In the religion that is Portland, Oregon, Voodoo Doughnut is the chapel. 

Now with seven locations, the doughnuts at Voodoo — featuring bacon, Cap'n Crunch cereal, and formerly a Nyquil glaze— are more punk rock than artisanal.

They've been called some of the best doughnuts in America by Food & Wine, Fodor's, and Delish. 

We wanted to find out why.

The sign for Voodoo Doughnut is, well, a Voodoo Doughnut — a little jelly-filled doughnut man that has a pretzel stuck in his chest.

The interior has all sorts of zany art from local artists. People line up around the corner, especially in the summer, but on this rainy December day there was just a gaggle or two of tourists.

Stained glass abounds.

We’re now coming up to 9 years since the launch of the iPhone kicked off the smartphone revolution, and some of the first phases are over - Apple and Google both won the platform war, mostly, Facebook made the transition, mostly, and it’s now perfectly clear that mobile is the future of technology and of the internet. But within that, there's a huge range of different themes and issues, many of which are still pretty unsettled. 

In this post, then, I outline what I think are the 16 topics to think about within the current generation, outline the key issues for each of them, and then link to the things I’ve written in the last year or so that try to understand them. In January, I’ll dig into some of the themes for the future - VR, AR, drones and AI, but this is where we are today. 

See here to listen to the podcast we did around this. 

This post originally appeared on the Andreessen Horowitz blog and was republished here by permission. See the original here.

HENRY BLODGET: THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL, 2015

1: Mobile is the new central ecosystem of tech

Each new generation of technology - each new ecosystem - is a step change in scale, and that new scale makes it the center of innovation and investment in hardware, software and company creation. The mobile ecosystem, now, is heading towards perhaps 10x the scale of the PC industry, and mobile is not just a new thing or a big thing, but that new generation, whose scale makes it the new center of gravity of the tech industry. Almost everything else will orbit around it. 

The smartphone is the new sun

Resetting the score

2: Mobile is the internet

We should stop talking about ‘mobile’ internet and ‘desktop’ internet -  it’s like talking about ‘color’ TV, as opposed to black and white TV. We have a mental mode, left over from feature phones, that ‘mobile’ means limited devices that are only used walking around. But actually, smartphones are mostly used when you’re sitting down next to a laptop, not ‘mobile’, and their capabilities make them much more sophisticated as internet platforms than PC. Really, it’s the PC that has the limited, cut-down version of the internet. 

Forget about the mobile internet

Mobile first

What would you miss?

3: Mobile isn’t about small screens and PCs aren’t about keyboards - mobile means an ecosystem and that ecosystem will swallow ‘PCs’

When we say 'mobile' we don't mean mobile, just as when we said 'PCs' we didn't mean ‘personal’. ‘Mobile’ isn't about the screen size or keyboard or location or use. Rather, the ecosystem of ARM, iOS and Android, with 10x the scale of ‘Wintel’, will become the new center of gravity throughout computing. This means that ‘mobile’ devices will take over more and more of what we use ‘PCs’ for, gaining larger screens and keyboards, sometimes, and more and more powerful software, all driven by the irresistible force of a much larger ecosystem, which will suck in all of the investment and innovation. 

Mobile, ecosystems and the death of PCs

As "The Force Awakens" hits theaters, rave reviews are pouring in for the latest installment in the "Star Wars" series.

People's reactions are no doubt being colored by 38 years of "Star Wars" being an integral part of pop culture, and it might make you wonder: how did people react to the first movie in 1977, when it basically spawned an entire new genre of mainstream, blockbuster sci-fi films?

Keep reading to see reviews of 1977's "Star Wars"— later rechristened "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope"— from The New Yorker, the LA Times, and more. 

"Star Wars is magnificent you'll pant for more" - The Toronto Star

Yup, that was the headline. 

The review itself, by Clyde Gilmour, manages to perfectly distill the original trilogy's magic into a single paragraph:

Lucas himself says his new film is not really science-fiction but a live-action comic strip, "a shoot-em-up with ray guns." It distills the joys he cherished as a youngster while watching movies and TV shows and soaking up the adventures of Flash Gordon. There are touches of The Wizard of Oz in it, along with the Hardy Boys and Arthurian romances and a thousand half-forgotten westerns.

Of course, none of these characteristics would be found in the prequels that started hitting theaters in 1999, but reviewers now are saying that "The Force Awakens" retains the magic of the original trilogy.

Click here to read the full 1977 Toronto Star review. 

"'Star Wars' hails the once and future space western" - Los Angeles Times

Charles Champlin's L.A. Times review drew parallels between "Star Wars" and Georges Melies' films from the 1900s, and Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," which came out in 1968. Like the Toronto Star's reviewer, Champlin also name-checked "The Wizard of Oz," which was apparently still looming incredibly large over pop culture after its 1939 debut.

Champlin also took some time to credit the technical crews with bringing "Star Wars" to life. All in all, it was a rave review that focused especially on the comic books and westerns Lucas loves.

"It is," Champlin concludes, "all in all, hard to think of a place or an age group that would not respond to the enthusiastic inventiveness with which Lucas has enshrined his early loves."

Click here to read the full 1977 L.A. Times review.

"A Trip to a Far Galaxy That's Fun and Funny" - The New York Times

Here's another review, this time by Vincent Canby, that focuses on the feel-good, comedic side of "Star Wars."

And funnily enough, it uses Lucas's prior film, "American Graffiti," to introduce readers to the director. Imagine someone today saying, "You know, George Lucas — he directed 'American Graffiti.'" That would never happen!

This review, too, was a rave. Here's an excerpt:

"Star Wars," which opened yesterday at the Astor Plaza, Orpheum and other theaters, is the most elaborate, most expensive, most beautiful movie serial ever made. It's both an apotheosis of "Flash Gordon" serials and a witty critique that makes associations with a variety of literature that is nothing if not eclectic: "Quo Vadis?", "Buck Rogers,""Ivanhoe,""Superman,""The Wizard of Oz,""The Gospel According to St. Matthew," the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table.

Canby does acknowledge that "A New Hope" is a teeny bit thin on plot, though:

The story of "Star Wars" could be written on the head of a pin and still leave room for the Bible. It is, rather, a breathless succession of escapes, pursuits, dangerous missions, unexpected encounters, with each one ending in some kind of defeat until the final one.

Click here to read the entire 1977 New York Times review.

Don't start writing the eulogy for cable companies just yet.

There have been rampantcallsthat the endof traditionallinear TV is nigh. The fear is over the fact that as more over-the-top options such as Netflix and Hulu have popped up, the number of subscribers to cable has begun dropping in earnest.

This is a dramatic turnaround after decades of subscriber additions and growing fees for content providers.

According to Credit Suisse analyst Omar Sheikh, the cord cutting doesn't spell doom.

So now that third-quarter earnings for most of the major players on both the service and the content sides have been released, Sheikh compiled five reasons to show that traditional TV can survive.

The rate of cord cutting is slowing down.

The fear of many was that as net subscribers descended into negative territory, the trend would pick up steam and drop further and further into the red. This hasn't been the case, Sheikh said.

"The fear in the immediate aftermath of the Disney profit warning in August was that the decline in domestic pay TV subscribers would accelerate," he wrote. "Instead, Q3 delivered the normal seasonal improvement in net subscriber losses with the run-rate on an LTM (last twelve month) basis remaining at around -1% [annually]."

The numbers are even more encouraging for cable companies as opposed to telecom providers.

"Q3 net losses narrowed to just 19 4K, taking losses over the last twelve months to under 1m for the first time in 6 years (Q3 2009)."

People are watching more linear TV, while Netflix watch times have remained the same.

Another trend that doomsayers have pointed to is that the amount of time that viewers were spending with traditional TV dropped, while minutes spent on over-the-top services were rising.

This is no longer the case, as cable watching has improved, increasing over 2015.

"The latest data, for October, shows linear TV usage is actually flat year-on-year at 274 minutes per person per day," he wrote.

Additionally, he notes that over-the-top consumption has plateaued.

Advertisers are coming back to traditional TV.

The lifeblood of the traditional cable model has always been advertising. Concerns over the willingness of companies to spend on a dying medium began to emerge along with the cable-cutting phenomenon, Sheikh said, but again the numbers suggest this is overblown.

"The evidence from Q3 was that domestic advertising revenues (broadcast + cable) declined again, but at a slower rate; and the commentary from media owners about the strength of pricing in the scatter market suggests a further improvement is likely in Q4," Sheikh wrote.

Now that music comes out on Fridays, and superstar artists are increasingly keeping their work off Spotify, it can be hard to know where to find the next great song. So Business Insider is helping you with this rundown of the best of what's new in the music world that you can listen to right now.

All songs available to stream on Spotify.

SEE ALSO: THE A-LIST: The 30 coolest, most famous people in Hollywood right now

David Bowie - "Lazarus"

David Bowie's return after 2013's revitalizing "The Next Day" would be on this list even if it weren't for Bowie's haunting vocals or the beautiful gusts of sax and guitar riffs that make it all go down easy. This is easily one of his most remarkable songs in years, even decades.

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Chris Brown - "Anyway" (feat. Tayla Parx)

Chris Brown is back with his new album “Royalty.” Despite a past riddled with controversy and encounters with the law, Brown seems to want to put that aside —“Royalty” is dedicated to his daughter. The album’s best song is “Anyway.”

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Belly - "Might Not" (feat. the Weeknd)

The rapper Belly is the main credit here, but the Weeknd can't help but steal the show with something like an X-rated sequel to his hit "Can't Feel My Face."

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There's a lot to consider when purchasing a home, especially when picking a location. From schools to nearby nightlife, location can make up a large part of a home's appeal, or lack thereof.

RealtyTrac, a real-estate analytics firm, has investigated a possibly overlooked element of location: environmental hazards.

The company examined at the prevalence of a variety of undesirable environmental factors — air quality, superfund sites, polluters, brownfields, and former drug labs — for over 7,700 ZIP codes nationwide.

They found that nearly one-third of all homes in the US are in a ZIP code with high or very high risk for man-made hazards. Additionally, they found that prices in those high-risk areas are typically lower than others.

"The median sales price of homes in high risk zip codes for manmade environmental hazards was $251,106 in 2015 on average, 15 percent lower than the median sales price of $295,202 for homes in zip codes with low or very low risk,"said the report.

"Median home prices in high risk and very high risk zip codes were still 1.8% lower than they were 10 years ago on average, even while median home prices in low risk zip and very low risk zip codes were up 5.3% from 10 years ago."

We've taken RealtyTrac's data and compiled a list of the 18 metro housing markets in which at least 95% of the ZIP codes are in high or very high risk areas. We've also included the median sale price for homes in those high/very high risk areas and their appreciation over the last five years.

Check out the housing markets at risk below.

18. Dayton, OH

Percent of ZIP codes in Very High/High Risk area:
92%

Percent in Very High Risk area:
16%

Average Home Price in Very High/High Risk ZIP codes:
$96,703

Average High Risk Home Price Appreciation over 5 Years:
23.4%

17. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Percent of ZIP codes in High Risk or Very High Risk area:
93%

Percent in Very High Risk area:
84%

Average Home Price in Very High/High Risk ZIP codes:
$211,301

Average High Risk Home Price Appreciation over 5 Years:
11.7%

16. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

Percent of ZIP codes in High Risk or Very High Risk area:
93%

Percent in Very High Risk area:
71%

Average Home Price in Very High/High Risk ZIP codes:
$567,277

Average High Risk Home Price Appreciation over 5 Years:
39.6%

There's been a lot of discussion as to whether robots will one day take our jobs, but the reality is robots have already entered the workforce in a big way. 

In 2014, there were an estimated 1.5 million industrial robots in use and that number is expected to shoot up to 1.9 million by 2017, according the International Federation of Robotics. 

Currently, robots are most prevalent in the manufacturing industry. However, as bots become more capable and cheaper for employers to adopt, they'll increasingly begin to move out of factories and into new settings. 

In fact, some bots have already started popping up in restaurants, hospitals, and even on movie sets. 

Here's a look at eight robots currently working with people everyday.

SEE ALSO: 8 industries robots will completely transform by 2025

This robot will stir up your drinks.

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A robot bartender serves drinks in the east German town of Ilmenau at a bar called Robots Bar and Lounge.

And these robots work alongside cooks to cut your noodles.

Noodlebot cuts a specific kind of noodle called dao xiao mian, or "knife cut noodles," and works faster than chefs. The robot is not only faster, but more accurate, and cuts 150 noodles a minute.

Japan has turned to robotic bulldozers led by drones due to a labor shortage.

Restrictions to visas for blue-collar workers has caused the worst labor shortage in 20 years for Japan. To remedy the issue, Komatsu — the second largest construction company in the world — is using robo-dozers that are led by drones.

The drones provide real-time data on the kind of work that needs to be done, making it so only two humans are necessary for supervision onsite.

This year was huge for the tech industry. 

From Apple launching its first wearable to Tesla rolling out its (almost) driverless car, there were a lot of major events that not only captured the attention of the masses, but also helped spur big changes in the advancement of new technologies. 

Here's a look at the 15 defining tech moments that changed our world in 2015. 

SEE ALSO: The most innovative new tech of 2015

Apple gets into wearables with its Watch.

Apple made its big jump into the wearable space with the launch of its Apple Watch in April.

While the device garnered a lot of attention, especially the pricey $10,000 gold version, the company has yet to share specific sales numbers. However, CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that initial sales exceeded expectations. 

In general, the wearables market, which includes both fitness trackers and smartwatches, will grow from 80 million units shipped in 2015 to more than 111.1 million units in 2016, according to recent estimates from IDC. 

IDC estimates that the Apple Watch will account for 61.3% of smartwatch market share this year, and will continue to be the leader in the space for at least the next few years. 

The tech giant is expected to reveal an updated model of the Apple Watch in March. 

Cars were shown to be vulnerable to hacking.

Hackers took a big interest in connected cars this year. 

One of the biggest hacking incidents included security researchers remotely taking over Jeep Cherokees from miles away. 

Fiat Chrysler was forced to recall some 1.4 million cars after the white-hat hackers exposed the major security vulnerability that existed in the UConnect system in Jeep Cherokees.

GM's OnStar system was also found to have serious security flaws that enabled the car to be remotely taken over and security researchers found a number of ways to hack Tesla vehicles.

Cars equipped with accessories that enable cellular communication were also shown to have security vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to control the brakes. 

Like hackers, lawmakers also took an interest in the security of connected vehicles and have continued to host hearings with automakers to figure out how to best secure vehicle systems, while also allowing car companies to continue to innovate. 

Tesla's Autopilot made self-driving cars a reality. Sort of.

Tesla rolled out its semi-autonomous Autopiliot system in October.

Among other things, the feature enables cars to self-steer, automatically change lanes, and automatically parallel park. 

While Tesla was not the first car maker to integrate advanced automated safety features like into its vehicles, it was the first to implement the technology in such an aggressive way. 

Tesla rolled out the system via a software update and basically gave its newer cars the ability to self-drive overnight. Not only that, but Tesla's semi-autonomous system does not automatically deactivate if a driver doesn't keep his or her hands on the wheel. 

Other car makers with similar systems will generally force the driver to take the wheel again once a user's hands have been off the steering wheel for a certain period of time. 

The Food and Drug Administration proposed a sea change to American diets last month, recommending we limit our sugar intake to 50 grams — roughly the amount in a can and a half of Coke — a day.

Not surprisingly, soda companies are less than pleased. But their strategy to apeal to consumers and avoid the regulations is eerily reminiscent of another industry: Big Tobacco.

"Soda follows tobacco's playbook to the letter," Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and the author of the book "Soda Politics," which explores the relationship between soda industries, politics, and public health, told Business Insider. 

Here are seven ways soda is following in some not-so-healthy footsteps:

READ MORE: There's a new Big Tobacco — and one industry is determined to silence its critics

SEE ALSO: The government just proposed a sea change to American diets — and one industry is furious

Attacks the science.

A systematic review of 50 years of studies found a link between the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages people consumed and weight gain and obesity; another study written by 7 experts in public health, nutrition, and economics made the links between sugary drinks and America's obesity problem explicit:

"The science base linking the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to the risk of chronic diseases is clear," they wrote.

Coke has said that isn't so: In fact, a controversial research group they formed has said "there is 'strong evidence' that the key to preventing weight gain is not reducing food intake 'but maintaining an active lifestyle and eating more calories.' And the studies they cite to back these claims were supported financially by The Coca-Cola Company.

Promotes exercise as a solution.

In an introductory video, one of the Global Energy Balance Network's leaders said the media focuses on "eating too much, eating too much, eating too much — blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks and so on."

The video has since been taken down, and the group said the idea that it only focuses on physical activity is inaccurate.

Funds community groups.

The soda industry has helped shape a nonprofit dedicated to championing exercise over dietary changes; contributed money to hospitals, community organizations, and universities, and even made campaign contributions to local politicians.

While Coke helped shape the nonprofit Global Energy Balance Network, which got $1.5 million from them and claims to combat obesity by championing exercise over dietary changes and gave money to the University of Colorado (who's since given the money back), the soda lobby gave $10 million to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

As December draws to a close, it's a great time to look back at exactly what we watching in 2015. 

Data and analytics company ListenFirst Media took a look at exactly what television shows people were hyped about online over the past year. They created a list of the top ten most buzzed about programs of 2015, using Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, and Wikipedia page views to calculate online search volume.

From a beloved children's program to late night talk shows, here are the top ten. 

10. "America's Got Talent"

9. "The Late Late Show With James Corden"

8. "Sportscenter"

With the voting set to begin in a little more than a month, the unofficial campaign merchandise industry has plenty of offerings for the politically minded this holiday season — from Donald Trump leggings to Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) golf balls. 

But even campaigns are trying to get in on the action. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson all offer holiday sweaters on their campaign sites. And Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has a giant, $75 Christmas card. 

We scoured around and found some of the more bizarre political- and campaign-themed gifts this season.

SEE ALSO: 'Sorry, George!' — Jeb Bush throws shade at 'Star Wars' prequels and tells us why he's excited for the new movie

Donald Trump leggings.

Etsy user WilliamBottini says that although the leggings are made to order, he'll "get them out fast."

Source: Etsy, $85

A giant Rand Paul Christmas card.

For a paltry $75, Americans can buy a giant 3-by-4-foot card courtesy of Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Kentucky) campaign. For penny-pinchers, there's also a slightly smaller 2-by-3-foot card, for $50.

Source: randpaul.com

A Bernie Sanders candle.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is Jewish and not particularly religious, but he appears here in a photoshopped picture of his head on a saint's body. The Etsy shop "GoSaintYourself" plasters this image on customized candles.

Source: Etsy, $15

On the court, LeBron James has won four MVPs and two NBA championships and has reached five consecutive NBA Finals — all before turning 30.

Off the court, he's equally relentless. On Monday, James signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike— a move that was so big it is more like the merger of two corporations— becoming the first athlete in the company's 44-year history to do so.

As a result of his unwavering successes on and off the court, James has amassed amazing cars and houses and still has time for his surprisingly normal family. King James is also well on his way toward his goal of becoming a billion-dollar athlete.

LeBron has made $169,643,842 in career NBA salary, good enough for fourth most all-time. He's only 30.

Source: Basketball Reference

He makes around $44 million per year — nearly twice his NBA salary — in endorsements.

Source: Forbes

He's regularly in ad campaigns for huge companies like Samsung.

Nearly everyone has a favorite holiday movie they watch every year, from oldies but goodies like "It's a Wonderful Life" to modern classics like "Elf." 

But then there are the holiday duds: the fruitcakes of Hollywood that some may love with an inexplicable guilty-pleasure, or love to groan at whenever it comes on  

We decided to check out Rotten Tomatoes, and see what some of the lowest-rate holiday releases were.

Scroll down to see if your favorite (or your least favorite) made the list. 

"Unaccompanied Minors" (2006): 31%

Based on the premise of a snowed in airport filled with unattended children trying to fly home for the holidays, this movie is full of misbehaving children getting into shenanigans. Time Out critic Derek Adams said of the movie: "Irresponsible content notwithstanding, it's the low standard of filmmaking that really defies belief."

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

"Four Christmases" (2008): 25%

Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, "Four Christmases" is the story of a couple whose plan to avoid the holidays with their family is ruined by a canceled flight. The dysfunctional family tropes play out in the film, but one critic found it both "charmless and cheerless."

"I'll be Home for Christmas" (1998): 23%

Ah, the glory days of Jonathan Taylor Thomas. This Disney original missed the magic, and Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post said it was "too sophisticated for thumb-suckers, but far too stupid for anyone else."

It has been unseasonably warm here at Business Insider's global headquarters in New York City, and as such, we've been noticing how a lot of men are rocking their winter clothes, since there's no need for heavy winter coats to hide them.

That means we can see the sweaters — a lot of them, day in and day out — on the street, in the office, and at bars.

It means we can see how boring guys are with their sweaters.

For a refresher on how to get as much as possible out of the sweaters in your collection, we talked to stylist Jessica Cadmus of The Wardrobe Whisperer, and she sent us a few pointers.

"When I first meet them, many of my male clients are in the habit of relegating their sweaters to weekend wear only.  In those cases, their sweaters are being severely underutilized," said Cadmus.

She continued: "As I always say, men's fashion moves in millimeters, and so it's incumbent upon all men to use every resource they have wisely and widely. That means relying on the sweater for more than just a companion to denim."

Let's begin.

Consider wearing your sweater as a blazer.

"This chunky sweater will look superb layered over a patterned button-down and paired back to gray trousers," said Cadmus. "Wear with or without a tie.

This one's at Elie Tahari for $398.

Put it under a blazer or suit jacket.

Throw a white button-down under this and a blazer over it, and you'll look like a bag of money.

Pair with gray trousers, said Cadmus.

You can do better than jeans.

This one's at Human Scales for $141.

If you're going to do that "just make sure the sweater fits close to the body so the proportions look correct," said Cadmus.

Try this one with a gray suit jacket.

Get it at Reiss for $180.

As you gather around with your loved ones this holiday season, it’s time to look back and gawk at what we used to eat.

Anna Pallai, a London-based publicity director in the publishing industry, was tired of clean-eating trends and Instagram pictures of perfect food and decided to create dedicated Twitter and Tumblr accounts to highlight the wacky '70s dinner party fare.

“The original recipes I found came from my Mum's old cookbooks — mainly Carrier's Kitchen and Supercook,” Pallai told Tech Insider. “Since then, I have tracked down books in charity shops and borrowed from friends and family, as well as googling here and there.”

Pallai admitted that even though some of the presentations are lacking or seem dated, she’d still eat some of the desserts — though there were a number of trends she would gladly skip entirely.

“There weren't many recipes that didn't involve some ingredient or other being suspended in [Jell-O],” she told TI. “And the fish molds. So many fish molds.”

Keep scrolling to see some of the most bizarre “classic” meals.

These sliced hot dogs look like they're melting.

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Bananas and meat were a popular combination. This one even had a hollandaise sauce.

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Eggs with sardines. No need to say more.

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You work hard for your money but, unfortunately, Uncle Sam takes a bite out of every paycheck for income and other taxes. And if you’re in the middle class, you probably think that bite is a little bit too big.

According to a 2015 Gallup poll, nearly half of Americans — 46 percent — believe the middle class pays too much in taxes. Yet, some of the wealthiest people find crafty ways to minimize their obligations.

Here are seven secret tax strategies the rich use that you can steal to legally decrease your tax bill.

Read: These 7 Tax Loopholes Could Save You Thousands

SEE ALSO: 5 money habits that make you look old

1. Deducting taxes for business expenses

If you run a business, you might reap enormous tax benefits. Business owners can claim potential tax deductions for some business expenses incurred for vehicles, meals, travel, office supplies, advertising, courses and a home office.

However, not every venture will qualify as a business that entitles you to these tax write-offs. You must intend to try to make a profit and not engage in what the IRS considers merely a “hobby.”

How do you distinguish between a hobby — an activity that produces some income — and a bona fide business? The IRS considers these factors, which can also be found on the IRS website:

• Whether you carry on the activity in a businesslike manner
• Whether the time and effort you put into the activity indicate you intend to make it profitable
• Whether you depend on income from the activity for your livelihood.
• Whether your losses are due to circumstances beyond your control (or are normal in the startup phase of your type of business).
• Whether you change your methods of operation in an attempt to improve profitability.
• Whether you or your advisors have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business.
• Whether you were successful in making a profit in similar activities in the past.
• Whether the activity makes a profit in some years and how much profit it makes.
• Whether you can expect to make a future profit from the appreciation of the assets used in the activity.

2. Hiring your kids

According to the IRS:

Payments for the services of a child under age 18 who works for his or her parent in a trade or business are not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes if the trade or business is a sole proprietorship or a partnership in which each partner is a parent of the child.

Instead of paying high taxes on your business income, you can transfer some of that income to Junior as wages for services her or she performs. However, your child’s work must be “legitimate,” and their salary must be “reasonable,” said Gail Rosen, a certified public accountant. who gave this example of how this strategy works:

“Suppose a business owner operating as a sole proprietor in the 39.6 percent tax bracket hires his 17-year-old daughter to help with office work full time over the summer and part time into the fall. She earns $6,100 with no other earnings. The business owner saves $2,415 in income taxes at no tax cost to his daughter, who can use her $6,300 standard deduction (for 2015) to completely shelter her earnings.”

Brian Vosberg, a certified financial planner (CFP) with Vosberg & Associates in Glendora, Calif., and an enrolled agent with the IRS, said that you might also be exempt from paying self-employment taxes for Social Security and Medicare in respect of your employed children. Otherwise, if they were adult employees, you would owe these taxes on their salaries.

3. Earning income from your investments, not your job

Accountant Eric J. Nisall, founder of AccountLancer, said that the wealthy can make their money work for them, rather than working for their money.

The tax on earned income can be as high as 39.6 percent, which means that people in the highest tax bracket take home only about 60 percent of their gross income.

But, Nisall pointed out that anyone can invest in high-yielding dividend stocks. You collect the dividends that the companies pay at regular intervals and later sell the appreciated stocks. Your benefit is that the tax rate on long-term capital gains resulting from these sales is only 20 percent. This means you pay a smaller amount of taxes for long-term capital gains than the high taxes you pay for income you earn slaving away at your salaried job.

Another option to earn money from investments is to invest in real estate for rental properties. But make no mistake: This process is not easy. Long before you become a landlord and rake in rent money, you have to make a substantial up-front financial investment to acquire the properties and fix them up if necessary. Also, picking lucrative properties in the right locations can be risky. You have to find tenants who will pay the rent on time and won’t trash your place. Urgent repairs and periodic improvements can be costly as well.

Reddit is notorious for its ability to rally together enormous groups of people on the internet, uniting them around a common cause.

In the case of entrepreneur Sue Sullivan, it ended up saving her business.

Sullivan had started a chipotle-sauce company called "Hot Squeeze" back in 2007, but in the years that followed she realized that it wasn't going to survive if she kept working with middle-men distributors, who quickly scooped up the lion's share of her profits.

But after a friend told her about Reddit, Sullivan decided to host a giveaway on the website. After giving away $8,000 in free samples, she soon found that it was a hit with Redditors, many of whom ended up calling up their local stores to request her hot sauce.

Months later, Sullivan shared a follow-up post with Reddit and Business Insider, detailing in her own words what her journey was like, and it's a powerful reminder of what can happen when those on the internet come together.

Note: All photos and text used with permission.

"Like most entrepreneurs, I kind of stumbled into this business," Sullivan said. "I didn't have a business plan or legal team or any of the luxuries that I think a lot of people think of when you hear the word 'corporation.' But I did have a busy catering business that was driven by this one charismatic sauce, something I would later call 'Hot Squeeze.' I started picking up clients specifically because of the sauce and people began referring to me as 'The Chipotle Lady' and 'The crack sauce lady' — odd titles, I'll admit, but still something of badges of honor to me. And, after years of pestering and requests, in 2007, I decided to give up on my profitable catering business and start doing Hot Squeeze full time."

"In 10 months, I came up with something of a 'beta' design and label and began working with a co-packer — basically, guys who take care of all of the production and packaging stuff for you. I also trademarked the name, bought out UPC codes, went through the business registration loops, and yadda, yadda, ya. I think it was around the time that this picture was taken that the gravity of just what I was doing descended upon me. As that first bottle came down the ramp, I thought, 'Yes, this is my product, my baby.' But then the next 5,999 bottles began queuing up and a more panicked, contemplative voice began nagging: 'What the hell am I going to do with all this product?' If you look closely enough, you can probably see the fear in my face."

"I admit I was pretty naive, but also pretty lucky. A friend of mine with a chip business invited me to share his booth at the Fancy Food Show. So I accepted, not really having any idea what I was doing. I think I was up ironing my logo onto t-shirts the night before flying out to the show. Now, if you're not familiar with the Fancy Food Show, it's a big deal. It's the biggest trade show in the food industry — as in globally. Companies put down small fortunes and hire women in little outfits to woo customers, buyers, retailers, and pretty much anyone else they can get their hands on. I, on the other hand, had something like $23,000 from my savings account and...uh, t-shirts."

Daisy Ridley, 23, went from being relatively unknown to the name everybody was talking about when casting for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was announced in 2014.

She plays Rey, a mysterious scavenger in "The Force Awakens."

Prior to joining the film's cast, Ridley's credits consisted of a couple guest appearances on television shows and shorts. 

With "The Force Awakens" set for two more sequels, Ridley won't be leaving the "Star Wars" world anytime soon and her list of projects is sure to grow.

Here's your introduction to this future franchise star. 

Born and raised in Westminster, London, Daisy Ridley is the youngest of five sisters. Her father is a photographer and her mother works in internal communications at a bank.

(SOURCE)

She's not the only one in her family with performing in her blood. Her great-uncle is Arnold Riley, an actor well-known for his role in "Dad's Army," a popular British sitcom that ran from 1968-1977.

(SOURCE)

Daisy went to school at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, where she specialized in musical theater, and graduated in 2010 when she was 18.

(SOURCE)

Here are some of the apps that I use on a daily or near-daily basis.

I can't live without them, and most are free.

Enjoy!

SEE ALSO: '4-Hour Workweek' author Tim Ferriss says you should always consider 2 things before taking any advice

Evernote

My external brain, used for all note-taking, decluttering, research, and more. I normally use it 10+ times per day. So does Adam Savage of Mythbusters.

Find it here >>

F.lux

Prevents laptop-induced insomnia. Dims/reheats your screen at local sundown.

Find it here >>

Boomerang

Get the upgraded extension for Gmail. Allows you to schedule email to be sent in the future, automate follow-up emails, get pinged if someone doesn't reply, etc. In short, it frees up your brain and calendar from all the "Check with [person] on [whatever]" clutter. Clear your mind, clear your inbox.

Find it here >>

Because not everybody refers to the toilet as a throne euphemistically, here are 12 ridiculous hotel bathrooms fit (and priced) for royalty.

SEE ALSO: America's best public bathroom is a beautiful work of art

Four Seasons Seychelles

Mahé Island, Seychelles
Room/rate: Serenity Villa, around $1,500 per night
Craziest amenity: Sunken marble bath with panoramic view of a private, wrap-around infinity pool — or is that the Indian Ocean? Oh, it’s both. That’s fine.
 
Raining during your big vacation on the island of Mahé? Not a problem if you’re in the Four Seasons’ Serenity Villa, where your soaking tub is enclosed in glass and basically part of your outdoor pool. Oh, and your villa is also pretty much a luxury treehouse, so there’s that.

Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris

Paris, France
Room/rate: Royal Monceau Suite, around $16,400 per night
Craziest amenity: Floor-to-ceiling mirrors on every wall and fixture
 
In this bathroom, you can watch yourself soak in a claw-foot bathtub, scrub in a walk-in shower, and, well, you know what to do on the Japanese Toto toilet. Or, just make a Vine of you strumming your acoustic guitar. You know, the one that’s provided in the room. What did you think we were talking about?

Southern Ocean Lodge

Kangaroo Island, Australia
Room/rate: Osprey Pavilion, from $3,000 per night
Craziest amenity: Hand-sculpted granite bathtub
 
From said bathtub, you can soak in views of the sprawling bushland of South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, which provides a habitat for kangaroos, koalas, and other crazy animals that will absolutely kill you Down Under. No worries, though, mate — when your bath water grows cold, step out onto the heated limestone floors and rinse off in the rain shower.