Cardi b’s Going Through a Lot of Changes, and Thankfully, they’re all for the better. She’s in love, she won her civil suit, and her new album, Am i The drama?, JUST DROPPED. IT’S CARDI’S WORLD, WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT! In Her Second Music Video for Drama this year, she reunites with her pal kahlani for a much less anxiously attached songWhere they Celebrate Being in a Secure and Healthy Relationship – Throughout the video, Cardi and Her Muse (Don Benjamin) Experience the Beautiful Highs in Love and Starting a family… She gets masoned?!
In a simillar vein to sabrina carpenter’s “tears”, the duo just want to feed with their partners. “‘Cause when i’m with you, i just know i’m fine (know i’m fine) / you take the prints off my mind (all the time),” Kehlani sings. “Patient and kind when i be going out my mind / safe from the problems, i do’t worry ’cause i’m hard to find.” Yesterday, Cardi Confirmed Her Pregnancy with Stefon Diggs and How He Comforts Her and Her Feel, Well, Safe. “Makes with Feel Very Confident,” she teles Gayle King. “And it make you feel like you can over the world.”
MILAN – ITalian-Hoitian Design Installa Jean Runway On Saturday Onlanday Onlanday Online Class of Artisans THAT GIVES LUXury Fashion Its EDGE.
“ILD ILD COME BACK WHEN I HAD SOUNETING TO SAY, ” JEAN SAID BACK.
An AxEal for artists
Jean HAS Long Supported Global Arts and Garments Torepals Textiles and Garments Inordorization.
NOW, She SAYS “ITALIAN CRFTSMANSHIP ISSHIP IS DYING OUT,” A Ferrh Pepplay Want to Take UP Therouss.
To Help Preserve Artisans, Jean Called on ITALIA LAWMAKers to Give TRUIP THEMHIP The SAM Fiscal Breaks Recently B.Dowed On Artworks. Sheaid thhis fold encouage more Customers to Complat: LIKE THEY CAN TAKE A YEART A YEARS DRESS FROME A YEART A YEART A YEART A YINGth Dress From B.
The break would mean the consumer pays less value-added tax, while ensuring artisans are paid the same.
“We can’t PAYMS ARTRAULSE THE ARTISSE THE ARTISS ARTISS ARTISS ARTISH MUCH MUCH. IF We Don’t Wear IT, IT IS Useless. ”
BHUTAN CRFTSHESHIP
Artays From BHUTAN WOME PIECS INCLUNING TRANTWORS WRACK MADE FIBER, EMBROFROFROVED SKIRTS PAire WITH A RUGby Shirt and a Silken Dress WITH AN BEEAD Panel Depic Scene.
Jean MADE MILMAN Runway Debutay Debut. 2013 In the Armani theater, A GUSTROO ARMANI. She paid homet to the ult esifier in her unfurling.
“We cannat bee herelhot pays, whicths alSO A.Wing AMONE IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWON IN OWING ADOON IN OWING.
“ITALIAN Fashion Became The Moypa IMPORTANT IN THE WORLD, THANKS TO THIS GENTLEMAN. ”
Copyright 2025 The Associateted Peans. All Rights Ress. THIS Material May Not PublicCed, Broadcast, Rewritten or Revenited PERMISSION.
American Shoppers are Starting to Step on the Brakes.
President Donald Trump’s Sesesaw Sentiment on Tariffs LED MANY Americans to Stock Up on Goods. The Latest Retail Sales Data Shows This May Be Slowing. The Census Bureau Reported Tuesday Morning That Retail and Food Services Sales Were down 0.9% over the month in May, A Large Drop Than Economists Expect.
“Consumers tightened their pure strings in May after Rushing to Beat Tariff-Fueled Price Increas in March and April,” Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank, Said Regreaming. “But consumers didn’t just pulled back on Durable Goodgories Like Cars, Appliances, or Electronics. They Also Reinmed in Spending on Day-to-Day Expensses Like Groceres and Restaurants.”
The tariffs in Question have ben a roller coaster. From Ceos Mentioning “Tariffs” More Times Than Last Year on Earnings Calls, to Comparing Trump’s Plass to A “Greek Tragedy,” Consumers and Investors Have Remained. While some parts of trade deals are confirmednegotiations are ongoing before the Bulk of the New Tariffs are set to go into effect on July 9.
Following the Liberation Day Announcement, Panicked and Bowht Lots of Items before Grocery Store and Temu Gadgets Shot in Price.
The new retail sales release is one of the first signals that oversseas buying may be coming to a halt.
A 3.5% MONTH-OVER-MONTH DROP FOR CAR DEALERS AND AUTO PARTS LED THE WEAKENING RETAILER DATA, COUPLED WITH 2.7% DECLINE FOR BUILDING SUPPLIES SHOPS. Adams Said “Weak Consumer Confidency was to Blame” for the Lack of Shoppers in May.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Additionally, this drop in car sales also coinced with an Increase in Dealer Inventories nor Production TRIED TO MET DEMAND. Cars are piling up at the dealership as the buying french cool.
“The Auto Industry Ramped Up Production in May AFTER ‘RUSH to Buy New Vehicles in March and April Depled Inventories on Dealer Lots. But Higher Assemblies Might Not Last, Since New and Light Truck Sales in May,” Adams Said.
Trump and HIS Team Have Said Car Price Will Not Be Affective by Tariffs. Some Car Manufacturers have disagreed. Honda, GM, and Hyundai Expect Incresed Price as A Result of Imposed Tariffs.
Economic Hard Data Like the Better-Than-Expected Jobs Report for May The Economy is Still Going Strong. Consumer sentiment and Expectations Remain Sour from Trump’s Spring Tariff Announcement.
In 2003, Ghislaine Maxwell Gifted Jeffrey Epstein a Scrapbook for HIS 50TH BIRTHDAY.
In BetWeen Memory FROM Childhood Friends, Heartfelt Letters from Family, and Photos of Nude Women, Some of the World’s Wealthiest M and Most Prominent Business Leaders Wished Epstein a Happy Birthday.
Leon Black wrote a poem and signed it “love and kisses.” Les Wexner Doodled a Woman’s Chest. Nathan Myhrvold, A Microsoft Executive and Associate of Bill Gates, Sent Several Photos of Animals Having Sex and With Erect Penises.
A Copy of the Book, Which Spans Over 200 Pages, Was Releassed by The House Oversight Committee on monday after it was obtained from Epstein’s Estate.
The book includes apparent messages from now-president Donald Trump and forms President Bill Clinton, nor Well as From Childhood Friends and Family Members.
Wide Swaths of it are Redacted Under sections Titled “Girlfriends,” “Children,” and “Girl-Friends.”
Inclusion in the book is not an indication of the working. Palm Beach Police Didn’t Start Investigating Epstein’s Sexual Abuse of Girls Unill Several Years AFTER EPSTEIN RECIVED, IN A CASE THAT CULMINATED IN A 2008 GUILT PLEA ON PROSTITATION Charges.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting Trial for Far More Serious Rape and Sex-Traffocking Allegations. A Jury Later Found Maxwell Guilty of Traffic Girls to Epstein for Sex, and She’s Serving A 20-Yaar Prison Sentions.
The Wall Street Journal First reported on the existence of the book in july, Writing that it included a “bawdy” letter from trump with a cryptic messages that “Happy Birthday-and May Day Be Another Wonderful Secret,” bracketed with an outline of a naKed and the now. in the place of pubic hair.
Trump Filed A Defamation Lawsuit Against the Journal over the publication of it Story and Called the Letter “Fake.” The Journal Has Stood by Its Reporting. On Monday, a White House Spokesperson Said Trump Didn’t Write the Letter.
Here’s a look at what eight business leaders wrote in epstein’s birthday card, according to the copy of the book published by the House overhead.
Leon Black
The Form Apollo Global Management CEO – and One of Epstein’s Only Known Financial Clients – Wrote a Handwritten Poem in Epstein’s Honor in The “Friends” Second.
“A Liver, A Lover, a Jeff, a Jeffrey,” Reads One Sample Verse. “Let’s All Give a Cheer, for Today and Fifty!”
Another Rhyme Reads “Blonde, Red or Brunette, Spread Out Geographically” Followed by “With Net of Fish, Jeff’s Now ‘The Old and The Sea,’ with” Old Man “underlined.
A spokesperson for Black Declineed to Comment to Business Insider.
Black has previously said he regrets his association with Epstein and Wasn’t aware of any sexual misconduct.
An apolo-commented investigation found that Black Paid Epstein Over $ 150 Million BetWene 2012 and 2017 for Financial Advice, Including for Tax Maneuver that Saved Him Around $ 600 Million. An Investigation from US Sen. Ron Wyden Put Black’s Payments to Epstein at Closer to $ 170 Million.
Black’s 2003 Letter Appears to Reference Epstein’s Forte With Taxes: “Green Eyeshades, Schemes and Plass, A Unique Tax Strategy,” It Reads.
Donald Trump
Part of the Letter That Donald Trump Algedly Wrote Jeffrey Epstein. The President’s Spokesperson Denied His Involvement.
Jeffrey Epstein Estate
Acciting to the Copy of the Book Published by the House Oversight Committee, Trump’s Birthday Note appears to be an imaginary dialogue between and epstein “Having everything.” The Words are Bracketed by the Outline of a Nude Woman, with Ink Strokes Representing Breasts. IT Appears in The “Friends” section.
“Enigmas Never Age, have you noticed that?” Trump Muses in the Exchange.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
“As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time you,” Epstein Replies.
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and May Every Day Be Another Wonderful Secret,” Trump Says.
Trump’s Lawyers Described The Letter As “Nonexistant” in a Defamation Lawsuit Against the Journal after ITS Story in July. The Journal Has Stood by Its Reporting.
On Monday, A Representative for Trump’s Personal Legal Team Directed Business Insider to A Statement from White House Spokesperson Caroline Leavitt, WHO described Reporting the Letter As “Hatchet Job.”
“AS I HAVE SAID ALL ALOND, ITS VERY CLEAR TRUMP DID DRAW THIS Picture, and he did not sign it,” Leavitt Wrote.
Trump’s Lawsuit Against The Journal is ongoing.
Les Wexner
Les Wexner, The Forms Ceo of Victoria’s Secret, Wrote a brief not to epstein in his 50th birthday, the card Shows.
“I WANTED TO GET YOU WHAT YOU WANT… So here it is…” wexner wrote.
Underneath That Text is an Illustration of What Appears to Be A Woman’s Breasts, Followed by Wexner’s Signature. His Note was published in the “Friends” part of the book.
A spokesperson for wexner declined to comment to business insider for this story.
Wexner was one of Epstein’s Biggest and Earliest Financial Clients, Paying Him Tens of Millions of Betzween the 1980s and the 2000s to Manage the Billionaires Personal Life.
Wexner Said He Cut Ties with Epstein in 2007, Amid a Florida Law Enforcement Investigation Into HIS Sexual Abuse of Girls. In the process, wexner said, he learned that Epstein “HAD MISAPPROPROIted Vast Sums of Money From and My Family.”
Bill elkus
William Elkus, The Founder of the Venture Capital Firm Clearstone, was connected to Epstein Through the Latter’s J. Epstein Foundation. Elkus was a trustee at the organization’s founding in 1991.
In his note to epstein, elkus recounted a time in 1988 we Epstein visited Him in Fairfield, Iowa, where he was managing the coins of a wealthy family. The Note appeared in the “Friends” section.
“It ‘no Secret that Jeffrey Appreciates Beautiful Women,” Elkus Wrote. “But not many People know that he can create say out of think.”
In that corner of Iowa, he added, “There’s more than a little trunk to saying that it is hard to tell the difference between the girls and the hogs.”
In an email on Tuesday, Elkus Told Business Insider the event he recalled in the birthday letter “long before any articles came out About epstein, good or bad” and the reference to girls and hogs united an “Old folk saying.”
Elkus recounted in his letter that, while visiting a local bookstore, “a spectacular tall blonde Woman” Approached epstein, who then “did his magic, and she ended up going home with the new York for the Weekend.”
“I’ll Admit to Wondering at the time whereer Jeffrey Somehow Arranged the Whole Episode Through Some Long-Distance Escort Service” Being Proven Wrong AFTER the Woman in Manhattan a Week Later, Elkus Wrote.
Elkus wrote in his email to business insider that the story reference in the letter was not meant to be viewed nefariously.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
“I did not say epes epstein did anything inappropriate (and he didn’t anything inappropriate that i cann or at any time before this incident),” Elkus wrote. “THIS WAS A MATCH WOMAN WHO WAS A SALES REP, not a Young Student. I was highlighting his charisma.”
Nathan myhrvold
One of the Many Lewd Entries was from Nathan Myhrvold, who was line as a friend of Epstein.
At the time, Myhrvold Had Retired from Role As Microsoft’s Chief Technology Office and Was the Ceo of Intellectual Ventures, a firm that incubates and markets inventions. He would go on to the global health organizations Global Good and the Institute for Disease Modeling with Bill Gates.
In an introductory letter published in the “Friends” part of the book, myhrvold wrote that he “Agonized Long and Hard About What to Write.” He wrote that he decided to eschew the “Philosophical” or “Silly and Salacious.” Instead, he included a series of photos that he said he took on a trip to Africa.
“They SEEMED MORE APPROPRIATE THAN ANYTHING I COULD PUT IN WORDS,” he wrote.
The Wildlife Photos Depict Animals in Various Ways, Including A Pair of Lions Matting, a zebra with a Large penis, and a monkey with an erection.
A spokesperson for myhrvold told business insider that he regretted Meeting Epstein.
“Mr. Myhrvold Knew Him from Ted Conferences and As Donor to Basic Scientific Research,” The Spokesperson Said. “He regrets that he is Ever Met Him.”
A spokesman previously told the wall Street Journal that mhyrvold didn’t recall the submission and “regularly Shares Photos of and Writes About Animal Behavior.”
Nathan myhrvold included a smattering of animal photos in suggestive poses.
Jeffrey Epstein Estate
Alan “Ace” Greenberg
The Form Ceo of Bear Stearns, Alan “Ace” Greenberg, Who Died in 2014, was one of the Bank’s Leaders During Epstein’s Stint in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s.
“Working With Jeffrey Has Been A Pleasure, and Watching HIS MEEORIC SUCCESS HAS GIVE WITH MANY VICARIUS THRILLS,” GREENBERG WROTE IN HIS Note, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE BOOK’S CONSIDERS SCANDALOUS “BUSINESS” section.
Kathryn Olson Greenberg, Greenberg’s Widow, Told Business Insider That Epstein and Greenberg Did Not Have a Relationship Beyond Epstein’s at Bear Stearns. She Said That Her Husband “Wold Never Say No” if he were asked to write a birthday message.
James “Jimmy” Cayne
Another former bear stearns ceo, James “Jimmy” Cayne, Handwrote a brief not to epstein. Like Greenberg’s Note, it was published in the “Business” section.
The Finance Exec Wished Him A Happy Birthday and Added What SEEMS to be an Inside Joke: “From a ‘six’ to another ‘six.’”
Cayne Died in 2021. His Daughter Did Not Respond to A Request for Comment from Business Insider.
Mort Zuckerman
Zuckerman, The Billionaire Media and Real Estate Mogul, Wrote an Apparently Satirical Letter Saying He Found Extensive records of Epstein in the Archives of the New York Daily News, which Zuckerman Owow at the time.
“It Shows His Vital Statistics, His Birthday (23rd), HIS DATE OF BIRTH (JULY 11), HIS COUNTRY OF BIRTH (Lichtenstein), HIS FAMILY Life (Wife, 3 Children),” Zuckerman Wrote.
In reality, Epstein’s Birthday was Januly 20, and he was Born in Broklyn, Acciting to a Copy of the Birth Certificate Included Elsewhere in the Birthday Book. At the time of his death, he had no publicly known wife or children.
The Note Is Followed by A Photo of Thenations-President George W. Bush with His Face Blurred Out, as well as a Mock Tabloid Article Headlined “International Funny Man of History Revealed As Alien in Disguise.”
Epstein and Zuckerman briefly workhed together on different media ventures. The Pair, Along With Harvey Weinstein and Other Investors, LED a failed bid to buy new york magazine in the Early 2000s. Epstein and Zuckerman Later Briefly Finished The Celebrity Magazine Radar.
Zuckerman did Not Respond to A Request for Comment from Business Insider About the Birthday Letter or His Relationship with Epstein. Representatives for US News & World Report, where he is the editor in Chief, and Boston Properties, where he is the chairman, did not respond to the Requests for Comment Eother.
Paul Graham, The Cofounder of Startup Incubator Y Combinator, Said on Saturday That Students Should Think Twice before Launching Their Starts in High School.
“The THING TO DO Now Is To Learn New Things and Increase Your Skill at the Things You Already Know,” Graham Wrote in A Post on X.
“Startups are Rarely the optimal way to do.
Representatives for Graham at Y Combinator Did Not Respond to Requests for Comment from Business Insider.
Graham Said it probably is the best idea for a high schooler to start their entrepreneurship Journey Right Away, this thing though they Could from the Experience.
“You will Learn Things in a Startup, of Courte. But the way to leave the fastest is to work on what you’re curious about, and you don’t have that luxury in a startup. In a startup, you have to work on what ussever ussers want most,” he wrote in a Follow post on X.
Most prominent startup founders began their ventures after graduating from High School. Microsoft Founder Bill Gates and Meta Ceo Mark Zuckerberg Dropped out of Harvard During Their Junior and Sophomore Years, Respectively.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Some, Like Spacex Ceo Elon Musk and Airbnb Ceo Brian Chesky, Earned Their Bachelor’s Degree Before Starting Their First Companies.
Graham has posted career Advice on X. in August, Graham Said in A Series of X Posts that the best way to one -one in the age of he is to focus one’s passions.
“What he (in its current form) is good at is not so Much Certain Jobs, but a Certain Way of Working. It Good at Scutwork. SO THAT’S THE THING TO AVOID,” Graham Wrote.
In his post, graham Said Low-Level Programming Jobs “Are Already DisappeaRing.”
Top Programs, Meanwhile, Are Still “Being Paid Exceptional Amounts,” He Added.
“So if i had had to boil down my advice to one sentiment, it would be: Find a kind of work that you’re so interests in that you’ll to do it better than he can,” Graham wrote.
FacebookEmailXLinkedInRedditBlueskyWhatsAppCopy linkImpact Link
SaveSaved
Read in app
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
Lumon, the sinister corporation at the heart of the Apple TV+ series “Severance,” isn’t real.
But the somewhat menacing building that Lumon operates from is — and it’s just 40 miles outside NYC.
In real life, it’s Bell Works, the former home of Bell Labs and now a “metroburb.”
Be honest: Have you ever fired up Apple TV+ to watch an episode of “Severance,” which took home eight Emmy Awards this year, and thought to yourself that, while Lumon Industries might be an evil mega-corporation/cult that kills innocent goats and kidnaps people, they sure do have excellent taste in office design?
If you’re anything like me, the answer is yes. So when I found out that Lumon’s headquarters, which is seen multiple times throughout both seasons of Apple’s hit series, is just 40 miles from New York City in Holmdel, New Jersey, I knew I had to check it out, which I did last March.
The real Lumon is actually the Bell Works “metroburb,” the former headquarters of telecommunications company Bell Labs. Since Bell Labs vacated the campus in 2006, it’s been redesigned as a mixed-use office building, but there’s so much more going on at Bell Works besides offices. It’s actually more of what some folks have started calling a “third place.”
Here’s what it’s like to spend a day at the real-life Lumon.
“Severance” films across New York and New Jersey, but the series’ most iconic location is the Bell Works building that serves as Lumon’s home base.
Our first glimpse at Lumon’s office in the pilot of “Severance.”
Apple TV+
“Severance” debuted on Apple TV+ in February 2022 to instant critical acclaim. On Sunday, it won eight awards at the Primetime Emmys.
If you’ve somehow missed it, here’s the gist: The show takes place in a universe where a shady mega-corporation, Lumon Industries, has pioneered a process they called the severance procedure, which entails getting a chip planted into your brain that effectively splits your consciousness.
It means that you have one personality, an “innie,” that only comes alive when you’re at the office and has no memory of the outside world or who you are. Meanwhile, the other half of you, your “outie,” doesn’t remember anything about work. All you know is that you got to work, clocked in, and then (seemingly) clocked right back out at the end of the day.
It’s a clever satire of what it’s like to be in a corporate environment today — more than ever, large companies are discussing the “work-life balance” — in addition to a thought-provoking look at what makes a person who they are.
The Bell Works complex, built in 1962, is located in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Bell Works is around 40 miles outside New York City.
Google Maps
Bell Works was completed in 1962 and was the home of the iconic telecommunications company Bell Labs. The site was first home to a research site for Bell Telephone Laboratories and was where scientist Karl Guthe Jansky invented radio astronomy.
The complex was designed by Eero Saarinen, a Finnish architect who was behind iconic structures such as the TWA Hotel at JFK International Airport in New York City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the passenger terminal at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC.
At its peak, over 6,000 engineers worked at the 2 million-square-foot building, but when Bell Labs was acquired by telecommunications equipment company Lucent (and then Alcatel-Lucent), there was less need for such a large complex, and it was put up for sale in 2006.
It sat dormant for seven years until the property was purchased by Inspired by Somerset Development for $27 million in 2013. Since then, it’s become a mixed-use facility that has been dubbed a “metroburb” by its landlord, Ralph Zucker.
In addition to being a functioning office campus, it’s essentially a bustling suburb in one building.
There are multiple places to get food or coffee.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
According to Business Insider’s Alex Nicoll, the office and retail space inside Bell Works was 95% leased in 2023, up from the pre-pandemic figure of 75%. In 2024, that rose to 99%, per New Jersey Business Magazine.
What’s the appeal? For one thing: the convenience. Imagine going to the office and being able to drop off your kid at pre-school and your dog at the groomer, squeeze in a quick game of basketball, get a tasty lunch, check out a library book, and take a pilates class all in one place.
It’s also a popular filming location — besides “Severance,” other shows like “The Crowded Room” and “Law and Order” have shot there.
Bell Works as seen in “The Crowded Room.”
Apple TV+
In “The Crowded Room,” another Apple TV+ series, Bell Works doubled as a bustling airport.
After the devastation of the season two finale of “Severance” — and the anxiety of another three-year wait between seasons — I decided to visit.
Mark has to check in every day at the front desk of Lumon.
Apple TV+
Season one ended in April 2022 on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, and then the show didn’t return until January 2025.
Season two wrapped in March, with an equally tantalizing cliffhanger. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait until 2028 to see how it’s resolved — thankfully, at least, the show has officially been renewed.
So, just a few days after season two wrapped, I visited the campus.
On an appropriately gloomy day, I headed to Holmdel — or should I say Kier?
It’s never sunny in Kier, either.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
“Severance” takes place in a fictional place named Kier, PE.
It seems to be stuck in a perpetual winter, so it wouldn’t have been right for me to visit on a sunny day.
Bell Works is plopped in the middle of a well-to-do NJ suburb. According to the 2023 census, the median income was $172,566.
Bell Works.
Google Maps
The census also estimated that the population of Holmdel in 2023 was 17,402.
As I exited the highway for the campus, signs advertised things to do at Bell Works.
There were many of these on the road leading to the building.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The signs advertised events, classes, and amenities at Bell Works.
Then, all of a sudden, I turned a corner and the building loomed ahead of me.
Bell Works in the distance.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Bell Works is encircled by two ring roads, each going one way. If you can find an aerial view of the grounds, you might catch on to the retro-futuristic vibe.
A parking lot might not seem that interesting until you remember it’s the one Mrs. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) was whipping her little car around.
The parking lot was surprisingly full for a gross rainy day.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The image of her swerving around the parking lot in both seasons is something I won’t soon forget.
After parking, I got a closer look at one of the entrances of the building.
The East Entrance of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The building was nicknamed the “The Biggest Mirror Ever” by the now-defunct magazine Architectural Forum, and it’s easy to see why. The entire six-story facade is covered in reflective glass panels.
“Severance” lovers will surely recognize this entryway.
This staircase is seen many times.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
We’ve seen Mark, Helly, Cobel, Mr. Milchick, and more walk up and down these stairs … or have menacing conversations at them.
Bell Works is open to the public, but of course, there are some ground rules.
The rules at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Bell Works is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., and the first floor is entirely open to the public.
However, anyone under the age of 13 must be with a guardian after 6 p.m., and anyone under 18 must be with a guardian after 9 p.m.
I was surprised that the building is pet-friendly, and I saw plenty of people walking their dogs inside the building.
When I walked in, the first thing I saw was a giant concrete pillar and a large swath of artificial turf.
The turf was busy.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Maybe I’ve been thinking about “The Brutalist” too much, but I was definitely getting some László Tóth vibes from all the concrete.
The turf had floor cushions and seating for people to take a break and imagine themselves lying on the grass on a sunny day. When I got there, it also seemed like the pre-school was using the turf for playtime, since it was too rainy to go outside.
The entire perimeter of the atrium-like interior is lined with storefronts.
Having a convenience store in my office building would be clutch.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I went into this convenience store at the end of the day to buy snacks for my long drive home.
There’s also a dentist, multiple fitness studios, clothing stores, a preschool, and more.
The waiting room at the dental office.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There’s even an escape room, a bank, an urgent care, VR golf, a drama studio, a podcast studio … I could go on.
There’s even a branch of the Monmouth County Library — I was starting to see where the term “metroburb” came from.
Inside the library.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I would love to have a library inside my office building.
While the ground floor is public, the upper floors are rentable office space.
The atrium gave me a good view of all the offices.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The office space is almost entirely rented out. Among its tenants are technology firms like Nvidia and Cisco.
I spotted a recruiting agency, a law firm, and a wealth management group from my ground-floor vantage point.
There are interior elevators you need an ID badge to access — as a “Severance” fan, I wasn’t keen to hop in any elevators anyway.
An elevator bank at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I swore I could hear the trademark “ding” somewhere in the distance.
One end of the building almost looked like a forest with all the trees.
The “forest” area of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Hey, if you’re going to sit inside an office all day, you might as well bring in some greenery.
This was also where I saw my first seating area, with these unique chairs and tables.
A seating area.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
When I first arrived, these were empty, but on my way out, I noticed that all these chairs were full.
Before sitting down to grab food and do some work, I took a lap around the rest of the building.
The exterior glass elevators and a fountain.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
This side of the atrium had a working fountain that was filled with coins people had tossed in.
There were also exterior elevators here, but like the other ones, you needed a badge to get on.
Before long, I spotted the area that serves as Lumon’s reception area.
A reception area of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Mark and our other severed friends walk up to this desk every day to clock in for work.
Like the rest of the building, this area had a very ’60s feel — it was almost like a conversation pit.
The “conversation pit.”
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Part of Bell Works’ design — and Lumon’s — is that it’s somehow both futuristic and quite retro. This conversation pit was the first time I really felt like I was stepping back in time.
Nearby was a piano for anyone to play — throughout my visit, I heard a couple of people tickling the ivories.
The piano was public.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Someone even played “loml” by Taylor Swift.
On the other side of Bell Works was a basketball court.
The basketball court.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The basketball court is open to the public, but you have to provide your ID at the front desk to reserve it.
There were also ping-pong tables and shuffleboard nearby.
Ping pong and shuffleboard are classic office games.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I did note that the convenience store sold ping-pong balls.
Downstairs, there’s a theater, ballroom, conference rooms, and other event spaces.
It was closed for a private event.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Again, the severed floor is in the basement — whatever goes on down there is not my business.
In all seriousness, the Bell Theater has 285 seats and has many concerts and plays lined up for the rest of the year.
After all that walking, it was finally time to sit down, drink a matcha latte, and read about the insanity of the “Severance” finale.
I needed to read many explainers about what was going on in the “Severance” finale.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Personally, I have problems working in a completely silent environment — at college, I could never study in the library, which I found too quiet.
Instead, I was most productive at my university’s student center, which was a bustling mixed-use building — just like Bell Works.
While sitting at this table, I was able to lock in more easily than I do at home, or even at the office, which is usually on the quieter side.
One section of Bell Works is essentially a food court.
Part of Bell Market.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There were plenty of options, including a greens and grains spot, a cafe, Italian food, ramen, and more.
There was also plenty of seating for people to have lunch together (or alone), take coffee meetings, and more.
There’s also a fully functioning bar.
The bar at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Since I was there on a Monday morning, the bar wasn’t open. But there were signs all over cautioning people not to bring alcohol out into the main atrium, which leads me to believe it can get pretty poppin’ at this bar.
After doing some work and observing the other people around me, I concluded that I would enjoy working at a “metroburb.”
It began to get more crowded as the day went on.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I saw plenty of small groups of people working, eating, and talking together. I also saw parents meeting up to hang out after picking up their kids from school, and teenagers utilizing the ping-pong tables.
If I lived in the Holmdel area, I would definitely make time to visit Bell Works for a change of pace.
But the interior office space is just part of Bell Works’ appeal — there’s also the grounds.
There are a few ponds in the area.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
It was rainy, so I only saw one other person out there. Even though the weather was poor, I wanted to take a short stroll around.
There’s an entire pond with gravel paths to walk around. I imagine it’s lovely in the summer.
The pond with the building in the background.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There were benches along the path.
Like everything else at Bell Works, the grounds were immaculately kept.
Even though the leaves were gone, it was pretty.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I enjoyed the landscaping.
There was, however, one slightly rundown structure that, for the first time, gave me the eerie feeling I get when watching “Severance.”
This structure gave me the creeps.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There were no signs anywhere that explained what this was, but it was rundown in a way that made me think it’s an original building that’s been there since the ’60s. It looked like it’d been left to the elements.
With that, it was time to go. The rain was getting heavier, and rush-hour traffic was starting to pile up.
My roadtrip buddy (my mom) and I had to get a selfie before we left, though.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
It took about 2 1/2 hours to get from Holmdel to my hometown on Long Island, around 60 miles away.
On the way out, we passed the water tower that also plays a part in season two of “Severance.”
The water tower has a unique design.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Real fans will remember that during the stop-motion video Lumon produced to show the “innies” on their first day back, the water tower was voiced by “SNL” star Sarah Sherman. The Lumon building, of course, was voiced by Keanu Reeves.
As I took one last look at Bell Works, I was struck by the irony of how Bell Works doubles as Lumon — the “metroburb” idea is the opposite of the concept of severance.
A last look at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
The idea of having everything you could need in one place, in order to mesh your work and home lives together, is the exact opposite of what “Severance” is exploring — namely, if you would be happier having your work and home lives be completely, well, severed from each other.
It might be slightly dystopian, but I wouldn’t mind working at a place like Bell Works. It’s a one-stop shop for anything you could need, including socializing.
Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Yes, only needing to go to one location to get everything you could need in your life sounds slightly scary.
But on the other hand, Bell Works reminded me of the concept of the “third place” that’s been slowly dwindling since the pandemic.
A third place is what it sounds like: a place that’s not home or work/school to get social interaction.
Loneliness is on the rise in this country, and one of the ways to combat this is to have multiple “third places” in your life to meet people — think Central Perk in “Friends,” the diner in “Seinfeld,” the Peach Pit in “90210.” One of the most prevalent third places, as BI has pointed out, is the library.
Bell Works has combined the workplace with multiple third spaces, such as the library, gym, cafés, and the theater.
If a “metroburb” is a way to get more people out of their homes and into the world, I’m all for it — and I won’t be advocating for the severance procedure anytime soon.
Google Deepmind Researchers have an idea for how to solve the dates droought, and it might involve your social securty number.
The Large Language Powers Powering He Require Vast Amounts of Training Date Pulled From Webpages, Books, and Other Sources. When it is coma to text specifically, the amout of date on the web consider the fair game for training it is being scraped faste than new data is being created.
Howver, A Large Portion of the Data isn’t Used Becuses Its Demed Toxic, inaccurate, or It Contains Personally Identifiable Information.
In a newly published pepperA Group of Google Deepmind Researchers CLAIM TO HAVE FOUND A WAY TO CLEAN UP THIS DATES AND MAKE ITable for Training, which they CLAIM COULD A “POWERFUL TOLL” FOR SCALING UP Frontier Models.
They refinement as Generation Data Refinement, or GDR. The Method use pretrained General Models to Rewrite the Unusable Data, Effectively Purifying It So It Be Safely Trained on. IT’S NOT CLEAR IF THIS IS A TECHNIQUE IS USING FOR ITS Gemini Models.
Minqi Jiang, One of the Paper’s Researchers who has SINCE Left the Company to Meta, Told Business Insider That A LOT OF AE LABS ARE INTRODUCTION USABLE TRAINING DATA ON THE TABLE ITE’S INTERMINGLED DATA. For Example, if there a Document on the web that contains something consider unusable, Such as someone Phone Number or an Incorrect Fact, Labs Willten Discard the Entire Thing.
“So you essentially loose all those tokens inside of that document, this is if it was a small single line that contained some personally identify information,” Said Jiang. Tokens are the units of data, processing by it, which make up words with text.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
The authors give an example of raw dates the included someone Social Security Number or information that May soon be out of date (“The Incoming Ceo is …”). In these instances, the GDR Wold Swap or Remove the Numbers, Ignore the Information That Risks Becoming Obsolete, and Retain the Remainder of Usable Data.
The Paper was Written more than a year ago and was only published this month. A Google Deepmind Spokesperson Did Not Respond to A Request for Comment About Whether the Researcher’s Work Was Being Applied to the Company’s AI Models.
The authors’ findings COULD PROVE HELPFUL FOR LABS AS The usable well of data runs dry. They Cite a Research Paper From 2022 that predicated it models could soak up all the human-genred Text Between 2026 and 2032. This prediction was based on the amout of indexed web data, ussing statistics from common for it labs to use.
For the GDR Paper, the Researchers performer a proof of concept by tachying over one million lines and Having Human Expert Labelers annotate the date by line. Theyn Compared the Results with the Gdr Method.
“It Completely Crushes The Existting Industry Solutions Being Used for this Kind of Stuff,” Said Jiang.
The authors also said their method is better than the use of synthetic data (data generated by he models for the purpose of training themes or other models), which has ben a topic of exploraration among he labs. Howver, USING Synthetic Data Can Degrade the Quality of Model Output and, in Some Cases, Lead to “Model Collaps.”
The authors compared the gdr data against synthetic data created by an llm and discovered that their approach created a better dataset for training he models.
They Also Said Further Testing COULD BE CONTUCTED ON OTHER COMPLICATED TYPES OF DATE CONSIDERED A NO-GO, SUCH AS COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS AND PERSON DATE IS INFERRED ACOSS MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS RATHER THAN explicitly spell out.
The Paper Has Not Been Peer Reviewed, Said Jiang, Adding that is common in the tech industry and that all papers are revidked internally.
The researchers Only tested GDR on Text and Coding. Jiang Said that it is couuld also be tested on Other Modalities, Such As Video and Audio. Howver, Given the Rate at Which New Videos Are Generated Each Day, They’re Still Providing A Firehose of Data for Train on.
“With video, you’re just going to have a lot of it, just becuse there’s a Constant Stream of Millions of Hours of Video Generated Each Day,” Said Jiang. “So i do think, Going Across New Modalities Beyond Text, Video, and Images, We’re Going to Unlock a Lot More Data.”
Have something to share? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected] or signal at 628-228-1836. Use a personal email address and a non-work Device; Here’s Our Guide to Sharing Information Securely.
Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for “The Last of US” season two.
“The Last of US” Season Two Ended with A Bang, As Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) Finally came face-to-Face for a moment in the last episodes.
The Second Season Pulled on Heartstrings with Gut-Wrenching Moments, Chief Among Jeel’s (Pedro Pascal) Death in Episodes Two. But the series’ Exploration of Grief and LOVE HAS BEEN JUST AS EMOTIONAL AS The Brutal Violence that Ellie Was Forced to Watch, and The Season Final Down on it All.
The final sees Ellie and Jesse (Young Mazino) Head to Seattle to Try to Find Tommy (Gabriel Luna). They have been on the radio that it is used to a sniper rifle to the Murder Numerous Members of the Washington Liberation Front. But after the pair disagree about getting revenge on abby, ellie decides to go it alone and follow abby’s group to the seattle aquarium.
AFTER A BRIEF DETOUR AND A CLASH WITH THE SERPHITES, Ellie Eventually Finds Her Way and Kills Abby’s Ally Owen (Spencer Lord) Almost Immediately. But ellie is forces to reckon with the conequents of her actions and realizes that it is acidentally Shot the Heavily Pregnant Mel (Ariela Barer) Too, WHO BEGS HERE PERFORT AN EMERGENCY SECONDS LATER.
Young Mazino as Jesse in “The Last of US” season two.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
IT PUTS Ellie’s Revenge Tour into Perspective, As Tommy and Jesse Bring Abby Back to the Seattle Hotel. When they Arrive, Tommy Questions Whether Ellie Can Make Peace with Abby’s Survival, and She Replies, “I guess i’ll have to.”
Howver, Shortly after, Ellie and Jesse Hear Tommy Shouting, and They Rush to Find Out What’s Going on. As Soon as Jesse Bursts Through the Door, Abby Shoots Him in the Head, Killing Him, while Tommy Lies Injured on the Floor.
Abby Tells Ellie, “I let you live, and you wasted,” before shooting at her – and it cuts to black. IT’S A MUCH Bigger Cliffhanger than the end of the first season, albeit those who played the game will be expecting it, and it’s a faithful adaptation of that moment in the games.
Still, The Way Its Executed Will Definitely Get Audiences Tuning in Wen “The Last of Us” Season Three Eventually Arrives.
Howver, The Final Schene Suggests that the HBO series will switch Things up will it returns.
Related Stories
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
Business Insider Tells The Innovative Stories You Want To Know
“The Last of US” season 2 ending is faithful to the game.
Kaitlyn Dever As Abby in “The Last of US” Season Two.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
After the brief stand-off in the theater, the episode cuts away to abby taching a nap on a couches. As she was Wakes up and walks archund the wlf base, it beComes clear that she’s staying in the seattle soundview stadium, another location from the game.
A Line of Text Reads: “Day One,” Similar to the Way the Show Has Dated Ellie and Dinah (Isabela Merced) Journey Through Seattle.
This heavily implies that “The Last of US” season three will switch perspectives to show audiences abby’s journey after killing joel, in the same way that the game shows times Side of the story. In the game, this ultimately changes the player’s perception of the Character and the Decisions She’s Made.
HBO HAS ALREADY GREENLI “The Last of US” Season Three.
Kaitlyn Dever As Abby in “The Last of US” Season Two.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
Fans eagerly awaiting “The Last of US” Season Three Will Be Glad to Hbo Greenlit The Show’s Return before two was releassed in April 2025.
Most of the Season Two Cast is Likely to Return for the Next Batch of Episodes, SO Expect Ramsey, Dever, Luna, and Merced to Reprise Their.
The Next Season Does Not Have a Confirmed Release Date, But if Season Three Follows the Same Pattern of A Two-Yaar Gap BetWeons One and Two, It Could Return in Early 2027.
Co-Creer Neil Druckmann Left “The Last of Us” Ahead of Season Three.
Neil Druckmann at a Screening Event for “The Last of US” season three.
Maya Dehlin spach/filmmagic
On July 2, Neil Druckmann, the Co-Creator of Both the original game and the tv show, announed on Instagram that he’s leaving the HBO series work starts on the third season.
He wrote: “i’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creation involve in ‘the last of us’ on hbo.
“With Work Completed on SEASON 2 and Before Any Meaningful Work Starts on SEASON 3, Now Is the Right Time for Transition My Complete Focus to Naughty Dog and Its Future Projects,” He Said before Adding to Focus on the Studio’s Next Game.
Druckmann Described Working on the Tv Show As a Career Highlight and Praised the Showrunner. “It ‘ben an honor to work alongside craigs mazin to the executive product, direct, and write on the last two seasons,” he said.
Executive Producer and Writer Halley Gross has Also Left the Series and Praised the Work of the Producers and the Cast in a Statement on Instagram.
“The Stories We Told – About Love, Loss, and What It Means to Be Human in A Terrifying World – Are Exactly Why I Love this Franchise,” She Said.
Representatives for HBO Did not immediately respond to a Request for Comment from Business Insider.
This is a desoloping story. Check Back for Updates.
It’s tailgaiting season, which means prime time behind the grill. The best meat delivery services can bring restaurant-quality cuts directly to your door.
After evaluating several services based on their shipping methods, selection, quality, and sustainability, Snake River Farms stands out for its exceptional range of gourmet seafood and meats, supplying everything from the best ham to bulk BBQ cuts.
Snake River Farms serves up an astounding menu of quality meats and seafood like American Wagyu, Kurobota pork, Texas barbecue, and now Sea to Table-supplied seafood.
Snake River Farms is a one-stop shop. Our testers found SNP was everything we wanted in the best meat delivery service: a well-rounded selection of premium and basic cuts a step or two above our local butchers. Snake River Farms offers several premium grades of meat, including American wagyu and Kurobota pork. We also chose Snake River Farms as our top place to order the best ham online.
The seafood is also stellar. Snake River Farms offers a selection of flash-frozen, fully traceable seafood down to the specific landing location and catch method used.
There’s a $49 order minimum. Snake River Farms is best for stocking up on multiple cuts, since shipping is a flat $10 fee (unless you’re a subscriber). Everything from this meat delivery service arrives frozen in plant-based styrofoam with ample dry ice and tucked inside a reflective-tape-lined tote bag for extra puncture protection. Our box was still comfortably cold when it arrived.
Omaha Steaks is a classic for a reason. Its broad and reliable selection make it a great choice for gifting, and nearly all gift packages ship free.
There’s something to please every meat-eater. Though its name references “steaks,” and its strength is certainly beef, you can shop for your entire dinner here, down to seasonings and specialty desserts. For true indulgence, you can shop huge King Cuts and Custom Cuts. Your order of individually packaged cuts will arrive frozen in an insulated box.
Omaha Steaks ships a broad range of meats, seafood, sides, and desserts, making it perfect for sending delicious dinners to friends and family.
Owen Burke/Business Insider
The steaks make a classic and reliable gift. While the other services are better for personal use, Omaha Steaks is the best for gifting. It offers special gift baskets and various combo boxes to give to friends and family. Nearly all of its gift boxes ship free.
The site runs frequent sales. You can often save more than 50% and stock up on top-quality meat. If you shop the site frequently, join the free rewards program to earn points on purchases and referrals.
ButcherBox is the best option for those looking for a subscription service of beef, pork, poultry, and seafood basics that they can curate to suit their palates and consumption.
ButcherBox is great for those who eat a lot of meat. We named this subscription service the best for feeding families and large groups. Whether planning dinner for the month or hosting a barbecue, you’ll have delicious, quality meat.
There are four different subscription plans. Your choices include curated or custom boxes in standard or large sizes. Curated boxes contain 8 to 11 pounds of meat in the standard box and 16 to 22 pounds in the large, while the standard custom box includes 9 to 14 pounds and 18 to 26 pounds in the large.
It offers a lot of flexibility. You can change your box assortment, size, and delivery frequency before your next invoice date. Plus, ButcherBox offers a collection of recipes to help you make the most of your premium meats.
Porter Road has all the meat you need from breakfast to dinner, including dry-aged steaks, pork chops, dry-aged ground beef, bacon, country sausage, and unusual cuts not typically found at your grocery store butcher.
Porter Road offers many underrated and hard-to-find cuts. You’ll find cuts like beef bacon, osso buco, and picanha steak, which typically aren’t found in most supermarkets. Of course, there are staples like ground beef and tri-tip, allowing you to mix and match the ultimate shopping basket of meat. The site caters to those of us craving an in-person shopping experience with the convenience of the best meat delivery service.
Everything comes well packaged and fresh. Most items arrive ready-to-cook, not frozen. Our box was stuffed with ample ice packs, making it safe to be left on your doorstep before you get home.
Porter Road gives you the in-person butcher shop experience from the comfort of your home.
Owen Burke/Business Insider
The site provides extensive meat education. On each product page, you can learn what part of the animal the cut comes from and the best way to cook it. If you have specific preferences, you can filter by cooking time and gear to find the most appropriate cuts.
A plethora of classic cuts and prepared options make Rastelli’s an ideal service for those who want quality meat with minimal prep required.
Rastelli’s feels a bit like an online Whole Foods meat counter. You’ll find a variety of classic cuts alongside pre-prepped options like beef Wellington or Parmesan-breaded pork chops. The meat is certified free from antibiotics, steroids, and hormones, and the seafood is wild-caught or sustainably raised. We also ranked Rastelli’s as one of the best seafood delivery services.
Keep in mind that it all ships frozen. Everything we’ve received from Rastelli’s has been frozen solid with the brand’s ice packs and nowhere near thawing upon arrival. Our reporters tested the brand’s packaging by storing it in the freezer for years without any trouble or spoilage. Rastelli’s is an ideal brand for freezer staples at reasonable prices.
You can order food from famous NYC meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda through the online service Goldbelly.
Pat LaFrieda supplies some of the world’s best restaurants. From one of the premier dry-aging facilities in the world, Pat LaFrieda Meats caters to fabled restaurants like Minetta Tavern and the Union Square Cafe with some of the best-tasting beef available to humanity. Through Goldbelly, you can have it shipped to your home, too.
The dry-aging is unlike others we’ve tried. Depending on whom you ask, you might find more “traceable” or “sustainable” options, but this USDA-certified meat is handled, aged, and freshly shipped with meticulous attention. Nothing I’ve sampled has offered the rich nuttiness of the dry-aged ribeyes and tomahawks you’ll get from LaFrieda. Just remember that while this meat is vacuum-sealed, it exclusively ships fresh, and you’ll want to place it in your refrigerator as soon as you receive it.
Pork fans, especially those who’ve sampled Iberico ham, will rejoice at the availability of not just an entire Iberico leg but several cuts from this heirloom, pasture-raised variety available straight from Spain.
Campo Grande is for true pork lovers. Based in the United States but rooted in Spain, the brand is a Spanish-owned importer of free-range, heirloom-breed Iberico pork from small Spanish farms. The brand primarily works in pork and boxed assortments of muscle cuts, but you can also opt for the bona fide decadence of an entire ham.
We like the Pork Sampler Box. It includes a rib roast and a few different steaks. While there aren’t many other options, it speaks to the brand’s dedication to its near-sole purpose: bringing Spanish Iberico pork to the US. You’ll also find beef and the occasional poultry package, but those aren’t always in stock, and the pork is where the brand shines. Other brands put high-end pork on this list, but none carry Iberico pork or full legs of jamon.
Pursuit Farms imports some of the finest Japanese Wagyu in the world and ships it to you fresh at a flat rate. You’ll pay dearly, but you won’t find richer, tastier Wagyu.
It’s hard to beat wagyu when it comes to quality beef. Wagyu is a breed of cattle known for its high fat content and elaborate marbling. Pursuit Farms specializes in importing and shipping Japanese wagyu at a flat rate (two-day air). The Japanese Hokkaido snow beef and shichiri from Hida prefecture are some of the best examples of wagyu in the world — Pursuit Farms will ship it all right to your door.
There’s more than just wagyu. You can also order American and Australian wagyu, grass-fed beef, and lamb from the purveyor, available in small packages and bulk. Specialty items will cost a pretty penny — up to A5 grade with some of the most thorough marbling you’ll find anywhere — though maybe not as much as you’d expect if you’re familiar with Japanese wagyu. Everything arrives fresh, not frozen, and ready to eat.
What to look for in a meat delivery service
Offerings: There’s a wide variety across the online meat delivery spectrum, and where you shop depends on your specific needs. Some stores prioritize organic and free-range meat, while others focus on variety, and others specialize in subscriptions, bulk (primals), or seasonal offerings. You’re not likely to find Japanese-raised wagyu from the same retailer selling American bison or elk, so it’s best to shop around.
Price: The cost of an online meat order is based on the cut, breed, and quantity of meat. We’ve recommended more basic, staple-focused offerings and decadent luxuries for all budgets. A good rule of thumb is that specialty breeds and cuts or more responsibly raised options will cost more than a basic supermarket steak.
Packaging: Before ordering, check if the product is fresh and ready to eat or frozen to be thawed at your leisure. This affects how you prepare the meat and how it is packaged. Some brands focus more on providing plant-based styrofoam, recipe booklets and handling instructions, and dry ice versus freezer packs.
Shipping: Some of the best meat delivery services offer next-day delivery, and others offer two to three-day delivery. It largely depends on your location and whether you’re ordering fresh or frozen products. For all perishables, schedule your deliveries when you know someone will be home.
Meat delivery service FAQs
Why should I use a meat delivery service?
Shopping in bulk for “value packs” or “primal cuts” will often save you a lot when ordering through direct-to-consumer online meat purveyors. For smaller orders, the best meat delivery services are more expensive than going to your local grocery store, but are often cheaper than your local butcher.
Should I order fresh or frozen meat?
Order fresh meat if you plan to eat it immediately or within a few days of delivery. Order frozen meat if you want to stock up and plan to thaw it before cooking it.
What are the benefits of using a meat delivery service?
Ordering online from one of the best meat delivery services opens up a world of options with no extra effort on your part. For instance, you won’t likely find Hokkaido snow beef from Japan at your local butcher’s shop or grocery store. It’s also a great way to order in bulk, saving you a lot of money.
Connie Chen is a former senior reporter on the Insider Reviews team, where she led coverage of home textiles, home entertaining, and food and drink.While at Insider, she specialized in all the things that enhance life at home, from the most comfortable bed sheets and fluffy pillows to cool online wine clubs and bartender-approved cocktail shakers. She combined rigorous testing methods, conversations with professionals, and active knowledge of the home and kitchen space to help readers get the most out of their money.When she’s not changing duvet covers or washing towels twice a day for articles, she loves talking about and trying the newest snacks, drinks, and food gifts. You can see more of her testing process and other behind-the-scenes of being a product journalist on her Instagram @connayreviews. Connie joined Insider Reviews as an early member in 2017 and has also reported on products and services in the style, tech, fitness, travel, and e-learning spaces, with a particular interest and expertise in emerging startups. She has represented the team at CES and moderated panels on media business and the future of retail.Connie graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in media studies and business administration, which help inform her perspective on and coverage of industry trends, as well as the competitive e-commerce landscape at large.Read some of her work:The 4 best cocktail shakers in 2021The 7 best women’s bathrobes in 2021The 5 best wine openers and corkscrews we tested in 2021The 5 best bed sheets we tested in 2021 The 5 best cordless vacuums we tested in 202112 direct-to-consumer kitchen startups that are changing the way we shop for cookware and knives8 tableware startups changing the way we shop for dishesEven chefs experience cooking burnout — here’s how they get re-inspired in the kitchenHow businesses create successful virtual experiences50 cookbooks from famous restaurants across the US that will help you recreate their best dishes at homeLearn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test kitchen products.
Former senior reporter Owen Burke covered on espresso and espresso-adjacent products, grills, meat, seafood, and a few other kitchen-related odds and ends for Insider Reviews.He also contributes an array of menswear and outdoor-gear guides, from winter parkas to fishing rods and reels.He is a founding member of Wirecutter and has contributed to publications online and in print, including Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, The Atlantic, Gizmodo, Surfer Magazine, and Power & Motoryacht, among others.He’s also worked in raw bars, restaurants, classrooms, and on fishing boats, holding a USCG Master Captain’s license, and is co-author of The Ocean Handbook: The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge (Chronicle Books, 2021).Say hello at [email protected]. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider.Learn more about how we test kitchen products.
Over the past four months, I’ve been testing some of the biggest names in wearables — from the best Garmin watches and best Fitbits, to the best smart rings by Oura and Ultrahuman — tracking everything from sleep quality to step counts to early signs of getting sick. Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, released in April 2024, is the brand’s first entry into the smart ring space, promising a slim titanium design, solid battery life, and smooth integration with the Galaxy ecosystem.
After wearing it for two months, I can attest that it’s a comfortable, minimalist, well-made ring that nails the basics and has a few clever touches. But when it comes to health insights and fitness tracking, it feels more like a companion to the Galaxy Watch than a true rival to category leaders like the Oura Ring 4.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring offers AI-backed health tracking in an inconspicuous form. Its simple design conceals three sensors along the inner surface for tracking several metrics, like heart rate, sleep patterns, and distance.
What I like
It’s thinner and better-looking than most smart rings.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring feels unobtrusive and discreet compared to other fitness rings I’ve tested.
Rachael Shultz/Business Insider
While most of the other smart rings look relatively the same, the Samsung Galaxy ring has a thinner and more compact design than other popular fitness rings. At 7.0mm wide, it’s slimmer than Oura and Ultrahuman (typically 7.9-8.1mm) and made from titanium, which keeps it lightweight but durable. Samsung smartly gave this ring a concave center, which helps to minimize scratches — and after three months of wearing it, it’s significantly less marked up than my Oura or Ultrahuman ring.
The ring comes in four finish options — titanium black, silver, gold, and two-tone — and nine sizes (a free sizing kit will help you pick the right size). Overall, it’s the most understated smart ring I’ve tested.
There’s no monthly fee.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring runs a similar (and not small) price to other smart rings on the market — $400. But unlike Oura, which requires a $6/month subscription, all of Samsung’s insights are included free with the purchase. That alone is a solid selling point for many people, especially those who are already using Samsung Health.
The battery and case are both impressive.
The Galaxy’s charging case is smaller than an AirPods case and can be thrown in my bag for charging on the go.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
The Galaxy Ring lasts up to seven days on a single charge — just long enough to not be frustrating, I found. But what really sets it apart is the charging case: It looks like a jewelry box, holds its own charge, and can charge the ring 1.5 times without having to be plugged into the wall. This is a dream for traveling — the ring stays secure inside the closed case, and you can skip packing a cord entirely if your trip is under 10 days.
I also appreciated being able to toss the charging case in my bag and top off the ring wherever I went instead of leaving it plugged in on a stand, forgetting about it for hours, and losing precious steps and sleep data in the process.
The daily insights are helpful — though a bit surface-level.
Samsung Health generates an “energy score” each morning based on sleep quality, previous day’s activity, and heart rate data from your ring. I appreciated the summary when my score was low — the app suggested light movement and recovery-focused choices rather than pushing for another workout. It also consolidates your steps, active time, and calorie burn in a helpful, color-coded graphic shaped like a heart; I found this to be a nice, intuitive visual where I could see my health stats at a glance to know if I needed to get out more today.
Two screenshots from the Samsung Health app. On the left, you can see how Samsung displays your health stats at a glance. On the right is a breakdown of my energy score from a different day.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
That said, the health insights did feel a bit light. The Samsung Galaxy Ring doesn’t provide the more complex applications of your biometrics like other wearables do — things like a comprehensive “readiness” score or small spikes in skin temperature as early illness detection.
It has special perks for Galaxy Phone users.
One of the coolest features of the Galaxy Ring that I have yet to see on a smart ring is its “gestures” feature. By making a double-tap pinching gesture on your ring-wearing finger and thumb, you can take pictures on your camera or dismiss your alarm. As someone who takes a lot of selfies and outfit pics, this is a small but powerful pro to the ring.
It’s comfortable enough to wear 24/7 — which is key.
Throughout testing, I never found the ring to be uncomfortable. It doesn’t trap water after a shower, it doesn’t twist around too much (there’s a helpful raised indentation marking where it ideally sits on your finger), and its thinner width means it stacks well against surrounding rings on your hand.
My one small gripe is that there were a handful of times I rolled over in the middle of the night and was mildly blinded by green lights from the sensors under the ring. This isn’t a dealbreaker, though, especially considering it happened with every smart ring I tested (sometimes the smart watches, too).
Where it falls short
Fitness tracking is very basic.
I love that the Samsung Galaxy Ring autodetects walks. But my biggest issue with the device is that it only detects walking and running — that’s it. There is no auto tracking for strength training, yoga, pilates, pickleball, or even cycling.
In turn, the Samsung Health data dramatically underestimates your calorie burn and daily activity total. For example, this morning I did an intensive, 75-minute strength workout; my Fitbit said I burned 374 calories, but my Samsung Galaxy Ring said I only burned 71 calories and that I’ve only had 32 minutes of active time today (because it only counted the walking between sets and to and from the gym). This directly influences my energy score for the day
You can manually go in and start a workout, or add one after the fact. And it does pull the data from your earlier heart rate — when I manually added my morning workout, it added 342 calories to my daily burn. But for $400, my wearable should be able to take this burden off my plate (who remembers the exact time they started and finished a workout outside a class?). Also, I find the options for activities very limited; there’s an option for “weight machines,” but none for strength training, let alone something like powerlifting or CrossFit.
Health insights are minimal to none.
In my opinion, the whole point of wearing a smart ring is to gain insight into how you can improve your health — whether that’s minimizing stress spikes before bedtime, resting when you might be getting sick, and understanding how good your quality of sleep really is. Compared to other smart rings and most modern smartwatches, the Galaxy Ring’s health insights feel pared back — almost like a highlight reel rather than a deep dive.
I got an energy score each morning, a simple read on steps, active time, calories burned, and basic sleep stages from the previous day. But that’s about it. There are a lot of metrics either missing, or that are quite hard to find — there’s no detailed “readiness” metric pulling from my biometrics, my heart rate variability trends (which tell you how strained or rested your body may be) are deep within my energy score, and the continuous skin temperature analysis isn’t able to tell me rather simple things like early illness detection.
By contrast, devices like the Oura Ring 4 or a Garmin smartwatch offer layered contextual data — they combine HRV, resting heart rate, skin temperature, sleep efficacy, and past activity to give you actionable recovery advice, alert you to potential illness, or adapt your daily goals in real time.
The Galaxy Ring sticks to static summaries without meaningful next steps. It felt more like it was passively recording my baseline rather than actively helping me improve it.
You have to toggle between two apps — and it’s confusing.
The Galaxy Ring works through both the Wear app (for pairing and quick settings) and Samsung Health (for your actual health data). But the UI doesn’t make it obvious which app you need at which time. More than once, I found myself toggling back and forth to figure out how to check my sleep score.
There’s no AI assistant or dynamic insights.
While Oura recently launched its AI Advisor (letting you ask things like, “How can I boost my readiness while traveling?”), Samsung’s insights are static. The ring told me my energy was low and to rest — but what does that mean? Should I cancel my afternoon plans entirely or just do some restorative yoga? There’s no ability to ask follow-ups or get more nuanced help.
Really, it works best if you already have the Galaxy Watch.
For Samsung users, the Galaxy Ring pairs smoothly with the Samsung ecosystem, and it’s a great complementary wearable for the Galaxy Watch. A lot of people use the Watch to track daytime fitness and the Ring to track sleep, which is a smart setup for tech enthusiasts — the ring is more comfortable to wear overnight and allows your watch to charge without missing any health data, and having the ring to track your heart rate during the day saves your watch’s battery life. They both feed into the same apps to deliver a more comprehensive picture of your day’s activity and health.
That said, in my opinion, you really need the Galaxy Watch to make the Ring truly functional. The Ring alone doesn’t give you a comprehensive enough look at your daily movement. And while this set-up is an easy ask for some, dropping $600 on both wearables combined is a pricey ask for many.
Galaxy Ring vs Oura Ring 4
Here I’m wearing the Oura Ring 4 on my middle finger and the Samsung Galaxy Ring on my ring finger.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
As two of the leading smart rings on the market, both the Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring 4 look sleek, track sleep and steps, and deliver a recovery-style score each day. But where Samsung shines on design, Oura wins in depth. Oura’s app is more intuitive to navigate, its metrics feel more actionable and helpful, and its auto-detection is better at identifying all activity throughout the day (even cleaning your house) as well as nuanced health flags, like early signs of an illness. You can read my full Oura Ring 4 review.
It’s worth mentioning this is a bit of an unfair competition: Samsung only launched its smart ring in 2024, whereas the first-gen Oura Ring was launched in 2015. That means Oura has had 10 years of refining its technology to Samsung’s one year — and the usability and advanced metrics reflect this.
Samsung’s lack of a subscription is great — but considering the rings are priced relatively the same, I’d gladly pay $5 a month for Oura’s extra insights. It is pretty cool that Galaxy phone users can use gesture controls (like snapping selfies with a finger pinch) with the Ring, but these extras don’t move the needle much on value if health tracking is your main priority.
Your two other options for smart rings are Ultrahuman and Amazfit. In testing, I found the Amazfit doesn’t remotely compare. The Ultrahuman Air Ring has a lot of unique and smart insights for people looking to optimize things like brain health and longevity, but I also found the science is a bit too in-the-weeds for most people. The Oura 4 or Samsung Galaxy Ring are going to be the best smart rings for most people. Read my full Ultrahuman Ring Air review.
The bottom line
The Galaxy Ring is a sleek and accurate wearable if you want to know your basic health and fitness data, like your steps and sleep quality. It makes learning the basics very approachable with clear, at-a-glance stats and features like categorizing you into a sleeping animal for a cute twist on understanding room for improvement.
But after two months of testing, I found the Galaxy Ring to be pretty limited in the insights it offers to improve my health or fitness. If you want an incognito wearable (it’s very thin, lightweight, and under-the-radar) to track basic metrics, or if you already have the Galaxy Watch and want a complementary wearable for tracking sleep better, the Galaxy Ring is worth considering.
But for a price on par with other more advanced wearables like the Oura Ring 4, Garmin Vivoactive 6, and Apple Watch Series 10, I think the Galaxy Ring has a few more years and iterations before it becomes a truly formidable competitor in the smart ring space.
Rachael Schultz
Freelance Reporter
Rachael Schultz is a seasoned health, fitness, and outdoor writer with bylines at Men’s Journal, Forbes, Outside, Men’s Health, Shape, and she was formerly the Health Editor at Insider Reviews. She’s endlessly fascinated by why our bodies and brains work the way they do and how science says we can optimize both. Based in a small mountain town in Colorado, Rachael is hugely passionate about making the outdoors just as accessible to those who haven’t spent much time under the stars as those who grew up enjoying it. She spends most of her time trying to keep up with a gang of rad adventure ladies and her dog, Crocodile. In the winters, you can find her skiing and skinning, and in the summers, happily rafting, mountain biking, and hiking.
