Technology

This Week in Consumer News: 13 Stories You Need to See

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2024

A roundup of the most newsworthy consumer and retail announcements from PR Newswire this week, including a new Frosty, Black Friday deals and a new app from Big Lots.

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help consumer/retail journalists and consumers stay on top of the week’s most newsworthy and popular releases, here’s a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn’t be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Celebrating 55 Years of Frosty: Wendy’s Drops New Salted Caramel Frosty Nationwide
Fans can pair the Salted Caramel Frosty with two new fall menu items at Wendy’s: the Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger and a fresh take on the beloved Taco Salad.Wonder Announces Acquisition of Grubhub
Integrating Grubhub with Wonder is the next step in Wonder’s mission to make great food more accessible, bringing together the convenience, speed and selection of first-party and third-party restaurants, groceries and meal kits in a single app order. Additionally, all Wonder locations will be available on Grubhub for third-party delivery.Big Lots Unveils New Rewards App to Elevate the Shopping Experience
With features like one-touch shopping, profile and credit card management, and weekly exclusive deals, the app ensures a convenient and rewarding shopping experience. PEPSI® and Regal Are Transforming a New York City Theatre Into the Roman COLAsseum For Exclusive Fan Event Celebrating Paramount Pictures’ Highly Anticipated Gladiator II Film
Fans can sign up to RSVP for the free, immersive activation to get hyped for the upcoming Paramount Pictures film Gladiator II, only in theatres everywhere on November 22. They’ll be transported to “The Pepsi COLAsseum” at Regal Times Square and be the first to experience the movie in 4DX.Priceline Unveils Biggest Deals of the Year with Savings as Much as 99% Off this Holiday Season
Priceline created its biggest sale of the year with holiday deals across flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and activities to trending destinations. Priceline will unveil its holiday savings in three waves now through Travel Tuesday, offering opportunities to save big on travel with deals running through the end of the year.YEEDI Slashes Robot Vacuum Prices by up to 45% in Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale
Yeedi announced major Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts, including all the top savings on YEEDI’s popular robot vacuums. The sale runs from November 11 through December 2, offering the year’s best prices on YEEDI’s most advanced cleaning solutions.Hallmark Brings Joy to Your Entire Holiday Season
Hallmark is celebrating the holiday season with a wide selection of products and experiences designed to bring comfort and joy to every celebration. From holiday greeting cards to its new streaming service and membership program Hallmark+, Hallmark is bringing the magic of the season to life in stores, on screens and in person.Hershey’s Chocolate World is Decking the Halls with All New Experiences
Hershey’s Chocolate World announces its wonderful slate of holiday experiences, treats and eats, and first-ever additions just in time for the peak of winter travel. Just as 46% of consumers say they plan to travel this holiday season, the attraction looks forward to once again welcoming multigenerational guests to experience sweet, holiday fun.Fetch Launches New Web Browser Extension to Make This Holiday Season the Most Rewarding Yet
Fetch, America’s Rewards App, today announced the launch of the Fetch Shop Web Extension, a new, easy way for users to earn rewards by making purchases directly from a web browser. The new web extension helps consumers rack up Fetch Points for their purchases from participating online retailers when shopping through their browser.NUK® Unveils the Perfect Match™ 2-in-1 Natural + Anti-Colic Bottle: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Companion for Stress-Free Feeding
Featuring a super-soft, skin-like silicone nipple, the Perfect Match bottle adapts to each baby’s unique palate, mimicking the natural shape and feel of a mother’s breast for a stress-free feeding experience that supports your breastfeeding journey from start to finish.Rockin’ Around the FeastiviTREE: Fancy Feast Introduces Its First Cat-Friendly Holiday Tree
To keep playful paws out of trouble, Fancy Feast has created the FeastiviTREE – a feline-friendly holiday tree built to withstand even the most spirited felines, so cats and cat lovers can celebrate the season together in style.Lady Gaga Releases New Haus Labs Get Ready with Me Makeup Tutorial on Sephora YouTube – Achieving a Full Face with Only One Brush Lady Gaga breaks down her daily makeup look showcasing five best-selling Haus Labs products, while she opens up about her work as a clean makeup innovator.Chipotle Sleighs Holiday Gifting with “All I Want Is Chipotle” Collection Featuring Viral Fan-Inspired Creations
Chipotle is bringing back three of its best-selling, viral products: Cilantro Soap, the “Water” Cup Candle and Car Napkin Holder, the perfect gifts for Chipotle fans this holiday season. Starting November 14, items from the “All I Want Is Chipotle” holiday collection will be available for purchase individually and bundled as a set on Chipotlegoods.com while supplies last.

For more news like this, check out all of the latest retail-related releases from PR Newswire.

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Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they’re signed up, reporters, bloggers, and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger’s next story.Subject Matter Experts: Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles.Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire is the industry’s leading press release distribution partner with an unparalleled global reach of more than 440,000 newsrooms, websites, direct feeds, journalists and influencers and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. From our award-winning Content Services offerings, integrated media newsroom and microsite products, Investor Relations suite of services, paid placement and social sharing tools, PR Newswire has a comprehensive catalog of solutions to solve the modern-day challenges PR and communications teams face. For 70 years, PR Newswire has been the preferred destination for brands to share their most important news stories across the world.

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SOURCE PR Newswire

Technology

From China Mobile’s Call Upgrade to the Commercial Launch of “Calling + AI” by Leading Operators: AI Is Reshaping the Value of Native Calling

Published

2 hours ago

July 25, 2026

BEIJING, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 15, 2026, China Mobile announced a comprehensive upgrade to its traditional calling services, ushering in a next-generation calling experience defined by HD, intelligence, and security. This milestone not only marks a major leap in telecommunication innovation but also reflects a global, inevitable shift: the transformation of basic communication into intelligent, inclusive services.

Breaking Experience Barriers and Redefining the Paradigm of Basic Calling

Overcoming the limitations of traditional, voice-only interactions, China Mobile has leveraged its mature VoLTE/VoNR network foundation to deeply integrate AI models with HD audio and video capabilities. Without requiring users to change their phones or SIM cards, seven core AI functions are now seamlessly embedded into the native dialer interface.

These upgrades include Live Captions bridge communication gaps for the elderly and hearing-impaired; HD video calls and AI noise reduction create a crystal-clear, immersive calling experience; AI anti-fraud intercepts high-risk calls in real time to safeguard users’ assets. Furthermore, the introduction of Data Channel (DC) technology and visual call menus transforms standard calls into agile, interactive service windows, enabling multi-party collaboration and seamless business transactions directly within the call. Through this initiative, China Mobile has successfully evolved traditional calls from a mere voice pipeline into a secure, integrated information hub.

“Calling + AI” Becomes a Strategic Consensus Among Global Leading Operators

From a global perspective, China Mobile’s call upgrade is not an isolated milestone, but a microcosm of the global telecommunications industry’s broader transformation. Throughout 2026, major operators worldwide are accelerating the commercial deployment of “Calling + AI” solutions:

Deutsche Telekom launched Magenta AI, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance calling across all scenarios;T-Mobile US introduced a network-side, real-time translation service covering over 80 languages, effectively breaking down cross-border communication barriers;Saudi stc rolled out English-Arabic bilingual simultaneous interpretation, which has now entered large-scale commercial trials;South Korea’s LG U+ launched its ixi-O intelligent calling assistant, shifting the user experience from passive responses to proactive smart interactions and earning three prestigious GLOMO industry awards.

The synchronized efforts of these global leaders confirm that basic calling services have officially entered a new era of AI integration. Deeply empowered by artificial intelligence, “Calling + AI” has become the definitive blueprint for the intelligent transformation of the global telecommunications industry. As operators continue to refine these native capabilities, the traditional voice network is poised to reclaim its position as the most secure, ubiquitous, and valuable entry point in the AI era.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-china-mobiles-call-upgrade-to-the-commercial-launch-of-calling–ai-by-leading-operators-ai-is-reshaping-the-value-of-native-calling-302834622.html

SOURCE China Mobile

Technology

Trip.com Group Sincerely Accepts Administrative Penalty Decision Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China

Published

5 hours ago

July 25, 2026

SINGAPORE, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trip.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: TCOM; HKEX: 9961) today announced that it has received the administrative penalty decision issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China.

Trip.com Group sincerely accepts the decision and will adopt rectification measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to implement the decision’s requirements. The Company will strengthen its long-term governance mechanisms and strive to contribute to the sustainable development of the travel industry.

Trip.com Group’s management team will host a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on July 27, 2026 (or 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time on July 27, 2026).

The conference call will be available on Webcast live at: http://investors.trip.com.

All participants must pre-register to join this conference call using the participant registration link below:
https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIb78e08d8f18340c4882a7e4ab961906b.

Upon registration, each participant will receive details for this conference call, including dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. To join the conference, please dial the number provided, enter your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
Trip.com Group Limited
Email: iremail@trip.com

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SOURCE Trip.com Group Limited

Technology

NAVER Partners with Brookfield and NVIDIA to Expand Korea’s National AI Factory Infrastructure Buildout

Published

7 hours ago

July 25, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER, Brookfield and NVIDIA announced an expansion of Korea’s sovereign AI factory infrastructure. New investments will increase the initial NVIDIA DSX™ AI factory deployment from 55 megawatts to 200 megawatts.

Announced during Korea President Jae Myung Lee’s AI Summit visit to San Francisco, the planned 200-megawatt expansion will be built with the NVIDIA DSX platform at NAVER’s GAK Sejong hyperscale data center in Sejong, South Korea. The expanded infrastructure will provide Korea- and U.S.- based AI innovators with access to production-scale AI compute for building next-generation models, agents and AI-powered services.

Under the terms of the agreements, Brookfield will fund up to $9 billion as the exclusive capital partner, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion and NAVER will fund the remaining amount to finance the $10 billion project.

This builds on NAVER’s June announcement to extend its GAK Sejong data center with NVIDIA DSX, with a long-term path to gigawatt-scale sovereign AI infrastructure serving Korea’s enterprises, industries, government organizations and global AI cloud customers. Combining Brookfield’s capital with NVIDIA’s computing platform, the investment supports NAVER’s AI factory deployment.

“NVIDIA’s strategic investment and our infrastructure supply agreement with Brookfield have propelled NAVER’s vision for the AI Factory business into a robust execution phase,” said Haejin Lee, Founder and Chairman of NAVER. “Leveraging the solid partnerships with our global partners, we will drive technological innovation, foster a sovereign AI ecosystem, and spearhead efforts to strengthen South Korea’s AI competitiveness.”

AI Factory Expansion and Open Model Collaboration to Fuel AI Innovators

NAVER, as an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, provides deep expertise in operating hyperscale infrastructure powered by the full-stack NVIDIA AI platform. The 200-megawatt AI factory, featuring NVIDIA Vera Rubin and Blackwell platforms, will establish a dedicated resource pool for emerging AI companies, providing the compute, software and support needed to develop and deploy competitive AI models and applications at scale.

This expanded infrastructure also builds on NAVER and NVIDIA’s collaboration on open model development for agentic and physical AI. NAVER is advancing its HyperCLOVA X models to be based on NVIDIA Nemotron™ 3 Ultra open models with its proprietary data and training expertise. NAVER is also the first Korean company to join the NVIDIA Nemotron Coalition, contributing to open model development across pretraining, post-training and reinforcement learning.

NAVER plans to launch an AI agent platform in Korea in the second half of the year, powered by NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software including NVIDIA NemoClaw™ blueprints. NAVER is also developing a Seoul World Model using proprietary urban street-view and spatial modeling data, built on NVIDIA Cosmos™ world foundation models.

About NAVER

Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea’s largest Internet company and one of the world’s top tech companies. Leading cutting-edge technologies, NAVER operates the No.1 search engine in Korea and holds various business portfolios encompassing commerce, fintech, cloud, AI and robotics.

NAVER recorded sales of KRW 12.04 trillion (USD 8.18 billion) in 2025. TEAM NAVER continues to enhance its business portfolio and expand its global presence across Japan, North America, and Europe, while pursuing innovation through continuous research and development in future technologies.

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SOURCE NAVER