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As the peak holiday shopping season approaches, most U.S. consumers have a downbeat outlook on the economy, according to an annual Deloitte survey published on Wednesday.Most consumers surveyed — 57% — said they expect the economy to weaken in the year ahead, the consulting firm found in a poll of roughly 4,000 respondents. That compares to 30% who expected a weaker economy ahead of the year-ago holiday season and 54% in 2008, one of the years of the Great Recession.It marks the most negative economic outlook since Deloitte began tracking that in 1997.Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed said they expect…
by Lacey Pfalz Last updated: 11:20 AM ET, Tue October 14, 2025 The travel category for video content on YouTube is one of the fastest-growing categories on the video-sharing platform, and Pixability’s new study showcases its power to influence travelers and travel trends. Travel is the 21st-largest content category on YouTube. According to the new report, it’s seen a 64 percent growth quarter-over-quarter from the first quarter of the year to the second, with 3.7 million travel channels on YouTube and 593 billion views of travel content just during the first half of 2025. So why all the growth so recently?…
Google is rolling out a series of changes to its Search and Discover pages, the company shared across multiple announcements. The updates will bring new AI-powered features to these key destinations, while also improving navigation and allowing users to collapse ads on Google Search. Given that ads are Google’s primary cash cow, the latter initially seems like a more surprising change. The feature will now allow users browsing Google’s Search results to tap a new button, “Hide sponsored results,” to collapse the ads at the top of the search results page. Image Credits:Google However, while this action will remove the…
OpenAI has landed a new hardware partner. The AI research lab announced Monday it formed a partnership with semiconductor company Broadcom for 10 gigawatts’ worth of custom AI accelerator hardware. These AI accelerator racks will be deployed to OpenAI data centers and partner data centers starting in 2026 and running through 2029. “By designing its own chips and systems, OpenAI can embed what it’s learned from developing frontier models and products directly into the hardware, unlocking new levels of capability and intelligence,” the company said in a press release. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Financial Times…
Last updated: 9:00 PM ET, Mon October 13, 2025 WHY IT RATES: The Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board launched an eco-friendly website to inspire and inform visitors, as part of its digital ecosystem including an app and social media presence. The multilingual site showcases the archipelago’s attractions and promotes sustainable tourism. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Managing EditorThe Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board (GITB) has launched a brand-new digital platform designed to better inspire, inform, and support visitors, tourism professionals, and residents. This new website is part of CTIG’s refreshed digital ecosystem, which also includes the Hello Guadeloupe app and the destination’s active social media presence…
Walmart announced on Tuesday a new partnership with OpenAI that will allow consumers to shop Walmart’s products via the AI chatbot, including things like groceries (not fresh food), household essentials, and more, and then instantly check out. The agentic shopping feature will also allow Sam’s Club members to plan meals and restock essentials while also discovering new items when chatting with the AI, the company says. To use the feature, customers will press a “buy” button in ChatGPT’s app when they shop, after linking their Walmart accounts to ChatGPT. Products from third-party sellers will also be supported when the feature…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Few artists of his era blurred the lines between sacred and sensual quite like D’Angelo, who died Tuesday at 51.With his unmistakable voice, deep-rooted musicianship and devotion to craft over commerce, he helped define the sound of modern R&B. This playlist, a mix of his celebrated hits and lesser-known gems, serves as a career-spanning reflection from the smooth grooves of “Brown Sugar” to the urgency of his “Black Messiah” album.Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.1994: “U Will Know,” Black Men United (“Jason’s Lyric” soundtrack)Before superstardom, D’Angelo united a…
by Lacey Pfalz Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Tue October 14, 2025 New data showcases the strength of Seattle’s tourism industry last year, having welcomed 2.4 million international visitors from countries like Canada, South Korea and Ukraine. According to new data from Tourism Economics, Seattle experienced a banner year for international tourism in 2024, with total visitor spending growing 7.2 percent from 2023 and 8.3 above the pre-pandemic level for a total of $8.8 billion. International traveler spending comprises $970 million of that total. “Seattle’s global appeal continues to grow and evolve, even as the tourism industry navigates ongoing challenges,” said…
Coco Robotics, a startup known for its fleet of last-mile delivery bots, is looking to get more information out of the five years’ worth of data its robots have collected. Its answer: a physical AI lab with University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) professor Bolei Zhou at the helm. Coco Robotics, which made the announcement Tuesday, said Zhou has also joined the Los Angeles-based startup as chief AI scientist. When the company launched in 2020, it used teleoperators to help the bots navigate obstacles on their delivery routes. Coco Robotics co-founder and CEO Zach Rash told TechCrunch the company’s goal…
Damien O’Connor, Vice President, River Cruise, Trafalgar. (Photo Credit: Trafalgar)WHY IT RATES: This is the renowned travel company’s first-ever River Cruise VP and O’Connor’s selection signals a pivotal moment as it looks to expand into this booming market.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior EditorGlobal guided vacation company, Trafalgar, today announced the appointment of Damien O’Connor as Vice President, River Cruise, a pivotal role that will lead the launch and growth of river cruising with Trafalgar. As Vice President, River Cruise, O’Connor will lead Trafalgar’s expansion into river cruising with a focus on crafting a distinctive product position anchored in immersive on-board & shore experiences…