Los Angeles

Los Angeles -- September 15, 2026 -- A 17-year-old UCLA student has launched a platform designed to help college students trade seats in full classes instead of waiting on waitlists. Joseph Borna built ClassSwap after struggling to get into required courses during his own coursework at UCLA.

Students list the class they have and the class they want

On ClassSwap, users post the course or section they currently hold alongside the one they are trying to enter. The platform then attempts to connect students with matching, compatible needs. Users can also set alerts to watch specific classes and get notified when a relevant opening appears.

"I kept thinking that there are students all over campus trying to solve the exact same problem separately," Borna said. "There should be one place where they can actually find each other."

Miami – September 18, 2026 -- Protein bar brand TRUBAR and matcha café chain Cha Cha Matcha have launched a joint collaboration bringing a new limited-edition matcha protein bar, a custom café drink and a protein-boosted cold foam to stores and select café locations.

The Love You So Cha Cha Matcha bar pairs white chocolate with matcha notes.

Los Angeles – September 17, 2026 -- KidsTopia, an AI-powered kids platform, has earned the kidSAFE SAFE CERTIFIED Seal, a global child online safety designation awarded after a review of its chat, reporting, and AI safety practices.

The service is operated by Inculab plus, a company spun off from LG U+. KidsTopia had previously held the lower-tier kidSAFE LISTED Seal before advancing to the SAFE CERTIFIED designation.

KidsTopia operates in 11 countries including the US, Japan, and Korea

The edutainment platform lets children play, learn, explore virtual spaces, and interact with AI characters. It is currently available in 11 countries, including Korea, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Los Angeles – September 17, 2026 -- Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME, the mobile and PC title co-produced by Akatsuki Games, TOHO, and Production I.G, added a new playable character today as part of its first-anniversary celebration.

A new five-star fighter joins the roster on September 14

The character, called [Unorthodox Pursuit] Suited, wields a Hammer-type weapon and draws power from a creature identified in the game's lore as Dimensional Identified Kaiju A. According to the character's in-game backstory, she wears a prosthetic eye made from the Kaiju's cells, which has also altered her hair color and placed strain on her body -- effects she reportedly embraces despite the risks. A matching five-star Hammer weapon, HM-Spolcyc, launches alongside her.

Players get a login bonus tied to a new anime episode

To mark the release of the second episode of the tie-in short anime "Narumi's Week at Work,

Los Angeles – September 17, 2026 -- CardVault by Tom Brady will open its 18th nationwide location at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles on September 16, marking the company's third store in California.

The store sits next to Din Tai Fung inside the mall

Located at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Level 2, Space 2455, the new location offers a curated selection of single cards, sealed boxes, packs and collectibles from brands including Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, Pokémon and Fanatics Authentic. As an authorized dealer for PSA, Beckett and SGC, the store will provide on-site grading submission services alongside options to buy, sell and trade cards.

Los Angeles – September 17, 2026 -- NOAA forecasters say there is a greater than 90% chance the current El Niño will become very strong during fall and winter 2026-27, with a 69% chance it could exceed every El Niño measured since 1950. The warning comes as Farmers Insurance urges homeowners and business owners to review coverage before severe weather hits.

El Niño forms when parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean warm well above normal, shifting the jet stream that steers U.S. storm patterns. A strong event can bring heavy rain, flooding, powerful storms, landslides and dangerous winter weather, though impacts vary by region and are not guaranteed everywhere. The pattern typically recurs every two to seven years and lasts up to 12 months; the most recent one ran from 2023 to 2024.

Los Angeles – September 16, 2026 -- Jardins d'Arménie, a family-owned Armenian brandy house, has been selected to join an exclusive Pre-Emmys Celebrity Gifting Lounge in Los Angeles running September 11-12, 2026, marking its official launch into the United States market.

The invitation places the brand among a curated selection of products presented to Emmy nominees, presenters and other VIP guests ahead of the awards ceremony. Armen Pogossian, co-owner of Jardins d'Arménie, said the occasion gives the brand a chance to share its heritage and craftsmanship with a new audience as it enters the U.S. market.

Los Angeles – September 16, 2026 -- Pacsun has launched a 32-piece women's NFL apparel collection in partnership with licensed sports brand The Wild Collective, with prices ranging from $45 to $90.

The collection is available now at select Pacsun stores and online, covering fans of eight teams: the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers.

Officially licensed apparel gets a fashion-forward redesign

Instead of standard team merchandise, the lineup reworks NFL gear into sculpted tanks, boyfriend tees, cropped knit cardigans, polos, and bomber jackets. The pieces are built with women's proportions and styling in mind, designed to transition from the stadium into everyday wear.

Los Angeles – – September 15, 2026 -- Fanttik has unveiled a new round of automotive and DIY tools, headlined by the Luma K10 Apex dash cam and the O11 Pro cordless circular saw, expanding its catalog of driving and home-project gear.

The Luma K10 Apex pairs a 4K front camera with a 2K rear unit for sharper footage.

The dual-channel dash cam uses a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 sensor alongside an AI NPU and ISP engine to adjust image quality in changing light and road conditions. It includes 5.8GHz Wi-Fi 6, GPS recording, and a 2.8-inch IPS touchscreen, and downloads 4K footage wirelessly at over 20 MB/s. Drivers can control it via the touchscreen, a physical dial, or a companion app.

Los Angeles – September 15, 2026 -- Dreame Technology has launched the Pocket Cake High-Speed Hair Dryer, a compact travel dryer priced at $129.99 on Amazon, following up on its Pocket dryer that was named a TIME Best Invention of 2024.

The dryer folds to 7.8 inches and weighs under one pound

Pocket Cake uses a 180-degree flexible folding design to shrink into a phone-sized shape, making it easy to pack in a bag, tote, or bathroom drawer.

A 110,000RPM motor claims to dry hair in as little as 40 seconds

The brushless motor generates air speeds up to 70 meters per second. Dreame states the dryer can dry short hair in about 40 seconds, medium-length hair in roughly two minutes, and long hair in around three minutes.