Tokyo – September 28, 2026 -- SwitchBot has launched its RGBICWW Light Bars, a two-pack smart lighting set priced at $45.99 (£55.99 / CAD 59.99) that switches between colorful ambient effects and practical white desk lighting.

Twelve color zones let users mix gradients instead of a single flat hue

The pair uses 12 IC chips to create 12 independently controllable zones, six per bar, supporting 16 million colors and 26 preset dynamic effects for gaming, movies, and parties. A built-in microphone drives six music-reactive modes without needing a separate sensor.

Dedicated white LEDs target long work sessions at a desk

Separate cool- and warm-white LEDs adjust color temperature from 2200K to 6500K, with dimming from 1% to 100% brightness. Combined, the two bars output up to 800 lumens of white light, intended to soften the contrast between a bright monitor and a darker room.

Denville, N.J. – September 28, 2026 -- Drivers weighing whether to lease or finance their next vehicle now have a clearer framework, thanks to insights from Steve Lustig of Autosport Acura of Denville, published in a HelloNation feature comparing the two financing paths.

Financing builds ownership over time while leasing lowers monthly costs

Auto financing lets drivers pay down a loan balance until they own the vehicle outright, with no yearly mileage restrictions once payments end. Leasing instead charges drivers for the portion of the vehicle's value used during the lease term, typically resulting in lower monthly payments than financing a comparable model.

Newport Beach, Calif. – September 28, 2026 -- Chipotle Mexican Grill is bringing back its discontinued margarita for one weekend in October at five restaurants, pouring $6 drinks to fans who have spent years asking for its return on social media.

The margarita returns to one restaurant every weekend this month

Called the "Summon the Spirits Tour," the pop-up campaign kicks off in Denver on October 2 and 3, then moves to Brooklyn on October 9 and 10, Dallas on October 16 and 17, Los Angeles on October 23 and 24, and finishes in New Orleans on October 30 and 31. Each stop runs from 3 to 9 p.m. local time, and the drink is limited to guests 21 and older.

Vermont – September 28, 2026 -- Ben & Jerry's is donating $1 from every freshly baked waffle cone sold during a two-week program to grassroots organizations focused on civic engagement ahead of the midterm elections.

The campaign, called Waffle Lotta Good, directs proceeds to community groups nationwide.

These organizations work on voter registration, access to election information, and strengthening community participation in the democratic process. The initiative runs for two weeks at participating Scoop Shops.

Ben & Jerry's Social Mission Director frames the purchase as a form of civic action.

"Grassroots organizing is the most powerful tool we have against the erosion of democracy," said Carleen Pickard, Ben & Jerry's Social Mission Director. She said customers buying a waffle cone directly fund activists who "build that power from the ground up," including people who knock on doors and register voters.

Miami – September 28, 2026 -- Popeyes is rolling out a new $5 sandwich, the Honey Chicken Biscuit, at participating locations nationwide starting September 28.

The sandwich combines three menu staples into one handheld item

The Honey Chicken Biscuit pairs Popeyes' fried chicken with an enlarged version of its buttermilk biscuit and two sachets of sweet honey sauce. The company says the price may vary by location.

Popeyes says the idea came from how fans already order

According to Popeyes, customers have long combined the chain's chicken, biscuits and honey on their own, including on social media. The company's culinary team built an official sandwich around that existing customer habit.

Hong Kong – September 28, 2026 -- Smartphone maker TECNO and visual artist Angélica Dass have unveiled "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year photography project that will document 100 people across five countries, starting with 20 individuals from Kenya.

The project pairs camera technology with personal storytelling

The Kenya chapter, now live, features participants reflecting on identity, opportunity and self-definition. The initiative builds on TECNO's Universal Tone imaging work, which focuses on rendering diverse skin tones accurately, and extends that effort into a broader look at the individuals behind the images.

A Coruña – September 28, 2026 -- SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia marks its 10th anniversary with a special edition running October 2–4 on the Spanish island of Formentera, capping a decade built on secrecy, intimacy and sustainability rather than mega-lineups.

The festival caps attendance at just 350 people per edition

Unlike most music festivals chasing bigger crowds, SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia has kept its guest list deliberately small since launching, revealing its artist lineup only once the event begins. The 2026 edition, themed "(re)discovering Posidonia," revisits artists and locations that have defined the festival's first nine years.

Fort Lauderdale – September 28, 2026 -- Princess Cruises has become the first global cruise line to launch a native app inside ChatGPT, letting travelers search, compare and plan trips across its fleet using plain conversational language.

Travelers can tag @princesscruises to search 330+ destinations across 17 ships

Once the Princess app is installed in ChatGPT, guests can type requests such as "@princesscruises Show me seven-night cruises that visit Santorini in August 2027" or "@princesscruises Help me plan a cruise to Alaska next summer." Within the same chat, they can compare itineraries and ships, check current pricing and availability, and explore ports, shore excursions, cruisetours and onboard packages.

St. Louis – September 28, 2026 -- Every time one of six newly signed college football mascots scores this season, Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to shelter cats, with the cat food brand pledging up to 500,000 meals total across the fall.

The brand announced it has signed six mascots from five universities into its "Certified Frisky" campaign: Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat from the University of Arizona, Truman the Tiger from the University of Missouri, Will D. Cat from Villanova University, Cosmo the Cougar from Brigham Young University, and Aubie the Tiger from Auburn University.

Each first score of the game triggers a 10,000-meal donation

Whenever one of the five schools' teams records its first score in a regular-season game -- touchdown, field goal or safety -- Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to Greater Good Charities. The meals go toward feeding shelter cats in the schools' local communities and beyond.

St. Paul, Minn. – September 28, 2026 -- James Beard Award-winning author Hank Shaw has released a fully updated edition of his venison cookbook, Buck, Buck, Moose, ten years and more than 100,000 copies after the original launched.

The 336-page hardcover adds 30 new recipes and modern cooking methods

The reboot brings the total recipe count to 125, alongside roughly 200 color photographs and updated guidance for cooking deer, elk, moose, caribou, pronghorn and other antlered game. Shaw said the book needed to change because venison cooking itself has changed over the past decade, drawing on more hunting, cooking and teaching experience since the first edition.