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16 tech titans who won't leave their fortune to their kids

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Zuck

Some entrepreneurs who have made billions off of their tech ventures like to spend them in some pretty extravagant ways, whether it be on private planes, summer homes, or even an entire island. 

Others turn to more philanthropic efforts, choosing to donate their wealth to different causes through foundations and trusts. 

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the birth of his daughter Max Tuesday afternoon.

Along with the official announcement, he shared that he and wife Priscilla Chan plan to give away 99% of their Facebook shares — currently valued at about $45 billion — to charity. 

We've rounded up some of the other most generous people in tech, all of whom have decided to donate large portions of their wealth to charity rather than leave all of it to their children. 

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg to give away 99% of his Facebook shares, or $45B, to charity during his lifetime

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates

Gates has been open about his decision not to leave his $84.9 billion fortune to his three children. They will reportedly inherit just a small slice, about $10 million each.

"I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them," he said in a Reddit AMA. 

He founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1994, and it currently has more than $38 billion in assets. Gates also teamed up with longtime friend Warren Buffett to start a campaign called "The Giving Pledge," which encourages other billionaires to donate at least half of their fortune to charity. 



AOL co-founder Steve Case

Case helped millions of Americans get online, and now he's donating much of his wealth to developing other technologies.

He founded the Case Foundation in 1997, which focuses on using technology to make philanthropy more effective. He also started an investment firm called Revolution, which invests in startups outside of Silicon Valley, and signed the Giving Pledge.

"We share the view that those to whom much is given, much is expected. We realize we have been given a unique platform and opportunity, and we are committed to doing the best we can with it," he and wife Jean wrote. "We do not believe our assets are 'ours' but rather we try to be the responsible stewards of these resources."



Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff

Benioff recently launched a campaign called SF Gives, which challenged tech companies to raise $10 million for San Francisco-based nonprofit programs in just 60 days. 

He's encouraged other corporations to follow his 1/1/1 model, which says that a company should donate 1% of its equity, 1% of its employees' time, and 1% of its resources to philanthropic efforts.

He and wife Lynne have also personally given a total of $200 million to the children's hospital at UCSF. 

 



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We tried the 'Uber of helicopters' that lets elite New Yorkers skip airport traffic

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sunset blade helicoptersBlade is an aviation startup catering to New York's elite.

After offering seaplane and helicopter rides from NYC to the Hamptons all summer, a new service called "Blade Bounce" flies its private choppers from Manhattan to all nearby airports.

"There's no better way to start your holiday than to fly over traffic and get to your airline of choice between four and six minutes, and enjoy rosé on the way and the best view on the planet," Blade co-founder Rob Wiesenthal told INSIDER. 

Blade let us hop on a recent flight from East 34th Street to JFK airport ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, and the experience couldn't have been better.

VIDEO: The only 28 apps you need to have on your iPhone home screen

Blade, an aviation startup known as "the Uber of helicopters," gained popularity this summer by flying NYC's elite to and from the Hamptons.



The company recently launched a new service called "Blade Bounce," flying its private choppers from Manhattan to all nearby airports.



The ride only takes about five minutes — but costs $895 for a full 6-seat helicopter.



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The most popular Instagram photos of the year, taken by Reuters photographers around the world

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sunset

Photo agency Reuters has one of the most popular Instagram accounts with more than 520,000 followers.

Each day it posts the best images captured by Reuters photographers around the world, with compelling imagery accompanied by stories that need to be shared.

Here are the original photos of Reuters' 25 most popular Instagram posts from 2015, based on likes and comments, along with their original captions.

SEE ALSO: The 79 most popular Instagrammers in the world

A man throws a girl into the air during sunset as they spend time on the territory of Chersonesus Tavrichesky (Tauric Chersonesos) National Reserve in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea, July 25, 2015.



A dog passes by as people watch images being projected onto the Empire State Building, as part of an endangered species projection to raise awareness, in New York August 1, 2015.



The White House is illuminated in rainbow colors after the historic Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage in Washington June 26, 2015.



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Meet the 19-year-old whose 80-person company is taking the fashion, film, and publishing worlds by storm

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tavi gevinson pirelli calendar

Tavi Gevinson is not your typical 19-year-old. 

She's edited four books, starred in a Broadway show, and leads a staff of 80 at Rookie, an online magazine she founded for teen girls. Recently, she made her Broadway debut and starred in an episode of Fox's new show, "Scream Queens."

Yet to her, age just isn't a big deal. 

"In my life, age does not apply at all. I feel 19 in that I’ve been alive for 19 years, and what’s happened in them happened to me," she recently told Business Insider. "A lot of those on-paper qualities just don't apply to creative industries, where people are crazy in their own ways." 

The writer, editor, and actor recently posed for Annie Leibovitz and the Pirelli calendar, a historically NSFW production that is changing direction this year.

For the first time, the calendar focused on photographing strong, successful women instead of models in the nude. Amy Schumer, Patti Smith, Fran Lebowitz, Serena Williams, and Yoko Ono are just a few of the other women who posed for the calendar. 

We got the chance to sit down with Tavi, who told us a bit about what she's up to now.  

SEE ALSO: The fabulous life of Anna Wintour

Tavi started her blog, Style Rookie, when she was just 11 years old. It quickly became a must-read in the fashion community. By 2010, when she was 14, she was interviewing people backstage at New York Fashion Week.



Tavi has been considered a tastemaker for years. Here, she chats with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Barneys CEO Mark Lee in September 2010.



"I understand that it's unorthodox, but I'm really glad that I finished high school and that I had these amazing experiences, like going to Fashion Week and interviewing people, but that I had to go home and go to school the next day," she said. "I think my parents kept me from any extreme ego trip that could come from that, hopefully."



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How a disturbing on-air freakout helped this ABC News anchor find happiness

The fabulous life of new father Mark Zuckerberg (FB)

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mark zuckerberg facebook 64

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg just made a major announcement:

He's officially a dad

Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan celebrated the birth of their daughter Max by announcing a major donation

How did Zuck get to where he is today? 

Here's a closer look at the life of the simultaneously down-to-earth and yet extravagant CEO. 

 

SEE ALSO: I tried a $99-a-month service that gave me unlimited access to luxury dresses and I'm obsessed

Zuck and Chan had their daughter in November, but Mark is a May baby. Edward and Karen Zuckerberg, a dentist and a psychiatrist respectively, raised four children: Randi, Donna, Arielle, and, of course, Mark, in Dobbs Ferry, New York. A precocious child, Mark created a messaging program called "Zucknet" using Atari BASIC at age 12. As a kid he also coded computer games for his friends.

Source: Bio.



While attending high school at the renowned Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he built an early music streaming platform, which both AOL and Microsoft showed interest in. Still a teen, he rejected offers for an acquisition or a job.

Source: Bio.

 



He wasn't just a computer nerd though. Zuck loved the classics — "The Odyssey" and the like — and he became captain of his high school fencing team.

Source: The New Yorker



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








The unofficial Goldman Sachs holiday gift guide for 2015

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Cobalt_48It’s that time of year again — when children everywhere discover that Santa Claus loves rich kids more.

This year, the Neiman Marcus “fantasy gifts” list features a Ford Mustang, apparently for all the big lotto scratch-off winners out there. And Gwyneth Paltrow’s “ridiculous but awesome” gift guide includes a nightstand condom dispenser and a $244 toothpaste squeezer. Gross.

It shouldn’t be that hard to find the perfect gift, even for the man who has everything. Since we had some success with our timeless gift ideas in previous years (2013 and 2014), here’s the 2015 edition of the @GSElevator Holiday Gift guide.

John LeFevre is the creator of @GSElevator on Twitter and the author of the New York Times best-selling book "Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals."

He thinks he’s James Bond

The Cobalt Co50 Valkyrie ($750,000) is a fighter jet-inspired private plane, with a 320-degree view and enough room for four passengers and their golf bags. It’s also the fastest piston aircraft on the market. Since the plane won’t deliver in time for the holidays, Bonham’s is having a motorcar auction on December 6 that includes a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 ($600,000) and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz SL Gullwing Coupé ($1,500,000).



He loves nature but doesn’t get out much

A bonsai tree is a work of art, sometimes hundreds of years in the making. The delicate balance of managing air, water, sun, temperature, nutrients, and pruning is both rewarding and therapeutic. Raise the stakes with this200-year-old Elm Bonsai in Zisha Pot ($28,000). Make sure you also throw in this beautiful Japanese bonsai tool kit ($75).



He talks about being charitable

Most guys would never think to buy themselves a silk, beech wood, and lacquered maple umbrella. The best way I know to acquire a fancy umbrella is to bring a cheap one to church and then upgrade on the way out. But it can be a great and practical fashion accessory. With this gorgeous Mr Stanford umbrella ($225), 70% of the retail price will be donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.



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A young woman describes the terrifying moment she was attacked by a shark while swimming in Florida

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Sarah was bitten by a shark in Palm Beach, Florida, in November.

She was out for a morning swim with her boyfriend when she noticed something black and approximately 6 feet long swimming underneath her. Before she knew it, she was out of the water trying to explain to her boyfriend what had just happened. Meanwhile, he was staring at the bleeding gash on her leg.

Florida sees a lot of shark attacks. According to ABC News, of the 52 incidents that were recorded in the US in 2014, 28 happened in Florida. This summer saw an increase in shark attacks — not because sharks are becoming more dangerous, but because there are more people getting into the ocean.

Sarah said the incident happened incredibly fast — she refers to it as the weirdest five seconds of her life. After the attack, Sarah's boyfriend drove her to the hospital, where she received 50 stitches. She was released later that same day.

Looking back, Sarah realizes that she and her boyfriend shouldn't have gone swimming in an area without a lifeguard, as one could have spotted the shark coming.

While she said she'll never swim without a guard in the area again, and that she'll be more aware the next time she goes for a swim, she's not afraid to go back in.

Story by Sarah Schmalbruch and editing by Kristen Griffin.

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Check out the insane way Taylor Swift thanked her 125 crew members

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With only a handful of dates left on her marathon world tour for "1989," Taylor Swift gave her crew a few days off.

But in typical Swift fashion, she went big, and booked an entire island near the Great Barrier Reef.

In an Instagram post, Swift said she took 125 crew members on a vacation to Qualia, a luxury resort on the privately owned Hamilton Island in Australia. While Aussie media went into a tizzy over reports that she'd booked the resort for her birthday party, Swift confirmed that it was for her crew.

On Instagram she thanked the people "who work tirelessly to make sure the 1989 World Tour stage gets built, the lights are on, the costumes are made, the guitars are tuned, and the show goes on."

The crew has put on 79 concerts in 207 days. The tour is on pace to gross around $200 million.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Carl Mueller

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift gave a 12-year-old superfan who's losing her hearing the surprise of a lifetime

Join the conversation about this story »










A venture capitalist and tech entrepreneur wants to use data to find the hottest restaurants in New York City

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Restaurant ratings based on numbers or stars often don't tell the full story. 

That's why Bo Peabody, a venture capitalist and co-owner of restaurants Mezze and Allium in Massachusetts, decided to create Renzell, a data-driven app that creates restaurant reviews with surveys and algorithms. 

The app focuses on eight different aspects of the dining experience: cocktails, design, food, hospitality, service, value, vibe, and wine or sake selections.

Each restaurant is reviewed by approved Renzell members, who must complete a 75-question survey addressing everything from the taste of the food to the comfort of the chairs. 

Once the survey is completed, the results are sent directly to the restaurants.

Peabody told Business Insider he was "frustrated as an operator of restaurants that none of the review sources are transparent with them ... if you're honest with the restaurants, they can get better to improve the entire guest experience."

Currently available only in New York City (though they plan to expand to Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles by 2018) Renzell includes data-driven reviews of 54 restaurants. When deciding which restaurants to include, the Renzell team looked at qualities like its overall reputation, beverage programs, as well as its inclusion on lists by The New York Times, New York magazine, Zagat, and others. 

They'll be adding more restaurants to the mix every September, though Peabody said there will never be more than 100 reviewed restaurants in each of their markets.  

Eleven Madison Park

As a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Peabody understands the importance of data. In the '90s, he built a web hosting site called Tripod, which he eventually sold to Lycos for a reported $58 million. He also created Everyday Health, VoodooVox, Health Guru, and UplayMe. 

He says that Renzell fills a gap in the restaurant review space. While Michelin reviewers are a small and somewhat subjective group, Yelp is a huge pool of people that may write a review after only going to a restaurant one time.

The Renzell team focused on interviewing potential members who he says lead the "luxury restaurant lifestyle," regularly eating at upscale restaurants and staying in tune with the different elements of the dining experience. New reviewers have to be referred by current members. 

"It's going to be like the culinary version of SoHo House, where the club access becomes access to curated restaurant events," Peabody said.

There are currently about 150 members, and more are being added all of the time. 

renzell magazine cover

People can apply for membership through Renzell's site. They'll have to go through a short application process, which will verify that they have experience eating at high-end restaurants and that they are not affiliated with any restaurant media.

Though the membership is free for now, starting in the spring, it'll cost between $250 and $500. In addition to restaurant reviews, that fee will also include a subscription to Renzell's quarterly magazine, invitations to curated events, and special gifts from the eateries.

SEE ALSO: The best New York City restaurant for every type of cuisine

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

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Get your meal delivered to you via zip line at this treetop restaurant










Eating habits that can improve your health — according to scientists

A startup that finds discount flight tickets 'hidden' on airline websites just launched in the US

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skypickerI just booked a flight to Las Vegas for next month's CES, the big tech conference, and I tried to find the cheapest flight I could using services like Expedia and Travelocity — but I walked away, tickets in hand, feeling like I still got burned.

So when Oliver Dlouhý and Lucie Brešová told me their startup, Skypicker, helps people find flights that cost as much as 90% lower than those booked via a regular flight ticket, I was skeptical, but definitely interested.

If you're like me, you probably use a flight aggregation service to buy your plane tickets — for example, a website like Travelocity. Or maybe you just buy your tickets right from the airline. Either way, you're missing out on cheap flights that don't get shown to customers.

Skypicker, a three-year-old startup from the Czech Republic, wants to help unearth these flights so you can fly as cheaply as you want to — and for the first time since its 2012 launch, it's serving customers in the US.

Oliver Dlouhý, Skypicker's CEO, first got the idea for his company a few years ago, when he and his girlfriend were trying to book flights from Prague to Portugal. They were students, and they had a hard time justifying paying $500 each for plane tickets. So as broke college kids are wont to do, they got creative, spending six days cobbling together a bunch of random, connecting flights to take them from Prague, to a random European city, to Porto, Portugal.

They only spent $80 on the tickets, but it was a hassle to book them. Plus, if something goes wrong with your first flight — it gets delayed, for example — you'll miss your connecting flight you so meticulously booked, and you'll fork out a ton of cash just to get home.

Dlouhý figured there had to be an easier way to find plane tickets using this method, so in May 2012 he founded Skypicker. The startup, which Dlouhý says has been profitable for the better part of the past year, has an algorithm that helps find the lowest-price flights to where you need to go. Often, this is a series of cheap, connecting flights. And if you miss one, don't worry — the company's Skypicker Guarantee lets you rebook a missed flight, completely free.

When Dlouhý started the company, he was scraping flight data from other websites using a search engine he built himself. Soon after, Skypicker acquired Tripomatic, a small search-engine startup, for half a million dollars. Now, Skypicker has 300 employees and is doing €500,000 — about $530,000 — in sales every day. 

Since its launch, Skypicker has provided flights for European airlines, though it has offered its services to US customers, letting them pay in US dollars and offering English translations of its website. But last month, Skypicker expanded to start catering to North American travelers, letting them book flights through major and low-fare carriers. 

Here's what Skypicker's website looks like if you're using it in Europe:Skypicker

And here's what it's like to find a flight in the US on Skypicker:

skypicker

Check out Skypicker's website here.

SEE ALSO: I just spent a day hanging out with teenagers — here are the apps they say are cool now

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These sneakers have a gorgeous animated display that you can customize with your phone in seconds










16 gifts that the modern gentleman actually wants this year

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hamilton watch gift guide

What do you get for the man that has everything he needs? Easy. You get him something he didn't know he needed.

Buying for men is difficult. They might not always have a wish list ready, so you're often stuck guessing.

Guess no more. We have a list of gifts that the modern gentleman in your life will, no doubt, love.

From his new favorite whiskey to a watch that will last years longer than anything with an Apple logo on it, these are 16 items he didn't even know he needed.

You can take all the credit. We won't tell.

SEE ALSO: 17 gifts any beer geek would love to get

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

A whiskey he's never heard of — but will love.

Widow Jane is an award-winning bourbon whiskey distilled right in Brooklyn. It's aged 8 years with deep cherry notes and a light tannic finish.

It'll likely be his new favorite.

Price: $65



And a set of nice drinking glasses to go along with it.

New direct-to-consumer ecommerce brand Snowe bypasses the department store to offer well-designed, quality home goods online. These short tumbler glasses are a handsome add to any bar set.

They're made from beautiful crystalline glass with a weighted bottom, but they're still durable and dishwasher-safe.

Price: $60



A duffle bag that will last him his entire life.

Sure, he probably already has a duffel bag. But it's likely an Adidas sports one he used to take to lacrosse practice in college. He deserves an upgrade that's no less rugged.

Filson makes virtually indestructible products that will last him his entire life — and then some. Oh, and they're quite handsome, too. 

Price: $345



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








There's now an Uber for plastic surgery appointments that wants to ‘change the face’ of the industry

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ZwivelSome might consider cosmetic surgery an area where convenience isn’t the ultimate goal.

It’s a big decision, and maybe having a few annoying steps can serve as a time of reflection on whether you actually want to go through with it.

The team behind the new app Zwivel, however, seem to completely disagree with this position. The app (and online service) lets you get expert opinions from doctors, secure multiple price quotes, and book appointments, all without ever leaving your home.

It makes getting that new nose “you’ve always wanted” easy, Zwivel says.

“Driving from doctor to doctor, weighing different opinions, and comparing the costs can be an exhausting process,” the promotional video laments. “But it doesn’t have to be.” With Zwivel, you can do it all while sitting on the couch.

And Zwivel isn’t just for people who know exactly what cosmetic surgery they want either. If you know you want to change your body, “but you’re not sure which procedure would be best,” Zwivel can help you out.

Zwivel

“Zwivel’s ‘pre-consultation’ lets doctors advise patients if a procedure is exactly what they need, if something different is needed, advise if what they are looking for is close to their budget, and more, ultimately eliminating time in their busy day,” a representative from Zwivel said.

You still have to actually go to the doctor to get the procedure done, so it’s not exactly as convenient as Uber. But it has the same on-demand ethos.

And what’s the goal of Zwivel? To “change the face” of a static industry, according to a representative.

See Zwivel for yourself here.

SEE ALSO: Spotify just unseated Pandora to become the most popular music streaming app in the world

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: People were asked to read aloud the terms and conditions for popular apps and were shocked by what they actually agreed to










Here are the biggest misconceptions Americans have about the US


14 ways 20-somethings should invest their time to set themselves up for long-term success

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happy smile people young woman

Don't waste time, because that's "the stuff life is made of."

It was good advice when Ben Franklin said it, and it's good advice now, no matter your age.

But your 20s are a particularly crucial time in life — many call these the "formative" years, and the habits you form in your 20s can carry you through the rest of your life.

So what's the best way to spend this time? 

We sifted through a number of Quora threads and TED talks to find out.

SEE ALSO: People weighed in on the most common regrets in life, and some of their answers will make you cry

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

Work on important life skills.

There are a number of life skills people need to master, and your 20s is the time to start practicing. Without the pressure of parents or school to motivate you, you'll need to exercise discipline and motivate yourself to learn the essentials.

These skills can range from patience and dealing with rejection to living within your means and good table manners.



Read.

"There is nothing that will help you more than reading," says Deepak Mehta. 

He suggests a wide variety of books, from young adult fiction to law, from Dickens to Tzu, to learn more about contrasting viewpoints. "Do not be afraid of coming across a convincing viewpoint that is totally antithetical to yours," he says.

Reading is also a great way to exercise your mind, says Jereme Allison, because it activates almost all areas of the mind. "The mind is a muscle. If you don't use it, you lose it," he says.



Take preventative measures to stay healthy.

Francesco Wang refers to this as "life-extending" time.

"Investing time in caring for your health ... will certainly yield you more time, literally — in days, months, if not years tacked on to your life," he writes. "Yet we often take our health for granted until we experience a wake-up call."

Instead, he suggests proactively investing your time in your health by eating well, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, regularly seeing your doctors, and taking care of your emotional, mental, and spiritual health.



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Here’s the fastest and most expensive SUV you can buy

24 incredible underground attractions to visit in your lifetime

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colombia salt cathedral

Some of the world's most breathtaking travel destinations may be hidden in the ground beneath your feet.

While some are man-made constructions, others are fascinating natural wonders that have been formed over the course of thousands of years. 

We've put together a list of 24 subterranean attractions to visit in your lifetime, from a 10,000-year-old cave in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to a town that built a library, church, bar, and homes underground. 

SEE ALSO: 19 natural wonders everyone should see before they disappear

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

Salina Turda, located in Turda, Romania, is home to an underground theme park inside one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Head 400 feet down to reach an amphitheater, bowling alley, mini golf course, ping pong courts, Ferris wheel, and an underground lake with row boats.

Click here to learn more about Salina Turda »



St. Michael's Cave is a network of limestone caves situated in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve of Gibraltar. The cave has been used as a theater since the early '60s and has a seating capacity of 400.

Click here to learn more about St. Michael's Cave »



Bounce Below is a set of three giant trampolines nestled inside the Llechwedd Slate Caverns — a former Victorian slate mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales. It was created by Zip World, a company specializing in adventure activities.

Click here to learn more about Bounce Below »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








How to use your cellphone when you're in a foreign country

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phoneThe last thing you want to come home to after an international trip is an unexpected cell phone bill. But making sure your cel phone will work is often low down on your pre-trip checklist, and it can be pretty confusing too.

Of course, it’s important to have a working phone for safety reasons as well as social and practical considerations. So, before you get stuck trying to unlock your phone on the go or get left with hefty data roaming fees, brush up on these four common ways to go about prepping your phone for international travel.

RELATED:The Ultimate Checklist for Traveling Abroad

Unlock your phone and use your SIM card

sim_card

The cheapest way to approach data roaming abroad is to use a foreign SIM card for the country you’re traveling in. These can often be purchased at the airport and usually cost between $1-2 (or are free with purchase of a pre-paid plan). You can then purchase a prepaid data and texting plan with your new international carrier. Keep in mind this will give you a different phone number for the time you use the SIM card. Basic data and text plans are usually way less than any U.S. carriers’ international plan or their hefty data charges.

When I traveled to Australia for nine months, I went this route and paid around $25 per month for a simple data and texting plan. And, I was able to add extra gigabytes of data as I needed per month.

RELATED:8 Things You Need to Know About Traveling with a Smartphone

The one caveat is that your phone must be on the GSM network (most smartphones are) and unlocked for it to accept a different carrier’s SIM card. The steps for unlocking your phone vary by carrier and often change, so I recommend calling your provider or going into a store to follow the correct steps. Be wary of third parties that offer to unlock your phone; this may violate your contract with your carrier, so make sure to read your contract before considering this option.

Go This Route If … you’re traveling to one country for an extended period of time and want to use your phone as you normally would in the U.S.

Use your current carrier's international plan

While these vary by carrier, many U.S. carriers will offer an international plan for travel abroad. They are often data-limiting and can get very expensive, but they’re still better than the going rates you’d pay without putting this package on your plan.

RELATED:How to Use a Smartphone in Europe

For example, on a recent trip to Colombia, I put on AT&T’s basic international package for $30 because I was only traveling for a week. I also knew I wouldn’t need access to a lot of data since I was going on a group tour with G Adventures and wouldn’t need to rely on Google Maps. I was very happy I had calling and data for one of the times I got lost from the group and needed a map. If I hadn’t placed this package on my phone I would have been charged over $100 even for the little amount of data I used.

Go This Route If … you just want access to data and calling in case of emergencies, but won’t be reliant on coverage. This is perfect if you plan to keep your phone in airplane mode and mainly use Wi-Fi.

Use a global coverage carrier

phone_italy

If you travel internationally more than five times a year, a switch to a global coverage carrier may be a good idea. Carriers like T-Mobile offer global coverage plans with unlimited data, but its service is more reliable in some countries than others. If you go this route, make sure the countries you travel to most often are covered on the carrier’s global coverage plan.

Go This Route If … you travel to the same international destinations frequently and know you can rely on a certain carrier for coverage.

Get a pre-paid phone for overseas calls

If you don’t mind going back to the (digital) Stone Age, using a simple pre-paid phone is a cheap and easy way to make calls and send/receive texts during your travels. Many international airports have a local carrier’s booth with phones and plans to choose from. So, if you don’t mind using buttons to text, this route can save you lots of money.

For a little more money, you can get a screen phone, which is obviously better if you’re planning to use the phone for everyday use. Most international phones will come already unlocked, so you can use it and purchase SIM cards for future trips. (Consider it an investment.)

Go This Route If … you just want a simple phone for texting and calling abroad or if you can’t get your phone unlocked and need a phone for everyday use.

Other alternatives

Personal hot spots have recently become a new option in the never-ending search for inexpensive Wi-Fi. They often are pricey, require additional day-passes for usage, and die quickly.

Go This Route If … you need a lot of data and are willing to pay daily charges (often times over $10 per day), and don’t mind carrying around the device.

SEE ALSO: Here's the cheapest way to use your cell phone overseas

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to stay safe while traveling abroad










This is how to pick and cut your own Christmas tree

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This holiday season, don your best flannel, pass on the convenience of a curbside tree sale, and head to a real Christmas tree farm instead, like Tilden Lane Farm, which is 30-minutes outside of New York City. 

According to the University of Illinois, there are more than 15,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States, an acre of which provides enough daily oxygen for 18 people.

Besides fresh air, farms let you wander through rows and rows of trees, allowing you to choose what type of tree you want, as well as one that's the perfect size for your apartment.

Here's how to do it right.

Story and video by Adam Banicki

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