wall street journal

When I interviewed former Domino editor in chief Deborah Needleman in August of last year, I, of course, asked her what she was up to in her post-Domino life. She said she'd been spending her time gardening "like mad," consulting, and writing, and conceded that it was "quite a good relief to not be working so hard and to have a break from the pressure." Hopefully, she enjoyed her respite, because now she's back in the grind with a full-time gig as the editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal's news and lifestyle glossy, WSJ.

Needleman's premiere issue debuted in the WSJ Weekend edition on Saturday, and it's apparent that she has not lost her enthusiasm for design. Always a shelter magazine girl at heart, she was sure to sprinkle a delightful dose of interior eye candy in the December issue. In "The City Squire," Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, who dropped a solo record in October, opened up his London apartment to another Domino alum, writer Rita Konig. The rock star shares his keen collections of British photographs, ceramics, and antique textiles, and reveals a very unrocker penchant for decorating and entertaining at home. "Decorating is so interesting to me," he says. "I like to control my environment. How it looks, feels and sounds. I couldn't imagine asking someone else to decorate it." Ferry's apartment, a puzzle of furniture pieces, has a decidedly bohemian vibe with an upscale British style, layered with worn textiles, stacks of books, and other worldly finds. Check out the article to take a further peek inside Ferry's home, and pick up the issue on newsstands tomorrow!

Photos courtesy of WSJ. Magazine

Could bread baked from scratch soon become an antiquated craft? In Germany, bakers fear it already has. Supermarket Aldi Süd has over 600 backofens, or bread "baking ovens," vending machines that boast the slogan "fresh out of the oven — direct into the bag."

According to The Wall Street Journal, the German grocery chain plans to roll them out in all of its 1,780 outlets. The machines boast speed and efficiency, dispensing warm bread by heating already-shaped, partially baked dough in seconds for less than it costs to buy a pack of gum.

But in Germany, where the average citizen consumes 192 pounds of bread a year and bakers train for a minimum of three years, bakers are up in arms. The German Bakers' Confederation is seeking legal recourse, accusing Aldi Süd of deceptive advertising.

It will be interesting to see if Aldi expands its concept to North America, although I'm not sure the automat has staying power in the US. Still, there's no denying the convenience and affordability factor. Do you think bread vending machines could take off stateside?

Source: Flickr User David Boyle

Facebook's privacy practices have been a constant source of fodder for a while now, and although the company has put new security features in place, it seems that still may not be enough to keep your information private from advertisers.

We've told you before that your personal data could be collected by the applications you and your friends use if you aren't careful with your privacy settings, but new findings by the Wall Street Journal say that even if your Facebook account is set to be completely private, your details (like name and location) could still be accessed by advertisers through popular applications like FarmVille, Cafe World and Texas Hold 'Em.

Find out more, including what Facebook is doing about it after the break.

I know the back and forth rumors of the iPhone 4 heading to Verizon and T-Mobile are killing you, but a new report from The Wall Street Journal confirms via sources "briefed" by Apple that a CDMA-compatible Verizon iPhone 4 has entered into mass production and should be available to customers by early 2011.

This marks an end to the Apple-AT&T exclusivity, and the timing correlates perfectly with Verizon's new tiered data plans. Additionally, sources tell the WSJ that the fifth-generation iPhone is already in the works, which comes as no surprise as Apple releases a new model every Summer. Face it — the iPhone is like fashion. It's never "done."

They're loving it! The mega rich can dine in the finest restaurants and sip on the most extravagant wines, but apparently all they want is a good ol' cheeseburger. Or at least, that's the trend we're seeing now as the result of the recession.

According to a study by American Express, "ultra-affluent" customers have increased their fast food budget by 24 percent, reports The Wall Street Journal. In comparison, the rest of the firm's US customers increased their junk food spending by only eight percent. The "ultra-affluent" category includes people who spend more than $7,000 per month and earn a certain income level.

Keith Gutsell, an IT risk manager at a Chicago bank, says eating these quick service meals helps him feel more thrifty. "Subconsciously, I think I'm saving money by spending less on food, but my spending somewhere else must be going up, because the amount on my credit card is not going down," he says.

Although eating cheap meals on the go will save them big bucks now, it will result in higher medical bills in the long run. Have you been consuming more fast food to save money like the fabulously wealthy?