Friday, June 14, 2013

LinkedIn: See what Bill Gates learned from Warren Buffett

Three Things Bill Gates Learned From Warren Buffet
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"I'm looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I've learned in my career at Microsoft and the Gates Foundation," says Bill Gates

Last month Bill Gates went for to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. "It's always a lot of fun, and not just because of the pink-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffet. It's also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks."

Here are three things Bill Gates learned from Warren over the years:

1. It's now just about investing.

The first thing that people learn from Warren, of course, is how to think about investing. That's natural, given his amazing track record. Unfortunately, that's where a lot of people stop, and they miss out on the fact that he has a whole framework for business thinking that is very powerful. For example, he talks about looking for a company's moat - its competitive advantage - and whether the moat is shrinking or growing. He says a shareholder has to act as if he owns the entire business, looking at the future profit stream and deciding what it's worth. And you have to be willing to ignore the market rather than follow it, because you want to take advantage of the market's mistakes - the companies that been underpriced.

"I have to admit, when I first met Warren, the fact that he had this framework was a real surprise to me. I met him at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks? I thought he just used various market-related things - like volume, or how the price had changed over time - to make his decisions. But when we started talking that day, he didn’t ask me about any of those things. Instead he started asking big questions about the fundamentals of our business. “Why can’t IBM do what Microsoft does? Why has Microsoft been so profitable?” That’s when I realized he thought about business in a much more profound way than I’d given him credit for." says Bill Gates

2. Use your platform.

A lot of business leaders write letters to their shareholders, but Warren is justly famous for his. Partly that’s because his natural good humor shines through. Partly it’s because people think it will help them invest better (and they’re right). But it’s also because he’s been willing to speak frankly and criticize things like stock options and financial derivatives. He’s not afraid to take positions, like his stand on raising taxes on the rich, that run counter to his self-interest. "Warren inspired me to start writing my own annual letter about the foundation’s work. I still have a ways to go before mine is as good as Warren’s, but it’s been helpful to sit down once a year and explain the results we’re seeing, both good and bad." says Bill Gates

3. Know how valuable your time is.

No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time. There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day. Warren has a keen sense of this. He doesn’t let his calendar get filled up with useless meetings. On the other hand, he’s very generous with his time for the people he trusts. He gives his close advisers at Berkshire his phone number, and they can just call him up and he’ll answer the phone.
Although Warren makes a point of meeting with dozens of university classes every year, not many people get to ask him for advice on a regular basis. "I feel very lucky in that regard: The dialogue has been invaluable to me, and not only at Microsoft. When Melinda and I started our foundation, I turned to him for advice. We talked a lot about the idea that philanthropy could be just as impactful in its own way as software had been. It turns out that Warren’s brilliant way of looking at the world is just as useful in attacking poverty and disease as it is in building a business. He’s one of a kind." says Bill Gates

Isabel Marant For H&M

Isabel Marant brings her French touch to H&M

H&M is proud to announce its autumn collaboration with Parisian designer Isabel Marant. With her effortless style, Isabel Marant has created a widely influential and successful take on Paris chic. Mixing urban attitude, boho elegance and rock 'n' roll spirit, she delivers a genuine French allure. For H&M, Isabel Marant will create a wardrobe of must-have pieces inspired by her signature style. Available from November 14, 2013, in around 250 stores worldwide and online, the collection features clothing and accessories for women and teenagers. Isabel will also, for the first time, create a collection for men. 
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"I am flattered by this collaboration: H&M works with the best designers and this invitation is an exciting honour. I aim at creating something real, that women want to wear in their everyday lives, with a certain carelessness, which I think is very Parisian: you dress up, but do not play too much attention and still look sexy. The collection is infused with this kind of easiness and attitude. Everything can be mixed following one's own instincts: my take on fashion is all bout personality" Says Isabel Marant.
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"We are excited to have Isabel Maratn as guest designer at H&M. The way she mixes different elements in her collections, creating a style that is effortless and urban, makes her very contemporary. She has a fantastic eye for ethnic detail and the rare ability to create something that people really want to wear. We are sure the H&M customers with be enthusiastic about this collection" Says Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor at H&M

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Trending: Porcelain Floral Prints

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Carefully curated by Fashionation
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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Russian Standard Vodka Presents "Incredible Pursuits"

A competition that celebrates Individuals in Pursuit of a Higher Standard

 Russian Standard Vodka, the world’s #1 premium Russian vodka, today launched “Incredible Pursuits,” a nationwide search for extraordinary innovators and game-changers setting higher standards. Entrepreneurs from all industries are invited to compete for the chance to win a $10,000 prize to fuel their endeavor, receive mentor sessions within their industry, a two page feature in recognized regional magazines across the country, and a party in Miami to celebrate their achievement with three of their closest friends.
The status quo for vodka is a spirit without color, aroma or taste. However, Roustam Tariko, entrepreneur and founder of Russian Standard Vodka believes there should be a higher standard of vodka, one that combines extraordinary purity and taste. His passion, perseverance and ingenuity led to the creation of Russian Standard Vodka, a vodka that is made of 100% authentic Russian ingredients - water of glacial origin and the finest winter wheat. State of the art production methods bring a century of Russian vodka expertise to the 21st century to achieve the incredible balance of technology and tradition, resulting in the highest quality vodka possible. Today, Russian Standard Vodka is a globally recognized spirits brand that is found in over 75 countries and selling nearly 3 million 9L cases worldwide.
“It is in the entrepreneurial spirit of our founder that Russian Standard Vodka launches the “Incredible Pursuits” national program. We want to recognize, support and celebrate the brave entrepreneurs looking to achieve the incredible by challenging their status quo.” says Leonid Yangarber, CEO of Russian Standard.
RussianstandardPursuits.com is designed to give candidates the opportunity to enter the contest by creating a profile and to garner support from their friends and local communities. The voting process begins immediately and continues through August 9th. Voting will account for 25% of the overall score as the entrants will also be judged by Russian Standard on Passion, Perseverance, and Ingenuity. Visitors to the site will also have access to an online cocktail library dedicated to the latest Russian Standard cocktail recipes – perfect for the summer season. As home to the voting process throughout the search, users will be able to review their fellow peer’s submissions and vote up to five times per day which will give frequent voters a chance to win a set of four of the brand’s signature Moscow Mule copper mugs.

The final winner of the “Incredible Pursuits” search will receive $10,000 to help fund their project, three mentor sessions within their respective industry, a 2 page feature in several key regional magazines, and an all-expenses paid trip to Miami in December with three of their friends to attend a party in their honor.
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Do Women Make Better Wine Tasters Than Men?

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Do women make better wine tasters than men?

"There were two groundbreaking studies, one in Cardiff and the other in Pennsylvania, which both showed that women consistently outperformed men in matter of odor identification and smell. Furthermore another study at Yale identified that about 25% of the population had the potential to be super tasters, with the ability to taste more sensitively than the remainder of the population. The so-called super tasters had more taste buds and a greater sensitivity to taste differences.

The researchers found that women were the majority in this category. Furthermore, it was realized that men tend to categorize wine using the left side of the brain. Scores, ratings and all the details surrounding the wine are important. Women are more likely to use the right side of the brain, which is more sensory, creative and artistic. A man in generally interested in the minutiae of the wine. A women is more interested in the taste." ~ post

The correct answer is a definite maybe?

While not necessarily true, chances are that women are better tasting wine's flavor subtleties which is at least partially credited for the rise in female wine tasting experts. The ability to correctly analyze sensory details still does not accurately predict a match to any one individual's palate though. To test the theory, an interesting twist to hosting a modern wine tasting party may be to separate your group of friends based on gender and compare the overall judging results for variation between the sexes.

Another may be to compare individual couples taste opinions to one another. Marketing studies have shown that the majority of wine is purchased by women and therefore most home bars are probably stocked with hand picked wine selections from the lady of the house. Does your palate match your spouse's taste in wine?

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Aimee Song: No Heat Beach Waves Tutorial

One of our favorite style blogger Aimee Song from Song's of Style shows us how to create natural beach waves without using any heat. 
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1. Part your slightly damp hair into two sections (right and left and start twisting from the root to all the way to the end of your hair. Make sure you twist well. 

2. Using a bobby pin, pin the end of your twisted hair to the crown of your head. 

3. Twist the other side of your hair in the same direction.

4. Let your hair dry naturally overnight and in the morning, unpin the ends. Shake your head and pretend to your in a shampoo commercial, and voila! You got waves! If you'd like to hold the waves, top off the look with a lightweight hairspray.
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Kitchen: Cheat Sheet


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IBM & Ogilvy France Create Ads With A New Purpose

IBM is committed to creating solutions that help cities all over the world get smarter, in order to make like in those cities better. 
That's why IBM and Ogilvy are working together to spark positive change with the "People for Smarter Cities" project, and unite city leaders and forward-thinking citizens. To spread the word, Ogilvy created outdoor advertising with a purpose: a bench, a shelter and a ramp that are not only designed to be beautiful, but to be useful to city dwellers as well. 
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Women's Day: DIY Hair Treatments

8 Homemade Hair Treatments 

Make all-natural remedy designed especially for your hair type

Eggs, yogurt and honey are, at first glance, all components of a tasty breakfast - but they also happen to be hair treatment ingredients, and affordable, all-natural ones at that. And they're not the only ones. Did you know, for instance, that the oils in avocados more closely resemble our own skin's oils that any product in the beauty aisle does? Or that the mild acidity in lemon is an effective - and gentler - alternative to chemical - laden products? Next time your locks need a lift, save money by using one of these kitchen fixes.
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For All Hair Types
"The [raw] egg is really the best of all worlds", says Janice Cox, author of Natural Beauty at Home. The yolk, rich in fats and proteins, is naturally moisturizing, while the white, which contains bacteria-eating enzymes, removes unwanted oils, she explains.
To Use: For normal hair, use the entire egg to condition hair; use egg whites only to treat oily hair; use egg yolks only to moisturize dry, brittle hair, Cox says. Use 1/2 cup of whichever egg mixture is appropriate for you and apply to clean, damp hair. If there isn't enough egg to coat scalp and hair, use more as needed. Leave on for 20 minutes, rinse with cool water (to prevent egg from "cooking") and shampoo hair. Whole egg and yolks-only treatments can be applied once a month; white-only treatment can be applied every two weeks. 
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For Dull Hair
Styling products (as well as air pollution) can leave a film that both saps moisture and dulls shine - but dairy products like sour cream and plain yogurts can help reverse this damage. "Lactic acid gently strips away dirt while the milk fat moisturizes", says Lisa Belkin, author of The Cosmetics Cookbook. 
To Use: Massage 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt into damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, followed by  cool water, then shampoo hair as you normally would. Treatment can be applied every other week.
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For Itchy Scalp
To fight flakes - brought on by poor diet, stress and climate, among other factors - try a lemon juice and olive oil mixture in your hair. "The acidity in lemon juice helps rid your scalp of any loose, dry flakes of skin, while the olive oil moisturizes the (newly exposed) skin on your head," says Cox.
To Use: Mix 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp water, and massage into damp scalp. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes, then rinse and shampoo hair. Treatment can be applied every other week. 
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For Limp Or Fine Hair
To add body to hair, reach for an unlikely beverage: beer! The fermented drink contains generous supplies of yeast, which works to plump tired tresses, explains Cox.
To Use: Mix 1/2 cup flat beer (pour beer into a container and let it sit out for a couple of hours to deplete carbonation) with 1 tsp light oil (sunflower or canola) and a raw egg. Apply to clean, damp hair, let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Or add flat beer only to spray a bottle and spritz onto dry hair. "When the liquid evaporated, the remaining protein residue (from the wheat, malt or hops) continues to strengthen and structure hair", says Belkin. Treatment can be applied every other week.
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For Dry And Sun damaged Hair
Whatever your hair-dehydrating demon - hard water, sun, overexposure, your trusty flat iron - nature's sweetener can help. "Honey is a natural humectant, which means it attracts and locks moisture," says Cox. To Use: Massage approximately 1/2 cup honey into clean, damp hair, let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. You can also add 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil to loosen the honey for easier application. For extremely sun-damaged hair, trying mixing honey with 1 to 2 Tbsp of a protein-rich ingredient, like avocado or egg yolk, which will help replenish the keratin protein bonds that UV rays attack. Treatment can be applied one a month.
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For Oily Or Greasy Hair
"Used properly, [cornmeal or cornstarch] is an inexpensive way to remove oil and grease," says Belkin. To Use: Pour 1 Tbsp cornmeal or cornstarch into an empty salt or pepper shaker and sprinkle onto dry hair and scalp until you've used it all. After 10 minutes, use a paddle hairbrush to completely brush it out. Treatment can be applied every other day.
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For Frizzy Hair
Home beauty experts swear by avocado - and hot just to repair damaged hair. Its oil (which are light and moist like our own natural skin secretions) and proteins boast the best combination of nutrients for smoothing and weighing down unruly hair, explains Cox. To Use: Mash up half an avocado and massage into clean, damp hair. Let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with water. Amp up moisturizing power by combining mashed avocado with 1 to 2 Tbsp of a hydrating ingredients, like sour cream, egg yolks or mayonnaise. Treatment can be applied every two weeks.
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For Residue-Ridden Hair
"Nothing eats through product buildup like baking soda", Cox says. Sodium bicarbonate essentially breaks down anything acidic. To Use: Mix 1 to 2 Tbsp baking soda with small amounts of water until a thick paste forms. Massage into damp hair and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with water, then shampoo hair. Treatment can be applied every two weeks.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Musicovery: Play Your Mood

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People often listen to music according to the mood they want, whether to reinforce the state they are in or rather to change it. Musicovery has created a graphic interface to meet this need, the "mood pad". It displays two axes - dark / positive and calm / energetic - axes that are continuos and progressive, and offers an infinite range of moods; every song has a specific position on the mood pad. When rolling over the mood pad, music samples are played, allowing the listener to intuitively find the mood and the music he wants and to launch the program from the desire position. 


How does the relationship between mood and music work?
Each song is listened to by an experts at Musicovery and described with 40 acoustic parameters. Each parameter can take between3 to 20 values. An algorithm coverts these values into a position on the mood pad. Because parameters are acoustic it is an objective way to set the relationship between music and moods/emotions. This is the result of 3 years of research.

Philosophy
Musicovery aims at providing a music listening experience that is simple, intuitive, and playful. The interface offers several ways to create a playlist and interact with it, and as a result provides playlists for all situations. The mood is the main lever to make the experience simple but there are others like similar artists radios, music for dancing, the various cover of a song . . . .

    MADE Fashion Week for Impulse Only @ Macy's

    The premier showcase for New York's most cutting-edge talent, MADE Fashion Week now introduces a series of exciting new collections rooted in the city's culture, inspired by its people and informed by its streets. Available only at Macy's.
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    Apple: Unveiled. And Unbelievable WWDC June 10, 2013

    Explore the hardware, software, and services presented at WWDC.

    iOS 7 started with a desire to take an experience people love and make it better. To make it even simpler, more useful, and more enjoyable - but still feel instantly familiar. The design of iOS 7 is beautiful because it's all of those things. And it's the start of a new chapter for iOS

    All-new features
    Control Center, Airdrop for iOS, and smarter multitasking are just a few of the great new features in iOS 7. And all your favorite apps have been enhanced to make everything even easier to get to and use. So with iOS 7, not only is you device more capable, you are, too.
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    OS X Maverick
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    New Features For:
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    iTunes Radio
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    iTunes Radio is streaming radio with the best selection of music. It builds and brings together stations you'll love love from day one. All the more you listen, the more personalized your stations become. Turn it up this fall for free. It's radio re-imagined.

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    For more info visit Apple