At your next funeral you may have the option to snap a photo with a geo-filter memorializing the deceased:

• Snapchat lets anyone buy a filter for a specific geographical area.
• Some are buying filters around funeral homes. They come with captions such as “Rest in Heaven” and perhaps a caricature of the loved one.
• They cost about $120 and are seen as an effective tribute for a generation that sees funerals as an opportunity to celebrate one’s life rather than mourn their passing.

Read more on CNet.

Matt Gross wrote about submarines for the super-rich:

• Luxury submarines – those that can travel independently and are able to regenerate power – start at $25 million.
• The most expensive is a $2.3 billion concept released by an Austrian design firm. It’s more submersible yacht than submarine, and includes a helipad, a swimming pool, and a dock for mini-boats.
• Owning a submarine is a little different than owning a yacht. There is the Pilot certification for one – which takes four months and involves training in an aviation style simulator.
• The submarines can go pretty much anywhere. The legal framework around traveling under the ocean is, well, murky.
• Countries like Greece are concerned that the rich will use the submarines to find and loot ancient ship ruins that could have historical significance.
• In addition to bragging rights, the mega-rich may like submarines because they finally give them a surefire way to avoid the paparazzi.

Read more on Bloomberg.

Caitlin Dewey wrote about America’s love of orange juice:

• 11 kilograms of orange juice is consumed per American per year, making it the country’s most popular source of fruit intake.
• In contrast Americans consume a paltry 1 kilogram of fresh (unjuiced) oranges per year.
• Orange juice made from Florida’s orange groves bring the state $900 million a year.
• Yet the OJ affair is fading – orange juice consumption is declining as people forsake sit-down breakfasts and question the health benefits of sugary juice.
• A disease called huanglongbing, which turns oranges bitter has infected Florida’s groves, putting pressure on supply, causing prices to go up.
• Hurricane Irma* could be the final nail in the coffin – some estimate that as much as 70% of the harvest was lost as winds pulled unripe oranges off of trees.
• The resulting increase in price and decline in consumption could see apple juice take orange juice’s spot as America’s #1 fruit source.

Read more on The Washington Post.

*There have been several natural disasters across the globe. Please consider donating to local charities. They could use your help.

Amsterdam pioneered night mayors and bicycle mayors. Denmark is leading the way with a Technology Ambassador, writes Nurfilzah Rohaidi:

• Technology companies are now richer and more powerful than several nation states.
• They have the potential to transform economies, shape elections, and undermine critical infrastructure.
• To deal with this Denmark is appointing a Technology Ambassador – based in Silicon Valley – to represent its interests.
• The Ambassador will market the European Union – and Denmark in particular – as a future technology talent hub.
• He’ll also look for ideas to improve Denmark’s cybersecurity.
• Rohaidi notes that Silicon Valley is the right location for the Ambassador – the unprecedented idea is, in its own way, a startup.

Read more on Gov Insider.

Alyssa Giacobbe wrote about sorority consultants:

• Rushbiddies coaches girls through the sorority rush process. Prices start at $100 for a 90-minute session, though the most popular package is $1,500, and includes 40 hours of chat and Skype support.
• Some parents happily pay the fee – they’re used to asking for outside help and don’t want their offspring to miss out on any college experiences.
• Clients are taught how to have in-person conversations – a dying art in an era of mobile communications.
• They’re also given advice on the outfits to be wearing in their summer Instagram photos, and told to avoid having anything political on social media.
• It’s not enough to get into just any sorority – Rushbiddies aims to get its clients into one of the top ones – as ranked by websites like GreekRank.com.

Read more on Town & Country.

Via: Marginal Revolution.

Colleges are paying attention to esports wrote Collin Binkley:

• Esports is big business – the biggest tournament in the world has a $20 million prize pool.
• Colleges are taking notice. They’re offering scholarships to gaming athletes who can spread the college’s name.
• Specialized coaches and other support staff help to ensure gamers reach their full potential.
• The University of California, Irvine, even drummed up $250,000 for an eSports arena.
• The NCAA – a nonprofit that works with college sporting programs – has taken note and is considering getting involved.

Read more on AP.

Claire Cain Miller wrote about the top image result for “woman” (pictured) on Getty’s stock image library:

• In contrast to the rugged woman hiking on the rocks today, a decade ago, in 2007, the top-selling picture for “woman” showed a half-naked person lying on a bed draped in a towel looking alluringly at the camera.
• The change is driven in part by the Lean In photo collection developed in by Getty in collaboration with Shery Sandberg, to provide the media with more gender-positive stock images.
• In addition to changing what ‘woman’ represented, Getty has also seen a 47% increase in searches for pictures of “female CEO”.
• There’s still some ways to go. The typical woman in the Lean In collection is young, white, and has long brown hair.
• Those that show women in science are rarely used in general science stories – they’re typically only trotted out in stories related to the difficulties women face in science fields.
• Gender positive photos of men – for example those where they’re taking care of a baby – can have troubling subtext too. The men often have beards and are muscled, in an apparent attempt to emphasize their masculinity.

Read more in The New York Times.

Ever seen “MP” listed on a menu instead of the actual price? It’s probably a trick, wrote Kate Krader:

• Shielding diners from prices on menus began with freshly caught seafood. Supply is erratic and prices can swing between extremes, making it difficult to print a set price on a menu.
• But chefs liked the air of exclusivity it added to menus and so began to use the label on their proudest creations.
• Hiding prices also helps prevent sticker shock and artificially lowers the average menu price, making it more popular on sites like Yelp.
• This is just one strategy that restaurants have pursued to improve margins. Overall restaurant food prices rose 2.6% last year, while the cost of ingredients fell 1.3%.

Read more on Bloomberg.

The Economist wrote about how the Chinese zodiac calendar can affect life outcomes:

• Dragons are a respected symbol in China and those born in the year of the dragon are thought to have a bright future.
• Chinese births dramatically increased in 2000 and 2012 – the two most recent dragon years. This is particularly remarkable since China’s one child policy makes it difficult to time births.
• Dragon children get higher grades and are 11 percentage points more likely to go to university.
• This seems to be because parents invest more in dragon children by educating them, giving them more pocket money, and reducing their chores.
• This self-fulfilling prophecy effect demonstrates the power of expectations in driving success.

Read more on The Economist.

It’s been a decade since Friends was on the air yet the show remains popular. Arienne Thompson looked at just how popular:

• Warner Brothers, the studio behind Friends, continues to syndicate the show around the world – and earns $1 billion a year doing so.
• Each of the six main characters get royalties of 2% a year from that syndication revenue.
• All in all that’s $20 million a year each for Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.

Read more on USA Today.