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This ‘Unpickable’ Bike Lock Has The Most Ingenious Design

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unpickable forever lock

This is the brand-new Forever Lock, or For Life Lock, which is said to be completely unpickable.

A YouTube video posted by LockMan28 shows how the crazy and ingenious lock works. LockMan28 said he ordered the lock from an Asian manufacturer (more on that later).

First, check out how the device works:

LockMan28 pulled out the bottom and rotated the barrel at the end of the lock so that a hole appeared.

STEP 1 forever bike lock unpickableYou'd think that the hole would be the keyhole, but there's nothing inside the empty chamber.

unpickable forever bike lock Nothing insideSo he then placed the key inside the chamber and rotated the barrel so that the key disappeared and pushed the bottom of the lock back into place.

unpickable forever bike lock  STEP 2Thanks to a hook in the key design, when he turned the small lever at the end of the lock, it released the shackle. How cool is that?

unpickable forever bike lock STEP 4Now let's see that in reverse: To lock it back up, he closed the lever, pulled out the bottom, and rotated the barrel to reveal the key.

unpickable forever bike lock Reverse 1He then took out the key and closed the lock. Thanks to a clever mechanism, even the best lock pickers would have trouble fully accessing the lock chamber.

Reverse 2 forever bike lock unpickableThe design is probably the coolest bike lock on the market, but it's very hard to come by. LockMan28 said it was difficult and expensive to acquire because the manufacturer usually doesn't sell to individuals but to larger companies. 

The lock comes with three spare keys with key chains and plastic protectors for when the lock is in storage, and BikeBiz says the estimated price is $140, not including shipping.

You can watch the full video below.

SEE ALSO: 10 Ingenious Reinventions Of Everyday Products

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These Guys Found Out The Hard Way What It's Like To Live On $1 A Day

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one-dollarAbout 1.1 billion people in the world survive on just $1 a day.

It's a fact that economics students Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci couldn't get out of their heads. 

"What can I do? That's the hardest part about it ... there is no one answer," says Temple. "[The U.S.] has poured $2.5 trillion dollars into international development trying to end poverty and a lot of times it just made things worse."

Together, the pair decided to take their studies outside the classroom, to someplace more practical — the edge of poverty itself. Living on $1 a day for two months, they moved to a remote Guatemalan town to study the people's relationship with money and see how access to credit could impact their survival. 

They documented their journey in a new film called "Living On One."

Two Claremont McKenna College students moved to a remote village in Guatemala, where they would try to survive on an income of $1 per day for a total of 56 days.



"For all our academic learning, there were some things a textbook just couldn't answer."



They chose the town of Pena Blanca, which is majority Mayan.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Blake Griffin Bought A Gorgeous $9 Million Home In Pacific Palisades

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Blake Griffin House

Whatever happens with both the deciding Game Seven against the Warriors Saturday night, and with the Los Angeles Clippers new search for an owner, Blake Griffin will have a Pacific Palisades paradise to retreat to.

The NBA superstar and dunk machine recently bough a $9 million custom-built "Cape Cod-inspired" 9,100 square-foot home, according toRealtor.com. The mansion is located in the celebrity-lush alcove between Malibu and Santa Monica, and is spread across three floors.

Amenities include a home theater with stadium seating, three fireplaces, a salt water pool, and six bedroom suites.

The salt water pool and patio at dusk



A front view of the mansion



The foyer and stairs



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MLB POWER RANKINGS: Here's Where Every Team Stands After 5 Weeks Of Action

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Ryan Braun

We are now five weeks into the regular season and we're already starting to see the contenders separate themselves from the pack; a few teams making big jumps up the chart.

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain the best team in baseball. But the hottest team is the Milwaukee Brewers who have the best record in baseball at 20-9.

At the other end, the biggest disappointment so far has to be the Pittsburgh Pirates who have fallen all the way to the bottom five.

#1  Los Angeles Dodgers (17-12)

Previous Ranking: 1

Expected Wins*: 16.0

PECOTA Projected Wins: 96

Playoff Odds: 87.5%

PECOTA Projected Wins and Playoff Odds via BaseballProspectus.com

* Expected Wins (AKA Pythagorean Record) is the record a team would be expected to have at this point in the season based on how many runs they have scored and allowed and adjusted for strength of schedule.



#2  Oakland A's (18-10)

Previous Ranking: 5

Expected Wins*: 19.3

PECOTA Projected Wins: 87

Playoff Odds: 67.8%

* Expected Wins (AKA Pythagorean Record) is the record a team would be expected to have at this point in the season based on how many runs they have scored and allowed and adjusted for strength of schedule.



#3  Washington Nationals (16-12)

Previous Ranking: 4

Expected Wins*: 16.5

PECOTA Projected Wins: 90

Playoff Odds: 72.4%

* Expected Wins (AKA Pythagorean Record) is the record a team would be expected to have at this point in the season based on how many runs they have scored and allowed and adjusted for strength of schedule.



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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Hollywood Legend Ron Howard Is Selling His Connecticut Mansion For $27.5 Million

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ron howard mansion 4x3

Oscar-winning producer, actor, and director Ron Howard and his wife Cheryl have just listed their gorgeous mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut for $27.5 million.

Representing country living at its finest, the private lakefront estate has more than 32 acres of property, including a lake, nature trails, and even a stargazing observatory with a professional-grade Meade telescope.

The main home is a New England estate with six bedrooms, a two-story library, a 14-seat movie theatre, indoor saltwater pool, gym, and yoga studio. There’s also a 2,500-square foot guest house with two bedrooms, an indoor regulation size tennis court, and basketball half court.

The estate is located in the exclusive enclave of Conyers Farm, which straddles Greenwich and the hamlet of Armonk in Westchester, N.Y.

“We moved 3,000 miles away from the hub of Los Angeles, to raise our family here,” Ron Howard said about the property, according to Sotheby's International Realty. “Whether we’re watching films in our theatre, walking the trails throughout our property, star gazing in our observatory, or just relaxing with friends and loved ones by the lake, Cheryl and I feel we’ve accomplished the goals we set when we began work on this place.”

The Howards have owned the estate for 20 years, but have decided to move to a different home now that their children are adults.

Howard is an acclaimed actor, director, and producer, famous for winning an Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture for "A Beautiful Mind," and playing Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show" and Richie Cunningham in "Happy Days."   

Sotheby’s International Realty and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Connecticut and Westchester are both co-brokering the home.

Welcome to Ron Howard's lakefront Connecticut home, which is located in the enclave of Conyers Farm.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



It sits on over 32 acres of land with a lake, nature trails, and extensive gardens.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



The main home has 17,200 square feet of space with lakefront views.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



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11 Surreal Photos From A Pagan Festival In Rural China

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Shanxi No.3

In January or February every year, much of the Asian world celebrates the Chinese New Year. That important holiday comes with regional traditions, including the elaborate pagan She Huo festival, celebrated in rural villages in the northwestern Shanxi region.

Villagers dress in elaborate costumes of god, spirits, and mythical beasts while singing, dancing, and performing to commemorate the 2,500-year-old festival. Chinese photographer Zhang Xiao recently traveled to Shanxi to capture the festival in several cities. He shared some of the photos with us here, and you can check out the rest in his new book, "Shanxi."

The She Huo Festival is a festival dedicated to the gods of earth and fire. "She" literally means "God of Earth" and huo means "God of Fire."Shanxi No.1During the festival, villagers dress in elaborate costumes to represent She and Huo, as well as other spirits and deities. Shanxi No.2Many villagers then participate in a She Huo procession to show off the craftsmanship of their costumes and makeup. Shanxi No.13A person riding a horse leads the procession, followed by a banner, flag holders, performers, and a drum and gong band.Shanxi No.22Villagers have parades as well as performances of drama and martial arts, in which costumed villagers act out myths and ancient stories.Shanxi No.5During the festival, stages are set up in the streets so that villagers can hear singing and dancing everywhere.Shanxi No.24"When I first witnessed the participants line up and then parade around the village, I repeatedly kept asking myself whether I had literally stepped into some kind of surreal wonderland," Zhang said.Shanxi No.75During the festival, villagers set up cone-shaped piles of firewood outside the door of every house. Folk art troupes then perform beside the fire, while homeowners give them treats.Shanxi No.15Every village has its own performing art troupe.Shanxi No.77The festival used to be very popular in most cities in northwest China, but Zhang says that many city-dwellers have begun to lose their traditions. Shanxi No.33

SEE ALSO: These Hipster Hairdressers Are The Face Of Modern China

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Meet The Horse-Racing Tycoons Competing At The Kentucky Derby

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Dance with Fate

From the pink polo shirts to the mint juleps and floppy hats, the Kentucky Derby has always been a sporting event for the upper crust.

And no wonder. According to ESPN, top race horses can cost in the low seven-figure range, and training can cost about $150,000 ... a month.

Who can afford these steep prices?

Lets find out. Click through to meet some of the horse tycoons vying to win $2 million at Churchill Downs in the 140th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3.

Barnes & Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio

Horse: Samraat

Odds:15/1

Barnes & Noble chairman Leonard Riggio owns My Meadowview Farm, the stable behind Samraat.

Riggio operates almost 3,000 retail stores in total and has served on nearly two dozen not-for-profit boards. His Barnes & Noble stock is reportedly worth more than $350 million.



Racing royalty Susan Magnier

Horse: Pablo Del Monte

Odds:50/1

Susan Magnier is racing royalty. Her father is famed trainer Vincent O'Brien, and her husband is John Magnier, managing partner of the prestigious thoroughbred breeder Coolmore Stud and worth an estimated $822 million, according to the Sunday Times.

Derrick Smith joined the partnership in 2003 after working in property and currency trading, and Michael Tabor joined horse racing scene in 1995 when he sold his British betting shops and his Thunder won the Kentucky Derby. 

Their partnership has accounted for wins in nearly every "Classic" race in America, Britain, and Australia.



Public Storage founder B. Wayne Hughes

Horse: Medal Count

Odds:20/1

Spendthrift Farm was purchased in 2004 by billionaire B. Wayne Hughes, the owner of Public Storage and founder of the Parker Hughes Cancer Research Center. 

Hughes, now retired, is worth $2 billion, according to Forbes.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

28 Gorgeous Photos Of The Brazilian Cities That Will Host The World Cup

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Tourists riding camels in Natal Brazil

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is set to hit Brazil this summer as soccer — er, football — fans from all over the world will descend on the country in droves. 

Twelve cities all over Brazil will host a total of 64 matches: Manaus, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Recife, Salvador, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre. Each city is the capital of its own state.

These 12 Brazilian cities have constructed new stadiums for the event, and local hoteliers, restaurateurs, and shop-owners are just waiting to welcome soccer fans with open arms. The event is expected to be a boon for the Brazilian economy, as tourists are expected to bring in about $11 billion over the course of the event.

The World Cup will take place from June 12th to July 13th.

Rio de Janeiro is expected to see the most visitors during the World Cup.



The city, which is famous for its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, will be overwhelmed with tourists from all over the world.



There are almost no hotel rooms left in Rio during the World Cup event. And the few that are available are going for thousands of dollars per night.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This 4-Year-Old Girl Became A Vogue Star Because Of Her Adorable Instagrams

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Mayhem Fashion

It all started with an AquaDoodle mat and Mr. Potato Head glasses: The perfect outfit for a style-savvy little girl. 

Since that first dress-up session, a 4-year-old girl, nicknamed Mayhem, and her mother, Angie, have been using the Instagram hash tag #fashionbyMayhem for the last 14 months to feature the amazing dresses that the pair would create out of paper and other household supplies. 

It didn't take long before the adorable photos gathered a huge online following — Angie's Instagram, 2sisters_angie, now has 376,966 followers and photos sometimes get upwards of 20,000 "likes."

That Instagram fame has now translated into a collaboration with Vogue. 

Today, Angie, Mayhem and Vogue have teamed up to reimagine iconic looks from past years' Met Balls, paper-style. The Met Ball is an annual fundraising gala benefitting the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and run by Vogue's Editor in Chief Anna Wintour; it's taking place this year on May 5. 

Angie writes on her blog that, in general, dresses can take between five minutes and three hours to make, and that even if Mayham doesn't do everything herself, she always helps with the creations. 

So far, Vogue's Instagram has posted four of the Met Ball pictures, with more to come! 

This dress is based on one that Lauren Santo Domingo, a Vogue contributing editor and co-founder of e-commerce site Moda Operandi, wore in 2012.

See the original here

 



This dress is inspired by one created by the designer Alexander McQueen.

See the original here

 



Sarah Jessica Parker wore a similar dress at 2011's Met Gala.

See the original version here

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 Emoji You're Probably Using Wrong

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Emoji Selfie

Sometimes words just aren't enough to convey what you have to say.

Emoji has been around since 1999, but these winky faces and seemingly random characters have only fairly recently caught on.

A lot of that is thanks to Apple's iOS 6, which allowed iPhone owners to easily integrate emoji into their keyboard for the first time in 2012. 

Now, it seems that teenagers don't use words any more. 

"We usually just talk using emojis,"18-year-old Hope R. told Business Insider last year.

With the help of Emojipedia— yes, that's a real thing — we can now tell you what some of the most mysterious emoji mean. 

No, this person isn't crying. Use this when you're disappointed, but relieved.



Don't be fooled. This is no nut. In fact, it's a roasted sweet potato.



It's not a hot lava pit, nor is it a steaming pot of soup. They're hot springs.



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Here's What Everyone Thought The iPad Was Going To Look Like Before It Launched In 2010

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 steve jobs ipadNo one ever really knows what Apple's future products are going to look like, but people have been trying to guess for more than a decade.

Just like you'll see dozens of iPhone 6 renderings floating around the web today, there were plenty of iPad concepts and leaks circulating before the tablet was finally announced in 2010.

Unsurprisingly, most of these early renderings and photos look almost nothing like the iPad we know today.

Most designers and speculators dreamed up an oversized iPod Touch or a keyboard-less touchscreen MacBook.

Here's a look at some of the most popular early iPad concepts from 2004 straight through to early 2010.

SEE ALSO: These Gorgeous iPhone 6 Concepts Imagine A Super Slim iPhone With A Giant Screen

We'll start with one of the most accurate renderings

Here's an iPad concept that Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo created based on various rumors and leaks at the time. It looks a lot like an oversized iPod Touch, but does resemble the modern iPad much more closely than other concepts we've seen. 



'This is the real one, we can feel it'

Not so much. When this photo made its rounds thanks to French blog Nowheerelse.fr in 2009, it had many people, including the folks over at Engadget, convinced that this was indeed the real thing. We can't blame them for being intrigued— Nowhereelse.fr has a solid track record for picking up Apple scoops even today. The above leak was quickly proven inaccurate shortly after it was published. 



Here's a really old one...

This ancient iPad mockup dates back to 2004 long before much of the gossip around Apple's tablet even started. Nearly everything about this concept, which was discovered in an old MacRumors forum post by The Next Web, is completely wrong. At least they got the name right.  



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Hiking Through Peru Showed One Journalist The True Dangers Of Climate Change

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Justin Catanoso climate change tropics

Rising sea levels and more extreme temperatures aren't the only problems we can anticipate as the Earth warms. Climate change is causing local extinctions of plants and animals — and in places like the Amazon basin, these plants are moving to higher or lower ground in response to changing environments.

In 2013, Justin Catanosograntee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, spent July 25 to Aug. 11 in Peru with Wake Forest University tropical biologist Miles Silman. He hiked through Manu National Park with the researchers to experience the wonders of these tropical forests for himself.

While we often think of climate change impacting the poles first — with melting ice caps and dying polar bears, a study published last October in the journal Nature said that these tropical forests, and other tropical areas like coral reefs, will be impacted first by these changes.

Catanoso saw these changing forests firsthand while he visited the area over the summer. He saw the extreme diversity of these forests, how they literally create clouds, and how the area is rapidly transforming.

The experience of these important geographies changed his entire worldview on climate change.

"We are going to lose our coastlines. We are going to lose the ice caps," Catanoso said. "It's not hundreds of years off. It's the coming generation. And the generation after that. My grandchildren are going to be living in a very different world if we don't slow the rate of warming."

After flying into Cuzco, a city around 10,000 feet above sea level, the team loaded up into a van at 6 a.m., for a five-hour, 3,000-foot elevation, drive to the edge of Manu National Park.



The drive from Cuzco took them through the western slope of the Andes to reach the biologists' research field. The western slopes are dry and desert like.



At the trail head, a breathtaking 13,000 feet above sea level, the team felt like they were on top of the world, Catanoso said. They started their hike above the clouds, where temperatures were frigid.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tour The Office Where Warren Buffett's Been Working For Half A Century

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Warren Buffett office

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder meeting is underway, which means that Omaha, Neb. has been completely taken over by Warren Buffett's investors.

The massive event is designed like an old country fair complete with dilly bars, bridge playing, and games for the kids.

This event is not the only thing about Buffett that's traditional, of course. The Oracle of Omaha prides himself on conducting his business the old fashioned way. He reads tons and tons of SEC filings and doesn't even have a computer on his desk.

In a world of massive trading desks and high speed everything, this is something to see. So you should.

What follows is a guided tour of the office Buffett's been working in for half a decade.

Try not to flip out or anything.

Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, has been based in this Omaha building for 50 years.



Nebraska, so there's got to be football memorabilia.



A University of Nebraska at Lincoln football helmet signed by former coach Tom Osborne and a mini Buffett.



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11 Signs Someone Is Lying To You

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tiger woods steve williamsAre you bad at spotting a lie?

New research by Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, a forensic psychologist at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and her collaborators, suggests that our instincts for judging liars are actually fairly strong — but our conscious minds sometimes fail us.

Luckily, there are signs we can look for when trying to detect a lie.

Dr. Lillian Glass, a behavioral analyst and body language expert who has worked with the FBI on unmasking signals of deception, says when trying to figure out if someone is lying, you first need to understand how the person normally acts. Then you'll want to pay careful attention to their facial expressions, body language, and speech patterns, she writes in her book "The Body Language of Liars."

1. They change their head position quickly.

If you see someone suddenly make a head movement when you ask them a direct question, they may be lying to you about something.

"The head will be retracted or jerked back, bowed down, or cocked or tilted to the side," writes Glass. This will often happen right before the person is expected to respond to a question.



2. Their breathing changes.

When someone is lying to you, they may begin to breathe heavily, Glass says. "It's a reflex action." 

When their breathing changes, their shoulders will rise and their voice may get shallow, she adds. “In essence, they are out of breath because their heart rate and blood flow change. You body experiences these types of changes when you’re nervous and feeling tense — when you lie.” 



3. They stand very still.

It's common knowledge that people fidget when they get nervous, but Glass says that you should also watch out for people who are not moving at all.

"This may be a sign of the primitive neurological 'fight,' rather than the 'flight,' response, as the body positions and readies itself for possible confrontation," says Glass. "When you speak and engage in normal conversation, it is natural to move your body around in subtle, relaxed, and, for the most part, unconscious movements. So if you observe a rigid, catatonic stance devoid of movement, it is often a huge warning sign that something is off."



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10 Problems In Tech That Will Make People Billions When They're Solved

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math problems

Startups pop up every day claiming to solve the biggest problems with the best solutions, but let's be real — not all problems are created equally.

There's a lot of room for improvement when it comes to things like artificial intelligence, mobile payments, internet speeds, and even how we think and communicate.

So here's our list of the ten biggest problems in tech right now. Solve one of these, and you're on your way to billions.

True artificial intelligence

The advancements that have been made with Siri and Cortana are cute, but we want true AI that can actually infer like a human being and learn independently. A machine that can act like a sentient human would have huge implications across all kinds of industries.

Microsoft Research is currently experimenting with AI to develop more nuanced communication in machines, but we're patiently waiting for our new best robotic friend. 



Next-generation wireless or fiber data connections

The internet speeds in Korea put the US to shame. Google Fiber represents a small push towards modernizing our country's internet infrastructure, but just like Project Loon, it's operating as a pilot program and has a way to go before it becomes as ubiquitous and accessible as a cable subscription.



Wireless power

Our wireless phones remain tethered to the wall in one major way: by the electric cord.

Yes, there are battery packs you can carry around, and yes there are cases that will charge your phone, but there is not yet a panacea for constant wireless power.

One startup called Ubeam has been working on inventing a wireless charging technology for a couple years now, but they have yet to come out with a market-ready product.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

FLOYD MAYWEATHER: The Outrageous Ways The World's Highest-Paid Athlete Spends His Money

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floyd mayweather jr prepares fight

Floyd Mayweather is considered one of the hardest-working, most tactically brilliant boxers of all time.

He's also one of the sport's all-time great characters. He's the highest-paid athlete in the world, and he acts like it.

He'll make $32 million alone for this weekend's fight against Marcos Maidana.

He's one of the only athletes in the world who can afford to travel with stacks of hundred-dollar bills in Ziploc bags, gamble like crazy, and buy more cars than anyone could possibly need.

He has a single bank account with $123 million in it. He's obsessed with cash.

Source: ESPN



He got paid for his last fight against Canelo Alvarez in one $40 million check.



He travels with Ziploc bags of hundreds, and is known for his crazy shopping sprees.

Source: ESPN



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Incredible Panoramas Of The World's Most Beautiful Places

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36_242620_ThebestAirPanophotosA small team of Russian photographers have quietly been creating some of the most detailed panoramas in the world

AirPano is made of eight team members, who have wide-ranging backgrounds (civil engineering and medical cybernetics, among others). The amateur photographers are currently traveling around the world, shooting major cities and other sites of interest. 

The group mainly shoots from helicopters, using a specialized rig that holds 3-4 cameras, arranged circularly. They also sometimes shoot from rooftops or use light jets, dirigibles, hot air balloons and radio-controlled helicopters. 

Sergey Semonov, who created a panorama of Manhattan that won first prize at the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards, told The Atlantic why he finds panoramic photography so interesting.

"I like new, progressive and unique things,” Semonov said.

The group has created over 700 panoramas already, which you can check out on their website. We’ve put together a selection of our favorites.

This is the shot of Central Park that won first prize at the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards. It became a mini-sensation earlier this year when it was first published.



All of the Russian photographers are amateurs and run AirPano for fun. For this one, they traveled to Churun-meru (Dragon) fall in Venezuela.



For this panorama of Mount Everest, photographer Ivan Roslyakov traveled to a record height above Everest at 23294 feet.



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Can You Spot What's Wrong In These Terrible Photoshop FAILS?

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target model

There's recently been a push to ban the use of Photoshop in advertising due to the unrealistic expectations ads can give young women about how their bodies should look.

But while there are reasonable arguments to be made on both sides of the issue, there are some Photoshopped ads we can all agree never should have seen the light of day.

These, of course, are the ads with disastrous technical issues — like when an art director extends an arm by an extra foot or two, or even adds an additional limb.

Take a look at these epic Photoshop fails and feast your eyes on some colossal editing mistakes.

Laura Stampler contributed to this post.

Can you tell what's wrong with this photo Target used to model its "midkini" swimsuit?



She has a spike under her armpit and her arm bends in a weird, unnatural way.



What's wrong with this picture? (From Vogue)



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E-COMMERCE AND THE FUTURE OF RETAIL: 2014 [SLIDE DECK]

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BII percent of retail online

The retail industry is undergoing a dramatic shift: E-commerce is capturing a larger share of sales than ever before. 

We've created a slideshow highlighting the retail categories where e-commerce is having the most impact, and where there is still opportunity for disruption. The shift away from physical retail toward digital retail is happening faster than many observers expected. 

BI Intelligence is a research and analysis service focused on mobile computing, digital media, payments, and e-commerce. Only subscribers can download the individual charts and datasets in Excel, along with the PowerPoint and PDF versions of this deck. Please sign up for a free trial here.

 







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The 15 Fastest-Growing Women-Led Companies

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Thirty One Gifts

Think it's still a man's world? These women would beg to differ.

The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), a nonprofit membership group for women presidents of multimillion-dollar companies, today releases its seventh annual list of the 50 fastest-growing women-led companies. This year marks the first time it has included applicants from outside the United States.

"We saw production soaring, with an average revenue growth of 203% from 2009 to 2013," says Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., president and founder of the WPO. "Not only is the financial growth of these companies impressive, it shows that women entrepreneurs are making inroads in non-traditional businesses, such as information technology, transportation, and engineering."

The incredible growth of these companies is particularly impressive given the current business environment. Privately held U.S. companies ended last year with an average annual sales growth of 5.4%, the slowest growth rate since 2009, according to the WPO.

To qualify for the ranking, businesses had to be privately held, woman-owned or led, with annual revenue of at least $500,000. The ranking was determined by both percentage growth and absolute growth over the four-year period from 2009 to 2013.

This year, the average company on the list has revenue of $99 million and employs 657 people. And, proving it's never too late to launch the next big thing, 90% of the women are founders, and the average age is 48.

1. Cindy Monroe, Thirty-One Gifts

Thirty-One Gifts ranks as the fastest-growing woman-owned company in the world. Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a direct seller of purses, totes, fashion accessories, and organizing solutions. Monroe, founder and chief executive, started the company in her basement in 2003.

2009 revenue: $38 million
2013 revenue: $760 million
Four-year growth: 1,900%
Four-year absolute growth: $722 million


2. Kathy Mills, Strategic Communications

Strategic Communications is a Louisville, Kentucky-based provider of technology services. Run by Mills, it ranks second this year.

2009 revenue: $4 million
2013 revenue: $97.3 million
Four-year percentage growth: 2,332.5%
Four-year absolute growth: $93.3 million


3. Jennifer Maier, WDS

WDS, Inc., an international warehousing, distribution, and inventory management company based in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, rounds out the top three.

2009 revenue: $13.2 million
2013 revenue: $155.8 million
Four-year percentage growth: 1,080.3%
Four-year absolute growth: $142.6 million


See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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