Tag Archives: cost

Sports

The deal that will cost Fernando Tatis Jr. part of his contract – The Athletic

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Fernando Tatis Jr. will not get the entire $340 million.

Taxes will cut into his new 14-year agreement with the Padres, of course. But Tatis also must pay off a previous obligation, a deal he made during the 2017-18 offseason, when he was turning 19 years old and preparing for his first full season at Double A.

It was then that Tatis entered into a contract with Big League Advance (BLA), a company that offers select minor leaguers upfront payments in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings in Major League Baseball. Neither Tatis nor BLA has revealed the exact percentage he owes the company.

The company’s president and CEO, former major-league pitcher Michael Schwimer, told The Athletic in April 2018 that BLA uses a proprietary algorithm to value every player in the minors. Players who receive offers can accept a base-level payout in return for 1 percent of their earnings, with the chance to receive greater incremental payouts and pay back a…

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World

The luxury manmade island concept where homes cost up to $1 billion

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(CNN) — Packing up and moving to an exotic island has been a long-held dream for many globetrotters, but it seems the prospect is becoming even more attractive due to the global pandemic.

A number of island brokers reported a huge spike in demand for private islands in the months after Covid-19 brought much of the world to a standstill, with one telling the New York Times he’d had his busiest two months in over 20 years.

And judging from the response to this upcoming floating luxury real estate development launching close to the Bahamas in 2025, interest in relocating to a safe haven in the middle of the sea is still high.

The Blue Estate Group has been inundated with requests after unveiling plans for the man-made Blue Estate Island, where property prices start at $19,800 and rise to over $1 billion.

Located a 25-minute plane journey from Bahamas capital Nassau and just under 90 minutes from Miami, the island will measure 4,921 feet by 3,280 feet (1,500 meters by 1,000 meters), an area half the size of Monaco, and can accommodate up to 15,000 permanent residents.

Floating city

A rendering of the Blue Estate island, which is due to launch close to Miami in 2025.

Courtesy The Blue Estate Group

Those who snap up a place at the “world’s most exclusive private residence” will be treated to more than 340 days of sunshine each year thanks to the island’s prime location, according to the developers.

“At first we were worried whether the current pandemic might have a negative impact on the project,” Erik Schmidt, Chief Communications Officer for the Blue Estate Group, tells CNN Travel.

“But luckily it played out differently. Some districts are almost completely sold out and the sales team is doing it’s best to keep up with the requests and questions.”

The properties on offer range from $19,800 interior apartments measuring 20 square meters, $194,400 balcony apartments, a $54 million five-bedroom garden villa and two “signature estate” mega mansions, each with an estimated $1.15 billion price tag.

Those wealthy enough to afford the latter will need to present a “groundbreaking architectural concept” before they can be approved to purchase the mansion, and Schmidt confirms that one application has already been submitted.

The island, which is built with “ultra-high performance concrete modules,” will have its own state-of-the-art health clinic, as well as an international school that can cater to children from “toddlers age to diploma graduates.”

‘Everybody is welcome’

Residents are likely to get more than 340 days of sunshine each year thanks to the island’s prime location.

Courtesy The Blue Estate Group

“There are no special requirements to become a resident on the Blue Estate,” Schmidt explains.

“Everybody is welcome to buy, own or rent a property and/or open a business on the Blue Estate.”

Residents who work here can apply for a range of business licenses, valid for a period of 12 months, but they will not be subject to taxes.

“The increase in remote work opportunities of the past decade (not only due to the pandemic) allows more people to freely choose a ‘home base’ that meets their individual requirements best,” he explains, before indicating that the average resident’s ages is likely to be “significant lower” her than most other cities.

“Young entrepreneurs can focus on their start-up business and don’t have to battle paperwork and pay high taxes.”

Green community

The developers are planning to use renewable sources on the island so it has a negative CO2 output.

Courtesy The Blue Estate Group

Blue Estate will also hold a number of ocean clubs, lagoon-style pools, playgrounds, markets, restaurants, bars and shopping areas, so residents are likely to have plenty to keep them entertained.

Although it’s difficult to judge how much the global pandemic may have contributed to buyers’ decision to purchase a property at Blue Estate, Schmidt says many have expressed worries about “personal or business restrictions” in their home countries.

Although the majority of buyers have been from the US, some properties have been purchased by residents of Canada as well as Europe and China.

“Dissatisfaction has always been and will remain, a driving factor for change,” Schmidt adds.

There’s also no visa requirement for buyers, residents “can stay as long as they wish on the Blue Estate,” according to Schmidt.

However, all arrivals be subject to airport-style security checks.

While construction doesn’t begin until next year and the island won’t be fully completed for another four years, some of the properties may be ready for handover by mid-2023.

In order to achieve its goal of being one of the “world’s greenest communities,” all of the island’s energy will be generated from renewable sources, and it will operate a policy of no single use plastic and zero emission.

Blue Estate is also open to non-residents, however visitors must apply for a permit/visa prior to their trip as only a specific number of visitors will be allowed on the island at the time. There will be two hotels on the island to accommodate visitors.

Mobile island

Construction is yet to begin on Blue Estate, but buyers are already snapping up the homes on offers.

Courtesy The Blue Estate Group

Although its position in the Caribbean Sea means strong current could become a concern, the island is protected with outside walls measuring over 160 foot that will “dwarf the ocean’s biggest waves,” according to the Blue Estate Group.

It will also hold automated hurricane shutters that can be extended to provide the community with an additional shield from high winds.

In the worst-case scenario, the entire island can be “moved out of the way” of any incoming storms due to its high-tech features.

While Blue Estate appears to be the first first floating real estate development that allows buyers to purchase its properties, Schmidt believes similar projects will begin to pop up in the future, particularly due to the demand for isolated locations, which has been brought about by the pandemic.

“Our engineers have been working on the project since 2016, which gives us a bit of a head-start,” he says. “But nevertheless, we already have plans to scale up if demand stays on the current level or increases.”

News of the development comes as construction continues on the Heart of Europe, a $5 billion mega resort made up of a group of six man-made islands off the coast of Dubai designed to replicate popular European destinations such as Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Venice.

Work on the ambitious project, which will largely be made up of hospitality establishments and second homes, began in 2003 and is due for completion in 2023.

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Technology

Here’s how much Samsung’s 4K and 8K Neo QLED TVs cost

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Samsung introduced its first Mini-LED-powered Neo QLED TVs last month during its virtual CES 2021 event. However, the company had not revealed the pricing of its new TVs back then. The TVs are now up for pre-order and the South Korean firm has revealed how much it costs to buy its 4K and 8K Neo QLED TVs in the US.

Samsung’s 4K Neo QLED TV prices start at $1,600

The company’s 4K Neo QLED TV models are available in various sizes, starting from 55 inches and ending at 85 inches. This 4K lineup is divided into to models: QN85A and QN90A. The QN85A is priced at $1,600 for the 55-inch model, $2,200 for the 65-inch model, $3,000 for the 75-inch model, and $4,500 for the 85-inch model. The QN90A is priced at $1,800 for the 55-inch variant, $2,600 for the 65-inch variant, $3,500 for the 75-inch variant, and $5,000 for the 85-inch variant. Samsung says that it will ship these TVs by March 20 in the US.

These 4K Neo QLED TVs feature anti-reflection coating, 4K AI upsampling, a 120Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, HDR10+ (Quantum HDR 24x on QN85A and Quantum HDR 32x on QN90A), HLG, solar-powered remote controller, Object Sound Tracking+, Q-Symphony, Active Voice Amplifier, 60W speakers (2.2.2-channel on QN85A and 4.2.2-channel on QN90A), Alexa, Bixby, Game Bar, Samsung TV+, and Samsung Health.

  • QN85A 55-inch: $1,600
  • QN85A 65-inch: $2,200
  • QN85A 75-inch: $3,000
  • QN85A 85-inch: $4,500
  • QN90A 55-inch: $1,800
  • QN90A 65-inch: $2,600
  • QN90A 75-inch: $3,500
  • QN90A 85-inch: $5,000

Samsung’s 8K Neo QLED TV prices start at $3,500

Samsung is offering 8K Neo QLED TVs in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes. Even the company’s 8K Mini-LED TV lineup is divided into two models: QN800A and QN900A. The QN800A costs $3,500, $4,800, and $6,500 for 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes, respectively. The QN900A goes as high as $5,000, $7,000, and $9,000 for 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes. These 8K TVs will ship by March 18 in the US.

The QN900A and QN800A TVs from Samsung feature 8K resolution, 8K AI upscaling, Mini-LED backlight with precise local dimming, Quantum HDR (48x on QN900A and 32x on QN800A), a 120Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, HDR10+, HLG, Multi View, surround sound speakers (80W 6.2.2-channel on QN900A and 70W 4.2.2-channel on QN800A), solar-powered remote controllers, Object Sound Tracking+, Q-Symphony, Active Voice Amplifier, Alexa, Bixby, Google Assistant, Super Ultrawide GameView mode with Game Bar, Samsung TV+, and Samsung Health.

  • QN800A 65-inch: $3,500
  • QN800A 75-inch: $4,800
  • QN800A 85-inch: $6,500
  • QN900A 65-inch: $5,000
  • QN900A 75-inch: $7,000
  • QN900A 85-inch: $9,000

The South Korean firm is aiming to sell over 2 million Mini-LED TVs this year.



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Technology

The real cost of being the ultimate Samsung fan: Nearly $91,000

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So we were wondering: How much would it cost the ultimate Samsung fan if they could spend all they wanted on each of Samsung’s highest-end devices?

Samsung’s biggest fan would pay more.

At $1,999.99, Samsung’s latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with 5G, is the most expensive phone in the company’s current lineup. (Note: Samsung (SSNLF) is currently offering site-wide discounts, so this article includes prices as they are listed on its site as of Thursday. Trade-ins can lower prices even more.)
Released in September, the device features a 6.2-inch front screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen when the device is unfolded, a helpful feature if you frequently find yourself working, gaming or watching video content on the go. The folding display is coupled with software features that Samsung says will help users to multitask, including the ability to have multiple apps open simultaneously.

The phone comes in metallic silver, gold, red and blue.

There are more perks, too, for those willing to shell out for the Galaxy Z Fold 2: Samsung is offering six free months of Spotify Premium and four free months of YouTube Premium. Customers who buy the phone can also enroll in Samsung’s “Galaxy Z Premier” VIP benefits program, which includes access to Michelin star restaurants and golf and country clubs around the country, among other offerings.

You’ll want a case to protect that pricey device. You can get a luxe-looking, brown leather cover for $79.99. And a wireless charger portable battery pack for $59.99 will help ensure your device doesn’t die on you while on the go. Samsung Care+ for the phone costs $11.99 per month.

Total: $2,151.96

Audio

Samsung’s highest-end, over-the-ear headphones are the AKG N700NC M2 Wireless Headphones, which sell for $299.99. These foldable headphones have up to 23 hours of battery. They’re Android- and iOS-compatible, with the ability to switch between two different Bluetooth devices.

For on-the-go, Samsung offers the Galaxy Buds Live for $129.99. They have an ergonomic design, about 6 hours of battery life and can connect to your phone’s smart assistant with just your voice. Two other neat features: just five minutes of charging will get you an extra hour of listening, and “active noise cancellation,” which “reduces background noises” without blocking “what’s important, like voices and announcements,” the company says on its website.

They come in bright colors including blue, red and pink.

Total: $429.98

Watch

Samsung calls the Galaxy Watch3 Titanium its “most advanced” smartwatch. It boasts “military-grade durability and water resistance,” a battery that can go for more than a day on a single charge and a 45 millimeter display. Health features include heart-rate monitoring, automatic workout tracking, a sleep monitor and breathing guides to help with stress. Integrated Samsung Pay will help if you forget your wallet at home.

The smartwatch is Bluetooth-connected, and Android and iOS compatible. Currently, it’s going for $499.99, rather than the original price of $599.99.

A leather watch band will cost you $79.99.

For their watch, phone and ear buds, users can also get a UV sanitizer, which doubles as a wireless charger, for $39.99.

Total: $619.97

Computer

The Galaxy Book Flex QLED is Samsung’s priciest personal computer. It comes in two screen sizes — 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch -— the latter of which totals $1,399.99 without a trade-in.

The Galaxy Book Flex features a convertible design that lets it flip from laptop to tablet, a touchscreen QLED display, a 10th generation Intel Core processor and 512 GB of storage. It also has 19 hours of battery life, a Bluetooth enabled stylus and a trackpad that can become a wireless charger for other devices using PowerShare.

You can get a 3-year SamsungCare+ protection and support package for $349.99 and a Galaxy Book S pouch for $79.99 to protect your device. For extra storage, you can get a 2 TB portable storage drive for $229.99.

And for your home office set-up, you can also get a Samsung 32-inch Smart Monitor with auto-installed Microsoft 365 and a suite of entertainment apps for $369.99.

Total: $2,429.95

Tablet

In case a laptop that doubles as a tablet just isn’t enough for you, Samsung’s Tab S7+ tablet is the highest-end option. It offers a 12.4-inch screen with an edge-to-edge display and a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as 512 GB of memory.

The wifi-connected version currently goes for $899.99, and the cell network-connected version costs $1,049.99. It boasts up to 14 hours of video playback on a single charge, and comes with a stylus and four months of ad-free YouTube Premium included.

Three years of Samsung Care+ for the device rings in at $159.99.

Total: $1,209.98, for the cell network-connected version

Television

Samsung is running a promotion on its $99,999.99 98-inch, 8K smart TV (yes, that’s an 8-foot wide television), so it’s currently only $59,999.99. It uses AI to scale graphics up to 8K resolution — 16 times the resolution of full HD.

Add four years extended warranty and wall mount service, for a total of $62,669.98.

Total: $62,669.98

Kitchen appliances

Samsung has long been a household name when it comes to appliances, and in recent years it’s decked out some products, such as the standard fridge, with features like voice control and AI.

While Samsung sells “kitchen packages” that include a fridge, gas range, dishwasher and microwave that help you save a few hundred dollars, let’s just posit that you purchase your items separately, over time, as you gradually replace older appliances. The company also charges extra fees to install the appliances and haul away your old ones, as well as for Samsung Care+ coverage.

Family Hub Refrigerator

This 22-cubic-foot smart fridge retails for $4,799, but is on sale for $4,099. It costs slightly more than its bigger cousin, as this shallower version is best suited in kitchens with a narrow fridge space. It costs an extra $129.99 to extend the warranty by three years.

The fridge works with a water filter that’s compatible only with Samsung’s, and a three pack will set you back $129.99. The Family Hub is a stainless steel fridge that lets you create shopping lists using voice command, and you can see inside it without opening the doors via 3 built-in cameras.

Dishwasher

Samsung’s matching stainless steel dishwasher retails for $1,049 and is on sale for $749.

Oven

Excluding Samsung’s bundle deals for an oven and a microwave, the most expensive oven on Samsung’s website goes for $4,199, but it’s on sale for $3,779. You can convert the oven into two sections to cook two dishes at different temperatures simultaneously.

Microwave

Samsung sells a matching smart microwave for $499.

Cooktop

The 36-inch induction cooktop costs $2,499 and it has a virtual flame that makes it look like a gas stove. It’s also Bluetooth-enabled with digital controls.

Range

Say you also want a classic gas range and not just the induction cooktop. Samsung sells a $3,339 gas range that comes with air fry capabilities.

Total for Kitchen: $15,223.98

Laundry (and miscellaneous)

After sprucing up your kitchen, how about some shiny new appliances for the laundry room?

Washer-Dryer Set

Samsung’s Smart Flex washer and dyer set in black stainless steel typically retails for $3,998 but is currently on sale for $3,597.98. The machines boast the ability to do two separate loads of laundry at the same time. And — if you have kids — the finish is fingerprint resistant.

Air Dresser

This dresser steams and refreshes your clothes, for a price tag of $1,149. It uses filtered water and can be controlled through the Samsung SmartThings app.

Vacuum

Samsung sells a variety of vacuums. The priciest set costs $748 and includes a stick vacuum with an accessory that automatically empties the dustbin. Samsung also announced a new robot vacuum, the JetBot 90, earlier in January, but did not specify its price.

Air Purifier

A voice enabled and Wi-Fi connected air purifier goes for $549.

SmartThings Wi-Fi Pack

To help connect all those devices, Samsung charges $279.99 for three devices that offer mesh Wi-Fi throughout a large home. This router can be the connective hub for all of your smart gadgets and appliances.

Total for Laundry (and miscellaneous): $6,323.97

How much am I spending?

If you really decked out your home and life with Samsung-only products, you would rack up quite a bill. And you’d be locked into using Samsung’s AI assistant Bixby, which came to market later than its competitors from Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOGL GOOGLE).

You would have a matching stainless steel set of shiny new appliances, though, and a bunch of high-end devices.

After adding up the costs of all the home appliances and various Samsung tech gadgets, the shopping list comes to a grand total of $90,879.77, minus installation and other fees for the appliances (the massive TV accounts for most of the cost). For a home to fit all these items, it’ll probably have to be a big one.

Grand total: $90,879.77

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Entertainment

Jennifer Lopez Recreates ‘Love Don’t Cost A Thing’ Video 20 Years Later

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She hoped to inspire copycat videos with a Twitter challenge, but it didn’t go as expected.

Jennifer Lopez celebrated the 20th anniversary of her “J.Lo” album in style this weekend, recreating the now-infamous music video for “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” two decades later.

“Happy 20th Anniversary to my 2nd album J.Lo!!!! Had a little fun at a recent shoot,” she captioned a video on social media showing her walking down the beach to the song, stripping off her clothes in the sand.

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Among the hashtags she used was #LoveDontCostAThingChallenge, which she also shared on Twitter. “The #LoveDontCostAThingChallenge STARTS NOW!!!!” she excitedly tweeted. “Can’t wait to see your renditions.”

She didn’t get too many recreations, however — and the replies she did get were absolutely hilarious.

“Not a littering challenge,” joked one follower who retweeted the video — a post which racked up 82K likes. “You want us all to rush to the beach in a pan de queso to have our friends film us throwing away good jewelry? I’m so confused,” read another response liked more than 22K times.

“Jlo we supposed to throw our valuables on the beach?” joked another fan. “Is the challenge to find it after we throw it bc we can’t afford to replace it?!? What is the instructions?!?!?????”

“Girl it’s too cold for that,” posted another follower — while one follower added, “We are in a panini, still haven’t gotten our second stimmy & you want us to go out & throw our shit away in the sand?!?”

Searching the hashtag itself on Twitter surfaced a ton of tweets simply commenting on the lack of recreations … or people hoping for renditions of Nick Cannon’s dance moves in the movie “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” instead.

There were, however, a few videos on Instagram — including one which traded the white sands for snow.

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US

Fauci: Trump administration’s Covid strategy ‘very likely did’ cost lives

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Former President Donald Trump faced significant criticism over the final year of his presidency for his pandemic response, which strayed often from the guidance of his own administration’s health officials and veered often into bizarre territory.

From the pandemic’s early stages, Trump regularly downplayed the risk Covid-19 posed to Americans and predicted often that the U.S. would soon have the virus beat, even as cases spiked around the country. He resisted the best practices recommended by his own public health team, declining to wear a mask in public and holding large-scale rallies, both indoors and outdoors, with thousands of supporters.

Trump frequently touted the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 despite there being no evidence of it being effective. At one point last spring, he suggested Americans should inject themselves with disinfectants to combat the virus.

Fauci’s regular appearances at White House coronavirus briefings made him a household name throughout the pandemic, but his relationship with Trump quickly soured as the NIAID chief refused to fall in line with the then-president’s inconsistent and at-times dangerous Covid-19 rhetoric. Trump called Fauci an idiot and a “disaster,” saying “if we listened to him, we’d have 700,000 [or] 800,000 deaths.” Trump accused Fauci and other health officials of exaggerating the pandemic’s severity and criticized officials for saying early on that masks weren’t necessary.

As the pandemic wore on, Fauci’s appearances at the White House grew increasingly rare, as did contact between the two men.

Fauci said in a news conference with White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday that his work with the Biden administration thus far has been “liberating.” Fauci has said the Trump administration prevented him from making some media appearances and that the White House hampered the flow of public health information.

“You didn’t feel you could actually say something and there wouldn’t be repercussions about it,” Fauci said in the news conference Thursday. “One of the new things in this administration, is if you don’t know the answer, don’t guess. Just say you don’t know the answer.”

Fauci said in an interview Thursday that there is “complete transparency” under the Biden administration.

On CNN Friday, he also said that there was a coronavirus strategy under the Trump administration, but that it “wasn’t articulated well.”

“The separation of the federal government and the states … was really a lesion,” Fauci said on CNN. “You don’t want the federal government to do everything and you don’t want the states to do everything. … What we saw a lot of was saying ‘OK states, do what you want to do.’ And states were doing things that clearly were not the right direction.”

Biden’s Covid-19 strategy has included directing FEMA to establish Covid-19 liaisons to “maximize cooperation between the federal government and the states” and reimbursing states for using the National Guard in relief efforts.

“The best thing to do is to have a plan, have the federal government interact with the states in a synergistic, collaborative, cooperative way, helping them with resources and helping them with a plan, at the same time respecting the individual issues that any individual state might have,” Fauci said.

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