On PR Newswire: Habitable Planets Found, Stress Linked to Electronic Devices, World’s Best Beaches

With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire for Journalists. Here are some of this week’s most newsworthy releases you might have missed.

Source: PRNewsFoto/NASA

NASA Telescope Reveals Largest Batch of Earth-Size, Habitable-Zone Planets Around Single Star

NASA said on Feb. 22 that its Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water. The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. All of these seven planets could have liquid water – key to life as we know it – under the right atmospheric conditions, but the chances are highest with the three in the habitable zone.

AT&T Expands Access to Unlimited Data

AT&T said on Feb. 16 that starting Feb. 17 it would launch a new AT&T Unlimited plan. The plan is available to all consumer and business postpaid AT&T wireless customers. Whether you love to stream your favorite shows, play games, video chat or simply surf the web, the AT&T Unlimited Plan provides access to what matters most to you. “We’re offering unlimited entertainment on the nation’s best data network where and when you want to enjoy more of what you love,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer of the AT&T Entertainment Group. The new AT&T Unlimited Plan will include unlimited talk, text and data on 4 lines for $180.  Business customers can also take advantage of their additional corporate discount.

Source: PRNewFoto/Beach

TripAdvisor Surfaces the World’s Best Beaches With 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards

TripAdvisor announced on Feb. 22 the winners of its Travelers’ Choice awards for Beaches. This year, Baia do Sancho, Brazil, was ranked by TripAdvisor reviewers as the global winner, and Florida’s Siesta Beach is #1 in the U.S. TripAdvisor has honored 343 beaches including the top 25 in the world and local lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K. and the U.S. Award winners were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor, gathered over a 12-month period.

Source: PRNewsFoto/American Psychological Association

APA’s Survey Finds Constantly Checking Electronic Devices Linked to Significant Stress for Most Americans

A decade after the emergence of smartphones, Facebook and Twitter, more than four out of five adults in the U.S. (86 percent) report that they constantly or often check their email, texts and social media accounts, according to part two of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) report Stress in America™: Coping with Change released this week. This attachment to devices and the constant use of technology is associated with higher stress levels for these Americans. The report shows constant checkers experience higher stress, parents struggle to manage children’s technology usage, social media users need a digital detox, and more.

Los Angeles Tops INRIX Global Congestion Ranking

INRIX Inc. published on Feb. 20 its all-new Global Traffic Scorecard. Based on a new methodology, INRIX analyzed 1,064 cities – 240 in the U.S. – across 38 countries, making it the largest ever study of traffic congestion. Based on the findings, the U.S. ranked as the first most congested developed country in the world, with drivers spending an average of 42 hours a year in traffic during peak hours. For the first time, the INRIX Traffic Scorecard also includes the direct and indirect costs of congestion to all U.S. drivers, which amounted to nearly $300 billion in 2016, an average of $1,400 per driver.

Source: PRNewsFoto/Mattel, Inc.

Mattel Wins Toy of the Year Award for Barbie Fashionistas in the Doll of the Year Category

Mattel received the highly coveted Toy of the Year (TOTY) award in the “Doll of the Year” category for Barbie Fashionistas. In 2016, the Barbie brand introduced three new body types, curvy, tall and petite, along with new skin tones, hair types and countless fashions making the Barbie Fashionistas line the most diverse doll line to date. The award was presented Feb. 17 in New York at the Toy Industry Association’s Annual TOTY Awards gala.

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Larry Grady is online content manager at PR Newswire for Journalists.  He has worked in business media for nearly 30 years and enjoys reality TV and daydreaming about travel and wine.