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I tried the science-backed 7-minute fitness routine that's going viral, and it actually works

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crunches side

When I first heard about the 7-Minute Workout, an app that promises to grant you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the gym in just a few minutes, I thought it was all hype.

But as it turns out, the app actually, well, works you out.

I tried it for the first time last year and I'm still hooked, so I recently got in touch with Chris Jordan, the director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute and the person behind the "Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout," to get some insight into how it works.

For me, the app is perfect on the weekends, when I can't make it to a yoga class, or as something fun to do with a friend at home.

SEE ALSO: 11 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

DON'T MISS: Harvard doctors say this overlooked move is the quickest way to get strong abs

First things first: The entire workout really takes just 7 minutes. Initially, I was skeptical I could accomplish this much in such a narrow time frame.



It consists of 72 different exercises like jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Ten of them require nothing but your own body (you'll need a chair that can support your weight for the others). The latest version of the app lets you do each exercise along with Jordan.



To do my workout, all I used was a yoga mat, the hardwood floor of my office, a wall, and a stool.



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What it's like to attend a $90 'pot brunch' where guests eat gourmet food and get high

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cannaisseur_series_chef_coreen_carroll 9028

In a sunlit warehouse in San Francisco, guests mill about while nibbling on lemon curd tarts with edible flowers. Then a gong sounds, signaling that the next round of marijuana joints is being served on the patio.

In May 2015, chef and cannabis enthusiast Coreen Carroll and her partner, Ryan Bush, hosted the first ever Cannaisseur Series event. The underground pop-up restaurant invites medical marijuana patients to share intimate, gourmet meals and weed with like-minded individuals.

In 2016, Business Insider attended the aptly named High Tea, an afternoon of food (both pot-infused and unmedicated), locally sourced cannabis, and community. Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: In San Francisco's 'Puff Pass Paint' class, people make art while getting high on marijuana — take a look inside

Chef Coreen Carroll does not mince words when it comes to her obsession with pot. "I'm always high," she told Business Insider.



She and partner Ryan Bush came to the Bay Area from Jacksonville, Florida in 2012 with their sights set on breaking into the cannabis industry.



Shortly after their arrival, a federal raid on Oaksterdam, the country’s first trade school dedicated to the weed industry, sent ripples of fear through the community.

Source: Oakland North



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The best beer from every state

The Ducati Scrambler was a bike for hippies — but now it's a motorcycle for hipsters

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Ducati Scrambler

I recently took a short vacation to Bologna, Italy and while I was there I spent some time at the Ducati factory and museum.

Ducati is a very old motorcycle brand, founded in 1926 and headquartered in Bologna for its entire history. 

In recent years, the company has gained renown for its so-called "naked" bikes, mainly the Ducati Monster, which was rolled out in 1993 and has achieved widespread popularity (it has an open trellis frame that exposes its unique desmodromic v-twin engine).

Ducati is also well-known for its aggressive superbikes, such as the Panigale — often called the "Ferrari" of motorcycles.

But it's biggest hit of late is a reboot of a motorcycle that it first built back in the early 1960s and discontinued in the early 1970s. It was called the "Scrambler," and Ducati resumed making it, with a completely different level of technology and much more horsepower, in 2015.

Ducati Scrambler

I was a big fan of the Monster, but the Scrambler is really just about my favorite bike on the road right now. For Ducati, it gives the brand a bike to put against some of the revived "cafe racers" that have been produced by the likes of Triumph and even Harley-Davidson, which is famous for its hulking cruisers.

Triumph's bikes are pure hipster, but the Scrambler nods at a subset of hipsterdom: riders who want to tackle the road and the trail. In this sense, they probably would have appealed to somebody like Steve McQueen, a motorsport nut who actually sampled a whole bunch of dirt bikes for Popular Mechanics in 1966.

The original Ducati Scrambler wasn't on his docket, but it should have been.

Ducati made the original Scrambler for the US market, and if a photo I snapped while I was at the museum is any indication, it was a bike beloved by counterculturalists:

Ducati Scrambler

I'm not sure if the new Ducati is similarly pitched; the target market seems to be especially chic hipsters. In fact, the Scrambler has been so successful that rather than allow it to exist as a single model in the overall Ducati lineup, the company has turned it into a standalone brand selling a variety of different bikes.

From a business standpoint, this shows a pretty bold pivot for Ducati. The bike maker is now appealing to several different markets, uniting them with its high-end, design-and-engineering-driven DNA. 

As I learned when I stopped by the New York Motorcycle Show last year, American bikers are now absolutely spoiled for choice. There are far more great, modern motorcycles now than there were when I was growing up. Back then, it was essentially cruisers and sport bikes; if you wanted something different, you had to scour the vintage realms. 

Nowadays, kickstarting is a thing of past and all these retro-bikes are outfitted with state of the art tech. But as in the case of the Scrambler, they haven't lost their spirit. The bikes of the 1960s and '70s may have appealed to hippies, but there aren't that many of those folks around these days. So a hipster dirt bike with an Italian pedigree is perfect.

SEE ALSO: All the coolest bikes and gear at the 2016 New York Motorcycle Show

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NOW WATCH: Tesla will begin selling its Solar Roof this year — here's everything you need to know

The most effective way to smile in dating app photos varies by gender — here are 5 tips on what photos to pick

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wealthy woman smiling

When you're choosing the right photo for your dating app profile, the setting can make a huge impact, and it varies between men and women.

Dating app Hinge analyzed its data to find out which types of shots proved most successful. Here are the most useful things they found:

  • Smiling varies by gender. Hinge found that there was a gender difference when it came to the question of whether to smile with teeth or without teeth. Women smiling with teeth were 76% more likely to get a like than those smiling without teeth. For men, it was the opposite. Men smiling without teeth were 43% more likely to get a like than those smiling with teeth.
  • Stop it with the selfies. Hinge found selfies were 40% less likely to receive a like.
  • Get off the beach. For both genders, beach photos were relatively less likely to get a like, whereas sports photos were more likely to — to the tune of plus 75%.
  • Let people see your eyes. Hinge found sunglasses pushed down your chances by 41%.
  • The biggest downer was a potential rival. Posing with a "possible significant other" put a damper on likes, as it lowered your chances by 98%.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: America's most popular dating apps from best to worst

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This man spent 6 weeks working undercover in an iPhone factory in China — here's what it was like

The best marijuana vaporizer for every type of person

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Pax Labs, Pax 3, marijuana vape vaporizer

Legal weed in North America is expected to generate $22 billion in 2021, with help from the ever-growing vaporizer market.

Vaping is an alternative to smoking that involves inhaling vapor from an electronic device. Some research suggests vaping is less harmful than lighting up because it doesn't require igniting a material and inhaling carcinogens along with it.

As the industry heats up, so does the competition. There's a range of devices to fit every consumer's needs, whether they prioritize ease of use, portability, or style. With so many options out there, Business Insider set out to find the very best vaporizers.

We put together a panel of industry experts and asked them for recommendations in six categories: best for the beginner, the user-on-the-go, the user who blazes at home, the marijuana concentrates fan, the buyer on a budget, and the techie. We used their responses as well as anecdotal evidence and our own experiences to come up with the list below.

SEE ALSO: The way people buy legal marijuana will change in 2019 — here's what to expect

For the beginner: Alchemy Vaporizer Pen by Dark Heart

Price:~$40 per replacement cartridge

Taking a hit from a vape pen is often as intuitive as placing your lips on it and inhaling.

"I recommend beginners start off with vape pens since they are inexpensive and super easy to use," says David Hua, cofounder and CEO of medical marijuana company Meadow.

Hua is a fan of the Alchemy Vaporizer Pen, which uses cartridges filled with potent marijuana oil. The company behind the device names each botanical-infused pod after the effect it cultivates: "Relax" contains a soothing blend of lavender, chamomile, and an indica strain to calm the senses, while "Awaken" uses citrus, mint, and a sativa strain to invigorate the user.

"These experience-based oils are especially helpful for those who are new to cannabis and don't yet know the effects of particular strains," Hua says.

Dark Heart's cartridges also work with most generic pens, which retail for about $10.

Find it here.



For the on-the-go user: The Mighty by Storz & Bickel

Price:$399

The Mighty by Storz and Bickel might look like an old-school walkie-talkie more than a vaporizer, but the portable device has merits where it counts.

Max Simon, CEO and founder of Green Flower Media, says the Mighty offers the "highest quality in terms of functionality and precision."

Joe Dolce, author of "Brave New Weed," agrees: "The Mighty is not the most beautiful, inexpensive, or easily concealed vaporizer on the market, but it delivers the most generous and flavorful vape hit with low draw resistance of any I've tried."

Experienced users will enjoy the precision temperature control, which allows them to ramp up the effects of specific terpenes (oils) and cannabinoids (chemical compounds), Dolce explains. Plus, rich vapor flavor and a long-lasting battery make the Mighty a top performer.

Find it here.



For the user who blazes at home: Volcano Classic by Storz & Bickel

Price:$479

The Volcano Classic takes the cake in the tabletop vaporizer category. The device debuted in the mid-2000s and quickly garnered fans for delivering heavy hits with consistency.

Manufactured by hand in Germany, the Volcano Classic works by heating up loose-leaf material packed into a chamber, which causes an attached balloon to fill with vapor. The user closes a valve that seals the balloon, removes the bag, and inhales from it to get high.

"The bags this vaporizer fills are a hit at any social event," writes Brandon Siddall, head budtender at top marijuana dispensary Caliva, and Adam Smith, purchasing manager, in an email. "But on a nice, low setting with just a little material, they are also perfect for a solo relaxation session after work."

Find it here.



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These stunning glass pipes and bongs for the 1% cost up to $300,000

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cannabis glass

Mr. Grey — no, not the one from "50 Shades" — curates an art collection with pieces so expensive that few people can afford them.

The 21-year-old independent curator, who prefers to keep his anonymity, works with artists who have carved out a new niche in Manhattan's art scene: high-end glass pipes and bongs.

It's a market that's blowing up, he says, thanks to the growing legalization of marijuana across the country. In the past three years alone, nine states have legalized cannabis for recreational or medicinal use, bringing the total to 28 states plus Washington, DC that have decriminalized the drug.

Grey tells Business Insider that the new laws are encouraging artists trained in glassblowing, to experiment with cannabis glass design and create extravagant works of art.

He recently showcased 30 pieces in his two-story apartment in New York City. We got an inside look at the items in the curated collection, which cost up to $300,000.

Keep scrolling to take a look.

SEE ALSO: 22 incredible works of art from this year's Burning Man

Mr. Grey showcased the 30 pieces for family and friends inside his apartment in Soho.



They were created by artists from all over the world.



The pieces are not only handcrafted and stunning, like Unparalleled Glass' $35,000 "Cactus Set" ...



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Here's what more than 41,000 people think about solar energy

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IBM

By James Strapp, vice president of Global Solutions for the Energy and Utilities Industry, IBM

As we mark this year’s Earth Day, we see greater interest in the use of renewable energy sources.

Decreasing energy production costs, increasing public environmental responsibility, and changing incentive policies are prompting more consumers to consider renewable energy sources. 

Residential solar energy, in particular, is gaining traction around the world.

A new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) survey of more than 41,000 consumers in six countries found that the major factors influencing the decision to “go solar" include environmental benefits, cost savings, energy independence, and reliability.

Through the end of this decade, robust growth is expected across all three market segments of solar power: residential, non-residential, and utilities. While utilities will account for the largest capacity growth, residential consumers have pursued solar with considerable enthusiasm, despite the relatively high – but steadily decreasing – price tag.

Dovetail Solar and Wind company, for example, estimates that it costs about $19,000 to invest in a five kilowatt, roof-mounted solar system for a home in the Midwestern U.S. Our study found that 65% of the respondents expected payback from their residential solar investment within five years.

Of the group of respondents in our survey who said they either had installed or intended to install solar equipment, 73% said they plan to do so within the next three years. Businesses – with their larger power needs – are moving even faster, with 70% planning to move ahead in two years or less.

Our study also found that solar installation was much less complex than the home owners originally thought: 59% expected a very complex operation, but only 38% found it complex, and 30% said described the process as "easy."

Homeowners in our study fell into two distinct categories: the cost-conscious and "customizers." Though they shared some common traits, such as environmental consciousness and concern about initial cost and financing, there were also some key differences.

Cost-conscious consumers were focused much more on anticipated cost savings and were far more likely to accept a simple turnkey solution. They focused on cost reduction and use of a supplier with a strong reputation. They placed a greater emphasis on insulation and energy audits, and were more likely to have a smart thermostat. They had a greater knowledge of possible solar incentives and they tended to prefer utilities or general contractors to install their solar panels.

"Customizers" were more inclined to look for tailored solutions and seek guarantees that their selected energy sources would operate correctly, be installed properly, and would offer a service and repair package. They tended to prefer legacy electric providers when choosing from competitive suppliers, had longer planning horizons, expected longer payback periods, and were less likely to inform utilities of their plans. They also indicated they felt their utilities did not adequately support their solar installations.

As the solar energy industry matures, the associated infrastructure and related technologies must develop to maintain utility network performance. The commercial deployment of such technologies can fundamentally change the nature of the distribution business and will need to be supported by new business models and processes. Energy supply and demand forecasting, distribution planning, network connectivity and communications, as well as consumer interaction, will need to change significantly.

More profoundly, new business models and new relationships with energy consumers will be necessary. Disrupted by rapidly changing and maturing energy, information, and consumer technologies, as well as driven by environmental consciousness, the new energy marketplace will be more competitive.

Today’s utilities need to consider their role in an ecosystem of multiple energy providers and customer engagement platforms. They need to identify their true customers and establish a much deeper relationship with them.

Unlike past changes in the industry, the pace of residential solar energy adoption will not be regulated by government policies and dates, but exposed to much more unpredictable individual consumer choices. Our survey indicates many customers are poised to choose solar.

Learn about the new era of business at 
www.ibm.com/watson/stories.

This post is sponsor content from IBM and was created by IBM and BI Studios.

 

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Ryan Seacrest's line of Macy's suits has a secret weapon for lazy guys

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Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest has a line of suits. Did you know?

It's true — the former host of "American Idol" has a line of suits called "Ryan Seacrest Distinction" that is sold exclusively at Macy's. The suits appear to be your typical run-of-the-mill, mid-priced, perpetually on-sale models that are a dime a dozen these days.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Japanese brand Itochu makes the dress shirts, Randa Accessories makes the accessories, and Peerless Clothing manufactures the suits.

However, Seacrest's label does not overestimate the intelligence or style sensibility of its target market. To help out customers, the brand has sewn some helpful tags into the suits, which it calls a "style made smart" color-matching system. These tags are printed with the numbers 1-4, according to the color and style.

The theory is: Match the color and style with Ryan Seacrest Distinction accessories and ties, and you can never go wrong because it will always match. This was inspired by how Seacrest actually gets dressed for work, according to the Wall Street Journal, and the idea came from Randa.

Ryan Seacrest Distinctionryan seacrest distinction

This could be useful for formal wear novices who don't know where to start when purchasing and styling their suits. It has the added benefit for the brand of keeping a new customer's purchases all under the same umbrella.

For the customer, it may be easier, but sticking with the system could have the outfit looking like it belongs on a mannequin rather than a human. Still, it's a good place to start if you're unable or unwilling to learn more about properly accessorizing a suit before you dive in.

Distinction first launched in 2014. For the 2017 fall collection, it will add casual "lifewear" clothing to its line of suits.

SEE ALSO: Guys, here's exactly what you should wear to that wedding you have coming up

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This suit color works for any occasion

Aulta has created a watch that I really enjoyed wearing — and it's a major move by the company

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Aulta Acuatico

A while back, a new surfing-oriented watch company, Aulta, asked me to sample one of its first timepieces, the Leeway chronograph. 

I absolutely loved wearing the watch and didn't much take it off much for several months.

Like many new arrivals to the horological marketplace, Aulta started with quartz movements.

I have no issues with quartz, unlike some watch lovers. In fact, the watch I wear most is a Citizen Eco-Drive quartz chrono that I bought almost 15 years ago. It's been running strong for over a decade.

That said, I own a few mechanical and automatic watches as well. This is where Aulta is going with its new Acuatico line — watches powered by workhorse Japanese Miyota 8215 movements (40-hour power reserve) and selling for $240.

I tested a piece with a blue face and a stainless-steel bracelet, and I tested it for about three months solid, working it into my rotation of about a half-dozen watches. The Acuatico is unabashedly an automatic diver watch, which puts it in one of the most competitive segments of the business. The lord of this realm is of course the Rolex Submariner, which goes for about $8,000.

But there are many, many other dive watches you can buy, and for far less than eight grand. So how does the Acuatico stack up?

As it turns out, I have what is probably the best budget alternative to the Rolex Sub, the Seiko Diver's, a watch that's been around for decades and is revered by watch enthusiasts. To be honest, I prefer it to the Sub, aesthetically, although there's no question that the Sub is a better investment.

Seiko Diver

The Seiko is priced about the same as the Acuatico and also uses a Japanese movement, but one that Seiko produces in-house.

For me, the watches were very different — and that, I think, is a big positive for Aulta. The company's whole concept is to make watches that can go from boardroom to surfboard in a single day. They are stylish tool watches.

But the Acuatico is among the most toolish of their current lineup, largely because it's intended to be an attractive timepiece that can stand up to the rigors of the ocean (or at least the swimming pool).

The first thing you notice about the watch is that it's heavy. It's not overly large, at 41mm, but it is substantial. The bracelet is superb, although it doesn't have a wetsuit-friendly diver extension. The wrist presence here is serious. A sapphire crystal means good scratch resistance, the unidirectional rotating bezel is solid, and the screwdown crown is located at the 4 o'clock position, a familiar location for any Seiko Diver owners (the date window is also there). 

The face is a cheerful French blue, the sword hour and minute hands are skeletons, and the second hand is orange, a nice contrast with the face. The indices are big dots and hashes, and the lume is fairly good. With a 200-meter depth rating and screwdown caseback, the Acuatico will be more than capable of standing up to surfing, if not any kind of serious scuba diving. Snorkeling should be fine.

Aulta Acuatico

I'm not really a fanatic when it comes to the timekeeping accuracy of sturdy Japanese automatic movements. They tend to be beaten — and beaten badly — by anything quartz. But that isn't the point. The movements in both my Seiko and the Aulta aren't meant to survive splashing and bashing, and they do a reasonable job of telling you how long you've been underwater. Neither Seiko nor Aulta uses a see-through caseback — first, because the movements aren't that much to look at, but also because good dive watches don't have them, the better to ensure water-tightness.

As many commenters and enthusiasts have pointed out, you see this type of watch on dive boats more often than fancy Swiss pieces because it's no big deal to lose one to Davy Jones' locker.  

But as far as watches go, the Acuatico is less tool-looking than the Seiko. As a result, it's more adaptable. It fits perfectly with Aulta's game plan and give the company a good-quality watch to pitch at those folks who won't once consider a quartz movement.

The heft of the watch was the only issue I had with it. This could be somewhat addressed by switching out the bracelet for something lighter, or by choosing a version with a polyurethane strap. Still the watch itself is weighty, something that will appeal to many buyers, but that for me made me appreciate the lighter weight of most of my other watches.

But that's me. I don't generally like heavy watches, so I'm a poor guide on this front. The bulk of a proper automatic is a selling point for many watchmakers, especially in the tool-watch world.

Aulta Acuatico

On balance, the Acuatico is a dandy first foray into mechanical timepieces for Aulta and adds a new angle to the brand without introducing a bank-busting option. The watch feels like it should cost twice what it does, especially if you go for the bracelet. The aesthetics of the face and the quality of the stainless steel mean that the Acuatico will probably look fantastic on a variety of aftermarket straps, too.

I actually think this might be an excellent gift package for the watch: $240 for the bracelet version, plus a nice leather strap (something like this, from Worn & Wound). The watch lover in your life with probably appreciate the combination. 

Aulta might not yet have the credibility of a Seiko or Rolex, but the company has done a good job of building a brand around an aquatic lifestyle and hasn't let quality slide. The Acuatico is a worthy addition.

SEE ALSO: This $105 watch knocked everything else off my wrist

DON'T MISS: 7 watches that are so classic, they'll never go out of style

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NOW WATCH: These are the watches worn by some of the most powerful men in finance

The 20 best smartphones in the world

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Now that I've spent some quality time with the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6, I can comfortably place them in our top 20 smartphones list.

galaxy s8 camera 1200 wide

The Galaxy S8 was a clear contender for the top spot, and the G6 finally let me place an LG phone within the top 10. To be clear, the top 10 smartphones in this list come very close to each other in terms of performance, design, and features, and you'd easily be happy with our number 10 pick as you would with our number one pick. It all comes down to your personal preference over design and features.

Here's our list of the best smartphones you can buy.

Note: Prices may vary depending on the retailer.

SEE ALSO: 8 reasons Google's Pixel is better than the iPhone

DON'T MISS: These are the smartphones with the best signal strength

20. BlackBerry Classic

If you were a BlackBerry fan in the company's heyday, you're going to love the BlackBerry Classic. It looks similar to older BlackBerry models but features a sharp touchscreen and an excellent physical keyboard.

Price: $309



19. BlackBerry Priv

The BlackBerry Priv is a huge departure for BlackBerry. Instead of running BlackBerry's own operating system, the Priv runs Android. While it may look like a standard Android phone, the Priv has a slide-out keyboard.

This could be a great device for those who want a physical keyboard but still want access to Google's apps and services that aren't available on other BlackBerry devices.

Price: $294

Read the BlackBerry Priv review »



18. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 5 is a killer big-screen phone. Like previous versions of the Note, it has a large, vibrant display and a stylus for taking notes. The metal-and-glass design is great, too.

Price: $478

Read the Galaxy Note 5 review »



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The 'best' pizza in NYC costs $30 for a regular pie — and it's ridiculously delicious

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Over 50 years ago, in 1965, Italian immigrant Domenico DeMarco opened Di Fara Pizza in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

To this day, it's considered by critics and locals alike to be "the best of the best," as former chef Anthony Bourdain reportedly put it back in 2007.

Just look at this:

Di Fara Pizza

There's a lot of pizza in New York City. It's a cliché maybe, but Di Fara Pizza is considered by many to be New York City's best pizza. It's notoriously expensive ($30 for a regular cheese pizza), and has a notoriously long wait (over an hour, easy). It's also dangerously delicious. And I should know — I ventured deep into Brooklyn to try Di Fara's legendary pizza for myself. This is what it's like!

SEE ALSO: I ate a 17-course tasting menu at one of the world's best restaurants — here's what it was like

The first thing you need to do is get to a part of Brooklyn that isn't well-serviced by New York's world famous subway system. My wife and I took the B68 bus.



One of the best parts of going to Di Fara's is visiting the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

Midwood is a predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, Eastern European in origin, though plenty of other religious groups and ethnicities live in the area. Famous names, from Adam "MCA" Yauch (of the Beastie Boys) to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, hail from the Midwood section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood has largely resisted the forces of gentrification sweeping Brooklyn's western coast (the side facing Manhattan).



But you're here for the pizza. I get it. Di Fara Pizza is located at the corner of Avenue J and East 15th Street. I went at night, but this is what it looks like during the day from the outside:



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These are the secret codes that restaurants use to refer to their high-roller guests

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marea

To truly be a regular at some of the best restaurants in the world, you have to be willing to spend some serious cash and be on your best behavior. 

In her new book "Cork Dork," journalist Bianca Bosker writes about her immersion into the world of sommeliers and big wine spenders. As part of her training, she shadowed a certified sommelier and made the rounds at Marea, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant by Chef Michael White in New York City.

The restaurant's service is a carefully crafted performance, from the impeccable attire of the staff to the yacht-like interior of the restaurant itself.

"Restaurants like Marea are Disneylands for moguls," Bosker writes.  

Bosker learned that the restaurant has its own system of categorizing who should be prioritized for receiving the best service. Marea has a file for all of its guests, noting each one's quirks, dining history, and importance to the restaurant's management. All of this information is communicated to wait staff and sommeliers so they know how to interact with the table and sell them as much wine as possible.

There's something called a PX, "short for personne extraordinaire, restaurant code for 'spends dough,'" Bosker writes.

"It's appended to reservations made by big spenders, owners' friends, high-rolling regulars, and special guests, like Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, who'd be coming in tonight at eight. They are to be coddled, spoiled, humored, and upsold at all costs." 

marea

Some restaurants will also use "VIP" or "BLR," short for "baller," to label this group of guests.

At Marea, some back-of-house tickets will be labeled "ATG," meaning "according to Google" — for example, "ATG investment banking analyst at Barclays Capital." The labels get even more specific than that: there's "occasional wine PX," "wine PX has-been," "PPX (personne particulièrement extraordinaire)," "F/O (friend of) Owner," and "HWC (handle with care)."

If you're in especially poor form, Marea staff might label you "86 DO NOT ACCEPT." But if you're polite and especially generous with your money, you could be labeled "NEVER REFUSE."  

It's worth considering the next time you endeavor to make a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

SEE ALSO: Here are the best wines to pair with your favorite fast foods

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Know these terms to sound like a wine expert

Instagrammers with 50K to 200K followers can make more than $1,000 per post

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wheres my office now

Can you hack it making your living as an Instagram influencer? 

The "profession," if we're ready to call it that, is an increasingly popular one, idealized especially by millennials afflicted with acute cases of wanderlust and a yearning for independence from corporate drudgery.

The money companies are pumping into it is steadily growing, too. It's a $500 million industry today, and corporate muscle will bolster that to $5 billion to $10 billion by 2020, according to Mediakix estimates

That money isn't going exclusively to celebrities. "Microinfluencers" who have between 50,000 to 200,000 followers are taking a not-insignificant share of the pie as well, according to a recent profile in The New Yorker by Rachel Monroe.

Monroe spent a week hanging out with Emily King and Corey Smith, the itinerant duo behind the account Where's My Office Now, which has 147,000 followers and counting. The account essentially documents the couple (and their dog) living out of a Volkswagen van as they travel from scenic mountain range to idyllic beach (#vanlife is a popular hashtag — more than 1.3 million photos have been uploaded to it — that King and Smith and countless others use).

 

But Instagrammers like King and Smith, with a sizable yet close-knit following, can be more appealing to some advertisers than accounts with over 1 million followers because they tend to generate more loyalty and interaction among their fans.

Monroe explains:

"Celebrity endorsements aren't new, of course, but influencer marketing expands the category of 'celebrity' to include teen-age fashionistas, drone racers, and particularly photogenic dogs. Advertisers work with people like Smith and King precisely because they're not famous in the traditional sense. They're appealing to brands because they have such a strong emotional connection with their followers. Krishna Subramanian, the co-founder of captiv8, a company that has helped Where's My Office Now connect with advertisers, said, 'Their followers know what they're doing day in and day out.'"

The best of the best social media influencers can earn tens of thousands for a sponsored post. Users with a few million followers, like the couple Jack Morriss and Lauren Bullen, make six-figure incomes and as much as $9,000 per post traveling the world and snapping eye-popping photos

A post shared by JACK MORRIS (@doyoutravel) on

At this point, King and Smith only make between $500 to $1,500 per sponsored post.

But the couple, who are picky about the companies they'll endorse ("We see every dollar as a vote," King told Monroe), appear to be gathering steam. They had already booked $10,000 in endorsements two months into 2017, compared with the $18,000 they earned in all of 2016. They've gained more than 7,000 followers since the piece in The New Yorker published mid-April.

Their posts tend to get a few thousand likes each. Although, perhaps predictably, shots featuring King in a bikini or semi-nude will bump that up by a factor of two or three. From Monroe's profile:

"King clicked on the account's most successful post, which has more than eight thousand likes. In the image, the back seat of the van is folded down into a bed; King faces away from the camera, holding a sheet to her chest, her hair cascading down her naked back. The second most popular post was of King wearing a bikini, standing on the van's front bumper. In the next most popular, King is in a bikini, slicing lemons.

"'People really want to see beautiful locations,' King said.

"'They want to see Emily in a bikini, they want to see a sun flare, they want to see the van,' Smith said. 'Ones of Emily in the van waking up with Penny, they crush it.'

"'It's real and it's kind of moody—'

"'It's a naked female,' Smith said. 'If I'm in that picture, it gets three thousand likes.'"

 

Read the full story at The New Yorker »

SEE ALSO: Meet the Instagram-famous travel blogging couple who get paid up to $9,000 to post a single photo

SEE ALSO: Instagram fitness star says he makes $650 on a slow day

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NOW WATCH: Here's a month-by-month timeline of the best time to buy almost anything in 2017

What it's like to use the $400 juicer that people are freaking out about

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Juicero

It's already being called "Juicegate"

On Wednesday, Bloomberg broke the news that the high-end juicer backed by Silicon Valley's elite venture capitalists wasn't even needed to squeeze out the juice. 

When it was launched a year ago, the $700 machine touted the tons of force it generated to squeeze out every last drop of juice from the fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Bloomberg found that hand-squeezing the packets yielded nearly the same result. 

Now, Juicero is on the defensive and is arguing that it's juicer (whose price was previously cut to $400) is needed because "the value of Juicero is more than a glass of cold-pressed juice. Much more," says its CEO Jeff Dunn.

To Juicero, the value of the company is its connected juice press that can tell you when the juice is about to expire and saves you the two minutes of packet squeezing. Anyone who thinks otherwise can now return their press for a full refund, Dunn says.

When Business Insider's Alyson Shontell tried the Juicero machine (pre-Juicegate) in April 2016, she found herself saying "Oh my God," as she put down her first glass of Juicero-pressed juice. 

Whether a $400 juicer is worth saving two minutes of hand-squeezing is a question you'll have to decide, but here's what it was like to use the Juicero machine when Business Insider first visited last April.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like to use a computer in North Korea

Juicero has three big warehouses in the Bay Area. This is the building where most of the 70 full-time employees work, and it's also a factory where Juicero parts are made and tested. It's a pretty crazy operation inside, but I was asked not to take photos of any of the testing facilities.



I walked up one flight of stairs where the employees were stationed to meet Juicero's founder and CEO, Doug Evans. Along the way, there were some strange contraptions lined up against a wall. It turns out they were Juicero prototypes Doug and his team built before landing on the current model. The oldest to newest go from left to right. (In November 2016, Doug was replaced by its new CEO, Jeff Dunn)



Doug worked on Juicero for three years in "stealth mode" before he publicly launched his juicer in March 2016 with about $100 million in funding from investors. There were 12 prototypes in total.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There's a 4/20 festival in the middle of San Francisco — here's what it's like

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SAN FRANCISCO — April 20th, also known as 4/20 day, has been an unofficial holiday for marijuana users. Every year, thousands of pot enthusiasts gather in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to celebrate an event called "4/20 at Hippie Hill." While the event has drawn a large crowd for a number of years, 2017 is the first time the event took place since recreational marijuana became legal in California. This year, the festival even found a number of sponsors that brought in fencing, security, and bathrooms to make sure the event is safe for everyone.

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The 25 most dangerously polluted cities in the US

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More than 125 million Americans live in counties with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association's 2017 "State of the Air" report.

Pollution leads to various kinds of nasty health outcomes, including asthma, lung cancer, and shortened lifespans.

The report, released April 19, rounds up air quality data from 2013, 2014, and 2015 in the United States. (Because air quality data is plentiful and complicated, the annual ALA reports usually look two years into the past.)

The report focuses on two key kinds of pollution: particles and ozone.

Particles include everything from dust kicked up during a drought to tiny particles floating in the air from forest fires or fossil fuels. Ozone, or smog, develops in the upper atmosphere when emissions from tailpipes and smokestacks cook in the sun's heat.

Local pollution levels can be measured according to amounts of ozone in the atmosphere, number of days with extremely high particle pollution levels, or levels of year-round particle pollution. Each of those metrics yields different results — Los Angeles is the worst US city for ozone, for example, but not when it comes to year-round particle pollution, which is the ranking we use in this article.

Janice Nolen, the lead author of the ALA report, told Business Insider that local problems like car traffic can make cities' ozone or particle problems worse, but that the overall issue is a national one. Even a place with strong environmental rules can be vulnerable to bad air flowing in from other parts of the country.

Here are the US cities with the worst year-round particle pollution. (The report notes, however, that data is missing on all of Illinois, most of Tennessee, and part of Maine.) For more information and suggested policy solutions, you can read the full report.

SEE ALSO: A powerful new tool reveals how climate change could transform your hometown

25. Erie, Pennsylvania



22 (tied). New York, New York



22 (tied). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania



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Brie Larson reveals the hardest part about becoming suddenly very famous

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Fame certainly has its perks. You get a lot of things for free. You pretty much never have to wait in line for anything. Making money becomes much easier. But there are some negatives. The most obvious is the loss of anonymity.

Brie Larson admits that that’s the biggest thing she’s tried to wrap her head around since becoming a bone fide celebrity after winning the Oscar for best actress for 2015’s “Room.”

“I don't think I'll ever be able to grasp this — I just don't really understand why anybody would care what I have to say,” Larson told Business Insider while doing press for her new movie “Free Fire” (opening Friday). “I’m just a person figuring stuff out. That's the thing I trip out on all the time when I do days and days of press and you're like, ‘Who cares what I think?’”

But people care very much. And Larson has turned that into a positive force. She's used her platform to be vocal about issues that are important to her like support for sexual-assault victims and giving women and minorities stronger voices in Hollywood.

Her visibility will only increase in the coming years as we near the 2019 release of Marvel Studios' first movie with a female lead, “Captain Marvel.” Larson will be our Captain Marvel.

But there is one thing from her old life she can still do.

“One of my favorite things in the world is just to people-watch and to listen,” Larson said.

There are moments when she can go out in public and not be recognized.

“And I'm very paranoid about my privacy so I would be the first to tell you if it's all gone. It's not. I'm grateful for that,” Larson said.

SEE ALSO: Oscar Isaac remembers shooting a "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" scene with Carrie Fisher 25 times

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The most expensive homes you can buy in 28 countries

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Hidden behind discreet entrances, imposing gates, and even dense jungle vegetation are some of the most exclusive properties in the world.

Point2Homes, an international real estate listings database, compiled a list of the most expensive homes you can buy in 28 different countries.  

From a palatial dwelling in Russia to a tropical paradise in Costa Rica, these pricey properties are pretty incredible.

Take a look below.

 

SEE ALSO: No one wants to buy one of the most infamous haunted homes in the Hamptons, which just got a $2 million price chop

ANDORRA: This six-bedroom property nestled in the mountains of Andorra is currently on the market for $29.9 million. The house comes with several outbuildings, including a horse barn. It's also minutes from the ski slopes.

Source: Sotheby's



AUSTRALIA: This $75 million property, located three miles outside of Sydney, has been owned by the same family for four generations. It has seven bedrooms and its own stretch of private beach.

Source: Christie's



BAHAMAS: Buy a slice of Caribbean paradise for just $29 million. This four-bedroom retreat in Lyford Cay comes with a 355-foot private beachfront and a private guest house.

Source: Sotheby's



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What it's like to eat dinner at the same restaurant as the Obamas

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The Obamas have been taking a much-deserved break from politics since moving out of the White House. But next week, it's back to reality.

President Barack Obama will be in Chicago on Monday to discuss community organization and civic engagement.

As we all know, the Obamas have impeccable taste in food, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the former president surveying the Chicago dining scene when he returns stateside. Will he visit the renowned Alinea? Or return to an old Obama favorite, Spiaggia?

Last September, my husband and I had a chance run-in with Barack and Michelle, who were in New York City for their last visit as president and first lady.

Here's what it was like. 

We were headed to Cosme in New York's Flatiron District to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

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We obviously had no idea going into this that the Obamas would be making an appearance.

I made the reservation exactly 30 days in advance, knowing that a table at the trendy Mexican restaurant is hard to come by. Since opening in 2014, Cosme has been one of the hottest restaurants in New York City.

The restaurant's most famous dish is its duck carnitas, pictured above. The dish features a half of a duck, braised for many hours, accompanied by homemade tortillas and house sauces.



Walking to the restaurant, I knew something was up.

The first sign was a group of about 20 New York Police Department officers on motorcycles. They were huddled outside Gramercy Tavern on East 20th Street, a block south of Cosme.

I knew President Obama was in the city to bid farewell to the United Nations General Assembly, so I figured he was eating at Gramercy Tavern or Trattoria Il Mulino next door. After all, the Obamas have great taste in restaurants.



But when I got to East 21st Street, the security was even more intense. It turned out the Obamas were eating at Cosme, too. After getting over the initial shock that we had chosen the same restaurant as the president, I began to worry we might not get in at all.

A line of ambulances blocked off the street entirely to cars, and about half of the block was closed to pedestrians.

I walked up to about five police officers and told them we had a reservation at Cosme, thinking they would let us past the blue tape barricade.

Their response was to "get lost," "keep walking," and "find somewhere else to eat."

Thanks, Obama.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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