clark brings more than 30 years of experience building and leading sales organizations at top U.S. accounting and consulting firms, including Moss Adams (now Baker Tilly), BKD (now Forvis Mazars), Carr Riggs & Ingram, BDO USA, and Ernst & Young.

In this role, Clark will lead organic growth across Elevate’s partner firms, building a unified, data-driven growth function that complements the platform’s active M&A strategy and deepens advisory relationships firmwide.

Most recently, Clark spent nine years at Moss Adams, where he built and scaled the sales coaching function supporting 1,000+ partners, directors, and senior managers across 45 practices in a $1.3 billion firm. Earlier, as Chief Growth Officer at Carr Riggs & Ingram, he built the firm’s first growth function and helped drive revenue from $70 million to $100 million in three years. At BKD, he played a central role in the firm’s expansion from $190 million to $400 million, primarily through organic growth. He is the author of Meaningful Success in Business as well as Simplifying Complex Sales, reviewed by Accounting Today as one of the best books on selling professional services.

“Wade has built and led growth organizations at scale, and he knows what it takes to drive consistent, measurable results across a distributed partnership,” said Sanjay Agarwal, CEO and Founder of Elevate. “As we continue to execute on both M&A and organic growth, Wade’s ability to bring structure, accountability, and rigor to revenue generation will be a meaningful differentiator for our partner firms and their clients.”

“What attracted me to Elevate is the clarity of vision and the commitment to building a true operating platform — not just a collection of firms,” said Clark. “The opportunity to architect a scalable growth engine across a national footprint, alongside partner firms who are already leaders in their markets, is incredibly compelling.”

Clark is based in Houston, Texas, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M University.

About Elevate

Elevate is a national accounting and advisory platform built by operators. The firm partners with leading CPA firms to provide the technology, infrastructure, and strategic support needed to drive sustainable growth, enhance client service, and unlock long-term value. Elevate’s operator-led model preserves firm autonomy while delivering the scale, talent, and technology of a unified platform.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elevate-appoints-wade-clark-as-chief-growth-officer-302759917.html

SOURCE Elevate LLC

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Meiyume (Group) LTD Achieves EcoVadis Gold Rating for 2026, Reinforcing Commitment to Sustainable Beauty

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HONG KONG, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Meiyume (Group) LTD has achieved the EcoVadis Gold rating for 2026, with the company being in the 96th percentile globally and among the top-performing companies for sustainability.

EcoVadis evaluates companies across environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The Gold rating reflects Meiyume’s strong performance and continued commitment to embedding sustainability across its supply chain.

A supplier’s commitment to sustainability is increasingly important to brands, as they work to meet rising regulatory requirements and evolving consumer expectations for transparency and responsible practices. In this landscape, choosing the right partners is essential. Partners like Meiyume play a key role in enabling more responsible, future-ready solutions while helping to strengthen sustainability standards across the supply chain.

A Holistic Sustainability Strategy: Meiyume’s 5Ps Framework

Meiyume’s sustainability approach is guided by its 5Ps framework: Product, Process, Places, People, and Principle, ensuring a comprehensive integration across the business:

Product – Advancing sustainable innovation in formulations and packaging

Process – Strengthening responsible sourcing and supply chain practices

Places – Enhancing operational efficiency and environmental performance

People – Fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace

Principle – Upholding strong governance and compliance standards

Sustainability as an Ongoing Journey

While the EcoVadis Gold rating marks an important milestone, Meiyume views sustainability as an ongoing journey. The company remains committed to strengthening its sustainability performance and supporting beauty and personal care brands in achieving their sustainability goals.

About Meiyume:

Formerly LF Beauty, Meiyume offers end-to-end beauty solutions—packaging, ODM, OEM —grounded in sustainability and insights. Powered by it’s Beauty Intelligence Platform and a global sourcing network, Meiyume brings visions to life with agility, intelligence, and responsibility.

https://meiyume.com/
2/F HK Spinners Industrial Building, Phases I & II, 800 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

SOURCE Meiyume

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