NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Vega, the pioneer of agentic cyber defense, today introduced Vega II, the next generation of its platform and its most important release since emerging from stealth. Vega II brings the industry’s first model trained for cyber defense to the fight, gives the agentic SOC a memory that outlasts every ticket, and tears down the legacy SIEM and pipeline barriers that kept data out of reach.

With Vega II, every security team has the harness for cyber defense: the system where AI runs detection, triage, and investigation as an autonomous loop, directed by the judgment of their best defenders, and spanning every source they were forced to keep out of the SIEM.

"AI gave attackers a head start. It doesn’t have to give them the future," said Shay Sandler, co-founder and CEO of Vega. "Two years ago, we founded Vega on one conviction: the SOC has a new operator, AI agents, and they need all your data, the knowledge and judgment of your best defenders, and a proprietary, open-weight model built for agentic cyber defense. With Vega II, every team finally has the harness, the model, and the speed required to win the fight."

Why Now

Adversaries adopt frontier models the week they ship. Defenders answer with reasoning never tuned for cyber defense, facts lost when the case closes, and data held behind connectors and pipeline projects. And generic AI is slow: it reasons from scratch on every alert while attackers keep moving. Break the barriers keeping frontier AI from becoming extraordinary cyber defense, and the next era belongs to the defenders.

The Harness and the Model, Built for the Fight

Agentic cyber defense demands a purpose-built model, lasting memory of the environment, and access to all data wherever it is stored. With Vega II, teams can:

• Bring the best AI reasoning to the fight: Vega’s first proprietary, open-weight model runs beside frontier intelligence in the platform. Built for speed: it reaches the verdict while generic AI is still thinking, so every alert gets an expert’s read at a scale no team can staff.
• Make every lesson last: Vega Memory captures the environment’s ground truth and actions taken, so each verdict starts from what the team already knows. Engineers inspect, trace, and control what gets saved.
• Access all data: Vega Gateway streams any source into low-cost object storage over OpenTelemetry, webhook, or API, without complex pipelines or legacy connectors. It extends Vega’s in-place analytics to the sources with nowhere to live, onboarded in minutes, so investigations follow attackers where the SIEM never looked.

Supporting Quotes

"The Post-SIEM Era is here, and you can’t wait until something happens to make the switch. It has to happen now," said Conor Quinlan, member of technical staff, security, at Profound. "Profound is growing about as fast as a company can, and our security program has to keep up. Alerts can no longer be siloed. All of detection and response must live in one platform for the agentic SOC to work. I’ve built world-class cyber defense operations twice with Vega at the center, and Vega II is exactly where security operations needs to go."

"Every AI SOC vendor can triage an alert in a demo. The constraint CISOs keep describing to us sits underneath: whether the agent can reach the evidence where it already lives, whether it carries context from one case to the next, and what continuous inference costs at scale," said Francis Odum, founder and CEO of Software Analyst Cyber Research. "Vega built its architecture around those questions rather than around ingestion-based pricing, and Vega II is the clearest statement yet of the power this approach holds."

Experience Vega II at Cyber Defense at the Frontier on Oct. 21, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. BST. Sign up for a demo today.

About Vega

Vega is the pioneer of agentic cyber defense. Built on the Security Analytics Mesh, the Vega platform runs detection, triage, investigation, and optimization across data lakes, object storage, security tools, and existing SIEMs. Founded in 2024, Vega has raised $185 million and is backed by Accel, Cyberstarts, Redpoint, and CRV. It protects Fortune 200 enterprises, global banks, and leading healthcare providers. For more information, visit vega.io, read our blog, follow on LinkedIn and Instagram. Vega: Attacks scale. Defense compounds.

Media Contact

press@vega.io

MCKINNEY, TX, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- ScienceSoft’s Q3 2026 Healthcare AI Trend Watch finds that AI use in healthcare is already widespread, while consistent ways to prove its value remain much less established.

ScienceSoft’s analysis draws on several recent surveys. More than 90% of health systemssurveyed by CCM and KLAS had deployed third-party AI. However, in a separate value-measurement question, nearly a third of the surveyed leaders admitted they had not started measuring AI value. In Black Book’s survey of 230 U.S. and EU healthcare leaders, 76% monitored model accuracy after deployment, while only 32% tracked clinical outcomes and only 28% tracked staff workload.

ScienceSoft notes that value measurement becomes especially important when providers decide whether to expand a successful pilot. A model can perform well on its immediate task without delivering the expected result across the wider workflow. ScienceSoft recommends defining the outcome that should justify wider deployment — such as more appointments, less after-hours documentation, or lower operating costs — and checking whether that outcome actually improves.

The Trend Watch also highlights other Q3 developments. Some large health systems are adopting dedicated AI governance platforms. AI agents are handling substantial volumes of patient calls, scheduling, and billing interactions. And general-purpose AI interfaces such as Gemini are beginning to connect patients directly to provider search and appointment booking.

Read ScienceSoft’s full Q3 2026 Healthcare AI Trend Watch for the complete analysis and sources.

Press Inquiries Welcome

ScienceSoft is a U.S. AI transformation and healthcare IT consulting company working with healthcare providers and healthtech companies on AI adoption, implementation, and scaling. Journalists can contact ScienceSoft’s experts for full research data or commentary on healthcare AI value measurement, adoption, and deployment decisions via our Press Room.

About ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft is an AI transformation and software engineering company with more than 150 successful projects for healthcare organizations in the U.S. and around the globe. Working in the medical IT field since 2005, ScienceSoft delivers secure, risk- and cost-aware, and highly interoperable software for clinical workflows, diagnostics, and patient outreach. Holding ISO 13485, 9001, and 27001 certifications, the company focuses on designing digital solutions that bring long-term clinical and operational gains despite diverse staff and patient expectations, shifting priorities, and legacy system constraints. For more information, visit www.scnsoft.com/healthcare.

Media Contact

Alexa Tsviatkova
ScienceSoft
adtsviakova@scnsoft.com

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Cashfloat, an authorised UK-based direct lender providing short-term loans, has shown how advances in fintech are helping lenders streamline loan approval processes without compromising regulatory protections for consumers. The company has explained how automated systems can work to assess straightforward applications, while complex cases can be identified and referred to experienced underwriters for more detailed consideration.

As consumers increasingly expect financial services to offer speed and convenience, lenders facing the challenge of balancing this demand with appropriate affordability and eligibility assessments may be able to use technology to meet consumer requirements while upholding their responsible lending duties.

How Fintech Is Helping to Make Loan Applications Both Faster and Fairer

Traditional loan assessment processes can involve several phases and manual evaluations, potentially increasing the time consumers must wait before a decision is made. While not relevant to all loan applications, modern fintech systems can automate some elements of that process, ensuring information provided is assessed against eligibility and affordability criteria.

Cashfloat has explained that this does not mean every application can be automatically approved or rejected. Technology can help identify applications that clearly meet the lender's requirements and thresholds, while working alongside safeguards to ensure those cases requiring greater scrutiny are referred on to underwriters.

The benefits of this hybrid approach may include:

• Prompt lending decisions without unnecessary delays
• Consistent loan application assessments against a series of objective criteria
• Improved experiences for consumers with less of the uncertainty sometimes associated with waiting for lending decisions
• Additional safeguards that enable applications that do not clearly meet all requirements to be referred rather than automatically declined
• Human oversight for more complex or non-standard applications to ensure they receive a more detailed assessment from an experienced underwriting team

"Technology has transformed the way consumers interact with many financial services, and the important factor is that responsible lending and satisfactory loan application experiences are not competing priorities," said Peter Kimpton, Chief Operating Officer of Cashfloat. "Instead, automation can support robust lending processes rather than replacing them, ensuring that where decisions can be made efficiently, consumers are not left waiting. However, those that need to be examined in more detail are identified, and applicants who may need debt management support can be signposted to relevant services."

Lenders Continue to Enforce Responsible Lending Policies Alongside Introducing Fintech Resources

Cashfloat has emphasised that faster processing times do not mean the checks carried out before a lending decision are reduced. The firm's approach uses technology where it can improve efficiency, while ensuring applications that cannot be assessed this way are not subject only to automated processes.

This can be especially important where an application includes information that needs to be clarified or checked, or where it falls outside the parameters that apply to automated decision-making systems.

Applications are not treated identically, with referral mechanisms that ensure more complex circumstances are considered manually and separately. 

The lender has found that combining technology with human oversight has created a fairer experience for applicants, with many satisfied with the speed of lending decisions where manual assessment processes may be unnecessary.

The Western Circle Group brand has stressed that regulatory compliance must remain central to all lending processes, regardless of how application assessments are completed. Fintech is seen as a tool to support responsible lending but cannot be used to bypass the checks and safeguards all regulated lenders are expected to implement.

While digital financial services continue to evolve, Cashfloat believes the right focus is on balancing convenience, efficiency, and consumer protections, reinforcing the reassurance that applications that may not be responsible or affordable will not be processed automatically.

About Cashfloat

Cashfloat is a UK direct lender providing online lending services. Cashfloat considers applications from customers with a range of credit histories, subject to eligibility and affordability checks. Cashfloat is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For more information, visit cashfloat.co.uk.

About Western Circle Group

Western Circle Group is a UK-based, FCA-authorised consumer credit provider specialising in fast, responsible, online lending. Western Circle Ltd (company number: 07581337) is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 714479) and with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO: Z3305234).

Disclaimer

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an offer, or a solicitation to borrow. Cashfloat is a trading style of Western Circle Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 714479). All loans are subject to status, eligibility, and affordability assessments. Borrowing money costs money and involves risk; short-term credit is not suitable for long-term financial needs. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, free and independent debt advice is available from MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk).

Media Contact

Cashfloat
info@cashfloat.co.uk

ZUG, Switzerland, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- W Group is pleased to share the next stage in the development of hashbank, a fully licensed universal digital bank that combines traditional banking services with the infrastructure of the open Web3 economy in one app.

This level of integration remains rare in banking. hashbank brings traditional banking services and connectivity with external crypto wallets into a single mobile experience. Customers can receive digital assets from external wallets and platforms and send them to external blockchain addresses, with support for more than 150 digital assets.

Banking and Digital Assets in One App

Traditionally, bank accounts and crypto infrastructure have operated as separate systems. To complete a transaction, users have had to move between their bank, a crypto platform, and an external wallet.

hashbank brings these services into one banking environment. A customer can receive a digital asset from an external wallet, exchange it for fiat, and use the bank’s services. They can also send digital assets to an external blockchain address. Transfers are protected by authentication, address verification, anti-money-laundering procedures and blockchain analytics. This creates a borderless banking model, a financial experience that brings fiat, crypto assets, and international money transfers together.

“We are not building businesses that exist only in Web2 or only in Web3. The biggest opportunities will emerge between them. Our task is to build the infrastructure — the bridge that allows these worlds to work together. hashbank is one example of this strategy. It is a fully licensed digital bank that is open to new financial networks and capable of connecting different currencies, platforms, and systems,” said Volodymyr Nosov, founder and President of W Group.

Part of a Connected Financial Ecosystem

Obtained in 2023, hashbank holds a full banking license from the National Bank of Georgia and began operating in a live environment in 2024. Today, hashbank has approximately 60,000 customers across 73 countries. hashbank’s position is further differentiated by the combination of broad external-wallet connectivity, direct integration with WhiteBIT, everyday and cross-border banking services, and access for both individuals and businesses.

Within the South Caucasus and Central Asia, hashbank is the first fully licensed bank to offer this integrated model within its mobile banking application.

“By introducing this service, hashbank sets a new precedent for banking in Georgia and the wider region, strengthening the bridge between traditional banking and digital assets. Our ambition is to make borderless banking a practical reality, giving customers greater freedom to move and use their money while making everyday banking simpler and digital assets more familiar and accessible," said Goga Chanadiri, CEO of hashbank.

hashbank and WhiteBIT benefit from a direct integration and strategic synergy within the broader W Group ecosystem while operating with the strict independent governance required of a license. WhiteBIT has 10 million users on its platform, while W Group's broader ecosystem brings together businesses serving around 40 million registered accounts globally.

The next stage of hashbank’s development is aimed at expanding its international financial infrastructure. The bank is working on international payment rails, new currencies, and cross-border corridors, as well as banking as a service and embedded banking. This will enable hashbank’s banking infrastructure to serve not only end customers, but also fintech companies, crypto platforms, and other businesses that require access to regulated financial services.

For W Group, hashbank is not a standalone business, but part of a long-term model. The goal is to build a global, full-cycle financial ecosystem in which banking, payments, digital assets, blockchain, and international financial infrastructure can work together.

About W Group

W Group is a global fintech ecosystem that makes blockchain and crypto easy, secure, and accessible for everyone. Over 40 million registered accounts across 150 countries worldwide. W Group is committed to shaping the future of finance through simple, accessible, and secure solutions. For more information, visit www.w.group.

About hashbank

hashbank is a digital bank that offers users simple, secure, and modern banking services. Through the synthesis of innovative technologies and strict banking standards, the bank creates financial solutions tailored to the demands of the digital economy. For its technological achievements in 2026, the authoritative international publication Global Banking & Finance Review awarded hashbank the title of "Best New Digital Bank Georgia 2026," once again highlighting its leading position in the region’s financial and technology sectors. For more information, visit hashbank.ge.

Disclaimer

JSC Hash Bank (operating as hashbank) is a commercial bank licensed and regulated by the National Bank of Georgia (ID Number: 405555359). This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice, nor an endorsement by the distribution service. Digital assets and cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and their regulatory status varies significantly by jurisdiction. Services related to digital assets, external wallet transfers, and integration with third-party platforms like WhiteBIT may not be available to residents of certain countries due to local regulatory restrictions. Forward-looking statements regarding future product expansions, international payment rails, and banking-as-a-service (BaaS) reflect current goals and are subject to change based on market and regulatory conditions. Users should review hashbank’s official terms of service and consult with independent financial or legal advisors before engaging in digital asset transactions.

Media Contact

pr@whitebit.com

SEOUL, South Korea, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Global Affairs Lab, an international affairs research institute, released a new report saying South Korea’s latest U.S. investment package expands the role of Korean investment in America from production capacity to strategic infrastructure.

The report, "From Production Sites to Strategic Infrastructure: South Korean Investment and U.S. Energy Needs," notes that recent high-profile Korean investments in the United States have focused largely on electric vehicles, batteries and semiconductors. The new package differs because it centers on power, nuclear energy and liquefied natural gas infrastructure that can support the broader U.S. industrial base.

The report analyzes three areas tied to the package: Project Star, a combined-cycle gas power project in Encinal, Texas; Project Power, a U.S.-Korea nuclear cooperation framework covering eight large reactors; and Project North, an Alaska LNG project that South Korea has described as subject to commercial viability and domestic legal requirements.

Global Affairs Lab said the package should not be viewed simply as another round of Korean corporate investment in the United States. The institute said it reflects a broader shift toward helping build the energy systems that strategic industries need to operate at scale.

The report said Project Star is the clearest example of this shift because it links Korean investment to electricity demand from data centers and advanced manufacturing. Project Power could deepen industrial cooperation through nuclear supply chains and equipment participation, while Project North would require careful coordination on timing, investment terms and long-term purchase arrangements.

Global Affairs Lab concluded that the package’s strategic value lies in connecting Korean capital and industrial capabilities with U.S. infrastructure needs. If managed carefully, the report said, South Korean investment could support U.S. strategic industries giving the stronger economic foundation.

About Global Affairs Lab

Global Affairs Lab is a Seoul-based international affairs research institute analyzing foreign policy, economic security, technology governance, defense industry and Indo-Pacific strategy. For more information, visit globaf.org.

Disclaimer

This press release is provided for informational and educational purposes only by Global Affairs Lab and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. It contains forward-looking statements regarding future investments, project implementation, commercial viability, and strategic infrastructure developments, all of which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and regulatory approvals that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from expectations.

Media Contact

contact@globaf.org

YEREVAN, Armenia, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- The AGBU Global Run for Camp Nairi brought together more than 1,500 participants across 22 cities and raised $500,000 to support children and families affected by war and displacement. Unibank supported the international fundraising initiative as Lead Sponsor.  

The Global Run began in Yerevan and continued around the world, with participants joining in Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Nice, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Zurich, and other cities. The inaugural initiative united Armenian communities and supporters around a shared goal. Funds raised through the Global Run will support recreational activities for campers, access to qualified mental health professionals, and the expansion of Camp Nairi’s capacity. Located in Armenia’s Lori region, Camp Nairi has served more than 4,400 children since 2021.  

“Because of partners like Unibank, children will have the opportunity to step away from the uncertainty and hardship they have experienced and enter an environment designed to restore joy, build resilience and foster a sense of belonging. What began as a summer camp has, through the generosity of our supporters, grown into a year-round model of healing and community. For many, Camp Nairi is a special place where they can simply be kids again,” said Karen Papazian, Director of Development and Outreach at AGBU.  

For Unibank, supporting the Global Run is part of a broader commitment to the communities it serves. The bank provides services to more than 30% of Armenia’s bankable population. This year, Unibank celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of growth, innovation, and trust. Over that period, it has grown into one of Armenia’s leading financial institutions, offering a comprehensive range of retail and corporate banking services, as well as Private Banking solutions. Its role extends beyond financial services — an approach reflected in its tagline “Banking and more.”

“A bank’s strength should be measured not only by its financial performance, but also by the value it creates for society. We believe we have a responsibility to invest in both the country’s economy and its communities. Supporting AGBU’s initiative reflects what ‘Banking and more’ means to us in practice: being there when our communities need us and using our reach to make a meaningful difference,”said Gagik Zakaryan, chairman of the board of Unibank.

Unibank’s commitment to creating opportunities is also reflected in its role in developing Armenia’s capital market. In 2015, it became the first bank in Armenia to conduct an IPO, giving individuals and companies the opportunity to become shareholders and participate in the bank’s growth. Since then, Unibank has conducted ten share issues. Compared with last year, its investor base has grown by 60%, reflecting broader participation in the bank’s development. 

Unibank’s shares are listed on the Armenia Stock Exchange (AMX), giving individual and institutional investors access to the bank’s equity. Since the IPO, the share price has risen by approximately 70%. Over the past three years, annual dividend yields on its shares have been in the 10–12% range. The bank’s return on equity stands at 20%, while earnings per share have doubled compared with last year. 

Alongside its financial activities, Unibank continues to support education, youth development, sports, and other socially significant initiatives in Armenia and abroad.

About Unibank

Unibank is one of Armenia’s leading technology-driven banks, committed to delivering innovative financial services that meet the evolving needs of its customers. It offers comprehensive retail and business banking services, along with Private Banking solutions tailored to high-value clients. To learn more, please visit www.unibank.am.

Media Contact

lusine.khachatryan@unibank.am
+374 10 712222

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Sends, a UK-based fintech company providing payment and financial services to individuals and businesses, announces the launch of its cooperation with UnionPay International (UPI), expanding its payment capabilities across both card issuing and acquiring.

The cooperation brings together UnionPay’s extensive global payment network and Sends’ financial infrastructure to create broader payment opportunities for consumers and businesses across markets. Sends plans to develop UnionPay card issuing, enabling customers to access UnionPay-powered payment products and use their cards across UnionPay’s global acceptance network.

At the same time, the companies are working together on UnionPay acquiring, allowing merchants within the Sends ecosystem to accept payments made with UnionPay cards. This will provide businesses with additional opportunities to serve international customers, particularly those connected to Asian markets, while expanding the range of payment methods available through Sends.

The combination of issuing and acquiring creates a two-sided payment proposition: supporting customers in making payments internationally while enabling merchants to accept UnionPay transactions through Sends’ infrastructure.

“Payments are becoming increasingly global, while customers and businesses expect the experience itself to remain simple. Our cooperation with UnionPay International is an important step in building infrastructure that connects these two realities,” said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends. “By developing both UnionPay issuing and acquiring capabilities, we are expanding what Sends can offer on both sides of a transaction — giving our customers greater payment flexibility while helping merchants reach a broader international audience.”

The cooperation also reflects Sends’ broader strategy of developing an interconnected financial ecosystem for businesses and individuals. Rather than focusing on individual payment products, the company continues to expand infrastructure covering accounts, international transfers, foreign

Beyond its expanding card and acquiring capabilities, Sends continues to develop its ecosystem for both individuals and businesses. Recently the company launched a special offer for businesses who want to open a British account and make international payments right away. The platform brings together personal and business accounts, international payments, FX, cards and merchant solutions, while recently expanding its offering with eSIM travel data directly in the Sends app.

Sends and the company's CEO, Alona Shevtsova, also strengthened international presence and industry engagement, contributing to conversations around real-time and cross-border payments, digital wallets and the future of payment infrastructure across key markets, including the UK and the Middle East.

Explore UnionPay opportunities with Sends

Raise a ticket to discuss the opportunities with our team.

About Sends

Sends is a UK-based financial services provider and FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution (EMI), offering secure payment solutions for individual and corporate clients. The company supports e-wallet services, electronic money issuance, and merchant acquiring, underpinned by a compliance-driven approach to growth and innovation. Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Sends’ partnership with UnionPay International, including the planned development and rollout of card issuing, merchant acquiring, and ecosystem features. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about future industry trends, strategic goals, and operational plans. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and regulatory approvals that may cause actual results, timelines, or product availability to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Sends undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future developments.

Media Contact

Anastasiia Pervushyna
Marketing Department, Sends
contact@sends.co
+44 1273 004434

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Laura Geller Beauty, the brand known for crafting makeup for mature skin, today announced the launch of its first-ever perfume. The new scent, Tuscan Sun Eau de Toilette, marks a significant expansion for the brand as its first entry into the fragrance category.

Tuscan Sun draws upon the brand’s longstanding association with Italy, where many of its products are manufactured. The fragrance is inspired by the ease, warmth, and sensory richness of Italian living, capturing a sense of la dolce vita, “the sweet life.” It opens with bright notes of Italian lemon, softening with notes of creamy florals at the heart, and settles into a warm base of amber and vanilla, all meant to evoke the feeling of golden hour in Tuscany.

“For years, people have stopped me to ask what perfume I’m wearing,” says Laura Geller, founder and makeup artist. “I finally felt called to create my own fragrance. Tuscan Sun is the scent I’ve been dreaming about for years, and I’m so excited to finally share it.”

Geller and her team spent more than a year developing the perfume, taking inspiration from her annual travels through Italy. They also turned to valued customers through several different panels, helping to refine the scent further. “It had to feel as personal as our makeup,” Geller adds.

Fragrance, Geller also notes, taps into emotions that makeup cannot reach. “I’ve spent my entire career helping women feel confident in their own skin through makeup. But confidence isn’t just about how you look, it’s how you feel. I wanted this bright and gorgeous scent to stir up feelings of relaxation and ease — exactly how you’d feel if you were on a Tuscan getaway of your own. It’s the perfect finishing touch to help my customers feel their very best.”

Even the fragrance’s bottle takes inspiration from Italian architecture. The gold-tone cap is inspired by classic Roman columns. As another thoughtful touch, the bottle has a rounded base shaped to rest comfortably in hand — a nod to the brand’s consumers who have requested more ergonomic options in the assortment.

Tuscan Sun is available in full size, travel size, and as a duo on the brand’s website, giving customers a range of ways to explore the scent.

Tuscan Sun is available now on the brand’s website laurageller.com. Watch the new campaign.

About Laura Geller Beauty

New York-based makeup artist Laura Geller launched her namesake brand in 1997 with a mission of demystifying the daily makeup routine and creating transformational products that bring joy back to beauty. The brand is a pioneer in artisan-crafted baked makeup, delivering exceptional coverage and finishes for all skin types. As the brand's foolproof, easy-to-use makeup is well-known for its remarkable ability to flatter and enhance mature skin, Laura Geller Beauty has exclusively featured women over 40 since 2021. Laura Geller Beauty products are available on QVC, LauraGeller.com, Amazon, Ulta.com, Sephora.com, Macys.com, and other select retailers. For more information, visit laurageller.com.

Media Contact

Alison Brod Marketing & Communications
laurageller@abmc-us.com

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Lucra, the leading social competition platform, today announced a partnership with MFL, the fantasy game built around artists instead of athletes. MFL players will be able to compete for real money in private leagues and public tournaments powered by Lucra, where permitted by law, turning the group chat debate about music into a season worth winning.

MFL takes the fantasy format that sports fans already love and runs it on the data that the music industry already produces. Players draft a roster of artists who earn points from real-world activity and scores post overnight. Players wake up to the results and set their lineup for the next day. New releases, tour dates, and more impact scores dramatically, rewarding the fans who spot the right artist at the right time. 

Under the partnership, Lucra's SDK powers the real-money layer inside MFL, giving every roster something to play for. Friends will be able to compete for cash in their own private leagues, and players looking for a bigger field can enter public tournaments for cash prizes. Free-to-play leagues will remain open to everyone, and Lucra-powered achievements will let every player unlock discounts and rewards. Lucra handles compliance, payments, fraud prevention, and settlement.

"Every league is better when it's playing for something. MFL gives music fans a scoreboard, and Lucra puts real money behind it, so a Tuesday streaming number or a surprise drop can decide who wins a game. Fantasy built around artists is a completely new format, and Alex and his team know this industry from the inside," said Dylan Robbins, CEO of Lucra.

"At Apple and Amazon, we built systems to amplify the music industry's daily and weekly activity. Now with AI, the data generated by that activity can power a fantasy game, and a new way for fans to engage. Add in real-money leagues and it gives fans one more reason to check in every day. Lucra, as a proven winning platform for payment and compliance infrastructure, is a perfect partner for us in this journey," said Alex Luke, CEO of MFL.

Lucra will be live inside MFL from day one, with real-money leagues and tournaments available at the app’s public launch. Fans can sign up for early access at joinmfl.com.

About Lucra

Lucra powers competitive loyalty through a plug-and-play SDK, which integrates into apps or websites and enables tournaments, mini-games, and peer-vs-peer competitions, with real-money or rewards. It handles compliance, payments, fraud prevention, and settlement out of the box, so partners can instantly offer gamified experiences without building or managing complex infrastructure themselves. Top entertainment, hospitality, and consumer brands, including Five Iron Golf, Backyard Sports, ChessKings, TouchTunes, and more, use Lucra's white-label technology to power tournaments and challenges, build loyalty, and drive new revenue. Learn more at playlucra.com.

About MFL

MFL is fantasy sports for music. Built on the real-world data the music industry already produces, MFL lets fans draft a roster of artists, compete in head-to-head leagues, and earn daily scores based on how those artists actually perform. MFL was founded by CEO Alex Luke, a music and technology executive who helped shape the modern music business through leadership roles at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Capitol Records, Napster and SiriusXM. He is joined by co-founders Gregory Butler, who leads operations, and David Jarrett, who leads technology. For more information, visit joinmfl.com.

Disclaimer

Real-money leagues and cash tournaments offered via Lucra's integration within MFL are subject to local laws and regulations. Must be 18 years of age or older (19+ or 21+ in select jurisdictions) and physically located in an eligible state or territory to participate in cash contests. Void where prohibited by law. Real-money participation involves financial risk; play responsibly. Free-to-play options are available to all users.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning planned product features, software integrations, and launch timelines for Lucra and MFL. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or availability to differ materially. Neither party undertakes any obligation to update these statements after the date of release.

Media Contact

press@playlucra.com

TOKYO, Japan, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Pearce Inagaki Legal Advisory LLC today published its 2026-2027 Japan Market Entry Roadmap, a plain-language guide for foreign founders, investors, and executives who start a business in Japan or acquire Japanese real property, together with the Japan Enterprise GTM Guide.

The publication coincides with two filing rules taking effect within five days. On Oct. 1, 2026, revised Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence took effect, hardening the income requirement immediately. On Oct. 5, 2026, a Ministry of Justice ordinance amending the Real Property Registration Rules (promulgated March 31, 2026) takes effect, adding nationality information to the registry search-information record when ownership of real property is newly registered.

A third change took effect Oct. 1, 2026. The fee for permanent-residence permission rose from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen, and fees for permission to change or extend a status of residence now scale with the period granted, from 33,000 yen for one year to 75,000 yen for five years or longer. The new amounts apply to applications filed on or after Oct. 1, 2026; applications filed on or before Sept. 30, 2026 pay the previous amounts.

Three Changes in Twelve Months

On Oct. 16, 2025, the minimum paid-in capital for the Business Manager visa rose from 5 million yen to 30 million yen, a sixfold increase. The reform added requirements for at least one full-time employee in addition to the applicant, three years of management or executive experience or a relevant advanced degree, Japanese-language ability at CEFR B2 level (JLPT N2 or BJT 400 acceptable, met by the applicant or a full-time employee), and certification of the business plan by a small and medium enterprise management consultant, certified public accountant, or tax accountant. A transition period for existing holders runs to Oct. 16, 2028.

The Oct. 1 Permanent-Residence Revision

The revised guidelines set explicit benchmarks for the first time:

• Household income: In principle, the applicant's household income must continuously exceed the average income of a Japanese household of the same size.
• Public pension: The applicant's estimated future pension entitlement is a new consideration.
• Japanese language: B1-equivalent ability under the Framework of Reference for Japanese Language Education, with exemptions that include highly skilled foreign professionals and their family members, applicants with six or more years of primary or secondary education in Japan, and children of permanent residents in defined cases.
• Obligations: Compliance with notification duties and proper payment of taxes, public pension, and public health insurance.
• Residence history: In principle, 10 or more continuous years in Japan, five of them under a work or residence status, and currently holding the maximum period of stay available for that status.

On timing: The revised guideline applies to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. Its income requirement applies from the revision date to applications filed on or after Oct. 1, 2026. Separately, the guideline for permanent residence for persons recognized as contributing to Japan is abolished March 31, 2027.

These rules govern permanent residence. They do not change the Business Manager visa or the incorporation route a founder uses to enter Japan.

The Oct. 5 Property-Registration Rule

• It applies to natural persons who become the registered owner through a preservation, transfer, or correction registration and who are the applicant — Japanese and non-Japanese alike.
• Nationality is not printed on the registry certificate. It is recorded in a separate internal search-information management file to establish the actual state of foreign-held real property and to support mandatory inheritance registration.
• It creates no general restriction on foreign ownership of real property; sector- and area-specific regimes apply separately.
• Owners already registered have no new obligation; they may file the information voluntarily.
• The former requirement that a filer hold a domestic address has been removed, so owners resident abroad are covered.
• Corporations are outside this rule; they fall under separate regimes such as the Act on Special Measures concerning the Review of the Use of Land and the National Land Use Planning Act.

Incorporation and Entry: The Routes That Remain Open

A Japanese company can be incorporated with as little as 1 yen in capital, and since 2015 the representative director has not been required to reside in Japan. What a founder needs in practice is a registered address, a registry filing, and a bank relationship. Venture-backed startups typically capitalize at 10-50 million yen, and 15 million yen or more is often read by banks and business partners as a credibility signal.

Three routes remain open: registration-only incorporation with no residency at entry; the Startup Visa, granted as "Designated Activities" through participating municipalities, which allows up to two years in Japan to prepare a business before switching to the Business Manager status; and the Business Manager visa under its Oct. 2025 rules. The 30 million yen threshold is a residency threshold, not an incorporation threshold.

Inward Investment

Inward foreign direct investment in Japan reached a record 61.2 trillion yen at the end of 2025, a primary estimate, up 14.8% from 53.3 trillion yen a year earlier. At the end of 2024, the largest investor country was the United States at 10.6 trillion yen, or 20.0% of the total.

What the Guides Cover

The Roadmap sets out five tracks: a comparison of the three entry routes, including the capital, staffing, experience, and language rules that changed in Oct. 2025; an incorporation playbook covering the kabushiki kaisha and godo kaisha, registered-address options, registry filing, and bank preparation; a line-item cost model from the 1 yen statutory minimum to the professional and recurring costs founders face; a real-property track on how non-residents buy, hold, and register Japanese property, including the Oct. 5 disclosure step; and a go-to-market track. The Japan Enterprise GTM Guide covers the commercial side of the same journey for founders and investors who are past the filing stage and focused on customers, partners, and revenue.

The 2026-2027 Japan Market Entry Roadmap and Japan Enterprise GTM Guide are now available on its website.

Firm Comment

"Japan is screening for substance and long-term contribution. That is a different thing from closing the door," said a spokesperson for Pearce Inagaki Legal Advisory LLC. "The sequencing of entity, capital, banking, and residency now decides who gets in and who stalls."

About Pearce Inagaki Legal Advisory LLC

Pearce Inagaki provides Japan business, real estate, and market-entry advisory for global leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking to establish or expand operations in Japan. Its services include company incorporation, full business setup, real estate acquisition support, due diligence, title registration, and go-to-market (GTM) advisory, all delivered through a fully bilingual English and Japanese practice. The firm is led by a licensed Japanese judicial scrivener with more than 40 years of corporate and real estate experience, alongside a senior team with backgrounds in global tech, software-as-a-service (SaaS), capital markets, and fund management. Learn more at pearce-inagaki.com.

Media Contact

Shihoko Pearce
Managing Partner, Pearce Inagaki Legal Advisory LLC
info@pearceinagaki.com

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Barometer, an AI contextual brand suitability platform, today announced that its targeting and brand safety segments are now available within Amazon Ads DVA+ for podcast campaigns. At launch, this integration enables Amazon Ads advertisers to leverage Barometer’s trusted third-party, podcast episode-level targeting and suitability ratings to safely buy podcasts across Amazon Ads, SiriusXM Media, Spotify, and iHeartMedia, as well as Triton, AdsWizz, and Magnite Supply Side Platforms (SSPs).

Through the Barometer integration, advertisers using Amazon Ads DVA+ can activate Barometer's pre-bid brand suitability, enabling third-party verification to ensure that every podcast episode meets advertiser brand guidelines without sacrificing audience scale. It has become a standard for advertisers to require third-party verification solutions to ensure consistency across their campaigns. 

This integration brings Barometer's best-in-class pre-bid targeting solutions to Amazon Ads, starting with podcast audio in this initial launch and expanding to cover other types of content, including video in 2026. At launch, Barometer will support all on-demand audio inventory available within Amazon DVA+, including the Amazon-owned and operated audio content, as well as the notable third-party partnerships that have already launched on Amazon DVA+, including SiriusXM, Spotify, Amazon, and iHeartMedia.

Barometer’s AI solutions have opened up access to new shows for advertisers and marketers, leading to increased scale and reach. A financial services brand started out leveraging a podcast show inclusion list only. When they switched to episode-level targeting, the brand was able to scale the number of podcast shows by over 140%, expanding to marketing across 2,000 shows. In another example, an advertiser who had never tried programmatic podcast advertising due to brand suitability concerns was able to use Barometer’s episodic targeting to advertise within 2,700 shows and reach over 5MM new households, achieving over 85% incremental reach compared to streaming video and streaming audio.

“It is thrilling to think of the impact that this integration will have on both the advertisers leveraging Amazon DVA+ and the publishers representing the premium media commanding the world’s attention. Working with leaders across the Amazon DVA+ team has been a joy, and we are excited to bring Barometer into Amazon DVA+,” said Tamara Zubatiy, founder and CEO of Barometer.

“Podcasts let brands show up in moments when listeners are highly engaged, but programmatic scale has often been limited by a lack of reliable brand-suitability controls,” said Lauren Russo, EVP, Managing Partner, Innovation & Performance Audio at Horizon Media. “By bringing Barometer’s episode-level suitability into Amazon DVA+, we can align buys to clear brand standards while tapping premium podcast supply — making it easier to scale with confidence.”

To learn more about how you can begin leveraging these tools in your next campaign, please reach out to meredith@thebarometer.co.

About Barometer

Barometer is the premier, third-party, AI-powered contextual engine with best-in-class brand suitability and contextual targeting solutions for premium and emerging media channels. They help the largest brands in the world responsibly activate at scale in impactful channels like podcasts, creator-led video, and generative AI. For more information, visit app.thebarometer.co.

Media Contact

Ella Reznick
Barometer
press@thebarometer.co

CHARLESTON, SC, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Palmetto Commercial Properties, LLC is proud to announce the promotion of Chase A. Limehouse, CCIM, to Vice President.

Since joining Palmetto, Chase has consistently excelled in every aspect of commercial real estate, with a particular passion and expertise in land sales. His extensive knowledge of land — its value, terrain, timber, and unique characteristics — combined with his genuine love for the outdoors, gives his clients an exceptional advantage. Whether he is evaluating a property or walking it with a client, Chase’s understanding of the land is second to none.

As his career has grown, so has his impact on our team. Chase has become a trusted mentor to our younger brokers, generously sharing his knowledge and passion for the business. Outside of real estate, he is a devoted family man, an active member of the Daniel Island Rotary Club, and an avid outdoorsman.

Congratulations, Chase, on this well-deserved promotion!

Media Contact

Palmetto Commercial Properties
william.allen@pcpsc.com

LOS ANGELES, CA, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- NeedTags, an authorized California DMV partner, is highlighting its Permanent Fleet Registration services for small businesses adding vehicles to their operations, a transaction category that grows more common as light-duty commercial vehicle demand rises nationally.

Overall U.S. commercial vehicle registrations fell 1% in 2025, according to Mobility Global, driven largely by a pullback in heavy tractor-truck purchases. Class 2 and 3 vehicles, the cargo vans and pickups typically bought by small delivery, courier, and trade businesses, continued to grow even as the broader market cooled, the firm's analysis found. For a small operator adding a second or third vehicle, that growth often means a first encounter with fleet-specific registration paperwork.

NeedTags processes new vehicle registrations, registered and legal owner transfers, registrations for vehicles carrying a Manufacturer Statement of Origin or an out-of-state title, and additions to Permanent Fleet Registration for operators expanding beyond a single vehicle. As an authorized DMV partner, the company handles these transactions on the department's behalf, operating alongside California's network of roughly 170 DMV field offices rather than in place of it.

"That's not nearly enough," said Eddy Asmerian, founder of NeedTags, referring to the ratio of the state's roughly 170 DMV field offices to its 16 million registered vehicle owners. The DMV has moved many routine services online and to self-service kiosks, giving owners more ways to handle registration without waiting in a field office line. Renewing on the DMV website still comes with a wait, though: the new registration card and sticker arrive by mail within two weeks. NeedTags customers can download their registration e-card the moment they renew, and choose shipping as fast as next-day. Owners who buy a vehicle can also change ownership through the company's expedited online title transfer. For a small business, that turnaround can put a vehicle back on the road days sooner than waiting on the mail.

Small businesses that move from one vehicle to several often discover the fleet registration category only once they are already partway through adding a vehicle, without a clear sense of which paperwork now applies to the business as a whole rather than to a single truck. NeedTags positions its fleet registration service around that transition point, aiming to keep additional vehicles road-legal without pulling an owner-operator or driver off a route to manage the paperwork in person.

Fleet registration completed directly through the DMV carries no separate service fee, and NeedTags frames its value around time rather than cost: handling the transaction so a small business owner does not lose a working vehicle, or a working day, to an in-person visit while a fleet is added to an existing registration.

NeedTags operates from North Hollywood, California, and serves small business owners and fleet operators across the state.

About NeedTags

NeedTags (OL No. 89953) is an authorized California DMV partner based in North Hollywood, offering new vehicle registration, owner transfers, out-of-state title processing, and fleet registration services. For more information, visit www.needtags.com.

Media Contact

media@needtags.com

BEIJING, China, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Jetour launched its 2027 G700 hybrid off-road SUV in China on Tuesday and said deliveries of the Ark Edition had begun. The company also highlighted amphibious technology fitted to the separate Ark Edition.

The launch brings updates to the G700’s exterior, cabin, and driver-assistance systems. According to the specifications released at the launch, the model is based on Jetour’s GAIA vehicle architecture and comes in five trim levels, with five-seat and six-seat configurations.

The vehicle uses Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 driver-assistance system, together with its own cabin system and functions based on large AI models. Its off-road equipment includes an “18+X” system and “Conquest Mode” for conditions such as deep snow, sand, rocks, and mud. Three differential locks are standard across the range.

Other off-road features include rollover suppression and a maximum wading depth of 900 mm. That wading specification is distinct from the amphibious technology it described for the Ark Edition.

The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.0TD engine with a longitudinally mounted 2DHT transmission and P3 and P4 electric motors. Published performance figures include a combined range of 1,200 km, a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.8 seconds and peak engine thermal efficiency of 45.95%.

The hydroformed ladder frame has torsional stiffness of 10,000 newton-metres per degree, while the passenger compartment frame, made entirely of hot-formed steel, has torsional stiffness of 22,300 newton-metres per degree. The vehicle also has CDC damping and air suspension, with a height adjustment range of -50 mm to +90 mm.

The GAIA architecture incorporates the Kunpeng Super Hybrid CDM-O system, the hydroformed frame, intelligent differential locks, and XWD-S all-wheel drive.

Exterior changes include a new grille and body-coloured wheel arches. Five paint options are available — Kunlun Grey, Motuo Black, Everest White, Qiangtang Silver, and Gaoligong Green — and features 20-inch wheels. Cabin equipment includes Nappa leather seats with ventilation, heating, massage and active side bolsters, second-row seats marketed as “zero-gravity," a Lexicon 20-speaker sound system, and 64-colour ambient lighting.

Jetour said the Ark Edition’s amphibious technology had undergone testing that included a Yangtze River crossing and rescue operations on the Min River. At the launch, the company presented “Emergency Navigation Experience” certificates to the first group of Ark Edition owners. It described the land-and-water capability as intended to support emergency response.

Company figures show that Jetour, established in 2018, had cumulative global sales exceeding 2.51 million vehicles by the end of August 2026. It operates in more than 100 countries and regions, with more than 2,000 sales and service outlets. Its “1+7+N” research and development network covers Europe, the Middle East, ASEAN, and Central and South America, and it held more than 2,100 granted patents at the end of 2025. It has 12 overseas manufacturing bases across Asia, Africa, and Central Asia, and plans to increase that number to 19 by 2030, with annual overseas capacity exceeding 600,000 vehicles.

In its figures for the period, Jetour ranked first in the overall automotive markets of Angola, Myanmar, and Jamaica in the second quarter of 2026, and was among the top five in 10 markets, including Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. The same figures put it in first place among SUV brands in Angola, Myanmar, Jamaica, and Egypt; among Chinese SUV brands in 11 markets, including Qatar, the UAE, and Egypt; and in the boxy SUV segment in nine markets, including Chile, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, and Peru.

About Jetour

Launched in January 2018, Jetour is an emerging Chinese automotive brand in response to market trends and consumer demands. Jetour remains focused on its core off-road positioning and aims to become the world-leader in off-road travel. 4+6 Global R&D Institutes, Leading R&D capabilities have forged the global quality of Jetour products. Global Certified Verification Tested In Over 100+ Countries. For more information, visit jetourglobal.com.

Media Contact

Zhang
joannazhang@mychery.com

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Every unanswered phone call is a small business that has already lost, whether the business owner realises it or not. Consumer surveys indicate that 80% to 86% of callers hang up immediately upon hitting voicemail rather than leaving a message, and roughly 82% immediately dial a competitor. That is the wager behind bOnline's newest product: an AI receptionist that never lets the phone ring out.  

London-based bOnline, the VoIP and communications provider used by roughly 50,000 UK small and growing businesses, will launch an AI Receptionist in October, giving business owners a round-the-clock virtual front desk that can answer calls, capture caller details, route enquiries and escalate to a human whenever needed.

The launch lands at a pointed moment for Britain's small business sector. BT and other network operators are working towards switching off the UK's old analogue telephone lines by the end of January 2027, a deadline that has left large numbers of sole traders and micro-businesses facing an unfamiliar, and for many unwelcome, digital transition. bOnline has positioned itself as the company helping them make that switch without needing an IT department.

“The real opportunity is using AI to make people more productive, not to replace them,” said Anthony Karibian, founder and chief executive of bOnline. “We are building our own business around AI with humans in the loop, and it is exactly how we are building products faster and better for our customers.”

The AI Receptionist follows bOnline's AI for Business Calls feature, priced at £19.95 a month and bundled with an unlimited-calling VoIP line. That product transcribes and summarises every call automatically, surfacing follow-up actions and sentiment scores so business owners no longer need to take notes while they are meant to be listening. Roughly one in two new bOnline customers are now choosing to add its AI features, a take-up rate Karibian described as “incredibly encouraging.”

Karibian argues the technology should widen the gap between bOnline and competitors on service, not narrow it. bOnline says it has collected more than 20,000 five-star customer reviews and describes itself as the UK's most awarded VoIP provider for small and growing businesses. “AI should not become a barrier between businesses and their customers,” Karibian said. “It should remove friction while making the human experience even better.”

Industry data has long shown that small businesses adopt new technology more slowly than large enterprises, held back by cost, complexity and a lack of in-house technical staff. bOnline's bet is that AI tools built specifically for that market, rather than adapted down from enterprise software, can close the gap. “Our role is to make AI incredibly easy to use, affordable and genuinely useful,” Karibian said, “not something that requires technical expertise or enterprise budgets.”

Karibian is not a first-time founder. He co-founded Euroffice, an online office supplies retailer, before starting XLN Telecom in 2003, a telecoms reseller that grew to around 130,000 small business customers and roughly £60 million in revenue before its sale to private equity firm ECI. bOnline, launched in 2016, is his third venture aimed squarely at Britain's small business owners, and by his own account, the mission across all three has not changed.

It is a wager that the phone call, the oldest channel in business communications, still has room to be reinvented as Voice AI. If bOnline is right, the ring the business owner used to dread missing will simply never go unanswered again.

Media Contact

Anthony Burr
Burr Media
anthony@burrmedia.co.uk

LAS VEGAS, NV, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Botanic Tonics, the leader in kava-centric botanical supplements, today announced the launch of feel free Kava, a new noble kava tonic shot designed to give consumers more ways to personalize their kava experience. The company will debut feel free Kava alongside two functional stick packs — feel free Focused Energy and Sleep — at the 2026 NACS Show, taking place Oct. 7 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The new offerings will begin launching nationwide in 2027.

More Ways to Experience Noble Kava Root

feel free Kava joins Botanic Tonics’ successful portfolio of kava-centric products: its flagship tonic feel free CLASSIC, feel free KavaMaté, and feel free capsules. All feel free products contain no synthetic active ingredients and no chemical extracts.

Ceremonially cherished throughout Pacific Island cultures for more than 3,000 years, noble kava root is traditionally associated with calm, relaxation, and social connection. As interest in mood enhancement supplements grows, consumers are seeking more ways to incorporate kava into their routines. Whether unwinding after a busy day or spending time with friends, feel free Kava offers moments of calm and connection.

Consumers and retailers have been asking for more ways to experience kava’s benefits across different occasions. Made with the same noble kava root found in feel free KavaMaté, feel free Kava and the new functional stick packs answer the call. The experience begins with feel free Kava: pair the tonic with the new functional stick packs to get the benefit you need, when you need it.

With extensive experience in bringing kava-centric products to market, Botanic Tonics oversees the journey from its vertically integrated supply chain in Vanuatu through production at its FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility in Oklahoma. This farm-to-bottle expertise enables Botanic Tonics to deliver a consistently high-quality kava experience in a convenient, modern format.

Personalize Your feel free Experience
feel free Kava provides a foundation of noble kava root, with the functional stick packs offering consumers the flexibility to choose an experience for their occasion:

• feel free Focused Energy, featuring lion’s mane, L-theanine, and green tea caffeine
• feel free Sleep, featuring magnesium bisglycinate, ashwagandha, and tart cherry

“Kava is at the center of everything we do at Botanic Tonics. From our flagship feel free CLASSIC tonic to KavaMaté and now feel free Kava, we’re giving consumers more ways to enjoy noble kava root and personalize their experience,” said Cameron Korehbandi, CEO of Botanic Tonics. “There’s a reason why we’re the No. 1 best-selling kava brand in the U.S. Our deep experience in sourcing, formulating, and manufacturing allows us to deliver a consistently high-quality experience in formats that fit today’s consumer needs.”

Experience the New Portfolio at NACS

NACS Show attendees can preview the new feel free products and meet with the Botanic Tonics team at booth C3880.

The Botanic Tonics Difference

All feel free products contain no synthetic active ingredients, no chemical extracts, and are manufactured in the U.S. at an FDA-registered, cGMP-certified, and Kosher-certified facility and undergo multiple quality and safety tests for consistency and compliance. Botanic Tonics continues to lead the energy and supplement category in education and transparency through extensive consumer education.

About Botanic Tonics

Botanic Tonics is the leader in botanical supplements. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the company's feel free® product line harnesses the wisdom of ancient botanical traditions to support energy, focus, and mood. Its flagship product, feel free CLASSIC®, combines noble kava root and natural kratom leaf, in a formulation that contains no synthetic ingredients, alcohol, or chemical extracts and is for responsible consumption, adults 21+. Its KavaMaté product delivers botanical pairings that provide sustained, grounded energy without the jitters associated with artificial energy drinks. With hundreds of millions of servings sold, feel free CLASSIC® is produced in accordance with strict manufacturing and quality standards, supported by independent batch testing and peer-reviewed research. Botanic Tonics’ products are manufactured in an FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility and undergo multiple tests for consistency and safety. Botanic Tonics continues to lead the energy and supplement category in education and transparency through extensive consumer education. Learn more at botanictonics.com.

Disclaimer

The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This announcement is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Warning & Caution

feel free CLASSIC can be habit-forming. Consume responsibly. For adults 21 years of age and older only. Do not exceed 1 serving (1/2 bottle) at any one time, and do not exceed 2 servings (1 bottle) in a 24-hour period.

feel free CLASSIC contains kratom leaf which, like nicotine and alcohol, can become habit-forming and harmful to your health if consumed irresponsibly. DO NOT USE if you have a history of substance abuse.

May interact with certain medications — consult a licensed, qualified healthcare professional before use. Do not consume with excessive alcohol. Not intended for individuals sensitive to active ingredients or women who are pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant. For more information, visit the Botanic Tonics Consumer Education page.

Media Contact

media@botanictonics.com

NEW YORK, NY, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Zebra Dolphin, a new online market for discovering mood-lifting products, today announced the AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit. The limited-edition Mood Box is designed to preserve the demanding, awkward and gloriously inefficient rituals that make us human, even as artificial intelligence promises to optimize them out of existence. The kit includes hemp-derived THC and nicotine products and is sold only to adults 21 and older.

The AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit imagines a future in which the AI-robots won, not by becoming evil, but by becoming almost intolerably helpful. They finished the spreadsheet, cooked the meals, answered emails and removed every inconvenient decision from daily life. The AI-robots were so nice. It was horrible.

Early access to the AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit goes to the Zebra Dolphin Lab Rats, a by-application group of people eager to try unfamiliar products, report back and help shape what comes next. Applications are now open for Zebra Dolphin Lab Rats.

“Everyone is worried about AI killing us all — 10% chance, they say,” said Griša Soba, co-founder of Flaviar and Head Dolphin at Zebra Dolphin. “What worries me more is what's already happening. We track our sleep, count our steps, and feel guilty about the second cocktail before dinner. Now AI is making everything else efficient too. Even art is turning into 'prompting.' But the things that make us human are messy, irrational and full of friction. Take that away and there's not much left.” Then he added, laughing: “So we curated a box of legal mood-lifters for that.”

Smart Stacks & Mood Rituals for the Human Resistance

Zebra Dolphin is a friendly online retailer of legal mood-lifting products, bringing order to fragmented categories where fast-expanding product offerings, inconsistent claims and uneven regulation make experimentation unnecessarily confusing. The Zebra Dolphin team sources, vets and personally tests every product. Every hemp-derived product is third-party lab tested, with certificates of analysis available at included products websites. The ones that make the cut become part of Smart Stacks, Zebra Dolphin's way of combining the right products for a specific mood ritual, like a focused workday, a night out, or unwinding at the end of a long workday. Each stack comes with simple guidance on what to try, how much, in what order and when, all personally vetted by the Zebra Dolphin team. It beats the usual kitchen-sink approach: trying a few unfamiliar things all at once and hoping it all works out.

The AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit features Smart Stacks including more than 20 carefully chosen mood-lifting products organized into Mood Rituals for outwitting those oh-so-annoyingly helpful robots:

• Lock-In: Three sessions helping users focus and just get stuff done. Perfect for working on the startup you're building in secret, working on the spreadsheet the AI-robots already finished, and luxuriating in the ancient feeling of a looming deadline.
• Wind-Down: Two sessions making it easy for users to turn off their brains, decompress and de-charge. Wonderful for appearing relaxed while the AI-robots watch your every move.
• Socializing: Two sessions for preserving old-fashioned human customs such as parties, crowded dinners and conversations with flawed, awkward people who interrupt one another, unlike the AI-robots (such wonderful conversationalists).
• The Real Thang: Two sessions themed for intimate connection with another real human. For turning on with people who don't require batteries or chargers.

Smart Stacks include more than $130 of products such as Nama Boost Mushroom Gummies, NeuroGum Energy & Focus Gum, kava shots, Kin Euphorics, Zebra Dolphin hemp gummies, which contain 10mg of D9 THC per gummy, a quarter of the gummy per use is recommended, along with Velo pouches, Cannadips pouches, and more. The survival kit also includes a dedicated digital experience that expands the story and explains the products and rituals behind the stacks. Additionally, Survival Kit holders can choose one piece of Zebra Dolphin apparel as their uniform (only humans will wear clothes, we think).

Meet the Zebra Dolphin Lab Rats

To lead the charge against our dangerously kind robot overlords, Zebra Dolphin is building a real-world human resistance: the Zebra Dolphin Lab Rats, a limited-access testing member community whose mission is to try unfamiliar products, report back and help decide which products, stacks and experiments deserve inclusion in the resistance.

“Sure, we could keep trying everything ourselves and decide in a conference room what should work for everyone,” Soba explained. “But that is how people end up with a box full of twelve half-used bottles and no idea what goes with what. That will not hold up against an AI-powered enemy armed with infinite kindness, perfect recall and an optimized morning routine. Also, we don't have a conference room. If unpaid consulting for a legal mood retailer sounds better than whatever you do after work, apply today.”

The AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit will launch October 1 in limited quantities, with the first purchase window reserved for accepted Zebra Dolphin Lab Rats. Zebra Dolphin’s offerings were chosen in line with the latest regulatory framework per category, should any product become uncompliant due to due regulatory changes, it will be substituted by a compliant product that offers the next best similar effect at a comparable value to the customer. The price of survival is $99 for Lab Rats and $119 for everyone else. The robots will offer you everything for free. That's how they get you.

About Zebra Dolphin

Zebra Dolphin is a Flaviar-backed marketplace that turns the moods, pressures and absurdities of modern life into entertaining, limited-edition product experiences. Through curated Mood Boxes, guided Smart Stacks and its Lab Rats community, Zebra Dolphin brings together functional beverages, supplements, nootropics, alcohol alternatives and other emerging products around how people want to feel, not ingredients they cannot pronounce. Each drop is designed to make unfamiliar products easier to understand, explore and judge without requiring a chemistry degree or a personality organized around wellness. Learn more at zebradolphin.com.

Disclaimer

Products featured in the AI-Robot Apocalypse Survival Kit — including Delta-9 THC, nicotine pouches, kava, and functional nootropics — are intended strictly for adults aged 21 and older, and statements regarding these products, Smart Stacks, and Mood Rituals have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor are they intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice; consumers should consult a qualified healthcare professional before use — especially if pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medications, or managing underlying health conditions — and should never drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence. Zebra Dolphin acts solely as a product curator, and buyers assume full responsibility for complying with local age and legal restrictions regarding third-party bio-active consumables.

Media Contact

Curich Weiss Amplify
zebradolphin@curichweiss.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Every major platform shift settles an ownership question. The web settled domains. Mobile settled the app store. Sandy Carter, who was named CEO of EQUS in August after senior leadership roles at IBM and AWS, thinks the AI era is settling into a harder one: who owns the digital self.

EQUS puts a product behind that argument. EQUS X is a personal AI that runs on data the customer owns. It reads from a Private Data Store the customer holds, file by file, with the ability to switch any file off at any time. What it learns stays in that store rather than on a model provider's servers. A Daily Brief pulls together plans, open items, and conflicts for the day ahead from the files the customer has allowed and the accounts they have connected.

The distinction Carter draws is architectural, not promotional. Most AI products ingest a copy of a customer's information into a profile the vendor holds. Revoking access to that profile is a deletion request filed against a company that already has the data. Because EQUS X reads from the customer's own store, turning off a file ends the access at the moment the switch flips.

"Nearly every AI on the market asks you to trade ownership for convenience. We think that trade is unnecessary and, frankly, temporary," Carter said. "We built EQUS X so customers can decide what it knows, one item at a time, and change it whenever they want. Your data is not our business."

The architecture is not new work. It comes from years of EQUS’ work building in self-sovereign identity, backed by 14 granted and 9 pending patents, three of which cover the Private Data Store itself.

The timing tracks with the public sentiment on AI. Pew Research Center found that nearly half of U.S. adults, 49%, now use AI chatbots. A quarter of them check in daily. In the same Pew Research survey, 71% of U.S. adults said they think wider AI use will make their personal information less secure.

Carter frames four tests for whether someone actually owns their data: can they see what has been collected, decide who uses it and for what, take it with them, and withdraw permission. Those tests get sharper as AI stops answering questions and starts acting, because the data behind an action shapes decisions and transactions rather than just recommendations.

"The mission and vision of EQUS X pulled me in. It is built with trust in its DNA," said David Armano, former Global Strategy Director at Edelman. "Governance becomes visible and personal instead of buried in a policy document nobody reads. Trustworthy AI is not a feature you announce. It is an architecture you commit to."

EQUS X ships free for the first 90 days at equs.ai.

Alongside it, EQUS is releasing a private, invitation-only beta of its Developer Toolkit built on W3C Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers, so third-party developers can build against a customer-owned data layer, and agents can prove who they are acting for before touching anything.

About EQUS

EQUS is building toward a future where identity and reputation belong to the person that earned them, not the platform, and where AI works on their behalf instead of someone else's. The company is developing consumer and enterprise capabilities around personal AI, portable data, verifiable credentials, and trusted agentic action, all built on one premise: the layer between a person and an AI model should belong to the individual.

Media Contact

prforequs@bospar.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Buzz & Beyond, the Seoul-based artificial intelligence company behind video understanding AI platform vling, has signed its first U.S. commercial data agreement with a Silicon Valley-based analytics firm as it moves to establish a foothold in the U.S. market.

The deal comes ahead of the company's appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt, where Buzz & Beyond was selected for Startup Battlefield 200, the conference's cohort of early-stage companies selected from thousands of global applicants.

Buzz & Beyond has also signed non-disclosure agreements with four U.S. companies as it explores potential sales and operational collaborations in the North American market.

vling uses multimodal artificial intelligence to analyze social video content across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, including visual, audio and contextual signals, and turn that content into structured business intelligence. Brands, media buyers and influencer marketing agencies use the platform to monitor brand mentions and sentiment, analyze advertising placements and identify creators with strong brand affinity.

“We built and proved this model in Korea, and now we are bringing it to the U.S.,” said Charley Shim, founder and CEO of Buzz & Beyond. Shim previously co-founded a mobile gaming startup that went public in South Korea.

Buzz & Beyond said more than 2,000 businesses in Korea, from large enterprises to SMBs, have paid for its services over the past three years, with revenue roughly doubling annually during that period.

The company is expanding its U.S. operations as demand grows for tools that can analyze what is being said about brands across social video. Unlike traditional keyword-based monitoring, vling analyzes the content inside videos to identify when and how brands appear and the context in which they are discussed.

Buzz & Beyond plans to use TechCrunch Disrupt to introduce vling to U.S. brands, agencies and technology partners and expand its customer and partnership pipeline in North America.

Brands and agencies interested in exploring vling's social video intelligence capabilities can learn more and apply for a 30-day free pilot.

TechCrunch Disrupt is scheduled for Oct. 13-15 in San Francisco.

About Buzz & Beyond

Buzz & Beyond is a Seoul-based AI company that develops vling, a video understanding AI platform for brands. vling analyzes video, audio and contextual signals across social video to help businesses monitor brand mentions and sentiment, analyze ad placements and identify creators with strong brand affinity. More than 2,000 businesses in Korea, from large enterprises to SMBs, have paid for its services over the past three years.

Media Contact

Charley Shim
CEO, Buzz & Beyond
charley@bzznbyd.com

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, October 5, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Following the expanded commercial availability of its autonomous field robot, Solix, agricultural technology company Solinftec is calling for a fundamental shift in how artificial intelligence is deployed on farms. The company argues that to meet the growing pressures of labor shortages, chemical reduction mandates, and yield demands, the agricultural sector should move away from reactive machine interventions and adopt "physical AI" that functions as permanent farm infrastructure.

Backed by more than a decade of data processing and artificial intelligence development, Solinftec is leveraging the commercial rollout of Solix to highlight a structural flaw in modern farming: the industry still operates reactively. Most agronomic decisions are made only after a problem becomes visible or a machine makes a periodic pass through the field.

“We don’t just launch products. We introduce new concepts that reshape how we think about agriculture, then build the technology to make those ideas real,” said Léo Carvalho, Chief Global Strategy Officer of Solinftec.

Physical AI: Living in the Field 

Traditional agricultural technology collects data during isolated visits to a field, often taking days to translate into action. Solinftec argues the industry no longer needs more fragmented technology; it needs a different operating model.

The commercially available Solix robot is solar-powered and completely autonomous, designed to remain in the field rather than returning to a shed each night. It reads the crop plant by plant, treating weeds individually in a single pass without an onboard operator or remote steering. Because field conditions shift daily, Solix provides continuous observation and real-time intervention.

Solinftec categorizes this closed cycle of observing, deciding, acting, and learning as "physical AI." Unlike software that merely analyzes information on a dashboard, physical AI becomes an active, permanent part of the farm’s infrastructure.

Freedom per Acre 

The engineering behind Solix rests on the philosophy that technology should remove constraints that have historically limited farmers. Solinftec calls this framework "freedom per acre," which delivers three distinct operational shifts:

• Freedom of time: Autonomous systems absorb the work that previously demanded human supervision, returning those hours directly to the farmer.
• Freedom of choice: The traditional dealer model often voids warranties if owners modify their machines, tying them to high dealer markups for parts and repairs. Solinftec counters this by providing smart glasses with digital repair manuals, an online parts store, and equipment designed to be easily disassembled and repaired directly by the farmer.
• Freedom of resources: Permanent field presence enables hyper-precision. Solix treats only what a field needs dynamically, drastically reducing herbicide use, fuel consumption, and chemical exposure for surrounding communities.

From Machines to Autonomous Infrastructure 

As machines become smaller and more specialized, dependence on operators is falling. Solinftec's commentary points to an industry-wide transition where the farmer’s role will shift from operating heavy machinery to orchestrating automated outcomes.

For a century, agriculture has sent large machines into the field to perform a task and leave. With the widespread expansion of technologies like Solix, the next era of farming will be defined by intelligent systems that remain in the field — continuously deciding and acting in real time.

About Solinftec

Solinftec is an agriculture technology company building AI- and blockchain-driven hardware and software, including its field robot Solix. Founded in Brazil’s sugarcane industry and based in Araçatuba, São Paulo, it has since expanded into row crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton, and into perennials across the Americas. For more information, visit www.solinftec.com.

Media Contact

The Executive Insight
contact@pangeaglobe.com
+1 332-242-4643