Here are this week's signals.
Humans are wired for weather
We’ve long known that weather affects people’s emotions. But new research from The Weather Company and neuroanalytics firm Neuro-Insight, “Wired for Weather,” reveals just how deeply the forecast shapes us and our response to marketing—emotionally and at a neurological level.
Your ChatGPT is about to get ads — here's what you need to know
ChatGPT will soon have ads, at least on its free tier, and the news comes directly from OpenAI. The ads aren't in the chatbot yet, but you can expect to see them "in the coming weeks."
Ikea turns its product names into a fantasy role-playing manual for gamers
In December 2025, Ikea Italy made its debut at Milan Games Week & Cartoomics with Drönjöns & Dragan – The Swedish Manual of Names That Sound Good. Created with Ogilvy Italy, based in Milan, the activation was inspired by the observation that many tabletop and live role-playing gamers browse Ikea catalogues to find names perfect for their fantasy worlds.
OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s Merge Labs, Enters Brain-Computer Interface Space
OpenAI has announced an investment in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, marking the artificial intelligence company’s entry into the rapidly evolving neural interface space.
Uber turns Day of the Dead into a live DOOH demo of its safety features
To spotlight its PIN Code feature, Uber Mexico built a live campaign inside the parade itself. Photographer Diego Flores shot portraits of Catrinas in real time, then turned them into digital outdoor ads along the route within minutes.
Well, there goes the metaverse!
Meta’s enormous bet on virtual reality ended last week, with the company reportedly laying off roughly 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division — about 10% of the unit’s staff — and shutting down several VR game studios, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s a huge reversal for a company that, just four years ago, staked its entire identity on the concept.