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

Explanations to 13 jokes only smart people understand

0
0

argon

Want to make your brainy friends laugh this weekend?

Redditors took turns sharing their favorite intellectual jokes that require a certain specialized knowledge to understand. We've gathered our favorites here, and provided a quick explanation for each. 

(An earlier version of this post was written by Dylan Love and has been updated.)

Question: What is the difference between an entomologist and an etymologist? Answer: Only the etymologist knows.

It's funny because: The two words sound very much alike, but an "entomologist" is someone who studies insects while an "etymologist" is someone who studies the history of words and their origins. So, the etymologist would know what the difference between the two, while the entomologist wouldn't. 

Extra credit follow-up from another Reddit user: "Something about this joke bugs me just a little"



A guy walks into a sandwich shop and sees a sign that reads, "Home of the Meanest Grilled Cheese in Town." So he orders the grilled cheese. When his bill arrives the waitress asks him how he liked the sandwich. "Eh, it was about average."

It's funny because: Colloquially, "meanest" means best, so at first you think that the man is disagreeing with the shop's claim abouts its grilled cheese. But "mean" also means average, so, he's really agreeing. 



What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

It's funny because: A rhetorical question isn't meant to elicit a reply, so this cleverly plays on a traditional joke format, but without having an answer. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This incredible penthouse owned by late investor Martin Zweig hit the market in 2013 for $125 million — now it's listed for half that

0
0

pierre penthouse martin zweig

The penthouse of New York City's Pierre Hotel hit the market for a record $125 million in late April 2013.

But the property, which belonged to late investor Martin Zweig, has yet to find a buyer. The price was just slashed nearly in half to $63 million, half its initial asking price, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Zweig initially listed the apartment for $70 million in 2007 but later pulled the listing; he died in February 2013.

The apartment encompasses three floors and was originally the hotel's ballroom.

The 16-room spread is listed with Brown Harris Stevens.

The Pierre, located on 61st Street and Central Park, is one of the most iconic properties in New York City.



Zweig's apartment is a triplex, taking up floors 41, 42, and 43 of the Pierre.



It formerly housed the famous hotel's ballroom, and "the living room is considered the most magnificent privately owned room in the world," according to the original listing.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This photographer's extreme close-up shots make these everyday items nearly unrecognizable

0
0

Spaghetti by pyanek (AWWOW)

Under the speculative eye of a reverse-mounted camera lens, a strand of spaghetti is transformed into a comet blazing through deep space.

The artist Pyanek photographed a number of everyday household items at an extreme zoom, turning them into works of art.

His series, "Amazing Worlds Within Our World," is available to download free, in keeping with Pyanek's philosophy that "art should be free."

Recognize the object below? Is it an unfinished diamond? A block of ice carved for a cocktail? Hardly. It's a grain of white sugar.



In his new series, "Amazing Worlds Within Our World," Pyanek set out to show you don't need expensive camera equipment to capture the remarkable beauty of everyday objects up close. This is the X key on a keyboard.



Zoomed in, the tip of a ballpoint pen becomes unrecognizable.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are the extravagant rings given to Super Bowl champions over the years

0
0

2002 SB XXXVIII_Patriots Top

Football teams playing in the Super Bowl drop up to $5,000 per championship ring. That's the allowance the NFL gives.

But to the victor who earns it, the value of the ring exceeds money.

"It isn't just diamond and gold,"said Jerry Kramer, a former Green Bay Packer player who won the first Super Bowl in 1966. "It's a collection of memories and moments."

Minneapolis-based jewelry company Jostens is the primary supplier of Super Bowl rings, in addition to manufacturing the majority of high school and college graduation rings in the US. It has made 30 rings in the Super Bowl's 49-year history.

Jostens provided us with photos of the Super Bowl rings they've supplied.

Super Bowl 1967: Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10



Super Bowl 1968: Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14



Super Bowl 1970: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 ways to save your iPhone's battery (AAPL)

0
0

iphone 6

No matter how good new iPhone models get, battery life is always a problem.

Here are some tips to squeeze the most out of your iPhone's battery.

Turn down your brightness.

If you're desperate, you can turn your screen's brightness all the way down. Swipe up from the bottom of your home screen. Then move the brightness slider all the way to the left.



You can also turn on auto-brightness.

Auto-brightness will help save a lot of battery life too. Your screen will adjust to the proper brightness based on how bright your environment is.

Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and flip the switch to green.



Turn off Bluetooth.

Bluetooth doesn't use a ton of power, but turning it off can save you some battery life in the long run. Swipe up from the bottom of your home screen and tap the Bluetooth symbol to switch it off.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Wanna cheat? Use these apps to make sure you don't get caught

0
0

Cheater-App-Smartphone

Your smartphone could be encouraging you to cheat.

A survey conducted by affairs and dating site Victoria Milan revealed that 45% of people have either cheated — or contemplated cheating — on their partner because the other person pays too much attention to their phone.

And that's not the only way that our smartphones goad our unfaithful tendencies. The App Store and Google Play are both crawling with skeezy apps designed to help you get away with cheating. 

Obviously, we're not condoning deceitful behavior — but it is interesting to see how so many apps have popped up to facilitate the process and keep perpetrators from getting caught. 

Vaulty Stocks lets you disguise your foul-play with financials.

App: Vaulty Stocks looks like an app for checking the stock market, but it can become a cheater's treasure trove of naughty pictures and videos. Use it to store things that don't belong in your phone's built in photo album. The app placates snoopers by providing a fully-functional financial interface to anyone who doesn't have the right PIN.

Availability: Vaulty Stocks is $9.99 in the Google Play Store 

User Review Highlight: One Google user wrote, "If ur looking for slick and sly way to keep prying eyes out of ur device then this is the app for u....I use it for porn....that's what u want it for anyway."



Call And Text Eraser does pretty much what you would expect based on the name.

App: You can only open (or even see) Call And Text Eraser, called CATE, if you know the secret code. The app lets you communicate with privacy by hiding calls, filtering flirtatious text messages, and allowing you to clear all the app's contents quickly and easily. 

Availability: CATE is available for Android and costs $4.99.

User Review Highlight: One Google user wrote, "This is the very best app on the android market. This marks the dawn of a new day. A new day where you sneaky women no longer can snoop."



You can't talk about cheating without mentioning the app for Ashley Madison, the infamous affairs website.

App: Ashley Madison's slogan is "Life's short. Have an affair." The app for this salacious site requires a PIN for entry, can provide a private phone line for explicit, untraceable chats, and lets users log out of it remotely.

Availability: This app is technically free to download for iOS or Android but requires you to make in-app purchases to have any functionality. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Asia's mounting debt pile is terrifying and it's only getting worse

0
0

PLA screams

Morgan Stanley just came out with a fresh chartbook looking through Asia's debt situation again. It's safe to say that it's still looking grim.

While all eyes are on Europe, falling inflation (and the threat of full-blown deflation) are major hazards in Asia, too. When economies grow more slowly, if they can't slow their debt accumulation down by the same pace, those liabilities get bigger and bigger in comparison to GDP. Paired with rocketing corporate debt,  it looks very ugly. 

Morgan Stanley's analysts looked at 10 countries in Asia ex-Japan (AXJ) - Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and Malaysia.

After a decade of stability, Asia started rapidly accumulating debt after the financial crisis.



The debt pileup has outstripped the world's advanced economies by a mile.



But the strange thing is that Asia isn't actually issuing as much debt as it did before. So what's the problem?



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here Are The Super Bowl Ads That Will Be Airing On Sunday

0
0

budweiser lost dog

Super Bowl XLIX is fast approaching, and already some of the world's biggest brands are releasing the ads they are running during the big game.

Click here to skip straight to the ads>>

The commercial breaks are once again set to be a flashy affair, and it's little surprise: Super Bowl 2015 broadcaster NBC is seeking $4.4 million to $4.5 million per 30-second spot, up on the $4 million price tag FOX set last year.

We have compiled everything you need to know about the commercial side of this year's big game, and we'll keep updating this post right up until Feb. 1, when you can follow our live coverage.

All the brands in this slideshow are organized in alphabetical order for ease of navigation.

Always

The P&G feminine care brand will bring back its hugely popular "Like a Girl" cmpaign for the Super Bowl. The original 3-minute video, which was first released in June 2014 has notched up more than 80 million views.

Always has shortened down the ad, created by Leo Burnett, to a 60-second version for the big game.

Here's what we'll see on February 1:



Anheuser-Busch

The brewer Anheuser-Busch is going all out once again, this time airing three minutes, 30 seconds of ads during the event.

It has three ads planned.

The brewer is releasing each ad online before the game.

Here's the Bud Light "Coin" spot:

And here's "Lost Dog"



Avocados from Mexico

Avocados from Mexico announced in January it would run a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl, but it will keep its TV ad creative under wraps until the game. The ad has been created by GSD&M and will air in the first quarter.

In a press release, Avocados from Mexico explained the reasoning behind advertising a warm-weather fruit during the middle of winter: During the month of last year’s Super Bowl, 70 million avocados were sold in the US.

On January 29, the brand released a teaser for its #FirstDraftEver commercial, which features former NFL players Jerry Rice and Doug Flutie.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The global slow down is making Asia's debt problems much worse

0
0

pla screams

Morgan Stanley just came out with a fresh chartbook looking through Asia's debt situation again. It's safe to say that it's still looking grim.

While all eyes are on Europe, falling inflation (and the threat of full-blown deflation) are major hazards in Asia, too. When economies grow more slowly, if they can't slow their debt accumulation down by the same pace, those liabilities get bigger and bigger in comparison to GDP. Paired with rocketing corporate debt,  it looks very ugly.

Join the conversation about this story »

18 apps that can earn you money

0
0

Ibotta

Your phone and your wallet are a lot more similar than you think.

We found 18 apps that will make you money. All of the apps can be downloaded for free, and each has a strong user base to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. 

From taking surveys to kicking back and watching TV, here are the apps that will put a little cash in your pocket.

Earn cash back with Ebates.

Ebates lets shoppers earn cash back from over 1,700 stores. When you shop at an online retailer, go through Ebates to see that company's cash back percentage.

The app also allows you to use in-store coupons and gives price comparisons when you scan an item. Ebates has already given back $250 million to its users.

Available On: iOS, Android



Accumulate digital dollars with Swagbucks.

Users can participate in up to nine different activities, including watching videos, surfing the web, and inputting swag codes, to earn Swagbucks — virtual money that can be redeemed in the form of gift cards, coupons, and sweepstakes entries.

Available On: iOS, Android



Coupon clippers love Ibotta.

Before shopping, unlock the day's rebates on Ibotta by answering a trivia question or posting on social media. Then head to the store and pick up the items for the day's rebates.

After checking out, hit Ibotta's "redeem" button and take a picture of your receipt to confirm your purchases. Once you have $10 or more in your account, you can cash out with PayPal or Venmo. 

Available On: iOS, Android



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The most expensive homes you can buy in 25 different countries around the world

0
0

Monaco

Ever wonder how billionaires around the world live? 

Point2 Homes complied a list of the most expensive homes that are currently for sale in 25 different countries around the world. 

The list shows how high-end living varies from one country to the next — the most expensive home for sale right now in the US costs $195 million, while Japan’s priciest home is $9 million. 

Monaco tops the list with a 5-story penthouse that costs an estimated $400 million. 

ARGENTINA: A refurbished 100-year-old colonial house in Buenos Aires is selling for $34.5 million.

Click here to see the listing. 



AUSTRALIA: A modern waterfront home with a private iron gate entrance is on the market for $30 million.

Click here to see the listing



THE BAHAMAS: A beach waterfront home on Paradise Island comes with its own golf course for $22 million.

Click here to see the listing.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Check out the new yuppie food mecca right underneath Twitter

0
0

Market16

The Market, a food complex underneath Twitter's San Francisco headquarters, just opened last week.

It has virtually anything you could want: a sushi/oyster bar, a taco bar, a pizzeria, and more, all surrounding an organic grocery store.

This is amazing given that three years ago, this neighborhood was an abandoned no-go zone. It's the latest step in the amazing transformation of San Francisco's mid-Market area.

The Market is at Market and 10th Street, underneath what most people call "the Twitter building." But there are tons of other young tech companies in the building, including Square, One Kings Lane, and Microsoft subsidiary Yammer.



The vibe is like a Whole Foods.



There are themed tables all over the store. This one has Japanese candy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 11 apps and websites will make you miss your childhood

0
0

gameboy

Between Throwback Thursday and apps like Timehop, nostalgia definitely factors into how we use technology today. 

Product Hunt, a discovery website that shows you the newest startups and products, has collected a bunch of websites and apps that will make you want to relive the past. Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover even wrote a blog post about how he thinks the emotional power of nostalgia makes it a perfect inspiration for people designing products and startups.

Here are our favorite websites and startups that will remind you of your childhood.

Use Stayed Up All Night to create retro mixtapes with a 21st century twist.

Check out Stayed Up All Night and make your own mixtape.



Play more than 900 classic arcade games on your browser at the Internet Arcade. No quarters required.

Check out the Internet Arcade here.



Nick Reboot streams all your favorite Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s and the 2000s, 24/7.

Here's Nick Reboot's website.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Meet the carbon-fiber Rolls-Royce inspired by the stealth fighter

0
0

Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Nighthawk

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is quite unlike any car in the world. 

As the only convertible in the Rolls-Royce stable of cars, it's an incredible amalgamation of world-class beauty, luxury, and performance. The hand-crafted luxury ride is one of most rare and expensive cars in the world.

To keep its more discerning customers happy, Rolls has its "Bespoke" arm churn out some uniquely over-the-top special editions.  

Their latest offering is the Phantom Nighthawk. That's right, it's named after the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. One look at this menacing machine and it becomes clear that this Roller is no Grey Poupon mobile. With its bright red leather interior and enough carbon fiber to make a Formula One car jealous, this thing is pure Sriracha plus Tabasco plus hit of Habanero.

The Nighthawk edition takes a run-of-the-mill Phantom Drophead and kicks it up a notch.



This ultra-exclusive ride is named after the Air Force's F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.



Its sleek looks definitely make good on the promise of its name.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The most creative 404 error pages on the web

0
0

404page

When you type in the wrong web address and find yourself jettisoned off to a site's 404 error page, it's usually a completely forgettable experience.

But not always. Some companies use their 404 pages to have a bit of fun.

We browsed through the blog FourZeroFour to round up some of the best 404 pages on the web.

We liked this funny nod to the TV show "The IT Crowd."

Larkef.



Dead link. Vultures. Get it?

Incore. 



Krit GIF'd this ping-pong jam session to prove how hard its team works.

Krit. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 incredibly impressive students at Cornell

0
0

John Oliver Rogers, cornell student

Nearly 15,000 students attend Cornell University, an Ivy League college set against the rolling hills and gorges of Ithaca, New York.

Getting in is no easy feat; just 15% of applicants are accepted, and a great majority graduated in the top 10% of their high-school classes.

We sought the help of Cornell's public-affairs office to track down the best and brightest students.

Edgar Akuffo-Addo is combatting malnutrition in Ghana.

Class of 2016

Akuffo-Addo, the recipient of a Projects for Peace grant, launched ENAM to build a sustainable poultry farm in a deprived Ghanaian village. The community space aims to alleviate the threat of malnutrition by providing a local, dramatically cheaper source of animal protein in an area in which women and children suffer severely.

Akuffo-Addo has secured funding, three acres of land, and the chicks, and he is passing the construction reins over to locals and expert building contractors — all despite pushbacks thanks to an unfavorable economy in Ghana. Still, he anticipates about 250 families will benefit from the farm upon its completion this summer.

The human biology major is applying for a master's degree in healthcare administration at Cornell, and he plans to one day earn his medical degree.



Kristen Barnett summited Mt. Kilimanjaro for charity.

Class of 2015

As the president of Mountains for Moms, Barnett led a 13-person trip to the 19,341-foot-high summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and raised more than $19,000 to combat obstetric fistula. The money funded more than 90 reconstructive surgeries for women suffering from this painful condition.

Barnett also founded the Dyson Symposium on Women in Leadership, a conference to boost support and programming for women in leadership on campus. She invited female leaders to speak and present, bringing together more than 120 participants at the two-day conference.

The president of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, Barnett will join the Boston Consulting Group when she graduates; she plans to eventually work and live in Europe and to go to business school in Boston.



Marianne Collard is discovering potential medicinal properties in the plant fenugreek.

Class of 2015

Collard has been researching the health effects of fenugreek, an herbaceous plant whose seeds are often used in Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern cooking.

Fenugreek is the least-studied plant containing phytoestrogens, chemical compounds that can interact with human hormones. In studying their properties and applying them to human health, Collard sought to isolate the compound that has been recorded to interact with hormones like estrogen and even to increase the production of breast milk in lactating women. Fenugreek could either be harmful or beneficial, depending on an individual's health situation, and Collard's research sees potential toxicological purposes in the plant that could eventually be used in medication.

Collard is also a captain of the Cornell cross-country team, and she plans to get a Ph.D. in pharmacology when she graduates.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

20 actors who dramatically changed their looks for movies

0
0

bradley cooper american sniper

Bradley Cooper recently bulked up to 225 pounds to play US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in "American Sniper." 

His daily regimen included two intense workouts and eating more than 5,000 calories per day.  

He's not the only actor to undergo extreme measures to gain and lose weight for a role. Plenty of stars have endured grueling diets and workouts to be in tip-top shape for their roles as superheroes, ballerinas, boxers, and more.  

Keertana Sastry and Jennifer Michalski contributed to this story.

Bradley Cooper gained 40 pounds for "American Sniper."

The Oscar-nominated actor told Men's Health he worked with a trainer twice a day to help him gain the weight in 10 weeks:

In the first workout, beginning at 5 a.m., they focused on structural exercises like deadlifts and squats to build a foundation solid enough to hold the extra mass. The second workout, late in the afternoon, was more focused on traditional muscle-building exercises. Cooper needed both types of training to convincingly portray Chris Kyle.



Jake Gyllenhaal looked gaunt after losing 30 pounds for his role in "Nightcrawler."

Gyllenhaal really went all-out to get into the mind of a deranged, career-hungry freelance journalist. 

The actor told Variety he didn't take on any special diet. Instead, he just stopped eating:

I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.

Gyllenhaal added that he would often go on 15-mile runs from his home to the film's set.

In addition, his co-star Riz Ahmed claimed the star would chew flavored gum to trick his mind into believing he was eating a meal.



Chris Pratt lost 60 pounds in six months for "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Pratt said he ditched beer to take on the role of Peter Quill in Marvel's hit. He also divulged his workout routine with a personal trainer and nutritionist to Men's Fitness.

It consisted of running, swimming, boxing, kickboxing, a triathlon, and consuming 4,000 calories a day.

"I actually lost weight by eating more food, but eating the right food, eating healthy foods, and so when I was done with the movie my body hadn't been in starvation mode," Pratt told People magazine.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MORGAN STANLEY: These Are The 9 Best Stocks In America Right Now

0
0

corgi puppies dogs

Morgan Stanley is out with its latest "Best Ideas" list for North America.

Apple, which reported monster quarterly earnings on Tuesday with 74.4 million iPhones sold in the fourth quarter, is one of the nine on this list.

The analysts identified stocks that required out-of-consensus analysis, offered a favorable risk-reward profile, and displayed a clear path to growth.

Amazon

Ticker: AMZN

2015 EPS: $3.52

2015 Price to Earnings: 88.2

Price Target: $420

Comment:"Near term, the recent earnings reset and related pullback in investments – along with low institutional ownership – provide an attractive set-up with AMZN at 52-week lows,” wrote Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty.



Apple

Ticker: AAPL

2015 EPS: $7.89

2015 Price to Earnings: 14.2

Price Target: $126

Comment:"Apple shares do not price in upcoming hardware, software, and services innovations, in our view," wrote Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty. "We expect iPhone share gains and growth re-acceleration driven by larger-screen iPhones based on our AlphaWise surveys and supply chain checks."



Canadian Pacific Railway

Ticker: CP

2015 EPS: $11.15

2015 Price to Earnings: 20.3

Price Target: C$278

Comment:"As cost cutting comes to an end, low costs / high service can accelerate rev. growth toward 10%," Morgan Stanley's William Greene wrote. "There are plenty of examples of low-cost, high-service transportation providers that consistently outgrow peers, and we believe CP will be another."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKED: The best smartphones in the world (VZ, T, DT, S)

0
0

Samsung galaxy note EdgeSamsung and HTC may be about to launch new flagship devices, but that shouldn't keep you from getting a new smartphone now.

Here's a look at the best smartphones you can buy today.

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 list approximate prices for what phones cost without a contract. Prices vary from carrier to carrier and retailer to retailer. You can see January's smartphone rankings here.

#16 BlackBerry Classic

BlackBerry has gone back to the basics.

Its latest phone, the Classic, looks a lot like the BlackBerry Bold from a few years ago. It has a physical keyboard, trackpad, and larger screen. If you want a phone with a keyboard, the Classic is the best phone to buy.

Price: $449 unlocked from BlackBerry.



#15 Amazon Fire phone

Amazon's first smartphone, the Fire phone, generated a lot of hype before it launched last summer. But just about every critic bashed it. It's an interesting device thanks to its screen's 3D effects, but it doesn't have the same vibrant app ecosystem as the iPhone or Android phones.

Click here for the Amazon Fire phone review >>

Price: Starts at $449 unlocked.



#14 Nokia Lumia 830

The Nokia Lumia 830 is one of the newest phones from Microsoft. It runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system and has a sharp 5-inch screen.

Price: About $450 on AT&T.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

TOM BRADY: How one of the NFL's richest players spends his millions

0
0

tom brady and gisele at the met gala

Fifteen years after getting drafted 199th overall, Tom Brady is making his record sixth Super Bowl appearance.

Since 2000 he has turned into the league's biggest celebrity with massive endorsement deals, a wildly successful significant other, and the ability to build $40 million mansions from scratch as a side job.

Brady earned $38 million in 2013, making him the 11th-highest-paid athlete in the world.

Source: Forbes



A huge chunk of that came from a $30 million signing bonus he got from his renegotiated Patriots contract.

Source: PFT



The contract was designed to help the Patriots' salary-cap situation. As a result, Brady's salary was $2 million in 2014.



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




Latest Images