The tiny Middle Eastern state of Qatar has come a long way since it gained independence in 1971.

Qatar's capital, Doha, was a sleepy pearl fishing community until the '90s, when it began tapping into its vast offshore natural gas reserves. After investing heavily in liquefied natural-gas technology, Qatar is now one of the leading exporters in the world, with a sovereign wealth fund (known as the Qatar Investment Authority) worth over $85 billion, according to CNN Money.

Today, it is home to the headquarters of the country's largest oil and gas companies, and a population of almost 600,000.

And the city is not done growing. As a result of Qatar's increasing corporate and commercial activity, 47 new skyscrapers are currently being built in Doha, according to Emporis. New hotels will also be joining Qatar's skyline to attract even more tourists to its spa villages, huge malls, and scenic artificial islands. In 2022, Doha will even host the FIFA World Cup in its brand-new (questionable-looking) stadium.

To see how far the country has come since it gained its independence from the United Kingdom just over four decades ago, we compiled some photos of Doha then and now.

THEN: Here's what the skyline of the Qatari capital of looked like in 1977.

NOW: Here's the Doha skyline today. There are currently 47 buildings under construction in the city, according to Emporis.

Source: Emporis

THEN: Here's what the heart of Doha's commercial center looked like back in 1968.

Every March, tens of thousands of tech enthusiasts flock to Austin, Texas for a massive conference, South by Southwest.

It can be overwhelming if you're not prepared or are unsure what to expect.

This will be my third year attending and I've made a lot of rookie mistakes. Here's what I wish I had known my first couple times around.

As soon as you know you're attending SXSW, book a hotel room.

Two years ago, hotel rooms in Austin were completely sold out for SXSW's interactive portion by early December.

Last year, it was even worse. All of the hotels within a 20-mile radius were booked by October.

This year, I finally got smart. I booked a hotel the same day SXSW registration opened in August and I got my top hotel pick.

If you haven't gotten yourself a room, go on SXSW's site and register for housing. You can email the housing committee at SXSW to advise you on next steps. There's also Airbnb, but rates are as high or higher than local hotels, and most of those rentals are booked up too.

You can also call hotels in downtown Austin and find openings that aren't listed on the SXSW website. Often, those rooms are absurdly expensive, but there will be some last minute cancellations so you might get lucky if you call early in the morning.

Your best bet may be to surf LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for others in your situation. People set up message boards to help stragglers find housing.

Try as hard as you can to get a hotel within walking distance of the convention center. If you can't, rent a car.

There are only a few hundred cabs in Austin, which is not enough to support all 30,000+ attendees.  There are a lot of pedicabs, but no bikers is going to take you across the highway or multiple miles to your hotel. Uber hasn't launched in SXSW either, so calling a car isn't an option.

While Austin is a walkable town, getting home is tough and the hotel shuttles stop running late at night. Your best bet may be to rent a car and stash it in a nearby lot during the day, and either stay sober at the open bars or come back for it in the morning.

If you have to stay driving distance from the convention center, don't buy an R&R Limousine shuttle pass.

SXSW pushes R&R Limousine's shuttle service to attendees because it is the official transportation sponsor of the event. Don't fall for it

The pass costs $70 for five days or $20 per ride.  But it doesn't operate on a set schedule. It will roll up to your hotel when and if it feels like it.

The service says to expect the shuttle every "30-45 minutes"; It also warns people not to waste the company's time calling if you don't see an R&R shuttle.

I magically caught the shuttle service three times while in Austin. The other times I bummed a ride or shared a cab with other attendees. It makes more sense to rent a car than to cross your fingers and pray a ride shows up.

Starting with Herbert Hoover, every American president has established libraries and museums to preserve their legacies — and to tell their side of the story.

Richard Nixon is no exception. Just a few miles south of Los Angeles sits the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and museum, a sprawling complex created by his foundation and administered by the National Archives.

During a recent trip out west, we stopped by to see how America's most controversial president asked to be remembered.

Click here to take the tour >

After the trip, we spoke with Bob Bostock, a consultant to the foundation and co-author of most of the museum's exhibits.

The other author was Nixon himself, he told us.

Bostock says no presidential museum is designed to be impartial, but is rather an opportunity to tell a president's story from his own perspective. 

One could argue that the distinction is not quite so clear cut. There are no disclaimers saying where the foundation ends and the National Archives begins.

Bostock says the Watergate section of the museum, produced by the National Archives and not the foundation, is arguably too anti-Nixon. The foundation ceded control of that section when the Archives took control of the museum in 2007, he says, though he wanted us to emphasize that the relationship between the Archives and the foundation is otherwise cordial.

"I don't think anyone goes in to see exhibits that are harshly critical of that particular president," he said, noting there are plenty of other places to look to find critical voices.

No one, he argued, should go in to a presidential library with the assumption that they are getting an official history.

"We don't have that in this country," he said.

SEE ALSO: The US 20: 20 Megatrends Reshaping The Country

The first thing you notice is that the place is huge and sort of beautiful. There's a large reflecting pool capped by an outdoor ceremony area.

The nine acre-site also houses the helicopter Nixon used for Marine 1...

As well as his birth home.

It's been 27 years since the original "RoboCop" hit theaters.

Paul Verhoeven's 1987 R-rated classic gave us exaggerated gore, a vision of a crumbling Detroit, and one of the corniest — yet catchiest — taglines in "I'd buy that for a dollar."

With the remake in theaters this week, we're taking a look back at the original cast.

Most have gone on to star or cameo in other movies or television shows. 

A favorite among the cast are small roles on Fox series "24."

THEN: Peter Weller played Detective Alex Murphy turned RoboCop.

NOW: Weller has appeared on "24,""Dexter," and has most recently starred on "Sons of Anarchy."

THEN: Nancy Allen played Murphy's loyal partner Anne Lewis.

Shia LaBeouf does not want to be a celebrity anymore, or so we're supposed to believe.

Of course, if he really wants to disappear from the spotlight, then he probably shouldn't show up to red carpet premieres of his movie wearing a paper bag that reads "I'm not famous anymore."

See Hollywood's craziest publicist stunts >

So is LaBeouf's "statement" on the commercialization of celebrity a genuine (albeit obnoxious) form of performance art or is he just trolling the world on behalf of some project he'll soon be promoting? 

Given historical precedent, chances are LaBeouf's a walking publicity stunt. While some industries are slow to adapt, Hollywood realized years ago that, in the age of the Internet, stunt marketing is king. So if it turns out this is all an act, LaBeouf's got quite the legacy to live up to.

1. Joaquin Phoenix the Rapper

Shia LaBeouf probably thinks he's super original with the whole "I'm quitting celebrity and giving nonsense interviews while looking like a street person" thing, but Joaquin Phoenix beat him to that shtick years ago. Remember back in 2009 when a bearded, disheveled Phoenix decided to retire from acting in favor of launching a hip-hop career?

"Joaquin Phoenix rap star" sounded ridiculous, and rightfully so. Turned out his odd behavior and career aspirations were staged for the premise of I'm Still Here, a fake documentary by him and Casey Affleck designed to "explore celebrity and the relationship between the media and the consumers and the celebrities themselves."

While the sincerity of Phoenix's behavior was always in question, he and Affleck didn't come clean about the stunt until after the film was released. And if you've seen I'm Still Here, then you know a real rapping Joaquin Phoenix would have been a lot more interesting.

2. The Dictator Ashes Ryan Seacrest, Rides a Camel at Cannes, and Kills Elisabetta Canalis

Nobody commits to the publicity stunt like Sacha Baron Cohen. This is the guy who tried to crash the White House as a bumbling Kazakh journalist and who dropped his freshly waxed ass in Eminem's face at the VMAs to promote his films. But Cohen outdid himself for 2012'sThe Dictator. 

It all started at the Oscars. Cohen, who was expected to attend due to his involvement with the Oscar-nominated Hugo, was explicitly told by the Academy he could attend under one condition — he was not to upstage the evening by arriving in character. Naturally, the comedian didn't listen, hitting the red carpet in full Dictator regalia, accompanied by supermodel bodyguards in skimpy military garb. Cohen even brought along his recently deceased buddy Kim Jong-Il along for the event (in an urn, of course). 

Jon-Il's ashes didn't stay inside the urn long because Cohen made sure to dump them all over a stunned Ryan Seacrest during a live on-air red carpet interview. The typically unflappable Seacrest went white and wide-eyed when he realized his fancy tux was covered in dust on Hollywood's biggest night.

Cohen didn't stop there. The Cannes Film Festival was treated to his Dictator antics when he made a grand entrance complete with a camel and gun-toting beauties by his side. Then, Cohen staged a dustup with model and former Clooney arm candyElisabetta Canalis. Innocent sunblock application turned to manhood mockery, which resulted in Canalis' "body" being tossed overboard. It appears with every movie, Cohen ups the publicity stunt ante, so who knows what to expect for his next one.

3. The Wackness Will Get You High

The Wackness, a 2008 film starring Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck, caused an uproar among anti-drug organizations that caught word of how the producers decided to market its DVD release. In a publicity move that was equal parts Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and High Times, 1,000 copies of the DVD included a golden ticket that was good for a trip to Amsterdam and a free bag of weed upon arrival.

When the studio was hit with bad press courtesy of anti-drug campaigners, the film's PR firm wondered what the big deal was. After all, pot played a heavy role in the film, and there didn't seem to be any controversy when it came out in theaters. "The Wackness is all about people coming together through a love of weed, and we're just celebrating that fact," the firm said. 

In 2009, New York-based photographer Sarah Trigg embarked on a three-year journey that would take her from San Francisco to the Wisconsin peninsula to Houston, Tex.

"If I had known exactly how long it was going to take, I'd never have had the guts to do it," Trigg told Business Insider.    

What she ended up with was a book, "Studio Life," which came out toward the end of last year. It's about the ways artists behave in their studios, and the strange objects they sometimes keep, from a vial of soy sauce made of human hair to a warehouse full of plastic toys. 

Trigg began thinking of the importance of the studio to an artistic life in 2008, when she had to move out of a studio that she'd occupied for a decade. For her book, she photographed the studios of artists at different career stages, in different locations, and who were making different types of art. 100 made it into the book; the rest of of her photos will eventually make their way onto her website Goldminer. 

"I specifically didn't shoot the art or the artist," Trigg said. "There's a lot of documentation of that elsewhere. I wanted to show the hidden things in an artist's studio and what artists talk about when they visit each other."

Check out some of the unexpected things Trigg found.

Toys in the warehouse

Trenton Doyle Hancock has a warehouse-sized studio in Houston, Tex. that's full of toys. He said it helps him reconnect to a time when he was more open and receptive to things, like in childhood. Hancock at first thought he would become a comic book artist and that reconstruction of childhood has stayed with him in his large-scale prints and drawings.

A goddess lamp to ward off thieves

Brooklyn-based artist Lauren Luloff keeps this Asian goddess lamp lit in her studio 24/7. She started this habit after her space got broken into the one night she turned the lamp off. Leaving the lamp on became a ritual to protect her studio.

A money tree

This money tree was a gag gift for Mindy Rose Schwartz's father on his 40th birthday. The Chicago-based artist took it for her studio, which is chock-full of objects from home and flea markets (her art deals largely with representations of domestic space). Schwartz joked to Trigg that whenever she's annoyed with her father, she trims a few dollars from the plant.  

Bees in a trailer

Rob Keller's work involves constructing dollhouses and letting different species of bees loose in them. The northern California-based artist then studies how they interact with the dollhouse and documents the bees' strengths. He bridges the gap between art and science, according to Trigg. Keller keeps his bees in a separate trailer and hosts workshops there. With the bee population dwindling, Keller likes to contribute to that discussion.  

A secret room

When artist Daniel Arsham was living in Miami, a bunny showed up at his door. He named it Oliver and kept it in his studio. His resident bunny stayed with him when he moved to New York City. When Trigg visited his space, she crawled up a tiny shaft and discovered this secret room, which reminded her of a bunny's nest in a rabbit hole. Arsham doesn't live in the space anymore because it's a fire hazard, but he keeps it made up as a burrow for storage and meditation.

Soy sauce made from human hair

Miami-based artist Nicolas Lobo works with unusual things in pop culture. He heard about an urban legend that some restaurants in China were selling soy sauce made of human hair, so he wanted to figure out how to produce his own. He poured acid over some strands of his own hair that breaks it down to amino acids. Lobo tried it on sushi and said it was good, just a little oily, according to Trigg. 

A television screen that lit a chair on fire

Tony Oursler is obsessed with how the camera entered culture. He has a lot of things collected in his studio like a 19th century smoke machine used in early films, as well as dozens of chairs and foot stools. He likes to play with smoke and mirror methods in his video projection work. On the day Trigg visited, Oursler had an old lens — one that used to cover an early television to magnify the image — set up behind a chair. With the way the light was coming through the lens, it pinpointed an area of the chair and started lighting a fire.

SEE ALSO: Artists Share How They Make Money While Doing What They Love

Join the conversation about this story »

All over America, malls are disappearing.

As we reported earlier this month, about 15% of U.S. malls will fail or be converted into non-retail space within the next 10 years, according to Green Street Advisors, a real estate and REIT analytics firm.

Many mall failures have been expedited in recent years by the closure of anchor stores, including Sears, which has shut down roughly 300 stores since 2010.

Nicholas Eckhart has been tracking Sears and other retailers on his blog DeadAndDyingRetail.com.

For this post, we compiled his images of abandoned or struggling Sears stores.

This abandoned Sears in North Randall, Ohio, closed in 2009. It's part of the now-defunct Randall Park Mall, which opened in 1976 and once housed more than 200 stores before closing in May 2009.

The Randall Park Sears, seen from another angle, was the last remaining anchor in operation before the mall closed in 2009. The JCPenney closed in 2001, followed by Dillard's in 2003 and Macy's in 2008.

The Woodville Mall in Northwood, Ohio, opened in 1969 with JCPenney, Sears, Lasalle's, and Woolworth as anchors, Eckhart notes. The mall closed in 2011 and this Sears is now the last remaining operating business on the site.

The cost of living in America varies wildly.

In Cleveland, people need a base salary of at least $19,435 a year to afford the average home, while San Franciscans must make upward of $115,000 annually.

HSH.com, an online mortgage and consumer loan information website, figured out how much a person would have to earn to afford a home in 25 of the country's largest metropolitan areas.

To do so, HSH looked at the National Association of Realtors’ fourth-quarter data for median home prices and HSH.com’s fourth-quarter average interest rate for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages to determine how much money homebuyers would need to earn in order to afford only the principal and interest payment on a median-priced home in their market. (They did not account for property taxes, insurance, and other expenses — read their methodology here.)

CLEVELAND: You'd have to earn at least $19,435 to buy an average home.

Average home price: $112,800

Monthly mortgage payment: $453.49

Minimum annual salary: $19,435.17

Source: HSH.com. See their full methodology here

CINCINNATI: You'd have to earn at least $22,227 to buy an average home.

Average home price: $128,700

Monthly mortgage payment: $518.63

Minimum annual salary: $22,226.95

Source: HSH.com. See their full methodology here

ST. LOUIS: You'd have to earn at least $22,398 to buy an average home.

Average home price: $130,300

Monthly mortgage payment: $522.61

Minimum annual salary: $22,397.54

Source: HSH.com. See their full methodology here

James Stokes, banker and former U.S. ambassador, built this exquisite Georgian Estate back in 1912.

After a million dollars of renovations, the 19,452 square foot mansion known as "Sunset Hall" is on the market for $5.7 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Listed on The National Register of Historic Places, the home offers 11 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, tennis courts, a heated pool, and separate guest quarters. 

The house is listed last with Kathy Schmitt of Sotheby's International Realty.

The mansion is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut and is about an hour away from Manhattan. In the 1940s, the home was proposed as a site for the permanent location of the United Nations.

The 2 bedroom, 3 bath guest house with fitness center overlooks the property's tennis courts.

The 65-foot long heated pool was originally surrounded by grass and sand and deemed unusable for entertaining. Therefore, the current owners built a 4,000-square-foot limestone terrace and cabana.

One day, photographer Andrew Waits’s aunt and uncle dropped everything, bought an RV, and headed out to live on the road. Four years later, they haven’t once looked back.

Intrigued by what drove them to seek such an unconventional life, Waits began meeting and photographing people in his hometown of Seattle and later all along the West coast who had made the decision to turn their vehicle — vans, trucks, RVs, and compact cars — into their home. 

Waits shared some of the photos and stories here (and you can see many more at his website).

When Waits went out to meet RV and van dwellers in Seattle, he found a huge diverse group of people made up of a few communities.

After months of meeting with locals, he set out on the road to meet more people.

There were those who went out on the road because they had no choice.

Tech conference South by Southwest is quickly approaching, and if you still don't have a place to stay, it's best to act quickly. Business Insider's Alyson Shontell recommends booking a room as soon as you know you're attending, which for her was in August. 

Airbnb rentals offer a great alternative to traditional hotel rooms. They're fun, unique, and likely to give you a more authentic Austin experience than you would get from a hotel.

We've picked out some of our favorite listings in several different neighborhoods around Austin. Prices listed are normal rates — some hosts are likely to raise prices during special events like SXSW. And act fast, as rentals go quickly.

Stay close to the action at the 'Argyle Suite.'

This two-bedroom loft is right across the street from the convention center, which makes it ideal for small groups attending SXSW. 

Cost: $179/night 

Accommodates: 6

Neighborhood: Downtown

Take a technicolor trip to the '50s at the 'Atomic Ranch.'

Bright colors and eclectic decor are highlights of this mid-century home. There's a Thunderbird-inspired kitchen, a bar made out of pennies, and a living room decorated with cyborgs and dinosaurs. 

Cost: $125/night

Accommodates: 8

Neighborhood: Bouldin Creek

Get cozy in this tiny cottage.

Originally built as a carriage house in 1924, this cottage has been converted into a charming living space. The garden is a great spot for taking in some sun before heading out to SXSW events. 

Cost: $135/night 

Accommodates: 3

Neighborhood: Bouldin Creek

China's Liu Bolin has mastered the art of camouflage. He paints himself into the backgrounds of photos so that he almost completely disappears.

Often called the "Human Chameleon," Bolin began his foray into photography for political reasons in 2005, according to his book, "Liu Bolin: The Invisible Man." The Chinese government's demolition of the Suo Jia Artist Village in Beijing inspired his most famous series, which shows him "hiding" in Beijing, New York, Venice, and other locations around the world.

Each of his works, although varied, require an average of 10 hours of painting.

The following photos show some of his most stunning creations, courtesy of Liu Bolin Art Studio and Eli Klein Fine Art. See if you can spot him.

SEE ALSO: This Chinese Artist Had Done Something Amazing With Paper

Last week, the Tax Foundation released its latest map of state tax rates on wine.

They've previously released similar maps that look at state taxes on beer and spirits as well. Keep reading to see how much more you pay in your state for alcohol than in the rest of the country.

Beer taxes vary widely across America, ranging from $0.02 per gallon in Wyoming to $1.17 per gallon in Tennessee. (Read more about state beer taxes here.)

Wine taxes by state are much higher than beer taxes, because as alcohol content increases, taxation also tends to increase (though there are exceptions). Wine taxes are highest in Kentucky at $3.56 per gallon followed by Alaska ($2.50), Florida ($2.25), and Iowa ($1.75). (Read more about state wine taxes here.)

When comparing per gallon taxes on alcohol, spirits are taxed at far higher rates than wine and beer. Spirits are taxed the highest in Washington at $35.22 per gallon, followed by Oregon ($22.73), Virginia ($19.19), Alabama ($18.23), and Alaska ($12.80). (Read more about state spirit taxes here.)

SEE ALSO: The Best Sports Bars In 13 Big Cities Around The US

Join the conversation about this story »

The Mihir Garh hotel near Jodhpur in India was just named "most extraordinary place to stay in 2014" by the writers and editors at Lonely Planet.

The isolated hotel, built like a sand castle to represent a mirage emerging from the Thar Desert, has only nine suites. They're huge and luxurious, while mirroring the fantastical architectural traditions of the Rajasthan region.

Everything on the property is custom-made, including the fireplaces constructed from cow dung and clay. 

Rooms start around $275 a night, and run up to $540.

The Mihir Garh is located near Jodhpur, in northwestern India.

It looks like a sandcastle rising out of the Thar Desert.

Mihir Garh means "The Fort of the Sun," and was designed with an eye toward fantasy and mythology.

Long gone are the days of a big adventure trip to colonial Africa for game-hunting safaris. In the past, the debonair safari suits and sun helmets of Hemingway’s Hollywood era dominated; nowadays, it’s normal to escape on a long weekend safari with little more than casual clothes thrown in a rucksack.

Meanwhile, though Kenya and Tanzania remain popular options, Africa’s previously political no-go zones are rapidly emerging as new safari destinations, now that more national parks are being designated and protected while tourism is increasingly welcomed.

And there are exciting new safari options, from private helicopters to sailboats in pristine marine reserves to nighttime game drives through voluptuous volcanic lands. Here are our picks for the best safari destinations in Africa.

1. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve

Where: Uganda

Guides ask you not to stare at the mountain gorillas, but it’s tough. The gentle giants have deep mysterious eyes that lull you into a sense of serenity. Home to roughly half the world's mountain gorillas, tracking is a highlight of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve.

Gifted with theatrical landscape, volcanoes intersperse jagged valleys and waterfalls shrouded in altitude mist. The principal birding destination bears no fewer than 23 of Uganda's 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including the spectacularly endangered African Green Broadbill.

Insider Tip: Gorillas often enter Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. Nestled deep inside Bwindi UNESCO World Heritage Site, this camp is remote and atmospheric.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Africa and Middle East Guide

2. Etosha National Park

Where: Namibia

Namibia is rousing serious safari attention with its stark beauty, rugged coastlines, and evolving landscapes. Etosha National Park is home to Africa's tallest elephants, the endangered black rhino, cheetah, and perennial springs luring the big cats.

Unique scenes across a shimmering salt pan of mirages are seen via self-drive safaris. Upmarket lodges and camps fringe park boundaries, where guided safaris are inclusive.

Don’t Miss: A stay with a difference, Onguma Treetop Camp is built on stilts amongst treetops, with panoramic views over Onguma Game reserve. The sense of remoteness is unparalleled. Four very intimate thatched rooms feature canvas walls and outdoor showers.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Etosha National Park Guide

3. Chobe National Park

Where: Botswana

Africa’s densest game concentrations lie along a brilliant peacock-blue river, making Chobe National Park a prime game destination.

Situated within the Okavango Delta, we recommend Savute marsh: teeming with wildlife year-round, easily accessible and with a wide range of lodgings for all budgets. Chobe is a stronghold of endangered species such as wild dog, cheetah, and brown hyena.

Insider Tip: Take a water safari to watch wildlife huddled around papyrus-clad curves in the river. Meet the original inhabitants, the San Bushmen, to learn their extraordinary culture. Indulgence is paramount at the Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero lodge, with spa, gourmet food, and undisturbed views.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Chobe National Park Guide

4. Masai Mara National Reserve

Where: Kenya

Africa’s most popular safari destination boasts effortless vistas and dramatic game viewing. Masai Mara remains most visited, with rolling grasslands and scattered acacia woodland home to the Big Five.

July through October is a Mara highlight—annual migration, where a stampede of millions of wildebeest makes the ground vibrate. Naibor Camp is a luxury-tented camp of contemporary comforts, tucked away within riverine woodland on Talek River.

Insider Tip: Spectacular safaris are specialty of Enasoit. Dhow sailing on the serene Lamu archipelago, soaring over deserted beaches and visiting nomadic tribes by helicopter, or traditional Jeep through foothills of Mount Kenya; Enasoit redefines luxury safari.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Masai Mara Guide

5. Hwange National Park

Where: Zimbabwe

Unrivaled guides and unique backdrops are Zimbabwe’s assets, amidst low-lying semi-desert to lush highlands strewn with lakes and forests. 

Hwange National Park in the Northwest is the largest. The elephants are world-famed and, here, you’ll find one of the world’s largest populations. The mighty Zambezi River, from Victoria Falls, creates waterholes for thirsty wildlife. Emerging from recent troubles, tourists are flocking in.

Insider Tip: View game from an underground hide at The Hide, which also offers night game drives. Somalisa is an elegant bush camp with six solar powered highly luxurious tents. The pool overlooks the entire pan of wildlife below.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Zimbabwe Guide

Keep reading at Fodor's to see more safari destinations >

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• 20 Fun and Unexpected Cruise Ship Amenities
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• River Cruising: What's New In 2014
• 10 Great Hotel Pools For A Snow Day Staycation
• America's Best Hotel Mini Bars 

Join the conversation about this story »

Today in amazing design, an artist has invented a regenerating candle.

Called the Rekindle Candle and designed by Benjamin Shine, the candle holder collects melting wax to form a new candle in the base (we first spotted it on The Awesomer).

The way it works is, as the candle burns, melting wax drips down from the candle and accumulates inside a transparent stem with a wick. Once the candle is completely melted, you can crack open the mold, and a new, fully formed candle will be removed (you can then start the whole process over again).

Watch it in action below, in GIF form.

DON'T MISS: An Austrian Artist Has Completely Reinvented The Door

Join the conversation about this story »

Legendary Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway is selling his San Francisco home, a 5,360-square-foot flat that takes up the entire floor of a historic co-op building, according to Trulia.

Conway has hosted gatherings featuring a wide array of tech A-listers here, including Marissa Mayer and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

He also happens to be close friends with will.i.am and MC Hammer, who together helped Conway film the remix of "2 Legit 2 Quit" that went viral in support of Mayor Ed Lee back in 2011. Clips of the video were filmed on the apartment building's rooftop deck. 

The apartment has 3 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. and recently took a $500,000 price cut, according to Trulia. It's now listed with Pacific Union for $9.5 million. 

The entrance is dramatic, with lots of ornate decorations.

The living area is just down this hallway.

More vintage-inspired details line the walls of this formal sitting room.

Photographer Lisa Kristine has spent her entire career traveling to the most distant corners of the world, 100 countries in total, to capture vulnerable indigenous communities. Yet, until 2009, she was totally ignorant of the thriving modern slavery trade.

She was showing an exhibition at the Vancouver Peace Summit when an abolitionist with Free The Slaves, a global advocacy group, told her that 27 million people were currently enslaved worldwide.

“I almost fell over,” Kristine told the San Francisco Chronicle last year. “It blew me away …”

Kristine immediately connected with the advocacy group and embarked on a project to document and help expose the trade. 

“The biggest shock to me was that something I thought was eliminated in the 1850s is running stronger than ever,” Kristine told Business Insider.

Kristine shared some of the photos with us, but you can check out more at her website or at her new exhibition, Enslaved, which will begin touring this year. 

There are currently 27 million people enslaved or in forced labor. That's more than double the number of people trafficked during the entire Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Often, entire communities are enslaved. Free The Slaves works to liberate them.

The abolitionists often work undercover, posing as slaves.

Box, the cloud storage provider that just snagged a $1 billion sales hotshot from SAP, is about to make the leap to becoming a public company.

As Business Insider reported several weeks ago, the company is looking to raise an estimated $500 million when it goes public later this year, a process it officially began with a confidential filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month.

While selling cloud storage and collaboration software to big business might not sound like much fun to some, the atmosphere at Box's Silicon Valley headquarters suggests otherwise.

From the use of the company's relaxing blue hue throughout to a two-story slide and a giant gong used to announce big sales achievements, the office that Box moved into when its employee count first topped 400— it's at over 950 now— gives the impression that Box has managed to avoid the somewhat stuffy persona that non-techies associate with companies like IBM and Oracle.

The outside of Box's Los Altos, Calif., headquarters is easy to mix up with a hotel.

The sign revealing what's really in the building is less noticeable than the one for the hotel next door.

In the lobby, there's a poster with a silhouette of CEO Aaron Levie, who's known for wearing bright orange tennis shoes on stage.

In the past few weeks, we've gotten a seriously healthy dose of new iPhone gossip. 

We're going to dig into all of it here. 

The iPhone 6 is still many months away from release, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start thinking about it. 

The next iPhone will be a break from the look of the iPhone 5/5S.

This is supposedly what the next iPhone will look like.

It's not clear from that photo, but the next iPhone will have a bigger screen. Right now, people are saying it will be a 4.7-inch screen. The current iPhone has a 4-inch screen.