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Youth on Tech Latest Episode: Revealing Moon Mysteries, Exploring the Universe

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BEIJING, June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — This is a report from Science and Technology Daily:  China has revealed its plan to send astronauts to the moon by 2030. Themed by the “Revealing Moon Mysteries, Exploring the Universe,” the latest episode of Youth on Tech invited three guests to share their thoughts on lunar exploration. 

Mysteries of the moon

People have been curious about how the moon was formed for centuries, but to this day there has been no clear cut answer to the question. Zhang Tianli, an engineer of China’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center (LESEC), said that currently the main hypotheses for the origin of the moon include the Giant Impact Hypothesis, Co-formation Hypothesis and Capture Hypothesis. The most widely accepted is the first one. That is, in the early solar system, a Mars-sized object collided with the young Earth and some debris gathered to form the moon.

Zhang said the Giant Impact Hypothesis explains some features of the moon, such as its small size, lack of iron core, and the similarity of isotopic compositions between the moon and Earth’s mantle. “China is planning to place astronauts on the moon before 2030, and we’re really looking forward to it,” said Zhang.

Another often discussed topic about the moon is why humans can only see the near side of the moon from Earth. It was not until in 2018, when China’s Chang’e-4 lunar probe made a historic landing on the far side of the moon that humans could have a close look at it. Obviously, the far side is much more difficult to explore than that of the near side of the moon.

Meanwhile, Low Jing Xiang, a Malaysian researcher, explained that this is because the moon is tidally locked to the Earth and the same side of the moon is always turned toward the Earth, resulting in the moon blocking of signal transmissions from the far side to the Earth. Therefore, the Chinese Queqiao Relay Satellite was set up to relay the signal from the far side of the moon, making Chang’e-4 mission successful.

Global cooperation matters

Outer space exploration is a common cause and pursuit for humanity. So it calls for international cooperation in research to expand cognitive boundaries of humans about celestial bodies.

Low, also the associate professor of Science and Technology University of China (USTC), is taking part in the International Lunar Research Station project, which was proposed by China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Roscosmos of Russia in 2021. The project is expected to be completed by 2035.

The priority for Low and his team is to study the possibility of the in situ resource utilization of lunar soils as catalysts for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion. It is an arduous task. But during the participation in this project, Low said he had caught the chance working with experts not only from China, but also from other countries such as Russia, Iran and Egypt. This kind of collaboration helped Low solve problems in his research and made him understand how important global cooperation is. “This project also shows the willingness of the leading space exploration countries to share their knowledge and collaborate with the other countries,” said Low.

When talking about this, Low said he never dreamed he could be part of such a project. In 2021, when Prof. Xiong Yujie from USTC asked Low whether he wanted to participate in a space exploration project, he wondered if Prof. Xiong was serious. “Now, I am here, participating in the project,” Low said.

“In my opinion, human society should work together across the country border instead of practicing seclusion policy to solve the mist in space exploration,” he said.

Tips for young generation

The guests shared their personal stories and experience with young people who are interested in lunar science and have ambitions to explore outer space.

Before coming to LESEC, Shen Yuduo was a postgraduate student at Macquarie University in Australia. She majored in conference interpreting. “But I am very interested in space. I’m [always] gazing at the stars and dreaming about the endless mysteries in the vast universe,” said Shen.

According to Shen, she was inspired by China’s achievements in space. She believes that China is becoming one of the leading countries around the world in moon exploration. To be part of LESEC, Shen keeps working hard to learn more about space knowledge and terminologies, as well as the deep space exploration programs. “There are many transferrable skills that you can apply,” said Shen, adding that “No matter what you are doing or studying, every person has endless potentials, so I do not ever set limitations on myself!”

Low believes that participating in the International Lunar Research Station project is a dream that comes true. When he shares his experience with young people, he asks them, “Why don’t we go beyond the Earth, looking for something that we don’t have on this planet?”

 

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SOURCE Science and Technology Daily

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Shoplazza Launches the World’s First AI-Native Commerce Operating System with a Unified Suite of AI Agents

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TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shoplazza, a leading global commerce platform, announced the launch of the world’s first AI native commerce operating system recently, along with a unified suite of AI agents designed to execute across the entire ecommerce lifecycle. The release marks a major step forward in the company’s evolution from a traditional software platform to an AI-driven commerce infrastructure built for global scale.

At the core of the system is Shoplazza AI Store Builder, an intelligent agent that fundamentally changes how online stores are created. Instead of configuring tools manually, merchants can now generate fully functional, ready to sell storefronts through simple natural language input. By interpreting product information, target markets, and customer profiles, the system automatically builds site architecture, generates localized content, and provides initial go to market recommendations. What once required weeks of setup can now be completed in minutes, with a complete store and launch ready foundation.

Shoplazza also introduced LazzaStudio, an AI powered visual creation agent that streamlines how merchants produce content at scale. From product imagery to marketing creatives and campaign visuals, LazzaStudio transforms traditionally complex production workflows into a prompt driven process. With built in brand learning capabilities, the system generates consistent, high quality assets tailored for global audiences, enabling merchants to deploy content seamlessly across storefronts and advertising channels while significantly reducing production time and cost.

To complete the growth loop, Shoplazza launched AdValet, an AI advertising agent that automates campaign execution end to end. AdValet translates product data and market signals into audience targeting, creative generation, media planning, and campaign deployment. During live campaigns, it continuously monitors performance and dynamically optimizes outcomes through real time feedback and model iteration. This shifts advertising from manual, experience based trial and error to a system of continuous, AI-driven performance optimization.

These agents operate together within Shoplazza’s AI-native commerce operating system, where merchant intent is translated directly into coordinated execution. By unifying store creation, content production, and marketing into a single system, Shoplazza replaces fragmented workflows with an integrated layer of automation that enables faster, more predictable growth.

Shoplazza currently supports more than 650,000 merchants worldwide. With its AI-native architecture, the platform brings together previously disconnected capabilities into a single intelligent system, delivering improvements in efficiency, scalability, and operational reliability for businesses operating in increasingly complex global markets.

Looking ahead, Shoplazza will introduce Athena very soon, an AI admin agent designed to extend automation into day to day business management. Covering areas such as product management, order processing, analytics, and content operations, Athena allows merchants to interact with the system conversationally while orchestrating multiple agents in the background. This will complete a fully connected agent ecosystem spanning store creation, creative production, marketing execution, and ongoing operations.

“Commerce has reached a point where adding more tools no longer solves the problem,” said Jeff Li, Founder and CEO of Shoplazza. “What merchants need is a system that can understand intent and execute across the entire business. That is what we are building with our AI native commerce operating system. It is not just about making things easier. It is about making outcomes more predictable, scalable, and aligned with how modern commerce actually operates.”

About Shoplazza

Shoplazza is a global AI-native commerce operating system that enables brands to build, launch, and scale their online businesses. Built on an AI agent-native framework, Shoplazza integrates storefronts, marketing, payments, and operational workflows into a unified system designed to support scalable, long-term growth across global markets. Learn more at https://www.shoplazza.com/.

 

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SOURCE Shoplazza

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Pricer and JRTech Solutions sign 51 MUSD digital store transformation deal with Sobeys in Canada

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MONTREAL, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Pricer AB, a global leader in digital shelf-edge solutions, announces that its Canadian partner JRTech Solutions has signed a major agreement with Sobeys, one of Canada’s leading supermarket chains. The contract includes the deployment of Pricer’s latest electronic shelf label (ESL) technology and the cloud-based platform Pricer Plaza across an estimated 300–350 stores.

The agreement covers the supply of multicolor electronic shelf labels and the necessary store infrastructure, with a total hardware and infrastructure value of approximately 51 MUSD (excluding Pricer Plaza). The deployment is scheduled for an 18-month period starting in May 2026.

“We are very grateful for the trust and that Sobeys has once again chosen Pricer as its long-term strategic partner,” says Mats Arnehall, Chief Growth Officer at Pricer. “This deal confirms our leading position in the North American market and the value of our high-performance system in high-density retail environments. Our scalable cloud platform, Pricer Plaza, will be the intelligence behind every label, enabling Sobeys to act faster and work smarter.”

“After years of close collaboration and shared success, we’re proud to grow our partnership with Sobeys even further with an expanded rollout,” says Diego Mazzone, President and CEO of JRTech Solutions. “That momentum is driven by our ability to consistently deliver reliable, high-quality solutions in complex retail environments. Together, we are positioning our digital smart labels at the heart of a broader digital transformation, driving operational excellence, unlocking real-time intelligence, and creating meaningful value for both Sobeys and their customers.”

Orders will be included in Pricer’s order intake as they are received.

About JRTech Solutions
JRTech Solutions Inc. is the leading North American turnkey Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) provider and the largest worldwide distributor of Pricer ESLs, involved in over 2,000 store installations since 2008. JRTech Solutions is the exclusive Canadian provider of AI-powered inventory scanning robotics powered by Brain Corp for automated inventory management.
For further information: www.jrtechsolutions.com

About Pricer
Pricer is a pioneer and partner for in-store communication and digitalization in the rapidly evolving retail tech landscape. As a global technology leader, we empower leading retailers worldwide to shape effortless and inspiring shopping experiences that fundamentally change buying behaviors, boost sales, and drive operational efficiency. Leveraging cutting-edge innovation, we deliver scalable, high-performing solutions that easily integrate with existing systems, are energy-efficient, and user-friendly. Founded in Sweden in 1991 and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Pricer has delivered over 380 million electronic shelf labels in more than 28,000 stores across more than 80 countries.
For further information, please visit www.pricer.com

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SOURCE JRTECH SOLUTIONS INC.

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Mitate Zepto Technica Joins JST’s Next-generation Edge AI Semiconductor R&D Program as Social Implementation Partner

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– MZT to Lead Product Commercialization through Its Genome-analysis Accelerator “RASEN” –

TOKYO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mitate Zepto Technica, Inc. (hereinafter “MZT”), based in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, announced on April 20 that it has joined the national research initiative “Next-Generation Edge AI Semiconductor Research and Development Program” promoted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). MZT participates as a designated social implementation and commercialization partner for the research theme “Accelerating Edge Intelligence for AI for Science” (Principal Investigator: Makoto Taiji, Program Director, TRIP Headquarters, RIKEN).

Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202604167540-O1-5Sz6I68Q 

This research theme aims to achieve advanced computational infrastructure through the integration of AI technology and next-generation edge semiconductors, with genome analysis as one of its key application domains. MZT participates as an organization responsible for the productization and social implementation of research outcomes through its proprietary genome-analysis accelerator “RASEN.”

Background

Since its founding in 2020, MZT has pursued a distinctive approach to genome analysis: purpose-built ASIC acceleration. Following technology validation through joint research with Tohoku University and other partners, MZT now participates as an R&D institution responsible for social implementation under this research theme.

MZT’s Role in the Program

Within this research theme, MZT will integrate AI research outcomes from RIKEN and Tohoku University into the RASEN architecture, and lead the R&D work toward social implementation through ASIC development and productization. As the industrial partner bridging research and real-world deployment, the company targets social implementation by 2029.

Program Overview

Research theme: Accelerating edge intelligence for AI for science
Promoting agency: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Principal investigator: Makoto Taiji, Program Director, TRIP Headquarters, RIKEN
Participating institutions: RIKEN, Tohoku University, Keio University, Mitate Zepto Technica
MZT’s participation start: April 2026 (FY2026)
JST program period: FY2025 onwards

Comment from Keisuke Harashima, President & CEO, Mitate Zepto Technica:
“It is a tremendous honor that we can lead the social implementation of this research theme through the acceleration of genome analysis via dedicated semiconductors — a challenge we have pursued since MZT’s founding. RASEN is at exactly the right inflection point, transitioning from research to real-world deployment. We will use this participation to accelerate commercialization across healthcare, drug discovery, and research infrastructure.”

About RASEN

RASEN is MZT’s proprietary genome-analysis accelerator under development, built on a purpose-designed ASIC architecture. In internal validation, RASEN has demonstrated the ability to complete whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis in approximately 5 minutes on a standard workstation — without the need for supercomputers or high-performance computing infrastructure. In independent validation studies conducted with Tohoku University, RASEN achieved 99.8% concordance with conventional analysis methods across 12 samples, confirming that its speed advantage does not come at the cost of accuracy.

About Mitate Zepto Technica

Mitate Zepto Technica is a Japanese deep-tech startup developing purpose-built semiconductor solutions for genome analysis. By harnessing cutting-edge chip technology, MZT aims to deliver transformative speed improvements in genomic computation –contributing to the resolution of global challenges in healthcare, food security, and energy through its proprietary products.

Website: https://mitatezeptotechnica.com/en/company/ 

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SOURCE Mitate Zepto Technica, Inc.

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