Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 115285 articles
Browse latest View live

NOW HIRING: Business Insider is looking for an airlines and autos editor

0
0

Ferrari 488 Spyder

Business Insider is looking for an editor to run our coverage of the transportation industry. 

The transportation editor will be responsible following events in the auto and airline industries and reporting on them in real time across multiple social media platforms and on our website. He or she will manage a small team of reporters covering everything from major news events to new cars and automotive technology.

The ideal news editor has:

  • Excellent news judgment and a knack for storytelling
  • The ability to work at lightning speed
  • Impeccable writing and editing skills
  • Management experience
  • Experience using Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms to break and cover news

APPLY HERE if interested with your resume and brief cover letter describing why you are the perfect person for this job.

Business Insider offers competitive compensation packages complete with benefits. This is a full-time position based in our NYC office.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Bugatti unveiled their stunning new concept car based on the video game 'Gran Turismo'


Women pay more than men for 'lady' versions of identical products

0
0

Women pay more than men for the female version of the exact same product, according to a study conducted by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs that looked into 35 product categories to compare prices.

The department found that women's products were priced higher in 30 of the 35 categories studied when compared to the men's version.

On average, women are paying 8% more for adult clothing, 4% more for children's clothing, 7% more for toys and accessories, and 13% more for feminine personal care products than men are.

The department compared the prices of roughly 800 items for the study.

Story by Allan Smith and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube: Subscribe here

SEE ALSO: A ton of actresses are talking about how to tackle Hollywood's gender problem

Join the conversation about this story »

I took an 18-hour bus ride from New York City to Atlanta for $40, and I liked it better than flying

0
0

chinatownbus

This week I made it all the way from Manhattan's Canal Street to Atlanta's Buford Highway for just $40 — thanks to the miraculous yet polarizing Chinatown bus.

The term "Chinatown bus" refers to any of the many bus companies that run out of tiny storefronts in New York's Chinatown to and from destinations around the US.

These intercity buses provide a phenomenally cheap alternative to air travel. The Chinatown buses also have much cheaper fares than big-name buses like Greyhound or Megabus.

However, the buses have drawn ire from some Manhattan residents as some of them illegally park and drop off their passengers — creating crowds, traffic, and plumes of exhaust. 

New York's governor signed into law new regulations for Chinatown buses in 2012 requiring them to stop only at designated places. However, DNAInfo reported this month that police have been "unevenly forcing" that law and that Chinatown residents are still displeased with the buses. 

Despite the controversial nature of this business, for me the Chinatown bus was an obvious choice. I reckon I saved $300-$350 by taking buses this holiday season instead of planes. Indeed, these buses provide an important service for a large segment of the population who can't afford to shell out $350 on a plane ticket.

This was hardly my first time taking the 14- to 18-hour trip all the way down to Atlanta, so allow me to present my guide to getting around on the Chinatown buses.

SEE ALSO: 30 things you can buy for a dollar

First, let's do a little comparison-shopping. Here is what airfare looks like.



These fares are more my speed. All Chinatown bus fares are $40 or $60. There are a variety of locations and carriers, but in my experience, they're all located within a few blocks of each other and offer near-identical services. Also, I bought my ticket a few hours before the trip for the same low price, another advantage of bus travel. There's little chance you could get cheap airfare at the last minute, the week of Christmas.



Here's the bus station at 19 Allen Street in Manhattan. Storefronts like this are all over Manhattan's Chinatown, as well as in Atlanta, Charlotte, and countless other cities along the bus routes.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Iraq’s first beauty queen in 42 years says 'I am afraid of nothing'

0
0

Shaymaa Abdelrahman, the 20-year-old who won Iraq's first national beauty pageant since 1972, told NBC News that she's "afraid of nothing."

The Miss Iraq 2015 pageant was faced with threats that caused several participants to back out, and delayed the entire event from its originally scheduled date in October. The pageant was held in Baghdad on Saturday in front of a crowd that consisted of mostly the contestants' relatives, as it was closed off to the public.

"I want to prove that the Iraqi woman has her own existence in society, she has her rights like men," Abdelrahman told NBC News. "I am afraid of nothing, because I am confident that what I am doing is not wrong."

As Miss Iraq 2015, Abdelrahman now has the opportunity to participate in the 2016 Miss Universe pageant.

Story by Allan Smith and editing by Ben Nigh

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

SEE ALSO: Iraq just held its first national beauty pageant in more than 40 years

Join the conversation about this story »

Here's what people eat on Christmas in 23 countries around the globe

0
0

Christmas turkey

Christmas is a deeply special time for people all over the world.

And while the holiday can be celebrated in many different ways, perhaps no custom is more important than the time-honored Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal.

Still, these meals vary greatly in different parts of the world.

Inspired by this BookTable post by Rob Rebelo, we took a look at some typical Christmas meals from countries across the globe.

An earlier version of this article was written by Christian Storm.

Brazilians eat turkey on Christmas Eve, but not in the traditional North American style. Along with turkey, they serve rice, Brazil nuts, and a variety of fruit.



Germans often serve fruity Stollen cake, along with a mulled wine called Gluehwein. Stollen is traditionally baked to have a hump, symbolizing the humps of the camels that carried the wise men to see Jesus.



Many Bulgarians fast before Christmas, so on Christmas they nosh on stuffed vegetables, soups, and cakes.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How Beyoncé and Jay Z became the world's top power couple

0
0

Beyonce Jay Z Blue Ivy

With a combined net worth of nearly $1 billion from albums, movies, fashion, record studios, and other business endeavors, Beyoncé and Jay Z are the most powerful couple in entertainment, and together they ranked 50th on Business Insider's recent list of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

Between performances that rake in millions of dollars each to political connections and special foreign travel privileges, read on to see how Mr. and Mrs. Carter became one of the most powerful couples in the world.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful people in the world

Beyoncé Knowles was born in 1981 to Mathew, a successful Xerox salesman, and Tina, a hair stylist. She grew up in a comfortable four-bedroom house in Houston, Texas, which she calls "my foundation."

Source: The Independent, Business Insider



Jay Z grew up quite differently. Born Shawn Carter in 1969, he was raised by a single mother in the projects of Brooklyn. His mother Gloria told CBS she never suspected he would be a superstar.

Source: CBS News



Beyoncé started singing and performing at a young age. When she was seven, she won a talent competition by performing John Lennon's "Imagine."

Source: The Independent, Business Insider

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 at-home remedies that actually work

0
0

campbell's soup let it snow commercial

Turns out mom was right. 

Chicken soup is good for a cold.

But it's not the only old-school remedy that scientists have actually found to be helpful.

Here are nine weird household tricks that you can actually use to ward off pain, soothe a cold, calm a headache, or brighten your smile.

SEE ALSO: 17 'healthy habits' you're better off giving up

RELATED: What 200 calories of your favorite Thanksgiving foods looks like

Feeling a cold coming on? Try gargling with plain water. A study of close to 400 healthy volunteers found that those who gargled with plain water were significantly less likely to come down with upper-respiratory-tract infections (URTIs) — a type of infection often linked with colds and the flu — during the study period than those who didn’t gargle. The researchers concluded that, “Simple water gargling was effective to prevent URTIs among healthy people.”



If you tend to get motion sick on trips, try packing along a couple pieces of ginger candy. One study comparing people taking a placebo with those taking ginger found that just one gram of the root was helpful in alleviating symptoms of seasickness, morning sickness, and nausea induced by chemotherapy.

In general, ginger may also be helpful for relieving gas and indigestion, Stephen Hanauer, MD, a professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Prevention.



Mom was right. While the jury’s still out on precisely why chicken soup makes us feel better when we’re sick, researchers are pretty certain that it does. For one study in which researchers were trying to pinpoint the effect the soup had on inflammation (a common component of colds), they found that it slowed the movement of neutrophils, the white blood cells that are the hallmark of acute infection. In other words, the soup appears to help calm down the inflammation that triggers many cold symptoms.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Inside New York City's most festive bar, where they spend more than $60,000 a year getting ready for Christmas


33 books everyone should read before turning 30

0
0

reading

Your 20s are a time for figuring out who you are and what you want from life.

While the only way to learn is to survive the inevitable cycle of successes and failures, it is always useful to have some guidance along the way.

To help you out, we've selected some of our favorite books that likely never made your high-school or college reading lists.

It's an eclectic selection that focuses on topics like understanding your identity, shaping your worldview, and laying the foundation for a fulfilling career.

Here's what we think you should read before you turn 30.

SEE ALSO: 30 business books every professional should read before turning 30

DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius

As you become an adult, you realize that there will never be a time in your life where everything is just as you hoped it would be.

"Meditations" is a collection of personal writings on maintaining mental toughness from the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180 and became remembered as one of the great "philosopher kings."

As Gregory Hays notes in the introduction to his translation, Aurelius wrote his musings on resilience and leadership in a "dark and stressful period" in the last decade of his life.

The emperor's version of Stoic philosophy has remained relevant for 1,800 years because it offers timeless advice for gaining control of one's emotions and progressing past all obstacles in one's path.

Find it here >>



'The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays' by Albert Camus

We all have a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and we start to question that reason after entering the real world.

As "The Stranger" author Albert Camus sees it, all people find themselves in an irrational world struggling to find meaning for their lives where there is none.

His main message, however, is that just as the legend of Sisyphus tells of a god who was eternally punished by having to push a rock up a hill, only to have it fall down each time he reached the peak, we should embrace the drive for meaning and lead happy, fulfilling lives with a clear-eyed view of the world.

Find it here >>



'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Regardless of your personal philosophy, there will be times when the world pushes against you and you wonder why it's worth trying to better yourself and help others.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel is not only a gripping story, but it's an argument against the nihilism that was popular among Russian intellectual circles in his time.

"Crime and Punishment" is the tale of a 23-year-old man named Raskolnikov who, acting on a nagging urge, murders two old women and then struggles with processing the act.

Dostoyevsky argues that rationalism taken to its extreme ignores the powerful bonds that connect humanity and give us responsibility over each other.

Find it here >>



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How the Bible has changed over the past 2,000 years

The 20 most generous people in the world

0
0

2x1 Most Generous People 2015 (1)

Pioneering American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie once set the standard for giving back: "No man can become rich without himself enriching others," he said. "The man who dies rich dies disgraced."

Scores of the world's wealthiest people have taken to his philosophy, donating their riches to hundreds of causes.

We worked with our friends at Wealth-X, a firm that does research and valuations on ultra-high net worth individuals, to compile a list of the 20 most generous people in the world, ranked by total charitable giving to date.

Since you need to have a lot to give a lot, Wealth-X also determined each person's Generosity Index, which is the ratio of theirlifetime donations to their current net worth. Some people, like retail magnate Chuck Feeney, known as the "James Bond of philanthropy," have indices over 100% because they have given away more money than they currently have.

With a total combined donation amount of $106.8 billion, these 20 individuals are the top philanthropists in the world.

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

DON'T MISS: The wealthiest people in the world under 35

20. Dietmar Hopp

Lifetime donations: $1 billion

Net worth: $6.3 billion

Generosity Index: 16%

German IT entrepreneur Dietmar Hopp is the cofounder and former chairman and CEO of SAP, a multinational company that provides application and analytics software and software-related services for enterprises worldwide.

Twenty years ago, Hopp established Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, a foundation that supports local education, sports, and health causes in his hometown in Germany, including the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM), University Hospital Heidelberg, and the Nathalie Todenhofer Foundation.

Source:Wealth-X



19. Pierre Omidyar

Lifetime donations: $1 billion

Net worth: $6.2 billion

Generosity Index: 16%

Paris-born, Iranian-American Pierre Omidyar is cofounder and current chairman of eBay.

In 1998, he and his wife, Pamela, established the Omidyar Foundation, an organization that now includes Omidyar Network, HopeLab, Humanity United, and Ulupono Initiative. The organization donates to a diverse range of causes, including entrepreneurship, human rights, food and energy, and games and technology. In 2012, Omidyar and his wife joined the Giving Pledge initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, promising to donate most of their wealth to charities. 

In August 2015, Omidyar reportedly sold 10% of his shares in eBay to undisclosed charities — a stock gift valued at nearly $270 million.

Source: Wealth-X



18. Michael Dell

Lifetime donations: $1.1 billion

Net worth: $18.9 billion

Generosity Index: 6%

Michael Dell is the chairman and CEO of Dell computer company. Since 1999, he's been the director of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, which gives primarily to education, social and human services, arts and culture, and community-development causes.

Earlier this year, the foundation pledged to donate $25 million to fund the construction of a new teaching hospital in Austin, Texas.

Source: Wealth-X



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 13 best Chinese restaurants in New York City

0
0

mr. chow

It's Christmas Eve. That means that all over the world families are gathering together around dinner tables to celebrate.

But here in New York, we have our own tradition: eating at a Chinese restaurant. 

In the beloved tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas, we've found the best Chinese restaurants in Manhattan.

SEE ALSO: Inside New York City's most festive bar, where they spend more than $60,000 a year getting ready for Christmas

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

Big Wong

67 Mott Street

Don't let the silly name fool you: Big Wong is a favorite among fans of classic small-plate, Hong Kong-style fare.

It's a bit of a dive, but it's worth it for the congee (a rice porridge served with a variety of meats and sides).



Grand Sichuan

21 St. Marks Place

There are several branches of the local Grand Sichuan chain, but the one on St. Marks Place is arguably the best in the city.

The menu of traditional Sichuan dishes is so extensive that you may have trouble choosing.



Han Dynasty

90 3rd Avenue

215 West 85th Street

The beloved Philadelphia restaurant chain opened its first outpost in New York's East Village in 2013, and it quickly became a favorite with New Yorkers. An Upper West Side outpost followed in April 2015.

Items on the menu are scored one to 10 based on spiciness, with 10 topping out at mouth-scorching. Order the famed dan dan noodle appetizer, and follow it up with a hot pot or one of the dozen or so other options on the entree section of the menu.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The guy behind 'Humans of New York' is fund-raising again — and cash is rolling in at an incredible rate

0
0

Brandon Stanton is at it again.

Stanton is the man behind "Humans Of New York," a popular photo project that puts Stanton and his camera on the streets of New York City and beyond.

Earlier this year, Stanton took a photo of Vidal Chastanet, a 13-year-old from Brownsville, Brooklyn, which has the highest crime rate in New York City. The photo went viral, and it helped Stanton raise more than $1.4 million for Vidal's school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy.

Now Stanton has turned his camera to Syrian refugees. He recently profiled 11 Syrian families moving to America, and he opened a new fund-raising page on Thursday to raise funds for those families.

At 1:40 p.m. on Christmas Eve, around two hours in, the page had raised close to $250,000.

Humans of New York Syria

Here is the blurb from the page:

Earlier this month we profiled eleven Syrian families that were preparing to begin new lives in America. They have escaped a horrible war, and have finally secured a degree of safety and security, but the road will be very tough for them. They will be starting at zero in a new country. In addition to the culture shock, they will face innumerable obstacles, including the need to learn an entirely new language. As they attempt to get their footing, they will be provided with little more than the bare minimum needed to subsist.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How the buying power of your dollar has changed over the past 60 years

This animated map shows how religion spread across the world

QUIZ: Can you tell which of these popular holiday foods have the most calories?

0
0

the big bang theory

The holiday season is here, and from now through the end of December you'll be tempted by many delicious foods. 

We know — this holiday is all about spending time with family and friends and not about counting calories.

But how much do you know about the food that's on your plate? What type of pie is the least bad for you? Which casserole dish has the fewest calories?

You might be surprised which one wins out above the rest.

Take this quiz and find out how you can indulge this holiday season without adding an inch, or two, to your waistline. 

RELATED: Ways to manage stress during the holidays

NEXT: 15 healthy eating habits that work according to scientists

10) If you're going to drink liquor this holiday season, which of these mixers should you use?

A) Orange juice

B) Tonic water

C) Tomato juice

D) Pineapple juice



Answer: Tomato juice

Tomato juice beats all other mixers by a mile with just 46 calories per cup. Here's the breakdown of the others:

Orange juice: 112 calories per cup

Pineapple juice: 133 calories per cup

Tonic water: 82 calories per cup



9) Which steamed-vegetable dish should you avoid this holiday season?

A) Green beans

B) Carrots

C) Broccoli

D) Corn



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Airports are using therapy dogs to calm stressed-out holiday travelers

0
0

From overcrowded airports and delayed flights to lost luggage, traveling during the holiday season can be awful.

Bur airports have found a solution to all that stress: therapy dogs. 

The first airport therapy dog program was established at San Jose Airport after 9/11 at, but now cities like Buffalo and Reno are bringing in canine relief during the busy holiday travel season.

"I was very angry and upset, and I started to cry because I just want to see my grandparents and it's the holidays," one traveler said, before adding that her stress melted away every time she pet one of the therapy dogs. "It was like someone was there. Stress just kept going away every time I pet [the dog] because she kept on relaxing. I wish I was that relaxed."

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Stephen Parkhurst 

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube: Subscribe

SEE ALSO: Chris Paul and Kevin Hart took 500 kids shopping for Christmas

Join the conversation about this story »

Doing this for 5 minutes every day can help people that suffer from depression

7 quirky cat behaviors and what they mean

0
0

cat lady harlem

Nearly 100 million cats are kept as pets in the US.

My temperamental calico cat, Harlem, is one of them.

And while she's the only one I have, she embodies many of the most common, and most perplexing, cat stereotypes.

So why does she — and the tens of millions of cats like her — act that way?

Here are some explanations, backed by cat researchers, for why our feline friends behave the way they do.

UP NEXT: 5 reasons life is better for cat people

SEE ALSO: 9 science-backed reasons to own a dog

1. Why do cats sometimes suddenly bite or scratch the person who is petting them?

According to cat expert Arden Moore," your cat is trying to say, "kindly stop petting me or I will bite harder."

Dr. John Bradshaw says your cue to stop petting a cat may include tail-lashing, flattened ears, dilated pupils, and tense muscles.

Bradshaw also notes, that most cats like to be stroked on their heads and fewer than one in 10 cats like to be stroked on their belly or around their tail.

Source: Cat Sense, The Cat Behavior Answer BookScientific American Special Editions, September 2015



2. Why do cats intentionally knock objects off tables?

While some cats are clumsy, most cats intentionally knock items off of surfaces as a ploy to get their owner's attention.

"Sometimes they seem to do it for their own entertainment or because they have learned that this is a game that their owner seems to enjoy," Bradshaw explained.

Source: Scientific American Special Editions, September 2015



3. Why do cats look you straight in the eye and then slow blink?

Even though cats are considered masters at concealing their thoughts and emotions, they do try to show affection by slow blinking. Researchers call these slow blinks "kitty kisses."

Next time you notice that a cat is giving you this feline eyewink, try and slow blink back. More often than not, a cat will continue to slow blink with you.

 Source: Cat Sense, The Cat Behavior Answer Book, Petful



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 20 most-popular business books of 2015

0
0

Elon Musk book 4x3

Reading about business can give you a leg up in your industry, or just provide timeless advice for conducting yourself in the workplace.

Amazon recently released its list of the best-selling books of 2015, including the most popular business and investing books.

Whether you run a company, work for one, or work for yourself, these 20 books are guaranteed to teach you something new. Scroll down to see which books made the list.

SEE ALSO: The 20 best-selling books of 2015

DON'T MISS: The 17 best books of the year, according to readers

20. "Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!" by Nicholas Carlson

Yahoo had been through hell and back before Marissa Mayer, at the age of 37, took the helm of the company in 2012. Just her presence gave many employees hope for the future of Yahoo, but many also doubted she could actually save the internet company — which has encountered turbulence of late. 

Insightfully written by INSIDER editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson, "Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!" traces Mayer's journey from Google exec to Yahoo CEO, and her transformation of Yahoo from an old-fashioned content company to an innovative tech company.

Find the book here »



19. "Mindful Work: How Meditation Is Changing Business from the Inside Out" by David Gelles

A business reporter for the New York Times and a devoted practitioner of meditation for two decades, Gelles shares the reasons why mindfulness meditation may be the key to happier employees, more efficient companies, and less stress in the office.

Companies from General Mills to Patagonia to Google have adopted mindfulness practices and have seen reduced health-care costs among employees, and better leadership outlooks among upper management.

Buy the book here »



18. "Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation" by Dean Jobb

In 1923 Leo Koretz, a charismatic and fast-talking attorney in Chicago, vanished completely — but not before swindling hundreds of people out of millions of dollars.

A story almost too incredible to believe, "Empire of Deception" recounts the history of one of the longest frauds in history — "one that out-ponzied Charles Ponzi himself" — and the dark, seductive side of business.

Find the book here »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These popular Christmas traditions have nothing to do with Jesus

Viewing all 115285 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images