Author: openjargon

• Apple's Find My feature started from an intern's idea to track lost devices.
• It began with the Find My iPhone app, announced at the 2009 Worldwide Developers Conference.
• The feature evolved to include Find My Friends and AirTags for all Apple devices.

If you've ever done the dreaded pat-down of your pockets when you realized your phone is missing, Apple's Find My feature has probably been a lifesaver.

And according to Apple's senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, the company's idea for the feature was found through surprisingly humble origins.

Cue, in an interview with tech YouTuber Safwan AhmedMia (better known by his moniker SuperSaf), said that the company's Find My ecosystem was actually started by an intern.

The now ubiquitous tool for more forgetful users "started with the idea of somebody losing their phone on the couch," Cue said. After an intern recognized the universal panic of misplacing your phone, the company worked to develop a solution.

"I remember one of the first things was if you have your phone in silent mode, it better override silent mode, or you're not going to see it," he said.

The original Find My iPhone app was first announced in 2009 during Apple's 26th Worldwide Developers Conference. It was released the following year alongside the iPhone OS 3, initially only available to members of Apple's now-defunct paid MobileMe service.

With the introduction of iCloud in 2011, it became free for all users. Later that year, the feature was extended to Macs with "Find My Mac" and has since become preinstalled on all iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.

And now it's not just for lost devices but people and, say, misplaced luggage.

"Look at where it's led to," Cue said. "It went to Find My Friends to now AirTags because you're finding your suitcase somewhere in the airport."

Find My Friends, which allows users to share their locations with each other, was announced in 2011 on the day before Steve Jobs' death.

Ten years later, the AirTag was released, allowing people to trace personal items with the physical tracking device that's now popular for luggage, keys, and other accessories.

Other companies have introduced similar tech, including Google, which announced earlier this April that its own Find My Device feature would now be available for Android phones and tablets.

But when it comes to Apple, "this is a great example of one where you go, 'Well sure, that's pretty easy. It didn't take a genius to think that,'" Cue said. "But nobody thought of it until we did it."

• My parents taught me about the joys of sports and exercise; they also joined in on the fun.
• As an adult, I am still athletic, and I'm a yoga teacher; I thank my parents for that. 
• I tell my yoga students they didn't need to start young like me; they just need to stick with it.

When I became a yoga teacher four years ago, I noticed that people always asked me the same questions — the most prominent being, "How did you get started?"

At first, I was taken aback because I had never considered it. My parents were athletic people who signed us up for sports the second we were old enough. Trying out every activity — from tee-ball to karate, horseback riding to weight lifting — our parents encouraged us to give it a shot if we showed any interest in the new endeavor. Sure, I went on a short hiatus now and then or changed up the activity, but I never stopped moving my body.

With that constant movement, I found the habit bleeding into my everyday life. I find random times in the day to stretch if my body hurts or for fun because I am bored and the kettle takes too long. But that is what I have done since I was a kid. I intentionally or unintentionally physically move when possible because it feels good. And I have my parents to thank for teaching me that.

My parent's relationship with fitness shaped my views on how to take care of myself

My parents are still active in their day-to-day lives. My father started on the track team as a pole vaulter, and my mother was a cheerleader. He has since moved on to daily stretching and lifting to strengthen his body, as his job as a mechanic is highly labor intensive. My mother still loves to dance and practices Zumba, whether in person or online. She is also open to trying out a new sport, like rock climbing, when her kids bully her into it.

The big difference is that not only did my parents tell us that physical exercise was necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but they also took the time to join the fun. My mother went roller skating with us, and my father spent his weekends teaching me to pitch when I thought I wanted to leave cheerleading for softball. They encouraged our relationship to fitness and participated in the activities with us.

I started yoga at 13 because I desperately wanted to improve my cheerleading skills. I had gone to cheerleading camp for the first time and was floored when I learned that you could make a living as a National Cheerleader Associate (NCA) camp counselor. I had found my dream job, and with it, I knew I needed to step up my game if I was going to compete on that level.

My parents encouraged me every step of the way, and I spent six years trying to make this dream a reality. But in the end, even with all my training in weight lifting, yoga, and gymnastics, my dream didn't come to fruition, and I traded in my pom-poms. I still kept the habit of exercising, though. It was just the norm. Even though I had left the team setting, I still made time in my daily schedule to train.

I am now passing on what I have learned

When people asked, "How did you get started," my initial answer was, "Oh, I just started as a kid." I shrugged it off as if there was no challenge for me to show up day in and day out to challenge my body in uncomfortable positions. It bummed people out. This leads to their follow-up question, "Why should I start now when I'm behind?" My intention was not to discourage anyone; the best part about yoga is that it isn't a competitive sport against one another but an opportunity to improve one's balance between mind and body.

Since then, I have changed my response to: "Oh, I started when I was younger. But when you start, isn't important; that fact that you stick to it is what matters." I want to take the focus off the past of "I should have started sooner" and make sure students focus on the fact that they need to stick with it because even if they started as kids, that would not benefit them in the future if they have given up on movement.

My parents didn't teach me that I needed to start young to be an athletic adult. They taught me that I needed to follow my passions and stick with them for as long as they gave me joy.

One does not need athletic parents to live an athletic life. With resources like YouTube, you can access unlimited tutorials and courses and hundreds of hours of free material where you can pick any activity you wish and find someone ecstatic to teach you.

• Vladimir Putin is seeking to grind out a victory in Ukraine.
• But its coming at a massive cost in casualties. 
• A Ukrainian officer said Russia lost 5,000 troops in battles for a district.

Russia's war of attrition in Ukraine is coming at a huge cost in killed and injured troops, with a Ukrainian official claiming Russia suffered 5,000 casualties in battles for one neighborhood alone.

Ukrainian defense official Lieutenant General Ivan Havrylyuk, in an essay published in Ukrainian outlet NV on July 9, discussed the possibility of a new Ukrainian counteroffensive to drive back Russian forces occupying territory in the south and east of Ukraine.

In the article, Havrylyuk claimed that Russia would likely have trouble sustaining the initiative in the conflict using its manpower and equipment advantages.

Havrylyuk pointed to massive Russian casualties he said its military was sustaining, claiming that 5,000 Russian troops were killed or injured in battles for control of a single district in the strategically vital town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, east Ukraine.

The hilltop town has been the scene of ferocious fighting in recent weeks, with Russian forces managing to seize control of a district last week.

Havrylyuk didn't name the district, but the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said he was likely referring to the Kanal Microraion neighborhood.

Business Insider was unable to independently verify the casualty figures given by Havrylyuk, but other reports and statements by officials indicate that Russia is also suffering high casualties in its campaign in the Kharikiv region in northern Ukraine.

Russia is launching head-on "meat assault" attacks on Ukrainian positions using waves of troops with UK intelligence claiming that Russia's casualties in May spiked to its highest point in the war, with its military losing around 1,200 men a day.

Havrylyuk said that people were seen as expendable by Putin in his mission to conquer Ukraine, but economic issues and problems supplying its troops with ammunition and equipment could soon blunt its campaign.

The ISW said that high casualties were part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy to grind out a victory in Ukraine through a war of attrition.

"The recent increase in reports of entire Russian units becoming combat ineffective due to losses highlights the tactics on which Russian forces are relying on to pursue Putin's theory of a slow, gradual, grinding victory in Ukraine," it said.

• Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, belonged to three elite New York City families.
• Completed in 1842, the Gothic Revival mansion spans 14,000 square feet.
• The Max show "The Gilded Age" was filmed inside the mansion and on the 67-acre grounds.

Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, once belonged to three of New York City's wealthiest, most elite families. Now, it's a museum and an occasional film set for the Max show "The Gilded Age."

Located around 26 miles from New York City, the mansion was built by former New York City mayor William Paulding Jr. and completed in 1842. It was subsequently purchased by merchant George Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay Gould.

Take a look inside the historic home, including a behind-the-scenes look at its onscreen appearances in "The Gilded Age."

Once a lavish summer escape for New York City's elite families, Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, is now a museum.

I booked an hourlong Classic Mansion Tour, which costs $25 and visits 16 rooms. The full list of tour offerings is available on Lyndhurst Mansion's website.

Seasons one and two of the Max show "The Gilded Age" were filmed inside Lyndhurst Mansion and on the 67-acre grounds.

On "The Gilded Age," Lyndhurst appears as the home of characters Charles and Aurora Fane, played by Ward Horton and Kelli O'Hara.

The estate grounds also served as Sheep Meadow in Central Park in the show.

Other grand New York homes from the period also serve as film sets for the show. An ornate library at Hempstead House in Long Island, for example, is used for George Russell's office.

The Carriage House, where horses were fed and groomed, is now the museum's Welcome Center.

Built in the 1860s, the carriage house's horse stables have been reimagined as booths.

The gift shop was once the tack room where bridles and saddles were kept.

The original metal hooks on the walls that once held saddlery now help display the assortment of clothes, accessories, and other merchandise sold in the gift shop.

Part of the Carriage House was also transformed into The New York Globe office for "The Gilded Age."

The New York Globe was a Black newspaper founded by Timothy Thomas Fortune, played by Sullivan Jones in "The Gilded Age."

When the show isn't filming there, the space functions as a screening room in the Welcome Center.

Visitors can watch an educational video about Lyndhurst Mansion and its history.

The tour began outside the mansion, where our guide spoke about the three families that owned the property: the Pauldings, the Merritts, and the Goulds.

In 1836, former New York City mayor William Paulding and his wife, New York real-estate heiress Maria Rhinelander Paulding, purchased the land overlooking the Hudson River to build a summer home.

Architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed the home and much of its furniture. Construction began in 1838 and was completed in 1842.

In 1864, the Pauldings' son sold the mansion to George Merritt, who made his fortune as the patent holder of a rubber spring used in railroad cars, and his wife, Julia. The Merritts rehired Davis to design an addition to the home, doubling its square footage.

After George's death, Julia sold it in 1880 to Jay Gould, a railroad tycoon and businessman who was one of the wealthiest figures of the Gilded Age, and his wife, Helen Day Miller. Adjusted for inflation, his net worth totaled approximately $71.2 billion.

Gould's daughter, Helen Gould, then took ownership of the property, followed by his youngest daughter, Anna Gould, who married a French aristocrat and spent most of her adult life abroad. After her death, Anna left the Lyndhurst estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which manages the site today.

The name "Lyndhurst" came from the Linden trees that the Merritts planted on the property.

The Linden trees still grow on the grounds today.

We then moved into the porte-cochère, the enclosed doorway where residents boarded and disembarked from horse-drawn carriages.

The Merritts had Davis enclose the open porte-cochère from the Pauldings' era of the house with floor-to-ceiling doors and windows and construct a second porte-cochère outside.

The grand entryway featured a marble floor and four closets.

Closets were a sign of wealth, indicating that the owners could afford to use a room's valuable real estate for storage, the tour guide said.

The walls and the ceiling looked like marble, but they were actually handpainted plaster, another sign of wealth.

The Merritts could have afforded real marble, but it was more expensive to decorate with faux finishing than actual stone, making it a status symbol for their wealth.

The Parlor, also known as the Drawing Room, was used for family gatherings and entertaining.

All of the furniture is original to the Pauldings, the home's first owners from 1842, except for the cabinet in the bay window.

A portrait of George Washington hung in a corner of the Parlor.

The piece was painted by American artist Rembrandt Peale.

"The Gilded Age" transformed the room for scenes in the show, though the same blue patterned carpet is still visible.

"The Gilded Age" brought all of its own furniture in for filming since the existing furniture pieces are valuable artifacts original to the home.

The formal Dining Room, added as part of the Merritts' renovation, featured a hexagon-shaped table designed by Davis.

Staff prepared food in a downstairs kitchen, brought it up on a dumbwaiter, and plated it in a butler's pantry off to the side of the room.

The fireplace was made of red-grain marble, but its columns were handpainted with a marble pattern over plaster and wood.

The walls were also hand-stenciled to look like they were covered with leather wallpaper.

The Dining Room featured stunning views of the Hudson River.

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge would not have been visible in the Gilded Age since it was completed in 2018.

Scenes from "The Gilded Age" were shot in the Dining Room.

The Dining Room appears in episode three of the first season of "The Gilded Age."

One of the mansion's grandest rooms was the enormous Art Gallery on the second floor.

Priceless paintings covered nearly every surface of the walls.

The Pauldings originally used the room as a library.

When the Merritts moved in, they turned the Pauldings' old dining room into their library and built the new dining room as part of the expansion.

The Lyndhurst guide called Gould's art collection "one of the finest intact Gilded Age art collections in the country."

Gould's collection included pieces from French, German, and Spanish artists.

The State Bedroom off the Art Gallery was considered the best guest room in the house.

The room featured a Tiffany & Co. stained-glass window.

A bathroom in the hallway was furnished with pink double sinks sourced from Trenton, New Jersey.

The bathroom also included a claw-foot tub and rain-style shower.

Gould's daughter, Anna Gould, redecorated her late sister Helen's girlhood room and turned it into a guest room.

Anna Gould continued to sleep in her childhood bedroom when she visited Lyndhurst.

Before electricity, Lyndhurst's wealthy residents used speaking tubes in the walls to communicate with servants.

The tubes connected to the butler's pantry downstairs.

Back downstairs, the estate office contained one of the mansion's most valuable artifacts: Gould's "laptop."

Gould's 100-pound Wooton desk, known today as his "laptop," held all of his business paperwork and accompanied him to work in New York City every day.

Gould refused to take the railroad to work because it was owned by his archrivals, the Vanderbilts.

Even though the railroad passed right by Lyndhurst Mansion, Gould commuted with his desk down the Hudson River on his steam yacht called the Atalanta. The journey took around 45 minutes.

The Vanderbilts also owned a mansion upstate during the Gilded Age in Hyde Park, New York.

Once the mansion tour concluded, the guide encouraged us to spend some time exploring the grounds.

The property is full of walking trails, gardens, and scenic picnic spots with views of the Hudson.

I could see why the estate stood in for Central Park in "The Gilded Age."

The wooded paths, park benches, and grass lawns looked just like Central Park.

While walking along the river, I stopped inside the bowling alley built for Helen Gould in 1894.

The bowling alley can be rented for special events where guests bowl with the lightest possible balls to help preserve the historic space, according to The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Lyndhurst Mansion and its sprawling estate are worth a visit even if you've never seen "The Gilded Age."

With so many notable residents and original furnishings, the home preserves the opulence of the real Gilded Age.

• "My Lady Jane" is Prime Video's answer to "Bridgerton."
• Both are historical romance shows set in an alternate version of the past.
• But while "Bridgerton" might be losing steam, "My Lady Jane" is red hot.

If you, like many others, were feeling a bit let down by the highly anticipated third season of Netflix's streaming sensation "Bridgerton," we have the show for you.

All eight episodes of "My Lady Jane" dropped on Prime Video on June 27. Since then, the show's following has only grown.

The response from critics and audiences has been overwhelmingly positive — every day since the show's premiere, outlets such as Slate, Forbes, and Variety have published glowing reviews. It is holding steady in the streaming charts, and it boasts a 93% critics score and an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, "Bridgerton" has an 84% and a 73%, respectively.

But what makes it a better hang than "Bridgerton"? Let's discuss.

The premise is deranged in the best way

What, exactly, is "My Lady Jane" about? We're glad you asked. The show, which is based on a young adult novel of the same name, is an alternate retelling of the events immediately following King Edward VI's death in 1553.

And while all the palace intrigue, scheming, and feminist reclamation of Jane Grey — known in history as the Nine-Day Queen — are delightful, the true fun comes from one small but significant detail: This world is populated by shapeshifters.

It's hilarious watching Jane (played by Emily Bader) discover her new husband Guildford (Edward Bluemel) — whom she detests — can turn into a horse at night.

Yes, a horse.

Shows like "The Great" and "Bridgerton" are simply not giving you people who turn into horses, hawks, or bears. In those shows, everyone is a plain old human.

The chemistry between Jane and Guildford is sizzling

Some of the discourse around the third season of "Bridgerton" is that the chemistry between Penelope and Colin, played by the extremely charming Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, wasn't always as powerful as it was between other characters in prior seasons.

What was missing? Well, for some, the friends-to-lovers trope isn't the most satisfying. Others might point to the fact that Colin's yearning didn't quite convince us that he was a truly tortured soul like all the best romantic leads are.

If either critic sounds like you, buckle in for Guildford and Jane. These two have witty banter that hasn't been seen on screen since perhaps Kate and Anthony on season two of "Bridgerton" (and we'd argue Jane and Guildford are still superior).

The enemies-to-lovers trope has never been stronger. And the way that Guildford runs around brooding about his relationship — and his predicament of turning into a literal horse — is giving Mr. Darcy.

It's impossible to watch these two without giggling and kicking your feet.

But there's more to the show than romance

The world of "My Lady Jane" is populated by multiple complex and compelling characters who are all vying for the throne in some way. In other romance shows, supporting characters and their respective plots can sometimes feel superfluous. Did anyone really care if Will Mondrich kept his club on "Bridgerton" this season?

While the relationship between Jane and Guildford is a huge part of the show, there's a lot more going on in this universe.

The shapeshifters, known as Ethians, are a persecuted population, forced to live in the woods and scavenge for food. Anytime an Ethian is caught by someone from the palace, it's almost certainly a death sentence. The Ethians' resistance is one of the most compelling arcs on the show.

You also have Jane's complicated relationship with her mother, Guildford's conniving (and hilarious) father and brother, Jane's best friend who's secretly been an Ethian this whole time, and the mystery of who wants King Edward dead … and that's somehow not all.

Think "The Great" meets "Game of Thrones" meets shapeshifting.

There's actual queer representation, and it didn't take years to get there

One of the biggest criticisms across "Bridgerton's" three seasons, and of many historical shows in general, is that they are overwhelmingly straight. It took until season three for Benedict to be revealed as, at the very least, bisexual and to tease an updated WLW relationship for Francesca in the future.

Not so for "My Lady Jane." While we won't spoil exactly who the queer character is, we will say that they figure it out almost immediately, and they do not have a tragic ending with a love interest dying.

This show is marked safe from the "bury your gays" trope.

But most of all, it's just fun

Things can get a little heavy while watching a historical show, even in comedies like "The Great" and "Dickinson." "Bridgerton" and "Queen Charlotte" for all their ridiculous fashion and anachronistic covers of Taylor Swift's songs, are straight-up tearjerkers sometimes.

But "My Lady Jane" never stops with the laughs. Jane's mother and Guildford's father are consistently firing off a cackle-worthy zinger. The omniscient narrator is always cheeky, and the physical comedy from Kate O'Flynn as Princess Mary and Dominic Cooper as Lord Seymour is admirable.

If you want to watch a young woman come into her own without being really worried for her safety, "My Lady Jane" is the perfect summer binge. It's time to check it out — we need a season two.

• 56% of Democrats want the president to step aside, compared to 42% that want him to keep fighting.
• Biden's battle against Trump remains deadlocked, with the two tied at 46% of the popular vote.
• The new numbers undercut Biden's insistence that calls to bow out are only coming from the elite.

A new poll from the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos found that most Democrats want Joe Biden to bow out of the race, undermining his insistence that the calls to step aside are only coming from the elite. But his match-up against Donald Trump remains deadlocked, with the two men tied at 46% of the popular vote among registered voters.

The poll was conducted between July 5 and July 9, but the numbers comparing Biden and Trump remain identical to those from April. These findings, however, are an anomaly, as eight other post-debate polls show Trump with an average 3.5 percentage point edge, compared to 1 percentage point before the debate.

More concerning for Biden is the indication that everyday Americans are doubting his abilities — the poll found that 56% of Democrats want him to step aside compared to 42% that want him to keep fighting. Among adults, two out of three say he should drop out. Among independents? Seven out of ten.

The wavering support is, unsurprisingly, seemingly linked to Biden's age and mental fitness. In April, 23% of respondents said Biden is mentally sharper than Trump; in July, only 14% could say the same.

Despite Biden's exercise routines — five days a week, according to his doctor earlier this year — only 13% of those polled said Biden is more physically healthy, compared to 20% before the debate. Overall, 85% of voters polled said Biden is simply too old to serve, up four percentage points from April. Most people told pollsters that both Biden and Trump are too old for another term, reflecting general disillusionment with the candidates.

Third party candidates don't meaningfully change the dynamics of the race, the poll found, and the two men are virtually tied with independents. Trump pulls 42% of them, compared to Biden's 40%.

As to the question of Biden's possible replacement, the poll found more support for Kamala Harris than other Democratic options. Harris does particularly well with Black Americans, but faces challenges with the general electorate. Still, she beats Trump in a head-to-head battle, earning 49% of the vote to his 47%, though the difference is not statistically significant.

A racial divide persists among Biden supporters as well, with 63% of Black Democrats saying he should stay and 64% of white Democrats saying he should leave. Similar dynamics are playing out in Congress, where Biden is relying on the support of Black senators and representatives.

Biden has framed his recent challenges as coming from the top: big donors, elected officials, the Democrats with a capital D. The new numbers, however, jolt that narrative and demonstrate dissatisfaction among most of the party's fractured base.

• Joe Biden will host his first live press conference since his disastrous debate.
• It will be a massive litmus test in his reelection campaign.
• Supporters argue he'll silence critics, but the dam could break on calls for him to drop out.

Tonight will be a massive litmus test for Joe Biden's reelection campaign — and his critics are ready to pounce.

The president will host an unscripted live press conference to conclude the NATO summit in Washington DC.

The beleaguered president — whose disastrous debate has sparked fallout within the Democratic party and cemented Donald Trump's lead in battleground states — will take questions from reporters live at 6:30 pm ET.

All eyes will be on Biden's performance. The last time voters saw the president live and unscripted was at the debate, where his mumbling voice, frozen stare, and at-times-incoherent answers fueled doubts he is up to the task of taking on Donald Trump.

Biden loyalists are framing tonight's presser as a way for the president — who has repeatedly vowed to stay in the race — to silence his critics.

But calls for him to drop out are growing, and it's possible the dam could break after tonight.

Nancy Pelosi recently urged Democrats to "hold off" on publicly discussing Biden's candidacy until the NATO summit concludes.

"You don't have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week," Pelosi said Wednesday on Morning Joe.

The president hasn't held a solo news conference for eight months, The New York Times reports, though Biden did sit down for a recorded interview with George Stephanopoulos the week after the debate.

Stephanopoulos was later caught on video saying he didn't believe the president could serve four more years.

The Times reports a White House planning document for the presser lays out potential questions Biden may be asked, including about his age and mental health, calls for him to drop out, and why he wants to stay in the race.

Meanwhile, pressure is growing for Biden to step aside.

Polling reportedly shows Biden is trailing badly in swing states, and even Democratic strongholds like New York are starting to crack.

On Wednesday, movie star and Democratic super donor George Clooney wrote an op-ed calling for Biden to quit and said his performance at the debate wasn't a one-off.

"It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote in the The New York Times. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Biden's team pushed back by saying Biden has more stamina than Clooney.

Axios also reported that some of Biden's biggest allies — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi — privately say they'd be open to him dropping out.

And by Wednesday night, a sitting US senator had called on Biden to get out of the race.

Thursday's press conference will be a chance for Biden to show he's capable of a vigorous campaign against Trump, a man that he and Democrats call an existential threat to democracy.

But any slip-up may be the excuse wary Democrats need to push them over the edge — and spark a mass public revolt against Biden's candidacy.

• Carnival Corp experienced record bookings in the second quarter of 2024. 
• Its latest and 27th ship, Carnival Firenze, is a great budget option.
• But the food was mediocre, and the enticing upcharges could quickly push guests past their budget.

I love falling for the hype, whether it be clawing for a table at a new buzzy restaurant or queueing for a limited-edition clothing drop.

Unfortunately, the one craze I can't get fully behind is Carnival, specifically its new 5,245-guest Carnival Firenze ship. Because as much as I like a bargain, I love a quality vacation more.

Carnival's floating hotels have never been this popular. Bookings for the rest of 2024 are "the best on record" with higher occupancy rates, fares, returning cruisers, and new guests compared to the year prior, the cruise line's parent company, Carnival Corp, said in its second-quarter earnings report in June.

And it's looking like business will only get better from here, with the cruise giant already reporting stronger booking levels at higher prices for its 2025 voyages.

Carnival is beloved in part for its affordability.

Like other cruising powerhouses, Carnival Corp has been raising ticket prices amid a boom in demand. But even with this jump in fares, its eponymous cruise line's cheapest 2024 itinerary starts at just $246 per person for a three-night Australia sailing on Carnival Luminosa.

To compare, competitor Norwegian Cruise Line's most affordable three-nighter in 2024 is $553 per person for a Caribbean voyage, while Royal Caribbean International's is $352 per person for a roundtrip cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico.

With these price differences, it's easy to see why travelers have been clawing at Carnival's voyages.

Inflation has been hard on many American's household finances.

So, if you can afford to travel this year, wouldn't you want to spend your precious, hard-earned cash on an enjoyable and relaxing vacation — instead of one that could have you stressing about your budget throughout the day?

Carnival acquired Firenze and its sister ship from fellow Carnival Corp-owned Costa Cruises in 2022.

Two years (including a two-month dry dock) later, the Italy-themed ship's naming ceremony was held in early April, "triggering a step up in bookings," Josh Weinstein, the president and CEO of Carnival Corp, told analysts in late June.

Firenze set sail on its maiden voyage shortly after, marking the 27th vessel to join the cruise line's fleet.

The new ship's fares may be relatively affordable, but you get what you pay for.

Firenze's cheapest 2024 itinerary is a four-night roundtrip voyage from its homeport in Long Beach, California, to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, starting at $90 per person and day.

It's the same sailing I did, although I paid double that for my solo interior cabin booked last-minute.

The complimentary food was second-rate, but the free, family-friendly amenities were plentiful, and there were ample opportunities to splurge.

About half of the ship's 16 dining venues are complimentary, a ratio that's become increasingly commonplace on new mass-market cruise ships.

But there are some caveats to Firenze's list.

Two free eateries — the salad bar and grill — were closed until the last day. Others, like the pizza stand and buffet, had tempting up-charged dishes.

Some new cruise ships have complimentary food as good as, if not better, than the specialty restaurants.

But none of Firenze's free meals wowed me — even in the main dining rooms, where I had all my dinners.

Crowds assembled in front of the restaurant's doors every night before opening. But the hype never matched the quality.

My fried calamari was chewy, the desserts were too sweet, and I found a piece of plastic in my clams and linguini.

Kids could love the dining experience.

Service was interrupted nightly by some variation of a loud announcement, louder music, photo ops with pirates, or, on one night, a waitress who serenaded the restaurant with her rendition of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.

It was confusing and jarring but, for the most part, entertaining.

The dinner buffet served the same dishes as the dining rooms.

But it wasn't exactly a hot spot for great food during the day. Nor was it pristine, thanks to some of the stained booths.

The honey mustard dressing from the lunchtime salad bar was unbearably sweet. But at least it was edible, unlike the dry-as-a-rock chicken.

You could stroll to the buffet's chicken wings station for better poultry options — where you'll pay $5 for six pieces.

Popular cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival have been increasingly outfitting their newest ships with pay-to-play amenities. Even then, I've never seen a cruise buffet with paid options.

Breakfast at the buffet and dining rooms were average.

The same goes for the breakfast burrito at the Italian-Mexican fusion kiosk.

Annoyingly, if you want a vegan breakfast from the dining room, you must order it the night before.

But if your only requirement is a quick morning meal, I suggest grabbing one of the biscuit sandwiches from the chicken stand, which becomes an upcharged seafood shack at night.

You'll have to pay $4.50 for a morning latte with your breakfast sandwich.

The buffet has free black coffee, Lipton, and Bigelow's green tea. If you're craving any other pick-me-up, you'll have to buy it at the onboard coffee shop.

For lunch, there's the pizza, Guy Fieri-branded burger, and Italian sandwich stands.

If you didn't second-guess your budget for the buffet's chicken wings, you might at the pizza stand. The $6 teriyaki chicken and Korean barbecue steak pies could catch your eye amid the sea of free pepperoni and four-cheese slices.

Fortunately, there were no paid options at the burger or Italian sandwich counters. Grabbing a plate at the latter will involve playing a round of sauce roulette, with the truffle mayo being one of the yummier bites on the ship and the salsa verde being one of the worst things I've eaten recently.

The grilled vegetables at La Strada Grill were a divine and necessary counterpart to the ship's heavy meals.

Unfortunately, the open-air stand remained closed until the final afternoon of the voyage.

In retrospect, I wish I had paid for the specialty restaurants. Maybe my meals would've been more memorable.

I could've spent $40 for the teppanyaki lunch or snacked on the $1.50-a-piece empanadas.

A $30 sushi boat dinner for two didn't sound too bad, either.

But would it still be a truly budget cruise if you end up splurging on specialty dining?

After all, a 2024 Firenze cruise starts at $90 per person and day, and dinner at the steakhouse would add another $50 to that day's cost.

There are plenty of free, family-friendly amenities.

Competing cruise lines have started charging for simple activities like mini-golf. (I'm looking at you, Norwegian).

But besides the arcade, none of the ship's top-deck amenities required additional payments.

You could spend all day at the mini-golf course, adrenaline-pumping ropes course, sports court, and waterslides without paying a cent. If that gets boring, there are foosball and ping-pong tables, too.

I've seen flashier versions of these amenities on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ships. But unlike its competition, all of Firenze's were free.

Or, you could spend your time splashing around the two pools.

The indoor one doubles as the nighttime movie theater, where you'll encounter your next budget roadblock — $4 bags of popcorn.

Movie time snacks aside, there are more than enough free activities to keep your family entertained during sea days, especially if you plan on catching nighttime shows like the "Dear Future Husband" song-and-dance production.

Onboard programming like trivia, dance classes, and karaoke also helps pass the time, free of charge.

But if you're on a budget, I suggest avoiding the "Deal or No Deal" game show, which starts at $25. And if you plan on joining the afternoon tea event, ask for the complimentary tea bags from the buffet. Otherwise, you'll have to pay $1.50 per bag.

Or, save your money for a few fun beverages.

Firenze has plenty of places to drink, from the bubbly-forward Frizzante bar to the live music-centric Piano Bar 88.

Craving a Negroni? Head to Amari. Looking to catch the latest game? Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge is for you.

But be warned: Cocktails hover at around $13, while beers and seltzers are about $9.

If you don't want to pay for the bars, casino, or spa, you could escape the kids by going to the adult-only lounge.

Just be ready to trade the sound of screaming children with loud music. (The ship is devoid of any quiet spaces.)

And whatever relaxation you manage to sneak in will quickly be gone on port days, thanks to an unnecessarily confusing disembarkation process.

I admittedly don't have the best sense of direction. It didn't help that there were no signs pointing guests to where they could disembark the ship.

A crew member even accidentally led me in the wrong direction, seemingly unsure of where to go, too.

I wasn't annoyed. Firenze is a 1,061-foot-long vessel, after all.

However, I was annoyed when I stepped off Firenze in Ensenada, Mexico, and saw that the provided portside bus to downtown would cost another $4 per person.

Carnival Firenze could be great if you're planning a tightly-budgeted family vacation.

Its cheapest $90-a-night option is still far more affordable than its competitor's newest ships. (This year, Norwegian Viva's most inexpensive cruise is an 11-day voyage for $138 a day, while Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas starts at $221 a day for a weeklong sailing.)

It takes buying a latte or two, reserving a steakhouse dinner and teppanyaki lunch, snacking on a half-dozen wings, and having two beers daily for Firenze's per-day cost to be closer to Norwegian's.

So, there's no denying that Carnival's latest ship is a good deal, even if the food is lackluster, and you'll have to think about your spending at almost every turn of the vacation.

With that being said, if you have some cash to spare, I'd suggest going with another ship or cruise line.

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's newer ships are undeniably pricier, but both had complimentary meals that were better than the specialty options. And yes, their pay-to-play activities can be steep — like a $15-per-person go-kart track on Norwegian — but they're more modern and flashy than Firenze's amenities if that matters to you.

I don't blame you if Carnival's latest ship lures you in with the affordable fares. But a word to the wise: Pay for a specialty restaurant or two, and save some cash to spend onboard. It'll make the trip more memorable.

• To smooth out my forehead wrinkles, I tried Botox and face-taping.
• Both have different downsides, whether related to cost, convenience, or side effects.
• One gave me a more natural look and felt more realistic to keep up with for years to come.

Despite warnings about wearing sunscreen to prevent wrinkles, I neglected it throughout most of my 20s (cue the screams). I also didn't use anti-aging products like vitamin C serum or retinol until I was in my early 30s, which would have helped keep my skin hydrated and plump.

A combination of all those things, plus genetics, plus my penchant for raising my eyebrows about 400 times a day led to thick lines across my forehead.

Over the past few years, I tried two popular ways to smooth them out. One was Botox — a classic, tried-and-true method favored by celebrities and anyone else who can afford to shell out a few hundred dollars on their frown lines. The other was face-taping, invented around the late 1800s and experiencing a resurgence among TikTokers.

Both worked — and both were annoying in their own ways. Still, I found one option to be more sustainable for me in the long run.

Botox is way easier and more effective

When I tried Botox, I quickly realized why it's a cult favorite: it's barely a time commitment. My appointment took about 15 minutes (including an AI scan of my face). Within less than a week, my forehead was completely smooth, and I got more compliments on how amazing my skin looked. The effects lasted around three months, which meant I went three months without thinking about my wrinkles at all.

Frownies required work. I had to wait for my skin to dry after my skincare routine before pasting them on. They also smelled a little weird and didn't feel glamorous at all.

The effects weren't as strong as Botox, either. My forehead would stay smooth shortly after I'd remove them, but revert back a little later in the day. I also had to be consistent: it took about a week of wearing them every night for my forehead to smooth out.

Face-taping is cheaper and has fewer side effects

Face-taping was very cheap (a 144-pack of Frownies is around $25) and had no negative side effects for me.

Depending on where you live, Botox will likely cost you around $400-$500 a session, which adds up quickly if you do it a few times a year. I always felt sad seeing that much money leave my account for something that isn't actively fun, like a round-trip flight.

The potential side effects worried me, too. There was a risk of being stuck with temporary "face drooping" and light bruising, which I did experience. If I wanted it to be effective and minimize side effects, I also had to forego working out for a few days, make sure I didn't drink before or after, and avoid lying down for a few hours. All doable, but also all things I could see myself forgetting.

The more serious side effects involve pregnancy: My practitioner told me Botox is not suitable if I'm currently trying to conceive or am pregnant or nursing. The FDA says there are not enough studies on Botox and pregnancy or fetal development to know that it's safe. Given that I want kids in the future, Botox is automatically a no-go when I actually start trying.

Face-taping gives me more of a natural look

While Botox had stronger effects than face-taping, I didn't necessarily love it. To make it last longer, I needed a higher dosage, which meant my forehead was frozen for a few weeks. While I had no lines, I now became self-conscious about not being able to express myself and looking stiff in photos.

Getting Botox for special events means I have to time it right — getting it about a month before so that it's still effective without making me look like the most sour-faced person at the wedding.

While Botox works by blocking chemical signals that cause muscle contractions, face-taping is simpler: it just gets me in the habit of raising my eyebrows maybe 100 times a day instead of 400, producing fewer pronounced lines rather than erasing them entirely.

I never had anything against forehead lines or visible signs of aging. I just want my lines to look a little less prominent.

I may be older (and showing signs of it), but at least I've finally prioritized taking care of my skin — even if it involves a few pieces of tape.

• Rachel Krantz is an internationally award-winning journalist and author. 
• The following is an adapted excerpt from their memoir "Open: One Woman's Journey Through Love and Polyamory."
• Open tells the story of Krantz's journey through polyamory, gaslighting, kink, and queerness. 

When my partner Adam asked what I thought of his girlfriend Leah coming out to visit for his birthday, I pragmatically decided to view it as the next step on my path. I'd read in "The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory" that one of the best ways to combat jealousy was to meet your metamour. Since she would be coming to visit for a week in August (a whole week straight!), I decided to reach out. And thus began the most texting-intensive relationship of my life.

Indeed, it was actually a huge relief to text with Leah. Our exchanges were overtly kind; we were both going out of our way to signal politeness. It reminded me of how some femmes will reflexively compliment something about your outfit when they meet you at a party, as if to say, "I come in peace." Or is it a keep your friends close, enemies closer kind of thing?

Leah was deferential to my "primacy" in a way that made me feel like she had no interest in stealing my place. She did this by sometimes saying so directly, but also demonstrated it by rarely referencing her relationship with Adam at all. The same unspoken code didn't apply to me, with her making generous references to admiring our "primary relationship." But I tried not to talk about Adam in any way that might come off as bragging.

On the rare occasion she did mention Adam with romantic undertones, I'd feel a twinge of jealousy, a feeling that it was somehow a passive-aggressive power play. And then I'd consciously try to shut the thought down, because it was unfair.

I became close to my partner's girlfriend, Leah

When it came to everything but the man we "shared," we were almost compulsively forthcoming. We dished about sex (except sex with Adam) in the kind of detail I'd seen on "Sex and the City." Was it because we shared the same man? Were we backhand bragging? Bonding? All of the above, I'd suspect. Soon, we could even commiserate over Adam's newer romantic prospects like more senior sister wives; admitting how attractive they were, the precarious feeling of constant competition.

I soon became very protective of Leah's well-being, a sort of on-call counselor. I found she was sometimes even more anxious, insecure, and neurotic than I was, which was really rather impressive/a little disturbing. Is this Adam's type? No matter. Now that she was a real person instead of an abstract threat, what was important was Leah was no longer she-who-must-not-be-named in my mind.

I was even able to talk with Adam about her like a mutual friend. Sometimes, I knew things that were going on with her before he did. That felt good, too, like I was less excluded and more in control. Leah and I congratulated ourselves often on our friendship. It was a choice we were making, and not an easy one, not to cast the other as the enemy. It felt not just evolved, but laced with real sisterhood.

Though Leah and I were now texting daily, she called me for the first time after I experienced a particularly bad romantic disappointment with a new man. This new guy, who I thought really cared about me, who I was getting legitimately attached to after being friends for months first, didn't even consider me enough to get tested like he'd promised before I traveled hours to see him. Or warn me about what turned out to be genital warts.

This was now the second time that a guy hadn't disclosed an STI until after I'd been grinding on his underwear, taken it off, and inquired. I'd never encountered something like this before being in an open relationship. But now that I was an openly non-monogamous woman, the men I would date (only one of whom actually identified as non-monogamous rather than "just dating") treated me in ways I had been lucky enough to mostly avoid before: coming on my body without asking. Violating boundaries around condoms. Not disclosing STIs until the heat of the moment, even attempting to hide outbreaks.

People assumed I was only looking for casual sex

But for me, the worst insult would prove emotional. The way in which I was now considered "already spoken for" and therefore somehow immune to attachment. The way it was assumed I wouldn't catch feelings, or want to be loved and treated with the usual care. After a decade of being considered girlfriend material, I was now experiencing what it is to be treated by men as if I was little more than an amusing pit stop on the highway to arriving at Respectable Womantown. That it was assumed casual sex was all I was available for, or wanted? It was frustrating and hurtful, to put it mildly.

It remained easy for me to find dates or sex as a woman in an open relationship. But when it came to finding people who offered actual intimacy, it seemed Adam had the upper hand. For one, he wasn't constantly anxious, projecting rescue fantasies onto everyone. But these other women he dated also seemed far less likely to see him as just an amusing sexual romp.

If anything, I suspected that his being with me increased his market value, even if women were initially more cautious. That he was already with someone perhaps proved he was worth keeping. It seemed that my already having a partner made men see me as more sexually loose and fun, but less potentially valuable. I was already "owned" and therefore used goods — nicely broken in to borrow and return.

That I myself had increasingly begun to devalue sex and my body perpetuated this cycle. By this point, sex was mostly just another drug; either it was strong enough to ignite Adam's lust and distract me from jealousy — or it was insufficient. Given this consumerist mentality, it's no surprise I had trouble attaching to people, or attracting the types of people I might want to attach to me.

Whatever the reasons for getting the short end of the dick, I felt my dynamic with Adam needed to be more "even" — a rookie polyamorous mistake, since this is pretty much always an impossibility. Now that I'd set him free again, he was going on at least one, sometimes two, other dates a week. Everything felt like it was moving too fast, but I didn't want to pull the emergency brake again and end up ejected.

Adapted from Open: One Woman's Journey Through Love and Polyamory copyright © 2022 by Rachel Krantz. 2024 Harmony Trade Paperback Edition. Copyright 2022 by Rachel Krantz. Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.