🐤 The search engine wars

Markets: The latest jobs report made its impact on Wall Street to end the week, helping to push all three major indexes a fraction of a percent higher for the day. Friday still capped off the second straight losing week for the S&P 500, though.

Looking ahead, investors are already factoring in next week’s news, which not only includes a presidential election but also new economic insight from the Federal Reserve.

Dressed up and dressed down: It was Halloween, but there was more than candy being dished out at an all-hands executive meeting at Alphabet, the parent company of Google. There were more than a few potential problem areas addressed during the meeting, according to reports, including CFO Anat Ashkenazi’s thoughts about cutting expenses and CEO Sundar Picahi’s emphasis on increasing efficiency. He was notably silent in response to a question about potential layoffs. Execs heard all the news while dressed in their costumes.

Sliding into their DMs: Influencers and other Instagram users with a large following will soon have some assistance when it comes to sifting through the high number of direct messages they receive. According to the Meta-owned social media company, a new update includes features that allow users to categorize and filter messages based on a number of factors. Another addition is the Story Replies folder, which can keep all story responses organized. Instagram says these tools were developed after hearing requests for them from creators.

A galaxy far, far away: Even if you think the “Star Wars” franchise has suffered from too many titles released since it was acquired by Disney, you might still want to check out the trailer to the upcoming “Skeleton Crew” streaming series. The sneak peek features a group of young people facing adventures while cruising through the galaxy. It seems to capture much of the vibe that made the original trilogy so unique and timeless. With a cast featuring Jude Law a healthy infusion of nostalgia, chances are fans will be tuning in when it premieres on Disney+.

A tale of two teams: If you’ve kept track during the 30-year gap in division titles for the Detroit Lions, it might seem odd that this is the NFL franchise that could stand in the way of the Green Bay Packers establishing another untouchable stretch of division domination like the one that stretched from the mid-’90s to just a couple of years ago. Both teams are currently defending six-win seasons, but that tie won’t extend past Sunday. The Lions will be heading to Green Bay where one rival will emerge victorious, potentially foreshadowing the division’s future.

Since the early days of the internet, one name has been synonymous with web searches. In fact, most of us now refer to looking something up online as “googling.”

But the rise of artificial intelligence means that the old way of doing things is rapidly being replaced — and ChatGPT just fired a shot across the bow.

The web search revolution

You’ve probably noticed that many Google searches are now preempted by a summary provided by that company’s own proprietary AI model. The reviews so far have been mixed, but it’s clear that Google sees the need to invest heavily in a technology that could threaten its position atop the Big Tech hierarchy.

That threat came into sharp contrast recently when OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT program rolled out its own integrated search engine. The move has been in the works since at least May, which is when the company signaled that such an update would be coming.

For now, it’s only available to users with a paid subscription to ChatGPT, but OpenAI indicated that the new features would eventually be included in the free version.

A big shift for the chatbot

While ChatGPT has offered some pretty impressive results to queries of all sorts since its 2022 debut, there have been some glaring shortcomings. For starters, its set of training data, although massive, was limited to existing online text … so recent events were inaccessible.

With the rollout of its new search engine, however, users can receive current information about news events, weather, sports, and more.

Of course, as with Google’s recent renovation, there are some nagging concerns about bias, misinformation, and the sort of “hallucinations” that can make AI-generated information unreliable.

But OpenAI says it is partnering with reputable news outlets “to provide the information users are looking for.”

Experts have long recognized that one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle involves getting plenty of sleep. For most people, this is somewhere around eight hours per night — some folks thrive on less while others require more to function at the top of their game.

But no matter how much shuteye you need, you might be one of the countless individuals struggling to maintain an effective sleep schedule. Fortunately, researchers agree that a few specific steps can help rewire your brain to fall asleep consistently at a more appropriate time.

• Establish a routine: There are a number of evening activities that help send your body the signal that bedtime is approaching, such as meditation, a warm bath, or calming music.
• Ditch the blues: Blue light, like that emitted by most smartphones and other devices, can be detrimental to your sleep. Avoiding screens at night can result in higher levels of the natural sleep-regulating compound melatonin.
• Consistency is key: It’s a good idea to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, regardless of your schedule, in order to establish a pattern.
• Work it out: Although strenuous exercise can hinder your body’s ability to relax and fall asleep, getting in some yoga or doing a few stretching maneuvers prior to hitting the sack can put you in the right state of mind for restful sleep.
• Create your refuge: If your bedroom is used almost entirely for sleeping and remains dark, quiet, and cool throughout the night, you’ll probably have a much easier time maintaining your sleep schedule.

While these broad strategies can help many people, some challenges are trickier to overcome. Instead of immediately reaching for the sleeping pills, consult with a physician if you’re consistently having trouble sleeping.

We recently reported that Wayfair had introduced a range of Black Friday deals nearly a month before those post-Thanksgiving savings traditionally surface. But that’s not the only company eager to offer consumers a bargain this early in the holiday shopping season.

Keeping it Simple

Anyone who has struggled with body weight issues already knows that shedding pounds and keeping them off is easier said than done. But with an array of new technologies on the market, some of the frustrations associated with losing weight might not be as daunting as they once were.

At least that’s what the team behind Simple believes.

They’ve created an app that utilizes AI to develop personalized nutrition plans that they believe will facilitate better results than other methods.

The program has already been downloaded more than 17 million times and fans say it has helped them establish healthier eating habits that are easier to maintain than restrictive diets.

Based on user input and AI-powered algorithms, this app claims to provide a customized plan tailor-made to reveal the best strategies for each individual to achieve his or her goals, including:

• Detailed food logs
• Intermittent fasting tracker
• Nutritional insight
• Personalized workouts

As with most customized nutrition plans, this service isn’t free. But for a limited time, you can snag a great deal on it.

Know the code

If you’re interested in how AI might help you lose some unwanted pounds (and avoid regaining them), this might be the ideal time to act.

For the month of November, new subscribers can save a whopping 70% off the cost of their first three months if they use the code “SIMPLEDEAL” when checking online.

If you want to get in shape in 2025, you can get a head start with a personalized — and now more affordable — weight-loss plan.

What do you get when you stick your fist in the blender?

A hand shake!