Israel's Arrow 3 system — first deployed in 2017 — is the top level of its air defense network and is designed to intercept targets in space. The system was developed with significant funding from the United States and is a joint project of Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries and its subsidiaries, according to The New York Times.
Israel's chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told reporters on Sunday that Arrow 3 had "proved itself against a significant number of ballistic missiles" that were fired by Iran.
Israel's defense ministry said in a fact sheet that "the Arrow-3 system's capabilities enable longer range, higher altitude (exo-atmospheric), and more precise ballistic missile engagements." It also noted that Arrow 3 has "state-of-the-art maneuverability," a "very short reaction time," and "hit-to-kill technology."
Arrow 3 is the successor to Arrow 2, designed to intercept targets in the upper atmosphere. The older system was first deployed in 2000 and was credited with intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile and a long-range rocket fired from the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. Together, the systems comprise the top level of Israel's air defense network, which protects the country's territory from missiles, rockets, artillery, and drones.
Below the Arrow system is David's Sling, which engages medium- to long-range rockets and missiles at up to 185 miles. Under that is the Iron Dome, which can intercept several short-range artillery fire and rockets and is perhaps the best known of Israel's air defense systems.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
I'm not looking for an iPhone replacement. I love my phone — so much.
iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI
Bad reviews of the AI Pin point out how it can't replace a phone.
But I don't want to replace a phone. I love staring at my iPhone.
I only regret that I cannot stare at my phone more hours of the day.
I was excited for the AI Pin, I really was. When the wearable device meant to replace a phone was announced this fall, I was slightly unsure of how normal people might use it, but I was stoked on the idea of a strange new category of gadget, something creative and ambitious and new.
Unfortunately, the reviews of the AI Pin so far have been dreadful. They point out that it simply doesn't work half the time, overheats, and generally fails at its biggest ambition: to be a screen-free replacement for your phone.
All the problems with the AI Pin aside (I recommend this review from The Verge if you're more curious), I keep coming back to the central thesis of the device — that you want a way to avoid looking at your phone — and scratch my head. Who says I don't want to look at my phone screen? I LOVE looking at my phone!
There are two arguments here: the practical and the existential.
The practical argument for a non-phone device that can do phone-like things is that you can accomplish simple tasks without getting distracted by the other notifications and temptations of a phone. I agree — that's a good thing. Setting a timer, composing a text while driving, getting a quick morning weather report — these are all things that are great use cases for not using a phone. Luckily, we've had voice assistants like Alexa and Siri that have existed for over a decade that already do that.
There's also the Meta Ray-Ban glasses that take video and photos —ideal for hands-free situations, like riding a roller coaster, dancing, or attending a concert. They're an objectively neat-o gadget, cool for certain uses, and their AI element will probably bring even more useful ways to use them. But I don't think they're attempting to replace your phone.
Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal used the AI Pin along with the Meta Ray-Bans on her recent family vacation and found that the wearable camera aspect was great for capturing quick moments with her kids. She was pleased not to have to take her phone out: "You know the dance. You take out your phone, snap a photo, then get distracted by some message or notification. It felt good to keep my phone in my backpack for most of these vacation excursions," she wrote.
That practical reason — a phone can be distracting when you just want to snap a photo — is very reasonable and relatable!
The AI Pin has gotten pretty bad reviews — and I can see why. I love my iPhone. I don't need a replacement.
Courtesy of Humane
But then there's the other, more existential argument against phones: We are spending all our free moments with a screen shoved in our faces, mindlessly scrolling for dopamine and ignoring the world around us. Time spent on your phone is bad; time spent doing anything else is good.
This argument I just can't get on board with. I love mindless scrolling; I find it immensely enjoyable. I love flipping through TikTok, browsing tweets, poking around Reddit. I'll pop into the group chat. Maybe if I have some extra time, I'll go to my happy place and watch some movie trailers on YouTube.
I strenuously object to the idea that spending time away from your phone is somehow more virtuous. What am I going to do, go for a walk and stare at the trees? Do you have any idea how many articles there are I haven't read?
I also object to the idea that, as a parent, I should neglect my phone to be more "present" with my family. I absolutely do spend periods of time during the day giving my undivided attention to each child — I am not a monster. But I do not think it's necessary to give ALL of your time as undivided attention to young children; they should be lightly ignored a little — it builds independence.
Frankly, I am not worried about not being present. I can multitask. I am capable of processing many inputs of attention at the same time; I'm running dozens of teraflops; my momcompute is so plentiful Sam Altman wants to get the UAE to invest in it. Glancing at my texts is not going to be the thing that pulls me out of being "present." I am never not present. And I bet that's true for you, too.
I concede that it does matter how parents model phone use to their children — it's not ideal to have a phone in your face all day and then try to convince a kid that they have to put down the iPad. There is a happy and healthy medium here. I'm not saying you should miss your child's first steps because you're tweeting, but I feel zero guilt whatsoever about checking email while watching "Frozen" for the 20th time.
However, I am not a teenager. I am an adult. Do not confuse the conversations about phones being bad for 15-year-olds with phones being bad for grown adults.
The most straightforward part of the phones-are-bad-for-kids argument is that time spent on a screen would be much better spent on other things, like in-person socializing or sleep. This is very true for teens, and maybe it's a little true for adults, too. (Sure, I'd probably be better off with an extra 20 minutes of sleep.) But I'm a grown-up with a fully formed frontal lobe who has already shaped my social skills in my formative years.
The one advantage to being old now is that my phone can't hurt me. I can handle looking at Instagram and seeing my friends having a good time and simply feel happy for them. I can watch as much TikTok as I want and the only thing that happens is that now I know the teen slang words and learn about the lives of people I'd never meet in real life. Haha! Mindless scrolling only increases my powers.
I don't want to be rude, so I try to follow reasonable phone etiquette. I don't stare at my phone in a restaurant, a movie theater, or while talking to someone. I like my Apple Watch for this reason: It allows me to put away my phone in social situations without worrying I'll miss an important text or call. I appreciate that there are functions and situations where something other than a phone would be great.
But I don't want to replace my phone. I don't want to downgrade to a dumbphone as some act of reclaiming my attention from greedy tech companies. I don't think my consciousness will ascend to a higher plane if I could only tear myself away from the 2,000-nit light of my iPhone 14 Pro Max. As far as I'm concerned, the smartphone is the apex of humanity's achievement. I treasure it, I revere it, and I am thankful for it. I don't look at this amazing gift of the sum of human technology and think, "I'd be happier without it."
If anything, my only wish is if I could stare at my phone more.
Powered by a robust showing in the Atlanta metropolitan area, strong turnout with Black voters and young people across the state, and dual Senate races that boosted Democratic enthusiasm, Biden won Georgia by 11,779 votes out of nearly 5 million ballots cast.
The state now boasts two Democratic US senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, after years of GOP dominance on the federal level.
But Republicans also won every non-federal statewide office in 2022, which included Gov. Brian Kemp's victory over his 2018 opponent, former state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. And the GOP retained control of the Georgia legislature.
So Georgia remains a highly-competitive swing state, with both Biden and former President Donald Trump hoping to win its 16 electoral votes.
Where does the race in Georgia stand less than seven months before the election?
Biden waves to supporters after speaking at a campaign event in Atlanta on March 9, 2024.
Brynn Anderson/AP
Surveys point to a close race
A Wall Street Journal battleground state poll conducted in Georgia in March showed Trump with a scant one-point lead (44%-43%) over Biden among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup.
In a race between the two major-party candidates, Georgia gave Trump his narrowest advantage among the seven swing states that were polled, which also included Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Other recent surveys, including ones conducted by CBS News and Marist, showed Trump with leads of 3 points and 4 points, respectively.
According to the Marist Georgia Poll, the top issue among Georgians ahead of November is preserving democracy. It was cited by 25% of respondents as their top issue, and Biden eked out a one-point advantage over Trump on who would best handle the issue.
Immigration and inflation were the second- and third-most important issues for registered voters. Trump had the edge on those.
A view of the gold-domed Georgia State Capitol and downtown Atlanta.
AP Photo/Steve Helber, File
The Atlanta metro area is an electoral juggernaut
In 2020, Biden's statewide win was propelled by Fulton County, which is anchored by Atlanta, and the populous suburbs that surround the capital city. Several of these jurisdictions, including Cobb and Gwinnett counties, were once reliably Republican but have swung heavily toward Democrats on the federal level. Nearby Clayton, DeKalb, and Henry counties also went strongly for Biden.
These voting shifts have given Democrats a major opening in a state that as recently as 2012 was largely seen as out-of-reach for then-President Barack Obama during his reelection campaign.
In 2020, Biden easily won Fulton County (73% to 26%) over Trump and netted nearly 243,000 votes out of that one county alone, which went a long way in countering the then-president's strong showing in many of the state's exurban and rural areas.
Students should be picky when applying to colleges.
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images
The college admission process concerns me as top colleges reinstate the SAT requirement.
As a low-income minority student, I can't afford expensive resources like test prep and tutoring.
I am striving to make my college application impressive without having the best test scores.
College applications are something that stays on my mind all the time. As a high school sophomore, I have taken every AP class that is offered by my school, gotten straight A's, and maintained a high GPA to ensure my work pays off come college decision day.
But even doing everything I can, I feel my fate is still uncertain and anxiety-inducing. Do I have enough clubs? Am I as impressive as some of my other high-achieving peers? Recently, a new concern has taken over my college apprehension: SATs.
In 2020, many top colleges made standardized testing optional for the college admission process due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in January, Yale and Dartmouth reinstated standardized testing — like the SAT and ACTs — as a requirement for college applications.
This change makes me increasingly worried about my chances at some of my dream schools — especially as a low-income, minority student.
I can't afford SAT prep
Being a low-income student, doing well on the SAT is not easily achievable because of how the exam is structured. To me, it seems like the exam measures your ability to beat the test instead of your knowledge of the material.
In order to do well on the exam, you have to prepare the test structure rather than the content. This means studying SAT strategies and having a plan of action ready for test day. From thousands of prep books to specialized tutors, many resources exist to help students do just that. The only problem is that these resources are completely out of my price range.
My low-income family cannot afford pricey preparation materials and private tutors, especially not for long periods like SAT prep requires. I am unable to seek help from my immigrant family because of their unfamiliarity with the wording and structure of the exam. Plus, my high school does not have the money to pay for test prep or afford high-caliber resources.
It is a culmination of these factors that makes me truly realize how much students in minority communities are held back from their academic goals.
It feels as if achieving an impressive score on the exam is still out of reach, no matter how hard I study. It's hard to cope with the fact that my application will be deeply affected by something I cannot control.
The SAT doesn't offer an equal playing field
It doesn't feel like an equal playing field. Unlike me, students from higher socio-economic backgrounds can afford the SATs because they have the resources to do well on the exam. I fear that my inability to afford prep will make my college applications look sub-par compared to my higher-income counterparts. My goal is to have an application that matches other high-caliber students, but I am not sure how I can do that with lower test scores.
However, I am not someone who easily gives up, especially on lifelong dreams. In recent months, I have begun working harder in my classes, extracurriculars, and SAT studies — through every resource I can find and afford.
At the end of the day, it seems that college admissions will always come back to money. For immigrant, low-income students like myself, it seems as if we always end up with the short end of the stick when it comes to our education and, more importantly, our futures.
But when my background becomes discouraging or admissions feel like they are taking over my life, I remind myself that it's not important that I attend a top college. It only matters why, and that is to fight for better opportunities for people like me.
A man walks his dog on Aberavon beach near Port Talbot in Wales
Getty Images
A woman who suffered a brain injury after falling from a pier lost out on $750,000 in compensation.
The judge said she had been "thoroughly dishonest" and dismissed her claim.
Insurance fraud costs businesses insurers and consumers billions each year
A woman who suffered a brain injury after falling from a seaside pier lost out on $750,000 in compensation after she was found to be "thoroughly dishonest" in her claim, said a judge.
Kirsty Williams-Henry, 33, sustained multiple injuries after falling from Aberavon Pier in the UK in 2018 when she went to observe bioluminescent plankton that had been spotted in the sea.
While returning to the shore, she fell between 12 and 15 feet onto the rocks and sand below — there had not been any safety barriers along the pier.
She sued the pier's owner, Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd, for damages. She had sought more than £2.5 million ($3.11 million), the judge said.
The company responded, saying that it believed Williams-Henry was entitled to around £370,000 ($460,000), but that the claim should be dismissed as the claimant had been dishonest about the extent of her injuries and how they affected her daily life.
The Queen's Bench division's Justice Ritchie, in a ruling issued Wednesday, agreed: "I have come to the conclusion that both the claimant and her mother have been thoroughly dishonest in their presentation of the claimant's symptoms and disabilities and have sought to mislead clinicians, medicolegal experts and this court about the claimant's health, functioning, activities of daily living and her work abilities."
In the US, an estimated $308.6 billion annually is lost to insurance fraudulent insurance claims, according to Forbes. Healthcare insurance fraud (including Medicaid and Medicare insurance fraud) is the most common type, estimated at $105 billion annually.
In the UK trial held over 11 days in Cardiff last month, Williams-Henry said that she had not received proper rehabilitation since the incident and that she had "good days and bad days" because of her injuries, which caused her difficulties at home and work.
She denied ever lying about her injuries, with her mother, Christel Williams, claiming that her daughter had "no life" due to her conditions.
Justice Ritchie said that he would have awarded Ms Williams-Henry £596,704 ($743,000) in damages for her "genuine'"injuries but dismissed her claim as she was a "regular liar."
Justice Ritchie concluded that Williams-Henry had suffered a "moderately severe" brain injury from the fall as well as skull and other bone fractures and went on to suffer from depression, anxiety, and mild post-traumatic stress disorder after spending eight days in intensive care.
But Ritchie said that "overall" he found Williams-Henry to have been "dishonest and manipulative," so he could dismiss the case.
'I know it looks like a large sum of money to deprive a genuinely injured person of, but Parliament sought to stamp out dishonesty, which is fundamental in personal injury claims, and the claimant has breached this law," he said.
The now-deleted image of commander Cameron Yaste firing a rifle with a back-to-front scope and the lens cap still attached.
US Navy/Web Archive
The US Navy has been criticized for posting a picture of a sailor firing a rifle with a rifle scope on backwards.
The sailor, commander Cameron Yaste, had been firing at a naval target balloon.
The Navy acknowledged the error and removed the picture.
The US Navy has been slammed on social media for posting a photo online of a sailor holding an assault weapon with its scope on backwards.
In an image posted to Instagram, which has since been deleted, commander Cameron Yaste, the captain of the USS John S McCain, could be seen holding the gun, which also had its scope's lens cap still attached.
The caption accompanying the photo read: "From engaging in practice gun shoots, conducting maintenance, testing fuel purity and participating in sea and anchor details, the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect."
According to a press release from the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, the captain had been firing at a "killer tomato," a Navy term for a target balloon.
Viewers were quick to point out his mistake.
One X user wrote: "US Navy just killing it on Instagram" alongside laughing and crying emojis.
Another said: "U.S. Navy's Cameron Yaste (left pic) thinks he's gonna dazzle 18-year-olds into joining navy with cool photoshoot on board ship but forgot that his scope's mounted backward."
Mike Collins, a Republican congressman from Georgia, also weighed in on the photo, posting a photo on X, formerly Twitter, of a pistol with its barrel back-to-front.
"Navy's newly issued sidearm," he joked in the caption.
In a statement, the US Navy said, "Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI is completed!"
EMI, meaning "extra military instruction" is defined by the US Navy as "instruction in a phase of military duty in which an individual is deficient, and is intended for and directed towards the correction of that deficiency."
"It is a bona fide training technique to be used for improving the efficiency of an individual within a command or unit through the correction of some deficiency in that individual's performance of duty," the Navy says.
According to Yaste's official biography, he graduated from the Naval Post Graduate School with a Master of Science in Astronautics before going on to serve aboard ships such as the USS Bataan and the USS Hopper.
It says he has also won multiple awards, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Interest in the ship led to another maritime tragedy last year when an OceanGate submersible went missing on the way to the wreckage and was eventually confirmed to have imploded, killing all five people on board.
In the aftermath, stories emerged about people invited to participate in one of OceanGate's trips but decided against it — much like, more than 100 years ago, how people were fascinated with those who had almost been on the Titanic.
Here are seven notable figures, some of whom were among the richest people in the world, who were supposed to sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage but didn't — and four well-known people who were booked to go on a future journey with the ship.
Milton Hershey, the founder of Hershey's, sent the White Star Line a $300 check to reserve a spot on the Titanic, but he ended up sailing home on the SS Amerika instead.
Milton Hershey.
Bettmann/Getty Images
As they aged, Hershey and his wife, Catherine, spent their winters on the French Riviera. In December 1911, the couple left for another extended European vacation. For their return journey, Hershey wrote a $300 check from the Hershey Trust Company to the White Star Line to reserve places on the maiden voyage of the company's brand-new ship, the Titanic.
According to Lancaster History, pressing business matters forced Hershey to cut his vacation short, and he left Europe just days before the Titanic would set sail, instead heading home on a German liner called the Amerika, which would later warn the Titanic about the dangerous amount of ice.
J. Pierpont Morgan — yes, J. P. Morgan himself — had a personal suite on the Titanic and had attended its launch party in 1911. But he extended his French vacation and missed the sinking.
J. Pierpont Morgan.
CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images
"I've never been able to find an authoritative 1912 source explaining the exact reason why J. P. Morgan canceled his passage on the Titanic," the Titanic expert George Behe told Reuters in 2021. Some speculated that the reasons were that he was in bad health or having issues with customs because of his art collection.
However, we know that Morgan, the cofounder of General Electric, International Harvester, and US Steel, was also the founder of the International Mercantile Marine, which in turn owned White Star Line. According to The Washington Post, he was even on hand to witness its 1911 launch.
"Monetary losses amount to nothing in life," Morgan told a New York Times reporter after the sinking. "It is the loss of life that counts. It is that frightful death."
Guglielmo Marconi, the Nobel Prize winner who invented the radio, opted to head to the US three days earlier on the Lusitania, forgoing a free ticket on the Titanic.
You might know that Marconi was considered a hero after the sinking of the Titanic because his invention, the wireless radio, helped ships in the surrounding area find where to look for the lifeboats.
But did you know he was almost on board the ship himself?
His daughter Degna wrote in her 1926 book, "My Father, Marconi," that he was offered a free ticket aboard the Titanic. But because his stenographer got seasick, Marconi opted to sail to the US on the Lusitania because he trusted that ship's stenographer more than Titanic's, Degna wrote.
Henry Clay Frick, the chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, missed the sailing of the Titanic because his wife sprained her ankle in Italy and needed to be hospitalized.
Henry Clay Frick.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Visitors to New York City might recognize Frick's name from the Frick Collection or the Henry Clay Frick House. He was an important industrialist and a patron of the arts — and he was close to sailing on the doomed voyage.
"The Fricks booked the suite first, and then Mrs. Frick sprained her ankle while they were in Europe buying art and touring and things; so, they stayed behind to get medical attention," the historian Melanie Linn Gutowski told CBS News Pittsburgh in 2012.
"The suite that they booked, that some historians think that they booked, was some kind of savior suite in a way," she continued. "Everybody who booked it managed to survive either by not being on the ship, or jumping into a lifeboat at the last minute."
Eventually, the tickets made their way to J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. Controversially, he was one of the few men who made their way onto a lifeboat and survived. He was criticized for this for the rest of his life.
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt canceled his ticket on the Titanic at the last minute. He was on board the Lusitania when a German U-boat sank it in May 1915.
A cartoon of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
As a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was a well-known member of New York society, so there was media coverage when it was revealed he'd narrowly escaped the Titanic.
Unfortunately, just a few years later, he was aboard the Lusitania, a British ocean liner that was sunk by German U-boats in 1915. He was one of the 1,200 passengers who did not survive the attack.
The American journalist Theodore Dreiser was persuaded by his publisher to take a cheaper ship home across the Atlantic.
Theodore Dreiser.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Dreiser wrote about his brush with disaster in a chapter of his 1913 memoir, "A Traveler at Forty." Slate said the section about the Titanic, "The Voyage Home," was "one of the most gripping chapters in the memoir."
Dreiser wrote that he wanted to sail home with the rich and powerful people aboard the Titanic to get a peek at how the other half lived, but added that his publisher convinced him to sail home on the Kroonland, a cheaper ship, two days before Titanic sank.
"The terror of the sea had come swiftly and directly home to all," Dreiser wrote, according to Slate. "To think of a ship as immense as the Titanic, new and bright, sinking in endless fathoms of water. And the two thousand passengers routed like rats from their berths only to float helplessly in miles of water, praying and crying!"
John Mott, another Nobel Prize winner, was also offered a free ticket on the ship, but he chose a smaller ship, the Lapland, instead.
John R. Mott.
Bettman/Getty Images
Mott, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was the longtime leader of the YMCA, was another near-miss. Gorden R. Doss, a professor at Andrews University, said that Mott came close to death a few times.
First, he skipped the Titanic and opted for the Lapland. Three decades later, in 1943, he narrowly avoided a train crash.
Mott said, "The Good Lord must have more work for us to do" upon hearing about the sinking, according to Sotheby's.
There were other celebrities who had tickets to sail the Titanic in the future, had it not sank. J.C. Penney was set to sail on the ship's next trip from England to New York.
James Cash Penney, aka J.C. Penney.
Underwood Archives/Getty Images
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the founder of JCPenney was set to sail on the Titanic's second voyage from England to the US.
Frank Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tires, was booked to return to Southampton on the Titanic's next voyage.
Frank Seiberling.
Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images
The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and his wife frequently traveled to England and were huge admirers of English architecture. But one of their trips was postponed when their ship out of the States, the Titanic, sank.
So was John Alden Dix, the governor of New York.
John Alden Dix.
Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Smithsonian Magazine also reported that Dix, the governor of New York from 1911 to 1913, was on the passenger list of the Titanic's return trip to England.
Henry Adams, a historian who was a descendant of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams, was also booked on this trip.
Henry Adams.
Culture Club/Bridgeman/Getty Images
"My ship, the Titanic, is on her way," Adams wrote in a letter on April 12, 1912, "and unless she drops me somewhere else, I should get to Cherbourg in a fortnight." As history tells, Adams was never able to board the ship and was forced to book passage elsewhere, The New Republic's Timothy Noah wrote.
But some tech titans are moving toward fancier fashion choices of their own, and since the pandemic, that increasingly involves a watch, according to experts.
Paul Altieri, CEO and founder of online watch resale marketplace Bob's Watches, told Business Insider that there are two kinds of Silicon Valley elite. "Some, like Bill Gates, go for the $50 model, and some are wearing Omega, Richard Mille, or Rolex," he said.
Plus, there are those like Apple CEO Tim Cook and 23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki who prefer the convenience of a smartwatch.
Most executives are looking for "the genius factor" or something unique about their timepiece, Victoria Hitchcock, a fashion lifestylist and personal brander in the San Francisco Bay area, told BI.
And as they have more public-facing roles, they're looking to up their style and status as potential fashion icons, Hitchcock said.
What you have on your wrist, it seems, has become yet another tool of personal branding. With that in mind, here's a closer look at the watches trending in Silicon Valley.
Casio is considered an old favorite among Silicon Valley's heavy hitters.
Bill Gates wearing a Casio MDV106, which retails for about $60 on Amazon.
Omega has an extensive history of being worn by those in engineering and science.
Jeff Bezos wears an Omega Speedster watch. The particular model can be purchased for around $6,000.
Joe Raedle/Getty
Omega has been making Swiss luxury watches since 1848. The 1970 Apollo 13 mission relied on the capabilities of the Omega Speedmaster watch to help the crew return safely to and from Earth.
Elon Musk has also been seen wearing an Omega watch. His model of choice appears to be the Seamaster Aqua Terra, according to GQ.
And more recently, Hitchcock said she has clients asking after an Omega made in collaboration with fellow watchmaker Swatch. The Mission to the Moonphase collection features two space-themed watches with Snoopy from "Charlie Brown" on the dials for $310.
"That one actually is a very low ticket one, but it's sought after by a handful of people already," she said.
Oracle chief technology officer Larry Ellison has been photographed wearing a Richard Mille RM 0029.
The Richard Mille RM 0029 as seen on Larry Ellison sells for more than $170,000 on retail site Jomashop.
Kimberly White/Stringer/Getty
The Swiss luxury brand Richard Mille is known for creating watches that cost up to $2 million, and it's a favorite of athletes and musicians. Yet it also remains popular with the tech crowd for its understated approach to luxury.
"Across sectors, professionals select watches that broadcast their identity and aspirations. Watches remain profound personal statements regardless of whether one is developing software or sealing a game-changing deal," Altieri said.
Altieri said watches, in general, are being used more and more for personal branding. There's a level of showmanship to wearing a watch now, even if Silicon Valley leaders are sticking to their tried and true favorite brands.
For example, Oracle CTO Larry Ellison has an extensive Richard Mille collection, according to Altieri.
The Apple Watch performs as an extension of the iPhone.
Anne Wojcicki is the CEO and founder of personal genomics company 23andMe.
While most of Silicon Valley sports understated gray or black smartwatch faces — including 23andMe's Anne Wojcicki — some women gravitate toward yellow or rose gold accents for the face, Hitchcock said.
Appropriately, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook is often photographed sporting his Apple Watch with a variety of band colors.
When Tim Cook is dressed casually, he can usually be seen with an Apple Watch.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In more recent shots, it looks like Cook is sporting the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The tech giant has had trouble rolling out its Ultra 2 and Series 9 watches in the US over patent disputes, but the pieces are still available for purchase on Apple's website. The Ultra 2 retails for around $800.
Mark Zuckerberg has said he's not a watch guy, but he was wowed by another billionaire's Richard Mille.
Anant Ambani (left) and Mark Zuckerberg (right).
Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images; Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Zuckerberg was among many billionaires invited to a wedding hosted by India's richest family. A clip of him being stunned by Anant Ambani's 18-karat rose gold Richard Mille RMS10 Asia Tourbillon Koi fish Edition went viral online.
The watch, which has a dial decorated with koi fish — as the name suggests, falls under the "distinctive" category that Hitchcock said more tech execs are looking for.
"You know, I never really wanted a watch, but after seeing that, I was like, 'Watches are cool,'" Zuckerberg can be heard saying in the video.
The blinged-out timepiece would reportedly cost him about $1.25 million, but he can certainly afford it.
Cartier makes watches for both new collectors and seasoned enthusiasts with pieces ranging from under $3,000 to more than $1 million on the secondary market.
The Ballon Bleu de Cartier 33mm costs about $6,200 for some models.
Cartier
Jack Dorsey has been seen wearing a rare rose-gold skeleton Cartier Crash — a rare watch that fetches at least six figures on the resale market.
Yet many people in Silicon Valley who wear the French brand opt for simpler watch models. Hitchcock said the Ballon Bleu de Cartier is becoming a favorite with women in tech and can cost up to $30,000 for larger models.
Dorsey was spotted among Jay-Z and Beyoncé at Super Bowl LVII wearing a flashy watch.
Jack Dorsey at 2024's Super Bowl.
Carmen Mandato / Getty Images
This isn't the ultra-rare, uber-expensive Cartier Crash he's been seen in, but the watch still makes a statement with its yellow dial.
Still, exactly which brand he decided to wear to the Super Bowl in February is unclear.
Demand for Rolex watches surged throughout the pandemic as people began seeing their investment potential.
The 28mm Rolex Lady-Datejust in white gold with factory diamonds is priced at over $16,000 on the official Rolex site.
Caitlin Hausser, a store director for a New York-based official Rolex retailer, told BI that she often sees female clients looking to celebrate milestones like a promotion or a new baby.
While Casio watches may be the cheapest brand on the list, Hitchcock believes the piece still makes a statement about its wearer.
Casio's G-Shock GBD800 is priced at $110, according to Casio's website.
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"They are the same people who are buying the old-school kind of daddy sneakers or grandpa sneaker buyers," she said, adding that there's a nostalgia factor to the brand.
Patek Philippe watches remain popular with tech professionals for their understated take on luxury, Altieri told BI.
Patek Philippe's Nautilus Chronograph from the brand's current collection is priced at $108,820.
Patek Philippe
In general, Altieri describes a "Patek Philippe enthusiast" as the kind of person who digs into the finer details of watchmaking.
"They're all about craftsmanship, complex features, and exclusivity," he added, not to mention having a pretty high budget for a timepiece.
Hitchcock said the luxury Italian brand Panerai is one of her "all-time" favorites.
The Panerai Submersible collection has several different models, which range in price from under $10,000 to more than $85,000 according to the brand's website.
Bob's Watches
Because Panerai produces just a fraction of the timepieces that a brand like Rolex does yearly, they're not likely to be spotted on everyone, Hitchcock explained.
"Part of the allure is recognizing its small group of in-the-know fans," she said. "Those that know it definitely discuss it amongst each other in social settings and business."
But Altieri said that Panerai has experienced a "lull in marketability" compared to other luxury watches in 2024. Still, he said the company has the potential to bounce back.
Timex watches are known for their affordability and dependability, and most models are priced under $500.
Timex watches are a simple yet popular option in Silicon Valley. The Metropolitan+ Activity Tracker Smart Watch is $199 on Amazon.
"I believe that a good timepiece, even if it's a Timex or Casio, does say something about someone," Hitchcock told BI. "It should have function; it should be streamlined and customized to that person's personal brand and personality."
I not adding items with a checkered pattern to my home this year.
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As an interior decorator, there are several items I wouldn't add to my home in 2024.
This year, I'm avoiding heavy drapes and tabletops with reflective surfaces.
I'm also not buying any new furniture or items with disco-ball motifs.
Since people aren't moving as often as they used to, sales on goods in adjacent categories — like home decor, appliances, and furniture — have taken a dive as well. As an interior decorator, I know furnishing a home can be expensive, so it's important to invest in pieces that will stand the test of time.
I've spent years playing with trends and figuring out what isn't worth investing in when decorating my home. Recently, I've realized there are a few items I'd avoid adding to my space in 2024.
Here are nine things I wouldn't add to my home this year.
I'm not buying any new furniture in 2024.
I'm not buying new furniture as vintage, thrifted styles surge in popularity.
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Lately, I've seen more one-of-a-kind, unique, lived-in furniture. Old-fashioned shapes like bobbin legs are returning, so many designers are passing up new, modern furniture for secondhand treasures.
Rather than seeking a new, mass-produced couch or table, I plan on upcycling classic pieces with new finishes or upholstery.
I won't use heavy drapes in my decor.
Heavy drapes can weigh down a space.
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Statement curtains add a cozy softness and texture to a room, but heavy drapes can weigh a space down. This dramatic look also doesn't pair well with on-trend designs.
Instead, I recommend balancing style and practicality with layered window treatments. I plan to incorporate blinds or shades alongside sheer curtains for a bright, romantic look.
I'm ditching boring, flat walls for pattern and texture.
Walls with textures or patterns look interesting.
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More designers are replacing smooth, minimalistic, polished surfaces with lived-in, textured finishes.
Textured layers are perfect for those who prefer a minimalist design because they achieve visual interest without adding much color. I like to add soft luxury to a space through limewash walls, which have a chalky look, or tiles with a natural patina, which have an oxidized, aged appearance.
I won't invest in any products with checkered patterns.
I'm over checkered patterns.
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Like chevron once had its heyday, checkered patterns were everywhere in 2023. This year, I'm ready to branch out to other, less geometric patterns.
Large-scale organic shapes and hand-drawn styles are a refreshing contrast to the checkered pattern's rigidity. I might also incorporate toile, a canvas-like fabric with a repeated pattern, when I want to stay away from geometric shapes.
Faux furs and animal prints don't feel sophisticated in 2024.
Animal print doesn't pair well with many other trends.
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Animal-print patterns can create a wild-jungle look, but they don't usually pair well with the bold patterns or decor currently in style.
I recommend swapping a faux-hide rug for one with an irregular shape to keep the visual interest of an uncommon floor covering. I'd also replace animal-print blankets with ones with striped patterns or bubbled textures to blend a classic fabric with a modern style.
Washable rugs are not for me.
Washable rugs are often made with synthetic fibers that won't stand the test of time.
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I don't like synthetic-fiber rugs, but I especially avoid washable ones. The easy-to-clean rugs are great for busy families with young kids or pets, but often have a thin construction.
These rugs are designed to be thrown into a washing machine, so their backing is made of flexible materials that can cause the edges to curl up over time. Many synthetic fibers cannot withstand a lot of heat, so using hot water or a dryer can cause these threads to fray.
Though the wide range of cool styles can be attractive, washable rugs feel like a fast-fashion trend to me. I recommend investing in rugs made with natural materials instead.
I avoid tabletops with reflective surfaces.
Tabletops with reflective surfaces can be hard to clean.
Paul Bradbury/Getty Images
Shiny chrome, acrylic, and glass furniture can balance organic looks with sophisticated glam, but I'd avoid certain pieces.
Reflective or glass-top tables smudge easily, so they often require constant cleaning. Take it from me — wiping away the fingerprints will become a never-ending chore.
Cool tones aren't my favorite style trend.
Cool-toned designs are out this year.
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Cool tones, including blue, gray, and icy white, seem to have fallen out of favor. Recently, I've seen more designers using orange, peach, and caramel-y browns to embrace warmth and vibrancy instead.
For a neutral take on the warm-color trend, I recommend painting walls a creamy off-white color and adding furniture or accessories made from materials like terracotta and natural oak-stained wood.
Disco-ball motifs are fun, but I find them to be overdone.
I like disco balls, but the corresponding '70s-inspired artwork isn't my favorite.
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The 1970s era has inspired many decor trends, but I can't get on board with the disco-ball craze.
The mirrored look is a fun way to brighten a room, but I think artwork depicting disco balls is overdone. It's a reproduction of the style choice, so in my opinion, it lacks the original item's impact.
Many virtual food brands relied on ghost kitchens to produce their delivery-only products. But it hasn't taken off like some expected.
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Restaurants are scaling back 'ghost kitchen' operations due to added stress and customer complaints.
Brands like Wendy's and Kroger are shutting down their ghost kitchens, the Times reported.
Ghost kitchens were an exciting pandemic-era innovation. But the anonymity bred lower standards.
Ghost kitchens — once celebrated as an efficient innovation for the food industry — have instead been haunted by their own anonymity.
Ghost kitchens are restaurants with no storefront and no seating that customers never see and which only do delivery. It seemed like a good idea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants and so-called virtual brands invested heavily in them.
But demand decreased as the pandemic subsided and reliance on multiple layers of faceless technology gave rise to complaints about quality. Ultimately, customers never connected to many of the brands. And, now, many restaurants and virtual brands say the stress is not worth the payoff, according to The New York Times.
Several influencers and celebrities have used ghost kitchens to produce their own lines of food, like YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known online as Mr. Beast, who created MrBeast Burger in December 2020.
"Stranger Things" actor Noah Schnapp also opened a chicken tender chain called TenderFix in March 2023, which worked out of about 1,000 IHOP kitchens to prepare its food. It's also unclear if TenderFix is still in operation. The company's social media pages have not been updated in at about a year and its website is no longer available.
Large brands like Wendy's and Kroger are scaling back on their ghost kitchen operations after the kitchens struggled to keep up with orders and received customer complaints, according to the Times.
Brinker International, which owns Chili's and numerous other restaurant chains, opened two virtual restaurants during the pandemic called It's Just Wings and Maggiano's Italian Classics, which used the Chili's locations to prepare their food. But last year, as more customers started to return to dining in person, the company found it difficult to juggle both. So Brinker closed Maggiano's and reduced the scale of It's Just Wings in 2023, according to the Times.
"Everyone thought if you have the labor and the equipment, it would be easy to run virtual brands, but the reality is, most of the delivery times for virtual brands transact during busy times for the regular restaurant," Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman told the Times. "It was too much to have a busy dinner rush with an influx of virtual orders coming in, too."
And as quality issues and late delivery times worsen, some ghost kitchens are starting to see legal challenges. In August 2023, Donaldson sued his ghost kitchen partner, Virtual Dining Concepts, claiming in court documents that some customers complained they had received raw meat. For now, Virtual Dining Concepts is still operating MrBeast Burger.
"One father of two felt as though he had 'let his children down' by ordering MrBeast Burgers when he received terrible quality food in unbranded packaging that he was able to trace back to a 7-11," the lawsuit says.
Cracker Barrel also opened its own virtual restaurant using CloudKitchens, another ghost kitchen group, according to Restaurant Business.
CloudKitchens, which Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick owns, is facing a class action lawsuit that claims the company misrepresented the true origin of the food that customers are ordering on food delivery apps like Grubhub and Doordash.
Still, some chains like Denny's are fully embracing the cloud kitchen model, the Times reported. The company owns three virtual brands, Banda Burrito, The Meltdown, and Burger Den.
Denny's President and CEO, Kelli Valade, told the outlet that it is able to meet higher customer demand than most other chains because Denny's locations are open 24 hours a day.