Novak Djokovic isn't as revered among tennis fans as Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. 

But he has more personality than those two legendary players combined.

From his strange eating habits to his love of dancing, Novak is the rarest of athletes — a colorful person who happens to be the best in the world at his sport.

He only drinks warm water. He says cold water inhibits blood flow.

Source: WSJ

He always eats grass at Wimbledon. He says it tastes like sweat.

Source: The New Yorker

He's inseparable from his pet poodle Pierre. When Pierre wasn't allowed in Wimbledon, a source told the Telegraph, "Whenever he can he takes the dog with him, he is genuinely upset. For him this is a very serious issue."

Source: Telegraph

Traveling to any European city in mid-August is like visiting a ghost town.

Paris streets are empty, rainy London is depressing, and even the protesters from Syntagma Square in Athens take a break from the heat.

Coastline cities and the Greek islands, on the other hand, are slammed with tourists.

Santorini, part of the Cyclades cluster of islands in Greece, is one of the most popular destinations in the world. In Travel + Leisure's 2013 World's Best Islands survey, it ranked #4.  The island's livelihood depends almost entirely on the tourism industry, and prices have remained high despite the crisis. 

Hotels in Santorini are abundant and range from affordable to ultra chic. In 2012, the Financial Times showcased the exclusive property "The Hideaway," which has a rate of $8,000 per day.

Visitors to Santorini won't spend much time in their rooms, though. Swimming at the Red Beach is transformational, taverna style fish meze beckon, and the cliffside views and sunset demand your attention.

Santorini is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea reached by plane from most major European cities or ferry from Athens.

A massive volcanic explosion in 3600 BC contributed to its unique terrain and arid landscape.

More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island each year, primarily during the summer months.

Steve Ballmer is out as CEO of Microsoft, ending one of the most polarizing runs in technology.

While he did much right at Microsoft — tripling revenue and profits, building the Servers & Tools group — Ballmer will also be remembered for presiding over the company's loss of dominance and for what he did wrong. 

And he did make some mistakes over the last thirteen years.

Microsoft paid $500 million for Danger. It made the Kin, which was a disaster.

There was a time when the Sidekick was a popular smartphone platform. So, Microsoft paid $500 million for its parent company Danger in 2008. Two years later that team built the Kin phones, cheap little social networking phones that were way behind the times. After months on the market, Microsoft pulled the plug on the Kin. 

Microsoft took a $6.2 billion write-down for its aQuantive acquisition.

In 2007, Microsoft paid $6.3 billion for digital marketing company aQuantive. Five years later, Microsoft took a $6.2 billion write down for the acquisition. 

Microsoft took a $900 million charge for the Surface RT.

Microsoft had the right idea with the Surface, but the wrong execution. It charged too much for the Surface. When it had to slash the price of the Surface, it had to take a charge to properly account for its inventory of Surface tablets.

Elon Musk is a real-life Tony Stark, and his Tesla Motors has been in the spotlight a lot lately. We think it's deserved.

The average American pumps $2,000 worth of gas into his or her car every year, so the promise of Tesla's vehicles gets attention from drivers feeling the pinch. These are all-electric vehicles that behave like sportscars. They're comfortable, speedy, and stylish. Tesla cars shun gas completely and need nothing more than an electrical outlet.

The Tesla Model S can be configured to travel about 300 miles per charge. Roadside Tesla Superchargers will give a dead battery a half-charge (for 150 miles of range) in just 30 minutes.

But this car is far from the first reimagining of transportation. The road to Tesla is littered with abandoned ideas and dead batteries.

Perhaps most notable was the EV-1, an electric car that debuted in 1996 and got 70-100 miles per charge only to be discontinued by General Motors, citing lack of consumer interest. The documentary "Who Killed The Electric Car?" spends significant time looking into the murky circumstances that led the EV-1 to the chopping block, but more on that later.

Let's take a look at innovation with electric-based transportation starting all the way back at the turn of the 20th century.

1896: The Hartford Electric Company sets up electric car charging infrastructure.

There used to be a time when electric- and gas-powered cars were directly competing with each other to be kings of the road. Before the 1920s, an electric car was by no means an unusual sight.

In 1896, the Hartford Electric Light Company proposed a recharging infrastructure. People could buy a car from General Electric and exchange their battery through Hartford Electric as a means of "gassing up."

The service ran from 1910 to 1924 and helped electric vehicle owners cover six million miles in that timeframe.

Source.

1897: New York City taxis get electrified.

The first commercial use of an electric vehicle was seen in 1897 when brand new electric taxis took to the streets of New York City to shuttle passengers around town.

Source

1911: The New York Times calls the electric car "ideal."

At the time, The New York Times called the electric car "ideal" because it ran cleaner, quieter, and more economically that its gas-powered counterparts. A stark contrast to some of the things the NYT has said about Tesla's cars lately.

Source

I recently started doing a low-carb diet, and it's going remarkably well. 

One of the best parts is that the food itself is fantastic. Since I bring in homemade low-carb breakfast muffins every day, people are interested in how to make them. 

I learned this fantastic recipe from Caveman Keto, one of the best sites online for low-carb recipes that are still delicious. 

Here's how to make the bacon muffins that will make your coworkers envious.

First, start with a standard nonstick muffin pan.

Fry 12 pieces of bacon and insert them like this into the muffin pan.

Take a head of broccoli and fry that until it is soft.

Apple will announce the next iPhone on Tuesday, September 10. 

It will likely release 10 days later on Friday, September 20. 

So what can you expect from Apple? We've gather all the big rumors about the next iPhone here. 

It is expected to be called the iPhone 5S and look exactly like the iPhone 5.

But that doesn't mean it will be exactly the same as the iPhone 5.

The next iPhone's internals are going to be totally, different, according to leaks.

Labor Day is almost here, and with it, the official end of beach season.

If you haven't made it to the shore this summer, you still have one last shot. 

Here are the 10 best beaches in America for 2013, according to "Dr. Beach." Better known as Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Dr. Beach is a coastal expert and professor at Florida International University.

He ranks the beaches on 50 criteria including the local scene, sand quality, water quality, smell, and environmental management. Last year's #1 beach, Coronado Beach in San Diego, was retired after earning the top spot.

Fortunately, most of the beaches on his list are in places that are warm year-round, so even if you can't make it to one this Labor Day, they're worth remembering for a winter vacation.

#10 Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, SC

#9 Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MA

#8 Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, NC

The Internet went insane over the casting choice of Ben Affleck as Batman in the upcoming "Man of Steel" sequel. 

Since Warner Bros. announced Affleck would be Gotham's new Dark Knight, many have expressed outrage through petitions and social media.

After all, it's difficult to imagine Affleck do dark and broody after his performance in "Daredevil."

The hashtag #BetterBatmanThanBenAffleck quickly became popular suggesting both serious and ridiculous suggestions to replace the actor.

Warner Bros. never would have gone with an unknown as Batman. It needed a big A-list actor to take on the role of DC's most popular superhero.

Regardless, we've still put together a list of a few other actors who could definitely play the part.

Have your own casting choices? Add them below.

Ryan Gosling

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gosling was in the running to don the cape and cowl; however, the "Drive" actor says he doesn't do sequels.

"The Notebook" aside, not only is he one of the hottest actors out there right now, but he also has equal appeal with women and men. If Ryan Gosling was Bruce Wayne, every girl would have wanted to see that movie. 

If you've seen "Drive" or "Gangster Squad" Gosling can give a chillingly haunting performance as well. His ability to effortlessly transform from devilish heartthrob to menacing protector won us over. 

At 32, he may have been a little too young for the 40-ish Warner Bros. was going for.

Michael Fassbender

The idea wouldn't have been difficult to imagine.

Fassbender has worked with Snyder before in "300" and has quickly become a household name after "Prometheus" and "Inglourious Basterds." The only problem is that the "X-Men" gang have a hold on him.

Josh Brolin

The actor was reportedly also up for the role. It's not difficult to see why after his roles in "True Grit,""No Country for Old Men," and "Gangster Squad."

Brolin would have delivered a dark, grittier Wayne to the big screen.

In his latest project, photographer Leland Bobbé captures New York's neglected wall art — ripped and tattered posters plastered on buildings around the city — using only his smartphone.

"I find that the random rips and tears on posters on top of other posters and walls reveals an unintended collage quality that creates it’s own aesthetic balance," he writes of the project. "This yields an abstract expression based on gritty realism."

Bobbé, who has photographed the society ladies of Fifth Avenue and drag queens in half-done makeup, took all the photos in his "wall art series" on his iPhone using the regular camera app (he cleaned them up in Photoshop).

Geisha

Smokin'

Shades

When a single thief made off with $136 million in jewelry last month in Cannes, France, it may have been the biggest jewelry heist ever.

Meanwhile art thieves are making more money than ever.

All in all, it's been a good year for stealing stuff.

We've rounded up the biggest and boldest thefts of the past 12 months. Thankfully, many of these crimes have been solved or brought to trial.

A $2.6 million diamond necklace vanished from a star-studded party during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Despite 80 bodyguards, the diamond necklace went missing at the end of the night, The Daily Telegraph reported. At least 20 different models wore the $2.6 million piece, which belonged to a collection from Swiss jeweler De Grisogono.

The theft follows the disappearance of another million-dollar diamond necklace by designer Chopard during the same festival. French police are still investigating both occurrences, although they admit the festival is a favorite for jewel heists.

Postal workers and some of their family members were arrested for allegedly stealing $2.7 million from the Macedonian postal service.

The money had been taken in a series of six thefts at a Macedonian postal service branch in a suburb of Skopje.

The most recent one earlier this month led to the arrest of eight people including the head of postal security, two mailmen, and directors of the Postal Office, the Macedonia International News Agency (MINA) reported. The thieves made out with a combined almost €2 million, which they reportedly used to pay terrorists' "pensions" for fighting against Macedonian police.

An employee at a wine storage company allegedly swiped $2.7 million in vintage blends from his clients' lockers.

The employee in question was George Osumi, from Newport Beach, Calif. He had been working at Irvine's Legend Cellars when he was accused of replacing more than 1,000 bottles of first-growth Bordeaux from clients' private lockers with Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck, The Huffington Post reported.

Osumi allegedly swapped out the fine wine for a $2 Trader Joe's blend some time between January 2008 and June 2012, prosecutors alleged, and had a friend auction off the expensive ones. Osumi would then split the proceeds with his friend who, had no idea the wine was stolen, the Orange County District Attorney said. Osumi could face 16 years in prison.

A purported chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,000, including many children, has elicited the ire of the West.

The USS Barry and three other warships promptly took up positions off the coast of Syria, poised to unleash a storm of Tactical Tomahawk missiles.

While Syrian and Iranian officials have said they will defend themselves against any Western strike, their best defense seems to be appealing to the U.N. for time.

Nevertheless, it seems their time is quickly running out.

Having seen 30 years of continuous service, Tomahawk missiles are one of the most reliable weapons on the battlefield.

More than 2,000 have been fired in combat — and they've become so much more lethal since the first.

With advanced contour mapping, they fly low to the ground to avoid radar. Assad has better air defenses than Libya did in 2011, however, thus the need for maximum redundancy.

It wasn't long before Business Insider visited the Barry in late 2012 that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer sat off Libya, launching 55 Tomahawk cruise missiles to suppress the county's air defense system during Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Senior U.S. officials told NBC News that a strike on Syria, which would include the Barry, could happen as soon as Thursday, August 29, 2013.

When we visited, the ship was preparing for its major five-year inspection before a Mediterranean deployment. None of the crew we spoke with last fall suspected they'd be sailing off Syria's coast right now, contemplating an attack on that country's military units allegedly responsible for an August 21 chemical attack on Syrian citizens. But there they are.

The Navy invited Business Insider for a weekend of tests off the Atlantic in late 2012 onboard the USS Barry. The Navy arrived at 5 a.m. to put us on this water taxi by 7:00.

After an hour of heaving seas and whipping saltwater spray, the 505-foot Arleigh Burke-class destroyer came into sight idling off the Virginia seaboard.

At this point some visiting physicists realized how we'd be getting aboard.

Labor Day is the last long weekend of the summer, and everyone's dying to get away for those three days.

Over 34 million Americans are planning to travel for Labor Day this year — the highest number since the recession, according to AAA.

We found the best all-American getaways to celebrate Labor Day this weekend.

From the Gulf Coast to the San Juan Islands, these destinations are all near major U.S. cities, making it easy to jaunt over for a long weekend.

Kennebunkport, Maine

Under two hours from Boston and just across the New Hampshire-Maine border is one of the most picturesque fishing towns in all of New England.

Kennebunkport is home to numerous unique gift shops and restaurants, and you just might catch sight of President George H.W. Bush — his summer home is minutes from town.

Go on a whale-watching expedition and eat the freshest local seafood at Noonan's Lobster Hut in neighboring Cape Porpoise.

One of the top places to stay is The White Barn Inn, a charming inn with a European feel; rooms here start from about $460 per night over Labor Day weekend.

Hilton Head, S.C.

Just 45 minutes from Savannah and about four hours from Atlanta, Hilton Head is ideally located for southerners looking for a beach getaway on the Atlantic coast.

The laid-back island has top-rated restaurants, world-class golf resorts, packed beaches which are great for either laying out or riding bikes on the sand, and the charm and hospitality you'd expect from a southern destination.

There are tons of hotels, inns, and apartments for rent, but one of the most popular places to stay is the Inn at Harbour Town - Sea Pines Resort, where rooms start at about $260 per night over Labor Day weekend.

Carmel, Calif.

About 120 miles south of San Francisco, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a picturesque dot on the Monterey Peninsula with a population of just 3,722.

It's dog-friendly and known for its kitschy local arts and culture scene. It also has great fishing. Think twice about wearing high heels, though; Carmel law requires a high heel permit.

La Playa Carmel is a grand, old hotel that's allegedly haunted by the ghost of a woman who drowned herself in Carmel Bay — but that doesn't seem to stop vacationers from staying there. Rooms at La Playa start from about $450 per night over Labor Day weekend.

Humans have remarkable control over their own happiness.

In her book, "The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want," psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky says a person's happiness is 50% due to genetics, 10% due to circumstances, and the remaining 40% is "within our power to change."

But it takes work.

That's why we've compiled 25 different ways to boost your mood. Happiness is different for each person, but hopefully at least one of these methods will help you find your inner sunshine.

Draw pictures of unhealthy food.

Studies have shown that eating high-calorie comfort foods can make your happier. The downside is this will also make you fat.

As an alternative, a study published in the Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science in May 2013 found that simply drawing pictures of foods high in fat, like cupcakes or pizza, and foods that taste sweet, like strawberries, can also boost your mood. The positive reactions were independent of subjects' weight and hunger level.

"These results extend a growing body of biobehavioral research on the positive impact of food images on mood by showing that this impact can be applied to enhance mood when expressing food images through art," the researchers concluded.

Be both an optimist and a realist.

People who have the positive attitude of optimists paired with the rational outlook of realists tend to be more successful and happy, according to psychology researcher Sophia Chou.

That's because so-called "realistic optimists" have the perfect blend of personality types to succeed. Unlike idealists, they are willing to face challenging situations with a clear view of reality, but will use creativity and a positive outlook to try to work their way out of the problem.

Get your hands dirty.

Breathing in the smell of dirt may lift your spirits, according to a study which found that a bacteria commonly found in soil produces effects similar to antidepressant drugs.

The harmless bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulated the release of serotonin in the brain after it was injected into mice. Low levels of serotonin is what causes depression in people.

In a human test, cancer patients reported increases in their quality of life when they were treated with the bacteria.

The findings "leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt,” lead author Chris Lowry of the University of Bristol in England said in a statement.

What makes a small town "great"?

According to CNNMoney, which just released a list of the 50 best small towns in America, great small towns are thriving economically, and have good schools and a strong sense of community.

Based on those and other factors, including average income and home price, weather, crime rates, and commute times, the publication named Sharon, Massachusetts the best small town in America.

The publication looked at places with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 to compile its list.

We're taking a closer look at the top 10. See CNNMoney's complete list of America's best small towns here.

#10 West Goshen Township, PA

Population: 22,241

2012 Median home price: $321,500

West Goshen has four main parks, and is home to the headquarters of QVC. It's not far from sprawling King of Prussia Mall, and is within commuting distance of Philadelphia.

Source: CNNMoney

#9 Apex, NC

Population: 40,205

2012 Median home price: $225,000

A suburb of Raleigh, Apex is near NC's Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the world with more than 170 companies. The town has 400 acres of parks and hosts an annual jazz festival.

Source: CNNMoney

#8 Papillion, NE

Population: 19,837

2012 Median home price: $141,000

Papillion, outside of Omaha, is  home to massive Halleck Park, a recreation area with trails, pools, tennis courts, and more. In addition to great public schools, Nebraska Christian College is located in the city.

Source: CNNMoney

The group of athletes who have seven-figure endorsement deals is smaller than you think.

While a few of elite, charismatic players in every sport might make as much money in endorsements as they do in salary, the vast majority of players make almost nothing off the field.

Even among Forbes' top-100 highest-earning athletes in the world, there are popular players who make surprising little in sponsorships.

Some are understandable (A-Rod), but others are head-scratchers.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (boxing): $0

Overall income: $34 million

Rank among all athletes: 14th

Rank in sport: 1st

Source: Forbes

Zach Greinke (baseball): $100,000

Overall income: $21.7 million

Rank among all athletes: 55th

Rank in sport: 13th

Source: Forbes

Adrian Gonzalez (baseball): $200,000

Overall income: $21.2 million

Rank among all athletes: 59th

Rank in sport: 14th

Source: Forbes

It's hard to imagine paying more for a phone case than you would for an actual phone, but it could happen. An iPhone, which starts at about $199.00, is cheaper than all of the cases you're about to see here.

Ranging from brand names to fashion faux pas to the utterly ridiculous — solid gold and diamonds! — these iPhone cases are among the most expensive in the world.

We've arranged them in order of escalating price.

Swarovski crystals, via Etsy - $239.00. Warning: Do not stare directly into this case.

Buy it here.

You, as a cartoon, on your iPhone case - $250.00. You can send this artist a photo of yourself, which she will then stylize onto your cell phone case.

Buy it here.

Zoe's House of Crystal My Little iPony - $259.00. Admit it. You want this bedazzled piece of 1990s kitsch.

Buy it here.

How does Jon Stewart's paycheck compare to that of morning hosts Kelly Ripa or Matt Lauer?

TV Guide has rolled out its annual list of television's highest-paid stars.

From television actors and reality celebrities to daytime and late-night personalities, the four-page report gives a broad look at more than 160 salaries according to numbers from television executives and industry insiders. 

To make sense of all the numbers, we've ranked the highest-paid daytime, primetime, and news host salaries.

Maury Povitch's daytime infamous "You are not the father!" segments have led him to receive a paycheck higher than journalists Ann Curry, Anderson Cooper, and Diane Sawyer.

While Jay Leno and David Letterman once commanded the highest salaries on late night, Viacom is reportedly pouring even more money into "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart.

21. Ann Curry: $5 million

After Curry was ousted from the "Today" show last summer, she was offered a position as foreign correspondent for the network that would give her $5 million a year. 

20. Queen Latifah: $5-$10 million

Starting September 16, "The Queen Latifah Show" will air daily on CBS. The syndicated program comes from Will Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures TV.

19. Robin Roberts: $6 million

The "Good Morning America" co-host returned to the show in February after a public battle with myelodysplastic syndrome. Roberts has been a co-anchor since May 2005. She started working on the program June 1995.

Just like facts and flies, English words have life-spans. Some are thousands of years old, from before English officially existed, others change, or are replaced or get ditched entirely.

Here are 18 uncommon or obsolete words that we think may have died early. We found them in two places: a book called “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk, and on a blog called Obsolete Word of The Day that’s been out of service since 2010. Both are fantastic— you should check them out.

Snoutfair: A person with a handsome countenance — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Pussyvan: A flurry, temper — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Wonder-wench: A sweetheart — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Lunting: Walking while smoking a pipe — John Mactaggart’s “Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia,” 1824

California widow: A married woman whose husband is away from her for any extended period — John Farmer’s “Americanisms Old and New," 1889

Groak: To silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them – www.ObsoleteWord.Blogspot.com

Jirble: To pour out (a liquid) with an unsteady hand: as, he jirbles out a dram — www.Wordnik.com

Curglaff: The shock felt in bathing when one first plunges into the cold water — John Jamieson’s Etymological Scottish Dictionary, 1808

Spermologer: A picker-up of trivia, of current news, a gossip monger, what we would today call a columnist — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Tyromancy: Divining by the coagulation of cheese — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Beef-witted: Having an inactive brain, thought to be from eating too much beef. — John Phin’s “Shakespeare Cyclopaedia and Glossary," 1902

Queerplungers: Cheats who throw themselves into the water in order that they may be taken up by their accomplices, who carry them to one of the houses appointed by the Humane Society for the recovery of drowned persons, where they are rewarded by the society with a guinea each, and the supposed drowned person, pretending he was driven to that extremity by great necessity, is also frequently sent away with a contribution in his pocket. — “The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten” by Jeffrey Kacirk

Englishable: That which may be rendered into English — John Ogilvie’s “Comprehensive English Dictionary," 1865

Resistentialism: The seemingly spiteful behavior shown by inanimate objects — www.ObsoleteWord.Blogspot.com

Bookwright: A writer of books; an author; a term of slight contempt — Daniel Lyons’s “Dictionary of the English Language," 1897

Soda-squirt: One who works at a soda fountain in New Mexico — Elsie Warnock’s “Dialect Speech in California and New Mexico," 1919

With squirrel: Pregnant — Vance Randolph’s “Down in the Holler: A Gallery of Ozark Folk Speech," 1953

Zafty: A person very easily imposed upon — Maj. B. Lowsley’s “A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases," 1888

This post originally appeared in Death and Taxes Magazine.

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The quality of a New York bagel is unlike anywhere else: Some say it has something to do with the water. Others say it's a matter of using the best ingredients.

At Ess-A-Bagel, the second-best bagel shop in New York according to Yelp users, it's also about process, precision, and practice.

Videographer Paul Lin went behind the scenes at Ess-A-Bagel to see how they make this light, chewy New York food icon.

First, a little history. Ess-A-Bagel, which means "eat a bagel" in Yiddish, was founded in 1976 at its first location on 21st Street and 1st Avenue. It later added a second location on 51st Street and 3rd Avenue.

Ess-A-Bagel's bagels are so popular that the line is usually out the door. The staff is super friendly, quick to strike up a conversation while they expertly work behind the counter.

The dough is made with yeast and, after it rises, it's cut, rolled, and formed into rings. Unlike other breads, bagels don't just get thrown in the oven—they're boiled first.