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Here's The App Yahoo Made After Buying A 17-Year-Old's Company For $30 Million

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Nick D'AloisioYahoo unveiled another new app at CES this week called Yahoo News Digest. The program was created in part by Nick D'Aloisio, the 17-year-old developer who sold his company Summly to Yahoo for $30 million.

Yahoo News Digest delivers bite-sized chunks of news called "digests" to your phone every morning and evening. Each news item is accompanied by what Yahoo calls "Atoms," which add additional context to stories like tweets, videos, and stock tickers.

Users will only receive up to nine main stories per day and the app tracks your reading status. Once you finish the digest, Yahoo's app will alert you that you've reached the limit.

You can download it for the iPhone here.

Once you activate the app, it'll take you through a few screens explaining the system.



Digests will be delivered twice a day to your phone.



After you finish reading the essential rules for the app, launch it and start reading.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 18 Most Famous Students In College This Semester

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corinne bishop jamie foxx

The spring semester has started, and college students across the country are returning to campus refreshed and rejuvenated.

Not everyone spent Winter Break sleeping in though.

Corinne Foxx, Jamie Foxx's daughter, rang in the New Year with Beyoncé.

"Hunger Games" actress Jacqueline Emerson jetted off to Germany to visit her dad, the country's new U.S. Ambassador.

And now it's back to hitting the books, all while juggling life in the public eye. 

See which celebrities' sons and daughters — plus a few stars in their own right — are attending college this semester.

Alexander Ludwig

College: University of Southern California

Year: Junior

Canadian actor Alexander Ludwig played the ruthless District 2 tribute Cato in the first "Hunger Games" movie. (He's the one who fights Peeta and Katniss on top of the cornucopia in the final fight scene.)

A Phi Kappa Psi brother and theater major, Ludwig belongs to one of USC's most exclusive fraternities, which has a reputation for throwing the year’s wildest parties.



Billie Lourd

College: New York University

Year: Senior

Carrie Fisher's little princess is following in mom's career path. According to her LinkedIn profile, Lourd has interned with HBO Documentary Films and Another Planet Entertainment. She told her mom that if Fisher's semi-autobiographical novel, "The Best Awful," gets optioned as a movie, she wants to play herself.

She also volunteered with the Obama for American campaign.



Chiara de Blasio

College: Santa Clara University

Year: Junior

During her father Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, the 19-year-old starred in an advertisement and made a dramatic, surprise return from college to cast a vote for him.

The floral-headband-wearing hipster recently made headlines of her own with a powerfully candid video about her struggles with depression, and history of drug and alcohol abuse.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Massachusetts Dad Has Been Drawing Ridiculously Cool Pictures On His Kids' Sandwich Bags Since 2008 [PHOTOS]

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keeping cool

School lunches can be so boring.

But David Laferriere, a father of two from Massachusetts, keeps things entertaining by drawing a picture on his sons' sandwich bags almost every morning after he makes their lunch. 

LaFerriere, an illustrator and graphic designer, started doodling on lunch bags in May 2008. He posted the designs to Flickr since the sandwich bags get thrown out, he explained in a video feature for the website.

Five years later, LaFerriere has decorated close to 2,000 sandwich bags. It's a morning ritual he plans to continue until his youngest son, now 14, heads off to college, LaFerriere told Business Insider through email. LaFerriere's other son is 15. 

LaFerriere uses Sharpies to draw on the sandwich once it's inside the bag. The drawings don't take very long.

"It's rare that I go over 5 minutes since time is tight," he wrote.  

Some of his favorite things to draw are monsters, robots, chickens, birds, squirrels, and worms. "I really like the ones that incorporate the shape of the bread or a bubble."

You can see some of our favorite sandwich bag art in the following slideshow and visit LaFerriere's Flickr page to see all of his work. 

"Chicken fishing"



"Christmas tree"



"Leftover pumpkin pie"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 29 Coolest US Air Force Images Of The Year

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attached image

The U.S. Air Force gets a lot of ribbing from the other services for being a kush job, but the general consensus when it comes to photography is that United States Airmen are second to none.

The flagship publication in the Air Force — Airmen Magazine — has recently collated and released what its editors believe is the best imagery of 2013.

Air Force photographers are unique in that they don't just photograph airplanes or service specific operations. There travels put them on the ground, in the operating room, or in America's epic Boneyards.

Certainly, the beauty in this imagery is as subtle as it is outstanding.

Senior Airman Jodi Martinez fires at opposing forces during an Ability to Survive and Operate exercise at North Auxiliary Air Field, S.C. Martinez is a photographer assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. The 1st CTCS acquires still and motion imagery in support of classified and unclassified air, sea and ground military operations. Combat Camera held the exercise to train them to function outside the wire as a combat documentation specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman George Goslin)



U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons Head Coach Troy Calhoun leads the team into the stadium to play conference rival Wyoming at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Cowboys defeated Air Force 56-23. (Department of Defense photo/Mike Kaplan)



Senior Airman Justin Gordon completes a static line jump at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Gordon participated in the training to maintain his qualifications and also reenlisted prior to the jump. He's the assistant NCO in charge of survival, evasion, resistance and escape training with the 52nd Operations Support Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MORGAN STANLEY: The World Will Go Through 5 Big Transitions This Year

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china sun dancer

From the U.S. to Europe to China and emerging markets, 2014 will prove a year of "tricky transitions," Morgan Stanley's Joachim Fels in a new free newsletter.

"Looking at the broader picture, 2014 will mark year five of a post-crisis global economic expansion that has seen bumpy, below-par and brittle growth," Fels writes.

The first four years of the post-crisis paradigm has been characterized by deleveraging in developed markets, leveraging in emerging ones, expanding central bank balance sheets, and a "full-blown debt crisis in Europe."

"If all goes well, 2014 could mark the transition to a sounder, safer and more sustainable second half of this expansion," Fels writes. "That means a DM expansion that is less dependent on monetary and fiscal stimulus, instead driven by private consumption and capital expenditures and supported by a normalization of the credit mechanism. It also means an EM expansion that is helped by structural reforms aimed at more sustainable growth models."

But it won't be easy.

1. The Fed has to manage tapering

"The Fed, under the new leadership of Janet Yellen, still has to manage the tapering process and create credible forward guidance on interest rates to avoid a replay of the unpleasant experience last summer, when the markets almost completely disregarded the Fed’s “tapering isn’t tightening” talk and pushed market rates significantly higher."

Source: Morgan Stanley



2. It will be a 'crunch year' for Japan and Abenomics

"This year will be difficult for Japanese GDP growth as the planned corporate tax cuts are unlikely to fully offset the drag from the consumption tax hike in April. Also, our Japan team does not expect to see major progress on structural reforms that could boost growth in the short term. Still, we expect the economy to muddle through. We forecast additional easing measures by the Bank of Japan in the course of the year in the form of increases in the amount of asset purchases, as well as the potential introduction of US-style forward guidance. Over time, this should support the transition from deflation to moderately positive inflation."

Source: Morgan Stanley



3. Europe will attempt to cleanse the banking system

"The Euro Zone is facing a crucial transition in 2014, where we see below- consensus GDP growth of only 0.5%. The comprehensive balance sheet assessment, planned ahead of the ECB taking over as single supervisor in the fourth quarter, will combine an asset quality review (AQR) and a bank stress test. This process will likely unify and cleanse the banking system, reduce fragmentation and unclog the lending channelpreconditions for a more sustainable recovery and for allaying what we view as a major risk: “Japanification” and deflation."

Source: Morgan Stanley



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 Intense Syria Photos From The 18-Year-Old Photojournalist Who Died In Action

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syria9

Eighteen-year-old photojournalist Molhem Barakat was killed in a battle for control of Aleppo's al-Kindi Hospital on December 20th, 2013.

The Syrian teenager had been photographing the war with equipment provided by Reuters since May 2013 — and his death has generated uncomfortable questions for the news agency, as covered by David Kenner at Foreign Policy.

Regardless of these questions, it's clear that Barakat had unparalleled access and took excellent pictures. With a brother in a local rebel brigade, he was routinely in the thick of rebel battles. He even identified as a participant in the revolution, as opposed to an impartial observer.

Many of the soldiers he photographed were even younger than him, some as young as 11. What they all shared was an unusual childhood, shadowed by an terrible and brutal war.

Barakat's pictures have appeared in publications all over the world. We've collected some of his most powerful work.

Some of these images are very graphic.

Mohammed, a 13-year-old fighter in the Free Syrian Army aims his weapon as he runs from snipers loyal to the Assad regime in Aleppo. He joined the rebels after his father died in the war. The gun is his father’s.syria 5Mohammad aims his weapon through a hole in a wall in Aleppo's Bustan al-Basha district.syria13Free Syrian Army fighters carry a wounded comrade during clashes with Assad's forces, near a crucial strategic stronghold outside Aleppo.syria12A Free Syrian Army tank fires a shell at forces loyal to Assad.syria11A rebel fighter in the Tawhid Brigade prepares homemade rockets to fire at 80th Brigade Base, strategic military target that has gone back and forth between rebels and Assad's forces.syria7A rebel fighter launches a projectile 80th Brigade Base. 

 

syria8Aleppo residents struggle to put out a fire caused by shelling from Assad's forces.syria6Syrians attempt to enter Turkey illegally to escape the civil war.syria4Free Syrian Army members remove a body from the rubble after an airstrike by Assad-loyal forces.syria2A Free Syrian Army member peeks out from a damaged shop in Aleppo.Syria1

A child sells cake in Old Aleppo.RTX14YUN

SEE ALSO: The fragility of Syria in one heartbreaking photo

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Movies In Luxembourg Are Overwhelmingly Multilingual — And Other Observations Of An American Tourist

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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has three national languages and so do its movie theaters. I went to Luxembourg's original multiplex cinema on Christmas and saw a German film in English with French and German subtitles. The tiny country, smaller than the state of Rhode Island, has 15 movie theaters with half of them only 2o minutes away from each other. 

Only one movie playing at the cinema was not American. Here are advertisements for upcoming movies which were already in their second week at the box office in New York. movie luxembourg

The movie tickets were 8.80 euros or about $12 dollars, though I got in cheaper with a student discount.

lux movie

The grab-and-go style concessions saved us time since we didn't have to wait for an attendant to gather our food and drink selections. The heat lamps kept the popcorn warm, but the scent of freshly popped popcorn wasn't noticeable.

lux movie

In fact, the theater only sold sweet popcorn, which wasn't bad at all. The smallest size was priced at less than $3 dollars. 

popcorn europe

I counted more than 25 different drink options including various energy drinks, juices, flavored water, and sodas. There was also an ICEE machine.

movie luxembourg

There were three candy displays in the concessions area, filled primarily with Haribo candy.

movie luxembourg

I ended up getting a half a pound of candy and paid about $8 dollars. 

luxembourg movie

The cinema was much cleaner than you would find in America. The seats were comfortable, with a lot of space between rows.

movie luxembourg

After three previews, the movie began. "The Physician" is a German film made in English, projected with German and French subtitles.

movie luxembourg

It was difficult to pay attention to the audio since the lower part of the screen kept flickering every time the titles changed. Sometimes there were three languages on the screen at one time.

movie luxembourg

Sometimes the subtitles were hard to read because of the background. 

movie luxembourg

At the end of the movie, everyone took their garbage and either recycled it or threw it away.  Nothing was left in the aisles.

movie luxembourg

SEE ALSO: 21 awesome McDonald's dishes you can't get in America

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What It Takes To Serve In The Navy's Elite Warfare Boat Crew

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swcc navy

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) operators drive well-armed, fast boats in support of special ops missions including stealthy insertion and extraction of SEALs, clandestine reconnaissance, and combat gunfire support. 

The Navy's high-risk water mission experts, SWCCs must be physically fit, mentally tough, focused, and responsive in high stress situations — and getting to that point requires brutal mental and physical training.

The Discovery Channel's "Surviving the Cut" shows what SWCCs undergo at a 35-day basic course in Coronado, Calif.

These 26 sailors begin their first day of the 5 week Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman Training Center in Coronado, California. Each year, 240 sailors start SWCC training and about half pass.



The instructors are prepared to weed out the weakest sailors. "This is a gut check for these guys. They have a small idea of what they have gotten themselves into at this point and we are really going to open their eyes on day one," said one SWCC instructor.



Sailors run a quick 2 miles to the beach and spend the next six hours completing brutal workouts in the sand.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What It Was Like When Apple Announced The Original iPhone Seven Years Ago Today (AAPL)

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steve jobs

On this day seven years ago, Steve Jobs and Apple revealed the iPhone.

It's impossible to overstate how important the iPhone has been. It totally upended the technology industry and has begun to fundamentally change a lot of other industries. 

In honor of the seven-year anniversary, here's a look back at the original iPhone keynote announcement. 

This was Jobs' finest moment as a showman. 

It's fun to look back and see how much has changed.

Steve Jobs decided to reveal the iPhone at Macworld.

Apple now hosts its own events, and Macworld is called iWorld, and it's not all that popular.



Jobs ripped Microsoft.

At the most recent Apple event, CEO Tim Cook made fun of Microsoft's Surface. So, the more things change, the more they stay the same.



Jobs went out of his want to rip the Zune, saying it only had 2% share of the mp3 player market.

Today, the Surface is taking the place of the Zune.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Best And Worst Dressed At Last Night's People's Choice Awards

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Sandra Bullock Melissa McCarthy Heidi Klum Peoples Choice Awards

The People’s Choice Awards honor excellence in movies, TV, and film — decided by you, the entertainment-loving fans!

While Sandra Bullock led last night's awards show with three wins, "Iron Man 3" scored Favorite Movie and Favorite Action Movie honors.

Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Kaley Cuoco also took home awards, but let's see who won the red carpet, shall we?

WORST: Show hosts and "2 Broke Girls" co-stars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs went conservative for the red carpet...



BEST: But they totally redeemed themselves with more fun frocks during the show.



WORST: Even "Glee" star Naya Rivera looked scared by her 3-color, 2-level outfit choice.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We Found Out What It Takes To Be A Big-Time DJ

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Caroline D'Amore Bounce Music Festival Puerto Vallarta

DJs only gained rock star status a few years ago, thanks largely to the rise of electronic dance music (EDM). 

But these days, DJs like Calvin Harris can rake in over $200,000 in a night, while other "Electronic Cash Kings" like Skrillex, Avicii, and David Guetta routinely make millions every year.

"Good DJs do one of three things," says Sujit Kundu, whose DJ management agency SKAM Artist celebrates 10 years in the business this year. "Sell bottles, sell tickets, or attract girls. But great DJs do all three at once."

As DJs move from the fringes of the music world — hauling crates of records to remix — to arena-filling original performers, we spoke with Jermaine Dupri, Caroline D’Amore and DJ Five, who are all represented by SKAM, to find out what it's like to be a part of the music industry's fastest-growing sector.

Hip-hop versus electronic

"The EDMers got respect for DJs, from an artist’s perspective," Dupri, a mega-hit producer who formed Kris Kross in the ‘90s and started managing Mariah Carey in October, tells Business Insider.

"But the crowd is doing basically the same thing with their fists up. There’s the buildup and then the drop in the mix. If you hear a Jay Z record in a hip-hop mix and you’re from New York, you act even more boisterous to represent where you’re from," Dupri adds. He said DJing in hip-hop has a lot to do with nostalgia and where you were when certain videos and songs came out. 

Jermaine DupriD'Amore likes the universal appeal of electronic music. After she elbowed her way into the DJ business (“Some guys would be like, ‘Yea, I'd sleep with her, but I wouldn't hire her to DJ,’” she says), she turned to DJ AM, who helped her get her first pieces of equipment, and started playing electronic gigs, which have long been popular in Europe and Asia. In Tokyo, she opened for Will.I.Am at the MTV Music Awards.

That night, she got to hang out with Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie. "She came into the DJ booth and she goes, 'Girl, you’ve got to turn around, blot your face and then turn back around when you’re ready to give them a good picture,'" D'Amore recalls.

Electronic dance music mines pop culture and music for material. D'Amore remembered a show where she played a remix of "Twist and Shout," then got on the mic and asked anyone who remembered "a little movie called Ferris Bueller" to get up and do the dance. 

The digital shift

DJ FiveScratching vinyl on turntables was the critical skill when DJs enjoyed their first heyday in the '80s. 

"The digital shift didn’t make a difference to consumers," SKAM founder Kundu says. "But it made it easier to be a DJ. Back in the day, Funkmaster Flex might be the first one to get a new disc ahead of his competitors, so his mixes would be fresher for a time. Now people can rip all the music they want, it’s on the Internet, so the edits they do become more important than the songs they mix."

Mixing with CDs later became popular, but DJ Five, an "open format" DJ who "spins in all styles," says the change between tracks isn't as clean on CD. He works largely on his computer and sets aside time twice each week to download new songs for sets.

Dupri has a separate computer dedicated to DJ work. He downloads music before each performance to fit the "flavor" of the city he's in.

"If people see me in the club all week, they think ‘Oh this guy parties all the time,'" Dupri says, "but I’m really in there doing research."

If somebody requests a track mid-show, he says he can download it on the spot in two minutes or less. 

D'Amore uses her computer to store her music library and manipulates the mix with a Pioneer CDJ digital turntable and a Pioneer DJM-900nexus mixer. 

Booking and the business

Some musicians make money off their records, but not DJs. Cutting a record just gets a DJ's name out to club owners and festival organizers. It builds a buzz and brings audiences out to shows. 

The real money for DJs is in performances, and for them, Las Vegas is Mecca

Many DJs negotiate weekly or bi-weekly performance schedules in Vegas, which covers all their expenses and gives them a regular income. Then they travel the world making more lucrative appearances. D'Amore flew to Atlantic City in December for less than 12 hours between some standing performances on the West Coast.  

"Vegas is cool because it’s such a destination," says D’Amore, who’s had six-month residencies at the Hard Rock Hotel at Rehab and Body English. "The audience is less pretentious than in the LA clubs. People from all over the world come, and when they go home, they build your fan base where they’re from." 

Playing Vegas also tends to bring a measure of celebrity exposure. DJ Five, who currently has Vegas residencies at Tao and Hyde, played a show attended by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for her birthday in October.

At the higher levels, having professional representation is essential. When DJs really hit the big-time, splitting time between Vegas residencies, music festivals and world tours, they want someone else taking their booking calls. 

"Someone might offer you $2,000 when they should really be offering you $10,000," Kundu says. "I know the difference. I’m the equalizer, and I can help get songs on the radio, TV, VEVO, MTV, iTunes to help you get that bigger offer for a show."

SEE ALSO: Now Hipster Parents Can Sign Their Babies Up For DJ School In Brooklyn

Join the conversation about this story »

Flying Business Class Across The Country On American Airlines' Swanky New Plane Is Incredible

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american airlines A321T champagne cupcake

American Airlines officially upped the ante in the high stakes, high yield LAX-JFK transcontinental wars Tuesday with the launch of its long-awaited Airbus A321T.

This latest inaugural, just one month after consummating its merger with US Airways, caps off a period of extensive fleet changes for the carrier. The Embraer ERJ-175Airbus A319, and Boeing 777-300ER all joined the fleet as the newly merged carrier continues on its path toward the largest fleet renewal in commercial aviation history.

The process began in January 2011 with the 777-300ER order and the record 460 aircraft order in July 2011 for 200 Boeing 737-800s and 260 A319s and A321s.

Ever since, American (AA) has averaged a delivery of one new aircraft per week. The airline received its first A321T in November and the company unveiled the airplane to the press and high-value customers at LAX and JFK late last month. Familiarization flights between the two cities began shortly thereafter.

With five A321T’s in the fleet at present, AA is initially operating two roundtrips per day between the two cities. The A321Ts, which are replacing the ancient 767-200s, will be joined later in the year by standard new-build A321s that are designed to replace the Boeing 757-200s. Down the road, 93 A321s (as well as 17 outstanding orders) will come over from US Airways once the merger is completed. This review covers the inaugural flight 118, scheduled for a 7AM departure.

Though it is a mostly symbolic move, American’s introduction of the A321T is just the first step in the coming shift in the balance of power towards the A321 in the US market. Currently, US carriers operate 453 passenger Boeing 757-200s, and 124 Boeing 737-900s (both ER and non-ER – as well as 176 NGs and 117 MAX 9s on order). However, many of these 757s are slated for retirement (close to 300 – basically the non-international 757s that operating trans-Atlantic and South American routes for the legacy carriers & AA will use new regular A321s to replace 757s to Hawaii).

Meanwhile, US Airways operates 93 A321s (with 17 on order), American has five A321s on property (with an additional 190 – 60x ceo, 130x neo on order), Spirit Airlines operates two (with 30 on order), JetBlue operates four (with 79 more on order), and Hawaiian Airlines has sixteen A321neos on order.  When all of the orders are filled for both types, the A321ceo/neo will be the most operated large narrowbody in the US, narrowly edging out the 737-900/MAX 9 with 431 frames versus 417, a massive shift from the current status.

Business Class is the heart of this premium high-yield market so we booked seat 12D in the intimate 20-seat Business Cabin to review the new product ourselves.

boarding pass for aa a321 inaugural 2013

Extra: The Transcon Wars – The Ultimate Airline Battleground
Extra: In-Flight Review Of American Airlines Inaugural Airbus A319

The Flight

morningThe morning started off bright and early. I arrived at LAX around 5:00AM local time to American’s elite Flagship Check-in. The folks at the premium cabin only ticket counter (which has its own special entrance) quickly squared away my reservation, handed me a ticket, and personally escorted me to security.

The walk to Gate 40 in Terminal 4 was short. The terminal was crowded with people going home from yesterday’s BCS bowl game, reminding me more of a zoo than an airport. Unlike many inaugural flights I have attended, there were no special decorations or acknowledgements of this new milestone (I later found out a celebration had been planned, but was scrapped due to concerns that it would look insensitive in light of the weather.

Boarding commenced approximately on time. I boarded through the L1 door (generally it will be L2 to preserve first class exclusivity), and made my way to my seat in the swank new business class cabin.
first class
Upon passing through the first class cabin I noticed a special compartment for pets, as the first class product does not have any under seat storage (same as AAs 777-300).

Before taking my seat in 7D I noticed that each seat had a complimentary SWAG bag, filled with a T-Shirt, DVD, and 500 AAdvantage miles.
swag
While settling in, the preflight customary champagne and water were offered as the cabin power flickered on and off. Best to get the jitters out of the way early, I suppose.

inpost staffOnce power was solidly established the airplane’s mood lighting was turned on. Shades of blue and purple swept over the cabin, eliciting ohs and ahs throughout the airplane. Our friendly crew excitedly thanked us for being on board the inaugural flight, and pointed out that for many it was their first time working on board the airplane. We pushed back at 7:03AM, taxied for awhile across the vast LAX landscape, and leapt into the sky 19 minutes later at 7:22AM.

Once aloft the flight generally proceeded like any other. One hour into the flight, Fern Fernandez, AA’s Vice President of Global Marketing, gave a spirited champagne and cupcake toast (Fernandez later gave up his business seat to an employee, taking his seat at the back of economy). After which, our breakfast service began.

Our two flight attendants (there are two in each cabin for six total, instead of the nine on the old 762) busily worked the cabin, delivering our breakfast choices.
inpost breakfast
My choice consisted of tasty a gruyere fontina cheese omelette and chicken apple sausage, red pepper potatoes, and chicken apple sausage. It was superbly delicious. Other options included Belgian waffles along with cereal and yogurt.

While our meal in business might have come with the fare, all passengers on board wound up receiving free food and drinks on board the flight. Typically those in main cabin extra or the main cabin would have the option of buying off the menu.

main cabinOnce I had finished the delicious breakfast I turned my attention to the seat, and promptly fell asleep. It was exceptionally comfortable. I set one of my electronics to power up, but was dismayed by the awkward location of the AC and USB power ports, both located near my head.

After my much needed and very enjoyable nap, it was time to mess around with the inflight entertainment system (IFE). All entertainment, in all classes of service, is free on the A321T (in contrast to the AA A319 and 737 where it is not, at least in Y). The Thales powered, Android GUI based system had an incredibly quick response time – one of the faster I’ve ever seen.musicWhile most choices mirrored a predictable set of choices ranging from movies to TV to music, two options in particular stuck out to me. The first was a sort of e-reader. It functioned much like a Kindle, offering a selection of reading material, which is certainly unique. The other was the moving maps function.

Normally pretty unexciting, I found it to be mind blowing with pinching like a smart phone and multiple views including cockpit and wingman which displays heading, ground speed, and altitude. Who needs anything else on the IFE?
map
Very AvGeek and cool. Regardless of your choice, you could listen to it via the set of spiffy three-pronged Bose headsets passed out to each premium passenger.

The system can be controlled via touch screen or by a very nifty universal remote. The remote also controls flight attendant call and overhead seat lights but doesn’t completely control IFE, which is annoying as you have to reach far forward. #firstworldproblems.

Ultimately, however, I thought the IFE set a new standard (more photos in the slideshow, below).

As the flight neared its final hour cookies were provided, along with a selection of snacks including chips, candy, and fruit. Thanks to the weather, it was a very bumpy approach below 10k feet – not quite as smooth as the larger 767-200 it will replace.

Our pilots greased the landing at 3:05EST to applause. Predictably, there was no water cannon salute, as it would have all frozen to the airplane with the 10 degree temperature. We blocked into the gate at 3:15PM. And thus a wonderful flight came to an end.

Another point of significance not lost on the day was when American Airlines and US Airways  made the significant step of allowing both airline’s customer’s miles to be earned and redeemed in the AAdvantage and Dividends loyalty programs. Billed as “Customer Day One”, the changes involve primarily premium passengers, who besides linked loyalty programs, also can use either lounge, access to preferred seats, and combined ticket counters (for more see our story here).  This is the first major customer-facing change resulting from the merger.

And just a month following the completion of its merger with US Airways to form the world’s largest airline, American is clearly on a quest to become what new CEO Doug Parker says is to become “the world’s best airline” with the new A321T product being a significant factor. The Transcon Wars have only begun, however as jetBlue launches its new premium Mint and updated Core product in June followed by Delta’s new BusinessElite Cabin in July. United completed its conversion to its new P.S. product on the 757-200 platform last month. This leaves the innovative and customer friendly Virgin America left, who is now the only transcon player in the market without lie-flat seats in the market, to respond.

What is clear, however, it that AA’s quest to be the top airline in the US has found a good direction in the A321T. Our vote? It’s the new best-in-class.

Here are more photos from the flight:


11837648604_12d93c39ac_o

bathroom

Business Class Cabin Pre Board of AA Airbus A321 Inaugural 2013 3

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Here Is The Awesome Building That The Museum Of Modern Art Is Going To Destroy

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American folk art museum

Museum of Modern Art director Glenn D. Lowry confirmed last night that it will demolish the American Folk Art Museum, reports The New York Times.

The little bronze art museum adjacent to MoMA has only been around for 12 years, but it was a darling among critics.

Herbert Mushamp of The New York Times wrote when the building was first built in 2001, "The museum's facade is already a Midtown icon. Like that of the Austrian Cultural Institute, now nearing completion two blocks away, it demonstrates the capacity to project a powerful urban presence at town-house scale."

hobbyhorse american folk art museumIt was even named “The Best New Building in the World in 2001”, and is renowned in the art community for its vast collection of everything from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century household furniture to sculptures created by self-taught American artists.

So why does the short-lived museum — bought by MoMA in 2011 — have to go? Because it's in the way of the MoMA's planned expansion, announced this past April.

When the museum first expressed its desire to tear down the Folk Art Museum building for not aesthetically melding with the MoMA's new design, the architecture community was in an uproar. They vehemently opposed the decision and immediately began circulating petitions to stop the demolition as well as creating the tumblr (and hashtag) #FolkMoMA. The Architectural League also strongly demanded that MoMA reconsider.

a tour guide inside american folk art museumThings started looking up for the American Folk Art Museum when MoMA hired architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which seemed sympathetic to preserving the landmark building.

But all hope for the building was killed at a press conference this Wednesday. Lead architect Elizabeth Diller made a presentation that showed the biggest problem with the American Folk Art Museum — it would block circulation between the current MoMA building and its planned expansion into three floors of Jean Nouvel's new tower at 53 West 53rd Street.

According to Architect Magazine writer Joseph Giovannini:

Diller presented three scenarios. The first would be accessed along the north 54th Street wall, but that would clearly create a bottleneck in a museum that expects to have three million visitors per year. The second and third scenarios created a loop for circulation along 54th Street, with the front part of the loop bridging through the existing Folk Art Museum building. The loop solves the circulation issue of bringing throngs of people to and through the new galleries and the Tower Verre.

Adapting the Folk Art Museum building, however, would basically compromise the building’s interior beyond recognition. A pall settled over the room as if the death of a family member had been announced. The architects would have had to destroy the Folk Art Museum building in order to save it.

Diller went on to show Diller Scofidio + Renfro's new design for the space, with a gallery for new exhibitions similar to the courtyard at MoMA PS1 and new space for performance art. The expansion would add 15,500 square feet of gallery space in the folk art site and 39,000 square feet in the Nouvel tower.

According to the Times, the architects who regionally designed the Folk Art Museum, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, protested the decision in a statement: “This action represents a missed opportunity to find new life and purpose for a building that is meaningful to so many. The inability to experience the building firsthand and to appreciate its meaning from an historical perspective will be profoundly felt.”

Construction will begin this spring or summer and finish by 2018 or 2019.

SEE ALSO: 23 Recent Works Of Art That Shook History

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The 24 Tiniest Homes On Earth

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Zillow Seattle Footprint tiny apartments

Think your place is small?

These small spaces will put your 500-square-foot studio to shame. Small spaces are trending in real estate these days, and these folks are grabbing the bull by the horns.

Here are 24 of the smallest homes we could find, from all over the world. They're on roofs, on wheels, and in backyards.

They may make you feel claustrophobic, but their owners have found them to be quite livable.

Know of an even smaller living space? Let us know in the comments.

New York City will get 370-square-foot micro apartments.

Size: 250 to 370 sq. ft.

Location: New York, NY

Last January, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg finally revealed the design of thestudio apartments that will be no more than 370 square feet.

These apartments would be an affordable housing solution for young professionals and will be able hold a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and sleeping area.

The affordability is debatable, however, as the micro apartments will still cost between $940 and $1,700 a month to rent.



This 330-square-foot apartment in Hong Kong transforms into 24 different room combinations.

Size: 330 sq. ft.

Location: Hong Kong, HK

Gary Chang, an architect in Hong Kong, turned his family's tiny 330-square-foot tenement apartment into a sleek and efficient living space with 24 different room combinations, including bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and even a guest bedroom area.

So, how does he do it? Chang installed a number of sliding panels which he can move around the space to reveal hidden areas and storage. It's a system he calls the "Domestic Transformer."



San Jose is also getting its own 300-square-foot micro apartments.

Size:300 sq. ft.

Location: San Jose, Calif.

In August 2012, the San Jose Department of Housing built a development of 42 affordable single-room-occupancy apartments, each one 300 square feet or less. Designed by Studio E Architects, each unit measures about two parking spaces and includes a full kitchen, a bathroom, and a combined living/sleeping area. 

There is a long wait list for one of these studios, but at a price of $650 a month, the wait may well be worth it.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Take A Tour Of Samsung's Gigantic Exhibit Space At CES, The World's Largest Tech Conference

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Samsung CES Booth 4.JPG

Samsung made a big splash in Las Vegas this week with the launch of a new line of gigantic, ultra-high definition curved-screen TVs.

The fact that director Michael Bay flubbed his lines, panicked, and walked off stage right in the middle of the company's keynote only shone the spotlight brighter on the company.

The launch took place at CES, the world's largest tech conference, which takes place inside three airplane hangar-sized buildings just off the Vegas Strip.

We got a look inside.

The exhibit "booth" was probably the largest at CES. It was so big that if you approached it from the wrong angle it was difficult to find the entrance.



The main entrance showed off the company's big new product line, ultra-high definition curved TV screens, up to 150 inches wide.



At the entrance we were greeted by this woman ...



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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom List Their Famous Mansion For $5.5 Million

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khloe and lamar house of the day

In light of news that Khloe Kardashian has filed for divorce from NBA player Lamar Odom amid allegations of drug abuse, it should come as no huge surprise that their mansion in Tarzana, Calif. is now for sale, according to celebrity real estate blog The Real Estalker.

The 8,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style home has seven bedrooms, nine baths, and a fairly large pool area. It's located at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Mulholland Park area of Tarzana, a quiet San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles. 

The custom-built house may seem familiar to fans of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Khloe & Lamar"— the family filmed scenes for both reality shows here. 

It's listed for $5.5 million with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty. 

Enter an ultra-private gated driveway that leads to a front door shaded behind palm trees.



Inside, a staircase with wrought-iron railings leads from the foyer to the second floor.



The master suite has a fireplace, sitting area, terrace, and three walk-in closets.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Jarring Look At How Much The Biggest NBA Salaries Have Changed In 25 Years

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4 Michael Jordan and Joe Johnson

It is no surprise that salaries in professional sports continue to rise. But looking back to how much players made just 25 years ago shows how drastically salaries have changed.

Recently, Darren Rovell of ESPN came across a list of the 15 highest-paid players in the NBA during the 1988-89 season as originally reported in Sport Magazine.

Those 15 highest-played players 25 years ago had an average salary of just $1.9 million or approximately $3.7 million in today's dollars. For comparison, the 15 highest-paid players in the NBA this season will make an average salary of $20.3 million.

On the next few pages we will take a look at the 15 highest-paid players in 1988-89 and how they compare to the current highest-paid players in the NBA (2013-14 salary information via Spotrac.com).

#15 Joe Barry Carroll (New Jersey Nets) and Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies)

Joe Barry Carroll's 1988-89 salary: $1.4 million

Adjusted for inflation: $2.8 million

Zach Randolph's 2013-14 salary: $17.8 million



#14 Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta Hawks) and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Dominique Wilkins's 1988-89 salary: $1.5 million

Adjusted for inflation: $2.9 million

Kevin Durant's 2013-14 salary: $17.8 million



#13 Robert Parish (Boston Celtics) and Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings)

Robert Parish's 1988-89 salary: $1.5 million

Adjusted for inflation: $3.0 million

Rudy Gay's 2013-14 salary: $17.9 million



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MONETARY TECTONICS: Here Are 50 Slides Detailing The War Between Inflation And Deflation

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incrementum

"Financial markets have become highly dependent on central bank policies," argue Incrementum's Ronald-Peter Stoeferle & Mark J. Valek.

"We sincerely believe that grasping the consequences of the interplay between monetary inflation and deflation is crucial for prudent investors these days."

That's why Incrementum put together a 50-slide presentation called Monetary Tectonics, illustrating the "tug of war between inflation and deflation."

Stoeferle and Valek illustrate how these two forces act like the tectonic plates under the earth's surface, colliding in constant reciprocal pressure against one another.

So what's the endgame?

"The unintended consequences of these monetary interventions will result in increasing volatility, potentially further disinflationary/deflationary phases and eventually (highly) inflationary phases," they conclude.







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17 Tricks Stores Use To Make You Spend More Money

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checkout value

Accidentally buy much more than you intended?

You may not have been planning on it, but the store certainly was. From supermarkets to clothing boutiques, shopping hubs are carefully engineered to get you to spend the most money possible.

Want to beat retailers at their own game? Then you'd better learn how they think.

A big, bold "SALE" sign helps get people in the store, where they are likely to buy non-sale items.



Once you enter, there's the shopping cart. This invention was designed in the late 1930s to help customers make larger purchases more easily.

Source: Idea Finder



In supermarkets, high margin departments like floral and fresh baked goods are placed near the front door, so you encounter them when your cart is empty and your spirits are high.



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18 Depressing Photos That Show Why Sales Are Crumbling At Sears (SHLD)

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Sears, once America's golden retailer, is a company in crisis. 

The company has shuttered hundreds of stores in recent years. The embattled company has been selling some its most profitable stores to raise money. 

And now, shares are tumbling after Sears lowered guidance for the quarter and announced that comparable sales in the fourth quarter have slid more than 7%. 

Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital Advisors, took poignant photos inside of New Jersey  and New York Sears locations in October. 

"To understand why Sears is in a 'sell stores mode' one must look no further than the stores themselves, where the truth is to be found," Sozzi writes. 

His photos show the sad reality of what Sears is today. 

Sears' mannequins are outdated in comparison with competitors like Macy's, Lord & Taylor, and JCPenney, Sozzi says. "If you are living darn near paycheck to paycheck, does this presentation excite you about making a purchase with a couple saved up electronic dollars?"

sears decline

Sozzi points out that this display is confusing. "Huh? A random football themed carpet with no promotion around it?" he says.

sears decline

"What’s the deal in the back of this electronics department?" Sozzi asks. "Does Best Buy look like this? Or, how about the electronics sections at Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, and BJ’s Wholesale? Nope."

sears decline

The shoe department isn't adequately stocked, with empty shelves.

sears decline

"The team can’t find any way to repurpose abandoned portrait studios into something that drives traffic and sales?" Sozzi asks. "The consistently dark zones give a 'going out of business' feel to nearby departments that actually log some sales, which include appliances and baby."

sears decline

Lights are out in the store. "This is not great for flattering a potential customer trying on merchandise," Sozzi writes.

sears decline

"This is where the store underinvestment appears loud and ugly," Sozzi says.

sears decline

"Attack of the female basics? Look at the lack of organization," Sozzi says.

sears decline

Associates weren't on hand to help make purchases in this disorganized department, Sozzi says.

sears decline

These displays are almost totally empty.

sears decline 

"Toys stacked on a shelf next to an escalator by the shoe department," Sozzi writes.

sears decline

Again, Sears is disorganized. "Accessories are some of the only discretionary items selling in the mall with consistency these days," Sozzi writes. "Best of luck navigating this flea market experience."

sears decline

The men's department is overwhelming. "Inventory excess…an entire department of it!" Sozzi says. "Who is in charge of planning and allocation?"

sears decline

The beauty department also lacks innovation in comparison with competitors. "JCPenney has Sephora. Macy’s newly remodeled stores have an array of associates at the ready to assist in cosmetics, ditto Lord & Taylor," Sozzi says. "Ulta stores are popping up everywhere. Sears, well, yeah."

sears decline

"Retail is detail? Not here," Sozzi writes.

sears decline

The random clothing racks are confusing to customers and show a lack of organization.

sears decline

This mat appears to be shabby and stained.

sears decline

Sozzi left the store with an empty cart.

sears decline

SEE ALSO: Photos From The Glory Days Of JCPenney

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