How scientists uncovered a completely new world inside the tunnels of the most powerful physics machine on Earth | ||
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The Large Hadron Collider is back in action at the CERN laboratory after receiving a big upgrade in the time since its last run in 2012. The particle collider is poised to make discoveries that could rewrite the book on particle physics. Produced by Alex Kuzoian and Jessica Orwig Follow BI Video: On Facebook Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The world's first smartphone, Simon, was created 15 years before the iPhone | ||
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People didn't start using the term "smartphone" until 1995, but the first true smartphone actually made its debut three years earlier in 1992. It was called the Simon Personal Communicator, and it was created by IBM more than 15 years before Apple released the iPhone. IBM's Simon was the first phone to meld together the functions of a cell phone and a PDA, and it launched with the price tag of $899 with a service contract ($1,435 in today's dollars), according to Byte Magazine. The Simon was far ahead of its time, however. The smartphone featured a monochrome LCD touchscreen measuring 4.5 inches by 1.4 inches, and it came with a stylus. Aside from its calling capabilities, you could also use the Simon to send and receive emails, faxes, and pages. There were also a suite of built-in features including a notes collection you could write in, an address book that looked like file folder, calendar, world clock, and a way to schedule appointments.
You could also run third-party applications on the Simon if you went to the trouble of freeing up enough space internally or purchased a special PC card to insert into the phone, according to a press release announcing the first third-party Simon application. While the Simon would never achieve the widespread acclaim of the iPhone or Android phones, IBM did manage to sell approximately 50,000 units, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
You can see what using the Simon Personal Communicator looked like in the review below, courtesy of TekGadg. SEE ALSO: 19 iPhone-only apps that will make your Android friends jealous Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do  | ||
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How scientists uncovered a completely new world inside the tunnels of the most powerful physics machine on Earth | ||
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The Large Hadron Collider is back in action at the CERN laboratory after receiving a big upgrade in the time since its last run in 2012. The particle collider is poised to make discoveries that could rewrite the book on particle physics. Produced by Alex Kuzoian and Jessica Orwig Follow BI Video: On Facebook Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The world's first smartphone, Simon, was created 15 years before the iPhone | ||
| | ||
People didn't start using the term "smartphone" until 1995, but the first true smartphone actually made its debut three years earlier in 1992. It was called the Simon Personal Communicator, and it was created by IBM more than 15 years before Apple released the iPhone. IBM's Simon was the first phone to meld together the functions of a cell phone and a PDA, and it launched with the price tag of $899 with a service contract ($1,435 in today's dollars), according to Byte Magazine. The Simon was far ahead of its time, however. The smartphone featured a monochrome LCD touchscreen measuring 4.5 inches by 1.4 inches, and it came with a stylus. Aside from its calling capabilities, you could also use the Simon to send and receive emails, faxes, and pages. There were also a suite of built-in features including a notes collection you could write in, an address book that looked like file folder, calendar, world clock, and a way to schedule appointments.
You could also run third-party applications on the Simon if you went to the trouble of freeing up enough space internally or purchased a special PC card to insert into the phone, according to a press release announcing the first third-party Simon application. While the Simon would never achieve the widespread acclaim of the iPhone or Android phones, IBM did manage to sell approximately 50,000 units, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
You can see what using the Simon Personal Communicator looked like in the review below, courtesy of TekGadg. SEE ALSO: 19 iPhone-only apps that will make your Android friends jealous Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do  | ||
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What it's like to be a secret introvert | ||
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"I'm an introvert, and she's an extrovert," my fiancé, Galo, confidently told our priest during a recent pre-wedding counseling session. Father Peter Cebulka had just asked Galo to describe our personalities. I've known Father Cebulka since I was 12 years old, so as soon as he began grinning at Galo's response, I knew he had already predicted my retort. "I disagree," I said. "Sorry, I know you won't believe me, but I'm also an introvert," I told my beloved. Galo and I have been dating for more than five years now, and we've known each other for seven, but even to this day we still have so much to learn about each other — that day Galo learned that he was about to marry a "secret introvert." Introverts are often assumed to be shy. I am by no means a shy person. As my mother often likes to recall, when I was younger I loved to desert my family on the beach and go join another. I moved a lot in my youth and quickly learned the value of making new friends. And now, as a journalist, I make a living, in part, out of talking to people. But my personability has nothing to do with my introversion. While I enjoy spending time with people, I also need time to recharge after doing so. Susan Cain, a noted introvert and author of "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking," created a super efficient assessment called the Quiet Revolution Personality Test. Taking her test confirmed it: while I am certainly not shy, I am through and through an introvert. "Introversion is really about having a nervous system that reacts more to stimulation, which means it's easier for you to feel overstimulated, but you're probably at your most alive and happiest when you're in quieter settings," Cain explained to me. "Shyness and social anxiety have to do with the fear of being judged when you're in a social situation, and introversion is simply about having this preference for quieter, less stimulating environments." She says while there are many people who fall into both categories of shy and introverted, there are also plenty of shy extroverts who really crave being around lots of people but have anxiety when they're in that setting, and plenty of introverts who are really not shy at all but just want peace and quiet.
"I see this all the time, and I think the reason for it is that people assume when you're talking about introverts you're talking about somebody with limited social skills," she says. Cain believes biases against shyness and introversion exist because they both result in a person who is engaging less than the social norm, "and as a society we just don't like that, we're not comfortable with it." This has huge implications, she says, because between a third and a half of the population is introverted and working in places that are set up only for extroverts. "We're not thinking the most of people's hearts and minds," she says. But while misconceptions about extraversion and introversion persist, there is hope. More and more we see companies — about 80% of Fortune 500 companies in fact — using personality assessments like the ever popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test to get people in the right roles for their personalities and help them succeed. And Cain's Quiet Leadership Institute has already provided in-person training and online courses to organizations like NASA and Procter & Gamble to help them better harness the talents of introverted employees. "I think companies are really starting to understand that this is a question of productivity, a question of morale, it's a question of engagement," Cain says. "Why would you not try to structure people's workdays so that they can be at their most energetic, and why would you not try to structure your meetings so that you're hearing the best of everyone's brain and not just from the few people who are the most talkative."
First, empower yourself with research. For example, if you want to be in a leadership position, there are many case studies available that show why introverts can make the best leaders. Too often introverts buy into the negative stereotypes society heaps on them, she says. "Don't sell yourself short in that way. If you're passionate about what you're doing and want to be a leader, then you should go for it." And secondly, she says to go for it in a way that draws on your natural strengths. As Cain's personality test results explained to me, I prefer one-on-one communication, think before I speak, have a more deliberate approach to risk, feel energized when focusing deeply on a something that really interests me, and, my favorite part, have an active inner life and am my best when I tap into its riches. That doesn't sound so bad, now does it? SEE ALSO: An introvert shares her favorite psychological trick for speaking in front of strangers Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Scientists Discovered The 2 Personality Traits For Lasting Relationships  | ||
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Someone once told me that it's probably better for a journalist to be an extrovert, since that means you can talk to people. This statement had long baffled me and, at times, made me question whether I was in the right field. But as Cain confirms, this kind of thinking is flawed and, sadly, extremely common.
In a world where introverts are commonly misunderstood and misrepresented, I often wonder what steps someone like me could take to thrive in the workplace. Cain has two suggestions: Ashwin stars as India-Bangladesh Test drawn | ||
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Fatullah (Bangladesh) (AFP) - Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed a five-wicket haul as India enforced the follow-on before the rain-ruined Test against Bangladesh ended in an inevitable draw in Fatullah on Sunday. After the entire morning session was washed out, India bowled out Bangladesh for 256 in their first innings to gain a lead of 206 runs over their own effort of 462-6 declared. Given 30 overs to bat a second time, the hosts were 23 without loss after 15 overs when both sides agreed to call off the match at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium. Ashwin and fellow off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared eight wickets to lead India's brave bid to win a match in which bad weather interrupted play on all five days. The entire second day was washed out. The duo took centre-stage after Shikhar Dhawan (173) and Murali Vijay (150) had shared an opening partnership of 283 and Ajinkya Rahane made 98 after India had won the toss and elected to bat. For Bangladesh, star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan picked up four of the six wickets before opener Imrul Kayes top-scored with 72 and debutant Litton Das made 44. Indian captain Virat Kohli saw his team slip from third to fourth place in the official rankings behind South Africa, Australia and New Zealand because of the draw. "It was disappointing for both teams," he said. "We would have liked to have five days of cricket. But whatever time we had on the field, the boys had top intensity and put in a really good effort. "We had a really good time with the bat, especially Vijay, Shikhar and Rahane. It was a selfless performance to score quickly, knowing we won't have too much time because of the rain. "Ashwin and Harbhajan are quality spinners, so watching them bowl together is very pleasing for a captain. They put batsmen under pressure throughout." Kohli expects a tough fight in the three one-day internationals in Dhaka on June 18, 21 and 24. "Bangladesh have shown they are a really talented side, especially in one-day cricket," he said. Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said a 3-0 sweep of the one-day home series against Pakistan in April would leave his team in good stead. "The one-day squad is looking pretty good, but this is a strong Indian side," he said. "We played well against Pakistan, so hopefully we will get confidence from that." When play started after lunch on the final day, Bangladesh added 10 runs to their overnight score of 111-3 before Ashwin broke through by having Shakib caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha for nine. Saha was in action again when he stumped Kayes off Harbhajan, before Soumya Sarkar was bowled by Varun Aaron to make it 176-6. Shuvagata Hom added 43 for the seventh wicket with Das, who fell six short of a half-century on debut when he became Ashwin's fifth victim through another catch by Sharma. Tamim Iqbal (16) and Kayes (seven) played out time in the second innings before the game ended. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Europe's comet probe Philae has woken up: space agency | ||
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Paris (AFP) - Europe's comet lander Philae has woken up overnight after a months-long sleep, hurtling towards the Sun in deep space, the president of France's CNES space agency said Sunday. "We received new signals from (Philae) for a period of two minutes, as well as 40 seconds worth of data," Jean-Yves Le Gall told AFP. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Greece last-chance talks enter second day | ||
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Brussels (AFP) - Greek and EU-IMF negotiators were locked in last-chance talks on Sunday to avert a default by Athens that could pave the way for a catastrophic exit by Greece from the euro and sow economic chaos in Europe. Greece's embattled premier Alexis Tsipras warned his nation on Saturday to prepare for a "difficult compromise" in what all sides agreed was the last chance for Athens to unlock vital bailout cash and keep its finances afloat. "The talks are continuing today," European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva confirmed to AFP, with the outcome and duration of the marathon sitdown still very much uncertain. Involved in the talks that began on Saturday are Tsipras' closest aides and the three institutions responsible for overseeing the Greek bailout: the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the hardline International Monetary Fund. On a morning jaunt outside his offices in Athens, Tsipras told reporters he was "by nature an optimist" and foresaw a positive outcome to the talks, according to the ANA news agency. European sources however said the two sides were still far apart and that it remained unclear if the wide gaps could be bridged. The aim of the talks is to break a five-month standoff dividing leftist-led Greece and its creditors, who are demanding tough reforms in return for the 7.2 billion euros ($8.1 billion) still remaining in Greece's huge bailout, the second since 2010. A deal to end the saga must be resolved, or will have failed calamitously, by a meeting of the eurozone's 19 finance ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday. It is they who have the final say on any agreement and who control the bailout purse-strings. "The last stop to this train is the Eurogroup," a senior EU official told AFP. But any deal also needs to go to many national parliaments, including in European paymaster Germany, and win approval before the bailout expires on June 30. On June 30, Greece also faces a huge 1.6 billion euro payment to the IMF that even Greek officials admit they cannot afford without the bailout cash.
- Fever point -
Five months of fruitless negotiations reached a fever-point on Friday after top eurozone officials at an annual meeting in Bratislava said for the first time ever they were preparing the ground for an Athens default. This came a day after the IMF, Greece's most pro-austerity creditor, announced it had pulled its technical teams from Brussels due to a lack of progress. By the weekend, playing hardball seemed to have worked with Athens easing up, at least verbally, on the anti-austerity platform that had swept Tsipras' far-left Syriza party to power in January. "We had promised to negotiate hard with our partners during our election campaign and that's what we did," Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis was quoted as saying in the Avghi newspaper on Sunday. But "the idea of a rupture (with Europe) is not in our mandate," he added. The comments came a day after Tsipras told top Syriza officials that the country "must take up the challenge" of a "difficult compromise". A German media report on Sunday also said "tensions" had arisen between the European Commission and the IMF in recent days. Citing a "negotiator", the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said the IMF had "torpedoed" a recent attempt by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to offer Athens a compromise deal. The proposal would reportedly have allowed Athens to postpone some 400 million euros in pension cuts in return for making similar savings on military spending. If no signs of a deal emerge in the coming hours, all eyes will be on the financial markets on Monday. The Athens stock market crashed six percent when news of the EU's default plans emerged, and fears are high that markets could tumble further without signs of progress. Key to the negotiations are two red lines that the Greek government has refused to cross since it came to power: no to further pension reform as well as to a demand to increase VAT on electricity. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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22 easy ways to save money at Whole Foods | ||
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It costs a lot of money to shop at Whole Foods. The company has earned the nickname "whole paycheck" it's high prices. But it doesn't have to be that way. We picked up some tips from money-saving experts on how you can save. Get comfortable in the kitchen first. There's a lot of preparation needed before making an efficient trip to an organic grocery store. "If you know how to cook and you plan ahead that grocery shopping on a budget, even organic, can be much more feasible," Jess Dang of Cook Smarts, a meal planning company that specializes in budgeting for healthy food, told Business Insider. "The way that I think about it [...] you want to take advantage of sales [...] even if things aren't on sale — x is cheaper than y at the grocery store. I think people get really afraid about making substitutions, even if they go in with a list, because they've planned ahead with all of these recipes, and they see that 'oh, actually this is on sale, but what I need is red peppers' — they're afraid to make that swap." "Having a good knowledge of cooking [allows you to] feel comfortable you can make a swap based on sales or based off of better prices," she said. Ultimately, it "allows you to take advantage of better deals and save money." Check your pantry before you go to Whole Foods. "If you have that well stocked pantry [...] you actually don't have to be adding very much every additional week," Dang said, while also adding you should just be "checking what pantry things you need to replenish." "It shouldn't be that every time you go shopping you need to buy a ton of pantry goods," she said. If you know what's in your pantry, you won't have to splurge on a ton of things you don't need, saving you money right off the bat. Look for sales, and remember the importance of Wednesdays. Looking for sales is a given, right? But Molly Siegler, content editor at Whole Foods, informed us there are specific days items go on sale, which is important to keep in mind when preparing a shopping trip. "New weekly sales start on Wednesday and run through the following Wednesday, so there are actually double sales every Wednesday!" She told us. "Stores regularly have one-day or weekend sales on specific items— from packaged goods to fresh produce to wine and beer." It's also important to look for sales before you go, and then make your meal plan around the deals that will be present rather than succumb to what's in front of you. Siegler pointed us to Whole Foods sales flyers, which are readily available online, and The Whole Deal, which has ample coupons and deals. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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