New capability enables commercial real estate, AECO, and government teams to remotely assess roof condition, cut inspection costs, and prioritise capital spend across thousands of buildings

SYDNEY, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Organisations that manage large building portfolios have long been forced to rely on costly, slow, and inconsistent roof inspections to understand risk and plan maintenance. Today, Nearmap, a global leader in property intelligence, announced the launch of Nearmap Roof Assessment, a new AI-powered capability that allows teams to remotely evaluate roof condition across entire portfolios using high-resolution aerial imagery and automated condition insights.

Designed for commercial property owners, AECO firms, and government facility management teams, Roof Assessment replaces fragmented site visits and subjective reports with a centralised, visual system of record for roof health – helping organisations detect issues earlier, prioritise capital investments, and standardise decision-making across distributed assets.

“When you can view all the buildings and see and prioritise where you need to spend the money, this is perfect. Instead of having to inspect 150 buildings, we’ve been able to narrow it down to just 15,” said Asset Management and Systems Manager Anu Karunaratne.

Built on the accuracy and consistency of Nearmap data, Roof Assessment provides a centralised, visual source of truth that strengthens collaboration between property managers, facility directors, GIS leaders, roof consultants, inspectors, and asset management teams. By reducing unnecessary site visits and equipping teams with objective, shareable roof condition insights, organisations can more confidently plan capital projects, respond to risk, and ensure long-term portfolio resilience.

“Too many organisations waste time and money because they’re relying on infrequent inspections, inconsistent assessments, or siloed information,” said David Tobias, Chief Product Officer at Nearmap. “Roof Assessment gives teams, whether they oversee corporate campuses, government facilities, or complex commercial portfolios, a clear, defensible, and scalable way to understand the health of their roofs. It brings true operational efficiency to asset planning by combining the repeatability of AI with the clarity of high-resolution imagery.”

Purpose-built for commercial real estate, AECO, and government organisations, Roof Assessment enables reliable, remote monitoring across thousands of sites. Objective condition ratings, high-resolution imagery, and intuitive summaries provide a shared foundation for prioritising inspections, coordinating work, and supporting preventive maintenance strategies.

Key benefits include:

• Evaluate thousands of roofs without sending inspectors onsite, reducing costs, safety risk, and operational disruption
• Replace subjective reports with standardised, AI-driven condition ratings to support defensible planning and budgeting
• Give finance, facilities, and external partners the same visual source of truth for faster, more aligned decision-making
• Detect roof issues earlier to prevent damage and extend asset life through proactive maintenance
• Improve collaboration and transparency across internal teams, contractors, consultants, and inspectors

The introduction of Roof Assessment expands the Nearmap property intelligence offering, reinforcing the company’s commitment to help organisations manage risk, optimise capital planning, and make confident, data-driven decisions with an always-current view of the built environment.

Nearmap Roof Assessment is available today via MyAccount. For more information, visit: https://www.nearmap.com/au/products/insights/roof-assessment

About Nearmap

Nearmap is the property intelligence provider customers rely on for consistent, reliable, high-resolution imagery, insights, and answers. Harnessing its own patented camera systems, imagery capture, AI, geospatial tools, and advanced SaaS platforms, Nearmap users receive tailored solutions for complex challenges. Nearmap captures wide-scale urban areas in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand several times each year, making content instantly available in the cloud via web app or API integration. Founded in Australia in 2007, Nearmap stands as the definitive source of truth that shapes the liveable world.

For more information, please visit www.nearmap.com.

PR Contact

Taylor Cenicola

taylor.cenicola@nearmap.com

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SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Following a highly successful Kickstarter campaign and multiple industry honors, the world’s first smart AI dual-tracking security camera is launching on Amazon. This milestone makes it easier than ever for consumers worldwide to experience Baseus’ award‑winning innovation and its vision of “Built on Security, Elevated by Intelligence, Made for Everyday Life” through the Baseus X1 Pro.

The X1 Pro has demonstrated strong market and industry validation, securing support from more than 2800 backers and raising USD 821,826 on Kickstarter. It subsequently received the Honoree Award in the Smart Home category at IFA 2025 and the Netzwelt Innovation Award at CES 2026, alongside dozens of accolades from leading technology media, underscoring its leadership in next‑generation home security.

See more, worry less

The X1 Pro has been widely recognized for its advanced industrial design and intelligent feature set. Dual independent 3K cameras deliver a 300° maximum viewing angle, enabling effective coverage of two yards simultaneously. Working in tandem, the two AI‑driven cameras seamlessly hand off tracking between each other and can follow two objects at the same time. Each camera offers 3K clarity with an 8 m detection range, 8x digital zoom, and 100 lm spotlights for clear, detailed monitoring day and night.

Say goodbye to false alarms

AI‑powered detection accurately identifies faces, people, vehicles, and pets, sending alerts only for relevant and suspicious activity when notifications are enabled. This significantly reduces false alarms caused by minor movements such as wind or passing shadows, providing users with a calmer, more trustworthy security experience. For events that matter, the X1 Pro streamlines review and management: built‑in AI tags automatically categorize each recorded clip into a searchable timeline, allowing users to enter a keyword and instantly locate the incident they need.

Always on guard, low maintenance

Equipped with a built‑in battery and a sun‑tracking solar panel, the X1 Pro delivers reliable, low‑maintenance monitoring for up to 150 days. Just 20 minutes of sunlight provides 24 hours of runtime. Engineered for durability, it features an IP65 rating, making it waterproof and resistant to extreme temperatures from -20℃ to 50℃, ensuring dependable performance in challenging outdoor environments. Footages are securely stored locally with AES + RSA dual encryption and EN 18031 privacy compliance without any cloud-related subscription fee.

Starting February 2, the Baseus X1 Pro will be available on Amazon and the official Baseus website. Experience its advanced protection capabilities, intelligent features, and seamless performance — redefining what smart security can be.

Media Contact: pr@baseus.com
Baseus Official Website: https://www.baseus.com/

With record-breaking attendance and the most ambitious entertainment programme yet, Ethara’s delivery of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stands out on the F1 calendar.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ethara, the promoter of the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been named Promoter of the Year at the annual F1 Promoter Awards in London, honoured for staging the best event of the 2025 season.

Ethara named F1 Promoter of the year

The Promoter of the Year award is voted for by Formula 1 management and is given to the promoter who produced the best all-round event in 2025 and embodied the F1’s mission to deliver the world’s greatest live entertainment spectacle.

Recognising Ethara’s award as Promoter of the Year, Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “2025 was another incredible year from start to finish for Formula 1, and at the heart of this success were our 24 promoters, who worked tirelessly to deliver the ultimate race weekend experience for our fans. As the sport enters its next generation in 2026, we have a responsibility to continue breaking barriers and setting a high standard for others to follow. I want to thank all our promoters for their hard work and innovation and encourage them to keep developing their events in 2026 and beyond. Congratulations to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as well as to all the other winners and nominees at today’s awards.”

In 2025, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix hosted the dramatic three-way F1 Drivers’ World Championship showdown with Lando Norris claiming his first drivers’ title. The event broke attendance records with 339,000 fans across four days, including 203,000 spectators at Yas Marina Circuit, alongside 136,000 attendees across Emirates NBD After-Race Concerts and the Yasalam Official After-Parties featuring eight headline acts. Expanded access brought fans closer to the action with two public pitlane walks, new FAB Track Walks, and a Podium Party that invited fans to celebrate on the track, creating an iconic moment befitting the season finale.

The Promoter of the Year award is the latest in a series of accolades for the event, following the 2024 Best Event Spectacle award that celebrated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for delivering outstanding off-track entertainment. These consecutive honours underline the event’s consistent performance on the international stage and its ability to evolve year-on-year in line with audience expectations and global entertainment standards.

Since its debut in 2009, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has established itself as the region’s biggest entertainment weekend, combining elite sport with large-scale entertainment, drawing thousands of international visitors each year and showcasing the emirate of Abu Dhabi to millions of viewers worldwide.

The 18th edition of the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place from 3rd to 6th December 2026, bringing the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season to a close in Abu Dhabi once again.

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Arclin, a leading material science company, today announced the official completion of its acquisition of The Willamette Valley Company (“WVCO”), a manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of custom products and services in the wood products, railroad, concrete repair, transportation, infrastructure, and consumer products segments.

“We have long admired WVCO’s deep technical expertise, customer focus, and commitment to quality—values that resonate deeply with the team at Arclin,” said Bradley Bolduc, Arclin’s CEO. “This acquisition enables us to better serve our customers in new industries where our combined capabilities will have an immediate impact. This is an exciting step forward for our team members and the customers who rely on us.”

Adding eight manufacturing and research and development facilities and ~540 team members to Arclin’s global footprint, the acquisition accelerates Arclin’s ongoing strategy to expand its materials science capabilities and deliver advanced solutions that improve performance, reliability, and sustainability across a wide range of applications.

“Collaborating alongside The Willamette Valley Company’s talented team and integrating our well‑paired technologies opens the door to significant innovation,” said Mark Glaspey, President of Arclin. “Together, we are uniquely positioned to advance next‑generation chemistries, mission‑critical solutions, and application technologies that will raise the bar across industries. This acquisition strengthens our ability to solve complex challenges and deliver meaningful value to customers around the world.”

“WVCO’s legacy is built on technical ingenuity and a willingness to take on tough challenges,” said John Murray, President and CEO of The Willamette Valley Company. “Joining Arclin amplifies that spirit. Together, we’ll shape the next generation of materials and unlock new opportunities for our teams and the industries we serve.”

With the acquisition now complete, both organizations will begin integration planning while maintaining business continuity for customers and suppliers.

About Arclin

Arclin is a leading materials science company and manufacturer of polymer technologies, engineered products and specialized materials for the construction, agriculture, transportation infrastructure, weather & fire protection, pharmaceutical, nutrition, electronics, design and other industries. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Arclin has offices and manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S., Canada, U.K., and manufactures for customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.arclin.com.

About The Willamette Valley Company

Founded in 1952, the Willamette Valley Company is an engineered solutions provider specializing in a broad array of chemistry and application systems. WVCO is a multinational corporation that manufactures and distributes a wide variety of custom products and services around the globe. While their roots are in the wood products industry, their expertise and solutions encompass innovative railroad tie repair solutions, concrete repair systems, patching, fillers, adhesives, robotics, engineering and more across dozens of industries. For more information, visit https://wilvaco.com

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpjnjWMZM_c

The Jumanji universe is set to become Zero Latency VR’s first cinematic blockbuster collaboration.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zero Latency VR, the undisputed leader in immersive entertainment and the mastermind behind the world’s largest true location-based VR network, has announced an exciting new licensing deal with Sony Pictures to bring the blockbuster Jumanji franchise to its next-generation immersive VR format.

Loved by audiences worldwide for decades, Jumanji is known for its high-stakes adventure, unpredictable worlds, and the kind of group chaos that turns friends into a true team. The next movie in the Jumanji series is set for release in December 2026, making it the perfect time for the adventure series to take on a whole new life in Zero Latency VR’s signature technology, which lets players move untethered through full-scale arenas together, inside the action.

“This is a dream partnership for us. Stepping into the game is a core part of our DNA,” said Tim Ruse, CEO of Zero Latency VR. “Jumanji is funny, intense, and unpredictable, and is built around the concept of shared adventure. It throws a team into a world that demands curiosity and cooperation. That’s exactly what we do best. We can’t wait to bring players into an epic Jumanji experience where every step feels like you’ve entered the game.”

More details about the collaboration will be shared in the future. For now, the game has been set, and the adventure is officially underway, with the experience set to launch at Zero Latency VR locations worldwide in 2026.

ABOUT ZERO LATENCY VR:

Zero Latency VR is the global pioneer in immersive entertainment, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in location-based experiences. As the largest free-roam VR network on the planet, with 150+ cutting-edge venues across 30 countries, Zero Latency is where thrill-seekers come to live out their wildest fantasies.

ABOUT JUMANJI FILM FRANCHISE

Sony Pictures’ Jumanji film franchise, based on the award-winning children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, has taken in over $2 billion at the worldwide box office. Moviegoers were first introduced to the world in 1995 when a mysterious game transports its players to the jungles of Jumanji! The film starred the late Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce. Over 20 years later, the adventures continue in the brand-new film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), where the game changed as four teenagers in detention are sucked into the world of Jumanji. When they discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of, they decide to play and are immediately thrust into the game’s jungle setting, in the bodies of the avatar characters they chose (Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan). What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji – Jumanji plays you. To win, they’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they’ll be stuck in the game forever. Following the success of the 2017 film, the gang (Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan) is back in Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game. The gang returns once again for the next instalment in the Jumanji series coming out in theaters on December 11, 2026.

Press Contact:

Luke Mitchell
+61 (0) 413614412
luke.mitchell@zerolatencyvr.com

MALMÖ, Sweden, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fans of IKEA and Tiny Chef can look forward to a delightful treat this February as three new episodes featuring the beloved stop-motion star will be released between February 2 and 9. This playful collaboration invites everyone into the IKEA kitchen to rediscover the joy of cooking through the Tiny Chef, the charming vegan character known for turning simple meals into moments of happiness.

IKEA Tiny Chef 

Coinciding with the launch of IKEA’s innovative plant-rich falafel ball, the series celebrates creativity, new possibilities, and everyday joy. It aligns perfectly with IKEA’s 2026 focus on Cooking & Eating, encouraging fun, sustainable, and delicious food experiences at home.

“At IKEA, we believe food brings people together and enriches everyday moments,” says Lorena Lourido Gomez, Global Food Manager at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group). “Serving over 600 million guests annually, we have the privilege and responsibility to make healthier, sustainable food choices accessible and affordable for the many. We are excited to partner with Tiny Chef, showing people that plant-based eating should be joyful, creative, and full of flavour, not just better for the planet. We believe this partnership will bring a smile, while inspiring people to try something new.“

Tiny Chef agrees. “It’s a dweam come twue to pawtner wif mi fwends at Blikea! We bof want to bwing good fwends bland good food to da table. Ash a herbivowr, myself, Bly was sho excited to hep shawr da dewicious fwavor of Blikea’s new fawafel balls wif da whole world! Bly can’t wait to cook up mowr fun togethow wif Blikea!” says Tiny Chef.

The story begins with Tiny Chef visiting an IKEA store in search of a spatula, only to find a job application. What follows is a heartwarming journey as Tiny Chef becomes an ambassador for IKEA’s new falafel balls and joins the restaurant team as a Food Co-worker. At the heart of this collaboration is IKEA’s falafel ball. Made with chickpeas and inspired by IKEA’s iconic meatballs, it offers an affordable, flavourful option to make plant-rich eating familiar and inviting.

1^st episode: Tiny Chef Visits

Availability of IKEA’s new plant-rich falafel balls may vary by market.