World's Richest Sports Team Owners

There was a time not too long ago when sports teams were considered a billionaire's ultimate luxury purchase. Sports was the one area where the super wealthy could still be super fans. But in recent years, the business side of owning a sports franchise has started to overshadow that fun. Money has been flowing into sports, notably from corporate sponsorships, brand new stadiums, and massive television contracts and billionaires are taking notice.

10. Micky Arison

Team: Miami Heat
Net worth: $5.7 billion

Carnival Cruises, the company founded by the father of current boss Micky Arison, had a shipwreck of year, at least in terms of public relations. In February 2012 32 passengers were killed when a ship on its Costa line, the Concordia, ran aground in Tuscany. A year later, 4,000 passengers were stranded for days in the Gulf of Mexico with little food and few working bathrooms after an engine fire crippled its ship, Triumph. The stock was immediately slammed but had run up nicely (20%) in the prior 12 months on optimism about renewed consumer spending on vacations. Another positive development on dry land: Arison's NBA team, the Miami Heat, won the 2012 NBA championship, helping boost the franchise's value by 37% to $625 million.

Top 15 Largest Animals in The World

Our world is full of creatures big and small, short and tall. Below the Sifter looks at 15 of the largest animals in the world, classified by various categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians etc. There’s an incredibly detailed list of some of the world’s largest organisms (including plants, fungi, bacteria, etc.) on Wikipedia, check it out if you enjoy lists as much as we do :) For now, enjoy these fifteen fascinating animals.

The Largest Animal Ever: The Blue Whale

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. At 30 metres (98 ft) in length and 180 metric tons (200 short tons) or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed. The Blue Whale’s tongue weighs around 2.7 metric tons (5,952 pounds), about the size of an average Asian Elephant and its heart weighs about 600 kg (1,300 lb) and is the largest known in any animal. Not only is the heart similar size to a mini-cooper car but also comparable in weight.

The Blue Whale is thought to feed almost exclusively on small, shrimp-like creatures called Krill. During the summer feeding season the Blue Whale gorges itself, consuming an astounding 3.6 metric tons (7,900 pounds) or more each day. This means it may eat up to 40 million krill a day with a daily calorie requirement of an adult Blue Whale in the region of 1.5 million. [Source]

The Heaviest Land Animal in the World: The African Bush Elephant

The African Bush Elephant is the largest living terrestrial (land) animal, with males reaching 6 to 7.5 metres (19.7 to 24.6 ft) in length, 3.3 metres (10.8 ft) in height at the shoulder, and weighing 6 t (13,000 lb). Females are much smaller, reaching 5.4 to 6.9 metres (17.7 to 22.6 ft) in length, 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) in height at the shoulder, and weighing 3 t (6,600 lb). The adult African bush elephant generally has no natural predators due to its great size, but the calves (especially the newborn) are vulnerable to lion and crocodile attacks, and (rarely) to leopard and hyena attacks. [Source]

The Tallest Land Animal in the World: The Giraffe

Photograph by Luca Galuzzi – www.galuzzi.it

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal and the tallest living terrestrial animal in the world. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, accounting for nearly half of the animal’s vertical height. The long neck results from a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae. [Source]

The Largest Carnivora in the World: The Southern Elephant Seal

Photograph by DAVID SHACKELFORD

The Southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore living today. This seals’ size shows extreme sexual dimorphism, possibly the largest of any mammal, with the males typically five to six times heavier than the females. While the females average 400 to 900 kilograms (880 to 2,000 lb) and 2.6 to 3 meters (8.5 to 9.8 ft) long, the bulls average 2,200 to 4,000 kilograms (4,900 to 8,800 lb) and 4.5 to 5.8 meters (15 to 19 ft) long. The record-sized bull, shot in Possession Bay, South Georgia on February 28, 1913, measured 6.85 meters (22.5 ft) long and was estimated to weigh 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb).

Southern elephant seals dive repeatedly, each time for more than twenty minutes, to hunt their prey—squid and fish— at depths of 400 to 1,000 meters (1,300 to 3,300 ft). The documented diving records for the seals are nearly two hours for the duration, and more than 1,400 meters (4,600 ft) in depth. [Source]

The diverse order Carnivora includes over 280 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word “carnivore” (often popularly applied to members of this group) can refer to any meat-eating organism. Carnivorans are the most diverse in size of any mammalian order, ranging from the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), at as little as 25 grams (0.88 oz) and 11 centimeters (4.3 in), to the polar bear and southern elephant seal. [Source]

The Largest Land Carnivores in the World: The Polar Bear and Kodiak Bear

The largest living land carnivores are the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) and the kodiak bear, a Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) subspecies. Since they have similar body sizes, it is not clear which is definitively larger. In both species, shoulder height has been measured at more than 1.6 m (5.2 ft) and total length at as much as to 3.05 m (10.0 ft). The heaviest polar and brown bear weights recorded were respectively 1,003 kg (2,210 lb) and 1,135 kg (2,500 lb). [Source]

The Largest Reptile in the World: The Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), is the largest of all living reptiles. It is found in suitable habitats from Northern Australia through Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of India. An adult male saltwater crocodile’s weight is 409 to 1,000 kilograms (900–2,200 lb) and length is normally 4.1 to 5.5 metres (13–18 ft). However, mature males can exceed 6 metres (20 ft) and weigh more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) and this species is the only extant crocodilian to regularly reach or exceed 4.8 metres (16 ft). The saltwater crocodile is an opportunistic apex predator capable of taking nearly any animal that enters its territory, either in the water or on dry land. [Source]

The Largest Amphibian in the World: The Chinese Giant Salamander

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm (6 ft), although it rarely – if ever – reaches that size today. Endemic to rocky mountain streams and lakes in China, it is considered critically endangered due to habitat loss, pollution, and over-collecting, as it is considered a delicacy and used in traditional Chinese medicine. [Source]

The Largest Rabbit/Hare in the World: The Flemish Giant

The Flemish Giant is an old breed of domesticated rabbits, originating from the Flemish region. They have been bred as early as the 16th century around the city of Ghent, Belgium. The rabbits can weigh up to 12.7 kg (28 pounds). [Source]

The Largest Bats in the World: The Giant golden-crowned flying fox

Golden Crowned Flying Fox | Photograph by Latorilla

Spectacled Flying Fox | Photograph by Mnolf

The largest bat species is the Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered fruit bat from the rainforests of the Philippines that is part of the megabat family. The maximum size is believed to approach 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), 55 cm (22 in) long, and the wingspan may be almost 1.8 m (5.9 ft). The Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is smaller in body mass and length, but it has been known to exceed the Golden-crowned species in wingspan. Specimens have been verified to 1.83 m (6.0 ft) and possibly up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in wingspan. [Source]

The Largest Rodent in the World: The Capybara

Photograph by Jsanabriag

The largest living rodent is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), native to most of the tropical and temperate parts of South America east of the Andes, always near water. Full-grown capybaras can reach 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long and 0.9 m (3.0 ft) tall at the shoulder and a maximum weight of 105.4 kg (232 lb). It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. [Source]

The Largest Bony Fish in the World: The Ocean Sunfish

Photograph by Per-Ola-Norman

Photograph by Library of Congress

Osteichthyes, also called bony fish, are a taxonomic group of fish that have bony, as opposed to cartilaginous, skeletons. The vast majority of fish are osteichthyes, which is an extremely diverse and abundant group consisting of over 29,000 species. It is the largest class of vertebrates in existence today.

The largest living bony fish is the widely distributed ocean sunfish (Mola mola). It resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. The mature ocean sunfish has an average length of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), a fin-to-fin length of 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and an average weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), although individuals up to 3.3 m (10.8 ft) in length 4.2 m (14 ft) across the fins and weighing up to 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) have been observed. [Source]

The Largest Lizard/Snake in the World: The Green Anaconda

Photograph via The Vertebrate Journal

The most massive living member of this giant reptilian order is the Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of the neotropical riverways. The maximum verified size is 7.5 m (25 ft) and 250 kg (550 lb), although rumors of larger anacondas persist. The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is longer but more slender, and has been reported to measure as much as 9.7 m (32 ft) in length. [Source]

The Largest Bird in the World: The Ostrich

The largest living bird is the ostrich (Struthio camelus), from the plains of Africa and Arabia. A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 m (9.2 ft), weighing over 156 kg (345 lb). Eggs laid by the Ostrich can weigh 1.4 kg (3 lb) and are the largest eggs in the world today. They can also run at maximum speeds of about 97.5 km/h (60.6 mph), making it both the fastest bird on land and the fastest two-legged animal in the world. [Source]

The Heaviest Flying Bird in the World: The Dalmatian Pelican

Photograph by Doug Janson

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe to India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. This is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 160–180 cm (63-70 inches) in length, 11–15 kg (24-33 lbs) in weight and just over 3 m (10 ft) in wingspan. With a mean weight of 11.5 kg (25 lb), it is the world’s heaviest flying bird species on average, although large male bustards and swans can exceed the pelican in maximum weight. [Source]

The Largest Arthropod in the World: The Japanese spider crab

The Japanese spider crab is a species of marine crab that lives in the waters around Japan. It has the largest leg span of any arthropod, reaching up to 3.8 metres (12 ft) and weighing up to 41 pounds (19 kg). In its natural habitat, the Japanese spider crab feeds on shellfish and animal carcasses and may live for up to 100 years. [Source]

Fastest Cars in the World 2013

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport:

 267 mph (429 km/h), 0-60 in 2.4 secs. Aluminum, Narrow Angle 8 Liter W16 Engine with 1200 hp, base price is $2,400,000. Although the Bugatti Veyron lost the title to SSC Ultimate Aero on March 2007, Bugatti challenged the record in Germany on July 10, 2010 with the new Super Sport and the Bugatti Veyron reclaimed the title of the fastest car in the world at 267 mph. The original Bugatti Veyron had a top speed of 253 mph, priced at $1,700,000 with 1001 hp.

#2 is a tie at 260 mph!

2. Hennessey Venom GT: 260 mph (418 km/h), 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, has a 6.2-liter LS9 Turbocharged V8 Twin Turbo V8 Engine producing 1200 hp, with a price tag of $950,000. The Venom GT has yet to be tested and proven, but could possibly hit a top speed of 275 mph. This might just be the Veyron Super Sport's closest challenger!

2. Koenigsegg Agera R: 260 mph (418 km/h), 0-60 mph in 2.9 secs. 5.0-liter V8 Engine with twin turbo’s, housing 1099 hp. Base price is $1,600,000. If you're into snow sports, the Agera R can be fitted with a Ski Box as well as winter tires. While the Agera R has a massive theoretical top speed, the current tested top speed is 260 mph. Expect this snow car to be the Bugatti's arch enemy for the next 5 years.

Also a tie for #3.

3. SSC Ultimate Aero: 257 mph (413 km/h), 0-60 in 2.7 secs. Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp, base price is $654,400. Tested in March 2007 by Guinness World Records, The SSC Ultimate Aero was the fastest car in the world from March 2007 to July 2010. On March 2011, the Koenigsegg Agera R also surpassed it, forcing this American made car to the #3 spot. Shelby SuperCars will continue their quest to reclaim the fastest car title, and their new SSC Tuatura might do the job (we'll just have to wait).

 SSC Ultimate Aero Red doors open

3. 9ff GT9-R: 257 mph (413 km/h), 0-60 in 2.9 secs. The 4.0 Liter flat-6 Twin-Turbo Engine with 1120 hp, comes with a base price is $695,000. Based on the Porsche 911, the 9ff GT9-R 1120 hp version is limited to 20 units and the exterior may be modified to suit the owner.

4. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo: 248 mph (399 km/h), 0-60 in 2.8 secs. Twin Turbo All Aluminum V8 Engine with 750 hp, base price is $555,000. Smooth and bad-ass. It will make you want to show it off non-stop.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo dark orange front view

5. Koenigsegg CCX: 245 mph (394 km/h), 0-60 in 3.2 secs. 90 Degree V8 Engine 806 hp, base price is $545,568. Made in Sweden, it is the older brother of the Agera R, only losing to 4 other supercars in the world.

Orange Koenigsegg CCX

6. McLaren F1: 240 mph (386 km/h), 0-60 in 3.2 secs. BMW S70/2 60 Degree V12 Engine with 627 hp, base price is $970,000. The fastest car in the 20th century with doors that looks like bat wings. Maybe Batman needs to order one and paint it black 1997 McLaren F1 on the road black

7. Zenvo ST1: 233 mph (374 km/h), 0-60 in 2.9 secs. Twin-Charged 7.0 liter V8 Engine forging 1,104 hp. Base price: $1,225,000. The first Supercar from Zenvo Automotive, a Danish sports car company in pursuit of speed and perfection. This 100% Danish made supercar is limited to 15 units and the company even promised "flying doctors" to keep your baby functioning.

Danish supercar

There is a tie for 8th place at 225 mph.

8. Gumpert Apollo: 225 mph (362 km/h), 0-60 in 3.0 secs, 4.2 liter V8 Engine that houses 650 hp. Base price: $450,000. Gumpert claims that the Apollo was designed such that it could drive upside-down in a tunnel with speeds at 190 mph or above. Of course, no one has tested this yet.

8. Noble M600: 225 mph (362 km/h), 0-60 in 3.7 secs. Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 Engine with 650 hp. Base price is $330,000. The Noble M600 also happens to be a very cool car. Its inconspicuous design sports a slender and contoured body which does not scream out for attention at every second of the day.

There is a 3-way tie for #9!

9. Aston Martin One-77: 220 mph (354 km/h), 0-60 in 3.4 secs. 7.3 litre V12 Engine with 750 hp. Base price: $1,850,000. The production of this is limited to 77, hence the name One-77. This is beauty and power packed into One.

9. Ascari A10: 220 mph (354 km/h), 0-60 in 2.8 secs. 5.0 litre BMW V8 S62 Engine with 625 hp. Base price: $650,000. The company planned to produce 50 of these supercars at its factory in Banbury, England.

9. Lamborghini Aventador: 220 mph (354 km/h), 0-60 in 2.9 secs. V12 Engine with 700 hp, base price is $379,700. According to Lamborghini, Aventador is the name of a Bull that entered into battle at the Saragossa Arena on October 1993. This is the fastest bull in the world!

We have another 3-way a tie for 10th place:

10. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster: 217 mph (349 km/h), 0-60 in 3.4 secs. Twin turbocharged AMG V12 engine that produces 678 hp. Base price is $1,850,000. The Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster is a limited-edition, with five ever produced. It is the quintessential exotic and exclusive supercar.

10. Ferrari Enzo: 217 mph (349 km/h), 0-60 in 3.4 secs. F140 Aluminum V12 Engine with 660 hp, base price is $670,000. Only 399 were ever produced; the price goes up every time someone crashes.Ferrari Enzo doors open front view

10. Jaguar XJ220: 217 mph (349 km/h), 0-60 in 3.8 secs. Twin Turbo V6 Engine with 542 hp, base price was $650,000. Made in 1992, this car still has what it takes to make the list.

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Top 10 Gadgets of 2012

The year 2012 has witnessed major launches and new technologies. As we move forward to the next year, technology will only evolve and take better forms and shapes. Devices are going to become more intricate, complex and exciting. Android captured a strong place in the tech market and Apple did leave some impressions. However, its failure of Apple maps is still the most discussed topic on the World Wide Web. Despite all the negative sides, this year did have some mind-blowing gadgets introduced including tablets, notebooks, smartphones and gaming consoles. As we are on the threshold of starting a new year, let’s look at the top 10 gadgets of 2012.  And here on techjay you know we like giving the very best of gadgets news

Samsung Galaxy SIII

This phone did send a wave across the globe. Although after its release, several gadgets turned up, the craze for this smartphone still did not die. Samsung claims that the company has sold a lot of these gadgets within a few days. Within the first 100 days, the Samsung Galaxy SIII has sold over 20 million units. The 4.8 inch screen, 8MP camera and the latest Android version Ice Cream Sandwich fit each other perfectly. The NFC technology is built-in and the phone consumes 20% less power.

iPhone 5

Any product from Apple has some level of expectation and iPhone 5 was interesting until the problem with Apple maps rose. The battery life of iPhone 5 is a great plus as it can withstand a standby time of 225 hours. The phone sports a bigger screen than iPhone 4 and 4S thus having another row of applications displayed on the screen. Apple apologized for its mishap in Apple maps and promised to update it at the latest. iPhone 5 is still a favorite gadget of Apple fans. 

IdeaPad Yoga from Lenovo

This is a combination of a notebook and tablet running on Windows 8 OS. The 10 point touch screen along with a compatible keyboard makes the device special in its own way. Yoga 13 is only 17mm thick and is easy to port.

Sony Bravia 84 inch

This high definition television with LCD display can be proud of sporting an 84 inch glass. The images appear four times clearer than in standard HD delivering clear images even within 1.5m away. Sony has a unique place in the television world and it is tough for any other company to replace it.

iPad 4

iPad 4 was highly anticipated by many around the world. This one is much lighter and thinner than its predecessor iPad 3. The Retina display of 9.7 inches and the FaceTime camera are the most desired features in iPad 4. Apple has sold over 3 million units of iPad 4 within the first three days of its launch.

Nokia Lumia 920

Nokia’s Lumia phones are the world’s first to sport the Windows Phone 8 operating system. Nokia Lumia 920 has the City Lens which is a new feature. Just by tipping the camera at a street, City Lens will deliver details regarding shops, restaurants, hotels and others making your trip enjoyable.  Nokia Lumia smartphones come in various ranges and a few models are yet to be launched.

PlayStation Vita

This handheld gaming unit is the most powerful device in the market. It sports an MPCore processor and graphic processing unit which make the device produce excellent results while gaming. The device produces stunning graphics which keeps you involved in the game.

Samsung’s LED Monitor (68 cm)

Monitors still exist and it is hard for laptops to completely abolish them.  This LED monitor from Samsung is impressive and stands tall on your desk. It sports a natural display with high resolution throwing bigger images. The display can be tilted forwards and backwards using the back-support.

AIO Compaq Elite (8300)

This is an all-in-one computer which is not that popular. Businesses that require equipment that process quickly were kept in mind before designing this gadget. You can save funds and space in your office. Very few keep businesses in mind and design gadgets. It was very thoughtful of HP to design this gadget for businesses. It is designed to be very stylish making sure that your office desk looks neat and professional.

Ultrabook XPS 13

This notebook from Dell offers an easy and quick computing experience. It gives a compact look even though it sports a 13inch display screen. The inner parts are heavily packed with hardware and software putting it slightly on the heavier side.

The above ten gadgets are listed based on their popularity and sales.
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