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Escape The Heat Wave And Go Skiing In Chile's Andes Mountains

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Valle Nevado mountains, Chile

In the sweltering summer heat wave we've been enduring in the northern hemisphere, it may be hard to imagine donning heavy ski gear and hitting the slopes. Yet that's exactly what serious skiers and snowboarders are doing in Chile—and other ski destinations in the southern hemisphere—right now.

I went skiing in Chile's Andes Mountains at the Valle Nevado ski resort and it was one of the most incredible travel experiences I've had.

Click here to see Chile's Valle Nevado ski resort >>

The ski resort-village is located just 21 miles outside of Santiago, Chile. But to get there, you must traverse a stomach-churning narrow mountain pass with about 50 switchbacks that's not for those with weak stomachs or a fear of heights. And yet once you reach the resort, atop the mountain, the rewards are spectacular: breathtaking views of mountains covered in glistening snow.

The resort itself is situated on a ridge in the Andes that's about 10,000 feet above sea level, but some of the trails go up to over 12,000 feet. The trails are above the tree line, which means that after a fresh coat of snow the complex becomes one large playground just begging to be skied and boarded.

There are over 2,500 acres of skiable terrain at Valle Nevado, and if you opt for the multi-resort ticket, which gives you access to the trails at the neighboring resorts of El Colorado and La Parva, you'll be able to ski over about 7,000 acres. A 1-day lift ticket at Valle Nevado costs around $84, and a three-night stay at the resort starts at $1,400 per person, including meals and lift tickets.

Valle Nevado's ski season lasts from late June to early October, but July and August are some of the best months to go as it's not in the brutal cold of winter and there's endless powder.

The Valle Nevado resort, comprised of several buildings, has 3 hotels, 6 restaurants, 12 shops, 4 bars and a spa.



The ride to get to Valle Nevado is breathtaking, but with about 50 switchbacks it can also be nauseating. If you don't have a strong stomach, take Dramamine before embarking on the hour-long journey from Santiago.



On my first morning at the resort, I stepped out onto my balcony and awoke to a spectacular sunrise at around 7am.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 Extravagant Items Fit For The Royal Baby's Nursery

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PoshTotsThe Royal Baby Watch begins in earnest today as Kate Middleton was reportedly helicoptered to London from her parents' home.

But it still remains to be seen: How will Kate and William decorate the nursery? 

A child who could one day be the future king or queen of England needs a bedroom to match, which is where PoshTots comes in. PoshTots, known for its luxury kids furniture, has the poshest in baby room décor.

We're talking cribs that cost upwards of $5,000, and playhouses that put your old pillow fort to shame.

The company's lavish furnishings have even adorned children's bedrooms of clients such as Julia Roberts, the Trumps, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Heidi Klumaccording to Style Weekly.

We found 10 pieces of PoshTots' luxe furniture that would be sure to please the new prince or princess.

This carriage bed is perfect for a princess.

On a cedar and birch frame, the delicate-crafted carriage bed sits on wheels and comes with a rear box that makes a great changing table and storage unit.

Price: $19,995



The Fantasy Coach is great to play in, and cozy enough to sleep in.

One of PoshTots's most talked-about pieces is reminiscent of Cinderella's stage coach, handcrafted in England of wood and fiberglass. The large interior is more than six feet in diameter.

Price: $47,000



An old-fashioned pram is classic, stylish, and functional.

Kate is known for her elegant style, which will no doubt be adopted by the royal baby. The Silver Cross Balmoral pram has chrome detailing and handpainted pinstripes, which both mom and baby are sure to love.

Price: $4,498



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 Hotels That Know How To Welcome Guests In Style

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Bora Bora Four Seasons Resort

Bora Bora is a dream destination for many, but getting there is no easy task.

After a 13-hour flight from New York, and an additional hour-long jaunt from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, guests are ready for a welcoming arrival.

Those staying at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora are greeted at the airport and receive a lei before boarding Heinoanoa, a custom (and well-stocked) yacht that ferries visitors to the resort.

Click here to see the hotels with the best arrivals >>

Guests are given a cool mango-juice shooter to enjoy over the strains of traditional music before being shuttled to their overwater bungalow via golf cart.

It is a sublime arrival experience not easily forgotten. And while arrival amenities are nothing new, a select few hotels have gone above and beyond, wowing even the most seasoned travelers. First impressions not only count, they create repeat business, and arrivals have become increasingly representative of a property’s locale, brand and style.

“We have one time and one time only to make a first impression on our guests,” says Rami Sayess, regional vice president at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “If we can give them a little bit extra during the arrival experience, we’ve already begun to make their stay even more special.”

Some places focus on ultra-special indulgences. Leela Palace in Udaipur, India, presents a foot massage and a traditional welcome ceremony, while the Mandarin Oriental Paris can retrieve passengers from the airport by helicopter and glide them to the Issy-les-Moulineaux Heliport, just a short distance from the hotel.

Other experiences are designed for those seeking solitude, like the two-mile journey down a desert mountain road that corkscrews past hidden canyons and stratified plateaus on its way to Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah. And some hotels, like Park Hyatt Tokyo, keep things simple but no less memorable: The bellmen and staff greet each guest by name upon arrival, even those who have never stayed with them before.

More from Departures:

Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah

Undetectable from the road, the small sign marking this 600-acre property in Utah’s Grand Staircase is an especially understated welcome.

Guests buzz at the gate for entry, which opens to reveal a dramatic two-mile road that winds past hidden canyons, 5,000-year-old petroglyphs and rust-colored, stratified plateaus through the middle of nowhere toward the magnificent bunker-style resort.

Once there, a series of steps emerge, lit with flickering hurricane lanterns and a single staff member who greets you with sage lemonade and the absence of resort music—replaced instead by the sounds of the surrounding desert. Rooms start at $1,100; 1 Kayenta Rd.; 435-675-3999;amanresorts.com.



andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp, Botswana

After a bumpy twin-prop flight over the Kalahari Desert, followed by an amphibious safari mobile trek through the Okavango Delta (home to hippos and black mamba snakes), exhausted guests are welcomed with exceptional soul by Xaranna’s staff members, who sing, drum and dance traditional welcome songs at the front gate.

Cold washcloths and homemade ginger lemonade help refresh visitors before they are escorted to one of nine luxurious tents, complete with plunge pools, at the 61,800-acre wilderness camp. Rooms start at $650; 27-11/809-4300; andbeyondafrica.com.



Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows

As visitors pull past this Dorchester Collection hotel’s lush grove of lanky palms to the signature green-and-white-striped porte cochere, a bevy of pink-shirted valets greets the car and assists with luggage.

A quick walk up the long red-carpeted hallway bypasses a "step and repeat," where guests can snap some photos to savor the Hollywood moment (this is the former home of Marilyn Monroe after all) or channel their inner Sean Penn and eschew the whole thing for a discreet arrival in the parking garage. Rooms start at $490; 9641 Sunset Blvd.; 310-276-2251; beverlyhillshotel.com.


 


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The Most Common Types Of Videos You See On Vine These Days

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vine video pancake song lip syncing

Twitter's video app Vine has only been around for a few months, but it's become outstandingly popular.

So popular, in fact, that we're starting to see a few common memes emerge. And thanks to Vine's new feature that lets you share anyone's public video, we're getting an even better idea of how people are using the app.

Let's take a look at some of the most popular memes on Vine and Instagram video.

Making your pet "twerk"



More twerking pets. This is seriously becoming a popular thing on Vine.



Also, twerking in general.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

People On The Dating App Tinder Are Starting To Use Pixtr, The App That Photoshops Your Face

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Pixtr photo editing appPixtr is a new iPhone app that makes people look more beautiful in photos.

It uses facial recognition software to scan the photo and make minor adjustments like slimming a nose or a jawline, trimming eyebrows, correcting camera distortion. It takes into account things like sex, hair color, age. (Click below to see proof.)

Since we first reported on it in April, the app has had tremdous success, Aviv Gadot cofounder and CEO told us.

The app now has 100,000 users, Gadot says and it became the No. 1 app in four of Apple's international App Stores (Israel, Croatia, Vietnam and Macedonia), he said.

There's one big reason driving people to use the app, he said. "Turns out that a large portion of our users are Pixtring their photos before uploading them to Tinder (the dating app). We are getting a lot of feature requests to have a Tinder integration. I guess the online dating world will never be the same."

Tinder is a super popular dating app that uses a "hot-or-not" mechanism. Users can flip through snapshots of singles based on location and mutual interests. If they like the way a person looks, they can send a "like" and if they don't, they can pass.

Pixtr is also really easy to use. Just open the picture on your iPhone and open the app and it does the rest.

So, you can see why these two apps might fit together.

Look at the 'before' picture on the left and the 'after' on the right. Notice the coloring, nose, jawline.



Pixtr can tell if the photo is of a man or a woman and adjusts accordingly. Notice the eyebrows, cheekbones, jawline.



It doesn't really work on dogs. But the woman's face looks more slender.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 Tricks And Secrets That Will Help You Dominate Candy Crush

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Screen Shot 2013 07 19 at 1.48.28 PM

The new addictive mobile game everyone is playing is called "Candy Crush." The game, made by King.com, is the highest revenue-generating game in company's 10-year history, bringing in an estimated $633,000 per day.

It's a simple puzzle concept. Swipe different colored candies to match three of the same in a row. If you match four or five in a row you get a new candy that does more damage to the board. If you pair two of the new candies together, even more damage is done to the board.

There are more than 350 levels of "Candy Crush" and each has a different mission. Sometimes you're clearing all the "jelly" from a board, or white spaces. Sometimes you're helping specific icons (cherries or nuts) get to the bottom of a board. Other times you need to race to get a certain score in under one minute.

Whether you're just starting out or you're already addicted, there are some tricks everyone needs to know to progress in the game.

Make sure your phone is well charged before you play. "Candy Crush" is a giant battery suck, but it can be played even when you have no cell service.



When you start playing, you're given three free lollipop candies. DO NOT WASTE THEM. They are the only free items you'll ever be given throughout the game.



"Candy Crush" seems really corny and really easy ... until level 30. Stick with it until then, because the game gets really hard, really fast after that.



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Celebrities Who Broke Up But Had To Keep Working Together

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luke wilson drew barrymore

Paychecks heal all wounds.

No one want really wants to see their ex after a breakup, let alone have to work alongside them every day. So if you start hooking up with a bandmate or co-star, you better hope it's for the long haul, because if your mutual gig lasts longer than your love, things are inevitably gonna get awkward.

Just ask these folks.

Ian Somerhalder & Nina Dobrev

After three years together, co-stars turned boyfriend/girlfriend Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder called it quits in 2013, romantically at least. Many times when two celebrities part ways, it's because their busy schedules prevent the development of a fully formed relationship — not so for Dobrev and Somerhalder, who will continue to work together on CW's "The Vampire Diaries" as it head into its fifth season.



Adam Brody & Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody couldn't fight their natural chemistry once filming started on "The O.C." in the early '00s. As the two were falling in love on-screen as Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts, so were they in real life. Alas, art did not imitate life. While Rachel and Adam broke up a year before the series was over, Summer and Seth ended the run with a wedding.



Kaley Cuoco & Johnny Galecki

If you dropped out of watching "Big Bang Theory" because you couldn't believe Johnny Galecki's character could land someone like Kaley Cuoco, well here's some sobering news: The two stars dated in real-life for two years. Though Cuoco and Galecki split in 2010, it wasn't enough to keep them form quitting the show. Wonder if that will change now that Cuoco is dating Superman.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How A 20-Year-Old College Dropout Raised $18 Million To Build The Perfect Virtual Reality Headset

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Palmer LuckeyForget about the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the real game-changer in video games is a new virtual reality headset called the Oculus Rift.

The Rift is a virtual reality headset unlike any other, sucking you into PC games with an enormous field of view and stunning stereoscopic 3D that doesn't feel forced like in movie theaters.

We tried an early version the Rift out and were blown away, but with only a low-resolution developer kit available, legions of avid fans have been dying for details on the long-awaited HD consumer version, slated to arrive sometime in 2014.

So we set up an interview with the inventor of the Oculus Rift, 20-year-old Palmer Luckey, to talk more about how he turned a device he invented in his garage into a startup worth over $18 million, Oculus VR.

Business Insider: I know you worked as an engineer at the University of Southern California, but how did you first become interested in the hacker/maker scene?

Palmer Luckey:  So I had been in the hacker/maker scene for quite a few years before I worked there. I mean, most of my life. I was interested in virtual reality for several years even before working at USC, it wasn’t an interest that started there at all. In fact, when I started working at USC, I already had prototypes of the Rift that were very similar to the final design. 

BI:  You have said before that you have the largest private collection of virtual reality headsets, so were these "Frankenstein" Rifts? Did you combine parts from other head mounted displays, or did you buy parts separately? 

Luckey: A combination. I built a lot of different prototypes. Some of them were modified head-mounted displays from other people. Some of them were built from standard off-the-shelf components with some custom bits. 

BI: And how did you know how to do that?

Luckey: I’ve been a bit of an electronics enthusiast and maker for a long time. I actually started the forum called ModRetro. It’s an electronics enthusiast community that focuses on modifying vintage game consoles, and it’s actually one of the larger game console modification forums on the internet. I started that site when I was 15. ModRetro was actually founded by myself and one of the people that currently works as an engineer at Oculus. So we've stuck together.

BI: So were you in college when the Oculus Rift started making waves?

Luckey:  At the time I was still taking college courses. I started attending community college when I was 14 or 15, just doing general education stuff like history and mathematics. Then I went on to California State University Long Beach to pursue a degree in journalism. And then I ended up dropping out to found Oculus.

BI: Have you ever been involved in a startup before? It must have been intimidating to start a hardware and software business for the first time.

Luckey:  So there are two things. When I started the company it was just myself, and I did all the paperwork and all the fun stuff, got a tax ID and all that. That was just a pain, but you can do it with the help of the Internet. But then I had Brendan Iribe and Mike Antonov come on board — Mike is our chief software architect and Brendan is our CEO — they have a lot of experience with startups, so they were able to handle a lot of the business side of things, so that I could focus on the VR headset itself.

BI: The Oculus Rift Kickstarter raised close to $2.5 million, and you just recently received an additional $16 million in funding on top of that. What does this mean for Oculus?

Luckey: We are going to be using these new resources to expand our team, hiring the best people in the industry. We made it a long way with our Kickstarter, but this investment is going to let us deliver a truly world class consumer product.

BI:  What is the average "Palmer Luckey" day like?

Luckey: The average Palmer Luckey day involves lots of working with all kinds of new components, and new hardware, building prototype head-mounted displays, combined with talking lots of developers, lots of the people who have headsets, and getting feedback from them, and obviously talking to people like you.

BI: Most of your team consists of software developers and programmers. You’ve mentioned that even your CEO can code. That’s a different approach than many other startups. Do you think that’s part of your success, having everyone involved in such a vital way?

Luckey: I think it’s a great idea to have a company that’s leaning heavily on the engineering side, rather than having a bunch of people whose job it is to just market the thing or hype it up. Mainly what we’re doing is just trying to make this headset. And I think the kind of jobs we have on the team reflect that.

BI: Online communities, such as the Oculus subreddit, are filled with fans creating and testing their own demos for the Rift. What are your thoughts on the Rift's popularity on online forums?

Luckey:  I’m a huge fan of online communities. I think that asynchronous internet-based communication forums such as Reddit and other discussion forums are one of the best things that could possibly have happened to collaborative invention. The Rift certainly would not exist without forums. It’s kind of fascinating how you can bring people together from all around the world with some tiny niche interest and all collaborate on something. But I feel like we’re all doing this together.

BI: I know the Oculus subreddit would kill me if I didn't ask you about the consumer model of the Rift. Your goal is to have higher resolution display without the "screen door effect," which shows the outlines of the display's pixels. At what point do you stop waiting for better or cheaper displays to come out and just pull the trigger?

Luckey: So it’s not necessarily a price thing. We’re out there trying to select the absolute best panel that we can. It's not that the difference between the most expensive panel on the market and the cheapest panel on the market is so huge that we should be making decisions based on that. And there are ways to remove the screen-door effect without necessarily just increasing the resolution. What you’re really trying to do is increase the fill ratio of the display, so that there’s more emissive area than non-emissive area. So it’s going to continue to get better. You could get rid of the screen door effect on a 720p display if it were properly designed.  I can’t share exactly what we’re doing, but we’re working on it.

Join the conversation about this story »


14 Charts FedEx CEO Fred Smith Watches When He Thinks About The US Economy

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fred smith fedex

FedEx ships  goods all over the world.

As such, economists follow the company closely as it is considered to be one of the most reliable bellwethers of global economic activity.

FedEx CEO Fred Smith gave a brief presentation this week to the Committee for Economic Development titled "Restoring America's Economic Growth."

In it, he presented 14 economic charts that he considered important to understanding what's going on.

He expressed particular concern over persistent unemployment amid slow growth. 

"Lack of investment, the U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, and finally the inability to engage in a more productive trade relationship are at the heart of low growth rates,"said Smith.

Smith favors corporate tax reform that would encourage business investment, which he demonstrates, is tightly correlated to job creation.

"US GDP has been going down on average for a long period of time."



"No investment, no job creation."



Perhaps we over invested in the early '90s in businesses for which there was no market.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

16 Questions That Might Tell You Whether You're A Sociopath

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sociopath

A new book called "Confessions of a Sociopath; A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight, written by pseudonymous author M.E. Thomas, describes what it's like to be a sociopath — someone who lacks the ability to feel or sympathize with others.

Sociopaths can be sexy and beguiling; they take risks the rest of us don't and come across as bold and exciting. Socially, they are often leaders, the life and soul of the party.

[Answer these questions to see if you're a sociopath]

The downside is that they regard others to be used, don't feel sympathy, empathy or guilt, and are often one step away from becoming what psychologists used to call psychopaths: criminally vindictive types whose only motivation is to take advantage of weaker people.

In her book, Thomas describes many disturbing episodes from her own life, including the time she let a baby possum drown in her swimming pool because she couldn't be bothered to fish it out with the net. In another chapter, she describes a recurring dream in which she kills her father with her bare hands — because she hates him.

Thomas is also a successful law professor, has children, and teaches Sunday school. Or so she says — grandiose lying is one of the characteristics of being a sociopath.

Psychologists have changed the diagnostic definition of sociopathy several times over the decades. It used to be called being a "psychopath." Sociopath is the newer term. More recently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition has renamed the condition "Antisocial Personality Disorder" and reduced it to seven main characteristics.

However, the first researcher to name the concept of psychopathy was Dr. Hervey Cleckley, who published a book titled "The Mask of Sanity" in 1941, Thomas writes.

Cleckley noted that psychopathy was difficult to diagnose precisely because it presents itself without the obvious symptoms of mental disorder. Psychopaths and sociopaths are often a bit too rational.

In her new book, Thomas says Cleckley's 16 behavioral characteristics hit home. "Nowhere else have I recognized the sociopath inside me more than in Cleckley's clinical profiles," she writes.

Here are Cleckley's 16 characteristics. Ask yourself if they apply to you.

1. Are you superficially charming and intelligent?

For sociopaths, the answer to this question is yes.



2. Do you have delusions or other signs of irrational thinking?

For sociopaths, the answer is no. They're super-rational, coldly so.



3. Are you overly nervous, or do you have other neuroses?

Sociopaths are rarely nervous or anxious. They aren't scared of risk.



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The Best Skills To List On A Tech Resume, Ranked By Salary Value In Dollars

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Wix offices 05

How can you make more money at your current job or get a new employer to offer you top dollar?

One way is to make sure you've got all the skills the employer wants and then some.

Business Insider asked job hunting site Bright to sift through its massive database of 10 million job postings and tell us what skills employers want for a wide range of tech jobs.

The results is a sort of map that can tell you if you need to learn a new skill for your job title and what skills are necessary for other tech jobs.

It also gives you the precise keywords to add to your resume and LinkedIn profile to help you come to the attention of employers.

A web developer earns $62,500 on average. Employers look for the following skills/words:



A technical documentation writer earns $67,280 on average. Employers look for the following skills/words:



A network administrator earns $74,270 on average. Employers look for the following skills/words:



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15 Videos That Show The GoPro Camera Is Changing The Way We See The World

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Best GoProThe GoPro camera has revolutionized the way that people capture the world around them.

The ultralight and portable device provides an easy way to record amazing, high definition images, and has become the standard for many video producers as a cheap alternative to buying or renting expensive camera equipment. 

With three different versions of their newest HERO 3 model available ranging from $199.99 - $399.99, virtually anyone can shoot crisp, first-person HD footage of their favorite activities.

Here are 15 of some of the best GoPro videos out there that illustrate how this camera is changing the way that we see the world. 

This is what it looks like plummeting to Earth as the first human to reach supersonic speed. From Felix Baumgartner's point of view:

 

Video by redbull



You can achieve some pretty amazing effects for cheap.

Video by jeremiahjw

Check out how to create the "Matrix Effect"



Check out the view from near space! (80,000 ft.)

Video by XtremeVideo



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Photos Of UFC Fighters Before And After Fights Show How Gruesome MMA Can Be

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ufc fighter 2012 afterNo sport renders its competitors so naked in the line of danger as mixed martial arts. With nothing but six ounce gloves, fighters compete against opponents looking to injure them as viciously as possible. 

While the honor of the sport requires competitors to never use their skills to abuse an opponent more than necessary, sometimes things get nasty.

But a fighter's desire to overcome physical pain is one of the most compelling characteristics in sports. 

This slideshow shows a before picture of every fighter to contrast how they looked before stepping into the octagon.

We warn viewers that the following images are graphic. 

Junior Dos Santos



Junior Dos Santos after fighting Cain Velasquez

Dos Santos lost his UFC Heavyweight championship belt to Velasquez on a unanimous decision following their 25-minute brawl at UFC 155. 



Chris Lytle



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14 Ways To Enjoy New York City's Swankiest Spots For Free (Or Cheap)

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Jean Georges restaurant in NYC

New York may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but many people don't realize that it's entirely possible to enjoy even the city's swankiest spots for free or cheap.

From a subterranean food court inside the Plaza Hotel to little-known lunch deals at some of the city's best restaurants, here are 14 ways to enjoy New York City's fanciest venues without spending a fortune.

Jean-Georges is known as one of the best restaurants in New York City, but a meal there can cost hundreds of dollars—except for at lunch, when there's a $38 price-fixed menu, one of the best deals in the city.

Learn more about Jean-Georges restaurant >



Each year, millions of visitors pass through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and pay the full admission price of $25. But many people don't realize that admission is "suggested." (It actually costs as little as a penny to enter the museum.) The best time to visit is on a Saturday night, when the museum is open late and has live music without the crowds.

Read more about the Met >



Located in the basement of the Plaza Hotel, the Plaza Food Hall is home to dozens of food vendors selling everything from sushi to macarons at (relatively) affordable prices.

Read more about the Plaza Food Hall >



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Did You Notice These 22 Companies Changed Their Logos In 2013?

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vh1 logo change 2013

This week, Hooters subtly changed its logo for the first time in 30 years.

But the "breastaurant" is just one of many very recognizable companies to get a logo makeover this year.

Did you notice that Facebook, American Airlines, Procter & Gamble, and VH1 (to name a few) all recently changed their logos? 

In early January, VH1 changed its logo from this ...



... to this. According to VH1 the plus sign embedded in the logo was meant to emphasize that the network is the "ultimate mash up" of music and reality TV.

Read more here >



Remember the Saab logo?



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These Photos Of Detroit's Golden Age Show How Far The City Has Fallen

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Detroit

Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in history this week before a Michigan judge declared it unconstitutional.

The city has long been in decline and rapidly losing population, but it hasn't always been that way.

The automobile industry had its home base in Detroit and the population spiked from just over 285,000 in 1900 to over 1.5 million by 1930. Downtown was bustling with large industrial buildings, hotels, trolleys and street cars. There were also numerous parks, theaters and opera houses for recreation.

These photos from the Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons show what Detroit looked like in its prime.

Shlomo Sprung contributed to this story.

In its heyday, Detroit was a bustling city. The population spiked from just over 285,000 in 1900 to over 1.5 million by 1930.



The legendary Hotel Pontchartrain had a reputation for luxury. It hosted several presidents, and auto industry executives were known to conduct business in the hotel bar.

Source: HistoricDetroit.org



Belle Isle Park was another well-known spot in the city. Wealthy residents enjoyed the botanical gardens at the city landmark.



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The Best Costume Cosplay At San Diego Comic-Con

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yaha han pepper potts comic con

Other than movie and television panels — and the possibility of running into a celebrity — one of the main draws to San Diego Comic-Con every year is to see the awesome costumes.

Referred to as cosplay (costume play), a lot of attendees go dressed up as their favorite comic, television, or movie character.

But sometimes, you get those who go above and beyond to create unique outfits that combine elements of multiple iconic characters.

These are the costumes everyone is talking about at Comic-Con.

We'll be adding to this as the event continues.

"Sharknado" warning in full effect.



You have to use your imagination for this Puss in Boots look based on the "Shrek" character.



"Hobbit" fan Karl Zingheim trotted into Comic-Con in this elaborate Bilbo Baggins get-up and horse.



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It's National Ice Cream Day! We Ranked The 6 Best Ice Cream Flavors Of All Time

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Today is National Ice Cream Day, when we pay tribute to the best summer treat around.

We decided to celebrate by answering the age-old question: What is the absolute best ice cream flavor?

After polling the Business Insider newsroom (and getting responses from blue moon ice cream to the Choco Taco, which technically, is not a flavor), we finally had our answer.

Herewith are the top six, and to help you out on your next grocery run, we included our editors' picks for best brands, too.

6. Cookie Dough

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with orange spoon

Editor's Pick:"Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Because cookie dough." William Wei, Video Producer

5. Cake Batter

cake batter ice cream with sprinkles

Editors' Picks:"There's a small place back home in Jersey called Colonia Dairy Maid (aka 40 Flavors) that makes the absolute best with rainbow splashes throughout." Kirsten Acuna, Entertainment Reporter

"Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter." Sam Ro, Markets Senior Editor

4. Cookies and Cream

Cookies and cream ice cream in a bowl

Editor's Pick:"Cookies & Cream by HomeMade." Steven Tweedie, Tech Intern

3. Chocolate

chocolate ice cream on a plate

Editors' Picks:"ALL BRANDS." Tony Manfred, Sports Reporter

"Straight chocolate from Häagen-Dazs." Megan Dickey, Tech Reporter

2. Coffee

coffee ice cream in a bowl

Editors' Picks:"Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! from Ben & Jerry's." Julie Zeveloff, Deputy Editor

"EDY's Espresso Chip. It is coffee flavored with chocolate chips in it." Mandi Woodruff, Your Money Editor

1. Mint Chocolate Chip

mint chocolate chip ice cream scoop

Editors' Picks:"Mint Moose Tracks> Every other response you will get." Paul Szoldra, Front Page Editor

"I grew up eating EDY's slow-churned — it has the perfect mint to chip ratio!" Melissa Stanger, Lists & Rankings Associate Editor

"Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip. I like it because it doesn't have any bogus extras like barf-green food coloring. It's just pure joy." Steve Kovach, Tech Senior Editor

Do you disagree? Add your favorite flavors in the comments!

SEE ALSO: The 9 Best Places To Eat Ice Cream In The US

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10 Tips For Staying Cool In The Summer While You're Wearing A Suit

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Ice Cubes

Regardless of where you may reside here in the States (or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere), one thing is for certain. Summer is here and it is hot.

Whether you’re wearing a suit on Wall Street or rocking Silicon Valley casual, it can be hard to keep yourself looking composed after a foray into the blistering heat and humidity.

But that isn't to say you have to look like a sweaty mess any time you get indoors. Here are a tips for staying fresh that you can use wherever you are.

First and foremost: Stay hydrated.

Water is preferable. Beer can be used as needed.

Source: The Fine Young Gentleman



Wear suits with open weave fabrics like high twist wools, fresco, linen, and cotton.

Your average wool is not the most breathable fabric, even in lighter weights. Look for natural fabrics that have open weaves like high twist wools, fresco, linen and cotton. The difference in a suit made of a high twist wool or linen compared to one of worsted wool is remarkable.

Source: The Fine Young Gentleman



Have your spring and summer suit jackets half lined or self lined.

This will allow more air to penetrate your jacket and keep you cooler.

Source: The Fine Young Gentleman



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This SpaceX Board Member's Office Is Filled With Fantastic Objects From The Moon

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Apollo era rocket engine

As we previously reported, venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, a managing partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, is auctioning off a rare private tour of his massive private collection of space artifacts stored at his office.

His collection has grown so impressive, his coworkers now call the office "DFJ Space Museum," he says.

We heard from Jurvetson after we posted that story and he pointed us to his photos of the collection on Flickr. Each photo has a personally written tale about the artifact.

There's more than 100 photos on Flickr and that doesn't cover the whole collection.

Since February, "I have gone completely gonzo," he told members of the Collect Space forum and added another couple of dozen rare artifacts, he says.

Jurvetson hopes to one day visit the moon himself one day. As an investor and board member in Elon Musk's SpaceX firm, that's entirely possible.

Jurvetson stands with Apollo era rocket engine: During the Apollo 13 emergency, an engine like this one helped saved the astronaut's lives



The Apollo Fuel Cell in lobby of the office: This is an electric fuel cell. It combined hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity onboard.



X-ray image of Neil Armstrong's Moon Boots: taken on 7-7-69, only 9 days before the launch. Jurvetson calls them "ethereal echoes" of the footprints Armstrong left on the moon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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