Up-close with a Bitcoin mining powerhouse (VIDEO)

Alex Lawn is in New York on a pitstop, arriving in from Sweden on his way to next week’s Inside Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas. He hasn’t slept much. The way he describes it, no one at KnCMiner does much sleeping these days, as the company races to become the driving force in the rapidly expanding world of Bitcoin mining.

He elicits some stares as he hauls around a giant metal box full of computer components, an accessory that’s no doubt been the source of some major headaches passing through customs on his world travels. Inside is Jupiter, which the company claims is capable of mining the currency 100-times faster than the competition. “Everything about our project is totally over-engineered,” Lawn says with a smile. “Normally the post-fabrication refinement process is around 12 to 18 months, and we did it within 24 hours.”

Adam Magyar – Stainless, 42 Street (excerpt)

High speed video recording in NYC at Grand Central station.

New York judge delays ‘El Chapo’ hearing

A New York judge has delayed for almost a month the hearing of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s most notorious criminals.

Guzman’s attorney Eduardo Balarezo had wanted Judge Brian Cogan to push back the hearing to April. But Cogan of his own accord already delayed it from Jan 19 to Feb 15.

Balarezo said he needs more time to address the 290,000 pages of documents and thousands of other documents in the case.

The Most Billionaires Live In These 20 Cities

The world’s 2,325 billionaires live all over the place, but they cluster together in a few moneyed metropolises. 

A full 34% of the world’s billionaires base themselves in the below cities, according to a report from the research firm Wealth-X. 

Obama: My Credit Card Was Rejected in NYC

Presidents, they’re just like us — their credit cards get declined.

President Obama’s credit card was rejected last month at a restaurant in New York.

“I went to a restaurant up in New York when I was — during the U.N. General Assembly, and my credit card was rejected,” Obama said Friday while signing an executive order to protect consumers from identity theft. “It turned out I guess I don’t use it enough. They were — they thought there was some fraud going on. Fortunately, Michelle had hers.”

Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan caught fire

Part of US President Donald Trump’s 58-story midtown Manhattan skyscraper, Trump Tower, caught fire Monday morning.

A New York City Fire Department representative said the fire was called in at 6:58 a.m. and that units were on the scene, according to CNN’s Kristen Holmes. NBC News reported that the fire appeared to be caused by an electrical issue.

No injuries have been reported, and the Associated Press reported that the fire was under control after more than 80 firefighters responded.

The explosive new book on Trump’s presidency is so popular that it’s selling out online and bookstores have a waitlist to get it

• Michael Wolff’s controversial new book on the Trump administration, “Fire and Fury,” is so far flying off shelves.
• I saw some of the pandemonium firsthand at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble.

After hearing the news that Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” would go on sale a few days early in light of the non-stop news coverage, I headed to my local bookstore to grab a copy.

I (perhaps naively) thought I’d be able to walk into the store and find it on display. But after a few minutes of wandering around a Barnes & Noble on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, I noticed a pack of people waiting at the customer service desk asking about the book. I was informed that I could get on a waitlist for a Tuesday delivery — because the 60 books the store was due to receive Friday were already preemptively sold out.

Bronx fire: Twelve die in New York apartment block blaze

At least 12 people have been killed and four others critically injured in a fire at an apartment building in the Bronx borough of New York.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the fire was the deadliest in the city for at least 25 years. The victims include a one-year-old child, he added.

The cause of the fire, on Prospect Avenue, near Fordham University and the Bronx Zoo, is not yet clear.

More than 160 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control.

‘Tis the Season! Kardashian Family Tease Annual Holiday Card

It’s a Kardashian Kristmas! As the most wonderful time of the year nears, the Kardashian clan is preparing to release their latest holiday card. The famous family is known for their glitzy end-of-the year cards, and they have taken to social media during the past few days to tease the latest installment.

Fans have speculated whether Kylie enner and Khloé Kardashian, who are both pregnant, will confirm their happy news via the family’s annual card. Although the Revenge Body host, 33, has been spotted out and about flaunting her baby bump throughout New York and Los Angeles, Jenner, 20, has kept a low profile. Will the sisters finally address their babies-to-be?

Scroll down to see the pics the Kardashians have released so far from this year’s card and keep checking back as more snapshots are shared!

The FBI is examining why Russia transferred nearly $400,000 to its embassies ‘to finance’ the ‘election campaign of 2016’

• The FBI is reviewing a series of wire transfers totaling more than $380,000 sent in August and September of last year by the Russian government to its embassies around the world. Most had the memo “to finance election campaign of 2016.”
• It is unclear which “election campaign” the money was for — the US campaign was in full swing, but Russia’s lower house of Parliament was also set to hold an election on September 18.
• Still, the wire transfers could shed light on a key claim made in the dossier alleging ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The FBI is reviewing a series of wire transfers totaling more than $380,000 sent in August and September of last year by the Russian government to its embassies around the world — most with the memo “to finance election campaign of 2016” — BuzzFeed News reported on Tuesday.

Harvey Weinstein accused of rape by actor Natassia Malthe

• Malthe said Weinstein forced himself on her in London hotel room in 2008
• Malthe says she rejected Weinstein’s advances: ‘It was not consensual’

The actor Natassia Malthe has alleged that the Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein raped her in a London hotel room in 2008 and continued to harass her while she pursued her acting career.

Malthe, who has appeared in several films, is the latest woman to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault.

Putin warns of “global catastrophe” over North Korea missile tests

Vladimir Putin has warned against making military threats against North Korea, saying it could lead to “a global, planetary catastrophe”.

Speaking to journalists this morning at the Brics summit, the Russian President said Pyongyang would not bow down to pressure over sanctions or military threats because what the west did to Iraq and Libya has convinced the country that nuclear deterrence is the only way to ensure its security.

Selena Gomez & The Weeknd Wore Matching Outfits on a Date in New York

Selena Gomez and The Weeknd have a longstanding tradition of wearing matching outfits, and they kept it up during a date in New York City on Saturday. The two were spotted strolling through Soho in black shirts and jackets.

Chuck Blazer, former Fifa official turned informant, dies aged 72

American former executive committee member was a central figure in the Fifa corruption scandal

Chuck Blazer, the controversial and flamboyant American former Fifa official, has died, according to his lawyers.

The cause of his death, at the age of 72, is not yet clear, but in 2013 he told a court he had rectal cancer, diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Jennifer Lawrence’s airplane nightmare as engines fail during flight

Jennifer Lawrence is reportedly doing well despite being involved in a terrifying airplane ordeal over the weekend.

The Hunger Games star and style icon was on a flight to New Jersey when the vessel was forced to make an emergency landing in Buffalo, New York after both engines failed.

Vintage Photos Reveal the Gritty NYC Subway in the 70s and 80s

The New York subway has fascinated street photographers for generations, never more so than in the 1970s and 1980s. Gritty and tinged with danger, a subway ride was always an exercise in caution. In fact, in 1979, 250 serious crimes a week were reported on the NYC subway.

It’s within this context that we view the work of Swiss photographer Willy Spiller, who was living in New York and documented the subway system for seven years starting from 1977. Traversing the city with the curious eye of an outsider, his photos tell the story of the graffiti filled New York subway.

His book Hell on Wheels is a look inside his rich photo archive, delving into the underbelly of New York during this pivotal time. “Willy Spiller’s images are as much a visual document of this incomparable realm as they are a syncopated, colorful poem to the city of New York and its people,” shares publisher Sturm & Drang. In fact, Spiller wasn’t going on expeditions to specifically photograph the subway more than using it as a means of transport to arrive at his photo assignments. The shots are a simple byproduct of photographing while he was a passenger like everyone else.

Swiss photo reporter Willy Spiller photographed the New York subway from 1977 to 1984, creating a rich archive of what was then a dangerous space.

 

Spiller would photography the subway while using the public transit to go between photo assignments.

The photos, which were first published in 1984, have recently been re-released in the book Hell on Wheels.

Willy Spiller: Website
h/t: [Vintage Everyday]All images via Willy Spiller.

The Mysteries and Tragedy of Russia’s Bottomless Karst Lake (PHOTOS)

The water is serene but deathly cold – and danger lurks beneath its surface. Yet, in the aquatic depths the promise of discovering hidden underwater caves and relics of our past awaits. Here, beauty and allure belie risks – but risks that some are prepared to take.

“A sapphire in a ring of green trees.” That’s how this stunning lake has been described. Even on overcast days, the water has a deep, crystal blue color like the gemstone to which it has been compared.

But there is much more than splendor to this lake. Beneath its smooth surface lie mysteries as yet unsolved. And some of these are secrets that the lake will not easily give up; at least, not if the recent tragic death of one diving explorer and the hospitalization of another are read as telltale signs.

9 Magical Zen Gardens

Zen garden is an interesting and deeply spiritual aspect of Japanese gardening traditions. The typical Zen garden consists of an enclosed and shallow sand box of sorts which features predominantly sand or gravel with rocks of various shapes and sizes.

The rocks and sand (or gravel) are the chief elements of the garden, which generally creates the scene of islands in the sea. The sand or gravel in a Zen garden represents the sea or ocean and is used instead of water. It will be carefully raked by tending monks to create the impression of waves on the surface of a body of water.

The rocks themselves represent islands or rock formations jutting out from the water. The overall goal is to create a small-scale recreation of an aerial or cliff-top view of an intricate coastal scene. One of the primary differences between a Zen garden and most other varieties is the lack of living elements. Although grass may sometimes be included, no other plant or flower species will be found in a classic Zen garden.

This can be both unusual and exotically appealing to people with no past experience with the history and meaning of a Zen garden.

The world’s most extraordinary hotels in pictures

Mihir Garh, Rajasthan 
“The fort sits in splendid isolation amid the Thar Desert near Jodhpur. It looks like an enormous sandcastle, a mirage, and is not just a unique place to stay; it’s a shrine to the artistic and architectural traditions of Rajasthan in general and Jodhpur in particular.”

Planet Baobab, Botswana
“Botswana’s Makgadigadi Pan comprises the world’s largest network of salt pans – a thirsty, mirage-inducing landscape of flat, shimmering expanses under hard blue skies. Halfway along the sole tarred road through this arid moonscape, a statue of an anteater towers at the dusty verge. It is a surreal sight, and an appropriate signpost for the distinctive Planet Baobab.”

Prendiparte B&B, Bologna, Italy
“A medieval high-rise turned romantic hideaway, the Torre Prendiparte is unlike anywhere else you’ll ever stay. The living area is on the first two floors and comprises a snug, classically-furnished living room, mezzanine bedroom, and kitchen. Above this is the former jail where you can still see graffiti left by prisoners on the 2m-thick walls.”

Qasr al Sarab, UAE
“Rising from the shifting sands, Qasr Al Sarab appears like a mirage on the edge of the vast Empty Quarter desert. Outside high crenellated walls echo fortresses of old. Inside rooms continue the dream of Arabian Nights with sumptuous fabrics, carved Islamic designs, woven rugs, wooden doors and metalwork lanterns.”

Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania, Australia
“A stay at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge plunges you into the heart of Tasmania’s wilderness, with luxury that feels as organic as your surrounds. The cabins are nestled privately in the bushland, with wallabies bounding past the windows and wombats shuffling amid the trees.”

Free Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, Canada
“Suspended in the trees on sturdy guide ropes, Vancouver Island’s Free Spirit Spheres look like giant eyeballs peering deep into the British Columbia woodlands. Step inside and the handmade orbs – accessed via spiral rope staircases or slender steel bridges – are lined like comfy boat cabins with built-in beds and cabinets.”

Taskonak Hotel, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
“Göreme has dozens of beautiful cave-hotels but Taşkonak manages to dish up the cave-suites and stupendous views Cappadocia is famous for without breaking your budget.”

Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
“One of few such lodges within the extraordinary 328,000 hectare iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a Unesco world heritage site.”

Saugerties Lighthouse, New York state, USA
“Saugerties Lighthouse is a historic 1869 landmark that makes a wonderful base for exploring the scenic Hudson valley. It is 100 miles north of New York City, and the red brick building has played a pivotal role in safely guiding steamboats, barges and other vessels safely along the Hudson river over the years. More recently (in the mid 1990s), the lighthouse was transformed into a two-room B&B, providing safe haven of a different sort.”

The Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, Laos
“The tree houses erected by conservation group Animo are a thing of architectural wonder, straddling the giant trunks of strangler fig trees. But more extraordinary still is that to reach these vertiginous eyries you’ll have to trek through the fecund realm of the tiger, then catch a series of exhilarating zip lines strung across the forest canopy, before flying into your night’s accommodation.”

Amazing color pictures from 1960s Budapest

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National Geographic Photo Contest

 

 

 

 

100 years old pictures in colours before World War I

Türkei, Bursa, Ladengeschaeft einer Confiserie, Auguste Leon, 1. Juni 1913

Vietnam. Tonkin, Leon Busy, 1914

Indien, Statue des Heiligen Stiers, Stephane Passet, 29. Januar 1914

Österreich, Wien, Judengasse, Fotograf unbekannt, 23. April 1913

Mongolei, nahe Ulaanbaatar Urga, Stéphane Passet, 23. Juli 1913

Irland, Galway, Marguerite Mespoulet, 26. Mai 1913

Indien, Uttar Pradesh, Agra. Mausoleum Taj Mahal von Shah Jahan für Mumtaz Mahal, Stéphane Passet, 19.-21. Januar 1914

Indien, Amritsar. Marmorne Strasse zum Goldenden Tempel, neben den rituellen Reinigungsbecken, dem Darbar Sahib und dem Hari Mandir, Stéphane Passet, 15. Januar 1914

China, nach Kalgan. Nomadenlager, drei Männer und ein Junge vor einer Jurte, Stéphane Passet, 18.-21. Juli 1912

Water pipe smoking. Samarkand

Mongolei, Ulaanbaatar. Der Finanzminister des unabhängigen Staats Mongolei auf dem Marktplatz, Stéphane Passet, 22. Juli 1913

Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On (feat. MØ)

Listen To A Rare 1965 Recording Of Stanley Kubrick’s Most Profound Interview

When physicist and renowned author Jeremy Bernstein (born December 31, 1929) penned a terrific piece on 37-year-old burgeoning director Stanley Kubrick for The New Yorker, the story gained so much attention that Bernstein was commissioned to write an even more elaborate profile of the legendary filmmaker. Normally Kubrick would have flat-out refused, however, he agreed due to the fact that he shared a common passion with Bernstein — chess. When Bernstein travelled to Oxford, England for the conversation on November 27, 1965 it was also captured on tape. The interview remains to this day one of the most profound conversations with Kubrick ever recorded, and you can listen to it in full below.

Helios – Hope Valley Hill (Arms and Sleepers Remix)

Keith Kenniff – Helios

Mac DeMarco // “Brother” (OFFICIAL SINGLE)

 

Alan Watts: Sense of Nonsense

November 27, 1965: A Rare Recording of Stanley Kubrick’s Most Revealing Interview

“People react primarily to direct experience and not to abstractions; it is very rare to find anyone who can become emotionally involved with an abstraction.”

George Orwell on how to make the perfect cup of tea

Excerpt from Orwell’s fantastic 1946 essay outlining his 11 “golden” rules of tea /

Harald Grosskopf’s 1979 Masterpiece “Synthesist” Is 7 Minutes Of Pure Amazingness

Yesterday TEEN DAZE released a new mixtape which you can stream and download by visiting ThePlayground.co.uk.  The 8-track collection provides a perfect ambient backdrop for pretty much any situation, but the crown jewel of the mixtape is unquestionably Harald Grosskopf’s brilliant track “Synthesist”.

Shanghai Tower (650 meters)

Raskalov and Russian photographer Vadim Mahora broke into and climbed the Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower, soon to be China’s tallest and the world’s second tallest skyscraper at 632 meters (2,074 feet) high. Although the tower will eventually boast the world’s fastest elevators (reaching 40mph), the pair had to climb the 120 flights of stairs by foot (taking them about two hours); they then spent another 18 hours sleeping and waiting for the weather to clear. The staggering resulting images show not just the dizzying heights, but also fantastic views of the adjacent Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center (together, the trio of buildings that are re-defining the Shanghai skyline).

Adam Magyar – Stainless, 42 Street (excerpt)

High speed video recording in NYC at Grand Central station.

Tolkien & Sendak On The Psychology Of Fantasy & The Powerful Effect Of Fairy Tales On The Adult Mind

In March 1939, renowned fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien penned an essay enitled “On Fairy-Stories” which explores the nature of fantasy and the cultural role of fairy tales. His argument is the same — that there is no such thing as “writing for children.” Tolkien writes: “A ‘fairy-story’ is one which touches on or uses Faerie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy. Faerie itself may perhaps most nearly be translated by Magic — but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power, at the furthest pole from the vulgar devices of the laborious, scientific, magician. There is one proviso : if there is any satire present in the tale, one thing must not be made fun of, the magic itself. That must in that story be taken seriously, neither laughed at nor explained away.”

Tolkien adds: “Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else … may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds.” You can read more excerpts from Tolkien’s essay by visiting BrainPickings.org.

The Aqualibrium Garden – The Future of Food

The Aqualibrium Garden – The Future of Food by “Aqualibrium”

The fish in the self-cleaning aquarium in the bottom chamber of the Aqualibrium Garden provide the nutrients that feed the plants in the self-watering grow space in the upper chamber. This cycle… like nature herself… is automatic, providing the potential to grow an abundance of fresh vegetables, herbs and flowering plants all year.

The Real Walter White (VIDEO)

When AMC’s Breaking Bad premiered in 2008, one of Alabama’s most successful meth cooks was already knee deep in building a massive meth empire. His name? Walter White. In this documentary, Walter tells us the secret behind his product, how he stacked up thousands of dollars per day, and why his partner is now serving two life sentences.

A new industry born from the disaster — LED indoor farm

A new industry born from the disaster — LED indoor farm

Awesome pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope

 

 

 

 

Great Gardens: “Prospect Cottage” by Howard Sooley – NOWNESS

http://vimeo.com/103807651

Great Gardens: “Prospect Cottage” by Howard Sooley – NOWNESS

Speeding Around The World in Under 5 minutes Time Lapse

17 Countries. 343 Days. 6237 Photographs. One incredible journey.

GoPro: Wild Downhill Ride with Claudio Caluori

Claudio Calouri and Will Longden takes us on a wild run through the UCI Downhill Course at Leogang in Austria.

World’s smallest cat – Big Cats

森の木琴

TOUCHWOOD SH-08C http://answer.nttdocomo.co.jp/touchwood/

“TRUMP ANTHEM” — A Bad Lip Reading of Donald Trump

Snow falls in the Sahara desert

The town of Ain Sefra, on the edge of the Sahara desert, was hit by icy weather last week – and even snow.

Snowfall is very rare in the Sahara, despite the fact that it can be cold at night – because there’s rarely enough water around for any kind of precipitation.

Unbelievable Unlikely Animal Friendships Compilation 2017

Winds on this mountain in the US will make it feel like -67C

Temperatures on a mountain peak in the US state of New Hampshire could fall so low you risk getting frostbite in just a couple of minutes.

Micro Wind Turbine

Oxmo Puccino – 365 Jours

The Future Of Transportation

The World in 2050