If you're looking for ways to further expand your virtual life in the metaverse, maybe consider fostering a dog.
Pet food maker Pedigree is offering metaverse users a chance to foster a pet from the real world — in the comfort of the virtual one. It's being dubbed as the 'FOSTERVERSE' and the goal of the virtual activation is to find sheltered pets forever homes.
In order to be eligible for virtual fostering, a user must be a "landowner" on the metaverse platform Decentraland. Landowners will be given access to the pet adoption site 'Adopt a Pet' and will be able to choose the furry friend they want. Those that do not own land can still interact with pets but cannot adopt.
As part of the activation, Pedigree is also set to match donations to its Pedigree Foundation up to $100,000. The organization specifically focuses on helping dogs find forever homes.
Jean-Paul Jansen, the vice president of marketing for Mars Petcare North America, said that virtual fostering is an expansion of the company's mission to end pet homelessness.
"Both the Pedigree brand and Pedigree Foundation have long histories of supporting animal shelters and promoting dog adoption, and this program enables people to support deserving dogs in a new way through virtual fostering," he said in a statement.
Alternative asset, sports cards-focused platform Alt recently raised $75 million in a Series B round. Alt's platform lets users research, trade, and securely store sports cards and other high-value assets. Right now, the company has more than $70 million worth of cards in its vault. The company is also hoping to get into other assets, including NFTs. Alt CEO Leore Avidar joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bitcoin ticked higher Friday but still hit a one-month low amid a broader crypto slump. Investors are eyeing the potential liquidation of payments from collapsed exchange Mt. Gox, alongside the recent debut of three Bitcoin-linked futures ETFs as the SEC continues to avoid approving spot product ETFs. Steve Larsen, Co-Founder of PlannerDAO, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the broader crypto slump, why Mt. Gox is a concern, and more.
Wedbush Securities has raised its price target for Tesla stock to $1,400, among the highest on Wall Street. Analysts are pointing to an incoming green tidal wave as the main reason for their optimism, with President Biden's infrastructure bill expected to kick off a new era for electric vehicles in the U.S. Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why he's so bullish on Tesla even as competition from companies like Rivian heats up.
Streaming platform Roku announced plans to develop more than 50 original shows in a bid to become a destination for free content amid growing competition in the space. Shelly Kramer, co-founder and lead analyst at Futurum Research, spoke to Cheddar about the new offering "The transition here from hardware to adding a software component by way of original content, I think is smart," she said. "And it's all about the Benjamins." Kramer also noted that she doesn't necessarily think Roku is entering the content game too late.
The behind-the-scenes story of HBO's history is chronicled in the new book 'Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.' The book tells the true story of how HBO came to dominate the television industry as we know it. The man behind the book has interviewed over 700 key sources to uncover a bottomless trove of secrets, surprises, and never before heard stories. James Andrew Miller joins Cheddar News to share more.
As the world of trading in cryptocurrency gets more popular experts say competition in the space could get bigger within the next year. CEO of Onramp Invest Tyrone Ross, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Zach Jones, CEO of C-Zero, and Henrietta Moon, Co-Founder and CEO of Carbo Culture, joined Chedder to discuss the innovations their respective companies use in order to fight climate change, and the importance of utilizing private business in this fight.
Apple officially announced its self-service repair program allowing customers to buy individual tools and parts to fix their own devices. It comes as Apple continues to face pressure from 'right-to-repair' advocates. Ian Sherr, Editor at Large, CNET, joined Cheddar to discuss the significance of the move.
