One photographer amassed thousands of Instagram followers after repeatedly organizing her food in a very particular way | ||
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Brittany Wright is a freelance photographer in Seattle, Washington. She's also passionate about food, and when she combines the two, the results are fantastic. Wright recently created a photo series called #FoodGradients, where she arranges food items by color. There's nothing she can't arrange. From toast to raspberries to donuts to eggs, Wright is far from running out of ideas. People went crazy for the photos (some you can find on her Instagram) and she was featured everywhere from New York Magazine to BuzzFeed. Now she's on a road trip across the country, photographing food and farms from Portland to New York City.
Wright spends a lot of time organizing the foods she photographs. The results are beautiful, artful shots. Her #FoodGradients project quickly captured the attention of tons of media outlets. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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For some inexplicable reason Twitter has reportedly held talks to acquire Flipboard (TWTR) | ||
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Twitter is trying to buy magazine-style article curation app Flipboard in an all-stock deal that would value the latter company at $1 billion, according to Re/code's Kara Swisher. Re/code's sources say the deal was pushed by Twitter's chief financial officer Anthony Noto, but that the discussions "seem to be currently stalled." Business Insider contacted both Twitter and Flipboard and we will update this article once we hear back. It doesn't seem immediately obvious why Twitter would want to buy Flipboard. Twitter is suffering an existential problem at the moment: Its monthly active user base is slowing, and investors are concerned. Noto — who recently took on added responsibility for marketing at Twitter — said at a conference earlier this month that the company wants to increase its marketing because although nearly everybody knows what Twitter is, barely anybody knows how to use it or why they would want to. Flipboard wouldn't necessarily help solve those problems. The app does not report monthly active users but around a year ago it said it had 100 million "activated users" — the amount of people who have ever used the app. In the universe of apps that drive a lot of user traffic to publishers, Flipboard is a minor player. However, were Twitter to acquire Flipboard, it wouldn't necessarily be adding 100 million new users: Many of the people who are likely to have downloaded the app are likely to be the same kind of news junkies that enjoy Twitter and its ability to keep them up to date with what's going on in the world. Acquiring Flipboard would be all the more bizarre because it would come mere months after Twitter removed the functionality that was most comparable to Flipboard. The Discover tab was the feature that helped users find popular tweets that they might have missed. According to The Verge, the tab had "been stagnant for some time." It was effectively replaced with a "While You Were Away" selection of tweets that pop up when you open the app. Perhaps, then, Twitter is looking to Flipboard to help better monetize content that users are directed to from Twitter, but read off the site. Flipboard launched its first ad units in 2011, and has since branched out from just offering full-page interstitials to adding a curated magazine feature and branded content. Flipboard does not report its ad revenue numbers. It is perceivable Twitter could be looking to Flipboard to launch its own version of Facebook's Instant Articles, which was unveiled earlier this month. Instant Articles are a way for publishers to post their articles directly to the social network's iOS app, allowing the articles to load faster for users than their own websites. Publishers can sell their own ads on the articles (and keep 100% of that revenue,) or Facebook can help them sell ads (with 70% of the revenue going to the publisher.) Facebook also launched its Flipboard competitor, a standalone app called Paper, early last year. But its popularity cratered soon after launch. Flipboard's popularity has also fallen since launch, according to App Annie's all-time download rank history for the iPhone app in the US. Of course, many people who initially downloaded the app might still be using it. But Re/code says Samsung's decision not to pre-load Flipboard with its smartphones has had a serious negative impact on its user growth. Flipboard iOS app ranking in the US since launch
Twitter already has a partnership with Flipboard. In February it announced plans to syndicate its promoted tweets to Flipboard as well as Yahoo Japan. It could be that it was then that acquisition discussions were first brought up. As Re/code points out, it may be that Twitter is interested in Flipboard for its experienced product team, which is headed by co-founder Mike McCue, a high-profile Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has also previously sat on the board. Flipboard has raised $160.5 million in venture funding and was valued at $800 million in its last investment round. SEE ALSO: Twitter's CFO just explained why on earth the company put its finance guy in charge of marketing Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Patrick Stewart's Only Rule For Using Twitter  | ||
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Samsung is launching a gimmicky 'Iron Man' phone | ||
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You can't get your hands on the ultra-thin, futuristic Samsung phone Tony Stark uses in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" — because it doesn't exist. But you will soon be able to buy a special Iron Man handset. As part of a broader tie-in with Marvel's summer blockbuster, Endgadget reports, the South Korean electronics company is releasing a special edition Iron-Man themed version of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6 Edge. There's no indication of pricing yet, but availability will be limited. It isn't on sale outside of Asia, launching on May 27 in South Korea, with China and Hong Kong following in June. The company has now released an unboxing video showing off the device's red-and-gold colour. It also features an "arc reactor" that doubles up as a wireless charger.
Here's that unboxing video:And for reference, here's the rather sleeker phone Tony Stark uses in the movie.
Samsung, meanwhile, is struggling with flagging smartphone sales. The wild success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with the unprecedented threat posed by low-end brands like Xiaomi, have cut into the South Korean manufacturer's bottom line. Last year, its sales in China dropped by a staggering 50%. And early figures for the Galaxy S6 suggest shipments could be even lower than they were for its predecessor. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Kids settle the debate and tell us which is better: an Apple or Samsung phone  | ||
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This could be the end of the Jony Ive era at Apple (AAPL) | ||
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Apple's design chief Jony Ive has received a big promotion: Now he's the company's Chief Design Officer. But what if this change isn't a promotion? What if it's an exit path for the British designer that could see him travel back to England, spend more time with his family, and eventually leave Apple? Many of the company's closest followers aren't seeing this as a promotion. Rather, they think it's the end of a crucial era for Apple. First, let's look at what was actually announced. Ive is going to take up the newly created role of "Chief Design Officer," which will see him hand over key managerial duties to other people. Richard Howarth and Alan Dye are now going to run hardware and software design. As for Ive, he's still going to oversee the design team, but will also focus on the design of the company's stores as well as its new campus. Apple announced Ive's promotion in a strange way. It revealed the news to the world as part of an article by British entertainer Stephen Fry in The Telegraph newspaper. Fry is a well-known Apple fan, and can be relied upon to write nice, glowing articles about Apple (as he has done in the past). And The Telegraph is fast becoming one of Apple's favoured news outlets. It was allowed to shadow Apple CEO Tim Cook when he made a surprise visit to an Apple Store in London. The timing of the announcement is also interesting. Seth Weintraub, editor of 9to5Mac, makes this point: The news was announced on a federal holiday in the US (as well as a bank holiday in the UK). And the US stock market wasn't open when the news was announced, so Apple avoided a sudden dip in its stock when traders saw the news. This all points to a bigger change than a promotion. And if you read between the lines of Fry's Telegraph article, you can guess at what's really going on with Ive. "Jony will travel more," it says. John Gruber, another veteran Apple writer, is suspicious of that statement. He says on his blog that he took it to mean that Ive could move to England with his family. Weintraub agrees, and points out that Ive nearly left Apple in 2011 to move back to England but instead decided to take a payout and stay on at Apple. So let's assume for a moment that Ive is moving back to England. What's he going to do there? Well, the Telegraph says that Ive is still working with London architects Foster + Partners. And he could certainly oversee design from his home in England. He'll also be closer to Apple's giant new factory in Ireland (which is rumoured to be making the Apple Car), and his favourite London nightclub, Chiltern Firehouse. Such a move to England could also spell the end of Ive's time at Apple. Ive is now 48 years old, and has twin sons that he raises with his wife. He's been a full-time Apple employee for 23 years, overseeing the design of the iPhone, MacBook and also his pet project, the Apple Watch. It could be the perfect time for Ive to step down from his day-to-day duties and raise the profile of other Apple designers. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 5 clever iPhone tricks only power users know about  | ||
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Putin's dream of reuniting the Russian empire is falling apart | ||
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Russian President Vladimir Putin's dream of uniting the self-declared separatist republics in eastern Ukraine under the banner of Novorossiya, or New Russia, was put on hold indefinitely last week as Moscow moves to abide by the terms of February's ceasefire deal. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state-owned newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta that "we say that we want [these republics] to become part of Ukraine." His comments echo those of Alexander Kofman, the defence minister of the separatist-run Donetsk People's Republic, who told Vechernyaya Makeyevka newspaper: "The Novorossia project is frozen until a new political elite emerges in all these regions that will be able to head the movement. We don't have the right to impose our opinion on [the Ukrainian cities of] Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Odessa." The move is likely aimed at ensuring the Russian side lives up to the commitments made in the second Minsk ceasefire agreement signed with Germany and France earlier this year. The deal called for local elections to be held in each of the separatist-held regions of Lugansk and Donetsk under Ukrainian law to decide on "local self-government" — a condition that could have been put under threat by the Novorossiya project.
Since the onset of fighting in east Ukraine following the collapse of President Viktor Yanukovych's government, suspicions of Russian involvement both militarily and politically have been repeatedly raised. NATO command has openly accused Moscow of sending troops and equipment (including tanks and heavy artillery) across the border to support the Russian-speaking rebels against the government in Kiev. Yet the end goal for many in the Kremlin has always been grander: The reformation of a large part of the former Russian empire through the unification of Russian-speaking people across the region. Putin said as much in his annual televised Q&A session last year, recalling that the breakaway territories in Ukraine have a long, shared history with Russia: I would like to remind you that what was called Novorossiya (New Russia) back in the tsarist days – Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Nikolayev and Odessa – were not part of Ukraine back then. These territories were given to Ukraine in the 1920s by the Soviet government. Why? Who knows. They were won by Potyomkin and Catherine the Great in a series of well-known wars. The centre of that territory was Novorossiysk, so the region is called Novorossiya. Russia lost these territories for various reasons, but the people remained. At the time, effectively laying claim to regions that are formally part of Ukraine was seen as a quite extraordinary statement to make. But it is in keeping with the Kremlin's broader strategic positioning over recent years. Moscow has spent the past decade trying to rebuild economic and political ties with its former Soviet neighbours under the auspices of the Eurasian Union. Yet international sanctions against Russia and the collapse in the oil price over the past year have put serious strains on its ambitions. In March, Putin attended a Eurasian Union conference with his Kazakh and Belorussian counterparts in the Kazakh capital Astana. Tensions were higher than usual with the government in Astana having to dip into its gold and foreign currency reserves to defend its currency and rein in rampant inflation over recent months. In July last year, the Kazakh government passed a new law increasing the sentence for separatist activity in a possible hint that the Kazakh authorities are becoming increasingly concerned about a possible Russian land-grab, not dissimilar to what has been seen in the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. The government had previously refused to sign up to Moscow's tit-for-tat sanctions imposed on Western goods imports making clear that it views the Eurasian Union as a purely economic, not a political undertaking. The apparent success of the Novorossiya project in Ukraine provided some welcome relief from these setbacks.
In August, Putin directly addressed the "Novorossiya militia" in Ukraine following the establishment of a so-called Union of People’s Republics between the rebel administrations in Lugansk and Donetsk. In effect, the Russian president appeared to be recognising the separatist republics as a unified political bloc — something that Kiev's western allies have long refused to do. Moreover, in February of this year Russian TV station Channel 1 filmed the flag of Novorossiya flying over the key railway town of Debaltseve a day after rebels claimed to have captured the town after weeks of fierce fighting between the two sides. The decision by separatist forces to raise the Novorossiya flag rather than that of their own Donetsk People's Republic flag is itself interesting and potentially highly symbolic. Raising the flag could be seen as playing into the Kremlin's narrative of the crisis, which is that the government in Kiev is trying to undermine the right of ethnic Russians in the east of the country to self-determination — albeit within Moscow's sphere of influence. However, that dream has now been paused indefinitely. Russia's domestic economy has suffered from a combination of international sanctions and the collapse in global oil prices and, it seems, there now seems to be little appetite left to further the standoff over Ukraine. How that will play with separatist leaders is an open question. Last year, separatist leader Oleg Tsarov ruled out the possibility that the rebel-held regions could find a mutually acceptable compromise with Kiev saying "the reattachment of Novorossiya to Ukraine is not possible....it is not possible given the current government in Kiev." He said those who had "experienced artillery bombardments, and who have lost comrades, who have lost relatives, whose homes have been destroyed" would never accept the current administration. The two sides remain a long way apart, but without Moscow's backing the People's Republics would struggle to continue as independent entities. It seems the first step toward a dialogue on the future of Ukraine might just have been taken. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 11 mindblowing facts about North Korea  | ||
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One photographer amassed thousands of Instagram followers after repeatedly organizing her food in a very particular way | ||
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Brittany Wright is a freelance photographer in Seattle, Washington. She's also passionate about food, and when she combines the two, the results are fantastic. Wright recently created a photo series called #FoodGradients, where she arranges food items by color. There's nothing she can't arrange. From toast to raspberries to donuts to eggs, Wright is far from running out of ideas. People went crazy for the photos (some you can find on her Instagram) and she was featured everywhere from New York Magazine to BuzzFeed. Now she's on a road trip across the country, photographing food and farms from Portland to New York City.
Wright spends a lot of time organizing the foods she photographs. The results are beautiful, artful shots. Her #FoodGradients project quickly captured the attention of tons of media outlets. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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The 10 things in advertising you need to know today (AAPL, TWTR, GOOG, TWC, MCD) | ||
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Good morning! Here's everything you need to know in the world of advertising today. 1. Twitter has reportedly held talks to buy Flipboard. It's not immediately clear why Twitter would want to buy the magazine-style article curation app. 2. Here's what to expect from Google's big conference this week. Expect watches, virtual reality, and a mystery Bluetooth device. 3. Apple's Jony Ive just got a big promotion. He is now chief design officer. 4. Charter Communications is near an agreement to buy Time Warner Cable for $195 a share. The announcement could happen as soon as today. 5. Alibaba is trying to kill the counterfeit goods trade. The Chinese e-commerce giant has been quietly testing a scheme to curb fakes at source by cultivating its own home-grown brands. 6. Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo has plans to take over America. And its chief merchandising officer told us about how the retailer is going to great lengths to attract male shoppers. 7. The unprecedented year of media agency reviews continues. BMW and Volkswagen have put their accounts up for review, Adweek reports. 8. McDonald's new CEO Steve Easterbrook explained the reason the company divested its stake in Chipotle in 2006. He said, at the time, Chipotle had been a distraction. 9. Criteo's president and COO explained to us why the company is one of the few star performers among the public ad tech companies right now. The company, which specializes in re-targeting, is profitable, growing, and has seen its stock rise almost 50% over the past year. 10. The iconic Walt Disney Pictures logo was changed for the "Tomorrowland" movie. The movie's director replaced the logo with the skyline of the futuristic Tomorrowland because he "wanted to take you into the thing right away," a co-visual effects supervisor on the film told Business Insider. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: A new short movie claims to be 'The World's Most Relaxing Film' — see for yourself  | ||
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India heatwave kills 800 as capital's roads melt | ||
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Hyderabad (India) (AFP) - At least 800 people have died in a major heatwave that has swept across India, melting roads in New Delhi as temperatures neared 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). Hospitals are on alert to treat victims of heatstroke and authorities advised people to stay indoors with no end in sight to the searing conditions. In the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh, in the south, 551 people have died in the past week as temperatures hit 47 degrees Celsius on Monday. "The state government has taken up education programmes through television and other media to tell people not to venture into the outside without a cap, to drink water and other measures," said P. Tulsi Rani, special commissioner for disaster management in the state. "We have also requested NGOs and government organisations to open up drinking water camps so that water will be readily available for all the people in the towns." Large parts of India, including the capital New Delhi, have endured days of sweltering heat, prompting fears of power cuts as energy-guzzling air conditioners work overtime. The Hindustan Times daily said the maximum temperature in the capital hit a two-year high of 45.5 degrees Celsius on Monday -- five degrees higher than the seasonal average. The paper carried a front-page photo of a main road in the city melting in the heat, its zebra pedestrian crossing stripes curling and spreading into the asphalt. "It's baking hot out here -- our outing has turned into a nightmare," said Meena Sheshadri, a 37-year-old tourist from the western city of Pune who was visiting Delhi's India Gate monument with her children. "My throat is parched, even though I've been constantly sipping water." In Telangana state, which borders Andhra Pradesh in the south, 231 people have died in the last week as temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius over the weekend. In the western state of Orissa 11 people were confirmed to have died from the heat. India's Meteorological Department issued a "Red Box" warning for the state Tuesday and Wednesday -- meaning the maximum temperatures would remain above 45 degrees Celsius. Another 13 people have died in the eastern state of West Bengal, where unions urged drivers in the city of Kolkata to stay off the roads during the day. Hundreds of people -- mainly from the poorest sections of society -- die at the height of summer every year across the country, while tens of thousands suffer power cuts from an overburdened electricity grid. India's power industry has long struggled to meet rapidly rising demand in Asia's third largest economy, with poorly maintained transmission lines and overloaded grids. With no end in sight to the hot, dry conditions, the Hindustan Times warned that some of the worst-affected states could be plunged into drought before the monsoon rains arrive. The monsoon is forecast to hit the southern state of Kerala towards the end of this month before sweeping across the country, but it will be weeks before the rains reach the arid northern plains.
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The dollar is going crazy right now | ||
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Traders are piling in to the dollar after long weekends in both the US and the UK. The dollar index rate, which measures the currency against most major peers, is up over 1% today. The currency is posting strong gains against both the Euro and the Pound this morning but the biggest rise is against the Japanese Yen. The dollar is currently up almost 1% on the Yen, at ¥122.75. That's the highest rate since 2007.
This has created demand for the dollar as people want to buy in before the rate rise, which would boost their returns. Michael Hewson, analyst for CMC Markets, said: "Despite some fairly neutral comments from Fed Chief Janet Yellen late on Friday, markets continue to price in a rate rise sometime this year, with September the next probable date on the back of a slightly stronger than expected CPI inflation number at the end of last week." Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 'The Little Prince' trailer looks better than anything Pixar has made in years  | ||
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China's yuan currency 'no longer undervalued': IMF | ||
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Beijing (AFP) - China's yuan currency, which Washington has long alleged was manipulated, is "no longer undervalued", the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. "Our assessment now is that the substantial real effective appreciation over the past year has brought the exchange rate to a level that is no longer undervalued," the IMF said in a statement after a consultation mission to China. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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For some inexplicable reason Twitter has reportedly held talks to acquire Flipboard (TWTR) | ||
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Twitter is trying to buy magazine-style article curation app Flipboard in an all-stock deal that would value the latter company at $1 billion, according to Re/code's Kara Swisher. Re/code's sources say the deal was pushed by Twitter's chief financial officer Anthony Noto, but that the discussions "seem to be currently stalled." Business Insider contacted both Twitter and Flipboard and we will update this article once we hear back. It doesn't seem immediately obvious why Twitter would want to buy Flipboard. Twitter is suffering an existential problem at the moment: Its monthly active user base is slowing, and investors are concerned. Noto — who recently took on added responsibility for marketing at Twitter — said at a conference earlier this month that the company wants to increase its marketing because although nearly everybody knows what Twitter is, barely anybody knows how to use it or why they would want to. Flipboard wouldn't necessarily help solve those problems. The app does not report monthly active users but around a year ago it said it had 100 million "activated users" — the amount of people who have ever used the app. In the universe of apps that drive a lot of user traffic to publishers, Flipboard is a minor player. However, were Twitter to acquire Flipboard, it probably wouldn't be adding 100 million new users: Many of the people who have downloaded the app are likely to be the same kind of news junkies that enjoy Twitter and its ability to keep them up to date with what's going on in the world. Acquiring Flipboard would be all the more bizarre because it would come mere months after Twitter removed the functionality that was most comparable to Flipboard. The "Discover" tab was the feature that helped users find popular tweets that they might have missed. According to The Verge, the tab had "been stagnant for some time." It was effectively replaced with a "While You Were Away" selection of tweets that pop up when you open the app. Perhaps, then, Twitter is looking to Flipboard to help better monetize content that users are directed to from Twitter, but read off the site. Flipboard launched its first ad units in 2011, and has since branched out from just offering full-page interstitials to adding a curated magazine feature and branded content. Flipboard does not report its ad revenue numbers. It is perceivable Twitter could be looking to Flipboard to launch its own version of Facebook's Instant Articles, which was unveiled earlier this month. Instant Articles are a way for publishers to post their articles directly to the social network's iOS app, allowing the articles to load faster for users than their own websites. Publishers can sell their own ads on the articles (and keep 100% of that revenue,) or Facebook can help them sell ads (with 70% of the revenue going to the publisher.) Facebook also launched its Flipboard competitor, a standalone app called Paper, early last year. But its popularity cratered soon after launch. Flipboard's popularity has also fallen since launch, according to App Annie's all-time download rank history for the iPhone app in the US. Of course, many people who initially downloaded the app might still be using it. But Re/code says Samsung's decision not to pre-load Flipboard with its smartphones has had a serious negative impact on its user growth. Flipboard iOS app ranking in the US since launch
Twitter already has a partnership with Flipboard. In February it announced plans to syndicate its promoted tweets to Flipboard as well as Yahoo Japan. It could be that it was then that acquisition discussions were first brought up. As Re/code points out, it may be that Twitter is interested in Flipboard for its experienced product team, which is headed by co-founder Mike McCue, a high-profile Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has also previously sat on the board. Flipboard has raised $160.5 million in venture funding and was valued at $800 million in its last investment round. SEE ALSO: Twitter's CFO just explained why on earth the company put its finance guy in charge of marketing Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Patrick Stewart's Only Rule For Using Twitter  | ||
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