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CMTA Announces Second Annual “Coolest Thing Made in California” Contest Powered by JPMorganChase

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is thrilled to announce the search begins for this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in California.” The second-annual contest powered by JPMorganChase, celebrates the innovation and creativity of the state’s manufacturing sector.

The “Coolest Thing Made in California” contest is a unique bracket-style tournament in which the public can nominate their favorite products made in the Golden State. This contest highlights the vital role manufacturing plays in California’s economy, which employs 1.3 million people and contributes $310 billion to the state’s annual GDP.

“We are excited to kick off the second year of this contest, showcasing the remarkable products made right here in California,” said Lance Hastings, CEO & President of CMTA. “The innovation and craftsmanship that our manufacturers bring to the table are truly inspiring, and we look forward to highlighting the best of the best through this year’s contest.”

Last year’s contest made headlines, as more than 90,000 votes were cast, and CMTA reached more than 95,870 social media accounts during the weeks-long contest. California’s Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis partnered with CMTA to promote the contest and presented the awards during National Manufacturing Day 2023. Four companies went head-to-head vying for the first-ever title of ‘Coolest Thing Made in California.’ Tesla’s Model Y beat out Carmazzi Caramel Corn’s popcorn made in Sacramento, Millennium Space Systems’ Victus Nox made in El Segundo, and Northrop Grumman’s James Webb Space Telescope made in Redondo Beach.

The contest schedule is as follows:

Nominations Open: July 29 – August 8, 2024Popular Round: August 12-15, 2024Top 16 Round: August 26-29, 2024Top 4 Round: September 2-6, 2024Awards Ceremony and MakingCA Conference: October 18, 2024

The “Coolest Thing Made in California” contest highlights the outstanding products manufactured in the state and underscores the importance of manufacturing to California’s economy and its role in driving innovation.

How it works:

Nominations: From July 29 to August 8, 2024, the public can nominate any product made in California by visiting the contest website. This is an opportunity to recognize and support local manufacturers across the state. Please note that products that made it into the 2023 Top 4 round cannot be nominated again.Voting: The contest then moves into a series of voting rounds where the public decides which products advance to the next round. There are four rounds of voting starting with the Popular Round which will narrow the field to the top 16 products. A bracket is formed from the Top 16 Round and voting continues to the Top 8 Round, to the Top 4 Round, and finally, the selection of the winner.Awards Ceremony: The contest culminates in an awards ceremony at the MakingCA Conference on October 18, 2024, where the winner will be announced and celebrated.

To nominate a product or for more information about the contest, please visit CoolestThingCalifornia.com. Join us in celebrating the incredible talent and innovation of California’s manufacturers ahead of National Manufacturing Month in October.

About CMTA

The California Manufacturers & Technology Association has advocated for pro-growth laws and regulations before the California legislature and administrative agencies since 1918. The total output from manufacturing in California is $300 billion per year, roughly 10 percent of the total economic output of the state. Manufacturers employ 1.3 million Californians paying wages more than $25,000 higher than other non-farm employers in the state. For more information, visit the CMTA website.

Contact:
Ananda Rochita
Vice President, Communications
CMTA
arochita@cmta.net

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SOURCE California Manufacturers & Technology Association

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LG ELECTRONICS SHOWCASES COMPLETE PREMIUM RGB LINEUP WITH TÜV RHEINLAND CERTIFICATION FOR HIGH PURITY COLOR AT IFA 2026

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Powered by the α11 AI Processor, LG Micro RGB evo Sets a New Standard for High-Purity RGB Spectrum Display

News Summary:

LG Electronics showcases Micro RGB evo, an ultra-large LCD TV delivering high-purity RGB color performance, certified by TÜV Rheinland with its ‘High Purity RGB Spectrum Display’ certification, at IFA 2026.LG’s award-winning α11 AI Processor[1], recognized for enhancing picture and audio quality, is featured not only in flagship OLED models but also in Micro RGB evo.LG expands its RGB display lineup, now extending to Mini RGB evo models for a wider range of customer choice.

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) is showcasing LG Micro RGB evo (model MRGB95), a premium ultra-large-screen LCD TV featuring exceptional color purity, at IFA 2026, taking place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-8. Leveraging LG’s proprietary Micro RGB technology and the α (Alpha) 11 AI Processor Gen3, the advanced TV delivers high-purity red, green, and blue separation, earning TÜV Rheinland’s High Purity RGB Spectrum Display certification.

Premium LCD Color with Independently Verified RGB Purity

LG Micro RGB evo and Mini RGB evo leverage LG’s proprietary high-purity RGB spectrum display technology, enhancing the purity of red, green and blue to deliver more natural and expressive color reproduction. Featuring clear color separation between red, green and blue colors and high purity of each color, the TVs deliver remarkably pure and lifelike colors.

This outstanding color performance has been independently certified by TÜV Rheinland, which has awarded its High Purity RGB Spectrum Display certification to LG’s Micro RGB evo MRGB95 and Mini RGB evo MRGB9M and MRGB85 models.[2]

Highlighting the significance of the certification, Hüseyin Derman, Regional Sales Manager of Products Europe at TÜV Rheinland, stated, “The TÜV Rheinland  certification confirms that LG’s Micro RGB evo has passed a rigorous evaluation of its capacity to deliver physically and optically high-purity colors by completely preventing the intermixing of RGB wavelengths.”

Award-winning AI Processing for Pure Color and Precise Contrast

At the heart of Micro RGB evo is the α11 AI Processor Gen3, LG’s most advanced smart TV processor and the same platform used in the company’s flagship OLED models. The processor’s Dual AI Engine analyzes texture and edge simultaneously to produce more cohesive and lifelike images across movies, shows and games.

Precision Color Enhancer, also enabled by the powerful α11 Gen3, preserves the purity of each primary color while enacting fine control over gradation and tonal transitions. Complementing this is Micro Dimming Ultra, which precisely manages brightness across thousands of dimming zones to reveal subtle detail in both deep shadows and bright highlights. These technologies, combined with the immense scale of the Micro RGB evo’s screen, create an immersive and impactful viewing experience.

As part of its premium LCD lineup strategy, LG offers the industry-leading level of color with the ultra-large Micro RGB evo, alongside the new Mini RGB evo. These TVs leverage LG’s unique light source technology to precisely implement red, green, and blue, earning the ‘High Purity RGB Spectrum Display’ certification from TÜV Rheinland and expanding consumer choice.

“LG Micro RGB evo brings together the exceptional color purity of our proprietary Micro RGB technology and the advanced intelligence of the α11 AI Processor Gen3 to deliver an ultra-large viewing experience like no other,” said Park Hyoung‑sei, president of the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company. “Its independently validated, high-purity RGB color performance reflects our dedication to setting new standards in premium LCD picture quality. By completing our RGB display lineup with Mini RGB evo, we are proud to broaden the range of high-performance choices available to our customers.”

LG Micro RGB evo will be on display at the LG booth in Hall 18 at Messe Berlin throughout IFA 2026.

[1] Tom’s Guide’s AI Awards 2026 Winner 
[2] LG RGB TVs have been certified as “High Purity RGB Spectrum Display” by TÜV Rheinland.

About LG Electronics Media Entertainment Solution Company

The LG Media Entertainment Solution Company (MS) is a recognized innovator in televisions, audio, displays and smart TV platforms. The MS Company enhances the media entertainment experience with its OLED TVs, renowned for perfect black and perfect color, the newest Micro RGB TVs and Mini-LED QNED TVs, all powered by the personalized webOS smart TV platform. The MS Company also offers Information Technology solutions (gaming monitors, business monitors, laptops, projectors, cloud devices and medical displays) as well as Signage solutions (Micro LED signage, digital signage, hospitality displays and signage software solutions) that are designed to maximize customers’ work efficiency and deliver strong value. For more news on LG, visit www.LG.com/global/newsroom/.

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Rally and the American Team Pickleball League Announce National Growth Partnership Focused on Team-based Pickleball

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Partnership pairs ATPL’s national affiliate network with Rally’s pickleball league management software to standardize team-based pickleball leagues across the country.

CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Rally and the American Team Pickleball League (ATPL) today announced a national growth partnership to expand standardized, team-based pickleball leagues across the United States. Rally’s pickleball league management software for league admins and pickleball league management app for players power several of the largest pickleball leagues in North America on a platform trusted for 28 years. Under the partnership, ATPL affiliates nationwide will run on that platform, and the two organizations will co-invest in marketing, onboarding, and league infrastructure to support ATPL’s national expansion.

“The American Team Pickleball League has spent years building the infrastructure, format, and community that make team pickleball work at a local level. Rally’s team pickleball app helps that model scale nationally.” — Ross Freedman, Founder and CEO, Rally

ATPL has built one of the fastest-growing team-based pickleball networks in the country, offering local affiliates a proven format, a structured competitive pathway, and a national championship. Rally acquired Pickleballscores in July 2026 as part of its acquisition of the Tenniscores platform, and brings modern technology, national marketing capabilities, and investment to fuel ATPL’s growth.

“ATPL has spent years building the infrastructure, format, and community that make team pickleball work at a local level. Rally’s team pickleball app helps that model scale nationally. Every new affiliate ATPL brings on strengthens the network for everyone in it.”

— Ross Freedman, Founder and CEO, Rally

“We’ve always believed team-based pickleball needed the same kind of national structure that tennis has had for decades. Partnering with Rally gives our affiliates a pickleball team app built for exactly that, and gives us the resources to bring more leagues into the fold.”

— Greg Mather, Founder, American Team Pickleball League

As part of the partnership, Rally will serve as the title sponsor for the ATPL National Championship. The event is scheduled for November 5-8, 2026, hosted at Pictona at Holly Hill in Holly Hill, Florida. ATPL will continue to lead affiliate recruitment, league format, and the national championship pathway, while standardizing on Rally’s pickleball league management platform across its network.

Pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in the country, with participation reaching 24.3 million players in 2025, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Despite that growth, team-based league play remains fragmented, with no single national organization providing the standardized format, ratings structure, and championship pathway that sports like tennis have relied on for decades. ATPL was built to close that gap, giving local affiliates a proven format and a clear path from community play to a national championship. This partnership gives ATPL the platform and resources to bring that structure to leagues nationwide as the sport continues to scale.

About Rally

Rally is the leading pickleball league management software and team pickleball app, trusted by pickleball leagues nationwide. Serving over 800 racquet sports leagues and over 1M players in North America, Rally brings scores, standings, schedules, lineups, and messaging into one place for admins, captains, and players. The Rally platform turns pickleball, tennis, platform tennis, and padel leagues into vibrant communities. Learn more at lovetorally.com.

About ATPL

The American Team Pickleball League (ATPL) is a national network of independent, team-based pickleball affiliates, offering a standardized competitive format, training and onboarding support, and a pathway to the ATPL National Championship. Learn more at atplnation.org.

Media Contact

Ross Freedman, Rally LLC — hello@lovetorally.com 

Media Contact

Ross Freedman, Rally LLC, 1 7732138911, ross@lovetorally.com, https://www.lovetorally.com/ 

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SOURCE Rally LLC

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Bringing Local AI Home: UGREEN Introduces Privacy-First HomeAgent for Smarter Living

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — UGREEN, a leading global consumer technology brand, announced two new product lineups at a European launch event. The unveiling of the UGREEN HomeAgent series of agentic local AI hubs and a new MagFlow lineup marks UGREEN’s next stage of growth. Building on its established presence in digital accessories and smart storage, the company is now dedicated to a broader spectrum of intelligent consumer electronics designed to enhance everyday life.

UGREEN HomeAgent: Agentic Local AI Hub for Homes

At the center of UGREEN’s broader intelligent consumer electronics vision is UGREEN HomeAgent, a groundbreaking Agentic AI Local Hub unifying local storage, computing, and control into one device. It connects a growing ecosystem of UGREEN AIoT devices, including security cameras, smart speakers, and smart photo frames, as well as third-party devices.

UGOS Pro is UGREEN’s in-house operating system built on a Linux architecture, offering professional storage management, robust data security, easy backup and sync, and extensive expandability.

UGREEN HomeAgent is powered by the all-new UGOS Pro, combining NAS-grade storage and data management with integrated home security features, smart home capabilities, and natural voice interaction to deliver a more complete all-in-one experience.

Traditional surveillance cameras usually only document bad news, and their footage is constantly overwritten, so the moments truly worth keeping quietly disappear. That’s why UGREEN set out to redefine the home camera system, not as a surveillance tool, but as a camera for life.

“HomeAgent proactively recognizes moments that are truly worth remembering and organizes them into a personalized daily briefing for every family. Moments that might otherwise be forgotten can return. We want to help families preserve the precious time they spend together.” – Samuel Zhang, CEO of UGREEN

As an agentic local AI hub integrating on-device intelligence, local storage, AI computing and smart-home control, HomeAgent serves as the AI brain of the connected home. Designed to keep data private and local, it enables intelligent file management, proactive home monitoring, voice-driven automation and unified device control. The ecosystem includes the HomeAgent HA100 and HA100 Pro, the NVIDIA® Jetson Thor™-powered MasterAgent MA100, SynCare smart cameras, the UGREEN Smart Speaker for Uliya, and UGREEN Gallery smart frames, while remaining compatible with third-party Matter-enabled devices. Together, they deliver a private, expandable AI platform that helps users preserve memories, monitor their homes and coordinate devices through natural, context-aware interactions.

MagFlow Pro: Active Heat Dissipation and Sustained Fast Charging

Announced alongside HomeAgent, MagFlow Powerbank is the world’s first liquid-cooled Qi2 25W magnetic power bank, featuring CryoPulse™ micro-pump liquid cooling, active heat dissipation and sustained fast charging.

The launch complements UGREEN’s strong range of charging options, outlining the brand’s commitment to true-rated performance and flagship-quality power.

Availability Timeline

Pre-orders for the UGREEN HomeAgent HA100, HA100 Pro and UGREEN MasterAgent MA100 opened on September 4, 2026, via the UGREEN AIoT Official Store, and remain available until the official Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign launches on October 27, 2026. Other AIoT accessories will be introduced as part of the Kickstarter campaign beginning on October 27. During the pre-order period, customers can place a deposit starting at $50 to reserve the UGREEN HomeAgent HA100, HA100 Pro or UGREEN MasterAgent MA100 and secure 50% off with the Super Early Bird discount.

About UGREEN
UGREEN is a leading global tech brand creating innovative products that make everyday life smarter, easier, and more connected. From smart charging and productivity to smart storage and AIoT, UGREEN designs technology around the needs of modern life.

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