Connect with us

Technology

AccuWeather Acquires TOA Lightning Detection Network and Technology to Create Advanced Global Lightning Detection Network

Published

on

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AccuWeather, global leader in weather forecasting, warnings, data and information, is pleased to announce the acquisition of TOA Systems, Inc. lightning network and technology. TOA Systems, Inc. is a premier provider of lightning detection hardware and one of the few global lightning networks in existence. The announcement was made at the American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting 2025 in New Orleans.

“The integration of AccuWeather’s expertise in machine learning and weather forecasting with TOA’s advanced hardware will dramatically enhance decision-making processes for industries and individuals at risk from lightning strikes.” Steven R. Smith, AccuWeather CEO

The new AccuWeather Lightning Network™ will enhance global lightning detection capabilities by combining AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™ in weather forecasting with TOA’s state-of-the-art hardware network to keep people safer and businesses, property, and assets better protected.

The deal was closed in December of 2024 and is AccuWeather’s 16th acquisition since its founding 63 years ago. The integration of TOA’s advanced lightning detection systems with AccuWeather’s proprietary forecasting technology and machine learning expertise will create a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind global lightning detection network to deliver superior value to businesses, governments, and the public, helping them better manage risks and better understand the impact of lightning. AccuWeather’s actionable insights enable the best decisions with real-time lightning data, SkyGuard® warnings for lightning, lightning reports, and historical lightning data.

“We are genuinely thrilled about this meaningful and powerful opportunity to not only advance our lightning forecast expertise, but also to provide a critical, life-saving dataset, and cutting-edge lightning sensing technology to AccuWeather clients and users worldwide,” said Steven R. Smith, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors of AccuWeather. “The integration of AccuWeather’s expertise in machine learning and weather forecasting with TOA’s advanced hardware will dramatically enhance decision-making processes for industries and individuals at risk from lightning strikes.”

In the United States, lightning is a significant weather hazard striking the ground over 200 million times (over 2 billion times globally) last year. On average, lightning causes 20-30 fatalities and over 200 injuries annually in the U.S. Globally, the toll is even larger, with some estimates of more than 10,000 lives lost each year due to lightning. AccuWeather said this strategic acquisition will enable the company to offer real-time lightning detection services that further enhance safety and preparedness.

“TOA Systems has been at the forefront of lightning detection technology, providing reliable and precise data to various sectors, including aviation, energy, and outdoor event management,” said Chris Patti, Chief Data and Science Officer at AccuWeather. “By leveraging AccuWeather’s advanced forecasting algorithms, innovative machine learning models and deploying sensors across North America, and then the rest of the world the new AccuWeather Lightning Network™ will deliver enhanced predictive insights and lightning risk assessments.”

Said Tim Bent, formerly of TOA Systems, “This is a significant advancement in the field of meteorology and lightning detection. Our integration with AccuWeather will expand the reach and accuracy of our lightning detection network, providing critical, life-saving information to a global audience.”

A typical lightning bolt carries around 300 million volts and 30,000 amps of electricity, making it extremely powerful compared to household current, which is around 120 volts and 15 amps; essentially, an average lightning bolt packs a punch of about 1 billion joules of energy.

Lightning strikes have a substantial economic impact, causing an estimated $1 billion in total economic loss each year in the U.S. due to property damage, forest fire spread, and infrastructure disruptions. 

Lightning-related fires, electrical surges, and damage to infrastructure, such as power lines and buildings, contribute significantly to these costs (U.S. Fire Administration, 2020). The agricultural sector bears a considerable share of the financial burden, with lightning-induced wildfires and damage to crops and livestock leading to losses that extend beyond the immediate destruction (National Interagency Fire Center, 2021).

Additionally, power outages resulting from lightning strikes disrupt businesses, leading to economic losses in productivity. The cost to insurance companies also rises, driving up premiums for affected homeowners and businesses (Insurance Information Institute, 2020).

The new global lightning detection network will be integrated into AccuWeather’s suite of digital platforms, including AccuWeather.com and mobile apps, making it easily accessible to users. The AccuWeather Lightning Network™ will also provide real-time lightning alerts, detailed risk analysis, and safety recommendations tailored to specific locations designed for enterprise and business clients. AccuWeather Lightning Network™ data will also be available via AccuWeather’s APIs and Data Marketplaces (Databricks + Snowflake).

For more information on this acquisition, high resolution lightning images, or to access the enhanced lightning detection services, visit AccuWeather.com or contact pr@accuweather.com.

About AccuWeather

AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, has saved over 12,000 lives, prevented injury to over 100,000 people, and saved companies tens of billions of dollars through better planning and decision-making. 

Billions of people around the world rely on AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™ across our consumer digital platforms. AccuWeather.com is the #1 weather destination and one of the top 100 most-visited websites in the world, and our award-winning AccuWeather app delivers detailed real-time forecasts to millions of smartphones.

AccuWeather forecasts also appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, are heard on over 400 radio stations, and viewed on 100 television stations. The AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW® reach an audience of over 125 million on cable and streaming platforms including DirecTV, Charter Communications – Spectrum, Verizon, Philo, Frndly TV, Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Stream, Roku, Xumo, Rockbot, LG, and Amazon Freevee.

AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay for the most accurate weather forecasts from any source.

AccuWeather’s story is one of a fanatical dedication to Superior Accuracy™, detail, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the loyalty and commitment of many people who have joined AccuWeather’s center of excellence, including many others who have dedicated their entire careers to AccuWeather.

Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, established AccuWeather in 1962 and is considered the “father of modern commercial meteorology.” Myers, a leading creative thinker and visionary, has been named “the most accurate man in weather” by The New York Times and one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs.

Visit accuweather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts, weather news, and information, and download the free AccuWeather app for Android or iOS.

Contact: Rhonda Seaton Rhonda.Seaton@accuweather.com 310-508-0799 or pr@accuweather.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accuweather-acquires-toa-lightning-detection-network-and-technology-to-create-advanced-global-lightning-detection-network-302348450.html

SOURCE AccuWeather

Continue Reading

Technology

THE HUNT IS ON: BUCKHORN WHISKEY BRINGS A TASTE OF THE WILD TO CHICAGO AND ATLANTA

Published

on

By

Grab the Buck by the Horns. Sazerac’s new American whiskey brand challenges adventure seekers to uncover hidden destinations in Bucktown and Buckhead as Smoked Maple makes its fall debut

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Buckhorn, the new American whiskey brand from Sazerac, brings the spirit of the outdoors and the thrill of discovery to whiskey drinkers who want fun, not fuss.

With the Buckhorn Buck Hunt, the brand is turning everyday watering holes into backwoods escapes hiding in plain sight, giving whiskey lovers and outdoor enthusiasts a whole new kind of hunt. The hunt is headed to two fittingly named “Buck” neighborhoods – Bucktown in Chicago and Buckhead in Atlanta – creating a taste of the wild and a night that’s anything but ordinary. Along for the adventure is NEW Buckhorn Smoked Maple, the latest addition to the brand’s nationwide lineup of no-frills flavored whiskeys and ready-to-drink (RTD) whiskey lemonades.

A New Whiskey for Cooler Weather
Buckhorn is adding a little smoke to the season with the introduction of Buckhorn Smoked Maple, arriving just in time for fall adventures and fireside gatherings. Bottled at 32.5% ABV, it’s a smooth blend of Buckhorn’s signature whiskey with a bold and sweet smoked maple flavor. The new flavor offering brings a rich, warming flavor profile to Buckhorn’s growing portfolio, made for those who appreciate good whiskey without the fuss.

Backed by Sazerac’s whiskey-making expertise, Buckhorn was created for those who care more about what’s in the bottle than the hype around it. The lineup includes blended and flavored whiskeys alongside refreshing, canned whiskey lemonades made with real American whiskey, offering something for everything from a backyard BBQ with the crew to a weekend at the lake or an evening around the campfire. It’s whiskey made for the outdoors, without a price tag that gets in the way of the next adventure. 

“Good whiskey. Good company. A little adventure. That’s Buckhorn,” said Erica Bovard, Senior Brand Director of American Whiskeys at Sazerac. “With The Buck Hunt, we’re saying ‘Buck It’ to the usual night out and creating something worth tracking down. A little wilderness, our new Smoked Maple and a moment you have to hunt to find, there’s your next good story.”

Buck It: The Hunt is on in Chicago and Atlanta
This November, Buckhorn is inviting whiskey drinkers to grab the buck by the horns and ditch their usual Friday night plans for something a little more exciting. Part scavenger hunt, part whiskey-fueled adventure, The Buckhorn Buck Hunt is bringing a taste of the wild to Bucktown in Chicago and Buckhead in Atlanta, with unexpected discoveries and plenty of BUCK IT attitude along the way.

From the sidewalk, there’ll be little to give away what’s waiting inside. But those who follow the clues will find a unique experience where familiar city surroundings give way to rugged, backwoods-inspired scenery straight out of the great outdoors. It’s a chance to leave the usual city scene behind, discover something new and have a bucking good time.

Once inside, there will be plenty of Buckhorn to discover, from its smooth American flavored whiskeys and refreshing canned whiskey lemonades to the new Smoked Maple. The experience will also introduce the Buck Shot, the brand’s signature group celebration moment that brings friends together to say “Buck It,” grab life by the horns and enjoy a shot of Buckhorn.

How to Join “The Buckhorn Buck Hunt”
Buckhorn is bringing the whiskey hunt to two “Buck” neighborhoods for one-night-only experiences this November:

Bucktown (Chicago, IL): Friday, November 6, 2026, 4-8pm CTBuckhead (Atlanta, GA): Friday, November 13, 2026, 4-8pm ET 

Both locations will be hiding in plain sight. Those who sign up for The Buck Hunt will receive the clues and intel needed to track down their city’s secret experience.

The Buckhorn Buck Hunt events are free to attend, but advance registration is Required. No exceptions. REGISTER HERE.

Keep an eye out for “Buck Sightings”, and visit BuckhornWhiskey.com to learn more about the brand.

Beyond its new offerings, Buckhorn Whiskey has a versatile portfolio anchored in its fruit-forward whiskeys including Black Cherry, Peach, Honey, Blackberry and Pineapple, available in select markets at the suggested retail price of $18.99 (750ml; taxes/fees vary by market). For adventures best enjoyed with a ready-to-drink cocktail, Buckhorn also offers Whiskey Lemonades in four flavors — Classic, Blackberry, Peach, and Honey — available nationwide at a suggested retail price for $18.99 (8-can variety pack; taxes/fees vary by market).

Please Drink Responsibly. Buckhorn, Whiskey With Natural Flavors, 32.5% Alc./Vol. Sazerac Company, Louisville, KY.

ABOUT BUCKHORN WHISKEY
Born for the adventurer, Buckhorn Whiskey is a new American whiskey brand from Sazerac that believes good whiskey shouldn’t be complicated. Featuring a no-frills lineup of flavored whiskeys and ready-to-drink (RTD) whiskey lemonades, Buckhorn delivers great taste without the pretense, made for good company and wherever the next adventure leads. Buck tradition. Drink wild. For more information visit: https://buckhornwhiskey.com/or follow @BuckhornWhiskey on social media.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-hunt-is-on-buckhorn-whiskey-brings-a-taste-of-the-wild-to-chicago-and-atlanta-302923991.html

SOURCE Sazerac

Continue Reading

Technology

U.S. Army awards Marconi Technologies production order to modernize TRILOS

Published

on

By

Next-gen Orion radios will provide mobile, long-range, high-capacity backbone communications

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 29, 2026 /CNW/ — The U.S. Army has awarded Marconi Technologies a delivery order for the latest Orion long-range mission packages (LRMP), giving units the organic assets to connect across long distances and rugged terrain, without depending on satellite links. The delivery order makes Marconi responsible for the radio, networking and power components of the Army’s Terrestrial Line-of-Sight (TRILOS) modernization capability, putting the newest generation of systems in warfighters’ hands now, ready for the current fight.

Each LRMP delivers the high-capacity, low-latency connectivity the Army requires across its tactical command and control backbone. That backbone is built around decision speed, collapsing the time between sensing something on the battlefield and commanders acting on it.

“We’ve reinvented the software-defined Orion radio line to continue to carry out the U.S. Army’s most demanding communication missions as we have in the past,” said Alain Cohen, CEO of Marconi Technologies. “This delivery order places the latest and most capable long-range tactical radio in the Army’s hands; it’s also a testament to how well and diligently the U.S. Army team has partnered with industry to push the art-of-the-possible.”

The Orion is a sixth-generation software-defined tactical radio built for high-throughput communications in contested environments. It’s designed for missions demanding frequency agility and survivability, whether on the move or at the quick halt.

About Marconi Technologies 

Marconi Technologies is a veteran-run defense technology company with development and manufacturing operations in Canada, the UK and the USA. Marconi develops and manufactures advanced, dual-use communications systems across the full tactical spectrum, from line-of-sight tactical radios to beyond-line-of-sight troposcatter and satellite communications to empower decision and enable autonomy.

SOURCE Marconi Technologies

Continue Reading

Technology

MoneyCon Launches in Las Vegas: Free, at the Venetian, Creating the Gathering Place for Fintech

Published

on

By

The team behind Fintech NerdCon is keeping fintech‘s annual reunion where it has always happened, on Restaurant Row at the Venetian, October 19–21, 2027. No tickets. No booths. No badge.

Key facts

MoneyCon, October 19–21, 2027, Restaurant Row at The Venetian, Las VegasFree to attend. No pass, no badge, no registration feeFrom the founders of Fintech NerdCon — Simon Taylor, Joy Schwartz and Colton PondPresented by Nerd Events Media

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A week after the last Money20/20 at The Venetian, the founders of Fintech NerdCon announced MoneyCon, a free, open gathering for the entire fintech and financial services industry on Restaurant Row at The Venetian, October 19–21, 2027.

For more than a decade, this week in Las Vegas has functioned as fintech‘s annual reunion, and much of what made it valuable happened in the hallways, the coffee lines, and the restaurants rather than on the show floor. Thousands of people came to Las Vegas each October without buying a pass, because the industry being in one building was the point.

In 2027 that building changes. The reaction has been consistent: one widely read fintech newsletter reported polling every attendee that its author met at this year’s show and finding a 100% disapproval rating for the move. Another, published this week, argued the industry needed a counter-gathering at The Venetian with cheap tickets and open restaurants.

MoneyCon is that gathering, and it costs nothing for attendees.

“The best conversations in fintech have never happened in a session,” said Simon Taylor, co-founder of MoneyCon and author of Brainfood. “They happen when you run into someone between the coffee shop and dinner at the Venetian. You can’t schedule that, you can’t sell a booth for it, and you shouldn’t need a four-thousand-dollar badge to be part of it.”

“We built Fintech NerdCon because the industry craved something different, and 1,500 operators showed up in Year 1,” said Colton Pond, co-founder of MoneyCon. “MoneyCon is a different promise. Come connect with the entire fintech and financial services industry, because building together drives increased innovation to move our industry forward.”

“Free doesn’t mean unprogrammed,” said Joy Schwartz, co-founder of MoneyCon. “We’re running three days of content, conversations and side events built the way operators actually want to spend their time, with the same team and the same standard we hold at NerdCon.”

MoneyCon is the second event from the team behind Fintech NerdCon, which launched in 2025 and returns to San Diego November 19–20, 2026 for its second year. NerdCon is built on a deliberate rejection of the expo-hall model, no sales booths, no badge scanning, no forced meetings, and draws operators from JPMorgan Chase, Stripe, Visa, Capital One, Block, Nubank, Revolut, Chime, Plaid, and Coinbase, with speakers including the CTO of Plaid, executives from Nubank, the CEO of Revolut U.S., and co-founders of Chime, Gusto and Modern Treasury.

MoneyCon applies the same principle at a different scale: bring the industry together, remove the gate, and let the restaurants and hallway be the venue.

Sponsorship is open to a limited number of partners. Details and the waitlist are at fintechnerdcon.com/moneycon.

About MoneyCon
MoneyCon is a free, open gathering for the entire fintech, payments and financial services industry, held on Restaurant Row at The Venetian in Las Vegas, October 19–21, 2027. No badge required. Presented by Nerd Events Media.

About Fintech NerdCon
Fintech NerdCon is the fintech conference by operators, for operators, founded by Simon Taylor, Joy Schwartz and Colton Pond. Its second edition takes place in San Diego, November 19–20, 2026. Learn more at fintechnerdcon.com.

Media Contact
Colton Pond, Co-Founder of Nerd Events Media, colton@fintechnerdcon.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/moneycon-launches-in-las-vegas-free-at-the-venetian-creating-the-gathering-place-for-fintech-302923999.html

SOURCE Nerd Media

Continue Reading

Trending