November 6, 2024

The Appetizer

“If the deal seems too gouda to be true, it probably is!”

• British chef Jamie Oliver wrote on Instagram after 1,000 wheels of artisanal cheddar worth $390,000 were stolen by a con artist posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer.

Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …

• 2.8%: The annualized growth in U.S. GDP in the third quarter.
• 80,000: The number of Uncrustables NFL players consume per season. The Denver Broncos led the way last year, eating 700 sandwiches per week.
• 33%: The percentage of all companies that required workers to be in the office five days a week in the third quarter, up from 31% in the second quarter, according to Flex Index.
• $20 decillion: The symbolic fine Google is facing from a Russian court for its decision to block some channels from YouTube. A decillion has 33 zeros in it.
• 23 hours and 15 billion miles: The time and distance it takes to send a message to Voyager 1, the furthest spacecraft from Earth.
• 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 39 seconds / 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 35 seconds: The winning men’s and women’s times respectively for this year’s New York City Marathon.

Dig In
Formula 1 and Digital Twins

Last year, we dove into the world of Formula One (F1) racing and how its popularity has accelerated in recent years. Just a quick refresher, the season now spans 24 races, with teams bound by a $135 million annual budget cap. To stay under that cap, they have turned to digital tools – no surprise there, right?

F1 teams are using AI and machine learning to optimize car performance and reduce the chance of crashes and breakdowns. Now, instead of building physical prototypes right away, teams create virtual car designs, upload them into simulation software, and run a gauntlet of tests. These simulations do everything from analyzing airflow dynamics to stress-testing each nut and bolt under different weather conditions.

In simple terms, they’re making “digital twins” – virtual models of the race cars that allow teams to fine-tune every detail before hitting the track. Just a decade ago, testing relied on stopwatches and handheld engine thermometers. Now, in-car sensors deliver 1.1 million data points per second.

As AI advances, technology companies like cloud computing giant Oracle are rushing to support F1. They’re providing cloud infrastructure and AI expertise, proving that sports cars and cutting-edge tech are a perfect match.

Weekly Specials

Get ready for another rate cut, and a potentially a volatile week! Last week’s economic data was a mixed bag, but the market is 98.1% sure that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut rates by another 25 basis points this week. The announcement is scheduled for Thursday.

Returning a library book late? We’ve all been there. A month, a year … no biggie. But this one takes the cake! While decluttering, a Colorado woman found her grandma’s copy of Shakespeare’s Life of King Henry the Fifth. It was checked out on February 1, 1923.

This is a beefy brawl. The Department of Health and Human Services recently suggested new guidelines to encourage Americans to limit their red meat intake in favor of a “plant-forward” diet. Meanwhile, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is pushing back, warning that these guidelines could put Americans at risk of nutritional deficiencies. Quite the conundrum.

Corporate Lunch

Apple Intelligence is coming to the iPhone. Siri will be more capable, your phone can proofread text, strangers (or loose acquaintances) can be edited out of photos, and your notifications can be summarized. One day, we will be able to make our own emojis. What a time to be alive!

No cutsies! American Airlines is testing a new tech that will sound an alarm if you try to board before your group. Imagine the embarrassment of getting caught sneaking up in the boarding process!

OpenAI has plans to design AI chips in-house with TSMC and Broadcom. Reportedly, they could have their first custom-designed chip by 2026. I bet I could make one on ChatGPT in 30 seconds; what color do you want it?

Starbucks is abandoning the olive oil coffee after less than year, joining the likes of other “great” ideas such as the McDonald’s Hula Burger and McSpaghetti. Sources familiar with the plans say the new CEO found the drink was part of an “overly complex” menu.

Rao’s Homemade pasta sauce will have a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time ever. Their float will be featuring a dragon made of spaghetti, battling a knight riding a penne horse.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.

Indices are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment.

The S&P 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index that is generally considered representative of the U.S. large capitalization market.

Past performance is not indicative of future results.