• Nothing says summer like a sun-drenched rooftop bar and an ice-cold cocktail. 
• Every state in the US has a bar or restaurant that's opened up its space to the outdoors. 
• Some spots have mountain or skyline views, others have breweries and pools — here are the best rooftop bars in all 50 states. 

In case the sweat you broke walking to your car this morning didn't tell you, we're in the full swing of summer. And nothing says summer quite like hitting up a sun-drenched rooftop bar and beating the heat with an ice-cold cocktail. As rooftop drinking has been the warm-weather happy hour of choice in America for the past decade or so, literally every state has a bar or restaurant that's made the most of its elevated outdoor space. Some are breweries with views of the mountains, others swanky rooftop joints in big cities that make you feel a part of the skyline. But wherever you live, you're guaranteed to have at least one great option; here is the best rooftop bar in all 50 states.

SEE ALSO: The most popular tourist attraction in every state

Alabama

Battle House Hotel
Mobile
When the historic, iconic Battle House was constructed way back in 1852, the founders obviously had only one thing in mind: rooftop pool parties. That kinda went by the wayside when the place served as a Civil War hospital, which later burned down in 1905, but the reconstructed version now boasts a rooftop bar with views out over the bay and Mobile skyline, complete with a big swimming pool to cool off on those hot Alabama summer weekends.

Alaska

49th State Brewing
Anchorage
Nothing lets you know you're in Alaska like sitting under the sun at a rooftop bar, gazing out at Cook Inlet and the Alaska Range in the distance … and realizing it's almost midnight. But that's totally the thing to do during summer when the expansive rooftop patio of this local brewery has some of the best vistas of any place in the city, available at almost all hours. On particularly clear days, you can even snag a view of Denali, though those are few and far between.

Arizona

Lustre Bar
Phoenix
About this time of year, getting even a few stories closer to the sun in Arizona sounds downright painful. So maybe wait until sunset and enjoy the changing colors against the red mountains at this rooftop bar at the Kimpton Palomar in Downtown Phoenix. As you look at said sunset, cool off with a Papa Piña with Hornitos tequila, caramelized pineapple, lime, and agave, then relax on a comfy couch under purple evening lights and enjoy the sun's absence.

The startup market has reached a point of maturity, with more and more startups seeing their valuations explode thanks to fruitful initial public offerings and acquisitions, according to Goldman Sachs' Views from the Valley report, published last week.

Despite a name that indicated uniqueness, quite a few startups are unicorns — private companies valued at $1 billion or more. In recent months, the number of unicorns has nearly tripled, rising from 54 at the beginning of 2017 to 158 in the second quarter of 2018, according to the report. 

But as the market gets more mature, the number of new unicorns is decelerating. Between 2014 and 2016, there was an average of 15 to 16 new unicorns each quarter. Now, there is an average of 5 to 6, though Q2 2018 only saw one new unicorn: the gaming communication software company Discord, which was last valued at $1.6 billion. 

Meanwhile, more and more of these $1 billion+ companies have seen big exits in the last few months, both through IPO and acquisition. 

In Q2 2018, 10 of these unicorn tech startups had major exits. These were the biggest exits, according to Goldman Sachs: 

SEE ALSO: Salesforce owns $1 billion worth of other companies — here are its four biggest investments in public companies

Spotify was worth $29.5 billion when it went public

The Stockholm, Sweden-based music streaming platform Spotify went public in April at a valuation of $29.5 billion — $10 billion more than its last funding round, which valued the company at $19 billion. 

DocuSign was valued at $4.5 billion when it went public

When the e-signature and transaction company DocuSign went public in April, it was valued around $4.5 billion, far above its last funding round, which valued it at $3 billion. 

Avast Software went public with a valuation around $3.08 billion

When the Czech cybersecurity company Avast Software went public in May, it was valued at around £2.4 billion, or $3.08 billion. Its last funding round valued the company at $1 billion.

Several months ago, one of my worst tech fears was realized: I cracked my iPhone screen. 

In three years of owning iPhones, I've never cracked my screen or significantly damaged my phone in any way. So when my iPhone 6S broke my fall on the subway steps recently — an embarrassing and slightly painful way to crack my screen — I was bummed to say the least.

As I contemplated the future of my phone (to repair or not to repair?) I figured it was as good a time as any to test out the iPhone 8 Plus. 

I ended up using the phone for about a week, swapping in my own SIM card and using the phone as my full-time device. When the week was up and it was time to switch back to my own phone, I figured I'd feel a bit sad giving up a gorgeous, flawless device and going back to my older, damaged one. Instead, I felt the opposite.

Here's why:

SEE ALSO: The new Kindle Oasis is the best e-reader you can buy

The iPhone 8 Plus is still just too big for me.

The 8 Plus was a big change for a lot of reasons, the main one being the size of it compared to my standard-sized 6S. 

The phone felt gigantic to me. I couldn't get used to the size, even after several days of using it. I felt myself having to change almost every habit I had to accommodate the huge phone, and constantly felt nervous I was going to drop it. I have relatively small hands, and I had a lot of trouble using the device, even with Apple's Reachability feature that lets you better reach content towards the top of the screen by double-tapping the home button. 

I can't live without a headphone jack (yet).

Apple removed the headphone jack from its phones a while back, and I'm still not used to it. I understand why they did it — it's where technology is headed, and I'm OK with that. My qualm is that it still feels premature. 

There were countless moments when I forgot I didn't have a headphone jack on the 8 Plus. When traveling home for Thanksgiving, I brought along my on-ear Sony headphones to use on the plane, since they're the best, comfiest headphones I have — and of course, they couldn't plug into the phone.

When trying to make a phone call, I grabbed the Apple EarPods that came with my 6S only to remember I couldn't use those, either. 

I know what you're thinking: Bluetooth headphones are the solution here. That's not the issue; I love Bluetooth headphones. I have a pair of Powerbeats, which are great for working out and listening to music, but they sound terrible when using them to make phone calls, so they can't be my full-time headphones.

For now, I prefer having a headphone jack too much to let go of my 6S.

The iPhone 8 Plus is too heavy.

The iPhone 8 Plus has a glass back, which makes it heavier than its predecessors — it weighs 7.12 ounces. 

That doesn't sound like a lot, but compared to the iPhone 6S, it feels like a brick. The 6S, with its aluminum body, weighs only 5.04 ounces. When I eventually switched back to the 6S, I laughed out loud at how light it felt in comparison. I never thought the weight of a phone would bother me, but I now realize I prefer a more lightweight device to something heavier like the iPhone 8 Plus. 

Over the past 32 years, Burning Man has evolved from a bonfire among friends in San Francisco to an international phenomenon attended by modern-day hippies and tech moguls alike.

Roughly 70,000 "burners" descended on the playa in Black Rock City, Nevada, last weekend for the annual counterculture gathering. The festival is offering its fare of surreal art installations, 130 musical acts, celebrity sightings, and out-of-this-world fashion. This year's Burning Man kicked off on August 26.

Some say you have to experience the world of Burning Man to understand its magic. In the meantime, these photos of Burning Man 2017 offer a glimpse of what it's like to attend.

SEE ALSO: Photos of tech workers having the time of their lives at Burning Man

Each year, a city rises on a remote swath of desert in Nevada. Burners call this temporary metropolis "Black Rock City."

The festival forms in the same shape every year: a giant semi-circle.

Nearly 70,000 people, known as "burners," come for the nine-day event.

For a long time, Bernal Heights was the best kept secret in San Francisco real estate.

Short commutes into downtown, relatively affordable homes, and panoramic hilltop views made it a desirable place for artists, musicians, and tech workers to settle down.

But the residential enclave located south of the city's Mission District and Noe Valley has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, causing home prices to appreciate 111% over the past six years. The median sales price for a two-bedroom abode is $1.58 million.

In 2014, real-estate site Redfin named the north slope of Bernal Heights, an area that's densely packed with million-dollar homes, the hottest neighborhood in America based on increases in search traffic to local listings.

I spent an afternoon in Bernal Height's northern end to see what the buzz is about.

SEE ALSO: What it's like to live inside one of the iconic 'Painted Lady' homes in San Francisco

Bernal Heights has a small town feel while still being in a central part of San Francisco.

It sits south of the city's downtown and is bisected by Cortland Avenue, a main shopping strip populated by small markets, cafes, restaurants, and hair and nail salons.

I started my day north of Cortland at Café St. Jorge, a Portuguese-inspired coffee shop and restaurant where I found young people catching up with friends and working on laptops.

One week after the late Sen. John McCain died from brain cancer, more than 2,000 prominent business, media, military, and political figures gathered at the Washington National Cathedral for a memorial ceremony.

McCain's casket arrived in Washington, DC Thursday evening after a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Arizona statehouse to receive the honor of laying in state in the Capitol Rotunda. McCain's casket was carried by joint service members to a motorcade, which stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on its way to the cathedral.

After five days of formal tributes and ceremonies, Saturday's service was a chance for politicians and citizens alike to celebrate the six-term senator with eulogies and hymns in the heart of the Nation's Capital.

Here's how the service unfolded:

SEE ALSO: Former presidents, congressional leaders, and the military commend John McCain's storied life and service

The late Sen. John McCain was the 31st person to lie-in-state in the Capitol Rotunda Friday ahead of his memorial service.

Source: Business Insider

Joint service members of a military casket team led a processional down the Capitol steps to a motorcade that escorted the McCain family to the memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral.

McCain's family watched as the procession brought the casket to the motorcade.

Booking with a budget airline is always a risk, but with a number of out-of-country weddings to attend this summer, when Nordic airline Primera Air announced its £99 transatlantic flight sale in March, the deal was too good for me to resist.

The airline introduced transatlantic flights from London to New York, Boston, Washington DC, and Toronto earlier this year— and there were 99 tickets on offer in the sale for each of the routes.

Primera appears to have even cheaper deals from the US, with a number of $99 fares available to Paris and London. There were even some $69 one-way fares available at the time of writing this.

On the day of the £99 sale, the site was so busy I couldn't get on it for hours — but I still managed to bag a one-way fare from London Stansted to Toronto Pearson for August.

The "light" fare — which normally starts at £149 one way from London — only includes the seat and 10kg hand luggage, so I paid £24.99 extra for a 23kg checked bag and £19.99 for an XL reserved seat, paying a total of £143.98 for the one-way ticket.

However, I was one of a number of lucky customers who were bumped up to the premium economy cabin, which would normally start at £499 each way, or $749 from the US.

Since not all reviews of the airline have been positive, I expected this would just mean I'd receive some food and perhaps board before other passengers — but it was far more luxurious than I thought.

Scroll down to see what it's like to fly premium economy on Primera Air.

I managed to bag a one-way fare from London Stansted to Toronto Pearson for £99 as part of Primera Air's transatlantic sale.

The "light" fare — which normally starts at £149 one way from London to Toronto — only includes the seat and 10kg hand luggage, so I paid £24.99 extra for a 23kg checked bag and £19.99 for an XL reserved seat, paying a total of £143.98 for the one-way ticket.

"Comfort" economy fares, which include a checked bag and priority seating, start at £199 each way, while the "flex" fare which also includes a meal — and is refundable — starts from £419.

However, I was one of a number of lucky customers who were bumped up to the premium economy cabin, which would normally start at £499, or $749 for flights from the US. This meant I got to pick my seat in the premium cabin. Here's what the layout looked like:

• The Airbus A350-1000 entered service earlier this year with Qatar Airways. 
• It's the latest in a new generation of fuel-efficient, carbon composite airliners to launch in recent years.
• The A350-1000 is seen as a rival for Boeing 777-300ER and a replacement for the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. 

The Airbus A350-1000 entered service with Qatar Airways in February. It is the latest in a new generation of the fuel-efficient, carbon-composite, wide-body airliners to launch in recent years. 

With four-engine jumbo jets like the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380 quickly losing favor with airlines, smaller, more efficient twin-engine widebodies have taken their place as the industry's workhorse long-haul jets. In fact, Virgin Atlantic is expected to replace its 747-400s with a fleet of A350-1000s over the next few years. 

Thus far, the Boeing 777 is the most successful of the twin-engine wide-bodies with 1,988 sold since its debut in 1994. Launched in 2002, the Boeing 777-300ER is, by far, the most popular version of the twin-jet and accounts for about 42% of the plane's sales total. 

Airbus has 890 orders for the A350; 168 of which are for the Dash 1000. 

Until the A350-1000's arrival, Airbus didn't really have a true rival for the 777-300ER. The A330-300 had the size, but not quite the range while the quad-engine A340-600 had the range and the capacity, but was far less efficient. 

In fact, Qatar is actually operating the A350-1000 alongside its existing fleet of 777-300ERs. 

"The A350-1000 is performing very well in our fleet," Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said to a roundtable of reporters at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow in July. "Actually, it's performing better than what we envisaged."

According to Airbus, the A350 is capable of delivering 25% better fuel efficiency and a 25% unit costs compared to previous generation aircraft like the 777. 

"Yes, they are right," Al Baker said regarding Airbus's efficiency claims. "And this is why Boeing has launched the 777X to compete against the fuel efficiency of the Airbus A350-1000."

Qatar Airways also has orders in place for 60 of Boeing next-generation 777X airliners that are expected to enter service in 2020.

The Doha, Qatar-based airline was also the launch customer of the smaller A350-900 back in 2014. 

At the Farnborough Air Show, Airbus brought along an A350-1000 prototype for flight demonstrations while Qatar Airways showed off one of its Dash 1000s for guests and journalists. 

Here's a closer look at the new Airbus A350-1000:

SEE ALSO: Airlines are using these 5 planes to replace the Boeing 747 jumbo jet

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Airbus brought two A350-1000s to the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow. One for flight displays and...

...The other, belonging to launch customer Qatar Airways, to serve as a static display.

The first A350-1000 entered service with Qatar in February.

Corals might look like curious oddities — the strange organisms are animals but have the appearance of plants out of a science-fiction universe.

But these animals are essential to the health of the ocean as we know it.

Because of that, corals are far more important to people than many realize. Yet they're dying rapidly: According to some estimates, 50% of the world's coral has died in the past 30 years. Reefs are being wiped out by pollution from cities and farms and destroyed by fishing practices. Most importantly, as the world's temperature rises, oceans are absorbing vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide. That means they're becoming warmer and more acidic faster than corals can adapt.

This could have serious consequences. A recent study outlined 31 of the essential services that marine ecosystems provide to people. These range from the obvious — like seafood and areas for tourism — to benefits that are far less straightforward but essential: at least 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from a healthy ocean.

Reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, yet 25% of fish species spend some part of their life cycles in them, making corals absolutely essential to ocean health. Estimates of the overall economic value of reefs suggest they contribute between $30 billion and more than $375 billion to the world economy annually, though some scientists say those figures are far too low.

So there are pressing reasons to save the world's coral. In the long term, that will require we limit climate change so ocean temperatures and acidity stop spiking. But researchers have also devised ways to try to help dead reefs bounce back more quickly.

Biologists have designed ways to grow corals, either in labs or in special underwater farms, at rates far faster than they naturally grow in the wild. In some cases, they've identified corals that are particularly resilient to warm or acidic water and focused on nurturing those. Then scientists take those newly grown corals and replant them on natural reefs to try to bring them back.

Here's how it works.

SEE ALSO: The quest to save the fragile reefs Earth's oceans depend on

Branching corals can resemble animal antlers — some species are named staghorn and elkhorn. They provide incredibly important habitats, but vast numbers of them have died off.

To regrow these types of corals, divers tie fragments to underwater "trees" of PVC pipes. The technique was developed by the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo, Florida.

Hanging from these man-made trees, the coral grows about four times as fast as it would on a rock or reef.

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The Kremlin released new photos on Monday of Russian president Vladimir Putin taking a break from his official duties to go hiking in Siberia with his top security chiefs, Reuters reports.

In the past, the 65-year-old leader often posed shirtless in his official vacation photos, but he's fully clothed in this year's images and looks somewhat somber at times.

During an interview with an Australian journalist in June, Putin defended past pictures of him on vacation in which he was bare-chested.

"When I am on vacation I see no need to hide behind the bushes, and there is nothing wrong with that,"Putin said.

SEE ALSO: 'I see no need to hide behind the bushes': Putin defends shirtless photos of himself

DON'T MISS: Russian president Vladimir Putin returned from his annual shirtless vacation

Putin's mini-vacation occurred as he was on his way to the Siberian city of Kemerovo, a coal mining hub, according to the Kremlin.

"The president, on his way to Kemerovo, decided to fly out earlier and spend Saturday and Sunday in Tuva, on the Yenisei River," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "He walked in the mountains, admired the beautiful views."

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu joined Putin on his trip.

Nepal is full of contrasts.

Sandwiched between China and India, the country's 30 million residents are scattered across a stark geography, from the snowy Himalayan plateau to sweltering jungle and arid plains.

A common refrain among Nepali people is that if you were to spread the country flat, it would be one of the largest in the world. Perhaps as a consequence of the country's topography, Nepal's people represent a panoply of ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages, with varying styles of dress, cuisine, and architecture.

In Nepal's relatively cosmopolitan urban centers, you're just as likely to hear K-Pop blaring from taxi speakers as you are the latest Bollywood hit or the omnipresent Om Mani Padme Om, an ancient Sanskrit chant.

Tourism — along with remittance money sent back from citizens working abroad — is one of the largest drivers of Nepal's economy.

Most visitors and backpackers take a few well-trodden paths through the country, mostly in places where Western food and a toilet (with toilet paper) are almost always available.

Tangting, a village I had the pleasure of visiting for the second time in July, is not one of those places.

My girlfriend's family originally hails from the village. Having that connection is one of the few ways an outsider can spend time there and get to know the place. 

Situated in what Nepalis refer to as "hill" country, Tangting is a village of around 400 people in a deep valley under the shadow of Annapurna, one of the world's deadliest peaks. A dense subtropical jungle and rice paddies carved into the valley color the area a deep green. The sounds of yaks with bells jingling around their necks can be heard, alongside women singing while they work the fields. 

It's a place where, just over a decade ago, a group of Maoist rebels made their last stand in the civil war that pulled the country apart. It's only now getting sewn back together. 

These days, a rush of development is occurring. Power lines now run to the village, as does a new dirt road that leads from Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city, to Tangting. 

The road is passable only in the dry season, however. So when we — myself, my girlfriend, and her family — traveled to Tangting during monsoon season, multiple landslides blocked our path, forcing us to walk most of the way. 

Here's what the journey and the village were like.

SEE ALSO: This record-breaking Everest climber has reached the summit nine times. She makes $11.50 per hour washing dishes at Whole Foods.

Reaching Tangting from Pokhara, the nearest major city, is an all-day affair.

The village is located deep within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected landscape.

The first step to get to the village is a three-hour Jeep ride over rough mountain roads. This road was built three years ago, during a wave of development spurred by the construction of a dam in the nearby Gandaki River.

Chinese and Indian conglomerates built the hydropower station on the Gandaki River, but the power isn't for the locals — it's for export.

The San Antonio Spurs run finally appears to be over, or at least close to it.

After Manu Ginobili retired on Monday, only Gregg Popovich remains of the original Spurs' dynasty. Tony Parker left in free agency this year, and Tim Duncan retired in 2016.

The core of Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, and Pop formed in 2002 when Ginobili entered the NBA. That 2002-03 Spurs team went on to win a championship, the first of four that the four men would share together.

But that team has plenty of other big names on it, too, from former All-Stars, legendary role players, notorious coaches, and more.

Here's where the 2002-03 Spurs team is today.

Tim Duncan was the leader of the Spurs. He averaged 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists per game that season en route to MVP and later, Finals MVP.

Duncan retired in 2016 after winning three more championships en route to becoming the Spurs' greatest player and one of the best players in NBA history. Today, he still works with the franchise in an unofficial capacity.

Tony Parker was just 20 years old and in his second NBA season, but he took over as the full-time starting point guard, averaging 15 points and 5 assists per game.

• When Congress returns to session on Tuesday, Republican leaders are looking to keep the government running and confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court justice.
• Democrats want to keep the government open, but they also are fighting to derail the nomination of Kavanaugh.
• Other items Congress looks to address Tuesday are passing a farm bill, renewing federal aviation programs, and grilling social media executives about foreign interference in their operations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Keep the government running and confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court justice.

Those are the big-ticket items that Republican leaders in Congress hope to accomplish as lawmakers look to wrap up their work and head home to campaign for the November elections.

Democrats want to keep the government open, but they also are fighting to derail the nomination of Kavanaugh, the second Supreme Court nominee from President Donald Trump.

Other items on the agenda when Congress returns Tuesday: passing a farm bill, renewing federal aviation programs, and grilling social media executives about foreign interference in their operations and whether they are biased against conservatives, as Trump has alleged.

A look at what's coming up on Capitol Hill:

Replacing Justice Kennedy

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge, on Tuesday with his introduction and opening statements from lawmakers.

Questioning of the nominee will begin the next day and testimony from the American Bar Association, outside legal experts and those who know him best will follow.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered the swing vote on some of the most important issues decided in recent years. Democrats are worried that Kavanaugh's confirmation will cement a right-leaning court for many years to come.

They contend his elevation could lead the court to restrict a woman's right to choose an abortion, equal rights for gays and lesbians and environmental protections.

With liberal advocacy groups adamantly opposed to Kavanaugh and Democrats wanting to fire up their base for the coming election, Senate questioning will be aggressive and opening statements forceful. But Republicans with their 50-49 majority have the edge.

Keeping the government open

Lawmakers face a Sept. 30 deadline to pass spending bills to keep the government open.

The House and Senate have both approved a series of measures, but have not agreed on a unified bill that could go the president's desk.

Lawmakers hope to approve at least three compromise bills that fund a large portion of the government, including the military and most civilian agencies, before the new budget year begin Oct. 1.

In a shift from previous years, the Senate has approved nine of 12 mandatory spending bills, enough to fund nearly 90% of the government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called that "an important step forward" and evidence that "Congress is in good hands" under GOP majorities in the House and Senate.

Still, lawmakers from both parties remain wary of a government shutdown, which Trump has threatened unless he gets a wall along the US-Mexico border. Democrats have resisted Trump's plan to spend $25 billion to fulfill that key Trump campaign promise.

A shutdown just weeks before the November elections would be the third under unified Republican control of Washington, following stoppages in January and February. That prospect has provoked widespread anxiety among Republicans facing tough re-election fights.

Trump has called a possible shutdown "a great political thing, because people want border security."

Negotiating a farm bill

Congress has until Sept. 30 to reauthorize farm programs that, among other things, provide payments to farmers when prices for major crops decline.

Pleas from farm groups for action come as they deal with the Trump administration's decision to use tariffs as leverage in trade disputes; major trading partners have responded with tariffs of their own on farm products from the US.

The farm bill also would extend food aid for low-income Americans. House-passed legislation significantly tightens existing work requirements for aid recipients, an approach Trump has said he hopes makes it into the final bill.

But the Senate version takes a more bipartisan approach and makes only modest changes to the food stamps, formally known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Led by Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., House Republicans have dug in on retaining work requirements in the bill. The two sides will begin hammering out a solution on Wednesday, when lawmakers start negotiating a compromise that can pass both chambers.

Box CEO Aaron Levie may have made his millions helping companies move their data to the cloud, but the 32-year-old founder still takes the time to sit down and read a book.

As the leader of a 1,960-person workforce with $500 million in annual revenue, it's up to Levie to set the tone at Box. So, even though Levie is known widely as the funniest CEO in enterprise tech, it's no surprise that his books of choice are actually quite serious.

Speaking on stage at BoxWorks, Box's annual user conference, Levie shared two books he believed that all of its attendees should read and absorb. 

Here's what he read:

SEE ALSO: Investors used to balk at startups for software developers — but after Microsoft bought GitHub for $7.5 billion, they’re all in

"Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility" by Patty McCord (2018)

Patty McCord, former chief talent officer at Netflix, gives her take on recruiting, motivating, and building great teams in "Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility."

McCord, who worked at Netflix from 1998 to 2012, stands against the old style of corporate HR, which she sees as a waste of time. Instead, she "advocates for radical honesty in the workplace, saying good-bye to employees who don’t fit the company’s emerging needs, and motivating with challenging work, not promises, perks, and bonus plans," according to the book description. 

Levie isn't the only person in Silicon Valley to take notice. McCord has gotten a lot of buzz since the book came out in early 2018. Arianna Huffington and Laurene Powell Jobs both endorsed McCord's book, as did Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. 

Read our interview with Patty McCord here.

"The Great Game of Business" by Jack Stack (1992)

"The Great Game of Business" first came to Levie's attention because it was referenced by McCord in her book Powerful.  It may have come out in 1992, but it continues to be influential today. 

In the book, author and long-time entrepreneur Jack Stack touts the idea of "open-book management," a style of office culture which loops everyone into the finances of the company so they know how things are going every step of the way. Stack's model of transparency and engagement was inspired by workers on the factory floor at International Harvester, which was going "down the tubes," according to the book summary. 

But it's found its way into the heart of Silicon Valley leaders as well. Stack, founder and CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation, even managed to create a whole franchise around the book, which includes coaches, classes and events built to teach the model. 

• Planning to travel to another country, even for a vacation, takes a lot of work.
• We compiled the ultimate guide to traveling around the world, which can help you in every step of the vacation-planning process.
• From applying for visas for your trips and finding an affordable flight to navigating the subway system, these 10 graphics have you covered.

Planning to travel to another country takes hard work.

Before you kick off your dream vacation, there's a seemingly endless checklist of things to accomplish, from applying for a visa and finding an affordable flight to figuring out the subway system once you land.

We feel your pain. That's why we created the ultimate guide to planning a vacation around the world.

Use these 10 graphics to help you every step of the planning process. They'll save you money, time, and stress

SEE ALSO: The most surprising things about America, according to a Silicon Valley engineer who moved from India 7 years ago

DON'T MISS: I've traveled to 25 countries, and here's my checklist for exactly what to do weeks, days, and hours before an international trip

Do you have a US passport? There's a difference between a passport book and a passport card.

For a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a passport, consult the US State Department website.

Many countries offer visas on arrival for US passport holders, while other countries require you to get one in advance.

Not every visa is free — check the US State Department's website to see how much a visa will cost and how long the application process takes for your destination.

Don't wait until the last minute to book your flight. Here's the historically best time to book for the best deals, depending on which region of the world you're visiting.

For travel to much of the world, you're best off booking more than six months in advance.

It might be over 90 degrees outside, but the fall TV shows are approaching. And there are a lot of them. 

We put together a list of all the notable new and returning shows coming in this fall and let you know whether you should watch them — or skip them.

The lineup for fall 2018 is promising, thanks to a slew of returning shows that had solid seasons last year, and quite a few new shows to look forward to. That's especially true for Netflix, which has "Big Mouth" returning in October, two Marvel shows returning with new seasons, and an exciting original teen rom-com "Sierra Burgess Is a Loser," starring Shannon Purser who played Barb on "Stranger Things."

There are also a few Amazon originals that are worth checking out, including "The Romanoffs" from "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner, and a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's "King Lear" starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. 

Here are all of the notable TV shows and TV movies premiering in fall 2018, and whether or not you should watch them:

SEE ALSO: The 5 most anticipated TV shows returning in September

NEW SHOWS:

"Mayans MC"— FX

Series premiere date: September 4

Should you watch it? You can skip. It's fine, but the spin-off is nowhere near as good as "Sons of Anarchy."

"Sierra Burgess Is a Loser"— Netflix

Premiere date: September 7

Should you watch it? Yes! This is another promising, light-hearted Netflix original movie that stars Barb from "Stranger Things," who is the star of this film and will not disappear after five minutes of screen time. 

• Time management can be a daily struggle for many of us.
• But there are plenty of ways to improve your productivity every day — 101 ways to be exact. 
• From grouping tasks together and writing procrastination lists to learning keyboard shortcuts and scheduling short breaks, there are methods to fit everyone's work style. 

For most of us, time management and staying productive is a daily struggle. Sometimes that's not the end of the world. But, if you don't address this sooner then later, the things you were supposed to do today get pushed to tomorrow, then the next day. Eventually, you could end-up several weeks behind.

That's not good for business or your stress-level. Thankfully, you can prevent that from happening by using these 101 time management and productivity tips. Let's start to gain yourself more time.

SEE ALSO: 5 super-successful people share the one hack they use to make the most of their time

1. Just breathe

Here's an interesting fact from Tom Evans, host of the Zone Show podcast. A tortoise's life expectancy is around 120 to 140 years, while an elephant lives for around 80 to 90 years. Even though our own life expectancy is increasing, it used to be just between 50 and 60 years.

2. Measure twice, cut once

My dad used to tell me, "Measure twice, cut once." This is actually a famous proverb for anyone involved in carpentry or building since it advises to do things right the first time around.

Double-check your work so that you don't spend the time going back and correcting your mistakes.

3. Turn off the TV

It's been found that we spend eight years and ten months of our lives watching TV— plus an additional eight months discussing plot holes and characters. Instead of watching so much television, spend that time on higher-leverage tasks.

There's a lot to love about Apple's computers. 

Primarily, macOS is the main draw. It's a sleek, clean, and simple-yet-complex operating system that gets a lot right compared to the more complicated Windows 10.

Yet, while they exude a sense of perfection, Apple's computers aren't always the best choice. There are several questionable aspects about MacBook laptops and Mac desktops. At least for me, Apple's computers are actually shifting the spotlight toward Windows computers because of those questionable and often frustrating facets. 

Check out everything that's wrong with Apple's computers:

SEE ALSO: Apple's Refurbished Mac Store is its best-kept secret where you can buy devices in perfect condition with a nice little discount — here are the best deals

They cost a lot more than Windows computers.

Apple computers are generally more expensive than their Windows counterparts, even those that come with the same specs.

Take the $1,500 Huawei MateBook X Pro with a Core i7, and 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch display that's sharper than those on MacBook Pros. To go the Apple route, you need to spend $1,000 more on a 13-inch MacBook Pro with the same specs. 

Many refer to this unofficially as the "Apple tax."

Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pros don't come with dedicated graphics chips.

None of Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pros come with a dedicated graphics chip, which would be great for professionals who want a compact 13-inch laptop that could handle visual-hungry tasks that benefit from a chip devoted entirely to graphics.

If a professional — or anyone — wants an Apple laptop with a dedicated graphics chip, they'd have to compromise and get a 15-inch model.

All of Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pros come with dedicated graphics chips, even if you don't want them. And you pay for them.

All 15-inch MacBook Pros come with a dedicated graphics chip, which not everyone needs, but everyone pays for regardless. And graphics chips tend to be expensive. There's no option to buy a 15-inch MacBook Pro without a dedicated graphics chip.

As a compromise, you'd have to get a 13-inch MacBook Pro to avoid paying for a dedicated graphics chip that you don't need or want to pay for. 

• A Gallup/Knight Foundation survey found that Americans think most of the news they consume is inaccurate and biased.
• Republicans said they thought only Fox News and The Wall Street Journal were unbiased, while Democrats felt that way about most mainstream outlets.
• Overall, survey respondents said PBS News and The Associated Press were the least biased outlets. 

Americans believe that 62% of the news they consume on TV, in newspapers, and on the radio is biased, according to a survey from the Knight Foundation and Gallup.

Those surveyed said they believe that 44% of news reporting and 64% of news on social media is inaccurate. And they're upset about it — more than 80% said they were angered or bothered by seeing biased information, and slightly more felt similarly about seeing inaccurate information.

In evaluating news outlets, respondents closely associated bias with inaccuracy. In their view, outlets they feel are biased are also inaccurate.

But perceptions of bias and inaccuracy differed based on the respondents' political persuasions, particularly with regard to Fox News, Breitbart News, CNN, and MSNBC. Overall, the only two media organizations Republicans surveyed said weren't biased were Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.

President Donald Trump often takes issue with outlets like CNN and The New York Times for publishing critical stories about his administration. In a tweetstorm on Thursday morning he described the media the "Enemy of the People!"

Survey respondents with different political views had different perceptions of the pervasiveness of bias in the news. For example, Democrats said they believe that just 44% of news on TV, in newspapers, and on the radio is biased, while Republicans said they believe 77% of it is biased.

Presented with a host of major news outlets, respondents ranked PBS News and The Associated Press as the least biased outlets, while Fox News and Breitbart News tied for being perceived as most biased. The survey was conducted from February 5 to March 11.

Here are the survey's results for how biased respondents thought each news outlet was overall, ranked from most to least biased (a negative score indicates more people said the outlet was more biased than unbiased, while a positive score indicates more people thought the outlet was more unbiased than biased):

SEE ALSO: Fox News slammed for covering the killing of a college student more prominently than the convictions of 2 top Trump aides

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1. Fox News: -51 (tie)

Polled as the most biased news organization by respondents, Fox News earned a -87 bias score among Democrats and those who lean Democratic. But among Republicans and those who lean Republican, Fox News was polled as the least biased news organization, with a +3.

1. Breitbart News: -51 (tie)

Tied with Fox News, Breitbart News registered a -73 bias score among Democrats and those who lean Democratic. But unlike Fox News, Breitbart did not receive a positive bias score among Republicans and those who lean Republican. In fact, Breitbart earned a -19 rating from this group.

3. MSNBC: -37

Like Breitbart, MSNBC earned a negative bias rating from both Republicans and Democrats. But while Democrats and those who lean Democratic gave MSNBC a -1 bias rating, Republicans and those who lean Republican gave it a -85.

• A yacht costs a lot more than the price its owner bought it for.
• There are additional expenses, like yacht crew, dockage, fuel, and maintenance, that many people don't think about.
• Even many yacht crew wouldn't own a superyacht if they could afford it because they're so much money and work.

If there's one thing I took away from spending three years writing for the yachting industry and attending the Monaco Yacht Show, it's that buying a superyacht is the absolute pinnacle of indulgence for the 1%.

You see, these behemoths of the sea cost a lot more than the price tag they come with thanks to the upkeep they require — it's a series of neverending expenses. There's what I like to call the Big Four that will easily wear down an owner's black AmEx: yacht crew, dockage, fuel, and maintenance, among a host of other eye-popping costs.

Just ask the crew who work on yachts.

I once spent a day running up and down the docks at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show asking crew one question: Would you buy a boat if you were rich? The answer, overwhelmingly, was no. Those that said yes were new to the industry — my guess is that they just didn't know better yet.

Because, really, yachts are just floating money.

Here's how much it really costs to own a superyacht, which is generally defined as a boat at least 80 feet in length.

SEE ALSO: What a $1 million vacation looks like in Mykonos, Greece, where you'll fly in on a private jet, sleep in an ocean-view villa, and cruise the seas in a yacht

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Generally, yachts over 100 feet cost $1 million per 3.3 feet — and that's not counting costs for upkeep.

Source: Forbes

Some older yacht models around 80 feet may sell for six figures, but a superyacht will most likely set you back by at least a few million. An 84-foot yacht can cost $1.74 million, while a 295-foot yacht can cost $45 million.

Source:Fraser Yachts, Burgess

But that's just the beginning — owners can expect to spend about 10% of the purchase price annually on operating and maintaining a yacht. That's $1 million a year for a $10 million superyacht, although it varies.

Source:Business Insider