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11 thought-provoking questions raised by 'Westworld'

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Dolores Abernathy fly Westworld premiere

Note: Spoilers are ahead for previously aired Westworld episodes, as is some potentially spoiler-y speculation for future episodes.

Something is wrong in "Westworld."

HBO's sci-fi western drama — a serialized reboot of Michael Crichton's 1973 thriller by the same name — depicts a fantastical robot-filled "theme park" of the future.

Westworld guests can interact with artificially intelligent "hosts"— gunslingers, brothel madams, a farmer’s daughter, Native Americans, and more — taking part in all the sex and violence that can be jammed into these characters’ storylines. And all of it teed up by the people who are essentially Westworld's game designers.

But as visitors ride, terrorize, shoot, and sleep with the park's robot hosts, the designers operating behind the scenes soon discover that something is off.

Along the way, Westworld’s story brushes up against all kinds of uneasy questions — mainly scientific and philosophical — about the complex intersection of technology and people.

While we can't say where the show is going, or whether it will ever answer any of these questions, here are some of the most interesting ones we’ve spotted so far.

Do we all live in a simulation?

Everyone in Westworld wakes up to go about their day — working, drinking, fighting, whatever it may be — without knowing that their entire existence is a simulation of a “real world” created by the park’s designers.

Physicists and philosophers say that in our world, we can’t prove we don’t live in some kind of computer simulation.

Some think that if that is the case, we might be able to "break out" by noticing any errors in the system, something the Westworld robots seem to be brushing up against.



Can we control artificial intelligence?

Each time the park wakes up (or the simulation restarts?), the hosts are supposed to go about their routines, playing their roles until some guest veers into the storyline. The guest might go off on an adventure with the host — or they might rape or kill them. In any case, when the story resets, the hosts' memories are wiped clean.

Supposedly.

For some reason, a few hosts seem to remember their disturbing past lives. This may be related to a “software update” created by park founder Dr. Robert Ford (played by Anthony Hopkins) or it may have something to do with his mysterious co-founder, Arnold.

Luckily, and for a variety of reasons, AI researchers today believe out-of-control AI is a myth and that we can control intelligent software. Then again, few computer and linguistic scientists thought machines could ever learn to listen and speak as well as people — and now they can on a limited level.



How far off are the intelligent machines of Westworld?

Behind the scenes at Westworld's headquarters, advanced industrial tools can 3D-print the bodies of hosts from a mysterious white goop. Perhaps it's made of nanobots, or some genetically engineered tissue, or maybe it's just plastic that's later controlled by as-yet-undisclosed advanced technology.

There's a lot of mystery here, and as we find out in one episode (when a host smashes his own head in with a rock), the "thinking" part of the machines is definitely located in the head. But what's it made of? And what powers these strange constructs? And how are the batteries recharged, if at all? Can (and how do) they feel pain and pleasure?

These automatons seem like an engineer's dream as well as her nightmare.

Nothing like this exists in the real world, but researchers and entrepreneurs are working hard to advance soft robots, ultra-dense power sources, miniaturized everyday components (some down to an atomic scale), and other bits and pieces that might ultimately comprise a convincing artificial human.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A look inside Facebook's New York office, where employees of the $280 billion company enjoy virtual reality games and an in-house pastry chef (FB)

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Facebook NYC 4958

Known for its incredible perks, impressive salaries, and great corporate culture, Facebook is one of the world's most desirable places to work.

The Menlo Park, California-based tech giant consistently earns top spots on rankings like Business Insider's annual "best companies to work for," Glassdoor's "best places to work," and LinkedIn's "top attractors," among many others.

To see what all the fuss is about, Business Insider recently visited Facebook's Manhattan office ... and let's just say, we get it.

Here's what we saw and learned during our tour:

SEE ALSO: A look inside $23 billion LinkedIn's New York office, where employees enjoy perks like free gourmet meals and a speakeasy hidden in the Empire State Building

DON'T MISS: A look inside Uber's Manhattan office, where employees of the $66 billion company have wine on tap and can bring their dogs to work

DON'T FORGET: A look inside the New York office of Yelp, a $3 billion company that offers its 4,000 employees around the world some of the most incredible perks

We arrived at Facebook's Greenwich Village office on a mild Friday afternoon in November. Once we checked in, we were greeted by engineering director Jeff Reynar and corporate communications manager Jamil Walker.



The first thing that jumped out at us on the tour was this physical embodiment of a Facebook "wall." Reynar told us New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker recently stopped by to sign it. “What’s kind of fun about this is that there’s a wall at most of our offices," Reynar says. "It’s kind of temporary. At some point, we’ll probably do some kind of construction and this will go away and we’ll start a fresh one with new signatures."



Across all of its 66 offices and data centers worldwide, Facebook — which has a market cap of $280 billion as of mid-November — employs almost 16,000 people. About 1,000 of them work in the Frank Gehry-designed Manhattan location, which also houses members of the company's Instagram team. Facebook occupies four floors of the building, which was once a Wanamaker's department store.

Source: Markets Insider



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Here's who Trump has appointed to senior leadership positions

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reince priebus steve bannon kellyanne conway

President-elect Donald Trump has a lot of key positions to fill in the coming weeks that will shape his next four years in office.

While rumors have been flying around about who he will appoint (some of which we've included here), Trump has so far only made fiveofficial hires.

We'll update this list as he announces more senior leadership positions, but here's what we know so far:

SEE ALSO: Trump's choice for CIA director once said US Muslims who don't reject terrorism are 'complicit' in it

DON'T MISS: Trump's new national security adviser is under fire for his views on Russia, his business ties to Turkey — and his tweets

Reince Priebus, chief of staff

Obama administration counterparts: Rahm Emanuel, Pete Rouse, Bill Daley, Jack Lew, Denis McDonough (current)

Duties: oversee the Executive Office of the President, serve as the president's right-hand man

Priebus' former job: Chairman of the Republican National Committee

Bio:Priebus, 44, got his law degree from the University of Miami in 1998. He worked his way up through the ranks of the Republican Party, becoming the Wisconsin Party Chairman in 2007, then general counsel to the National Committee in 2009, and finally its chairman in 2011. Priebus helped launch Wisconsinites House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker to national prominence over the last several years. He has two young children with his wife, Sally.

Reactions: While Priebus' hire may comfort the Republican establishment, it may aggravate some of Trump's supporters who expect him to fulfill his promise to "drain the swamp" of Washington insiders in government.



Steve Bannon, chief strategist

Obama administration counterpart:Valerie Jarrett

Duties: serve as senior counselor to the president, shape the administration's political strategy

Bannon's former jobs: chairman of the alt-right news site Breitbart, CEO/chief strategist of the Trump campaign

Bio: Bannon, 62, graduated from Harvard Business School in 1983, and made much of his fortune as a Goldman Sachs banker and a longtime movie and TV producer. Since 2011, he has led Breitbart News, the far-right website espousing anti-establishment white nationalist positions, particularly on issues like immigration and trade. Bannon has two 21-year-old daughters, whose mother accused him of domestic abuse and anti-Semitic comments during their divorce proceedings in 1996. He pleaded not-guilty, and the charges were dropped. He has another ex-wife, as well.

Reactions: Bannon's appointment set off a firestorm of controversy, with critics pointing to what they considered racially charged, bigoted rhetoric used on Breitbart under Bannon's leadership.



Sen. Jeff Sessions, attorney general (pending Senate confirmation)

Obama administration counterparts: Mark Filip, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch (current)

Duties: act as the country's chief law enforcement officer, represent the US in court cases, provide the Executive Branch with formal and informal legal counsel and advice

Sessions' former job: senator from Alabama

Bio:Sessions, 69, was born and raised in Alabama, got his law degree from the University of Alabama in 1973, and served in the Army Reserve for 13 years. President Ronald Reagan nominated him as a US attorney in 1981, then he was elected as Alabama's attorney general in 1994, and was first elected to the Senate in 1996. He is currently serving his fourth term. Sessions and his wife, Mary Blackshear, have three children and 10 grandkids.

Reactions: Sessions' consideration for a Cabinet positionhas revived allegations of racism that jeopardized his chance to become a federal district court judge in 1986, when a prosecutor testified Sessions called the NAACP and the ACLU "un-American." Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he is "very concerned" about Sessions' civil rights record, a sentiment other liberals echoed. Many conservatives, meanwhile, applauded Trump's choice, with Republican senators saying they'd vote to confirm him.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The most overpriced restaurants in London, according to residents

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Sexy Fish wide span shot by Mark Brumell HR (5) press approved

While there are plenty of budget-friendly food options in England's capital, dining in some restaurants – and in some neighbourhoods – can come with a staggeringly steep price tag.

Harden's London Restaurants Guide for 2017, released Wednesday, revealed the results of its 26th annual survey of 7,500 regular restaurant-goers to determine not only which restaurants are the city's favourites, but also which are the most overpriced.

The guide's co-founder Peter Harden told Business Insider: "When people submit a restaurant nomination, they have an option of doing so in one of 18 categories. The categories include top gastronic experience, favourite restaurant and most overpriced."

The winners are then determined by the number of votes within each category.

With restaurants opening at the fastest rate ever over the past 12 months according to the guide, it's more important than ever to make sure you're getting the most for your pound when dining out.

The average price of dinner for one at the restaurants in the guide was also up by 1.7% to £51.37 this year, compared to £50.51 last year.

Despite this, Harden told Business Insider: "I don't think it's an overpriced city for eating out at all. Regularly people come to London from the sticks and say the prices are shocking, but it's nonsense. Even though costs here are high, the level of competition is so very intense and the market is so deep that most of the better value eating in the country is to be had in London."

Whether you're willing to splash out or budget dining is more your style, see which restaurants the city's foodies consider to be the most overpriced below – along with what you can expect to pay for some of their top dishes.

10. Hutong at The Shard

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A meal with a view at this modern Chinese restaurant at the top of the Shard doesn't come cheap – a hot and sour soup will set you back £8, while the sautéed crispy shredded beef and chilli dish served with carrot and garlic is £28.50.



9. Alain Ducasse, Dorchester

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You won't get a meal for under £100 at this French restaurant, where three courses from the a la carte menu come in at £100, with a tasting menu for £140.



8. Le Gavroche

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There are no prices listed on the website's sample a la carte menus – a sign in itself that a meal doesn't come cheap – and the tasting menu without wine, which includes the likes of this roast loin of venison, is £130.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 11 UK universities which produce the most employable graduates

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The Great Court, Trinity College, Cambridge University

UK employment may be at its lowest level for over a decade, but the picture is different for graduates.

Business Insider reported back in September that the UK graduate job market had shrunk for the first time in four years, as companies scale back entry-level recruitment efforts in the wake of the Brexit vote.

With that in mind, it is more important than ever for many prospective university students to select a course which will offer the best employment prospects upon graduation.

The Times Higher Education's newly-released "Global Employability Index" is a global ranking of universities which produce the most employable graduates, based on a variety of factors which are deemed to make someone employable.

The factors considered to benefit employability in the study were professional experience, a high degree of specialisation, proficiency in at least two foreign languages, extracurricular activities, an excellent academic record, and graduation from a "top" university.

Business Insider took a look at the UK universities which made the list.

Here is the list:

11. University of Nottingham — the university scooped the Times Good University Guide's 'University of the Year' award for graduate employment in 2015/16.



10. University of Birmingham — Birmingham's most prestigious university has a strong track record for employability, and scooped the Good University Guide's graduate employment award in 2015/16.



9. University of Bristol — the university runs over 200 undergraduate courses across six academic faculties. It ranks at 84th in the global list for graduate employability.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

4 charts that show China's accelerating debt problem

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china housing buildings construction

China's debt to GDP ratio keeps rising.

Borrowing has helped fuel growth in China, but it's starting to lose its effectiveness.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note to clients that China's debt to GDP rose to 276% in the third quarter this year from 249% in 2015.

Households have accelerated their borrowing faster than businesses.

"This has been mainly driven by a rapid rise in new mortgages from RMB 1.7 trillion in 2014 to RMB 4.6 trillion in the past 12 months," according to Morgan Stanley.

With the debt overhang growing, the economic benefits of borrowing more are shrinking. It took nearly eight units of debt to produce one unit of GDP growth in 2016, compared with around four in 2014.

Here's how it looks in the charts:

Overall debt continues to rise steadily, while, according to Morgan Stanley, GDP growth is set to fall. "We expect growth to moderate from 6.7% in 2016 to 6.4% in 2017 and 6.2% in 2018," Morgan Stanley said.



The share of borrowing carried out by households has accelerated, led by mortgages. Property sales were up 26% year-on-year in October, despite government measures to cool the market.



As debt builds up, more has to be spent servicing interest, making any additional borrowing less effective. It took eight units of debt to get one extra unit of GDP growth, compared with half that in 2014.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MORGAN STANLEY: These 12 stocks have the most downside

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stock traderMorgan Stanley on Tuesday released its list of "Global Secularly Challenged Stocks," identifying a total of 81 stocks as that have "exposure to longer-term secular challenges, and where the risk-reward is unfavourable."

Below we present the top 12 of the total 36 North American stocks, picked by Morgan Stanley, with the highest downside risk from their current prices.

Waddell & Reed Financial

Ticker: WDR

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $1.6B

Share price: $19.13

Downside to Bear: 58.2%

"We expect secular headwinds from regulatory pressures and poor fund performance to limit Waddell & Reed’s growth opportunities."

Source: Morgan Stanley



United Natural Foods

Ticker: UNFI

Sector: Retail

Market cap: $2.4B

Share price: $48.11

Downside to Bear: 50.1%

"UNFI's outlook is more challenged than the market appreciates, with muted sales growth expected across UNFI's segments and risk of expense de-leverage following an infrastructure build-out."

Source: Morgan Stanley



Skyworks Solutions

Ticker: SWKS

Sector: Technology

Market cap: $14.7B

Share price: $78.21

Downside to Bear: 50.1%

"We are Underweight SWKS and see two new risks to the company’s growth: (1) increasing competition from peer Qorvo in integrated products and (2) lack of premium filter technology."

Source: Morgan Stanley



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Controversial game 'No Man's Sky' just got its first major update — here's what's new

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Despite being the pet project of a dozen or so game developers working out of Guildford, England, "No Man's Sky" was pitched to millions of people as a major, blockbuster game.

Explore the vast reaches of space! Discover unexplored planets and meet aliens! Mine resources! Build stuff! 

no mans sky

But some folks who bought the game when it launched in August felt jilted by what they saw as a difference between what the game was supposed to be and what it turned out to be.

They accused Hello Games, the small British studio behind the game, of false advertising; they lambasted it in user reviews, and someone even hacked the studio's creative director.

No Man's Sky Steam reviews

It was, in short, a mess.

As a result, Hello Games went radio silent. No tweets, no blog posts, etc. That is, until last week, when the studio announced its first major update to "No Man's Sky." The update, called the "Foundation Update," adds a ton of new content to the game while also improving much of its already-existing systems. And it's out now!

Here's everything that's in it:

Establish a home planet and build structures there!



Got a ton of space bucks burning a hole in your space pants? Buy yourself a massive space freighter!



And then recruit these sweet-looking aliens to hang out in your freighter and make stuff for you!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here’s the stunning electric car Porsche is making to take on Tesla

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Porsche Mission ETesla will soon be getting some serious competition.

Porsche is doubling down on its electric car efforts and plans to roll out its first fully electric vehicle, dubbed the Mission E, by 2020. 

In fact, Porsche, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, plans to sell about 20,000 models of its Mission E a year, according to a report by the German news site Automobilwoche published Sunday. 

The company also said in July that it plans to hire 1,400 people to bring its Mission E to life, according to a Reuters report. Previously, the company said it would be hiring about 1,000 people. 

Porsche originally revealed the Mission E as a concept car at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 2015. At the time, the company revealed that it would have a range of more than 250 miles and include a number of other innovative technologies. 

While the company has not yet revealed what high-tech features will be included in the production model, the Mission E concept that was shown last year does give us a glimpse of what to expect in the final product.

Here’s a look at some of the coolest features in the Mission E concept that could end up in the production version. 

SEE ALSO: 19 long-range electric cars you'll be able to drive by 2021

With two motors, the all-wheel-drive Mission E packs the equivalent of 600 horsepower.



The car is completely powered by advanced lithium-ion battery technology. The underbody battery of the car extends the full-length of the car so that the weight is distributed equally.



Inductive charging tech enables for the car to be charged in a unique way. To charge the vehicle, a user simply drivers over a charging base plate in a garage and automatically the battery begins repower.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 details you probably missed in the latest episode of 'Westworld'

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William episode nine Westworld

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Westworld" episode nine.

The ninth episode of "Westworld" delivered two major theory confirmations and whole mess of beautifully intense scenes. This was one of the series' most packed episodes to date, so chances are high that details might have slipped by unnoticed. We rounded up the nine most significant of these references to previous episodes and clues about possible events to come.

Let's dive into the "Westworld" mania.

Let's start with something simple. Bernard was thrown back into his memories, including this video chat sequence from episode three.

Back when we thought Bernard was a human, we saw him on a video call with someone assumed to be his ex-wife. In the episode nine flashback, though, the woman's face briefly changed.



Her voice and face changed to Ford's right as we heard a new line of dialogue.

"You're not lying to me, are you Bernard?" Ford/Bernard's wife asked. "Do you ever wish you could forget?"

In retrospect, this video call was just a way for Ford to check in with Bernard's programming. He was making sure that the code and Bernard's self-perceived "humanity" were still intact.



Onto a much bigger detail — the photograph of William's fiancée.

Logan got fed up after realizing William's infatuation with Dolores was going to the next level, so he reminded him of the woman back in the real world who he's supposed to marry soon. 

"You're scheming to be part of the family," Logan said. "Marrying my sister, who, coincidentally you seem to have completely f---ing forgotten about. Her?"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL 2016 [SLIDE DECK]

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future of retail deck slide 10

The retail industry is on the cusp of a fundamental transformation driven by digital technologies. And as retailers adapt to the digital age, the line between physical and digital commerce is becoming increasingly blurred.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck exploring the most disruptive trends in e-commerce.  Access the full deck now for free by clicking here.

Some of the topics covered include:

  • The size of the retail and e-commerce markets.
  • The breakdown of e-commerce sales by product category.
  • How legacy retailers are adapting to digital.
  • Which e-commerce companies are leading the way.
  • What omnichannel strategies retail companies are adopting.
  • And much more.

The companies mentioned in this year's presentation include:  Sports Authority, Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Wayfair, Target, Dollar Shave Club, Instacart, Walmart, CVS, and Sam's Club.

Below are 8 sample slides from the 65-page deck.  Want the full deck? Access it here for FREE >>

Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



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These are the real faces behind every Disney princess

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moana voice actress

Over the years, 17 women have lent their voices to bring Cinderella, Belle, Mulan, and the other Disney princesses to life.

Disney's new masterpiece "Moana" introduces the studio's strongest female role model yet. The Polynesian teen is played by 16-year-old newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, from Hawaii.

"Moana" became the second-biggest box-office opening on Thanksgiving weekend, second to "Frozen."

Here's a little background on Cravalho and the leading ladies that came before her.

SEE ALSO: 7 amazing Easter eggs you probably missed in Disney's 'Moana'

Snow White befriends small forest creatures and takes a long, curse-induced nap in 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."



In real life, Adriana Caselotti was a convent-educated teenager who beat out 150 actresses.

Walt Disney personally hired 18-year-old Adriana Caselotti for the role of Snow White in his first feature-length cartoon. She made $20 a day reciting lines and singing, which is reportedly less than for one of the actors who voiced a dwarf.

After "Snow White," Caselotti sang opera, worked briefly in real estate and the stock market, and wrote a book on singing.



In 1950's "Cinderella," the princess made an unforgettable appearance at a ball.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

21 of the strangest weapons people have tried to take through airport security

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TSA gas mask bullets weapon airport security

Most travelers have a number of things to worry about during the holiday season.

For TSA agents at the country's airports, there's also a variety of things to worry about — knives, fake grenades, swords hidden in canes, knives hidden in guns, throwing stars, and all sorts of other contraband.

The TSA has taken to documenting some of the weapons and other prohibited items it encounters at security checkpoints, posting them on the agency's Instagram account, which has accumulated more than 500,000 followers and rave reviews.

"I knew it would be popular and I knew we’d have a never-ending source of content," Bob Burns, who runs the Instagram account, told The Washington Post. "But I didn’t know how popular we’d be."

Below, you can see a selection of strange weaponry or look-alike weaponry that the TSA has come across and put on its Instagram, which Rolling Stone recently ranked as the fourth-best account on the social-media site.

SEE ALSO: The US Secret Service seized $30 million in fake cash in the agency's biggest bust ever

"We’re pretty sure this isn’t a letter opener. A bladed dragon claw perhaps??? Whatever it is, it should be packed in checked baggage. It was discovered in a carry-on bag at Atlanta (ATL)."

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"Is this some kind of confangled rotisserie contraption for turkeys? Nope. These are Sai. If you’re a #TeenageMutantTurtle fan, you’ll know the Sai as Raphael’s weapon or choice. If you still have no clue, a Sai is a weapon used for striking, bludgeoning and punctures. Whatever it is you use them for, please know they must be packed in checked baggage. These were discovered in a carry-on bag at Boise (BOI)."

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"This ornate flask of black powder was discovered in a carry-on bag at Allentown (ABE). While it is a fancy flask, the black powder contained within is an explosive and is strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags."

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Women in Brazil are using masking tape to get the perfect tan lines

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Erika Bronze Spa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, makes bikinis out of masking tape.
• The itsy-bitsy bikinis allow maximum sun exposure and create pronounced tan lines.
• A three-hour session costs about $20.



The secret to a perfect bikini tan line might already be in your toolbox. 

At Erika Bronze Spa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, owner Erika Romero Martins uses masking tape to mold tiny, thin bikinis directly onto clients' bodies.

The results are perfect, clear-cut tan lines highlighted by sun-kissed skin.

Erika Romero Martins, 34, owns Erika Bronze Spa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.



In her tanning salon, the secret to a perfect bikini line ('marquinha' in Portuguese) is masking tape.



She sculpts itsy-bitsy, bespoke bikinis out of the tape for maximum sun exposure.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

21 ways to make your life more luxurious without spending a fortune

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Gold Toilet Paper

You don't need a pet tiger or private island to live luxuriously.

As thousands of Redditors recently avowed in an AskReddit thread, sometimes high-quality toilet paper and a soothing cup of tea can make you feel sufficiently pampered.

Here are some easy, cheap ways to live the high life for next to nothing:

Adding a memory-foam mattress topper to your bed can provide added comfort, and it costs far less than a new mattress.

-ironclownfish



Brewing coffee in a French press is simpler and, some say, offers a richer flavor than traditionally brewed coffee.

-Benthazaal



Subscribing to a streaming services like Netflix or Spotify Premium gives you access to huge catalogs of TV shows, movies, and music for around $10 a month.

-WingerRules



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Here are the 10 best public bathrooms in America

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MAC South Mall Restroom 42_enlarged

The INSIDER Summary:

• Someone put together a list of the best public restrooms in America.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota is the winner.
• Other bathrooms on the list feature funky wallpaper, tributes to popular TV shows, and mazes.



Public bathrooms aren't known for being aesthetically pleasing, but these restrooms rise above the rest.

Cintas, a company that designs work uniforms, put together a list of America's Best Restrooms based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality, and unique design elements.

Here are their top 10 picks.

Coca-Cola Park – Allentown, PA

The men's restrooms feature a hands-free gaming system.



Leña Brava restaurant – Chicago, IL

Agave wallpaper channels the open fields of Mexico.



Safe House Restaurant – Milwaukee, WI

In this spy-themed restaurant and bar, visitors have to navigate a series of mazes and a trick door to find the bathroom.



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8 ways to make your money work for you

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butler waiter champagne

"Make your money work for you" is such common personal finance advice that it borders on being cliché.

But what does it actually mean? And more importantly, how can you do it?

There's no simple answer — or a single way to do it. In fact, almost everyone can find at least one way to put their money to work. Below, Business Insider rounded up eight methods to get you started. 

SEE ALSO: Former Wall Street executive Sallie Krawcheck reveals the worst investing advice she's ever heard

DON'T MISS: A financial planner reveals the most common money mistake 30-somethings make

Open a high-yield savings account

Sean Gould, a wealth strategist with Waddell and Associates and a certified financial planner, explains that before sending your money off to do the heavy lifting, you'll want to have an emergency savings account of about six months of living expenses stored in cash.

A smart place to keep it is in an FDIC-insured high-yield checking or savings account, where it can generate more value as it waits.

A typical savings account offers an interest rate around 0.01%, and a typical checking account is the digital equivalent of putting your money under the mattress. However, high-yield checking and saving offer interest rates that exceed 1% — 100 times what you'd get otherwise.

These accounts are usually available at online banks, which keep costs down by forgoing brick and mortar locations. NerdWallet provides comprehensive lists of high-yield checking and high-yield savings.



Develop streams of passive income 

Passive income is the term colloquially used to define any money earned with little to no effort expended, according to Investopedia.

Once you've set it up, passive income streams earn you money while you sleep. Sounds too good to be true, right? But fear not — it's not a get-rich-quick scheme. Creating any streams of passive income requires an investment upfront, whether of your time or money, but can lead to huge payoffs later. 

Common forms of passive income include real estate investments or silent partnerships in businesses, but it can also be generated by anything from making YouTube videos to using affiliate marketing on your blog. 

 

 

 

 



Store it in retirement accounts

Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs are investment accounts, meaning your savings are invested in the market and have the potential to grow exponentially.

"The key is to get money in a 401(k)," says Gould. "Save as much as possible to have your money work for you tax-efficiently and to get money in the markets. The first bucket outside of the emergency fund is the 401(k) up to the match [if your employer provides one]. You don't want to give away free money."

After that, Gould explains, you'll want to put money in an IRA or a Roth IRA.

"Another good tool people don't think about are HSAs," he says, referring to the savings accounts for which people with high-deductible health insurance coverage are eligible. "If you sock money away in an HSA you don't lose it, and whenever you have healthcare costs, you can pull the money out and not pay taxes on it. When you turn 65, it turns into an IRA and you don't get penalized for using it for other costs — you can pay Medicare costs and long-term care premiums."

Read more about how to use an HSA.



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The newest 'Pokemon' game is as good as catching 'em all gets

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With the massive initial success of "Pokemon Go" earlier this year, the monster-collecting cash cow entered the public consciousness in a huge way. Excitement about Pikachu and co. was as high as it's ever been since the franchise blew up in the late 1990s.

That timing turned out to be great, as there's a pair of brand new "Pokemon" role-playing games out for Nintendo 3DS: "Pokemon Sun & Moon." These games have always been the primary driving force behind the franchise, ever since they debuted on the original GameBoy in 1996.

Whether you're a longtime fan or someone who just got into "Pokemon" this year with "Pokemon Go," great new features make these the most fun and refreshing critter collecting simulators in years. Here's why:

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about the newest 'Final Fantasy' game

First, some things you need to know if you're a newcomer

"Pokemon Go" is a GPS app where cute creatures occasionally show up for you to throw balls at. "Pokemon Sun & Moon" are fully-featured RPGs with a story, a huge world to explore, and much deeper combat than their mobile cousin.

However, don't let that intimidate you; the "Pokemon" RPG games have always been casual and accessible as a means to attract a younger audience. "Pokemon Sun & Moon" do an even better job of easing in new players than previous games.

Sun & Moon are not separate games so much as they are slightly differing versions of the same game. Basically, the kinds of Pokemon you can find and catch will differ based on which version you get, with the most significant difference being which legendary Pokemon you'll find near the end of the game.

Otherwise, the world, story, and gameplay mechanics are more or less the same. Buy whichever one has a cooler looking Pokemon on the box.

The basic concepts you might know from "Pokemon Go," such as different Pokemon having different strengths and weaknesses, are basically intact here. You will make your way through the world, catching Pokemon to make the best and most varied team of six battle-ready pocket monsters you possibly can.

Put simply, there's never been a better time to jump on the bandwagon.



The basic structure of the series is upended, making it feel truly refreshing

The main problem with the "Pokemon" games is that they've followed the same repetitive structure for 20 years. Any changes made to the formula before now have generally felt marginal from a casual perspective, which made it difficult for me to care for several years.

"Pokemon Sun & Moon" shake things up for the first time, completely uprooting the design in favor of something better.

You see, in the old games, you would travel from town to town, leveling up your team and taking on each town's Gym Leader. When you conquered a gym, you would get a badge that would let you take on the next gym.

This time around, we're in the new, Hawaii-inspired region of Alola, a chain of tropical islands. Each island has a set of unique, element-based trials to complete, with each trial eventually rewarding you with access to powerful, spectacular super moves for your Pokemon.

Once you finish all the trials on a given island, you take on that island's Kahuna, who essentially replace Gym Leaders in Alola. Each Kahuna has a varied team of powerful Pokemon, so you'll need to keep a well-balanced team yourself.

The new trial-based setup brings a ton of much-needed variety to the series. In one of them, you have to watch Pokemon dance and memorize their moves, while in another, you navigate a haunted grocery store on a ghost hunt. 

Each trial culminates in a battle with a Totem Pokemon, which is a beefed up version of a regular Pokemon. These battles can be tough, as Totem Pokemon can use unique abilities and call in allies to ruin your day.

Overall, it's several orders of magnitude more engaging than the old Gym system because there is so much variety. Not every trial is amazing, but the good ones far outweigh the bad ones.



The new Ride Pager system is a crucial addition

In the older "Pokemon" games, you would occasionally need to use moves such as Fly or Surf to navigate the world when your feet wouldn't do. That means you had to teach those moves to a Pokemon and keep that Pokemon in your party in order to get around, even if the Pokemon wasn't of any use in battle.

It was a frustrating, antiquated feature that needed to go. Thankfully, it has, thanks to the new Ride Pager system.

With the Ride Pager, you can summon a handful of different Pokemon to ride on, with each having different abilities to help you out. Tauros can run quickly and crush rocks, Machamp can push huge blocks to solve puzzles, Charizard can fly, and so on.

You don't actually get those Pokemon to use in battle, but the fact that you no longer need to keep inferior Pokemon around just to navigate the world is a massive improvement.



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New Teslas will begin to get updated Autopilot in mid-December — here's what the system can do (TSLA)

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Elon Musk

New Tesla cars will start getting a big update in mid-December.

Cars purchased after October 19 came with new hardware that will eventually improve Autopilot's capabilities, renaming the system Enhanced Autopilot or Autopilot 8.1.

However, the cars were stripped of several first-generation Autopilot features — including blind spot detection, auto emergency braking, and park assist — as Tesla calibrates the new sensors.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Friday that the cars will get those first generation Autopilot features back in mid-December. From there, Autopilot 8.1 features will begin rolling out incrementally on a monthly basis.

Here's our breakdown of Autopilot 8.1:

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk: Fully autonomous Tesla will drive across the country by the end of 2017

Tesla cars on the road today have Tesla's first-generation Autopilot system that allows the cars to automatically steer, change lanes, and merge onto highways. Convenience features built into the first-generation Autopilot also allow the cars to park themselves, both in perpendicular and parallel fashions.



Those vehicles, built between September 2014 and October 2016, were equipped with one camera for Autopilot. But new Tesla cars are now being built with eight cameras that provide 360-degree visibility and 250 meters (820 feet) of range.



New Tesla cars still come with one radar sensor, but it now has enhanced processing that allows it to see through heavy rain, fog, dust, and even a car in front of it.



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Step inside Spotify's New York City office, where you'll find an airy roof deck, cold brew coffee, and a secret recording studio

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Spotify

Ten-year-old music streaming giant Spotify is the veritable veteran in the digital music wars.

With more than 100 million users — 30 million of which pay $10 per month for the service's premium, ad-free version — Spotify continues to dominate despite the arrival of formidable competitors like Apple Music.

The Stockholm, Sweden-based company is expected to go public some time in 2017. Last year, Spotify sales reached $2.2 billion, about $1.8 billion of which went to record labels and talent, reports Bloomberg. Nonetheless, the company is growing rapidly with a focus on research and product development, including video experimentation.

Business Insider was recently invited to tour the company's US headquarters in New York City. Check out the highlights from our visit below.

DON'T MISS: Take a tour of the Mars Chocolate office, where life-size M&M's greet you at the door with free candy

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of the New York City subscription startup where you'll find swings, sneakers, and gnomes

Welcome to Spotify's US headquarters in New York City's Flatiron District. The streaming giant occupies two floors covering a total of 140,000 square feet. Three years ago, the company renovated the 90,000 square-foot 7th floor.



A door on the 7th floor leads to the wifi-enabled roof deck, a favorite common space among employees.



Our tour guide and the company's interior designer Cecilia Vigil said she decorated the rooftop with plants and flowers reminiscent of her native Sweden (the company's cofounder and CEO Daniel Ek is also Swedish).



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