Quantcast
Channel: Features
Viewing all 61683 articles
Browse latest View live

9 signature features in Tesla's Model 3, an electric car that could change the world (TSLA)

$
0
0

tesla model 3

Tesla stunned the world last March when it introduced its Model 3 electric car, the company's first affordable vehicle that will finally go into production this year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who shared the first images of the final production version of the Model 3 on Twitter last week, says the first 30 Model 3 customers will receive their cars at a party on July 28. Tesla will reportedly produce around 100 cars in August, more than 1,500 cars in September, and then roughly 20,000 by the end of December.

Shortly after the car was unveiled, Motor Trend got a chance to see the new Model 3 up close and shared its experiences on YouTube. Understanding some of the thought that went into its design choices might make you appreciate the Model 3 even more.

Here are the nine signature features of Tesla's Model 3:

SEE ALSO: 13 ways HBO's 'Silicon Valley' nailed the real tech industry

1. The first feature should make anyone excited: Tesla's Model 3 starts $35,000, and that's before federal tax exemptions.



2. The Model 3 is a nimble electric car: It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just six seconds.



3. The Model 3 has a starting range of 215 miles, which should accommodate most people's commutes.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We can't get enough of this Instagram account that posts the most elaborate Japanese nail art designs we've ever seen

$
0
0

Japanese nail art

When I'm not laughing at memes on Instagram, I'm usually watching video after video of mesmerizing designs.

Whether its tiny food or pancake art or cookie decorations, I can get lost in these clips for hours.

One of the most addicting accounts I've found is C Channel Beauty, an "online video lifestyle magazine" based in Japan. While C Channel covers makeup, hair, and fashion, I've stuck around for the nail art.

The format of each video is genius. First, you see the final design. Then, you get to see how they created each unique nail, from beginning to end. It's incredibly satisfying, and the designs are like nothing I've ever seen.

Check it out.

First up, these nails change color underwater to reveal an intricately drawn mermaid.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BU04CjeBSU6/embed/
Width: 800px

 



This design adds a sparkly charm to your nails, like an earring for your finger.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BV9CFENhINi/embed/
Width: 800px

 



Hollow in the middle, these nails look like a mini aquarium and are filled with a mix of pink liquid and glitter.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BWCH9uchds1/embed/
Width: 800px

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Millions of dollars' worth of Apollo moon-landing gear is about to be sold on eBay

$
0
0

apollo 11 astronaut planting flag moon nasa 371257main_Flag_full

In the market for a helium tank from an Apollo-era spacecraft? How about a bag to collect lunar soil samples? Or an authentic training checklist for launching to the moon?

Welcome to the spectacle that is Sotheby's first "Space Exploration" live auction, which is being hosted on eBay.

The big sale kicks off July 20 — the 48th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing — and features 173 lots of space artifacts and memorabilia, which are collectively worth between an estimated $2.9 million and $5.3 million.

Some sellers hope to fetch a premium on rare toys and signed photographs from the Space Race, while others are hawking near-priceless artifacts that could fetch millions of dollars.

One lot that may garner $4 million alone: a dusty bag that Apollo 11 astronauts dumped the first samples of lunar soil, grit, and rocks into in 1969. (The bag was "lost" for decades until the US Marshals Service confiscated it during a raid and later auctioned off — for $995.)

NASA and other groups admonish the sale of such one-of-a-kind spaceflight objects. "This artifact, we believe, belongs to the American people and should be on display for the public,"NASA said in a statement shortly after a court granted the buyer ownership of the bag.

That said, here are some of the more notable items in Sotheby's and eBay's live auction and how much they might sell for.

SEE ALSO: Lego just launched a giant Apollo Saturn V moon rocket set that comes with 1,969 pieces

DON'T MISS: Apollo astronaut: 'You go to heaven when you are born'

Apollo 11 Contingency Lunar Sample Return Bag

Used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 to bring back the very first pieces of the moon ever collected — traces of which remain in the bag. The only such relic available for private ownership.

Estimate: $2 million - $4 million



Gemini G1c spacesuit thermal coverlayer

Thermal coverlayer for the Gemini G1C spacesuit, made for Gus Grissom by the David Clark Company, circa 1962.

Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000



Apollo 13 flown flight plan, with drawings by astronauts (1 of 4)

A book that contains the entire Apollo 13 flight plan, including sketches and notations by astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise.

Estimate: $30,000 - $40,000



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 easy steps to shopping with confidence on eBay

$
0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

eBay shopping guideWe live in an age where you can make purchases at the click of button without ever stepping foot inside of a store, and eBay is the perfect place to do just that.

With an immense marketplace, eBay has just about anything that you could possibly be looking for. Whether you're shopping for something as simple as new dress socks or on the hunt for something as specific as a vintage jacket from your favorite brand, eBay is the perfect place to look. 

Despite the convenience of being able to get everything you need and want from the comfort of your home — or wherever you may be — online shopping can still prove to be a bit daunting, especially when it comes to eBay. Being wary about how to navigate the website, distinguishing reputable sellers, and making safe and secure purchases might've caused you to stay away in the past, but now you can shop with confidence. 

As an avid user, I've bought everything from car parts to clothes, shoes, and electronics on eBay and you can, too. You probably already have an item in mind that you're planning to buy soon, so instead of going to the store,make your next purchase on eBay.

Check out seven easy steps to shopping with confidence on eBay, below:

SEE ALSO: 16 ways to get free money from Amazon right now

Find the perfect item.

eBay's home page has specific categories, as well as suggestions that will help you find the items you're looking for. No matter what you're looking for, you'll be able to narrow your search by filtering a plethora of applicable fields. If you know exactly what you're looking for, use the search bar to enter keywords such as the year, size, color, or even SKU of the item. 



Keep looking for the right deal.

Shop around! You don't have to jump on the first thing you see. eBay is a huge marketplace, so it’s very likely that you’ll find more than one of what you’re looking for. Some items might be cheaper, in better condition, or take less time to be delivered, so it’s worth checking out everything listed before making a purchase.



Be a smart shopper. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!

That’s not to say truly amazing deals can’t be found on eBay all the time, but if you run across an item that’s drastically underpriced, be alarmed. For example, a $50 MacBook or a $20 iPhone 7 Plus are items you should probably avoid. Also, read the listing carefully. You might actually be buying a picture of the item like this guy did. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best pizza in NYC is about to open a second location for the first time ever — here's what it's like to eat there

$
0
0

Over 50 years ago, in 1965, Italian immigrant Domenico DeMarco opened Di Fara Pizza in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

To this day, it's considered by critics and locals alike to be "the best of the best," as former chef Anthony Bourdain put it back in 2007.

Just look at this:

Di Fara Pizza

There's a lot of pizza in New York City. It's a cliché maybe, but Di Fara Pizza is considered by many to be New York City's best pizza. It's notoriously expensive ($30 for a regular cheese pizza), and has a notoriously long wait (over an hour, easy), but it's also notoriously delicious. 

And now, for the first time ever, Di Fara is expanding to a second location — one that's far easier to visit.

When the new North 3rd Street Market opens in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one of its primary tenants will be Di Fara Pizza. The second Di Fara will feature the same menu as the original, reports Eater NY, albeit from the far more accessible Williamsburg. 

This is exciting news, because it means more people can experience how incredibly delicious Di Fara's pizza actually is. I should know — I ventured deep into Brooklyn to try Di Fara's legendary pizza for myself last year. This is what it's like!

SEE ALSO: I ate a 17-course tasting menu at one of the world's best restaurants — here's what it was like

The first thing you need to do is get to a part of Brooklyn that isn't well-serviced by New York's world famous subway system. My wife and I took the B68 bus.



One of the best parts of going to the original Di Fara's is visiting the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

Midwood is a predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, Eastern European in origin, though plenty of other religious groups and ethnicities live in the area. Famous names, from Adam "MCA" Yauch (of the Beastie Boys) to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hail from the Midwood section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood has largely resisted the forces of gentrification sweeping Brooklyn's western coast (the side facing Manhattan).



But you're here for the pizza. I get it. The original Di Fara Pizza is located at the corner of Avenue J and East 15th Street. I went at night, but this is what it looks like during the day from the outside:



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Chipotle just opened a test kitchen that serves margaritas and queso — here's what it's like to visit (CMG)

$
0
0

Chipotle Test Kitchen 6

Chipotle just opened a location that features menu items you can't find anywhere else.

Despite years of reluctance, Chipotle is finally testing queso. But you can only find it in one location: the chain's only public test kitchen, which opened Monday in New York City.

In addition to queso, the location is also testing frozen margaritas and new salads. 

Eager for answers and liquid cheese, we dashed to the nearby test kitchen.

SEE ALSO: Costco's food court is testing a burger that's been called a Shake Shack ripoff — here's everything we know about it

DON'T MISS: We tried grilled-chicken sandwiches from several major fast-food chains — and the winner is obvious

The test kitchen, called Chipotle Next Kitchen, is in Manhattan on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 13th Street.



Wandering in, you'd think it's just a run-of-the-mill Chipotle, complete with the standard fast-casual decor and the lunchtime rush.



But there's one thing that you won't find at any other Chipotle in the world: queso.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what it’s REALLY like to be an extra on Game of Thrones

$
0
0

Cersei and Game of Thrones Extra

Who wouldn't want to be an extra on "Game of Thrones"?

It's a hit show with plenty of action, a fun cast, and very cool costumes. Plus, there's always a chance you might get to die a gruesome death on TV!

So it's no surprise that lurking in the background of a shot while rulers scheme and armies clash is a dream for many.

A few years ago, engineer and "Game of Thrones" fan Felipe Ferri was able to live that dream.

Business Insider recently spoke with Ferri, who previously described his experience working as an extra on "Game of Thrones"in a 2014 blog post and a subsequent, wildly up-voted Quora answer.

Here's how Ferri came to work as a "Game of Thrones" extra and what it was like:

SEE ALSO: Here's how the remaining 'Game of Thrones' characters rank by leadership abilities

DON'T MISS: 7 reasons I'd want this 'Game of Thrones' character to be my real-life boss

DON'T FORGET: 8 big career takeaways from 'Game of Thrones'

In 2013, Ferri quit his job at Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company Embraer, where he had worked for six years. He says that at the time, he hoped to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.



He decided to take about three months off to see the world. Dubrovnik, Croatia, his grandmother's hometown, was at the top of his travel wish list. "She always told me how beautiful the city was," he tells Business Insider.



Ferri says his mother — who is also a major "Game of Thrones" fan — told him that the show shot many of its King's Landing scenes in the Croatian city.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 tantalizing hints the 'Game of Thrones' cast gave us about what to expect on season 7

$
0
0

Isaac Hempstead Wright Sophie Turner Jacob Anderson Game of Thrones red carpet

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven.

The stars of HBO's "Game of Thrones" hit the red carpet this week for the highly anticipated season seven premiere. Before seeing the screening of the first episode and celebrating at the after-party, INSIDER caught up with some of the stars on the red carpet to learn more about the upcoming season. 

Keep reading for a look at the five biggest hints we got from the "Game of Thrones" cast. 

Isaac Hempstead Wright plays Bran Stark — or should we just say the Three-Eyed Raven now? His powers will be a major part of season seven.

"Bran is the Three-Eyed Raven now, which means a lot of things for him," Hempstead Wright told INSIDER. "He's now the sworn enemy of the Night King — which is slightly frightening. And he's lost Hodor, he's lost his direwolf, and so he's very much on his own."

But Bran can't be alone for long — he needs to find the leaders of Westeros (perhaps Jon Snow?).

"He's also got this wealth of important information that really needs to get to the right people, and so by the start of season seven, Bran is in many ways a very different character," Hempstead Wright said. "He's the Three-Eyed Raven — he's not Bran Stark, which means he's really just a vehicle for the greater world's fate. That is what Bran's destiny is and what he's doing in season seven."

Read more from our interview with Hempstead Wright here.



Sophie Turner teased the biggest challenge Sansa will face in the coming episodes.

When we asked what Sansa's overall theme was for season seven, Turner's answer was cryptic. "It's her struggle with newfound power," Turner said. "That's the theme for her — power."

Sansa has undergone huge shifts in character since season one.

"The Sansa that I knew in season one is unrecognizable to me now, because she's developed so much," Turner said. "It's really rewarding to be able to play a character like that and delve so deep into her. She has changed measurably, it's really a beautiful transformation."

Read our full interview with Turner here.



Conleth Hill (Varys) hinted at the possibility of getting more backstory for his character's relationship to the Targaryens.

"Well I think in the books [it's explained] that he had great admiration for the way the Targaryens ran their civilization," Hill said. "He loved their architecture, he loved their way of governing. You will get some insight into his experiences with the Mad King, maybe. And so you'll see that maybe he wasn't as fond of that particular monarch as he is of [Daenerys]."

More backstory on Varys and Targaryens would be welcome, since many of the events surrounding Robert's Rebellion, the Mad King, and his son Rhaegar are still a mystery.

Read our full interview with Hill here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 rules of medieval knighthood that will change the way you look at chivalry

$
0
0

medieval knight jousting middle ages armor horses fight

People say "chivalry is dead" like that's a terrible thing.

In the popular imagination, chivalry seems to harken back to some mythical era when armored knights rode about the land going on quests, saving maidens, and fighting evildoers.

But chivalry is really a word "that came to denote the code and culture of a martial estate which regarded war as its hereditary profession," Maurice Keen writes in "Chivalry."

He argues that medieval chivalry had a major part in molding "noble values," and, as a result, has had an impact felt long after troubadours and jousting tournaments fell out of fashion. The romantic notion of the daring, pure-hearted knight errant lingers on, even today.

It's difficult to speak broadly about the medieval era in Europe, given that it encompasses several centuries and an entire continent. Generally speaking, however, in many cases, knights and medieval warriors served as a local lord's private military. That meant that sometimes, regional conflicts set a group of armed toughs tearing through the countryside and doing whatever the heck they wanted.

Codes of chivalry didn't take hold in vacuum. There was no uniform "code of chivalry," and those codes that existed were often far more religious in nature than our modern concept of "hold the door for ladies." They also cropped up in part to keep knights and warriors from acting on their worst impulses and attacking or extorting weaker individuals.

Starting in the late 900s and lasting till the thirteenth century, a movement known as the Peace and Truce of God rose in Europe. Basically, the Church imposed religious sanctions in order to halt the nobility from fighting among themselves at certain times and committing violence against local noncombatants. You can think of these as rules for knighthood.

One 1023 oath, suggested by Bishop Warin of Beauvais for King Robert the Pious and his knights, gives us a good sense of some of the unexpected rules warriors might be asked to adopt, in response to their often violent behavior. It includes some rather unusual injunctions and "illustrates the kind of oath that parties were expected to swear after having been caught breaking the peace," according to Daniel Lord Smail and Kelly Gibson, who edited the sourcebook "Vengeance in Medieval Europe." A main idea behind the movement was to use spiritual sanctions give people a break from all the conflict and fighting that plagued certain areas at some points during the Middle Ages.

With that in mind, here are some of Bishop Warin of Beauvais' proposed rules for knights, which indicate some truly bad and largely unchivalrous behavior on the part of medieval warriors:

SEE ALSO: The first known attempt on a sitting US president's life is a baffling legend of misfiring pistols, historical figures, and an assassin who thought he was king

1. Don't beat up random members of the clergy

Bishop Warin of Beauvais barred knights from assaulting unarmed clerics, monks, and their companions, "unless they are committing a crime or unless it is in recompense for a crime for which they would not make amends, fifteen days after my warning."

Gunald of Bordeaux also condemned anyone who "attacks, seizes, or beats a priest, deacon, or any other clergyman who is not bearing arms — shield, sword, coat of mail, or helmet — but is going along peacefully or staying in the house," according to Fordham University's medieval sourcebook.

Instead of formally cursing the offenders, Gunald vowed to excommunicate any attackers "unless he makes satisfaction, or unless the bishop discovers that the clergyman brought it upon himself by his own fault."



2. Don't steal livestock or kill farm animals for no reason

The oath includes an injunction against making off with bulls, cows, pigs, sheep, lambs, goats, donkeys, mares, and untamed colts.

It also came out against seizing mules and horses at certain times of the year: "I will not exact by extortion mules and horses, male and female, and colts pasturing in the fields from the first of March to All Souls' Day, unless I should find them doing damage to me."

However, the bishop of Beauvais allowed that knights could kill villagers' animals if they needed to feed themselves or their men.

In Gunwald's proclamation, he also announced that any knight who robbed a poor person of a farm animal would be formally cursed.



3. Don't assault, rob, kidnap, and torture random people

This rule should have probably gone without saying, but Bishop Warin of Beauvais felt that he needed to include it in the oath.

The bishop wanted knights to swear against mistreating male and female villagers, sergeants, merchants, and pilgrims. This abuse he cited included robbery, whipping, physical attacks, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Arby's CEO leading a hugely successful turnaround of the brand shares his 3 favorite management books

$
0
0

paul brown arbys

When Paul Brown joined Arby's as its CEO in May 2013, he was faced with the challenge of revitalizing a 50-year-old brand.

It had begun to recover from operating at a loss of $350 million when it was split off from the Wendy's/Arby's group in 2011, but its new majority owner, the private equity firm Roark Capital Group, felt it had untapped potential.

Roark hired Brown from the hotel group Hilton Worldwide. Brown spent his first six months on the job interviewing as many people as possible in the company, from the leadership team to restaurant employees across the US.

He oversaw a brand transformation that made the company relevant again, and last year Arby's had its most successful year ever, with $3.7 billion in total sales and an average of $1.1 million in sales-per-store in the US, up 20% from 2013.

We spoke with Brown about his business philosophy, and he shared his three favorite management books, which he said helped during the Arby's transformation.

SEE ALSO: The 15 best business books to read this summer

DON'T MISS: The Arby's CEO asked 1,000 US employees the same question before his hugely successful brand turnaround

'Moneyball' by Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis' 2003 bestseller, later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film, tells the story of how the Oakland A's manager Billy Beane transformed the game of baseball during the team's 2002 season.

The A's had the third lowest salary in Major League Baseball, but still managed to outperform their previous season despite many big-name players on opposing teams. Beane stretched the A's salary by building a team focused on statistics like on-base percentage rather than ones like batting average, which data analysis proved to be less important.

Brown sees Arby's as the A's and much larger competitors like McDonald's as the New York Yankees, he told us.

Brown said that many people don't think of it as he does, "but 'Moneyball,' I think, is a phenomenal management book."

Find it here »



'Start with Why' by Simon Sinek

"People don't buy what you do," leadership consultant Simon Sinek said in a massively popular TED Talk based on his 2009 book "Start with Why.""People buy why you do it."

This simple but potentially profound idea was front of mind for Brown when he became Arby's CEO. He realized that Arby's had switched marketing approaches so frequently that its own employees no longer knew what the company stood for.

After a six-month listening tour, Brown led a reimagining of Arby's as a company that would offer customers products they couldn't get from any competitor, from a company that was both playful and welcoming.

Find it here »



'A Whole New Mind' by Daniel Pink

When we spoke to Brown, he had a copy of Daniel Pink's 2005 book in front of him.

Pink argues that creativity and innovation need to be given utmost importance in every organization, well beyond Silicon Valley. Brown has taken this point to heart.

Brown said that the fast food companies that are succeeding today are those that are managing to stay innovative without alienating core customers. It's why he oversaw a significant redesign of Arby's restaurants, as well as the introduction of 20 new menu items.

"If you don't like constantly coming up with new ideas and having to rethink the product, then this is not the industry for you," Brown said.

Find it here »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are the 20 players most likely to switch teams before the MLB trade deadline

$
0
0

Jose Quintana

It may be the middle of summer, but the hot stove is gathering steam nonetheless. The MLB trade deadline lies just around the corner, and with it will come the kind of chaos that's usually found only during the earliest days of the offseason.

This year's non-waiver deadline is set for July 31 at 4 p.m. 

Some teams have already been identified as trade-deadline sellers, and others should come out of the woodwork over the next two weeks. No matter what, we're sure to see at least a few big names get traded, just as Jose Quintana was earlier this week.

Below is a breakdown of 20 players who could be on the move before July 31, as well as some key stats and potential landing spots (all statistics are through the All-Star break).

Yonder Alonso

1B, Oakland Athletics

Key stats: .275/.372/.562, 20 HR, 151 OPS+

Key info: One of many participants in MLB's uppercut revolution, Alonso reached the 10-home run plateau for the first time in his career back in May and has been solid, if not spectacular, since then. He can slot into any lineup as a first baseman or DH, and the Twins have received merely average production from both positions this year.

Best fit: Minnesota Twins



Brandon Belt

1B, San Francisco Giants

Key stats: .243/.349/.470, 16 HR, 52 BB

Key info: In a perfect world, the Giants would probably keep Belt -- he's under team control through 2021, and at a reasonable salary to boot. But with a woeful record of 34-56, GM Brian Sabean needs to build a new core before his team can return to the postseason. The Yankees are ahead of their rebuilding schedule, and they need help at first base right now.

Best fit: New York Yankees



Jay Bruce

RF, New York Mets

Key stats: .266/.334/.538, 23 HR, 59 RBI

Key info: This veteran slugger is on pace for the best numbers of his career, but with just one year remaining on his contract, the hopeless Mets won't have much use for him down the stretch. Bruce has a partial no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to eight teams, but the Rockies -- who continue to give far too many at bats to Carlos Gonzalez -- aren't among them.

Best fit: Colorado Rockies



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Southerners swear by this regional chicken chain's breakfast menu — we went to see if it lives up to the hype (BOJA)

$
0
0

Bojangles 22

In the South, the biscuit makes the breakfast.

And the biscuit is the unquestionable star of the breakfast menu at Bojangles', a southern chicken and biscuit chain that has cultivated a fervent cult following. 

With over 700 locations in 11 states and Washington, DC, the chain has ensconced itself as a regional power player in the chicken game. 

Bojangles' is the fifth largest chicken chain in the country by sales, according to QSR Magazine

To see if Bojangles' chicken and biscuit-centric Southern breakfast lives up to the hype, Business Insider visited a location in Virginia. 

SEE ALSO: We tried the regional fried chicken chain many people say is the best in America to see if it lives up to the hype

The North Carolina-based chain has over 300 locations in that state alone, but we visited one in Charlottesville, Virginia.



It was late in the morning, but we had no qualms — Bojangles' serves breakfast all day. The breakfast menu is fairly large, offering a bevy of biscuit sandwiches as well as some classic morning sides.



We ordered a decent representation of the menu: a chicken biscuit; a Cajun fillet biscuit' a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit; a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit; a country ham biscuit; a plain biscuit; a "Bo-Berry" biscuit; and "Bo rounds," the chain's take on hash browns.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 practical housewarming gifts for first-time homeowners

$
0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase

downloadFor the first-time homeowner, there’s a long grocery list of things they’re going to need and a tighter budget to fill those needs.

They’ll be buying matching bowls and plates, new silverware (have they really had 17x more forks than spoons all this time?) and trying to fill their new place with decorations and nicer versions of whatever was suiting the same purpose in their childhood home or college dorm.

Since they might not have as much money as they wish when just starting out, the most thoughtful gifts often intersect with the most useful ones. The only reason they will want a piece of artwork you picked out or a portable reflection pool is if they can sell it and then stock the hallway closet with toilet paper from the sale.

Below, we collected 17 gifts that the first-time homeowner really wants, needs, and will appreciate from any of their loved ones.

DON'T MISS: 11 tricks to keeping your home cool this summer

A trusted cookbook to get them started on cooking

If it's your first house or apartment, it might also be your first time really relying on your own prowess in the kitchen. A well-known, trusted cookbook like this one is both helpful and thoughtful. 

Gift an Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa cookbook



A Blue Apron gift card for groceries

While they get settled in, groceries or a trip to the store are things they might not want to have to worry about. A Blue Apron gift card is one thoughtful way of taking one more thing off their plate by just delivering a bunch of healthy, pre-portioned meals to their doorstep instead. 

Gift a Blue Apron gift card



A Brooklinen gift card to get some of the best sheets money can buy

Brooklinen sheets are classic, clean, and incredibly comfortable, which is why they're one of our favorite Insider Picks. They'll probably want to pick it out for themselves, but a gift card is a perfect way to give them a luxury they'll be extremely happy to have, but maybe don't want to spend the money on right now. 

Gift a Brooklinen gift card



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are Goldman Sachs's top 13 'rule of ten' growth stocks

$
0
0

Elon Musk toast champagne Tesla SpaceX celebration

Goldman Sachs released a new report detailing some of what it views as important data points, market observations, and investor recommendations.

The report includes a list of secular growth stocks that trade at "reasonable valuations."

The list was compiled using Goldman Sachs's "rule of ten" criteria. In order to be included on the list, a stock must have each of the following:

  1. At least 10% long term EPS growth
  2. At least 10% 2015A and 2016E sales growth
  3. At least 10% 2017E and 2018E sales growth

Of the over 750 stocks analyzed, 60 met all three criteria. The top 13 include some of the largest companies by market cap in the world like Netflix, Amazon, and Tesla, along with some lesser known companies as well.

Here are the top 13 "rule of ten" secular growth stocks trading at reasonable valuations, arranged by Goldman Sachs's growth forecast for 2107.

Screen Shot 2017 07 13 at 3.45.06 PM

Tesla, Inc.

Ticker:TSLA

Sector: Consumer Discretionary

Market Cap: $51 billion

Total Return YTD: 45%

Realized Sales Growth

2015: 27%

2016: 73%

Goldman Sachs Realized Growth Forecast

2017: 72%

2018: 34%

Long Term EPS Growth: 35%

EV/Sales: 6.3x

Source: Compustat, FactSet, and Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. As of July 6, 2017.



Pure Storage Inc.

Ticker:PSTG

Sector: Information Technology

Market Cap: $3 billion

Total Return YTD: 11%

Realized Sales Growth

2015: 152%

2016: 65%

Goldman Sachs Realized Growth Forecast

2017: 39%

2018: 29%

Long Term EPS Growth: 35%

EV/Sales: 2.7x

Source: Compustat, FactSet, and Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. As of July 6, 2017.



Zendesk, Inc.

Ticker:ZEN

Sector: Information Technology

Market Cap: $3 billion

Total Return YTD: 29%

Realized Sales Growth

2015: 64%

2016: 49%

Goldman Sachs Realized Growth Forecast

2017: 35%

2018: 30%

Long Term EPS Growth: 26%

EV/Sales: 5.1x

Source: Compustat, FactSet, and Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. As of July 6, 2017.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

UBS: Here are the 10 most crowded bets in the stock market

$
0
0

Alibaba IPO Jack Ma

UBS released a list of what its equities analysts view to be the most crowded trades in the market right now.

As active managers pile into these stocks, the price climbs. This moving-with-the-herd strategy can pay off in a bull market.

But there is risk built into that strategy as well. Essentially, the first sign of trouble can lead to a rush to sell with everyone rushing towards the exits.

UBS put together this overweight list using institutional ownership data provided by FactSet.

The list ranges from internet giants like Google and Alibaba to healthcare companies like UnitedHealth and Medtronic.

Check out the list of 10 stocks below:

Aflac Incorporated

Ticker:AFL

Investor Weight: 0.4%

Active Weight: 0.3%

WoW Change: Up

Source: FactSet, MSCI, UBS Quantitative Research



UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

Ticker: UNH

Investor Weight: 0.6%

Active Weight: 0.2%

WoW Change: Up

Source: FactSet, MSCI, UBS Quantitative Research



Broadcom Limited

Ticker: AVGO

Investor Weight: 0.4%

Active Weight: 0.2%

WoW Change: Up

Source: FactSet, MSCI, UBS Quantitative Research



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I'm gluten-free and survived on nothing but fast food for 5 days — here's what happened

$
0
0

Chick-fil-A gluten free

I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance six years ago and have been gluten-free ever since.

In that time, it has become easier and easier to find gluten-free foods, especially in New York City where I live. 

That is, unless we're talking about fast food. 

Even though an estimated2.7 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet, fast-food restaurants in the US haven't done much to appeal to this growing population of people who avoid foods like bread and pasta made with wheat.

In an effort to survey the gluten-free landscape, I set out on a mission to see if I could survive only on fast-food for five days. My most important rule was to only eat at fast-food chains and consume at least three meals a day. 

Here's how I did it:

First, I mapped out exactly what I could eat.



I kicked off day one with breakfast at McDonald's.

This was my first time eating breakfast at McDonald's so it was a momentous moment. My first hurdle was finding something filling that I could actually eat.

What I ate: Yogurt Parfait (without granola) and two bags of apple slices. 

Verdict: The yogurt was extremely sweet. I gave up halfway through and decided to move on to the apple slices, assuming that these would be a safe bet. I was wrong. The apples were peeled and had lost all their crunch. Overall, not a good start to the day.



By lunch I was starving, so I headed to Shake Shack for a burger.

Shack Shack is one of two fast-food chains that offers a gluten-free bun and prides itself on serving 100 percent Angus beef meat, free of hormones and antibiotics.

What I ate: Shake Shack's gluten-free bun with a burger patty.

The verdict: I was so insistent that my meal be gluten-free that I confused the server when ordering. I ended up with a very bland sandwich that didn't contain Shake Shack's typical burger toppings, like tomato and lettuce. While the bread was tasty, it felt dry, and the limp meat inside was a bit disappointing. But at least I was full. 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How a Jewish deli run by Muslims became the symbol of a changing neighborhood

$
0
0

pastrami sandwich, Davids Brisket House

The Jewish delicatessen is an iconic American institution. Nowhere else in the world will you find a local shop so focused on the preparation of beef by curing, brining, and poaching.

Pastrami, corned beef, and brisket are usually the trifecta of meats atop the menu at traditional Jewish delis. These beloved dishes grew in popularity in the 1930s, when the Jewish delis — then competing with the newly arrived supermarkets — began serving to-go items, including the now-classic pastrami on rye. While they're not quite as common today, there were up to 300 delis serving kosher dishes in New York City by the 1960s. 

These days, in the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant — or Bed-Stuy — in Brooklyn, you'll find David's Brisket House, a Jewish deli that has been owned by the same Muslim family for 50 years. 

The deli was originally kosher, owned by a Jewish family, but when its former owners put it on the market in the 1960s, it was bought by two business partners: one, a Yemenite Muslim, and the other a Yemenite Jew.

The partners decided that instead of changing the menu, they would keep customers coming back for their beloved meats. 

Today, even as Bed-Stuy faces vast socioeconomic change and gentrification, David's Brisket House has survived as a neighborhood staple and a truly unique blend of cultures. The deli has stayed in the family and is now run by Riyadh Gazali, the nephew of one of the partners. 

We paid a visit to David's Brisket House to learn more about the miraculous meat — here's what we saw. 

SEE ALSO: A hated, mile-long highway shows an overlooked problem with America's infrastructure — but it could soon come crumbling down

The deli is across the street from its original location. After the two men purchased it back in the 1960s, they started preparing meats in the halal tradition, but much of the menu remained the same. "It was actually a full-scale Jewish deli," Gazali told Business Insider. "[My uncle] was [serving] the tongue, the kidney, veggie platters — he was [serving] a lot of stuff. That's a lot of work for one person to do."

When it comes to preparing meat, the kosher tradition is slightly more laborious than the halal tradition. Kosher practices include the removal of certain forbidden fat and veins from the animal, followed by a soak in water and various salts. But when it comes to the slaughtering, both religions focus on the fact that the animal must be killed in a humane way.

"It's not shot, it's not electrucuted, it's not tortured," Gazali said. "Then it's considered halal."
 



Since taking over the business full-time in 2010, Gazali has simplified the menu. The brisket is the only meat they prepare fully in-house.



It's not simple. "It's a four-hour process to cook the brisket," he said. "The heavier weight it is, the longer it cooks. It's oven-baked with vegetables like carrots, celery, and garlic. It needs a lot of attention — every thirty minutes we have to check on it to add water and flip it."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Simply getting more organized saved me over $1,000 a month

$
0
0

young woman laptop outside park working thinking

All you have to do is peek into my purse — which holds everything from bottles of bubble solution to receipts from 2011 — to realize organization isn't my strong suit.

And I never minded — until I became a full-time freelancer and realized my disorganized lifestyle was costing me time, money and sanity.

The tipping point came recently on a weeklong vacation. Our first day away, I got a text: A food subscription box had arrived. Seconds later, my phone vibrated again. A second food subscription box from a different company had also been delivered. I thought I had skipped the week, but apparently I hadn't.

Each was $60, and I couldn't help but think of the $120 wasted. While I was eventually able to pass along the boxes to neighbors, I realized I needed to shore up my money strategy. Here's what I did — and how much I saved.

SEE ALSO: Most people blow 70% of their money on 3 things — and cutting back could be the key to retiring much earlier

1. I cut unused subscriptions.

As soon as I got home from that vacation, I did what many financial pros suggest: I printed out my credit and debit statements for the past month, took out a highlighter, and marked every auto-charge. I finally saw that with two $60-subscriptions a week, I was spending a $480 a month on meal delivery!

Instead of skipping weeks (I was unreliable about that, clearly) I nixed them altogether.

I also cut all the smaller charges that added up: an $8.99 subscription to a TV channel I never watched, a $15 subscription to a music-streaming channel, and a $20 subscription to a dating service I hadn't used in over a year.

Amount Saved: $524 a month



2. I signed up for rewards programs.

Every time I ran to my local pharmacy for toilet paper or milk, I was asked to sign up for their rewards program — $5 off every $50 spent. I always said no because I was in a hurry, but with my newfound "get my finances in order" mindset, I finally opted in. I could easily pocket $5 each week.

I signed up for a few other rewards programs around town and realized that "just" $5 could lead to significant savings by month's end. I also appreciated the in-store discounts — why spend $5 on cereal when the customer-card price is $2.50?

Amount Saved: $50 a month



3. I bought in bulk.

I'd already gotten savvy to bulk-buying diapers, but I realized so much of my spending was going to the same items all the time. Instead of making a weekly run for Cheddar Bunnies, apple sauce pouches, paper towels and seltzer, I bought in bulk via Amazon Fresh and PrimePantry and saved $5 to $10 on each item vs. buying á la carte.

Amount Saved: $50 a month



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 18 incredible products didn't exist 10 years ago

$
0
0

Steve Jobs using an iPad

The world was a very different place 10 years ago. 

A decade ago, you couldn't order an Uber on your phone. You couldn't surf the web on Google Chrome. You couldn't rent a place to stay on demand with Airbnb. 

Several incredible products and services have been invented in the last 10 years — some, in the last five or eight. Thanks to a tweet from Button cofounder Chris Maddern, we were inspired to look into some of the cool, convenient things the tech world has invented since 2007. 

Take a look. 

SEE ALSO: 17 helpful Google products and services you never knew existed

1. The iPad

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad seven years ago, he described it was "the best browsing experience you'll ever have." 

"It's unbelievably great. Way better than a laptop, way better than a smartphone,"Jobs said on stage in January 2010. 

The original iPad cost between $499 and $829. Since then, the device has gone through several iterations and several price points — most recently, Apple unveiled a new $649, 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a $329, 9.7-inch iPad



2. Google Chrome

Google unveiled its Chrome browser on September 1, 2008. 

"On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple," Google CEO Sundar Pichai (who was vice president of product management at the time) wrote on the official Google blog.

"Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast," Pichai wrote. "It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go."



3. Snapchat

Snapchat first launched on the App Store in the summer 2011 as a messaging app for sending disappearing photos. At the time, it was called Pictaboo, but it had the same now-famous ghost icon, Ghostface Chillah. By September 2011, the name had changed to Snapchat and began to catch on with Los Angeles teens. 

Six years later, Snapchat is an $18 billion public company and has expanded into partnerships with publishers, TV-like shows, hardware products, and augmented reality. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What caffeine does to your body and brain

$
0
0

happy man drinking coffee

Many of us can't start our day without a jolt of caffeine.

Various caffeinated drinks affect your health in different ways — a new study shows coffee seems to be associated with longer life, while many energy drinks have surprisingly high sugar levels.

Caffeine itself is a stimulant with some positive and negative effects. It makes most of us feel more alert, awake, and focused, but too much can also backfire.

It also affects a host of processes in our bodies, including our digestion, metabolism, and vision. 

Here's what's really going on after you drink a cup of joe.

SEE ALSO: Drinking more coffee is associated with a longer life, according to new research

Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world.

One of the things rarely mentioned about caffeine is that it is, in fact, a drug. In fact, it’s the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world, which is probably why we don’t think about it as a drug.

Caffeine has psychoactive effects, and changes the way we feel and interact with the world around us. Yet think of how many of us can’t — or won’t — go through a day without it.

Harvard neuroscientist Charles Czeisler has hypothesized that caffeine, combined with electricity, allowed humans to escape natural patterns of sleep and wakefulness, breaking them free from the cycle of the sun. That change, he wrote in National Geographic, enabled the “great transformation of human economic endeavor from the farm to the factory.”



It makes us feel alert, at least for a while.

It’s normal to grow tired as the day progresses — our brains naturally producemore of a molecule called adenosine from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. Scientists think this helps us get to bed at night.

Caffeine hijacks this natural process by mimicking adenosine in the brain. It latches onto the receptors designed for adenosine, pushing them out of the way. As a result, we’re left feeling more alert and awake.

Eventually, however, adenosine wises up to caffeine’s act and makes new receptors for the sleep-inducing molecule to start latching onto again.

This is why your morning cup of coffee can suddenly turn into two — the more receptors you have, the more caffeine you need to plug them up.



It boosts our mood.

As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine doesn’t just boost alertness, it can also improve your mood.

This is due to the same adenosine-blocking effect that makes you feel alert. By blocking adenosine’s relaxing effects, caffeine lets dopamine and glutamine (other natural stimulants produced by your brain) run wild, making you more alert, less bored, and providing a mood boost.

Interestingly, a number of studies have found a connection between caffeine consumption and a reduced risk of depression— especially when it's consumed in the form of coffee. Research has even suggested caffeine lowers the risk of suicide, at least for men. However, at least one of these studies only found this connection with caffeinated coffee, not tea, though others found the same effect for tea as well.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Viewing all 61683 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images