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OTOY, in association with William Shatner and the Nimoy Estate, releases ‘765874 Unification,’ commemorating 30th anniversary of “Star Trek: Generations” with an immersive media experience for The Archive

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On the 30th anniversary of “Star Trek: Generations”, The Archive and William Shatner revisit Captain Kirk’s final appearance on screen in a new 8-minute video produced for The Archive app on Apple Vision Pro: “765874: Unification”, launched in tandem with new interactive sets and documentary interviews and behind the scenes content celebrating the legacy of the 1994 film.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — OTOY, Inc is proud to release the next major update to The Archive, with ‘765874: Unification’, a mind-bending Star Trek experience celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Generations – William Shatner’s last appearance as Captain Kirk on screen.

‘765874: Unification’ launches today on The Archive web portal and native app, an immersive experiential app designed for Apple Vision Pro. The release is accompanied by new interactive sets, props, and worlds from the 1994 film as well as a 20-minute retrospective by William Shatner himself, looking back over the last 30-years since he played the legendary character, and his aspirations for the future of Captain Kirk as the franchise approaches the 60-year mark. The full experience with all related extra content is available in its entirety in Digital Cinema 4k HDR and spatial video, exclusively mastered at peak fidelity for viewing on Apple Vision Pro.

Iconic characters from classic Star Trek history were brought to life through the live action performances of a talented cast, led by veteran TV and film star Sam Witwer as James T. Kirk, with Lawrence Selleck as Spock. Witwer and Selleck were filmed in costume, performing as Kirk and Spock on set, aided by both physical and digital prosthetics resulting in period-accurate portrayals matching the appearance of the characters as they originally appeared in TV and Film at the time.

William Shatner and Susan Bay Nimoy, widow of the late Leonard Nimoy, served as executive producers on the production.

Mr. Shatner worked with the OTOY team to fine tune the technical and creative direction required to bring his interpretation of Kirk back to live action for the first time in 30 years, including the addition of his voice to narrate a key moment in the experience.

Describing ‘765874: Unification’ and OTOY’s digital prosthetic technology used to revisit Star Trek history, William Shatner said it “takes years off of your face, so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are.” Mr. Shatner surprised fans yesterday when he shared the first private screening of the video at the Star Trek tour in Ticonderoga, New York.

‘765874: Unification’ was directed by Award Winning Spanish filmmaker Carlos Baena, from a story by Jules Urbach, and features original music by Academy-award winning Star Trek composer Michael Giacchino.

The 8-minute video connects multiple decades of Star Trek lore, with nods to Robin Curtis’ portrayal of Saavik (1984’s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock), J.M. Colt (from the 1964 Cage pilot) played by actress Mahé Thaissa and Gary Mitchell, Kirk’s friend from the second Star Trek pilot episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before” performed by original actor Gary Lockwood

For post-production and special effects work, skilled artists from OTOY and partner VFX studios combined digital and physical prosthetics with live action location photography, virtual production, and beautiful CG set extensions to deliver feature-film quality visuals. Major scenes in “Unification” were filmed twice, ensuring coverage to create video and spatial content mastered for Apple Vision Pro. All outdoor filming locations were scanned in and merged with CG set extensions, becoming part of The Archive’s growing library of 3D worlds and locations.

Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Mark Spatny led OTOY’s international team of artists and animators, including visual effects artists Neil Smith, JJ Palomo, and Aaron Westwood.

Visual effects in ‘Unification’ were created using OTOY’s Octane® rendering software and the Render Network® decentralized GPU rendering platform. Characters and props were digitized using OTOY’s Academy-Award winning LightStage™ scanning system.

About The Archive

The Archive is a multi-decade endeavor between OTOY and The Roddenberry Estate, in collaboration with Paramount Game Studios, to catalog key texts and documents from Gene Roddenberry’s life and career using immersive technologies. With a mission to canonically memorialize reference 3D models of the Starship Enterprise – including studio models as filmed on set and life-size 1:1 scale ‘in Universe’ versions – The Archive aims to preserve iconic worlds from the Gene Roddenberry era of Star Trek for future generations to experience in new immersive spatial formats like Apple Vision Pro.

As part of The Archive, OTOY has leveraged advancements in virtual production technology and frontier digital workflows pioneered by OTOY to recreate key pieces in Star Trek history in 1:1 life-sized virtual sets.

The Archive’s virtual production and digital makeup technology are used to create documentary shorts and immersive spatial experiences for the Apple Vision Pro. The documentary videos are overseen by Roger Lay, Mike and Denise Okuda, and feature Star Trek luminaries such as William Shatner, George Takei, Walter Koenig, director Robert Butler, Terry Matalas, Robin Curtis, Gary Lockwood, writer David Gerrold, production designer Dave Blass, and stunt performer Sandra Lee Gimpel.

The Archive can be explored as a native immersive spatial experience for Apple Vision Pro, available on the App Store. A limited version of The Archive is currently available in two-dimensional format on the web. 

Recent short documentary videos produced for The Archive app experience include:

The Roddenberry Archive: Behind the ScenesThe Roddenberry Archive: The CageThe Roddenberry Archive: The Next Generation (Returns)The Roddenberry Archive: William ShatnerThe Roddenberry Archive: Walter KoenigThe Roddenberry Archive: Return to Tomorrow (with “Q”)The Roddenberry Archive: Deep Space NineThe Roddenberry Archive: David Gerrold (Part 1) | (Part 2)The Roddenberry Archive: All the Enterprises – A to Z

Star Trek intellectual property is used under a license with Paramount.

About OTOY Inc.

OTOY Inc. is the definitive cloud graphics company, pioneering technology that is redefining content creation and delivery for media and entertainment organizations around the world. OTOY’s Academy Award®-winning technology is used by leading visual effects studios, artists, animators, designers, architects, and engineers, providing unprecedented creative freedom, new levels of realism, and new economics in content creation and distribution powered by the cloud. For more information, visit www.otoy.com.

Additional Resources:

Follow The Roddenberry Archive on X.Follow OTOY on Facebook and X.Read more about The Render Network here.

About Paramount Consumer Products 

Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, Paramount Consumer Products’ portfolio includes a diverse slate of brands and content from BET, CBS (including CBS Studios and CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and SHOWTIME®. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, Paramount Consumer Products is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. To view our range of consumer products and Paramount branded apparel, visit ParamountShop.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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Profile Customization Habits Come Into Focus in Soulmatemeets Analysis

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What users choose to show — and quietly leave blank — reveals something profound about digital self-presentation, Soulmatemeets finds.

GIBRALTAR, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — There is a particular kind of care that goes into the small, almost invisible decisions people make before they ever say a word in an online space. The choice of a display name, the selection of a profile image, the subtle arrangement of a bio that says enough without saying too much — these are acts of self-presentation that unfold in private, away from the scroll of conversation, in the quiet margins of a platform where no one is watching. And yet, taken together, Soulmatemeets finds they begin to form a picture worth pausing over.

Drawn from aggregated, anonymized behavioral patterns observed across its user base, a new internal analysis from Soulmatemeets offers a measured look at how people approach the customization of their digital profiles — not in sweeping, dramatic terms, but in the patient, accumulating way that data tends to reveal human behavior when given enough time and enough people.

Soulmatemeets’ study suggests that the choice of profile images yielded some nuance. Abstract or illustrative images — patterns, illustrations, stylized icons — were selected more frequently than photographs across most user segments, a finding that aligns with broader research into digital identity construction, which has long noted the preference, in informal or interest-based spaces, for symbolic self-representation over literal portraiture.

Short bios, when completed, tended to favor the particular over the general — a named hobby, a specific place, a single sentence that gestures toward personality without overexplaining it. Brevity, it appears, is not absence. It is a form of curation, according to Soulmatemeets.

Soulmatemeets’ analysis does not claim to resolve the larger questions that surround digital self-presentation. Those questions — about authenticity, about performance, about the distance or Soulmatemeets that screen names create — belong to a much longer conversation. What the data from Soulmatemeets study offers instead is a set of quiet observations: that profile completeness and conversational engagement tend to move together; that customization is less a prerequisite to participation than an accompaniment to it; and that the small expressive choices available to users are not merely decorative but functional, even social.

It would be easy to read these findings in purely instrumental terms — as a guide to what features might drive engagement, or what design choices might nudge users toward fuller profiles. But there is another reading available, one that is perhaps more in keeping with what Soulmatemeets has set out to be. The platform’s interest in this data is, at its core, an interest in how people make themselves at home in a shared space — in what it takes for a digital environment to feel, over time, genuinely inhabited rather than merely visited. Soulmatemeets continues to examine these patterns not to optimize for metrics, but to better understand what makes a space feel worth returning to.

About Soulmatemeets

Soulmatemeets came into being as an attempt to make room for something that can be surprisingly hard to find online: conversation that feels genuinely good to be part of. The platform is designed around the idea that people benefit from spaces where they can exchange stories, share what’s on their minds, or simply spend a few minutes talking with someone they wouldn’t otherwise encounter — without the ambient weight of metrics, virality, or noise. There is a deliberate lightness to what Soulmatemeets offers, a sense that the point is the exchange itself, not what comes after it. Users arrive from different places and different states of mind, and the hope — reflected in every small design decision — is that most of them leave feeling, in some modest but real sense, a little better than when they came.

Media Contact

Debbie Hammond, Soulmatemeets, 1 14844578736, review@soulmatemeets.com, https://soulmatemeets.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/profile-customization-habits-come-into-focus-in-soulmatemeets-analysis-302759956.html

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Global Automotive Lead Acid Battery Market | USA, South Korea, European Union Lead | Clarios, Exide Technologies, GS Yuasa Drive Reliable Automotive Energy Storage Transition

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NEWARK, Del., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — According to the latest analysis by Future Market Insights, the global automotive lead acid battery market is entering a stable growth phase, driven by expanding vehicle populations, rising replacement demand, and increasing adoption of start-stop vehicle technologies. Valued at USD 31.3 billion in 2025, the market is projected to reach USD 52.40 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 5.3%.

For automotive OEMs, aftermarket distributors, and battery manufacturers, lead acid batteries are no longer viewed as purely conventional power sources—they remain essential infrastructure supporting vehicle ignition, auxiliary electronics, and energy management systems across passenger, commercial, and hybrid vehicles.

Quick Stats – Automotive Lead Acid Battery Market

Market Size (2025): USD 31.3 BillionForecast Value (2035): USD 52.40 BillionCAGR (2025–2035): 5.3%Leading Battery Type: Flooded Batteries (60.0% Market Share)Fast-Growing Technology Segment: AGM Batteries (30.0% Market Share)Dominant End Market: OEM Vehicle Production (62.38% Share)Key Growth Markets: United States (5.4%), South Korea (5.3%), European Union (5.3%)Key Players: Clarios (Johnson Controls), Exide Technologies, GS Yuasa Corporation, East Penn Manufacturing, EnerSys

Get detailed market forecasts, competitive benchmarking, and pricing trends:
https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1482

Executive Insight for Decision Makers

The automotive lead acid battery market is at a strategic transition point where reliability, affordability, and compatibility with modern vehicle electronics are redefining energy storage demand. Despite the rise of electric mobility, lead acid batteries continue to serve as the backbone of starting, lighting, ignition (SLI), and auxiliary vehicle systems.

Organizations that fail to upgrade toward advanced AGM and Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) technologies risk losing competitiveness in start-stop and hybrid vehicle platforms. Meanwhile, manufacturers investing in improved cycling durability, maintenance-free designs, and recycling efficiency are strengthening long-term market positioning.

Market Momentum: Powering Vehicle Reliability and Energy Management

Three structural forces are accelerating market demand globally:

Growing Vehicle Population: Expanding global vehicle fleets are creating sustained replacement battery demandStart-Stop Technology Adoption: Fuel-efficiency regulations are driving AGM and EFB battery integrationIncreasing Vehicle Electronics: Advanced infotainment, ADAS, and onboard electronics require robust auxiliary power systems

Automotive lead acid batteries are evolving from commodity components into optimized energy storage systems supporting modern vehicle architectures.

Segment Leadership Defining Market Direction

Flooded Batteries (60.0%) dominate due to low cost, proven reliability, and widespread aftermarket adoptionAGM Batteries (30.0%) are gaining traction in premium and start-stop vehicles requiring enhanced cycling performanceOEM Segment (62.38%) leads through long-term supply contracts with global automotive manufacturers

Demand is expanding across passenger vehicles, commercial fleets, hybrid vehicles, and micro-hybrid systems where reliability and cost efficiency remain critical.

Speak to Analyst: Customize insights for your business strategy:     
https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-1482

Regional Growth Landscape

United States (5.4% CAGR): Growth supported by large vehicle fleet and strong aftermarket demandSouth Korea (5.3% CAGR): Advanced automotive manufacturing and start-stop vehicle integration driving expansionEuropean Union (5.3% CAGR): Emission regulations accelerating AGM battery adoptionJapan (5.2% CAGR): Technology leadership in hybrid and premium vehicle battery systemsIndia (5.0% CAGR): Rising vehicle ownership and expanding automotive production fueling demand

Global market expansion remains closely tied to vehicle production volumes, replacement cycles, and increasing electrification of automotive systems.

Competitive Landscape: Reliability Meets Technology Advancement

The automotive lead acid battery market remains highly competitive, with manufacturers focusing on durability, charge acceptance, and recycling efficiency:

Clarios (Johnson Controls) – Leading global OEM and aftermarket battery supply platformsExide Technologies – Expanding advanced lead acid and recycling capabilitiesGS Yuasa Corporation – Strengthening premium AGM and hybrid battery solutionsEast Penn Manufacturing – Advancing high-performance maintenance-free battery technologiesEnerSys – Expanding commercial and industrial automotive battery applications

Competition is increasingly defined by battery lifespan, cold-cranking performance, recycling infrastructure, and compatibility with modern vehicle energy systems.

Strategic Takeaways

OEMs: Integrate AGM and EFB technologies to support start-stop and hybrid platformsBattery Manufacturers: Focus on longer lifecycle, maintenance-free operation, and sustainable recyclingAftermarket Distributors: Expand premium battery portfolios to capture replacement demandInvestors: Target companies supporting reliable automotive electrification and energy storage upgrades

Why This Market Matters

The automotive lead acid battery market remains a foundational pillar of the global automotive ecosystem. While new battery chemistries continue to emerge, lead acid technology retains a critical role due to its affordability, reliability, mature recycling infrastructure, and compatibility with conventional and hybrid vehicles.

As vehicle fleets expand and automotive electronics become increasingly complex, demand for dependable and cost-effective energy storage solutions will remain resilient across both OEM and aftermarket channels.

For forward-looking stakeholders, this market represents not just steady expansion—but a long-term opportunity driven by evolving vehicle architectures, sustainable recycling ecosystems, and the ongoing modernization of global transportation systems.

Unlock 360° insights for strategic decision making and investment planning:      
https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1482  

Related Reports:  

Motorcycle Lead Acid Battery Market – https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/motorcycle-lead-acid-battery-market

Automotive Battery Pack Compression Pad Market – https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-battery-pack-compression-pad-market

Automotive Battery Pack Fire Barrier Pad Market – https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-battery-pack-fire-barrier-pad-market

Automotive Battery Tester Market – https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-battery-tester-market

Automotive Battery Disconnect Unit (BDU) Market – https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-battery-disconnect-unit-bdu-market

About Future Market Insights (FMI)  

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. Headquartered in Delaware, USA, with a global delivery center in India and offices in the UK and UAE, FMI delivers actionable insights to businesses across industries including automotive, technology, consumer products, manufacturing, energy, and chemicals.  

An ESOMAR-certified research organization, FMI provides custom and syndicated market reports and consulting services, supporting both Fortune 1,000 companies and SMEs. Its team of 300+ experienced analysts ensures credible, data-driven insights to help clients navigate global markets and identify growth opportunities.  

For Press & Corporate Inquiries 
Rahul Singh  
AVP – Marketing and Growth Strategy  
Future Market Insights, Inc.  
+91 8600020075  
For Sales - sales@futuremarketinsights.com  
For Media - Rahul.singh@futuremarketinsights.com  
For web - https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/
For Web: https://www.factmr.com/

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Sowell Management Launches Advisor Partnership Program Providing Equity in the Firm and Growth Capital to Affiliated Advisors

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Sowell partners with Merchant to fund the program, accelerate the firm’s M&A strategy and build on strong momentum

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sowell Management (Sowell), a leading Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) serving financial advisors and their clients nationwide, announced the launch of its Advisor Partnership Program (APP) to provide its new and existing advisors with the resources and capital needed to grow their practices and plan for their futures. Additionally, Sowell announced it is partnering with Merchant for a capital infusion to fund APP, enhance its technology and investment management capabilities, and execute an ambitious M&A strategy to accelerate its momentum in the evolving, consolidating independent wealth management sector. 

Designed for both current advisors and those considering joining, APP provides a meaningful opportunity to participate in the equity and long-term enterprise value of Sowell. Backed by strategic capital, APP is built to drive growth, operational scale and new opportunities. It also provides for succession and continuity planning, allowing advisors to create a defined path for their future on their own terms.

“As we considered the next chapter of our growth, we wanted to demonstrate our appreciation for our advisors’ loyalty and their dedication to serving clients with distinction, while giving them additional incentive to support the ongoing success of the firm,” said Daryl Seaton, CEO, Sowell Management. “We created our Advisor Partnership Program to ensure it reflected the values and culture that have made Sowell a unique presence in the RIA space for the past 25 years. We have always treated our advisors as partners in the business, and our new Program enables us to formalize that approach.”

Sowell has experienced steady growth since its founding in 2001 as one of the nation’s earliest RIAs. It has grown to over $6.5 billion in client assets through organic growth and traditional recruiting of advisors drawn to the firm’s straightforward approach to financial planning, investment management, and client service.

As the industry evolved over the years, so has Sowell, increasing investment management solutions through a CIO model, adding a private wealth division with Cache River, enhancing its technology, marketing, and business development support, and building out an impressive leadership team with expertise from across wealth management. The new APP and partnership with Merchant will propel Sowell into its next phase of growth.

“Scale has become increasingly critical for sustained success in wealth management, and it will become more so as the industry continues to consolidate,” said Bill Sowell, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Sowell Management. “After a thorough due diligence process, we invited Merchant to be the partner who will take us into the future. Merchant’s team has a deep understanding of the RIA space and respect for what we have built here at Sowell under the current leadership team.”

Merchant is a well-respected global operating company providing growth capital, strategic resources, and support to independent financial services firms. Merchant’s ecosystem comprises over 130+ partner firms and RIA practices in six countries, collectively managing more than $340 billion in assets.

“Sowell is an ideal partner firm for us,” said Matt Brinker, Managing Partner at Merchant. “With Daryl and Bill at the helm, they lead a strong management team that knows where they want to take the business and be a premier destination for established financial advisors serving the needs of sophisticated clients. The firm’s Midwest roots, values, and approach to wealth management are refreshing, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth and making their vision a reality.”

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Sowell Management
Sowell Management is a privately held Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and a trusted partner to financial advisors. Founded by financial advisor Bill Sowell in 2001, Sowell Management provides a transformative platform of services and solutions to guide advisors on the path toward true independence. Sowell has a nationwide network of financial advisors representing over $6.5 billion* in client assets (AUA/AUM) as of April 2026.

*Regulatory assets under management (AUM) are assets where Sowell provides continuous and regular supervisory or management services to client portfolios. Assets under administration (AUA) is a measure of the total assets for which Sowell provides administrative services. Working with a highly rated advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. 

For more information, visit sowellmanagement.com.

Media Contact
Haven Tower Group
Brandon Blackwell
(424) 317-4868
bblackwell@haventower.com

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