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Inside Bonnaroo: How the music festival doubled down on its roots to rebound from record-low attendance in 2016

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Bonnaroo

  • After it posted a record-low attendance in 2016, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival shifted its focus and resources to concentrate on its in-festival camping community, which over 90% of its audience participates in. 
  • Jeff Cuellar, VP of strategic partnerships for AC Entertainment and Bonnaroo's director of community relations, spoke to Business Insider about how the festival's camping and curated activities have come to be "the key differentiator" for it in a crowded marketplace. 

In an age when music festivals are abundant and proliferating, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has attempted to separate itself from its competition by focusing on what makes it distinct: the experience of camping on a farm in the middle of Tennessee. 

Jeff Cuellar, VP of strategic partnerships for AC Entertainment and Bonnaroo's director of community relations, as well as a member of the festival's team since its inaugural year in 2002, spoke to Business Insider about how the festival's camping community and curated activities have come to be "the key differentiator" for Bonnaroo in a crowded marketplace.

As attendees started flooding the four-day event for the opening of its 17th annual festival on Thursday, Bonnaroo will have transformed its home of Manchester, Tennessee, from the 112th largest city in the state to the seventh most populous, Cuellar said. 

Bonnaroo becomes an artificial "city," he explained, and one largely inhabited by camp tents and campers — the majority of whom are seeking out not only live music but auxiliary activities and engagements in a community setting.

"Most festivals that even have camping as a part of their experience, it's not the primary way in which people are there. 90-plus percent of our audience camps," Cuellar said. "What makes that even more special, which comes with the size, is that we literally create a city. All of the things that go into creating a city, the infrastructure and services that we have to provide, I think that's not lost on people."

"Getting back to our roots"

BonnarooCuellar explained how Bonnaroo's renewed focus on its camping community resulted from the festival leadership's process of "getting back to our roots."

Bonnaroo's strategy shift roughly followed the record-low attendance mark that the festival posted in 2016, when ticket sales of 45,537 were dwarfed by its previous ten-year average of 73,000. Attendance rebounded significantly in 2017, with more than 65,000 tickets sold, according to the Tennessean

Cuellar said that Bonnaroo has since worked in its marketing campaigns to highlight the features that make it unique, the "all-inclusive" experiences of a festival that runs 24 hours a day. 

"Unlike most events, we don't stop. It keeps going. If you need to have an Amish donut at 4 o'clock in the morning, that option is available to you. If you want to keep dancing in the silent disco, we can do that," Cuellar said, referencing a festival tent where crowds collectively listen to live dance acts on individual headphones.

"I think we are able to cater to the desires and the escape that people are looking for in this chaotic world," he added.

In the totality of its "city community" experience, Bonnaroo features yoga sessions, hosts a 5k run, and in a new addition for this year's festival, offers a free laundry service.  

The lead-up to this year's Bonnaroo found the festival making an active effort to promote the ancillary features of its camping grounds — where Cuellar said 20 percent of festivalgoers are situated at any point in time — including several bars and an activation site at a barn, led by Cage the Elephant lead singer Matt Shultz: 

The benefits (and challenges) of Tennessee

bonnaroo campsites

When asked whether Bonnaroo's location in central Tennessee might be a drawback for potential attendees, Cuellar walked through the reasons that Bonnaroo initially settled on the area, which included its musical heritage and its accessibility to an international airport (Nashville International) and an interstate highway, I-24. 

"The specific benefit that we have, and it's a major reason why we picked the property that we did, is proximity," he said. "Tennessee, where it's nestled in the United States, you have access from our specific point where 85% of the US population is within a one-day drive of the festival. It's why FedEx is in Memphis. It's why UPS has a major hub in Louisville."

Cuellar added that no one state represents more than 15% of the festival's audience.

When asked whether the festival's attendance drop in the past few years could be due to its culture of camping making Bonnaroo cost prohibitive, Cuellar acknowledged the potential costs of traveling and camping, but said that the festival's greatest challenges come from outside its walls.

"Our biggest challenge, more or less, is the fact that there's so much competition out there right now. So the strategy is being able to promote what the Bonnaroo experience is and why it is special and why you should be a part of it, and still maintaining a price point of attainability," he said.

Down years and fluctuation: "The nature of the beast" 

bonnaroo

Preceding Bonnaroo's record-low attendance in 2016, The New York Times wrote an op-ed saying that its writers would not be attending Coachella and Bonnaroo that year, citing the diffusion and doubling up of acts across the lineups of an ever-growing list of festivals, which they wrote gave their "music critics less and less return" for attending.

This week, the music blog Consequence of Sound published a feature titled, "The End of Bonnaroo as We Knew It," in which writer Tyler Clark described why the outlet was opting not to attend Bonnaroo for the first time since the site started its live music coverage in 2009.

"This year, we looked at the lineup for Bonnaroo, and we didn't really see a story," Clark told Business Insider in a phone interview, noting the ubiquity and lack of narrative intrigue in Bonnaroo's 2018 headliners, Eminem, The Killers, and Muse.

In discussing the camping and community aspect of Bonnaroo, however, Clark said that he sees it as one of the festival's "greatest strengths."

"And I think that playing that up, as they seem to do be doing this year, is a really smart move," he added. 

Cuellar and Bonnaroo's executives, meanwhile, are taking year-over-year fluctuation and lineup strife from media outlets in stride. 

"There's always fluctuation. It's in any business. For a number of years, we were hitting home runs, and it felt like we couldn't do anything wrong in terms of how we positioned our lineup, to the experiences we were presenting," Cuellar said. "You're going to have an off year every once in a while. It's just the nature of the beast. But I think the product and experience we put out there resonates." 

SEE ALSO: What the 'song of the summer' is going to be, according to the music chief of over 850 radio stations

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Inside the friendship between Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert, the famous chef who was in France with the TV host when he died

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Eric Ripert Anthony Bourdain

  • Anthony Bourdain was found dead on Friday in an apparent suicide. 
  • Eric Ripert, a high-profile French chef, found the TV host unresponsive in his hotel room in France, CNN reported. 
  • Ripert and Bourdain have been close friends for more than two decades, with Ripert frequently appearing on Bourdain's shows "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown." 
  • "Anthony was my best friend," Ripert tweeted on Friday. "An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous."

 

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef and TV host, was found dead on Friday in an apparent suicide. 

Bourdain was found unresponsive in his hotel room by his close friend, Eric Ripert, CNN reported. The pair was in France, where Bourdain was working on an upcoming episode of his CNN series "Parts Unknown." 

The two chefs had been close friends for more than two decades. 

Ripert became a culinary star in the 1990s, working at the New York City restaurant Le Bernardin. At just 29, the French chef earned a four-star rating at Le Bernardin in The New York Times in 1995. Soon after, he became the part-owner of the famed restaurant. 

Bourdain also rose to prominence in the New York City restaurant scene, working as a chef at various spots in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2000, Bourdain published a best-selling book about his experience, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."

While "Kitchen Confidential" ripped many well-respected restaurants and uncovered some dark corners of the industry, the book had nothing but praise for Le Bernadin and Ripert, whom Bourdain did not know at the time. Those compliments helped spark a friendship between Ripert and Bourdain. 

"Seventy-five percent of the industry was saying, 'it's scandalous' and 'this guy is a disgrace.' Then part of the industry was saying, 'he's genius,'" Ripert told Hamptons Magazine in 2012. "I called him and said, 'I read your book, and I would love to know you. Would you come for lunch?' That was the first time I met Anthony, and we have been friends ever since."

32 YOLKS:THE RIPPER'S REVENGE !! Coming soon to a grindhouse near you! @ericripert

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on May 9, 2017 at 1:41pm PDT on

As Bourdain launched his career as a TV host, Ripert was a frequent guest on "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown." The pair's list of destinations included Paris, Brooklyn, Peru, and China's Sichuan region. 

"I like to bring the distinguished three-star Michelin chef and good friend Eric Ripert someplace every year and torture him," Bourdain said in October 2017.

The Revenge of The Ripper : in which mountain raised Alpinist, Eric Ripert exacts Terrible Payback for his sufferings in Sichuan Province. #Chamonix

A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Mar 7, 2017 at 9:33am PST on

According to Ripert, the two would collaborate on ideas for where they should travel together for episodes of "Parts Unknown." 

"We're very good friends," Ripert said in an October 2017 interview. "We laugh and it's comfortable because we can be calm, and sometimes we don't speak at all and we'll be happy together. I think he likes that a lot."

Ripert continued: "The shooting is very intense and he's traveling a lot, and he needs to have a moment of peace during the day, and I think if he was with someone not feeling comfortable with silence and was asking questions and forcing him to talk, he would be very uncomfortable."

"Anthony was my best friend," Ripert tweeted on Friday. "An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous. One of the great storytellers who connected w so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart."

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Remembering Anthony Bourdain: 

SEE ALSO: Anthony Bourdain has died in an apparent suicide at 61

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The world's largest gaming service, Steam, is giving up on regulation and turning over 200 million users into guinea pigs

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Active-Shooter (game)

  • With over 200 million active users, Valve's Steam service is the world's largest digital game platform.
  • A controversial game on Steam had players playing the role of a school shooter, which sparked outrage after images of the game went viral. The game was removed from Steam by Valve.
  • As a result, Valve is revising Steam's policy on what content is allowed: Going forward, all games are allowed on Steam. The company will create tools so users can filter what content they do and don't see.
  • Valve says the policy is a means of enabling users to police themselves. As a Steam user, it's hard to see this policy as anything other than Valve abdicating responsibility for its massive platform.


In late May, Roseanne Barr opened Twitter and made a huge mistake: She tweeted a horrifically offensive, racist remark

Hours later, despite the massive success of the "Roseanne" revival, ABC canceled her show. It was a decisive move with no caveat. "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said in a statement.

It stands in glaring contrast to the response from Valve, the company in charge of the world's largest digital storefront, when faced with offensive content on its platform: The company is giving up on regulation, almost entirely.

Around the same time of Barr's tweet, images of a game named "Active-Shooter" started going viral. Like Barr's tweet, it was nakedly offensive — the game enables players to take on the role of a school shooter, gunning down police and civilians. 

People were outraged, including at least one Senator and several parents of victims of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A petition was created which quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures.

And Valve, which operates the enormous Steam digital storefront, had its hand forced: The company removed "Active-Shooter" from Steam on the same day that Barr made her racist tweet. 

Steam

Valve issued a statement to Business Insider alongside the news, calling the game's developer, "a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation." The game wasn't removed for being offensive — for depicting a school shooting from the role of the shooter — it was removed for "trolling." 

An internal investigation at Valve found that the game's developer had a history of creating cheap "asset flip" games like "Active-Shooter" — games which are developed with pre-made game "assets" (artwork and similar, often the defaults in game design software) and rudimentary systems, engineered to be as inexpensive to create as possible. Sometimes they outright steal content from other games and repurpose it. Sometimes they create fake user accounts to boost the game's review score, thus gaming Steam's algorithm into surfacing the game for more people.

In short: They're terrible games that rely on gimmicks to trick players into buying them — gimmicks like being able to play the role of a shooter in a school shooting.

Gabe Newell Steam Valve

"We are not going to do business with people who act like this towards our customers or Valve," a representative said.

That message was an indication of what was to come: Valve revising its policy on what is and isn't allowed on Steam.

This past Wednesday, Valve executive Erik Johnson published an explanation of how Steam will handle content going forward. "We've decided that the right approach is to allow everything onto the Steam Store, except for things that we decide are illegal, or straight up trolling," Johnson wrote.

Put more simply: Valve will no longer police its own service.

Instead, Valve is creating tools for its 200-plus million users to police their own experience. Rather than owning up to the responsibility of operating a service with over 200-plus million users, Valve is washing its hands and abdicating responsibility to its users. 

"We are going to enable you to override our recommendation algorithms and hide games containing the topics you're not interested in," Johnson said. "So if you don't want to see anime games on your Store, you'll be able to make that choice."

There is, of course, a massive difference between games like "Active-Shooter" and "anime games." And in blurring the line between that difference, Valve is making a hugely irresponsible mistake.

Here's another line from Johnson's explanation that gives pause (emphasis ours):

"The challenge is that this problem is not simply about whether or not the Steam Store should contain games with adult or violent content. Instead, it's about whether the Store contains games within an entire range of controversial topics - politics, sexuality, racism, gender, violence, identity, and so on."

Again, Valve's Erik Johnson equates difficult topics — like politics, sexuality, gender, violence, and identity — with offensive subject matter (like racism). 

Yes, these are all complex subjects with shades of gray in terms of how artwork like video games handles them. But games like "Active-Shooter" aren't tackling complex subjects — they're taking advantage of offensive content. There's no message being expressed that's divisive, no niche group banging a drum for its value. 

Imagine if Twitter announced it was going to stop moderating hate speech. That is what Valve is doing with Steam by enacting an anything-goes policy. It's a bizarre philosophical gamble to take for a service so large, and a truly disappointing one from a user perspective.

Instead of curating the experience for the vast majority of its hundreds of millions of users — and taking a moral stance as a private company operating a private service — Valve is opening the floodgates, putting the responsibility on its users, and taking its hands off the wheel.

SEE ALSO: In the wake of controversy over a school shooting game, Steam, the world's largest gaming service, will now allow any game unless it's 'illegal, or straight up trolling'

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HBO revealed the first details of a 'Game of Thrones' prequel set 'thousands of years' in the past

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Leaf Children of the Forest Game of Thrones season six

  • HBO has officially greenlit a pilot for a prequel to its hit show, "Game of Thrones."
  • The network's official description says that the prequel will be set "thousands of years" before the events of "Game of Thrones."
  • If ordered to series, the prequel wouldn't air until at least 2020 since "Game of Thrones" ends next year. 

 

"Game of Thrones" may be ending next year, but audiences can expect plenty more from that universe in the near future.

HBO has officially ordered a pilot for its "Game of Thrones" prequel series from writer Jane Goldman — a frequent collaborator with director Matthew Vaughn on movies like "Kick-Ass," "Kingsman: The Secret Service," and "X-Men: First Class" — and George R.R. Martin, who wrote the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books the series is based on.

The network's official description is below:

"Taking place thousands of years before the events of 'Game of Thrones,' the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East, to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know."

According to Entertainment Weekly, the "Age of Heroes" began 10,000 years before the events of "Game of Thrones," and storylines could include the construction of the Wall and Winterfell; the generation-long winter known as the Long Night; and the events that led to a war against the white walkers.

Since "Game of Thrones" ends with its eighth season next year, we wouldn't see the prequel, if ordered to series, until at least 2020. 

This isn't the only "Game of Thrones" spinoff that HBO has planned — the network has five of them in the works. Most recently, EW reported that a spinoff from "Game of Thrones" executive producer Bryan Cogman is under way. Details on the other spinoffs are under wraps, but they are unlikely to include any characters from the current series.

Current "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will move on to write and produce a new series of "Star Wars" films

SEE ALSO: Mark Hamill defends Kelly Marie Tran after online harassment and calls out 'Star Wars' fans

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Gaming tournaments now offer prize pools comparable to some of the most established traditional sporting events

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The prize pools for the biggest gaming tournaments in the world are becoming comparable to the winnings in more well-established traditional sports tournaments.

After the Washington Capitals took home the Stanley Cup on Wednesday, the winning team was awarded $4 million and the runner-up got $3 million. That total prize pool is a third of what the first- and second-place winners of the 2017 International gaming tournament took home in 2017. 

While the prize money for the 2017 Tennis US Open is by far the largest of the ones listed, this chart from Statista shows that the 2017 International offered a prize pool larger than the 2017 Confederations Cup and twice the size of the 2017 Masters. And all but $1.6 million of that $24.7 million was crowdfunded.

This comparison is a good representation of the increased popularity of eSports in recent years; the better the e-games and the larger the gap between skilled and amateur players, the bigger the winning money. Right now, professional gamers are winning big. 

Chart of the day

SEE ALSO: A third of software downloaded on the world's PCs is unlicensed, and it's costing the industry $46 billion

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The co-founder of Pixar is leaving Disney, months after allegations of inappropriate behavior (DIS)

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john lasseter pixar disney

  • Pixar cofounder John Lasseter is not returning to Disney following the six-month leave of absence he started in November, the company says. 
  • Lasseter's sabbatical was announced shortly before The Hollywood Reporter reported on employee allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior from the exec. In a memo to employees at the time, Lasseter referred to his behavior as "missteps."
  • Lasseter's alleged behavior came into the public eye right in the middle of the #MeToo movement.  

Disney announced on Friday that Pixar cofounder John Lasseter will not be returning to the company at the conclusion of his six-month sabbatical — a sabbatical he began in late 2017, right before employee allegations of misconduct from Lasseter were reported in the press. 

Originally reported by The New York Times, Lasseter will take on a consulting role at Disney for the rest of the year, after which, he will depart completely. The Times reports that he will not have an office at Disney in the interim. 

In a statement to Business Insider provided by Disney, Lasseter says that the sabbatical gave a chance to "reflect on my life, career and personal priorities," and that "I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges."

Disney CEO Bob Iger also issued a statement, praising Lasseter for his "remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation," and said that the company is "profoundly grateful for his contributions."

Lasseter confirmed in an internal memo last November that he was taking a six-month leave in November. His memo came shortly before the Hollywood Reporter published an investigative story about employee allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part of Lasseter, including "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes."

"I've been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate and champion I want to be," Lasseter wrote in the memo. "It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent. Collectively, you mean the world to me, and I deeply apologize if I have let you down."

Lasseter is the latest entertainment executive to step down from a high-profile position following allegations of sexual misconduct, as the #MeToo movement sweeps Hollywood. 

Lasseter is best known for directing the first two installments of the "Toy Story" movies, as well as "Cars" and "A Bug's Life." In recent years, he also oversaw Walt Disney Animation Studios, and holds an executive producer credit for the smash-hit "Frozen." Pixar's "Coco" was released last Thanksgiving, shortly after Lasseter took his leave of absence, and went on to win the Oscar for best animated feature.

The full statement from John Lasseter, provided by Disney:

"The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career and personal priorities. While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges. I am extremely proud of what two of the most important and prolific animation studios have achieved under my leadership and I’m grateful for all of the opportunities to follow my creative passion at Disney.”

A statement from Disney CEO Bob Iger:

“John had a remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation, reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high quality stories that will last forever. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions, which included a masterful and remarkable turnaround of The Walt Disney Animation Studios. One of John’s greatest achievements is assembling a team of great storytellers and innovators with the vision and talent to set the standard in animation for generations to come.”

 

 

SEE ALSO: Pixar chief John Lasseter confirms leave of absence as accusations break of him inappropriately 'grabbing, kissing'

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Here are the celebrities and sports stars recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list

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queens birthday honours 2018

  • The Queen is bestowing new honours on more than 1,000 people on Saturday.
  • Recipients include actors, sports stars, and CEOs.
  • Take a look at some of the most recognisable names on the list.


Every year, the Queen bestows new titles on people deemed to have made a significant impact on life in the UK, in what's called the Queen's Honours.

The list of recipients are announced twice a year: Once around New Year's Eve, and once on the Queen's official birthday, which is on June 9 this year.

The 2018 list, which consists of 1,057 people, includes actors, sportspeople, CEOs, and academicians. 519, or 49% of them are women.

Several different honours are awarded. They are, in order of prestige: Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), knighthood or damehood (KBE), and Companion of Honour.

Here are some of the most recognisable celebrities and sports stars on this year's Queen's Birthday Honours list.

  • Actress Emma Thompson, who starred in movies like "Love Actually." She was given a damehood.
  • Actor Tom Hardy, who starred in "Mad Max" and "Inception." He was given a CBE.
  • Boxer Anthony Joshua, who was awarded an OBE.
  • Actress Keira Knightley, who was in "Pirates of the Caribbean." She was given an OBE.
  • Former soccer player Kenny Dalglish, who played for and managed Liverpool FC. He was awarded a knighthood.
  • Olympics skeleton racer Lizzie Yarnold, who was given an OBE.

Other recipients include Mark Rowley, the former head of the London Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, and "Never Let Me Go" author Kazuo Ishiguro. You can see the full list here.

Past recipients of the Queen's Honours include Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling.

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This $19 Instagram alternative should have been crushed by Facebook years ago — here's how it got 1 million paying customers

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  • Photo-editing app VSCO has surpassed one million paid users.
  • It's one of the fastest-growing subscription-based businesses in the world, in spite of fierce competition from lots of free apps and Instagram.
  • The CEO of VSCO says Generation Z is driving the app's explosive growth.

 

Every day more than 95 million photos are shared to Instagram. It's a juggernaut in the field of social networks, with more than 800 million monthly active users.

So it's noteworthy that an Instagram alternative called VSCO has surpassed one million paid users for VSCO X, its subscription service launched in early 2017.

The app's rapid trajectory makes it one of the fastest growing subscription-based businesses in the world, and has helped grow VSCO's revenue 91% year over year in 2017. It's on track to increase revenue 100% this year, according to the company.

A subscription to VSCO X, which unlocks exclusive photo-editing tools and tutorials, costs $19 a year. That might not sound like much, but consider that there are dozens of free apps like it, and Instagram has its own suite of filters and tools that let users play with their photos and share with family and friends without ever having to leave the app.

As it turns out, it's Generation Z that's helping VSCO X rocket up the charts.

People under the age of 25 make up nearly 75% of all VSCO users, with Generation Z accounting for the largest segment of paid customers on VSCO X, according to the company. The fastest growing group of VSCO users are between the ages of 13 and 17.

vsco collage 2

There was a period of time when this surprised founder and CEO Joel Flory, a former wedding photographer who started the company in 2011 with an art-director friend.

"We were building [the product] for ourselves and realized that we no longer were the majority of users on VSCO," Flory told Business Insider at the startup's headquarters in Oakland.

From the beginning, VSCO set itself apart from rival photo apps and social networks by doing away with "vanity metrics," such as likes, comments, and follower counts. There are no ads or leadersboard, but instead, a feed of carefully curated content.

"For us, the only thing we wanted to show with the photo is the person who made it. That's really what we wanted it to be about," Flory said.

joel flory vsco ceoAccording to Flory, this focus on the creator really resonated with Generation Z. With the launch of a subscription service, VSCO learned that young people were even willing to pay for tools in an app space that let them "be who they are ... try new things," without the pressure and anxiety around building a following and collecting likes.

Born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, Generation Z is building a reputation as the most socially conscious age group. A recent white paper from MNI Targeted Media Inc., a division of the Meredith Corporation, found that more than half of Generation Z say that knowing a brand has strong values and is "doing their part to make the world a better place" is important to them and directly influences their buying decisions.

"This generation makes sophisticated choices about identity, purpose, and values," researchers at the firm said. "They've spent their lives surrounded by digital content and they know how to filter anything that lacks the right tone, language, and relevancy."

vsco collage 5

VSCO is the fifth most popular photo and video app for iPhones in the US, according to app market data company App Annie, behind YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Google Photos, in that order. Its number of monthly active users has been rising over the last year, while Instagram's growth has been stagnant. Flory has largely Generation Z to thank.

The team at VSCO is constantly adding new filters, photo-editing tools, and educational content to the VSCO X platform so that the value of their subscription builds all the time.

"It's really about providing the ultimate experience for that creative," Flory said. "For us, it's not about some other company's way. It's about the VSCO way."

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The next major expansion to Destiny 2 looks wild — here's a look at all of the changes coming in 'Forsaken'

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Destiny 2 is getting a big new expansion in September, called "Forsaken." It looks fantastic.

The upcoming release will change many aspects of the game, but Bungie also changed how future Destiny 2 content is priced from here on out.

Here's a first look at all the changes coming to Destiny 2 starting September 4:

SEE ALSO: The next 2 weeks could make or break the 'Destiny' franchise

DON'T MISS: One of the best parts of 'Destiny' is now a punishing experience in 'Destiny 2'

"Forsaken" introduces a decidedly darker and grittier tone to Destiny 2.



"We embraced that western, revenge vibe," Bungie said in a video revealing Forsaken.



We don't know much about Forsaken's story just yet, but Bungie says it starts with a prison break. One could assume that it's your job to bring the escaped inmates to justice.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 17 best TV series finales of all time, from 'The Americans' to '30 Rock'

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the americans

"The Americans" ended last week with an incredible, thrilling finale that was the perfect cap to a phenomenal series. 

Series finales are difficult. They require an ending, but not too much of an ending, and often don't go well. After "The Americans" blew us away, we're fondly looking back on some of the best series finales from the distant and recent past. 

Here, we collected some of the greatest series finales that left us shaken, happy, or confused in the best way possible.

Here are 17 of the best series finales of all time, from "M*A*S*H*" to "The Leftovers":

SEE ALSO: 'The Americans' ended with one of the greatest series finales ever, and it marks the end of TV's Golden Age

"M*A*S*H*" — season 11 episode 16, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

When it aired: February 28, 1983

After 11 years on the air, "M*A*S*H" lived up to expectations in its series finale. And it is still the most-watched TV series finale of all time. In the end, the characters finally get to go home, but that also means they won't be together anymore. It's a bittersweet ending that forever changed what a series finale for a TV show can be, because it doesn't always have to be the happiest ending possible.



"Cheers" — season 11 episode 26-28, "One for the Road"

When it aired: May 20, 1993

Besides the return of Diane, the series finale of "Cheers" is still so great because it isn't much different than a typical episode. All of the characters have similar problems: Jack and Diane get back together but then they break up (they were the original Ross and Rachel), and Cliff is annoying, as always. The series ends as most episodes of the show do: with the Cheers gang contemplating life at the bar. 



"Six Feet Under" — season 5 episode 12, "Everyone's Waiting"

When it aired: August 21, 2005

It's easy for a montage from the early aughts set to a indie song to age poorly, or just remind you of "Grey's Anatomy." But the "Six Feet Under" finale doesn't, after almost 13 years. It hammers in the theme of the show — death — but never feels ham-fisted. It shows the deaths of all the major characters on the show, but is somehow more sweet than sad. 



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Experts are concerned about 'suicide contagion' amid the trend of rising suicide rates in the US

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  • The deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade in the same week have led some people and experts to worry about "suicide contagion." 
  • Sometimes, news of one suicide death can prompt other attempts.
  • Experts say teenagers, especially younger ones, are especially vulnerable to this controversial phenomenon.


The US lost two prominent figures this week. Designer Kate Spade died on Tuesday in what authorities have ruled a suicide, then celebrity chef and television globe-trotter Anthony Bourdain's reported suicide came just three days later.

Following these two tragic events, some experts have expressed concern about suicide contagion, which can happen after the death of a celebrity or person in one's familial or social circle. According to the US Department of Health and Human services, "direct and indirect exposure to suicidal behavior has been shown to precede an increase in suicidal behavior in persons at risk for suicide, especially in adolescents and young adults."

Psychiatrist and neurochemist John Mann, who studies the causes of depression and suicide at Columbia University, told Business Insider that he is well aware of that risk. 

"Contagion is a real concern, and we worry about that especially when it's a public figure with a highly publicized suicide," he said. "Two famous people committing suicide within a few days of each other makes one think about, was one aware of the other and did that have any effect?" 

Experts don't all agree on a working definition of suicide contagion, and there's a strong debate about whether the term should be used at all. But here's what we know.

Clusters of suicides have been observed among young people

A study of Canadian teenagers in 2013 found that the youngest among them (12- and 13-year-olds) were the most at risk of attempting or thinking of attempting suicide after the death of a classmate. This was especially true for kids who’d lived through “previous stressful life events,” the researchers wrote. Whether the teens knew the person who died personally wasn't important — a finding that suggests exposure to irresponsible media coverage of suicides can be harmful for the very young (among others). 

Madelyn Gould, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, has written and spoken extensively about the dangers of suicide contagion. In a 1990 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, Gould and four co-authors found that so-called "suicide clusters" seem to happen mostly among teenagers and young adults. But they noted the phenomenon can occur at other ages as well.

Because of those age-specific risks, concerns about suicide contagion were raised after the release of Netflix's series "13 Reasons Why." In the finale of the show's first season, a teenage girl takes her own life in graphic detail — a portrayal that contradicts guidelines from mental-health experts about how to depict suicide in a way that doesn't encourage others to follow suit

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association after "13 Reasons Why" came out last year found that Google searches for the phrase "how to commit suicide" were 26% higher in the two weeks after the show's release than would have been expected. Searches for "commit suicide" and "how to kill yourself" were 18% and 9% higher, respectively.

Factors that may contribute to suicide contagion

Mann emphasized that not glamorizing suicide is important in any news coverage of, conversations about, or fictional portrayals of suicide.

Gould has also written about the ways that media can have an impact. She suggests that showing "rewards" of suicide, like a grieving family member or partner, can foster revenge motivations, especially among angry and dejected youth.

Don Mordecai, Kaiser Permanente's national leader for mental health, previously told Business Insider that a similar problem was at play in "13 Reasons Why".

"There was a kind of romanticization, and at the core of the story was this idea that you can kill yourself and be dead and yet not really be dead," he said.

Gould has also noted other approaches that don't help, including repeated or sensationalized news coverage of the same story, framing suicide as stemming from a single issue (like losing a job or partner), and descriptions of suicide as something that is “unavoidable” with insinuations that “someone will be next.” 

Both researchers — Gould and Mann — have also stressed the need to highlight that suicide is preventable, suicidal thoughts don't last forever, and people can feel better after getting help from trained professionals. 

"The most effective prevention has been improving the diagnosis and recognition of depression — by the public, and by primary care physicians," Mann said.

While only a trained professional can diagnose mental health issues, listening to a friend, or giving someone the opportunity to talk about how they're feeling in a non-judgmental, open way can mean a lot. One 2017 study from the Journal of the American Association of Suicidology found that nearly 80% of people who called the free National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-8255) said a follow-up call from an operator saved their life, and 90% said the call kept them safe.

Experts at the CDC say there is more everyone can do to prevent suicide and reduce stigma, and celebrities like Debra Messing have been moved to share their own struggles with mental health using the hashtag #mystory, and to rally for better, more affordable and accessible mental health coverage for all Americans.

According to CDC data, Kate Spade's and Anthony Bourdain's deaths come as a worrisome trend continues to unfold across age groups: suicide rates in the US have risen 28% in less than 20 years. 

"I'm a big Anthony Bourdain fan as a lot of people are," Mann said. "I'm human, I'm shocked, and tremendously saddened by what's happened."

SEE ALSO: Experts say the new season of '13 Reasons Why' has a dangerous problem that the show fails to address

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How a true-life heist movie used the real criminals and victim to bring the story to life

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  • "American Animals" looks at a thrilling heist that took place at Transylvania University in 2004.
  • Director Bart Layton explains to Business Insider the unique way he used the real-life criminals in his movie to make it more real than most "based on a true story" movies.


When a movie starts with the text “based on a true story,” audiences are meant to believe that what they are about to see is mostly true. But the words “based on” can be very misleading.

Often the rights to a true-life story are based on an article or book. This leads to the real-life people behind the story, if they are still alive, often not being involved in the storytelling. And that can mean the filmmakers taking a lot of major artistic liberties to get the story compelling enough for it to be worthy of the big screen.

But with a background in documentary filmmaking, director Bart Layton (“The Imposter”) wanted to change that perception with his new movie “American Animals” (in theaters Friday). And right from the opening, it promises to be different.

The text at the start boldly changes from reading “This is not based on a true story” to “This is a true story.”

Finding the men behind the heist

“American Animals” looks at the audacious attempted heist of priceless books from Transylvania University’s special collections library in 2004 by childhood friends Warren Lipka and Spencer Reinhard. The movie follows the two, along with two other fellow students they enlisted, as they plan and follow through with the heist. Every second they think they are masterminds when in fact they are a bunch of bored suburban kids who get in over their heads.

This may all sound like your typical heist movie, but here's the kicker: Layton also filmed the real members of the heist as well, so along with actors cast to play them, the movie also gets the perspective of the men who did it. The heist members even have on-screen discussions with the actors playing them at certain moments.

american animals the orchard moviepass venturesReinhard (played by Barry Keoghan), Lipka (Evan Peters), and the two other members — Chas Allen (Blake Jenner) and Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) — were all caught after the heist and went to prison for over seven years. It was during their stint in prison when Layton, who had come across their story in a magazine article while on a flight, began writing letters to the men.

“I wrote to each of them and asked why, what was the motivation?” Layton told Business Insider. “They sent back these surprising letters about doing it because they were searching for their identity and the realization that maybe they weren’t going to be interesting or special in life like how they were told they would be when they were brought up. For me it took it from a great story to an amazing story.”

For years, Layton had a correspondence with the men through letters while also feeding his interest in the subject by getting their case files and police reports of the heist through the Freedom of Information Act. And despite a “big Hollywood producer” having the life rights to the men, according to Layton, he began to work on a script for a movie that would depict how the heist went down.

A style of true story you've never seen before

Layton is no stranger to putting a unique spin on stories that are already ambitious in nature. His major breakout in the movie world was his award-winning 2012 documentary “The Imposter.” In it, he tells the story of a man who in 1997 convinced authorities on two continents that he was a boy who had gone missing three years earlier at the age of 13. He even convinced the boy’s family.

Layton didn't just film interviews with all the players involved — even the crafty admitted imposter, Frédéric Bourdin — but filmed Bourdin’s recollections through reenactments, blurring what was true and what was made up by Bourdin.

bart layton the orchard moviepass venturesFor “American Animals,” Layton wanted to go a step further. He believed having the real people placed into the narrative would heighten the truth.

“I wanted to experiment with this notion that there might be a new way in which to tell a true story,” Layton said. “A gripping roller coaster white knuckle heist movie but at the same time because of the inclusion of the real guys you have a connection to the truth and to the reality.”

While trading letters with the heist participants in prison, Layton was informed that the Hollywood producer declined to reacquire the rights after they lapsed, allowing Layton to nab them and go forward with his movie. When the heist members were through with their prison sentences, Layton asked them to be in the movie, though making it clear that they were not going to receive a major pay day for their involvement.

“It was nothing that would commensurate to life rights from Hollywood,” Layton said. “We paid them for their time. We didn’t want them to profit from this seeing they did something that’s not legal.”

Getting the victim to agree to be in the movie

“American Animals” concludes with how the heist went down, and though it's depicted with all its stranger-than-fiction qualities, it’s the added element Layton plugged in that really drives it home.

Layton was able to track down the librarian who was working the day the heist took place. Depicted by character actor Ann Dowd in the movie, at a point toward the end of the movie, the real Betty Jean Gooch comes on screen, dressed exactly how she is in the movie, and is interviewed about the experience. It’s a moment in the movie that stands out for Layton because it defines what he tried to do with the movie — building an added element of fact.

“I wanted her to get the last word,” Layton said, though he admitted she needed a lot of convincing to be in the movie.

Gooch, along with the four real-life heist members, were the few who saw the movie before it had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (it was co-acquired there by The Orchard and MoviePass Ventures).

“She’s the only person I would have gone back into the finished film and changed anything," Layton said. “But she actually loved the film and said after we showed it to her that she could actually begin to find a degree of forgiveness toward the guys after all this time.”

SEE ALSO: "Solo" is the latest "Star Wars" movie to bomb in China, and Disney has a big problem on its hands

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The $120 Fire TV Cube might be the smartest Echo device Amazon has ever made — here's what it can do (AMZN)

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Amazon Fire TV Cube

Amazon's latest Alexa-enabled device has arrived — and it might just be the most useful one yet.

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is essentially a Fire TV and an Amazon Echo rolled into one.

It can power your home entertainment system on and off, switch inputs on your TV, play or pause the show you're watching, and, of course, handle basic Alexa questions like, "What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" 

In fact, Amazon expects the Fire TV Cube to be so powerful and capable, you'll rarely have to touch your TV remote. 

The Fire TV Cube is priced at $120 and is available for preorder starting Thursday.

Here's everything it can do:

SEE ALSO: What it's like to use Wyze Cam, the $20 home security camera trying to take on Amazon and Nest

The Fire TV Cube is just that — a cube. It comes in a shiny black finish and has the same light-up strip along the outer edge as an Amazon Echo.

Amazon said it chose the cube shape because the device is intended to blend into the rest of your home entertainment system — most TVs have squared-off edges and a shiny black finish, so the Fire TV Cube does, too. 

But the design has a practical purpose, too. The device doesn't need to be round like other Amazon Echo devices because it's unlikely to be in a 360-degree setting — most people have their TVs up against a wall. 



In fact, the Fire TV Cube looks just like an Amazon Echo from the top.



The Fire TV Cube has multiple inputs in the back, including HDMI and USB.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are about to go head-to-head at the biggest gaming event of the year — here's what to expect

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Are you ready for a bunch of new games for Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One? Because they're coming!

Death Stranding

On the cusp of their respective five-year anniversaries, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are going head-to-head once more at the annual video game trade show E3 in mid-June. 

But, thanks in part to a massive leak and in part to Sony just outright talking about its plans, we already know a lot about what Sony and Microsoft plan to show this year. 

Here's a look at what to expect from both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at E3 2018:

Sony's plans for E3 2018, broadly speaking:

Sony's annual E3 press briefing on all things PlayStation is Monday, June 11 at 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PDT.

As always, Sony will broadcast its briefing on several platforms — Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook are all hosting streams of the event. 

The E3 briefing is Sony's annual opportunity to announce major PlayStation games, show off upcoming games, and — generally speaking — address its most loyal fans directly. It's the kind of event where Sony might reveal a major new "Uncharted" game (for example only — it's unlikely that a new "Uncharted" game shows up anytime soon). 

Usually, it's an event full of surprise reveals intended to wow viewers. But at E3 2018, Sony is doing something different: Telling everyone ahead of time what it's going to show. Madness!

Here's Sony's full line-up:



"Death Stranding"

What is "Death Stranding"? That's a great question. Even though I've seen several trailers for the game, I have no idea what it is.

Here's what we know for sure:

— The game is being created by "Metal Gear" series creative lead Hideo Kojima, a legendary character in the video game business.
— It stars Norman Reedus, of "The Walking Dead" fame. He's the main character. Mads Mikkelsen, a Danish actor best known as the bad guy from "Casino Royale," appears to be the antagonist.
— The game is a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and famed film director Guillermo del Toro.
— It's being funded by Sony, which means the game is only coming to the PlayStation 4.

Is it a first-person or third-person game? A survival game? Open world, or linear? All of this stuff is still up in the air.



Here's an eight minute trailer for "Death Stranding" — if you can piece it together, more power to you!

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Disney cast members share their 11 favorite things to do in the park

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Disney Splash Mountain

  • Disney cast members tend to develop favorites when it comes to park rides.
  • Business Insider reached out to 12 former cast members and asked them to pick out a favorite park attraction.
  • Some went with old classics like the Haunted Mansion, while others praised brand-new offerings like Avatar Flight of Passage.


Disney cast members aren't impartial when it comes to park attractions.

Most of them have a favorite ride or area of either Disney park in the US: Walt Disney World or Disneyland.

Business Insider recently reached out to 12 former cast members who worked at Walt Disney World or Disneyland and asked them to share their favorite park attractions.

Some went with old classics like "It's a Small World After All" and "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror," while others highlighted popular coasters like "Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain."

Here's what the cast members had to say about their favorite park attractions:

SEE ALSO: Many Disney employees say they bring their own lunch to work — but there are 7 park treats they just can't resist

DON'T MISS: 15 insider facts about working at Walt Disney World only cast members know

SEE ALSO: Disneyland is home to a squad of feral cats who have free rein in the park — and you can adopt one if you work there

'It's a Small World After All' is a park icon featuring 'cute' dolls

A former Walt Disney World cast member who worked on rides like "Peter Pan's Flight," "Space Mountain," and "The Carousel of Progress" told Business Insider that their favorite ride was "It's a Small World After All."

"I love the dancing dolls," the ex-cast member said. "I love the way all those dolls dance."

The former Disney employee also got to work on "It's a Small World After All" at certain points, and got a glimpse behind-the-scenes at the attraction.

"We could see how it all worked," the former cast member said.

They added that the large elephant seen during the ride conceals an employees-only staircase, and that the ride also featured a closet filled with waders, just in case employees had to get in the water for whatever reason.



The 'Matterhorn Bobsleds' are a snow-capped 'historic' peak

A former Disneyland cast member who worked at the park for six years singled out the "Matterhorn Bobsleds" for praise.

When asked why, the cast member told Business Insider that they were impressed by the attraction's "history."

According to animated film scholar Michael Barrier's blog, Walt Disney himself was inspired to construct the Matterhorn while visiting Switzerland to shoot the 1959 live-action film "Third Man on the Mountain."



'The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror' is 'beautifully done'

A former cast member who worked at the Walt Disney Company for nearly eight years, including a stint at Hollywood Studios, told Business Insider that their favorite ride is "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror."

"The theme is beautifully done, from the moment you get in line," the ex-cast member said.

Chantelle Judd, a former cast member who worked in Frontierland, agreed.

"I'm a big fan of thrill rides, so I would have to say 'Tower of Terror' would be my favorite," Judd told Business Insider. "I like the thrill of it all."



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This gorgeous new Tetris game is inspired by science to entrance you for hours

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This fall, Tetris is coming to the PlayStation 4. But this isn't quite like any Tetris game you've ever played before. 

"Tetris Effect" looks like a new, trippy and breathtaking way to play one of the most popular video games of all time. It's inspired by a scientific phenomena of the same name — Tetris players reported seeing the game's iconic puzzle pieces, hours after playing. "Tetris Effect," the game, is designed to stimulate the same effect with gorgeous visuals.

The game won't be out until the fall, but expect to hear more about "Tetris Effect" at E3 over the next week. 

Take a look at our first glimpse of "Tetris Effect:"

 

 

SEE ALSO: Sonos just announced a $399 home theater soundbar, powered by Amazon’s Alexa — and it’s getting Apple’s Siri, too

First, let's talk about how this game got its name.

The Tetris Effect is the actual name for what happens to your brain after playing Tetris (or another game) for so long that your brain starts to see the game's images everywhere, even when you're not playing. 

In 2000, a Harvard study found that 60 percent of test subjects who had played at least seven hours of Tetris over the course of three days reported seeing falling blocks hours after they had stopped playing.

The Tetris Effect also manifests in a player dreaming about the game, or becoming more observant of the way that objects in real life — like bricks on the side of a building, or books on a shelf — fit together.



This new game plans to capitalize on the Tetris Effect, by playing up the game's hypnotic imagery and addictive nature.

The game will feature at least 30 mesmerizing stages, complete with stunning art, enchanting music, uniquely styled blocks, and even animated backgrounds that react to the player's actionsall designed to maximize the Tetris Effect.

The best part?

"Tetris Effect" will also support the PlayStation VR headset, so players can be fully immersed and surrounded by this acid trip of a game.



In a post to the official PlayStation blog today, the developer said every stage will have its own theme, and that "they’re all meant to make you feel something — to convey a mood, or even provoke an emotional response."

If the levels are anything like the game's trailer, it's safe to say we're in for an incredibly nostalgic (and a little emotional) ride. 



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The incredible life of Prince Philip, who just turned 97

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The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip turned 97 on Sunday after retiring from public life at the age of 95 last year.

While he no longer carries out public engagements — and doesn't accept new invitations — he made an appearance at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May.

However, Philip has had quite the life in the public eye, so it's little wonder he has decided to put his feet up more often as he approaches his centenary on Earth.

From a career in the Royal Navy to his life standing by the side of wife Queen Elizabeth II and being a figurehead for organisations like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), he has truly lived a full life.

Scroll down for a look at the incredible life of Prince Philip.

This is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.



He was born as 'Prince of Greece and Denmark' in Corfu on June 10, 1921, the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece. His mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg.

His family left Greece for France when Philip was only 18 months old due to political instability. Here he is (second from the right), pictured on holiday in Romania in September 1928.

Source: The Royal Family



Philip was educated at an American school in Paris, Cheam School in Hampshire, and Schule Schloss Salem in Germany. He also attended the public school of Gordonstoun in Elgin, Scotland, where he is pictured below.



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The incredible life of Prince William's Instagram-famous godson, Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece

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Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece (R), Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece (2ndR) and children arrive for the European premiere of 'The Jungle Book' at BFI IMAX on April 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

So, Prince Harry is officially off the market — but don't despair. There are still plenty of eligible young princes out there to steal your hearts.

One such bachelor is Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece and Denmark or 'Tino' to his friends. Alexios is 19-years-old and currently enrolled in Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Since the Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, Alexios' role is titular only. He does, however, know how to live like a royal.

On Instagram, he's garnered almost 100,000 followers who keep up with his lavish lifestyle — featuring luxury holidays, impressive artwork and hunting exploits.

Despite being born in New York, Alexios was raised in England when his family relocated and attended Wellington College in Berkshire.

Scroll down for a look into the life of one of the world's most eligible bachelors.

SEE ALSO: The incredible life of Jordan's Instagram-famous Queen, an ex-Apple employee, human rights activist, and global style icon

Meet 19-year-old Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece, born in New York City, 29 October 1998.

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Alexios' family are close to the British royals. Here the newborn prince is with his godfather Prince William.

16-year-old Prince William attended the christening of his new godson at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia in London in 1999.

Prince Alexios' grandfather, King Constantine, is a close friend and second cousin of Prince Charles — he is also Prince William's godfather.



Despite being born in New York, Alexios was raised in England and attended Wellington College in Berkshire. Here he is graduating with his friends...

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Prince Philip just turned 97 — here's the best photo from every year of his royal career

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Prince Philip

Prince Philip turned 97 on Sunday — and it's been over a year since he announced his official retirement from public service.

According to The Telegraph, the Duke of Edinburgh has carried out 22,219 solo engagements and 637 solo visits overseas since he left active military service in 1952. 

In retirement, the Duke is reportedly enjoying more leisure time at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk — he is an avid carriage driver and enjoys oil painting.

His Royal Highness' career will be remembered equally for his sharp wit as he will be for his gaffes, which have often left the nation laughing or reeling. 

The Prince's prolonged service has won him support from both sides of Parliament — Jeremy Corbyn applauded his "clear sense of public duty" and Theresa May praised his "steadfast support" to the Queen. 

Philip's lengthy career, marked by hundreds of visits to far-flung corners of the British Empire, has unsurprisingly produced some remarkable royal photography.

As he turns 97, here are the best images from each of his years as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh:

SEE ALSO: The 23 best candid photos from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding

1947: Prince Philip began his journey as a British Royal when he married into the country's royal family after a five-month engagement to his distant cousin, Elizabeth. He was 26.



1948: The couple had their first child, Prince Charles, in 1948. In this picture, he sleeps in the arms of his mother, then Princess Elizabeth, after his Christening at Buckingham Palace.



1949: Philip spent many of his younger years in the Royal Navy meaning family time was precious. He spent much of 1949 stationed in Malta as the first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS Checkers, the lead ship of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet.



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New York is the most influential city of today, but it's only the second most important city of the future

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Jay-Z

  • New York is the most influential city in the world today, according to a new report from global business-consulting firm AT Kearney.
  • That might change. AT Kearney predicted that San Francisco, has the most potential to become the most important city of the future.
  • San Francisco is inching ahead in importance thanks to its hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

New Yorkers have a reputation for thinking their city is at the center of the world.

They might be right — but not for long.

AT Kearney, a global business-consulting firm, has released this year's Global Cities Report, and gave New York City the top spot on the Global Cities Index ranking. The firm ranks 135 cities based on current global standing and influence on the world.

But the report includes a second ranking, called the Global Cities Outlook, which measures how a city's potential for importance in the future stacks up against other cities. In this ranking, San Francisco overtook New York to claim the number one spot for most influential city of the future. 

The rankings suggest that while New York is the most influential city of today, San Francisco has the most potential relative to other cities to become the most important city of the future.

San Francisco is the best city in the world for innovation

Despite its out-of-control housing prices and cost of living, San Francisco continues to attract the best companies, the top talent, and the most investment dollars. There are reasons for it.

According to AT Kearney, San Francisco is the world's premiere hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Bay Area is home to a number of high-growth companies, including Apple, Facebook, Google, Uber, and Salesforce, and the region filed more patents per person (34,324 international patents between 2011 and 2015, with Google accounting for 6.5% of all applications) than any other city ranked by AT Kearney.

Venture capital is the lifeblood of business in San Francisco. Between 35% and 40% of all venture funding in the US flows into the Bay Area every year, according to a 2012 study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Booz & Company. As a result, entrepreneurs build companies there, bringing highly-educated professionals to the area in droves.

San Francisco

But this concentration of wealth and power has worsened an already-dire housing market, and not everyone can afford to stay. A shortage of housing coupled with high demand, especially from tech workers who can afford to bid up home prices, has made it impossible for some to buy a home in the Bay Area on a middle-class paycheck.

The median price of a home in San Francisco is $1.5 million, and a person needs an annual income of at least $303,000 to afford the 20% down payment on a home that expensive.

New York slips to No. 2 in the future

Nicole Dessibourg-Freer, an analyst at AT Kearney, tells Business Insider that it's unfair to say New York is "faring worse" for the future. New York sits second on the Global Cities Outlook ranking and remains "very much a leader" in finance, media, fashion, and food, she said.

Instead, Dessibourg-Freer explains that New York has less potential relative to other cities like San Francisco to become the world's dominant city in the coming years.

According to AT Kearney, New York has some weaknesses. The Global Cities Outlook ranking looks at four main criteria: innovation, economics, personal wellbeing, and governance. New York typically underperforms in the personal wellbeing category, which measures factors relating to safety, healthcare, inequality, and the environment, Dessibourg-Freer said.

A 2017 study by personal finance website WalletHub declared San Francisco the greenest city in America, based on 21 indicators including greenhouse gas emissions per capita, number of smart-energy policies and initiatives, percent of commuters who drive, and amount of green space. New York placed sixteenth on the ranking.

SEE ALSO: San Francisco is still the best city in the world for innovation — here are the 6 cities that threaten to usurp its position of power

DON'T MISS: 6 reasons why you should start your company in New York instead of Silicon Valley

Join the conversation about this story »

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