It's been a long year and a half for the bears.

After a more than 30% gain for the stock market in 2013, markets recovered from some turbulence earlier in the year and are now making new record highs. 

That doesn't mean that traders haven't found stocks to take a chance shorting, or betting that their price will go down. 

Our most recent crop of shorted stocks has screened out some of the little guys, and we've compiled the 27 most shorted stocks with market caps larger than $2 billion. 

The stocks, which include yoga apparel makers, electric carmakers, and natural resource companies, are ranked from least to most shorted as a percent of their outstanding shares being sold short.

We ranked the stocks by short interest as a percentage of floating shares.

Synaptics

Ticker: SYNA

Short interest: 25.5%

YTD return: 76%

Sector: Technology 

Comment: Synaptics, which makes the technology that recognizes gestures for a phone, tablet, or computer screen, reported first quarter revenue that rose 25% over the prior year. 

data from FinViz

Tesla Motors

Ticker: TSLA

Short interest: 25.9%

YTD return: 60%

Sector: Electric Vehicles

Comment: Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that the company would make its patents avail abe for free use, saying the company's competitors are not other electric carmakers but any company making a car that runs on gasoline.

data from FinViz

Air Methods

Ticker: AIRM

Short interest: 26.1%

YTD return: -7.6%

Sector: Healthcare Services

Comment: Air Methods provides air medical transportation services throughout the U.S. Late last month, the company acquired the four air bases of Baptist LifeFlight, which provides services to Florida's panhandle as well as southern Alabama and Mississippi. 

data from FinViz

The Palmer Johnson World is one of the most advanced superyachts ever conceived. Co-designed by Rolls-Royce Marine and the master shipbuilders at Palmer Johnson, the 267-foot-long World will feature some of the world's most advanced and environmentally friendly marine technology.

With the World's "ice operating" capability, the mega-yacht will be able to operate in just about any environment, including the Arctic and Antarctica, while coddling its occupants in supreme luxury. Currently under construction in Norway, the World has room for 12 guests and a crew of 27. 

The yacht's broker, Moran Yacht & Ship, has not listed an official price, but CNN reported the price to be around the $150 million mark a couple of years ago. 

The Palmer Johnson World is less a yacht than it is a floating palace. Highlights from its long list of features include a cinema, a beauty salon, and a submarine docking station with room for a 6-passenger submarine.

To protect its well-heeled owners, the yacht is equipped with a thermal imaging system to spot pirates and a pair of water cannons to deter them. The World can even be equipped with an LRAD or Long Range Acoustic Device that can be used as a sonic weapon.

The World is powered by a set of 4 Rolls-Royce Marine Bergen diesel generators giving it a top speed of 16.5 knots.

This year’s Tour de France (July 5-27) is gearing up to be the most hotly contested edition in years. It’s the 101st running of la Grande Boucle, or Great Loop, and it looks like it’ll be a relatively open three weeks of racing with no single rider or team able to completely control the 21 stages run over 2,277 miles from Leeds, England, to Paris, France.

Defending champion Chris Froome of Great Britain and two-time winner Alberto Contador of Spain are the favorites, but there are American riders who could wreak havoc on the European-dominated peloton and make a legitimate run for the podium. It’s the best opportunity the U.S. has had in a long time to put one of its own in the leader’s yellow jersey.

SEE ALSO:  Stunning Photos From The 2013 Tour De France

Chris Horner

The most astute tactician in bike racing, Chris Horner has won all kinds of races throughout his long career, from the Tour of California to the Tour de Langkawi. But it wasn’t until last year that he took his greatest victory at the Vuelta a España, or Tour of Spain, and became the oldest rider to win one of cycling’s three-week Grand Tours just short of his 42nd birthday. At the Tour, Horner’s best result came in 2010 when he was riding as a team helper and still managed to finish ninth overall. He thrives on long, steep climbs — the harder the better — so a mountain-stage win is possible, as is a high finish in Paris. More than anyone else in sports, Horner shows age is but a number and that he can still hang with the best in the world. Fitness freaks and fast-food lovers, take note: Horner loves McDonald’s, and on a long training ride he can consume enough Snickers and Coca-Cola to feed a French family on Bastille Day.

Age: 42
Team: Lampre-Merida
Birthplace: Okinawa, Japan
U.S. bases: Bend, Oregon; San Diego, California
European base: Como, Italy
Strengths: climbing, stage racing, tactics

Ted King

Crowd favorite Ted King is professional cycling's Mr. Nice Guy, but don’t let his niceness fool you: Under that smile is a tough New Englander with serious pedaling ability. For years, he has ridden on one of the world’s top teams, Cannondale Pro Cycling. But last year’s Tour de France, King’s first, was a disaster as he was controversially booted from the race after missing a time cut because of injuries suffered in an earlier crash. This year he’s headed back to the Tour to help his team leader, superstar Peter Sagan, win his third consecutive green points jersey and score a stage win or two. And along the way to Paris, King will offer colorful updates on Twitter that are likely to include mentions of maple syrup. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Middlebury College.

Age: 31
Team: Cannondale Pro Cycling
Birthplace: Exeter, New Hampshire
European base: Girona, Spain
Strengths: all-rounder, stage racing, domestique

Ben King

Ben King (no relation to Ted) is going to be an exciting young rider to watch at this year’s Tour if only because it's his debut in the world’s greatest bike race. King won the U.S. national road title in 2010, and he’s a solid all-around rider who can climb and ride strong on the flats. His maiden Tour should provide a huge opportunity to gain valuable experience and possibly go for a stage win. Above all, King will be tasked with helping his team leader, Andrew Talansky, ride to a high place overall in Paris. This compact American is a loyal teammate who has already shown lots of grit in his career — he won the Most Aggressive award at the USA Pro Challenge in 2013 — and he’s psyched to get this opportunity to race against the world's best.

Age: 25
Team: Garmin-Sharp
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
European base: Lucca, Italy
Strengths: breakaways, all-rounder, domestique

If you're an avid Android user, your phone's software is about to look a whole lot different in the next few months.

Google is billing the redesigned user interface as the key feature in its next major mobile software update, Android L. 

With Android L, Google is introducing some aesthetic tweaks as part of its Material Design overhaul.

Material Design is a sleek, neat, and colorful new interface that's meant to make the user experience seamless across devices on all screens — whether you're using a smartwatch, phone, or tablet. 

In addition to a leaner overall look, Material Design adds a few subtle nuances that make the Android experience seem more interactive and visually pleasing. 

Google says it studied paper and ink to achieve the shadowed and textured look you'll find in Android L. 

Here are some of the best visual components Android users have to look forward to. 

A big part of Material Design is the way colors are portrayed. Google developed a color palette specifically to highlight shades and tints, which adds more life to user interface elements.

Notice how the generic form above is highlighted in purple and looks slightly larger than the rest. That effect is meant to draw your eye to information that's more important, such as the title in this case. 

App icons in Android L are based on geometric shapes, which make them pop and appear more symmetrical.

Google says that Material Design is based on the same design principles as paper. This means app icons are designed to rise up when you tap them rather than sink down.

We understand that a list of the most American films could run 238 items long — the number of years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It's an outlandish dream to narrow that list to 25, but hey, this is America. Dare to dream.

We rounded up the movies that will stir your nostalgia for the red-white-and-blue, and a few titles just for fun. (William Daniels, or "Mr. Feeny," sings in a musical about the writing of the Declaration of Independence. That happened.)

Movies are listed in order of release.

"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942): George M. Cohan (James Cagney) finds his place in musical theater history, writing "Over There,""The Yankee Doodle Boy," and "You're A Grand Old Flag" over the course of his life.

"1776" (1972): Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (William Daniels) peer-pressure Thomas Jefferson — in song and dance — to write the Declaration of Independence days before the 4th.

Watch it here.

"All The President's Men" (1976): Reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) investigate the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal for The Washington Post.

With the prevalence of social media, it's getting harder and harder to separate our personal and professional lives.

It's to the point that we need to assume that almost everything we share online, even privately, will be public.

Here are 17 people who lost their jobs for using Facebook. Whether you side with the business or the employee, the lesson is the same: think twice about what you share online.

A waitress can't deal with a bad tip

22-year-old North Carolina waitress Ashley Johnson blasted two customers over Facebook for stiffing her on the tip and keeping her late. She also took the time to mention her workplace by name.

She was fired for breaking a rule about disparaging customers.

A juror solicits help on the case over Facebook

A British woman serving jury duty posted details of the case she was serving on. The she wrote, "I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll."

An anonymous tip resulted in the woman being immediately dismissed from the jury.

This football cheerleader might have drawn a swastika on a guy

Caitlin Davis was fired from her job cheerleading for the New England Patriots when a photo of her surfaced on Facebook. She appears next to a passed-out partygoer who's been covered in phallic symbols, swastikas, and the phrase "I'm a Jew."

She also has a Sharpie in her hand.

Summer is in full swing, and there are plenty of apps to help you survive and thrive in the heat.

We've collected the best apps to aid you in your summer adventures rather than take you away from the action.

From apps to help you grill, gaze at the stars, or go to the movies, we've got you covered.

The rest is up to your imagination.

Bandisintown Concerts

There's no better time to go to a concert than summer, and Bandisintown Concerts (iOS | Android; free) lets you discover concerts in your area based on your music tastes. 

Dark Sky

Dark Sky (iOS; $3.99) gives you minute-to-minute weather predictions for your specific location up to an hour ahead of time. The weather animations look clean and beautiful, too.

GrillTime

Grilling can be a pain, but it doesn't have to be. GrillTime (iOS; $1.99) easily keeps track of what you're grilling, sending you push notifications when it's time to flip those burgers.

Livestream, the streaming service that hopes to bring stream videos to every event over the internet, has been busy.

The company recently announced its official app for Google Glass—the first Google-approved streaming app. Even Google-owned YouTube's streaming services don't have an official Google Glass app yet.

And the streaming service moved its offices at the end of May from its Google-owned property in Manhattan to the artistic neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, where the company occupies 30,000 square feet on two floors of a refurbished warehouse on Morgan Avenue.

About half of Livestream's employees live in Brooklyn, so the move made sense. Livestream is the first tech company in its neighborhood. 

Livestream has 140 employees total, most of whom work in Livestream's New York offices. But Livestream has offices worldwide, in places like Los Angeles, the U.K., Ukraine, and India.

We stopped by the new Livestream Brooklyn HQ to see how everyone is fitting in.

Livestream's new offices are in the heart of Bushwick, an artistic neighborhood in Brooklyn.

The building itself is on Morgan Avenue, just a few blocks from the L train.

This is ground zero for Livestream Public, a community space where the company plans to live stream workshops that it'll invite community members to attend. CEO Max Haot holds the company's daily "all hands" meeting here at 9 a.m.

When you think of GoPro, you think of all the amazing videos it can capture. 

That's because the GoPro is light and portable, and is a cheap alternative to buying or renting expensive video equipment. 

But the GoPro Hero3+ also takes photos in 5-, 7-, and 12-megapixel resolutions. There's a burst-shooting mode, so you can take up to 30 photos in 1 second, and there's even a time-lapse mode. 

All that means is that you can get some very cool shots using the GoPro.

Wakeboarding is one thing, but how about wakeboarding next to a glacier?

This photographer used the GoPro's burst mode to capture a water balloon being popped.

Sometimes the family dog wants to have some fun, too.

In honor of America's 238th birthday, we collected the finest aphorisms to come from the Oval Office.

They include life lessons from George Washington, leadership advice from Thomas Jefferson, and reflections on success from Abraham Lincoln.

These leaders probably had the toughest job in the world. Here are a few of the things they learned from it. 

George Washington

1789-1797

"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company."

John Adams

1797-1801

"You will ever remember that all the end of study is to make you a good man and a useful citizen."

Thomas Jefferson

1801-1809

"When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred." 

Chef, a startup based in Seattle that offers "IT automation for speed and awesomeness," has fewer than 200 employees, but is used by some of the biggest companies out there.

Chef changed its name from Opscode in December 2013, five years after launching in 2008, and it offers tools to automate how companies configure, deploy, and scale their servers and applications.

Chef CEO Barry Crist told Business Insider that about 70% of its company's sales come from Fortune 1000 companies. Right now, Chef uses its automation tools to work with GE, Facebook, Target, Yahoo, Cheezburger, and more. Riot Games, which makes League Of Legends, uses Chef to power the games of its more than 27 million players per day.

Crist says that an increasing number of companies are realizing that they need to deliver their goods and services digitally to survive (for example, another big Chef client, Nordstrom, had to build a web experience that matched the one it had in stores). The people using those services expect excellent, speedy experience, and, to scale, companies need to use automation systems that they don't have the expertise to build in-house. So, they come to Chef. 

Chef's namesake tool is open source, and Crist says that many engineers have been a huge part of what the company has built. Companies that don't want to use the open-source version of Chef can pay to use the Enterprise version. The company's tools are designed to work with both physical and virtual serves,  which means that even "hybrid" businesses can take advantage of its tools.

When we asked him about the challenges the company was facing moving forward, Crist said that the biggest hurdle would be continuing to grow and scale. When we spoke, Chef had 150 employees, but was trying to grow that number to 200 as soon as possible.

"We won't starve to death," Crist says. "We need to worry about drowning."

SEE ALSO: This Seattle Startup Has A Brilliant Customer Service Strategy

Join the conversation about this story »

How do you set your kids up to be the next Mark Zuckerbergs or Larry Pages?

Serial entrepreneur Charles Tips has the most popular Quora answer on this topic with more than 5,200 upvotes from people like the co-founders of Zynga-owned Farmville and Google-owned Wavii.

Tips has a couple kids and says he has numerous friends who are self-made billionaires.

Step 1: "Make them aware of the full range of life options."

"The world abounds with opportunity to lead whatever life you want, but you have to demystify, demystify, demystify for them to be able to see what makes go businesses go," says Tips.

Step 2: "Do NOT send them to public school NOR to the prep schools that are just our public schools on steroids."

This isn't the recipe for every billionaire. Mark Zuckerberg attended a prepschool for high school. Other billionaires never graduated 12th grade.

But in Tips' opinion, someone as atypical as a billionaire is going to need an atypical education. He says his kids began working an assortment of jobs when they were pre-teens and traveled a lot doing things like filming documentaries and driving boats.

"If you want conventional minds, get them a conventional education," Tips says.

Step 3: "Teach a love of work."

In other words, don't let them be lazy. Because, as Tips says, "getting rich takes work" for which you need "stamina."

A quick search of "Best Cities for Millennials" yields thousands of results, and these articles tend to fall into two types of categories.

The first group highlights all the negative numbers released by the most recent census or unemployment report in an attempt to scare young people.

The second type generally delineates the cultural habits of millennials, showing that there is more to them than unemployment numbers suggest.

We've decided to combine the two types into one comprehensive list of the "19 Best Cities for Millennials". On the one hand, we examine the unavoidable realities of being a young adult in the United States, including rising housing and rent prices, unemployment rates, the cost of living, and crime rates. On the other hand, we consider cultural appetites such as the entertainment and sports scenes, the average costs of beer, and where to find the best pizza in America. (Because, pizza.)

We combined all these variables into a valuation function to determine a Value According to Millennials Score, or VAM Score. The city that scored the lowest is number 19, and the city that scored the highest is number 1. If you want to read more about how we came up with these numbers, click here.

Otherwise, click on the slide show to see the 19 Best Cities for Millennials.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is known internationally for its annual Mardi Gras festivities and its great food scene (beignets!). It is also the home to a rapidly growing creative industries sector, and is a major regional hub for the health care industry. Of the cities on this list, it has the lowest population density, which is great for millennials who want a less congested city.

• Median rent $899
• Unemployment rate 9.00%
• VAM Score: 55.42

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee has the highest net percentage increase of employers on this list. In other words, there has been a recent increase of employers, which means there should be an increase in hiring in the near future. The city also boasts a large number of finance and service companies, and is great for beer lovers.

• Median rent $736
• Unemployment rate 9.80%
• VAM Score: 56.68

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls has the lowest unemployment rate on this list and is a home to many financial services and healthcare groups. Furthermore, there has been a flourishing of white collar jobs, which has led to a cultural renaissance. There's even a free annual outdoor festival called "Party in the Park".

• Median rent $669
• Unemployment rate 3.20%
• VAM Score: 56.97

Every four years the World Cup takes over the world for a month and produces incredible moments and photos.

Brazil has been a beautiful background for amazing sports photography.

From soaring header goals to games in the pouring rain to fans cheering, here are the most mesmerizing photos from the World Cup so far.

Chile's goalie clears the ball away from Brazil.

Arjen Robbens of the Netherlands celebrates a victory over Mexico.

Locals play soccer at sunset on a beach in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Dani Grant is just about to finish up her stint as an undergrad at NYU, but in her spare time she has decided to take on a separate mission: reclaiming the word "hacker."

Studying computer science opened Grant up to all of the possibilities that lie in the field, the possibility to solve new problems, the possibility to create and innovate. And for Grant, "Hacker" is the best way to describe those who are tackling these problems and challenges.

"In [the TV show] Scandal, Huck is a criminal described as a hacker, and he’s dark and ruthless and enjoys killing people," Grant told Business Insider. "Quin [another character on Scandal] is a good character until she starts tinkering with computers and then starts killing people. The two are associated in media."

"I don't think we need another word meaning criminal, but a word that recognizes and encourages innovation is really important to have. That word gives us a lot as a community, and I think it’s very important that we’re reclaiming it," she added.

To reclaim the term, as well as to encourage others to take on the role, Grant decided to start a blog called Hackers of New York. The blog is modeled after the popular blog Humans of New York and aims to portray the diverse and unique individuals involved in the tech community. Grant interviews random people in the greater tech community and publishes their picture along with a quote or two from the interview.

The blog is expanding to other cities and countries, with Hackers of Silicon Valley, Hackers of Chicago, and Hackers of London already up. And according to Grant, people from 13 different countries have reached out asking to start their own version.

Grant is currently spearheading the Silicon Valley version — she's originally from Mountain View and is home for summer vacation — and she has a team of individuals leading up the blogs in the other locations.

In addition to her goal of reclaiming the word hacker, Grant is also looking to inspire others to join the tech community, even if they don't think they'd fit in.

"For many of the women I meet, they were told from a very early age that they're too much of a people person or too extroverted to work with computers, and that can be very discouraging," Grant said. "With a blog like this you can see hackers who look like you."

"To hack means to be resourceful, to take a look at a problem and be creative in your approach." -Kim Pham, head of platform for Frontline Ventures

"That’s what helps everything click for me, when I get to build something tangible that’s pretty and does cool stuff. I’m not thrilled at the idea of calculating a bunch of stuff for the sake of calculating." -Terri Burns, head of business development at Tech@NYU

"I’ve loved games since I was a kid. So many people feel this way, but I feel like a giant kid most of the time." -Raj Sidhu, Code Monkey Island

Click here to see the activities >>

Join the conversation about this story »

Neymar is just 22-years-old, but he has the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders as he tries to lead Brazil to the World Cup finals in his native country.

He has been compared to Pelé and some believe he is even better than Lionel Messi.

He is also one of the most marketable athletes in the world.

This all adds up to big contracts and a lavish lifestyle that includes boats, cars, and a famous girlfriend. This is fitting for one of the biggest stars in the world's most poplar sport.

Neymar signed his first professional contract when he was 17 with the Brazilian club Santos where he was making approximately $1.2 million per year.

SOURCE: UK Daily Mail

In 2010, Santos rejected a $20 million bid for Neymar to join West Ham United in the English Premier League. He was just 18 at the time.

SOURCE: UK Daily Mail

At the time, Neymar's agent publicly rejected a pay raise from Santos.

SOURCE: UK Daily Star

The first officially recognized version of the American flag, from 1776,  had 13 stars — in a circle. 

Although even before the U.S. became an autonomous nation, Americans had a banner to display their patriotism.

Since then, the stars representing the increasing number of states on the flag have taken on different designs, like a flower, or wagon wheel.

Compiled by the team at Pop Chart Labs, each version tell its own story. 

The Sons of Liberty, a secret society of dissidents, adopted this flag in 1767. The nine uneven stripes represent the "loyal nine" colonies that protested the Stamp Act of Congress of 1765.

Source: CRW Flags

John Hulbert created this version in 1775. His company, the Third Regiment of New York, reportedly carried it. Its six-pointed stars are arranged in the cross of St. Andrew.

Source: Mouse River Farmers Press, 1960

Some historians consider this the oldest flag meant to represent the entire country as well as the oldest to use 13 red and white stripes purposefully. The Minutemen reportedly carried it for the Battles on Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

Source: Flag Heritage Foundation

JPMorgan just released its 15th annual summer reading list. 

Every year, the firm compiles book suggestions from their advisors all over the world.

From more than 500 entries, the bank narrows it down to just ten titles they think are timely and innovative.

We've included the ten books in the slides that follow. 

Art & Place: Site-Specific Art of the Americas

Author(s): Editors of Phaidon

Description:"From the world’s premier publisher of books on the visual arts comes a stunning volume that will delight art lovers and art collectors. Art & Place takes readers to 60 cities across the Americas to some of the most provocative and fascinating site-specific artworks in the Western Hemisphere — illustrating the inexplicable link between the chosen artworks and the places they reside."

Source: JP Morgan

Find it on Amazon »

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder

Author: Arianna Huffington

Description:"Executives around the globe know that money and power can often only make someone so happy. It’s finding the 'third metric' that truly provides the keys to passion, joy and fulfillment in one’s life. In Thrive, Arianna Huffington — one of the most influential women in the world — takes the reader on her own journey of self-realization. Combining a deep personal narrative with scientific data, Huffington formulates a new model for total well-being."

Source: JP Morgan

Find it on Amazon »

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Author: Carmine Gallo

Description:"Go inside the mind of TED’s online presenters. A nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, TED—Technology, Entertainment and Design — features short, powerful talks on myriad subjects. Public-speaking coach Carmine Gallo pinpoints the top tips of the celebrated community’s most popular presenters. With advice to hone the skills of even well-seasoned executives, Talk Like TED is a fascinating and infinitely helpful look at one of the world’s most common fears." 

Source: JP Morgan

Find it on Amazon »

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, you have your work cut out for you.

Luckily, we've skimmed through the dozens of models available today and picked the best smartphones. If you're ready to buy a new phone, here's the order in which you should consider them.

Note: We update this list approximately once a month. Our rankings are based on a variety of factors including design, software and hardware features, content selection, carrier availability, and price. We only consider phones that are available in the U.S. at the time of publication. We've listed discounted prices carriers give for signing a contract at the time of publication. You can see June's smartphone rankings here.

#19 BlackBerry Q10

If you're still married to the idea of a physical keyboard on your phone, then BlackBerry's Q10 is the first (and only) phone you should consider buying.

The downside: BlackBerry doesn't have a good app selection.

Click here for the BlackBerry Q10 review>>

Price: $49.99 on AT&T, $0 on Verizon, $149.99 on Sprint. 

#18 Motorola Moto E

If you need a workable phone that costs next to nothing, the Moto E from Motorola is a great choice.

This trimmed down Android smartphone doesn't have a super sharp screen or connect to 4G networks, but it does come dirt-cheap. You can buy it without a contract for just $129.

Click here for the Moto E review >>

Price: $129 from Motorola.

#17 LG G Flex

LG released the first-ever curved-screen phone, the G Flex, in the U.S. this year. The G Flex has a large, 6-inch curved screen and a self-healing backing that can repair minor scratches.

Unfortunately, LG had to make a few compromises to get that curved screen on the device. The resolution is a lot lower than it is on Apple and Samsung phones, so images, text, and video look grainy in comparison. LG's user interface for Android is also unattractive and buggy.

Click here for the LG G Flex review>> 

Price: $99.99 on AT&T, $249.99 on Sprint, $0 down plus $22 per month for 24 months on T-Mobile.