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

32 photos that show how obsessed Japan is with minimalism

$
0
0

toothbrushes minimalism japan

Minimalism is taking over. Figures like Marie Kondo are becoming famous by spreading the gospel of throwing everything out and keeping just what you need.

The movement is most prominent in Japan, where the influence of Zen Buddhism instills a desire for simplicity. For them, less is more.

There's also practical concerns: It's cheaper to be a minimalist. And because Japan is regularly beset by earthquakes, it doesn't always make sense to have a lot of valuable possessions lying around in your house. Nearly half of earthquake injuries come from falling objects.

Take a fascinating look into the sparse aesthetic of minimalism:

SEE ALSO: After sleeping in a converted NYC taxi, I have a new respect for the young professionals living in vans to save money

In Japan, some bedrooms are so stripped down, they don't even have beds.



What does a minimalist keep in his fridge? Not much.



The bathrooms also keep it simple.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 18 most delicious things I ate at the best food festival of the year

$
0
0

fw classic

From oysters and ahi tuna to Bloody Marys and burgers, this weekend's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado, had something for everyone.

Each day there were two grand tastings, where attendees roam two massive tents trying glass after glass of wine from 300 exhibitors and countless bites of food from restaurants and brands all over the world.

We tried it all during the three-day festival where over 5,000 celebrity chefs, foodies, wine lovers, and fans gather for one gluttonous weekend.

Welcome to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. For three days, thousands of people eat and drink their way through these tents.



Upon entrance, you are greeted with cocktails like Bloody Marys courtesy of Patrón.



They came fully loaded.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG2PxX6HXoE/embed/
Width: 800px

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 19 most expensive cities to live in the world

$
0
0

Seoul South Korea

The world's most expensive cities to live in have been announced by investment consultancy firm Mercer in their annual Cost of Living Survey.

Contrary to the assumption that Western cities are the most pricey, south-east Asia and Africa feature heavily in the top 19, continuing the trend of emerging markets adjusting to massive outside investment.

Currency fluctuations were taken into account as well as the inflation of basic goods — especially the price of buying and renting local property.

For companies thinking of sending workers abroad, the cost of living in these cities should be a major consideration, Ilya Bonic, president of Mercer’s talent business said.

"With volatile markets and stunted economic growth in many parts of the world, a keen eye on cost efficiency is essential, including a focus on expatriate remuneration packages. As organisations’ appetite to rapidly grow and scale globally continues, it is necessary to have accurate and transparent data to compensate fairly for all types of assignments, including short-term and local plus status."

Keep scrolling to see the world's 19 most expensive cities to live in.

19. Tel Aviv, Israel — We kick off with Israel's second most populous city after Jerusalem. It's also the most expensive city to live in in the whole of the Middle East, probably thanks to its fantastic beach and relative tranquility​ from the surrounding region.



18. Guangzhou, China — The first of a few expensive Chinese cities on the list, Guangzhou drops three places from last year thanks to a weakening yuan against the dollar.



17. London, UK — As expensive as everyone says London is to live in, this list suggests it could still be worse. If the much-talked-about property crash does happen, expect it to get a lot cheaper soon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Ex-Apple engineers are making incredible tech for your car — here's their first product

$
0
0

A trio of ex-Apple engineers launched a new company out of stealth mode on Tuesday. It's called Pearl, and it makes tech for your car.

pearl rearvision

Fifty out of Pearl's 70 employees used to work at Apple. But instead of focusing on building a new kind of car, like Apple and so many other companies are reportedly doing, Pearl is focused on creating high-end technology all cars can use.

Here's what Pearl's first product looks like:

Pearl's first product is a weatherproof backup camera and alert system that you install as a typical license-plate frame.



It looks pretty easy to install. Pearl says that it takes only a screwdriver and a couple of minutes.



Pearl says that its easy installation is one of the key aspects that sets this product, called RearVision, apart from similar rearview-camera systems.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 'Keurig for cocktails' is finally here

$
0
0

Bartesian

Cocktail culture is huge right now.

But cocktails — with their bitters, syrups, and fancy sugars — are complex. 

Enter Bartesian, the 'Keurig for Cocktails.' Founded by entrepreneurs Bryan Fedorak, Ryan Close, and Jason Neevel, the $299 device will make you a margarita in a matter of seconds.

In July 2015, Bartesian garnered over 6,500 preorders on Kickstarter. As of June 2016, the team has raised $650,000 in venture capital funding, with hope to reach a $1.1 million goal, the founders tell Tech Insider. In spring 2017, Bartesian will launch in three high-end retailers in the US.

Back when the company hit its Kickstarter goal last year, Bryan came by the TI office to show us how it works. We demoed the Bartesian prototype, but the final version with additional features will be available starting October 2016. Here's our experience with the prototype.

Drake Baer contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Bryan stopped by our office while he was in New York in the summer of 2015.



He brought the first prototype of the Bartesian. The idea came when a friend suggested — "Hey, you guys should make a Keurig for cocktails."



Like the super popular Keurig coffeemaker, the Bartesian relies on pods to make drinks. Each 12-pack of pods will cost $20.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 photos that show how yoga has spread all over the world

$
0
0

International Yoga Day

From India, to China, to Canada, yoga enthusiasts around the world are celebrating International Yoga Day on June 21. Practicing yoga has been shown to have significant health benefits, such as helping to maintain a balanced metabolism, relieve stress, and improve cardio and circulatory health.

Yoga's origins date back to more than 10,000 years ago, but in recent years it has become such a popular fad that it has slowly spread all over the world. In both 2014 and 2015, yoga was named one of the top 10 growing fitness trends in a survey conducted for the American College of Sports Medicine.

International Yoga Day is celebrated annually on June 21. Below, see how people around the world are celebrating. 

SEE ALSO: 13 exercises to keep your legs strong at any age

Yoga originated in Rishikesh, India more than 10,000 years ago.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG7Cy7NhUcv/embed/
Width: 658px

 

 India.



In 1920, the practice of yoga was introduced to the western world by influential guru Paramahansa Yogananda, who founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, California.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG7SdUiH1xg/embed/
Width: 658px

 

Morrison, Colorado.

Source: Huffington Post



Practicers claim that it helps people heal mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG7BILMIMmX/embed/
Width: 658px

 

Halifax, Canada.

Source: Huffington Post



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 15 pieces of old technology contain a mind-boggling number of parts

$
0
0

Old Macintosh taken apart

Canadian photographer Todd McLellan says he grew up in a home where "something was always open."

His father was a carpenter and TV repairman and his mother an electrical technician, so everyone in the family learned to take things apart and put them back together. It's no surprise that McLellan became fascinated by the mechanical inner-workings of everyday objects: toasters, watches, coffee grinders.

Now 39, he has transformed that hobby into an ongoing photography series in which he takes ordinary pieces of technology, from salt and pepper mills to old Macintosh computers, lays out the guts of each object, and captures all the components in one shot.

The result is a stunning display of disassembly.

SEE ALSO: This Instagram star with a name we can't repeat has raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter in 7 days

McLellan started the series as a way to celebrate the mechanics of old technology. "As I'm taking it apart, if I press this button, I know it presses that lever, and you can actually see that happen," he tells Tech Insider.



Newer technology doesn't offer the same tactile satisfaction, he says. "You press the button and its goes into the circuit board, and then it makes something on the screen do something. You can't really place how that happened."



The actual process of disassembly takes roughly a day and a half. For complex electronics, like a Walkman, the trickiest part is keeping everything organized.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 of the hardest questions you may have to answer in a job interview at Tesla

$
0
0

Elon Musk Tesla

If you truly thrive under pressure, you may want to consider going to work for Elon Musk.

"Diamonds are created under pressure, and Elon Musk is a master diamond maker," Dolly Singh, the former head of talent acquisition for SpaceX, previously told Business Insider.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who recently ranked No. 7 on Business Insider's The Creators list, which features the top 100 business visionaries creating value for the world, has been described as relentless in his work ethic and tough on employees, expecting long hours and hard work from his people.

As Singh explained, everyone that joins Musk's team knows that their lives are going to become much more difficult — Musk reportedly likes to say he pushes people so hard that they feel like they are "staring into the abyss"— and the most successful employees use the intense pressure as fuel to work even harder.

If this sounds like you, and you want a part in disrupting the auto industry and reducing the world's dependence on fossil fuels, you'll have to prove you ability to thrive under pressure by making it through Tesla's thorough and sometimes challenging interview process. Here are some interview questions you might encounter along the way:

SEE ALSO: The favorite job interview questions of Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and 26 other highly successful executives

SEE ALSO: 14 difficult questions companies like Google and SpaceX have asked job candidates during an interview

'Why Tesla?'

James Wong, a mechanical test engineer at Tesla Motors, writes on Quora that one of the main questions interviewers want you to answer is how passionate you are about the company and its mission and whether you have a compelling reason to work there:

"Overall the process wasn't difficult, but they really want to see if you are passionate about Tesla and their mission. I really like the interview process because not only are they looking for someone who is capable, but also someone who is actually passionate about working for the company and the space they're in. It helps weed out the people who are only interested in the company because of the name."

Question source: Glassdoor



'What exactly motivates you to work in this certain area?'

Question source: Glassdoor



'Describe how you would change the culture of the company'

Question source: Glassdoor



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This couple couldn't afford to live in San Francisco, so they're building tiny homes made from shipping containers

$
0
0

boxouse san francisco couple tiny house 8797

In 2014, Heather Stewart and Luke Iseman could no longer justify spending $2,200 a month on rent in San Francisco. Fed up with the housing market, they bought a shipping container online for $2,300, had it delivered to a vacant parking lot in the East Bay they leased, and converted it into a tiny house.

Their new home contained all the creature comforts of home in a 160-square-foot space, and cost next to nothing in utilities and maintenance. 

Today, Stewart and Iseman have moved out of their original tiny home and act as the pseudo-landlords of Boxouse, a maker space where amateur builders and hobbyists can construct the tiny homes of their dreams. The couple also converts shipping containers into living spaces for outside buyers on the side.

They're currently working on two new containers that will form their next home, living in the under-construction tiny homes in the warehouse while they do it. Let's take a look inside.

Heather Stewart grew up running horse farms in almost every corner of the US. As an adult, she realized she still didn't know how to build anything.



"I was interested in alternative housing," Stewart says. "I don't want to be in debt for the next 60 years, and I also don't want to be in one place for the next 60 years."

 



When she saw the shipping-container-turned-home her now-partner Luke Iseman built five years ago, she knew she wanted one of her own.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Cavs fans flooded Cleveland to celebrate the NBA title, and the pictures are amazing

$
0
0

Cleveland Cavs Victory

On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors and were named the NBA champions . It was especially meaningful, given that it was the first championship for a professional sports team in Cleveland since 1964.

The importance of this was not lost on the city of Cleveland. Once account estimates that 1.5 million people were out celebrating today. This is crazy for a city with a population of 396,815. And yes, one of them was LeBron James.

Here's a look at the amazing victory parade:

This is what it looked like when the team first got off the plane on June 21.



For the victory parade Wednesday, fans took over all of downtown.



It looked like an absolute mob scene.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG9gTdJizVl/embed/
Width: 800px

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 9 new characters will be in the next 'Star Wars' movie

$
0
0

resistance star wars rogue one

New details are finally emerging on the next "Star Wars" movie!

As part of a big story coming Friday, Entertainment Weekly just revealed new info about the characters we'll see in the new film. Titled "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the anthology film will take place before "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope," and follow a group of rebels as they steal plans for the Death Star.

"Rogue One" is the first of three spin-off "anthology""Star Wars" films. While "Star Wars: Episode VII" and its two sequels will tell one continuous story, "Rogue One" and the two other planned anthology films are only loosely tied together. You won't need to see "The Force Awakens" or even the 1977 original, "Star Wars: A New Hope" to enjoy it. 

Read on to meet the new generation of heroes who will be in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" December 16, 2016.

Felicity Jones is playing Jyn Erso, a young, hot-tempered orphan who joins the Rebellion. She's learned street smarts after being on her own for years and is recruited for her skills.



Diego Luna is Captain Cassian Andor, a Rebel intelligence officer. While Jyn is hot-tempered and volatile, Andor is steady and patient.



Forest Whitaker will play Saw Gerrera, a veteran warrior who first debuted in "The Clone Wars" animated series.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

24 photos that show how different food can look when it's photographed by a professional versus an amateur

$
0
0

Space Market Bagel Sandwich Instagram

Professional food Instagrammers know how to make every one of their photos look mouthwatering.

They know what makes food look gross, they know how to boost their following, and they even know how to make a living off Instagramming food.

But their job isn't easy.

We rounded up some meals that were photographed by professionals as well as the same ones taken by amateurs to show just how different dishes can look depending on who snapped them.

Starbucks' new secret menu item, the pink drink, has the perfect rosé shade when paired with flowers, sunglasses, and nail polish.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG12XlFl3pU/embed/
Width: 800px

 



It looks a little less dreamy without the staged backdrop.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG4Kxtfuqab/embed/
Width: 800px

 



These loaded tater tots look mouthwatering.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BE7N_n9tS64/embed/
Width: 800px

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What to do with food that you're about to throw away — and how you'll save big bucks

$
0
0

french toast

Approximately 40% of food in the US goes to waste, whether it's throwing out leftovers, tossing out food that expired, or just not knowing what to do with the remaining ingredients in your fridge.

If wasted food was a country, it would be the third largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world, after the United States and China. And in terms of moneyAmericans throw away approximately $165 billion worth of food each year. 

However, preventing food waste is simple, and you can start saving both food and money today, with these easy tricks. 

SEE ALSO: I'm a Trader Joe's convert — here are 13 products I love

Freeze fruit for fresh smoothies.

So-called "ugly" fruit is just as nutritious and delicious as fresh fruit. If you don't think you'll have a reason to eat your ugly or overripe fruit, freeze it for smoothies. 



Use stale bread to make French toast, bread crumbs, or croutons.

There are tons of recipes that call for bread that you wouldn't want to eat for a sandwich.



Use leftover veggies to make soups.

It's the end of the week, and you have a bunch of random veggies that are starting to wrinkle. Before you toss them and make another trip to the grocery store, make a vegetable medley soup.

Or, freeze it to make soup at some later point.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 6 coolest innovations in BMW's futuristic concept car

$
0
0

BMW made a mini car that represents its vision for the next 100 years of driving — and we're big fans.

BMW mini vision 100

Dubbed the BMW Mini Vision Next 100, the car is equipped with a ton of high-tech features to make it a car of the future.

Here's the coolest innovations we spotted in the concept car:

Rather than swing outwards, the doors slide open in a really sleek fashion.

RAW Embed



The car is built for a future where ridesharing is increasingly more common, so it can identify who you are and greet you with personalized lighting when it comes to pick you up.

RAW Embed



BMW takes that personalization a step further with a circular kaleidoscope-like instrument on the central console.

That instrument can be used to set up personalized lighting and a custom greeting like we mentioned earlier. But it can also be used to set other driver preferences, like what music you want to play when the car arrives.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 useful things you can do with your Android phone and Chrome on your computer (GOOG)

$
0
0

android phone and mac google

The Mac/iPhone combo is hard to beat when it comes to little features that make a big impact — but Google's own Chrome/Android ecosystem has some pretty great tricks up its sleeves, too.

You could even argue that it's better than Apple's Mac/iPhone combo because you can use these features with both Macs or Windows computers and almost any Android phone.

Some of these features even work with iPhones!

Essentially, all you need to do is activate Google Now on your Android phone, and you need to be logged in to the same Google account on both your Android phone and Chrome on your computer.

Check out these five useful features that make the Android/Chrome combo hard to beat. If the features below don't work with those two basic requirements, check out Google's own instructions on how to link your Android phone to Chrome on a computer.

SEE ALSO: This is the best photo editing app for Android

Send Google Maps directions from your computer to your Android phone.

If you're on your computer and you're about to dash off to a meeting, you can quickly get directions to the meeting's location in Google Maps on your computer and send them off to your Android phone so you don't need to re-enter the location details again.

Just type in the destination in Google Maps and look for the "Send to your phone" option in the center left of the screen. Click it, then click your phone's name, and just like that, directions to your destination will appear automatically on your Android phone's lock screen and notification shade, ready for you to check.



Sync your Chrome tabs on your computer to your phone.

This is especially useful if you were reading or researching something on your computer and you want to keep going on your phone when you have to head outside, or vice versa.

In the Chrome app on your Android phone, just tap the Settings icon (3 vertically aligned dots) on the top right > Recent tabs > and you'll see all the devices where you're logged in to Chrome.



Find your phone.

Just typing "find my phone" in the Google search bar will prompt Google to search for the last known location of your phone. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See the Northern Lights from a glass igloo in the middle of the Finnish wilderness

$
0
0

Kakslauttanen glass igloo Northern Lights 2What could be better than seeing the Northern Lights?

Seeing them from bed.

And at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, a hotel in Finnish Lapand, you can do just that.

Just north of the Arctic Circle, the hotel offers incredible glass igloos to sleep in, allowing for unobstructed views of the Aurora Borealis.

The resort has four types of accommodation: queen suites, log cabins, a traditional house, and the famous glass igloos.



While temperatures around these parts can get as low as -40F, the igloos are made from a special thermal glass that keeps the inside toasty, and the glass from frosting over.



This far north, you can see the Aurora Borealis around 200 days a year. Glass igloos are available from August through April, which are the best time to see this natural light show.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 photos that show where celebrities are vacationing this summer

$
0
0

beyonce

Summer is officially here, which means it's time for a vacation, if you haven't taken one already.

If you're looking for your next getaway, celebrity social media accounts could provide you with some great ideas. 

From stateside trips to international locales, check out where celebrities — including Beyoncé and Amy Schumer — have been vactioning this summer.

Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Blue Ivy went to Hawaii as a break from the Formation World Tour.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG5B2yXPw-Q/embed/
Width: 800px

 



It looks beautiful.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BG8N5edvw-k/embed/
Width: 800px

 



Kate Hudson and her mom, Goldie Hawn, vacationed in Oahu, Hawaii.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BF7upbeJcj7/embed/
Width: 800px

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's how the original 'Independence Day' cast has changed over 20 years

$
0
0

Will Smith Independence Day

When "Independence Day" was released in the summer of 1996, anticipation was high. And the movie still managed to smash expectations.

The film grossed $817.4 million worldwide. It was lauded for its groundbreaking visual effects and paved the way for more disaster movies. It also turned Will Smith into an international star. While Smith didn't sign on for the sequel, "Independence Day: Resurgence," many members of the original cast did.

To celebrate "Resurgence," which will be out in theaters on June 24, take a look at what the cast of "Independence Day" has been up to since the original was released 20 years ago:

Bill Pullman played the President of the United States.

He is perhaps best known for giving an epic speech.



Pullman has consistently acted since the first movie, but never had a role as iconic. He returns as a much more grizzled version of Whitmore in "Independence Day: Resurgence."



Mae Whitman played the president's daughter, Patricia Whitmore.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

People from 17 countries around the world reveal the dishes they eat when they're sick

$
0
0

shutterstock_288572099Different people swear by different comfort foods when they are sick — whether it's chicken soup in the US, borscht in Russia, or fish porridge in Singapore.

We found 17 dishes from around the world that people eat when they're sick. 

To create this list, we consulted a Quora thread, where people from around the world revealed their go-to comfort foods when they are sick. We also added in some of our own selections.

While some prefer lighter, blander meals that are easier on the stomach, others gravitate towards spicier, hotter foods to sweat out toxins. Regardless, these meals are all nutrient-rich in their own ways and help fight off sickness.  

India: Idlis

 An authentic breakfast item rich in protein and dietary fiber, idli are soft, spongey cakes that are made by steaming rice.

Quora user Gayathri Vijayakumar likes to eat idlis with sugar and curd when she is sick. For others, they prefer to eat it alone or in accompaniment with rasam, a spicy tamarind-based soup. 



Phillipines: Arroz Caldo

Growing up in the Philippines, Quora user Julie Kircher ate arroz caldo whenever she was sick. The Filipino take on chicken soup, arroz caldo substitutes Western classic egg noodles with rice. The soup is known to remedy sore throats because of its copious amount of ginger.



Finland: Bilberries

Similar to its close cousin the blueberry, the bilberry is tart and full of antioxidants.

Found in abundance in Finland, bilberries are considered a superfood and "traditionally been a source of refreshment and health," according to native Finn, Kari Autero

Bilberries are eaten in a variety of ways, such as in soups or beverages. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Twilio is going public, and it will hopefully beat these 6 recent tech IPOs (MTCH, SQ, BOX, ETSY, FIT, TEAM)

$
0
0

Square IPO Jack Dorsey

Twilio is set to be the first big tech IPO of 2016, ending the drought that has had some investors worried.

The relatively low-key company is in the business of sending texts and enabling phone calls for other companies like Uber and Airbnb. If Twilio does well, it could potentially break the ice and lead to a wave of tech companies going public.

The last tech company to go public was the China Online Education Group which priced its IPO earlier this month at $19.00. Share prices have risen since then to Tuesday's close of $23.05.

Some of the more notable IPOs of the last year haven't fared as well.

Twilio is said to be worth more than $1 billion, and all eyes will be on it as it begins its first day of trading Thursday.

Read on to find out about six notable recent tech IPOs and how those companies have performed so far.

All pricing data used below was provided by Dealogic.

Box Inc.

Box is a cloud-storage competitor to Dropbox. The company went public in January 2015, and hasn't done very well since then. After reporting better than expected earnings in June, the company's shares tanked due to not-so-great guidance. 

Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, is known as a bit of a wonder kid in Silicon Valley. He founded Box when he was just 20 years old.

Initial Offer: $14.00

First Day Closing Price: $23.23

Last Closing Price: $11.52 (~49.5% decrease)



Etsy Inc

Etsy is an online marketplace for makers. You can buy everything from knitted scarves to hand-crafted wooden toys on the site.

The company went public in April 2015, and has not performed well since doing so. After Amazon announced it was creating a marketplace for handmade goods, shares of Etsy tumbled.

It does have a really neat office though.

Initial Offer: $16.00

First Day Closing Price: $30.00

Last Closing Price: $9.75 (~67% decrease)



Fitbit Inc

Fitbit is one of the biggest forces in the quantified-self movement. The wearables company is such a popular brand that the President of the United States is known for regularly wearing one.

Unfortunately for the company, some investors have doubts about its continued success. Recent guidance was lower than expected, which sent share prices lower.

Initial Offer: $20.00

First Day Closing Price: $29.68

Last Closing Price: $13.50 (~61% decrease)



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




Latest Images