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☆ Solo travel is my secret to a healthy marriage. Spending time apart reminds me of why we got married.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Hollie Mclaughlin-Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Solo travel is my secret to a healthy marriage. Solo travel allows me to slow down and remove the power that life's demands can have. When I travel solo, I am forced to sit with myself and examine things that are boiling under the surface. It could also be said that we have both developed new love languages thanks to solo travel; it has created new ways for us to connect. Rather than fend off questions like my coworker's, I smile to myself because solo travel is my secret to a happy marriage.

Persons: —, I've, Matt, we'd, shouldn't, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, San Francisco's Mission, San Locations: Patagonia, Peru, Jaipur, India, Beijing, China, Francisco, Lexington, San Francisco's, Colombia, Japan, Guatemala, San Francisco

AdvertisementHow to clean a window AC unitYou should clean your window air conditioner thoroughly at least once a year. AdvertisementHow to clean a window AC unit with moldDrago recommended a deep clean of your window AC unit if you discover mold, performing all of the abovementioned steps. AdvertisementHow to clean a window AC unit without removing itThe safest way to thoroughly clean your window air conditioner is to remove it from the window, but that's not always possible. Insider's takeawayCleaning your window air conditioner will extend its lifespan, ensure it functions properly, and save you money in energy costs. Consider a few of the picks from our best air conditioner guide:Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner (MAW08V1QWT) The Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner features a unique design that allows you to open the window when it's installed, and it's one of two ACs to earn Energy Star Most Efficient Certification.

Persons: Ray Bramble, Vincent Drago, James Brains, Drago, Bramble, you've, that's, it's Organizations: King, Energy, Amazon Locations: Aire, Central Shenandoah Valley, Westchester County , New York

☆ I stayed in a $290-a-night tiny home on an island 5 miles from Singapore. It was smaller than a parking space.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Erin Liam | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

During my three-day visit in August, I stayed at a tiny home by Tiny Away for one night. AdvertisementLaunched by a Singaporean tiny home startup called Big Tiny in May 2023, Tiny Away features five tiny houses that measure around 139 square feet each — or slightly smaller than an average parking space. Tiny Away is currently the only option for those who want to try tiny house living without going abroad. For one, there's a glamping resort on Lazarus Island that offers stays for a similar price to Tiny Away. But Tiny Away strikes me as ideal for guests looking for some solitude or a chance to experience the city-state minus all the high rises.

Persons: —, I'd, Tiny, Adrian Chia, Big Tiny, Erin Liam, Chia, cocker, Lazarus, Prudence Lai Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Singapore, New York City, Lazarus, Southern, Sentosa, Singapore's

☆ I was laid off and then got in a bad car crash. It was a dark time, but now I'm glad it happened.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Krystal Cano, a former tech recruiter who upskilled in AI while recovering from a car crash. AdvertisementI got in a bad car crash, and it would take a year to recoverWhen I returned home to Orange County, California, in March last year, I got into a bad car crash. I started watching webinars on AI to work on my personal development to prepare for future work. I'm glad I was laid offIf it wasn't for losing my job and the car crash, I don't think I would have reached this point in my life where I feel so strong.

Persons: —, Krystal Cano, I've, I'm, it's Organizations: Service, MIT, Business, NBA, Apple, Harvard Locations: DoorDash, El Salvador, Miami, Aruba, Orange County , California, Kobe Bryant

☆ EV charging company moves to clamp down on charger hogs
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

EV fast chargers – the big tall units that look like major appliances – aren’t generally designed to completely fill an EV’s batteries. A line of EVs wait to charge at Electrify America chargers in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on July 6. At 10 of the busiest EV fast charging stations in California, Electrify America has enacted a strict limit. There can also be other legitimate reasons a driver may want to charge to 100% at a fast charger, said Barrosa. Cases like these are why Electrify America probably won’t institute an overall charging cap at charging stations near major highways, he said.

Persons: Peter Valdes, unplug, Tesla’s, ”, Sara Rafalson, we’ve, Robert Barrosa, ’ ”, EVgo, EVgo’s Rafalson, Barrosa, let’s Organizations: CNN, Chevrolet Blazer, EV, Mercedes, Benz, Hyundai, Fiat, Mazda Locations: New York City, Bristol , Pennsylvania, Bristol, East Brunswick , New Jersey, EVs, America, California, America’s

☆ Why you should avoid 'quiet vacationing' to prevent burnout and boost productivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Nora Redmond | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"If you do take your vacation time, you're going to feel better at work," she said. "You're going to have more clarity around what you're doing." AdvertisementQuiet vacationing is not really vacationingFor Kraszewski, no employee should feel guilty about taking their PTO. She encouraged managers to talk about their vacations and be excited for staff about taking time off. "You need to unplug, you need to get off Zoom, and go and take that beach vacation," Kraszewski said.

Persons: —, Jennifer Kraszewski, they're, Kraszewski, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Employees

☆ I'm an American mom living in Denmark. Here families take a long summer vacation, and I'm still getting used to that.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Brooke Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm an American living in Denmark, and for the first time I am having to play by the cultural and legal rules of Danish summer vacation. When your child starts attending public school, schools close down during the summer period. In Denmark, enjoying a long summer vacation isn't just a perk — it's a right under the Danish Holiday Act, called Ferieloven. The Holiday Act says that employees should ideally inform their employers about their leave plans three months in advance for the main holiday period. AdvertisementNow that I'm a working parent in Denmark, I'm very grateful for getting to experience a new way of spending the summer holidays together with family.

Persons: I'm, I've, it's, Danes Organizations: Service, Danish Locations: Denmark, Danish, Wisconsin

That's despite respondents from both countries taking the most vacation days — 27 days and 29 days, respectively — in the survey. However, only 53% of Japanese said they feel "vacation deprived" compared to 65% of Americans, it showed. Expedia's report indicates that feeling "vacation deprived" has less to do with the actual time off one takes, and more to do with cultural mores around work and free time. Wasted vacation daysDespite most workers indicating they feel vacation deprived, respondents from nearly every location admitted to letting some of their annual leave lapse. "In 2024, 15% of Hong Kongers plan on taking 31 vacation days, exceeding the average allotted 25.5 days," said Hudson.

Persons: That's, Christie Hudson, Hudson, Hong Kongers, Hong Kong, Hong, Japan aren't Organizations: Expedia Locations: Japan, United States, France, Germany, Hong, Hong Kong

☆ Summer camps are cracking down on 'Sephora kids' by banning luxury skincare products
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Kagan said all the kids kept asking, "Can I bring my Sephora?" Related storiesBryn Mawr has become one of several ritzy sleepaway camps — including Camp Mataponi in Maine and Tyler Hill Camp in Pennsylvania — that have sent letters discouraging or explicitly banning luxury skincare products. AdvertisementJane Kagan, left, said she knew she had a problem when fourth and fifth graders were asking her about bringing their many skincare products to camp. Tali Shustik, whose 9-year-old daughter, Jett, attends Tyler Hill, said she was "thrilled" when she got the email from Siegel discouraging beauty products at camp. While Tyler Hill hasn't enacted an all-out ban, it allows campers to bring only the products they use regularly.

Persons: Jane Kagan, she's, Kagan, Stanley quenchers, Bryn Mawr, Camp Mataponi, Tyler, who's, Bryn Mawr's, Poconos, Wendy Siegel, Tyler Hill, Tali Shustik, Jett, Siegel, retinol, Shustik, I've, Rebekah Kondrat, she'd, Stanley, Kondrat, Mario Badescu, Jessica Newman, Scatico, Newman, Tyler Hill hasn't, glumly, Tali Shustik Rebecca Waxman Wuhl, Camp Canadensis, nonessential, Charlie, Ontario hadn't, I'm, Sol, It's, Dave Benett, pushback Organizations: Somerset Camp, Girls Locations: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Maine, Boca Raton , Florida, New York, Hudson, Florida, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ontario, Janeiro, Byoma

☆ Opinion: Five keys to unlocking a creative, restful life
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Opinion Tess Taylor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

If, like me, you’re wondering about how to rest more, and rest better, you’re in luck. What makes for a creative life? What’s left is creative work, whether we call it “creative” or not. For instance, being a preschool teacher or a social worker or a sales rep is creative work: It requires judgment, empathy, decision making and problem solving. People who flourish in stressful, demanding jobs are ones who have good boundaries between work life and their personal lives.

Persons: Tess Taylor, CNN — It’s, you’re, Tess Taylor Adrianne, —, unsustainably, Alex Soojung, Kim Pang, ”, Alex, Zoom, I’ve, Kim Pang Andreas Gebert, haven’t, It’s, I’m, What’s, I’d Organizations: “, CNN, Research Locations: Silicon Valley, Cambridge

☆ 'Quiet vacationing' shows how sad America's work culture has become
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, we're looking at why the rise of "quiet vacationing" shows the depressing state of America's work culture . If you're unfamiliar with the distinction, let me introduce you to a new workplace phrase: quiet vacationing . But Business Insider's Emily Stewart argues workers feeling too stressed to fully take time off is a sad example of America's work culture. The irony is that quiet vacationing could arguably put you in a worse position for your job these days.

Persons: —, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Slack, Emily Stewart, Martin Barraud, Wally Pipp, Pipp, Lou Gehrig, Wally Pipped, Alyssa Powell, Steve German, Arizona's, Mohamed El, Erian, China's, Brooks Kraft, They've, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Business, New York Yankees, American League, Yankees, Getty, Partners, Alfa Bank, YouTube, Foo Fighters, BI, Amazon, Bain & Company, Brooks Kraft LLC, Harvard, Hollywood . Media, Dell Locations: Arizona, Miami, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Russia, Hollywood, New York, London

☆ Travelers are going to extreme lengths to avoid scrolling and notification anxiety on vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Sarah Wood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Related storiesAccording to Cappel, their first two trips were filled, and all guests expressed interest in another "phone-free" trip. AdvertisementShe acknowledged that tech-free travel hasn't become completely mainstream, "People are still a little intimidated by the idea." The reasons for going phone-free when traveling varyOne popular motivation is for couples to spend quality time with their partners. Phone-free travel can also help with burnoutLast summer, nonprofit strategist Izzy Doonan did a tech-free week-long trip in the Cascades with her partner and another couple. FTLO provides the trip leaders' phone numbers and full itineraries with contact information to travelers to share with whoever might need it.

Persons: —, they're, Hector Hughes, Hughes, Tara Cappel, We're, Cappel, haven't, it's, Elena Mnayarji, Elena, Izzy Doonan, Doonan, wasn't, Mnayarji Organizations: Service, Business, Pew Research Center, Group, Berkeley, Logistics Locations: Thailand, Scottish, Mallorca, FTLO

☆ Examining Workforce Changes in AI, C-Suites, HR, and DEI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Business Insider's "Workforce Innovation" series will explore how our jobs are changing by digging into four themes: AI, the changing C-suite, worker well-being, and DEI. The board will be composed of C-suite leaders from HR, strategy, technology, and DEI. The C-suite is getting more crowded, and jobs like chief growth officer and chief AI officer are becoming more common. Increasing amounts of data and the emergence of AI, Wiggins told BI, require companies to have roles beyond chief information officer or chief technology officer. "The future of DEI," Lawless said, "does need to be more diffuse."

Persons: we're, it's, Daron Acemoglu, Cody O'Loughlin Acemoglu, Acemoglu, Ty Wiggins, Russell Reynolds, Wiggins, Georgie Clarke, It's, Carly Holm, Leah Smith, Holm, George Floyd's, Regina Lawless, Charles Schoenberger, Lawless, Gen Z Organizations: Innovation Board, DEI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Russell Reynolds Associates, World Health Organization, Business, Employers, Companies Locations: —

☆ Why this AI researcher thinks there's a 99.9% chance AI wipes us out
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For example, a recent study conducted with 2,700 AI researchers indicated there's only a 5% chance that AI will lead to human extinction. The AI researcher teaches computer science at the University of Louisville and just came out with a book called "AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable." Yampolskiy said he finds that unlikely since no AI model has been completely safe from people attempting to get the AI to do something it wasn't designed to do. AdvertisementGoogle AI Overviews, based on Google's Gemini AI model, is the latest product rollout that didn't stick the landing. The CEO of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, Sam Altman, has suggested a "regulatory sandbox" where people experiment with AI and regulate it based on what "went really wrong" and what went "really right."

Persons: —, Lex Fridman, Fridman, Roman Yampolskiy, Yampolskiy, they've, Biden, Sam Altman, Altman, there'll, ChatGPT, Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Service, Business, University of Louisville, Google Locations: Africa

☆ Most AI researchers say the chance it will wipe out humanity is pretty low. But this AI researcher pegs it at 99.9%
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Glen Powell ditched LA for Austin after taking advice from Matthew McConaughey. The city has become a relocation hub for single millennials.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Glen Powell moved to his hometown in Austin after living in LA for 15 years. Austin has become a popular relocation spot for millennials despite high house prices. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementGlen Powell said he left LA for Austin after Matthew McConaughey advised him to go somewhere "real" to "unplug." At the age of 19, Powell dropped out of the University of Texas in his hometown, Austin, and moved to LA to become an actor.

Persons: Glen Powell, Matthew McConaughey, Austin, —, Powell Organizations: Service, Austin, University of Texas, Business Locations: Austin, LA, Hollywood, California

☆ Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt has an easy solution to the terrifying idea of AI with free will
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

At VivaTech in Paris, Eric Schmidt shared some unsettling predictions about the dangers of AI. The former Google CEO said if computers developed free will, "we're going to unplug them." AdvertisementEric Schmidt made some unsettling predictions Wednesday about AI while speaking at the annual VivaTech conference in Paris. Schmidt acknowledged that the development of AI posed dangers but said the biggest threats hadn't arrived yet. If and when those threats do materialize, Schmidt seems to think the world will have a way to deal with it.

Persons: Eric Schmidt, —, he's, Schmidt, hadn't Organizations: Google, Service, Business Locations: VivaTech, Paris

☆ Credit Cards Are Smarter: Better Fraud Detection, No Travel Alerts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

I don't know how JPMorgan Chase knew that I would spend $200 on Botox in Argentina, but it did. It's great that banks and credit-card companies are getting better at discerning which payments are fraudulent and which are legit. Credit-card fraud protection is still far from perfect, but there's no denying that the technology is improving. So I reached out to some credit-card companies and academics to learn more. But it's cool that companies really are making fraud detection better, especially in a world where fraudsters themselves are constantly getting better.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, it's, Nilson, We've, that's, Tina Eide, Eide, Mike Lemberger, they've, Lemberger, here's, Yann, Aël Le Borgne, Gianluca Bontempi, Bontempi, I'd, Le Borgne, somebody's, Emily Stewart Organizations: Citibank, JPMorgan, Federal Trade Commission, American Express, Netflix, Libre de Bruxelles, Companies, Visa, Citi, Business Locations: California, Buenos Aires, Botox, Argentina, North America, Belgium, Lemberger

☆ Earth is bracing for a 'severe' geomagnetic storm and it probably won't be the last for this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NOAA has forecasted a "severe" geomagnetic storm to hit Earth this Friday, triggering aurora borealis. This storm comes as we approach solar maximum: the peak of solar activity during the sun's 11-year cycle. As a result, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare forecast for a "severe" G4 geomagnetic storm to hit Earth this Friday. NASADuring solar maximum, the sun develops more and larger sunspots, like the ones in region 3664, compared to quieter periods of solar activity. Severe geomagnetic storms like the one forecasted to hit this Friday are rare.

Persons: —, It's, Alex Young, NASA Goddard's, Young, Lance King Organizations: NOAA, Service, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NASA, NASA Goddard's Heliophysics, Getty Locations: Alaska, Northern

☆ He visited Italy for the first time and bought a house within 24 hours
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I had been to various countries in the European Union on several occasions but never Italy, though it was on my list. Millet says that he began planning to travel to Italy to buy a house back in 2019, but was thwarted by Covid-19. “The prices of the houses were super-attractive, especially coming from the Los Angeles area, and the Latronico properties were for the most part in good shape. “At the end of the day, I bought my place and began thinking about renovations and the future,” he adds. Sunset cocktailsThe house Millet bought has only one bedroom but came with two large basements.

Persons: you’re Paul Millet, you’ve, Millet, ”, “, Covid, he’d, Paul Millet, he'll, Vincenzo Castellano, Latronico, ” Millet, Vincenzo Castellano Millet, Latronico’s peacefulness, “ It’s, I’ve, “ Franca, he’s, “ That’s, Latronico’s, Castellano Organizations: CNN, European Union, ” Locations: Italy, Italy’s Basilicata, Los Angeles, Basilicata, Ireland, Latronico, LA, Maui

☆ My husband and I were excited to take a trip to Europe after becoming empty nesters. But I struggled to let go of work.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Kelli Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But it was surprisingly hard to enjoy the lead-up to the trip as a business owner. Just like the motion of pulling my arm back, stepping back from work propelled my business forward. I knew what work I was excited to return to, and I decided to realign on the work that no longer excited me.

Persons: —, Hailey, unplugging, I'd, Greece's, Tonya Organizations: Service, Greece's Panathenaic Locations: Greece, Italy, Venice

☆ More than a third of teens say they spend too much time on their phones, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Around 40% of teenagers say they have cut back on their time on social media, according to a report published Monday by the Pew Research Center. Nearly the same proportion of teens acknowledge that they spend “too much” time on their smartphones (38%) and social media (27%). However, some revealed mixed emotions, as 44% of the teens surveyed said they feel anxious when they’re without their phones. Many parents also say they are keeping tabs on their teens’ smartphone and social media use, with half of parent respondents reporting they’ve looked through their children’s phones, particularly parents of younger teens. (And in most cases, their children seem to know it: 43% of teen respondents said their parents had looked through their phones.)

Persons: Vivek Murthy, Monday’s Pew, they’re, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Pew Research, Pew, American Psychological Association Locations: New York

☆ Singapore InterContinental Hotel will pay you if it rains on your vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

But one hotel in the Lion City is taking a gamble to ensure that rain doesn’t spoil its guests’ holidays. The InterContinental Singapore’s “Rain Resist Bliss” package will reimburse one night of a guest’s stay if one of their planned activities ends up getting rained out. The money comes in the form of a voucher, which must be spent at the InterContinental Singapore within one week, and the amount you get is equivalent to one night’s stay in your room category. Special packages like these can be a way for an established hotel to stand out from the pack. In Bali, one hotel banned smartphones and other electronics by the pool as a way to encourage guests to unplug and relax.

Persons: “ , what’s, Andreas Kraemer, Organizations: CNN, InterContinental, Asian Civilizations Museum, Tiger Brewery, Hyatt Locations: Singapore, Lion, InterContinental Singapore, Bali, Hyatt New York

☆ I've taken my kids, 6 and 12, on dozens of camping trips. I enjoy them more than traditional vacations.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Saba Khonsari | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The simplicity of our camping trips gives me room to rest and reset, and we connect more. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In the fall of 2020, during the height of pandemic hobby acquisition, our family of four set out on our first car camping trip. It's now three years later, and in the time since, we've been on over two dozen camping trips. There is always an element of inconvenience and discomfort in camping, even the rudimentary car camping we do.

Persons: we've, —, It's, I've, Saba Khonsari, Saba Organizations: Service, Huntsville Locations: Costa Rican, rejuvenating

☆ Don't dry your damp iPhone in a bowl of rice, Apple says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Is your iPhone wet? Apple's new support doc says rice can actually cause more damage to your iPhone. AdvertisementHave you ever been told to put your iPhone in a bowl of rice after accidentally dropping it in the sink or — even worse — toilet? After that, store the phone in a dry area where there's some airflow for at least 30 minutes, then try charging it. Nevertheless, your wet phone may still have a likely chance of surviving.

Persons: —, Apple, Apple didn't Organizations: Service, Apple, Business

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