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

An Italian Dad Reportedly Turned His Dead Son Into A Diamond

$
0
0

cremation urn funeral ashesAn Italian father exhumed the body of his 20-year-old son earlier this year, had it cremated and sent the ashes to Switzerland to be turned into a "Remembrance Diamond,"New York Daily News is reporting.

Several other tabloids have picked up the story, but the fuzzy details, like the lack of names for the father and son, make it seem more like the makings of an urban legend.

Still, the idea of turning a deceased loved one into a synthetic diamond is actually real.

According to the Canadian company, Remembrance Diamonds, which works with the Swiss company Algordanza to grow its diamonds, the process includes crystallizing ashes to graphite. Lab technicians apply high pressure and high heat to the pure carbon in the graphite and can create a diamond up to 2 carats in size. It takes 7 to 10 months and costs anywhere between $2,000 and $20,000. 

SEE ALSO: How To Turn Dead People Into Diamonds

Join the conversation about this story »


26 Time Management Hacks I Wish I'd Known At 20

Inside Huaxi, The Mysterious 'Richest Village In China'

$
0
0

huaxi village in china

The man who founded Huaxi, known as "the richest village in China," passed away this year in March.

But the sleepy farming community he helped turn into a Communist utopia still claims to be as strong as ever.

Much of what we know about the village, founded by the former secretary of Huaxi Village Communist Party Committee Wu Renbao, is media speculation or the word of Wu Renbao himself.

The original "registered residents" are even forbidden to speak with foreigners or the press, according to The China Chronicle.

It's believed the descendants of the so-called model socialist village's original residents are entitled to extraordinary amenities, including free healthcare, education, luxurious homes, cars, and at least $250,000 in their bank accounts.

We also know the village is home to a "World Park" that is filled with replicas of the world's most iconic landmarks, from the Statue of Liberty to the Arc de Triomphe, as well as a new glossy skyscraper that is the 15th tallest building in China.

But it's said that life is not as idyllic as Huaxi would like visitors to believe. Residents supposedly work seven days a week, often in Huaxi's industrial plants, and there is a rigid hierarchy between the 2,000 "registered residents" of the village whose families date back to the 1950s and newcomers to Huaxi who are paid standard wages and don't share in the same luxuries like free healthcare, cars, and property.

Plus, if original residents leave Huaxi, they lose everything.

Welcome to Huaxi, the so-called richest village in China. No one is quite sure how many people live here: AFP reports "tens of thousands" whereas the official tourism website for Huaxi claims 350,000 residents call the village home.

Source: AFP and Huaxi Village: The World's Village



Though it may be the wealthiest village in China, Huaxi is tiny. Its total land area is only 240 acres, just over twice the size of the Vatican City.

Source: Shanghaiist.com



The rural farming village started with only 600 people in the 1950s, but was transformed by Wu Renbao, the former secretary of Huaxi Village Communist Party Committee.

Source: AFP



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Check Out Michelangelo's Beautifully Illustrated Grocery List From 1518

$
0
0

Ever wondered what famous artist Michelangelo ate? Here's a peek at one of his grocery lists:

Michelangelo grocery shopping listRedditor filosoful posted a link today to Michelangelo's handwritten 16th-century grocery list on the subreddit /r/books.

The shopping list, which comes from the collection of the Florence museum Casa Buonarroti, is accompanied by illustrations that were most likely drawn to help guide Michelangelo's illiterate assistant while browsing the market.

It's separated into three days by horizontal lines, and includes requests such as "pani dua" (two loaves of bread), "un aria" (a herring), and "un bocal di vino" (a quart of wine). 

The 1518 list with ideograms is a part of a collection of Michelangelo's drawings and loose papers that have toured around America in recent years, from Seattle to Boston. The papers, which range from letters and poems to sketches of his most famous work, offer a glimpse into the daily life of one of the greatest masters in all of art history.

SEE ALSO: 23 Recent Works Of Art That Shook History

Join the conversation about this story »

22 Brilliant Insights On How To Succeed In Business From T. Boone Pickens

$
0
0

Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens certainly has a way with words and a knack for telling it like it is.  

In fact, the 85 year-old energy tycoon/author of  "The First Billion Is The Hardest" has a ton of catchy/easy to remember phrases about life and business.

They're affectionately referred to by his family and staff members as "Boone-isms." 

We've compiled some of his business Boone-isms in the slides that follow from his website boonepickens.com

These and other verbal gems are often posted through his Twitter account @BoonePickens

"A plan without action is not a plan. It's a speech."

Source: BoonePickens.com



"Chief executives who themselves own few shares of their companies have no more feeling for the shareholders than they do for baboons in Africa."

Source: BoonePickens.com



"In a deal between friends, there's no place for a wolverine."

Source: BoonePickens.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Get To Know The 20 Most Impressive People Of 2013

HOUSE OF THE DAY: Leonardo DiCaprio Finally Sells His Malibu Beach Pad For $17.35 Million

$
0
0

leonardo dicaprio beach house

More than a year after he listed his Malibu beach pad for $23 million, Leonardo DiCaprio has sold the property for $17.35 million, significantly under the initial asking price, according to Zillow.

He had also attempted to rent out the beachfront home, seeking $150,000 a month for a lease shorter than six months and $75,000 a month for longer leases, real estate website Trulia reported at the time.

This is one of two homes the "Wolf of Wall Street" actor owned in Malibu. He bought it in 2002, paying $6 million.

The house is on prime Malibu real estate.



With amazing beach access.



And an awesome beachfront deck.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 Most Failed States On Earth

$
0
0

Zimbabwe leader crazy guy

This summer, Foreign Policy came out with its annual list of the most failed states on the globe, based on 12 metrics including social, economic, and political and military indicators.

We covered how Canada beat out the U.S. as less of a failed state.

Now, we're giving a complete breakdown of the worst of the worst. In the year 2013, it's hard to believe that life can be so bad.

#25 ERITREA: A small country in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea has been under dictatorial rule since 1993, when it gained independence from Ethiopia. Eritreans have suffered from military clashes with the Ethiopians and years of failed governance. Eritrea scores worst on human rights, demographic pressures, and legitimacy of state.



#23 LIBERIA (tie): Among the poorest countries in the world, Liberia suffers from a near total lack of infrastructure like clean water, public telephones, or sewage. The West African country also has a huge problem with refugees and internally displaced persons.



#23 NORTH KOREA (tie): Called the Hermit Kingdom for its seclusion from the outside world, North Korea got a terrible score for legitimacy of state. Human rights violations are rampant, and aid organizations estimate more then 2 million have died since the mid 1990s over food shortages alone.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

$7,500 A Month! Look At The Insane Salaries Interns Earn At Top Tech Companies

$
0
0

LinkedIn interns singing "We Are Young"

It pays to study math, science and technology in college these ... really pays.

Competition for talented software programmers and computer hardware engineers is so intense, interns can expect land salaries of $4,000 to well over $6,000 a month at some top tech companies, according to InternMatch, a site that helps students find paid internships.

One company even pays as much as $7,500 a month.

At IBM interns can earn $3,942 a month

Average IBM intern salary: $3,942

Intern class size: unknown

Average starting salary if offered a full-time job: $77,370

Best paying specialties: Hardware, machine learning, Java

InternMatch advice: IBM's "premiere intern program, dubbed Extreme Blue, offers everything you’d expect: challenging projects, competitive pay, relocation assistance, access to IBM recognition and ideas programs, and plenty of social activities over the course of the internship program."



At EMC interns can earn $4,004 a month

Average EMC intern salary: $4,004

Intern class size: unknown

Average starting salary if offered a full-time job: $77,661

Best paying specialties: Cloud computing, IT architecture

InternMatch advice:"Engineering students generally speak well of their time at EMC. There is plenty of challenging work, smart teams to be a part of and a good culture that embraces challenge, but isn’t overrun with pressure. If students have any overt complaints about EMC it is that the company is large enough to be bureaucratic."



At Rackspace interns can earn $4,012 a month

Average Rackspace intern salary: $4,012

Intern class size: unknown

Average starting salary if offered a full-time job: $66,638

Best paying specialties:Cloud computing, servers, infrastructure

InternMatch advice:"Replete with Star Wars memorabilia, indoor slides, game rooms and all the latest technical gadgets, Rackspace has a great developer culture. Rackspace prides itself on being a family, where everyone is accepted, because of this the company has a uniquely open culture, where interns (or 'Rackterns' as they are called) are encouraged to blog about their experience, share their ideas openly."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

54 Unforgettable Pictures From The Past Year

$
0
0

2013 In Pictures Primary ImageNo year ever seems to be a quiet one. Between civil wars, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and countless moments of beauty and joy, 2013 was no exception.

We are featuring some of the most memorable moments captured by photographers around the world.

A father reacts after the death of his two children in Syria.

A father reacts after the death of two of his children, whom activists said were killed by shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, at al-Ansari area in Aleppo on January 3, 2013. 



Protesters flee from tear gas by riot police near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

Protesters flee from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes after protesters removed a concrete barrier at Qasr al-Aini Street near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Jan. 24, 2013. 



Sixth-grade students watch as Marine One leaves with President Obama.

Sixth-grade students from the Park Maitland School in Maitland, Fla., watch as Marine One carrying U.S. President Barack Obama takes off from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington as he departs for Las Vegas on Jan. 29, 2013. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

HOUSE OF THE DAY: Paul McCartney Toured This $12.9 Million Condo With Central Park Views

$
0
0

paul mccartney nancy shevell

Sir Paul McCartney did some Christmas real estate shopping this week, according to The New York Post, which is reporting that he and his wife Nancy Shevell were spotted checking out a 4-bedroom condo on Fifth Avenue. 

The condo has expansive Central Park views and classic prewar design details, like marble bathrooms and a cozy mahogany library. 

The 3,335-square-foot unit has been on the market since October 2012, but it's seen a $500,000 price cut before reaching its current $12.9 million listing price. 

The floor plan is beautifully open, and there are plenty of opportunities to catch a glimpse of Central Park and the Reservoir.



The spectacular views of Central Park just can't be beat.



Coffered ceilings give the formal dining room an elegant touch.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These Color-Blind Photographer's Pictures Will Make You Want To Ditch Technology And Move To The Woods

$
0
0

killian schonberger has color blindnessIt's easy to get so caught up in the fast-paced, always-connected whirlwind of daily life that you forget to give yourself time to breathe. 

Technology makes our lives better and easier in a million ways, but we all need to occasionally take time to unplug, unwind, and appreciate the natural beauty around us. 

Kilian Schönberger, a color blind photographer from Germany, told Business Insider that that's what he wants to capture in his pictures: Mental resting places for our overstimulated world. 

Schönberger creates amazing pictures of tranquil environments all over the world and gazing at his photography will make you want to take a hiatus from technology and move to the forest. 

(Hat-tip to DashBurst, where we first discovered Schönberger's work.) 

Schönberger has photographed scenes all over the world, including Iceland, Germany, Norway, Scotland, and Italy.



He will spend weeks in wild, remote areas, taking photos.



"I love to brave the elements and cut my path through the wilderness," he says.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This Is The Best Way To Share Photos (If You And Your Family Use iPhones) (AAPL)

$
0
0

Bulldog getting whiskers trimmed

Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, odds are that you're going to take a lot of photos of your friends and family. 

Some of those photos will make their way onto Instagram, some onto Facebook, and yet others will be Snapchatted. Maybe two will accidentally end up on Google+. 

These are all good photo sharing services, but none of them are really good at sending a big batch of photos to a select group of friends quickly and easily.

If you're looking to share the photos you're collecting this holiday season, may I recommend Apple's iCloud-based Photo Streaming? 

Apple's Photo Stream is a seamless way to share photos. I don't think a lot of people use it or talk about it, but I find it's a really good way to share pictures. 

The catch with Photo Stream is that it only works if you're sending from an Apple device to people with Apple devices. 

If you take your photos with an iPhone, or an iPad, it's an easy way to share with other people that have iPads, iPhones, or Macs. (So, if your Aunt has an Android phone, but an iPad, she'll be able to see the photos on her iPad. And so on...) 

First, take some photos (duh), then go to the Photos app, and press "Select".



Next, press on the rectangle with an arrow on it at the bottom.



Now press the iCloud icon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Best Sports Photos Of 2013

$
0
0

jacoby jones

As 2013 comes to a close, it's time to look back at another incredible year in sports.

The lights went out at the Super Bowl, a soccer great retired, and many championships were celebrated.

We created a timeline of the images that captured the best moments of 2013.

Garrett McNamara surfs the big waves of Nazare, Portugal.



Lindsey Vonn effortlessly flies through the air in Italy.



Alabama cheerleaders celebrate after the football team won its second consecutive National Championship.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

BARGAIN OR FAKE? How To Spot Counterfeit iPhones And Other Phony Tech Toys

$
0
0

Look eyes stress

The post-holiday sale season is upon us. It's a great time to find bargains on the consumer tech toys you wanted but didn't get as gifts.

Unfortunately, it's also a good time to get ripped off.

Low prices could mean a great deal. But they could also mean you're really buying a fake.

Counterfeiters sell $700 billion worth of fake products every year, says Craig Crosby, founder and CEO of the Counterfeit Report, a site dedicated to stopping them.

And when it comes to fake electronics, there's a reason that they're cheap. They aren't certified. They don't use the same materials and won't perform like the originals. They can even be dangerous.

There are all sorts of counterfeit electronics out there. Fake iPhones are particularly popular, especially the new 5S and 5C models, reports OpSec Security, a company that offers products and services to fight counterfeiting.

This Amazon Kindle USB adapter looks real. But turn it over ...



That's a counterfeit UL Mark, the symbol for Underwriters Laboratories that tests and verifies the safety of electronics. The real UL symbol is in the corner.



On the bottom of a real Apple USB power adapters, you'll find the phrase, "Designed by Apple in California."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 Things You Need To Know About Ronda Rousey

$
0
0

ronda rousey espn body issue

A year ago, women's UFC didn't exist.

Now there are 17 female UFC fighters, and the women's bantamweight title fight is one of the signature events of UFC 168.

Ronda Rousey is a big reason for the sudden rise of the sport.

She defends her title against Miesha Tate in UFC 168 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

With her trash-talking personality, good looks, incredible backstory, and unmatched skill in the ring, she has almost single-handedly paved the way for women in UFC.

In 2008, she went to the Olympics Beijing and won a bronze medal in judo.



But afterward, she had no job to fall back on: "There’s nothing put in place for Olympians after they're done. They give you a couple grand, a handshake and they kick your ass out the door."

Source: MTV



She took a graveyard shift at a 24 Hour Fitness in California while trying to figure out what she wanted to do.

Source: MixedMartialArts.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 Best Jobs For People Who Love Math

$
0
0

colorful mathematical stained glass shadow

In today's data-driven economy, those with excellent math skills don't have to look far to find high-paying, high-growth jobs open for the taking.

To find out which jobs offer the best opportunities for people who love math, we analyzed CareerCast's list of the top 200 occupations in 2013 and pulled out those jobs that require analytical math skills.

CareerCast, a job search site, measured the stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook of the 200 occupations.

The overall score for each job takes into account the pay; hiring outlook; stress; emotional factors, including the level of competitiveness and degree of public contact; and physical demands, such as stamina required and work conditions, that normally come with the job. Once the categories are combined, a lower overall score signals that the job is more desirable to employees.

Much of the data used to evaluate the jobs comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, other government agencies, trade associations, and private survey firms.

10. Economist

Overall score: 654

Annual median salary: $91,210

BLS projected growth (through 2020): -2.9% 

Work environment score: 48

Stress score: 17

What they do: Studies and analyzes the effects of resources such as land, labor, and raw materials, on costs and their relation to industry and government.

The ranking is based on data that weighted stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook across 200 occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.



9. Stockbroker

Overall score: 609

Annual median salary: $72,484

BLS projected growth (through 2020): 15% 

Work environment score: 70

Stress score: 39

What they do: Facilitates the purchase and sale of stocks, bonds, and other securities for individual and institutional clients.

The ranking is based on data that weighted stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook across 200 occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.



8. Tax examiner (tax collector)

Overall score: 560

Annual median salary: $50,210

BLS projected growth (through 2020): 8% 

Work environment score: 50

Stress score: 17

What they do: Determines tax liability and collects taxes from individuals or businesses.

The ranking is based on data that weighted stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook across 200 occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Sexiest TV Journalists Alive!

$
0
0

Alessandra Villegas, Telemundo

Obviously, Ron Burgundy is the sexiest broadcast journalist on the silver screen.

But there's a ton of actual on-air talent who give the "Anchorman" a run for his money.

They're on TV every morning, afternoon, and evening, giving viewers all the latest news in business, entertainment, and politics.

#35 Matt Lauer

Co-anchor of NBC's "Today"

Lauer isn't the buzziest personality on air, and he's hardly the nicest — the 18-year veteran of "Today" was pretty cold to ousted co-host Ann Curry, and is the "least-trusted" anchor in America, according to a Reader's Digest poll.

But he's in great shape for his age, and last year landed a reported $25 million annual contract with NBC after threatening to leave for ABC.



#34 Karla Martinez

Co-host of Univision's "Despierta America"

The Spanish-language "Despierta America" is crushing its early morning talk show competition, increasing viewership by 26% this year, thanks in part to its sizzling co-host Martinez.

The University of Texas grad previously worked as a model and wrote a self-help book titled "The Power of a Smile."



#33 Megyn Kelly

Host of FOX News' "The Kelly File"

Blonde bombshell Kelly moved to primetime just over two months ago, and quickly became the number two person on cable news' number one channel; her program's ratings among 25- to 54-year-olds have clobbered those of "The O'Reilly Factor"six times.

Kelly, a former head cheerleader, set off a media firestorm this month when she told views it's a "verifiable fact" that Santa Claus is white. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See What It's Like To Eat At Chipotle's New Pizzeria In Denver [PHOTOS]

$
0
0

pizzeria locale denver

Chipotle is quietly applying its fast-casual formula to a pizza restaurant in Denver, and so far, it's been a big hit with the locals.

Pizzeria Locale, an offshoot of a full-service restaurant in Boulder, opened in the South Broadway area of Denver in May. The restaurant is a partnership between Chipotle and restaurateurs Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, who opened their Boulder restaurant in 2011.

Much like at Chipotle, customers order their own personal pizzas at the counter, choosing their own toppings or selecting a pre-set pizza from a menu. The 11-inch pies are cooked in less than two minutes in a high-temperature pizza oven, and diners can also choose from add-ons like salad and sides.

Chipotle has said the restaurant is already scoping out two additional locations in Denver.

We asked a friend who recently moved to Denver from New York (and claims to know a thing or two about quality pizza) to document his dinner at the Broadway Boulevard location. He raved about the quality of the pizza dough, and said the experience felt similar to eating at a Chipotle, only "it was much cleaner and the staff was friendlier."

Pizzeria Locale, which opened in May, is in an up-and-coming Denver neighborhood. In fact, it's located right next door to a Chipotle restaurant.



As customers file in, they walk past a glassed-in room where employees roll out fresh dough,



Much like at a Chipotle, customers line up at a counter to order. The menu includes nearly a dozen "classic" pizzas, or customers can invent their own by choosing from nearly two dozen toppings.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How Incredibly Rare And Expensive White Truffles Go From Italy's Forests To Fine Restaurants Everywhere [PHOTOS]

$
0
0

truffle searchWhite truffles are notorious for causing a frenzy among foodies and restaurateurs alike.

They're incredibly difficult to find, only harvested in the autumn, and have been known to fetch some shockingly high prices — back in October, Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin bought four pounds of the fungi for $95,000. 

The white truffle has chosen an interesting place to grow, too. It thrives in the damp forests of the Langhe, a hilly area in the southern part of Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. The small town of Alba is considered the capital of the region, and thus, the capital of Italian white truffle production. 

Reuters photographer Stefano Rellandini visited Alba during their annual truffle auction to capture a bit of the mystical process. 

Here's an up-close shot of a slice of white truffle. Typically chefs and truffle hunters are on the lookout for something much bigger.



The sun sets over the hills of Serralunga d'Alba, a town in the region of Italy known as the capital of white truffles.



Ezio Costa, 66, searches for truffles in the woods in Monchiero, near Alba. Costa's family have searched for truffles for four generations.



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




Latest Images

<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596344.js" async> </script>