Bed & Benz

PRESENTED BY NUROPOD

Happy Thursday, Future Party. Here’s a fun example of art and real life intersecting: Illinois has officially named the Italian Beef sandwich the state’s official sandwich — and FX’s The Bear played a big role in that recognition. The state resolution noted that the series “brought international attention to one of the great culinary creations of the American Midwest” and “served as a powerful and authentic portrayal of Chicago’s food culture, its immigrant working-class roots, and the spirit of resilience, creativity, and excellence that defines the people of Illinois.”

We’re excited for the final season next month… ideally enjoyed with an Italian Beef sandwich.

Branded condo buildings are popping up all over Miami, turning the city into the capital of blue-chip residences.

The Big Build: People — especially those with disposable income — are on the hunt for one-of-a-kind experiences… and that’s extending to where they sleep. It’s no longer enough to simply buy a nice condo; the appeal is owning a curated vibe. With brands playing a bigger role in daily life than ever before, they’ve become a shorthand for what customers can expect from an experience… even one that comes with a mortgage payment.

Behind The Branding: Miami is very much for sale, according to The WSJ.

Final Walk-Thru: While every other city is slowing its branded-residence development, real estate firm Savills expects the sector to grow 127% by 2032. That’s largely because of Miami’s unique mix of wealthy out-of-state and international buyers looking for a shorthand for where to park their money — and, conceivably, their Aston Martin. Many of the city’s highest-profile buildings are already seeing strong demand, with some clearing 90% occupancy before construction is even complete.

That demand is also pushing property values higher, as branded residences typically command a 30% premium over non-branded condos — not unlike the higher price consumers pay for a name brand versus a store brand. If branding makes a difference in toilet paper, it makes sense that it would matter for a home, too.

Next Lease: Time will tell whether these branded condos can continue delivering on their promise, but the ones that succeed could create a launchpad for live events that reaches even more customers.

Most people use only a fraction of their nervous system’s capacity. That’s not a mindset problem — it’s a biology problem. The 3 p.m. fog. Leaving a meeting without remembering what was decided. The low hum of stress sitting behind everything else that needs to get done.

The vagus nerve helps regulate how the brain shifts out of stress mode. When it’s underperforming, the brain can stay slightly on edge — enough to dull focus and memory, but not enough to feel like a full-blown crisis.

People try a lot of things to address this — breathwork, meditation, yoga, cold exposure. They can help, but they also require time that isn’t always available.

That’s why Parasym developed Nuropod.

Featured in Don’t Die, the Bryan Johnson Netflix documentary, Nuropod is backed by more than 60 completed studies and 5 million user sessions worldwide.

Try it for 30 days, with a money-back guarantee if it’s not the right fit.

After a five-year legal battle, Epic Games’ hit title, Fortnite, is returning to Apple’s App Store.

Why It Hits: Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is no fan of the App Store’s developer toll and closed payment ecosystem, using Fortnite as a Joan of Arc for independent game publishers. But that fight has come at a cost to the company’s bottom line, including the recent layoff of 1,000 employees. Making its best-selling game accessible to billions of iOS users is likely to put the company on stronger financial footing.

Behind The Deal: The battle royale is officially back on iPhones.

Last Level: Even as the game returns to iOS customers, it’s still being used partly as a Trojan horse. According to Hypebeast, Epic Games brass believe that by having Fortnite in the App Store, “impending federal court transparency mandates will force Apple to expose operational costs and ultimately crush what they describe as Apple junk fees.”

In other words, it’s easier to fight the battle from inside enemy territory.

Next Round: The battle over app-store fees and restrictions remains too complicated to predict where the wind will blow, but expect Fortnite’s reintroduction to iOS to propel a new surge in global popularity — one that could ultimately turn Epic Games into a major acquisition target.

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32.4% of you voted I’m neutral on it in yesterday’s poll: How do you feel about AI in Google Search?

“Sometimes it is quite good, and sometimes it is quite bad.”

“It can be helpful, but a lot depends on how things are programmed. That’s the part that I’m very leery about. ”

“I will need to understand AI a little more before totally embracing the concept.”

“Using AI in searches has cut down on all the advertising and BS posts. I get quicker results and spend almost zero time digging through irrelevant results. Is AI correct all the time? Nope — but it sure gets me to the correct result easier, without all the fluff.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

💿 Drake is set to become the first artist to have three albums debut at the top of the Billboard 200 simultaneously.

🎮 Xbox has hired influential video-game analyst Matthew Ball as its Chief Strategy Officer.

🎙️ James Murdoch is officially acquiring New York Magazine and Vox Media’s podcast network and website assets in a deal valued at more than $300 million.

🤑 OpenAI is expected to file to go public as soon as Friday in a bid to steal some of SpaceX’s thunder.

🤖 Sam Altman is offering a $2 million investment to every startup in Y Combinator’s current class… but it’ll be paid in AI tokens. Is compute the new capital?

👀 OpenAI co-founder and AI legend Andrej Karpathy is jumping ship to Anthropic.

🚗 Airbnb is expanding its offerings beyond rentals to include cars, hotels, luggage storage, and nearly everything else travelers might need for a trip.

👕 Mango chairman Jonathan Andic has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his father, Mango founder Isak Andic.

👓 Google unveiled the smart glasses it made in collaboration with Gentle Monster.