Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 115285 articles
Browse latest View live

Hundreds of EpiPen users complained about problems with the lifesaving device. It still took 3 years and a top regulator stepping in before serious change — with potentially deadly outcomes (PFE, MYL)

0
0

epipen manufacturing flaws 2x1

  • People with life-threatening allergies rely on the EpiPen in emergencies.
  • Complaints about EpiPens not working or arriving in bad shape began to mount in 2013 and 2014.
  • The manufacturer, Meridian Medical Technologies, didn't properly look into those complaints, FDA inspectors warned as far back as 2014. Meridian didn't make significant changes to its complaint-investigation process until three years later, after a major voluntary recall of EpiPens.
  • "In fact, your own data show that you received hundreds of complaints that your EpiPen products failed to operate during life-threatening emergencies, including some situations in which patients subsequently died," the FDA said in a 2017 letter.
  • Pfizer responded by saying that "no evidence has been found of a causal link between patient deaths and reports of failure of EpiPen units to activate."
  • This occurred as Mylan, the drugmaker that markets and distributes the EpiPen, hiked the price, which sparked controversy. As a result of the FDA's warning letter, new processes at EpiPen factories have contributed to an EpiPen shortage.
  • Business Insider is first to report on the FDA's 2014 warnings, the action taken by Meridian, and critical details of how Meridian handled the complaints that would lead to the recall.
  • Pfizer told us that "since the inspection in 2017, the Meridian manufacturing site has been diligently implementing all commitments made to the FDA."

EpiPens weren't working.

Complaints about the devices were piling up with the product's manufacturer, a unit of the drug giant Pfizer called Meridian Medical Technologies, in 2013 and 2014. Patients said their EpiPens were hard to activate or activated before they could use them, arrived leaking, or came with bent needles or discolored solution.

Drug inspectors from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014 warned of shortcomings with the company’s process for investigating patient complaints. Despite the warnings, Meridian didn’t make significant changes to its complaint-investigation process until about three years later, after a major voluntary recall of EpiPens.

Patients with severe allergies rely on the devices to inject a life-saving dose of epinephrine and halt allergic reactions. Food allergies, which affect about 5% of children and 4% of adults in the US, are a common reason to carry an EpiPen.

Meridian failed to thoroughly investigate product failures or take appropriate corrective action, the FDA told the company in a September 2017 warning letter. New processes put in place as a result of that warning letter affected manufacturing capacity, Pfizer has acknowledged, resulting in an ongoing shortage of the lifesaving devices that’s continued for almost a year.

Business Insider is the first to report on the FDA’s warnings to the company that date to 2014, the subsequent action from Meridian, and critical details of how Meridian handled the complaints that would lead to a large voluntary recall. This article is based on hundreds of pages of documents obtained in a public-records request.

“You failed to thoroughly investigate multiple serious component and product failures for your EpiPen products, including failures associated with patient deaths and severe illness,” the FDA wrote to Pfizer’s Meridian unit in September 2017, in a rebuke that the regulator released publicly.

“You also failed to expand the scope of your investigations into these serious and life-threatening failures or take appropriate corrective actions, until FDA's inspection," the FDA wrote.

EpiPen food allergies auto-injector epinephrine

Meridian launched a voluntary recall of EpiPens in early 2017 and, in response to FDA warnings, began an effort to overhaul its manufacturing process.

Pfizer said in a statement to Business Insider that the company is “very confident in the safety and efficacy of EpiPen products being produced at the site.”

“Pfizer assessed the FDA’s observations, and submitted a comprehensive response, which included a detailed corrective and preventive action plan,” the company said. “Since the inspection in 2017, the Meridian manufacturing site has been diligently implementing all commitments made to the FDA.”

Subscribe to Dispensed, our weekly newsletter on pharma, biotech, and healthcare.

'A matter of public safety'

The EpiPen is an important, even iconic product. It was brought to market decades ago by Meridian, then called Survival Technology. Meridian licensed out the device's marketing and distribution rights to a Merck subsidiary, and later Mylan. Pfizer acquired Meridian in 2011, according to an expansive history published in the Cornell Law Review. For the more than 25 years that EpiPen has been sold in the US, it has been the top-prescribed device of its kind, according to Mylan.

But the allergic-reaction treatment became a poster child for corporate greed in recent years after Mylan hiked its price more than 500%, to more than $600 for two devices. Mylan was raising the EpiPen's price even as concerning complaints about the product were on the rise. The complaints were typically routed through Mylan first, according to the documents reviewed by Business Insider. Mylan later introduced a generic EpiPen at around half the price.

Mylan did not return Business Insider's requests for comment.

The rising price of EpiPens chart

The EpiPen is a relatively minor product for Pfizer. Its $290 million in sales in 2017, for example, was dwarfed by bestsellers such as the $4.5 billion pain and seizure medication Lyrica. But in recent years, troubled factories have been a headache for the drugmaker, with FDA inspectors repeatedly citing violations, for instance, at a Kansas plant of one of its subsidiaries, Hospira.

Pfizer told Business Insider in a statement that it is working to address those issues, adding: "We stand behind the products manufactured there and are very confident in their safety and efficacy."

The problems at Pfizer's manufacturing facilities represent a wider problem for the US health system. Drug shortages have declined from peak levels, but last year there were many new shortages that seriously affected patients and doctors, including for the EpiPen, Douglas Throckmorton, the deputy center director for regulatory programs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, has said.

It’s common for manufacturing problems identified during FDA inspections to lead to a drug shortage because those problems can take time to resolve, David Gaugh, a senior vice president of sciences and regulatory affairs at generic-drug industry group Association for Accessible Medicines, told Business Insider.

Pfizer previously said that new processes put in place after the FDA's September 2017 warning letter have had “some impact on manufacturing capacity,” as has supply of third-party components.

But EpiPen availability is critical for those with food allergies, and “a matter of public safety,” Lisa Gable, the CEO of the advocacy group Food Allergy Research and Education, said in a statement to Business Insider.

“These shortages not only create unnecessary stress, but families and adults managing potentially life-threatening food allergies rely on epinephrine auto-injector devices for rapid, dependable administration of epinephrine, the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis,” she said. “Instances in which auto-injectors are not functioning properly also carry potentially life-threatening consequences.”

Read more: An EpiPen is 500% more expensive than it was in 2007

Complaints on the rise

Those who get severe allergic reactions to foods such as peanuts, stings, or bites from insects such as bees, wasps, and mosquitoes depend on the EpiPen to inject epinephrine into the outer thigh, where it works quickly to counteract the attack.

Since at least 2013, patients had been increasingly complaining about their EpiPens, including that they didn’t always work, FDA inspection documents and correspondence between Pfizer’s Meridian and the regulator show. Business Insider obtained the documents in a public-records request.

Complaints in the US rose 13% from 2012 to 2013, and the company was also getting more reports of serious side effects with the device, rising from three in 2010 to nearly 50 in 2013.

Patient complaints about products not activating, arriving with atypically colored or cloudy solution in them and activating spontaneously were emerging as popular, an FDA inspection report found.

“It’s not unusual to receive product complaints, especially when the product is frequently administered by non-medically trained individuals,” Pfizer said in a statement. The company added that it has shipped more than 30 million EpiPens globally since 2015.

FDA inspectors told Pfizer’s Meridian that it wasn’t properly investigating complaints as far back as the start of 2014.

Read more: The strange history of the EpiPen, the device developed by the military that turned into a billion-dollar business and now faces generic competition between Mylan and Teva

More than half of about 400 complaints the firm received about EpiPens were for the aforementioned issues and products arriving with bent needles, but the firm still hadn’t figured out by that fall what was causing many of the complaint types, another 2014 FDA inspection report found.

When Meridian’s investigations didn’t confirm the problems, Meridian didn’t implement significant changes to address them, according to the documents Business Insider reviewed. That is a theme in Meridian’s hundreds of pages of correspondence with US drug regulators between 2014 and 2018.

Statistics paint a stark picture. From 2014 to early 2017, patients submitted more than 200 complaints that they were unable to activate their EpiPens. In internal investigations into those complaints, the company only confirmed that two EpiPens had problems.

In correspondence with the FDA, Meridian explained the discrepancy this way: Not every patient submitted a sample of the product, and of those who did, Meridian employees were able to get the samples to work in the lab. Others — even though the patients said they hadn’t worked — arrived in an activated state, suggesting they had worked. In still other cases, lab testing contradicted the complaint.

Diana Zuckerman, the president of the think tank the National Center for Health Research, questioned whether it was appropriate for a company such as Pfizer's Meridian — which makes a product intended for consumers to use — to blame its customers for problems.

Zuckerman told Business Insider that she’s previously seen, in the case of reports about a defective implant, other companies blaming surgeons for errors.

“That’s the bottom line: You can’t sell life-saving products intended to be used by patients if you can’t consider why patients might not be able to use it,” she said.

Meridian would end up making a change to how it investigated complaints of product failures.

FDA calls an investigation 'deficient'

Meridian was catching plenty of defective EpiPen units before they got to market, reports from FDA inspectors visiting its plants in 2014 show. But that wasn’t setting off any alarms at Meridian because the company didn’t have a “meaningful” internal limit for an acceptable number of manufacturing defects, according to the FDA reports.

In at least two instances, the FDA thought the company wasn’t putting the pieces together when evidence suggested that more defective devices might be making it out the factory’s doors to market. One of the firm’s investigations, into a customer report of a broken EpiPen, did not connect the issue to the product’s manufacturing process, in which 4,432 units made at the same time had been rejected for defects, FDA inspectors said.

For that reason and others, they described the investigation as "deficient."

A crucial component, with a defect

About two and a half years later, in the spring of 2017, Pfizer’s Meridian unit committed to overhauling the way it handled complaints about its products.

It came on the heels of a major event: The company’s US recall of an estimated 260,000 EpiPens because of a defective part.

Called a Power Pak, the component plays a crucial role in making sure the EpiPen fires correctly and delivers the right amount of lifesaving epinephrine. It’s made by a third party, and Meridian’s investigation had concluded that the problem originated with the supplier.

The supplier isn’t revealed in the documents obtained by Business Insider as they were redacted in part to protect trade secrets and other information.

Meridian identified the Power Pak issue in February 2016 and sent back some batches of the component.

Meridian later heard two complaints from customers, in April and December 2016, about problems activating EpiPens, which its own investigations confirmed. Both involved issues with the Power Pak component. The two complaints came from outside the US and, in both cases, the patients used another EpiPen — the product is sold in packs of two — that did work, Pfizer said.

But even though its internal investigation suggested more EpiPen lots could be affected, the company downplayed the two complaints as not significant enough for a recall, calling one complaint "low level," its correspondence with US regulators shows.

The firm expanded its investigation and issued recalls only after an FDA inspection and “after multiple discussions with FDA,” the regulator said. In March 2017, the company decided to voluntarily recall 13 EpiPen lots sold between late 2015 and mid-2016 in the US, and 81,000 devices outside the US.

Pfizer told Business Insider that its investigations were in line with, or better than, industry and regulatory standards.

Reasons for drug shortages, FDA

In a September 2017 warning letter, the FDA told the company that the failure of its EpiPen products could have caused patient deaths, and it chastised the company for poorly investigating patient complaints.

“In fact, your own data show that you received hundreds of complaints that your EpiPen products failed to operate during life-threatening emergencies, including some situations in which patients subsequently died,” the FDA said.

“You did not thoroughly investigate these complaints. Moreover, we note that your follow up did not include removing potentially defective products from the marketplace, even though you had identified a defect in one of the critical components used to manufacture these products and even though you ultimately confirmed the same or similar component defect as the root cause for multiple complaints.”

That’s when Pfizer’s senior management got involved, the documents show.

The company responded to the FDA in September 2017, saying that “no evidence has been found of a causal link between patient deaths and reports of failure of EpiPen units to activate.”

The firm said it confirmed only two patients' complaints about its product. Both were from a single manufacturing lot of EpiPens that had already been recalled earlier that year, it added, presumably referencing the April and December 2016 complaints.

Meridian came up with what’s called a compliance action plan that year to address the FDA’s many observations, setting up different commitments and deadlines for them. The 38-page plan had about 142 commitments in late July 2017, which ballooned to 270 almost a year later.

Importantly, the firm said it would require a more thorough examination when patients complained that EpiPens weren’t working.

Other parts of the plan could affect EpiPen supply, the documents show, with one portion of it postponed to mid-October 2017 to prevent or minimize stockouts.

Read more: There's a shortage of EpiPens in the US

A Pfizer representative previously said that new processes implemented as a result of the FDA warnings had “some impact on manufacturing capacity,” with supplies of third-party components also playing a role. The company is still shipping the medicine and expects supply to improve in the coming months.

FDA inspectors had raised other concerns with the company’s complaint-investigation process.

Complaints weren’t given priority status linked to the amount of risk involved, according to an early 2017 FDA inspection report, with categories such as “spontaneous activation” labeled as normal, as was “container broken/cracked/leaking prior to use.”

Pfizer said that would change starting in September 2017, and Meridian has continued to be in communication with the FDA about manufacturing changes.

A recent correspondence, dated October 2018, laid out a timeline for further fixes, which extended through at least the end of this month.

(This story was updated with a new photo showing the EpiPen.)

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Saturn is officially losing its rings — and they're disappearing much faster than scientists had anticipated


The best women's winter ankle boots you can buy

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

the best winter ankle boots for women

  • Boots with insulation and waterproof leather exteriors are the key to staying warm and dry during cold weather months, but it's also great if you can find a pair of boots that look good, too.
  • With a lined interior and treated suede upper, Blondo's Villa Suede Ankle Boot has the full package, plus a versatile style that goes with everything.

The initial slump of winter might have come and gone, but we are still a ways from May flowers. With at least another month of snow ahead, and probably cold temps and rain following, it's imperative to make sure you have comfortable, appropriate footwear to walk you through the seasons.

A good, old-fashioned sturdy snow boot might be essential to every woman's closet for the snowy mornings when you have to dig your car out of a snow bank, but when it comes to fashionable wear-to-work options, there are plenty of winter friendly ankle boots that can do the job of a snow boot, and do it in style.

With so many months until better weather, you don't have to sacrifice style for functionality. New technologies allow shoe brands to give you trendy materials like suede or leather with a waterproof, winter-friendly coating. So the same textured or contrasting uppers you sported on your fall time ankle boots can make an appearance in your winter wardrobe. Plus, designers are manufacturing cozy foam layers and lined interiors into boots that keep your feet warm and snug, no matter what the streets are like outside.

With so many ankle boot styles in stores and online, it's hard to know which are actually right for winter and which will leave you with rain water soaking through to your socks. To save you time and prevent any footwear mishaps, we've done the research to find the best ankle boots to get you through winter.

Here are the best winter ankle boots for women:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best winter ankle boots for women overall

Why you'll love it: With a suede exterior and plush, lined interior, the Villa Suede Ankle Boot is much more comfortable and stylish than a typical winter boot.

I didn't know durability could be stylish before I found the Villa Suede Ankle Boot from Blondo. To the untrained eye, this boot looks nothing like an ankle boot. For one thing, it's made out of suede — the enemy of wet weather.

Blondo actually engineered its suede using AquaProtect to make it completely waterproof. The brand's authenticated seal allows superior protection against water and weather to the shoe's luxe exterior. This also means that walking through salted streets won't damage the boot and it can be cleaned with nothing more than a damp cloth.

Even with a small, sleek, and versatile look, the Villa Suede Ankle Boot is, in fact, just as durable as any other. It is made with a rubber sole that has an excellent grip on all surfaces, even ice.

Hands down, the best part of the Villa Suede Ankle Boot is the one you'll never see: Its insulated textile lining. The lining was a welcome surprise the first time I slid this boot on. Not only does it make the boot extremely comfortable, but it helps keep you warm on below-freezing winter days.

Unlike most heeled boots, the Villa Suede Ankle boot is actually great for walking. A few Amazon shoppers reported wearing the boot during travels to Europe and still felt great after days of walking. The boots come in at least eight different colors and have earned an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

Pros: Comfortable, will keep you warm, versatile style

Cons: It won't last more than a season if you wear it every day, and it can be expensive

Buy the Villa Suede Ankle Boot on Amazon for $89.95 to $159.95



The best women's winter ankle boots for comfort

Why you'll love it: Sillan Tana's boot is designed with closures that allow a customized fit and it has a removable ortholite footbed with cushion soft technology for hours of comfort.

For days when you're on your feet for hours or have a lot of walking to do, the Sillan Tana Boot is the way to go. It's from a collection called Cloudsteppers, and as soon as you sink your foot into this boot, you'll understand why.

The exterior is simple: It has a synthetic upper with a low heel and casual ruched detailing to subtly add an element of trendiness. However, within the understated design of the boot is an EVA sole and foam layers made from Clarks' trademarked Cushion Soft technology.

EVA, or ethylene-vinyl acetate, is softer than rubber and therefore requires less padding but still provides increased flexibility. Footwear manufacturers typically use EVA in soles as they've realized that it is one of the best materials for shock absorption.

Paired with the Cushion Soft foam layers, which are precisely placed in order to reduce strain on the ball of the foot and support the foot's natural gait, the EVA sole makes it feel like you're stepping on clouds. That title makes sense now, right?

Shoppers not only commend the Sillan Tana Boot for its prolonged comfort but also the fact that it's comfortable right out of the box, with no break-in period. Despite the fact that reviewers all agree that the boot runs a half size small and some have noted that the upper ankle area can dig into skin, the Sillan Tana has a 4.2 out of 5-star average rating on Amazon.

Pros: Extremely comfortable, low cost

Cons: Runs a half-size small, not great for bad weather

Buy the Sillan Tana Fashion Boot on Amazon for $46.32 to $120



The best budget winter ankle boots for women

Why you'll love it: Its vegan leather upper is not only guilt-free but keeps the Sugar Truffle Boot low-cost and more durable in inclement weather.

The Truffle Ankle Bootie from Sugar has all the essentials of a winter boot: a comfortable heel height, a zip closure for easy on and off, and a durable outer that can withstand superficial damage from salt or ice. Its rubber sole adds comfort and expands on the durability.

Vegan leather is typically a good choice for a winter boot since it's less damageable than authentic leather materials. The faux leather used in the Truffle Ankle Bootie is of high quality, keeping it stylish and on-trend, while still budget-friendly.

"I wanted flat ankle boots that are vegan without a 'pleather' look, and these are perfect. They really do look like good quality leather," wrote oneAmazon shopper.

In addition to the authentic look, multiple reviews mention the boot's comfortable fit, earning the Truffle Ankle Bootie an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Pros: Stylish, perfect fit, comfortable, budget friendly

Cons: Can be worn out with too much wear

Buy the Sugar Truffle Ankle Bootie on Amazon from $29.98 to $39.98



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Save up to 50% on cold-weather gear at Columbia — and more of today's best deals from around the web

0
0

TheInsider Picksteam writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place.

Columbia

1. Save up to 50% on winter gear and apparel at Columbia

This winter is proving to be extremely harsh, so if you don't already have suitable winter gear, you're going to want to buy some immediately. Columbia, a brand that's always been a top choice for all things outdoors, is having a huge winter sale with up to 50% off. The sale includes parkas, fleeces, hats, insulated boots, snow pants, and more.

Shop the Columbia winter sale now

 

Instant Pot Duo Plus

2. Save $50 on the Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Quart on Amazon

As the internet's favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot Duo Plus is capable of seemingly endless culinary creations. The nine-in-one cooker can be used as a standard slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, warmer, and sautée pan, cake maker, egg cooker, and sterilizer. Its large six-quart design is perfect for feeding families of four to six people — or cooking enough for leftovers. As an Amazon deal of the day, you can save $50 on one.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Quart, $79.99 (Originally $129.95) [You save $49.96]

Indochino

3. Save up to $500 on custom suits at Indochino

Whether you wear a suit every day during the work week or only on special occasions, you should never settle for an off-the-rack fit. Indochino specializes in made-to-measure men's suits and they're a lot cheaper than going to a traditional menswear tailor. From now until this Sunday, February 2, you can save up to 60% on custom-fitted men's suits by using the promo code "SUPER53" at checkout. The sale brings suits originally priced at $799 down to a much more affordable $299.

Shop the Indochino sale now

Arlo

4. Save $400 on an Arlo Pro Six-Camera Security System

Whether you're a homeowner or a renter, safety and security at home should always be a top priority. While investing in a great security system can be expensive, it is one of the best ways to protect you, your family, and your belongings. The Arlo Pro Six-Camera Security System allows you to create a wireless network of security cameras inside and outside of your home. With 720p video quality with cloud storage, two-way audio, and a 100-decibel siren, it'll secure your home entirely. As a Best Buy deal of the day, you can save $400 on the system.

Arlo Pro Six-Camera Indoor/Outdoor Security System, $549.99 (Originally $949.99) [You save $400]

OnePlus 6T

5. Save $20 on the OnePlus 6T smartphone and more

This Valentine's Day, OnePlus is offering deals on its latest smartphone, the 6T, and many of its accessories. Some of the deals include saving $20 on the OnePlus 6T when you purchase the OnePlus Bullet earphones and bumper case, and saving 10% when you buy two pairs of One Plus Bullet earphones. Both bundles are eligible for free shipping.

Shop all OnePlus deals now.

J.Crew

6. Save 25% on full-price styles at J.Crew

Buying new arrivals usually means paying full price, but not at J.Crew. Right now, the brand is having a two-day flash sale with 25% off full-price styles. Until February 1, you can use the promo code "SHOPTOIT" at checkout save. Whether you're already putting together your spring wardrobe or you want the latest winter styles, this is the sale for you.

Shop the J.Crew sale now.

EyeBuyDirect

7. Save 30% sitewide at EyeBuyDirect

Direct-to-consumer eyewear startup EyeBuyDirect makes buying prescription glasses online super easy and affordable. The brand has over 1,200 frames for as low as $6 each, but that's not where the savings end. For a limited time, you can save 30% sitewide including on lenses by using the promo code "SUPER30" at checkout. 

Shop the EyeBuyDirect sale now

Bear mattress

8. Save up to $200 on a Bear Mattress and get a free pillow

While many new mattress companies have popped up online recently, Bear Mattress has stuck out to us from the bunch. It uses a combination of five different layers of foam for cooling comfort and support. The mattresses also feature a Celliant mattress cover designed for converting body heat into infrared light, a type of energy proven to help regenerate cells in the body. For a limited time, you can save $125 on orders over $500 with the promo code "NAP125" and $200 on orders over $1,200 with promo code "NAP200" at checkout. Plus, you'll get a free pillow with a mattress purchase.

Shop the Bear Mattress winter sale now.

Join the conversation about this story »

30 unexpected and unique Valentine's Day gifts from Etsy

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

flowers

Your Valentine is one of a kind, so they deserve more than just a run-of-the-mill gift. Celebrate your partner, parent, or sibling this February 14 with a gift that's as unique as they are. Etsy's online marketplace has a mix of interesting vintage and handmade finds, making it the perfect spot to shop for that special someone. 

We checked out the site and found 30 items your Valentine — whether a spouse, partner, family member or friend — will love.

Keep reading for 30 unique Valentine's Day gifts you can find on Etsy:

The cutest custom pillows of the most important thing in their life

Custom Pet Pillows, set of two, $88



A personalized map of their favorite place in the world

Mapologist City Map Print, from $27



A sweet treat on a spoon that reveals a surprise message when the chocolate melts

The Cutlery Commission Personalized Chocolate Spoon, $49



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best electric scooters you can buy

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

the best electric scooters

I used to try my kids' kick scooters and wondered if I could use one to get around. Enter the electric scooter. Electric scooters are convenient for running errands and commuting short distances. Although I haven't given up my car yet, I can't ignore scooters' advantages.

First, electric scooter ownership is definitely less expensive than automobile ownership. Because they are battery operated, electric scooters do not require trips to the gas station for costly fill-ups and have zero emissions to boot.

Also, you won't need to worry about finding or paying for a parking spot. Scooters are a small enough to park almost anywhere and most fold up for easy portability and storage. Finally, you can enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and wind (well, breeze) while coasting around on your electric scooter.

Before taking your scooter for a spin, don't forget to don protective gear like a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. The US Consumer Products Safety Commission strongly recommends an appropriate helmet, especially if you're cruising along at 15 miles per hour or faster.

Also, check local laws regarding the use of electric scooters. In reaction to the invasion of fleets of electric scooter rentals, some cities have banned them, while others allow them. They are a boon to some people for personal transportation but a bane to other people dodging ones scattered around or avoiding them zooming in and out of traffic.

But if you ride responsibly and safely, you'll reap the rewards of an electric scooter. We read over ratings and reviews by many scooter aficionados and owners in order to present the best ones for different purposes.

Here are the best electric scooters you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best electric scooter overall

Why you'll love it: Solid and durable, the Glion Dolly Adult Electric Scooter rides extremely well and folds up into a handy rolling unit for easy portability when not in use.

Appealing to students, commuters, and even riders age 60 and above, the Glion Dolly Electric Scooter earns great reviews. With eight-inch-wide never-flat tires, its ride is as smooth as silk with a maximum rider weight up to 255 pounds.

Topping out at 15 miles per hour, this electric scooter has versatile speeds and goes "as slow as a granny walking and as fast as a bicycle" as described by a user on Amazon, where it earned four-and-a-half out of five stars.

In fact, Amazon users attest to its good lithium-ion battery life that offers plenty of juice to power a 15-mile range. A couple of riders over 200 pounds climb hills on this model daily with little problem.

With a short charge time of three-and-a-half hours, the Glion Electric Scooter is perfect for scooting to campus or the office, recharging during the class or workday if necessary, and riding back home. And each way, you'll enjoy a quiet ride with its 250-watt engine that purrs.

The Glion Electric Scooter uses anti-lock electromagneticregenerative brakes that are steady for some but jerky and a little slow for others.

Rated best overall scooter by Lifewire and one of the top models by Ride Two Wheels, The City for Millennials, and ThrillAppeal, the Glion Dolly Foldable Lightweight Adult Electric Scooterhas a sleek design that folds up and rolls like stand-up luggage with a pull-handle dolly. Finally, customers praise the manufacturer's customer service highly.

Pros: A great investment that durable, powerful, smooth, and conveniently portable

Cons: No speedometer or odometer

Buy the Glion Dolly Foldable Lightweight Adult Electric Scooter on Amazon for $499 (originally $749)



The best budget electric scooter

Why you'll love it: A great starter model for newcomers to electric scooters, the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter delivers power for a low price.

When most people think of kick scooters for kids, they think of the Razor brand. Don’t count it out in the electric scooter game, either. The Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is a zippy and economical model. With a top speed of 10 miles per hour and a maximumride time of up to 70 minutes, this fun and sturdy scooter is an excellent deal.

The Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is a wallet-friendly way for novices to dip their toes in the electric scooter transportation pool. Reviewers describe it as easy to assemble, ride, and maintain.

In fact, Best Reviews named this model "Best Bang for Buck," Lifewire chose it as "Best Budget" scooter, and EnvyRide selected it as one its top five "budget friendly" models.

You might not expect much power from a budget model, but the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter defies expectations. With a surprisingly long life per charge, the scooter’s battery allows for up to 70 minutes of continuous use. A lot of reviewers say they simply charge the lead battery overnight.

You kick-start the scooter to get it going, and then the in-wheel hub motor takes over. It also has a push-button throttle and hand brakes.

Most feedback from Amazon shoppers was from parents and grandparents about experiences of their kids and grandkids (ranging in age from five to 10 years). Nonetheless, many adults tried the scooter and loved it.

In fact, despite the scooter’s advertised maximum rider weight of 120 pounds, several grownups over 150 pounds found it quite peppy and rideable. We gathered from comments, however, that theRazor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is best for kids or lighter, shorter adult riders.

About 72% of the almost 400 Amazon buyers gave the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter four or five out of five stars. This scooter is a great deal but many wish for a warranty longer than 90 days.

Pros: Zippy and economical with long battery life

Con: Small and more suited for kids or petite adults

Buy the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter on Amazon for $119.99 (originally $129.99)

Buy the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter at Walmart for $119.99

Buy the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter on Jet for $119.99



The best electric scooter for commuting while sitting

Why you'll love it: Have a seat and commute in comfort and style on the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter.

Perfect for commuters and riders ranging from young adults to senior citizens, theRazor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter is designed for stability, convenience, and good looks.

Its solid bamboo deck and padded adjustable-height seat help you balance and rest your feet while traveling. A large detachable rear basket holds items for safe, accessible transport on errands. ThrillAppeal notes how this model sports a "vintage bike vibe" with its 16-inch pneumatic tube tires on spoke wheels.

Excellent for commuting, the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter tops out at 18 miles per hour and has a ride time up to 40 minutes. Amazon shoppers report riding distances of seven to eight miles on hilly terrain and up to 12 miles on level roads on a full battery after charging it for 12 hours or overnight. With a 36-volt lead battery and a 500-watt motor, this model carries up to 220 pounds, including the rider and cargo in basket.

The Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter has a hand-operated rear disc brake that works fine on level ground but can get hot. Many riders wish this model had a front brake as well.

Voted "Best Speed" by Lifewire, "Most Fun Commuting Scooter" by ThrillAppeal, "Ideal For Short Trips" by Transportation Evolved, and one of the top seven scooters for adults by Ride Two Wheels, this model earned four or five stars from 78% of almost 300 Amazon reviewers.

Pros: A good value, perfect for commutes and short trips, convenient rear cargo basket

Cons: Single rear disc brake gets hot and is less effective without front brake

Buy the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter at Walmart for $419.99

Buy the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter on Jet for $403.99



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This $11 reusable K-cup filter saves me more than $1,000 a year on coffee

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Keurig K Cup Coffee

  • After a year of using plastic, single-use K-cups, I bought an $11 reusable filter. It's saved me more than $1,000 on coffee.
  • It can be used with all Keurig-brand coffee makers, so you literally don't have to think about whether it fits with your own machine.
  • You can use any ground coffee you'd like instead of being forced to choose from Keurig's offerings.
  • It's also so small and inexpensive that you can buy a second to keep at your office desk.

Coffee is life. But when you start adding up those morning and mid-afternoon coffee runs, it can cost a lot — like more than $1,000 a year. And that's only if you get basic hot black coffee; iced coffee can set you back more than $1,500.

So after years of waiting in line for my misspelled cup of coffee, I finally decided to get an at-home machine. My Keurig was great— it made OK-ish coffee (I'm not picky, I just need caffeine) whenever I wanted and the cost of the pods were really cheap compared to how much money I'd spend on coffee every year.

But once I realized just how many cups I was drinking now that I could make unlimited amounts of coffee at home and actually added up how much the pods were costing me (not to mention how much space they took on my counter), the savings weren't that much. The effect that plastic single-use pods have on the environment was also a huge problem for me. Then I found the My K-Cup Universal Reusable Ground Coffee Filter.

It's a reusable coffee filter that fits any Keurig-brand at-home coffee machine, so you can use it however many times you want without guilt or coughing up more money. You just fill the gray filter up to one of two fill lines with whatever ground coffee you want, pop it into the plastic black canister, lock the lid, and brew. There's an adapter attachment that latches onto the side of the canister depending if your machine is part of the Classic or Plus series, but it comes with the filter so you don't need to hunt down the extra piece.

Did I mention the filter costs $11?

71DcitLAy1L._SL1500_

Compared to the $1,000 spent on coffee a year, this is a serious life-changing, budget-saving item. If you feel like splurging, get a second one to keep at the office for a mid-afternoon cup, as long as it's an at-home style and not an industrial one.

I've had mine for a year now and it's still going strong — the filter hasn't broken, leaked, or gotten misshaped even after several hundred uses. I also keep the empty filter in my Keurig machine when I'm not using it so I haven't lost any of the pieces either. There's no real con to the filter; if anything, having to fill up the filter myself is a tiny annoyance but one that stems from years of paying money for something I could've made — and made better — at home.

Buy My K-Cup Universal Reusable Ground Coffee Filters on Amazon for $11

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

Join the conversation about this story »

The best money I've ever spent was on a small piece of technology that let's me know my baby is safe

0
0

owlet smart sock

  • There are times in life to save money and consider budget product options, but there are also times when you should settle for nothing but the best, price notwithstanding.
  • When it comes to providing safety for my kids, I'm more than willing to spend whatever necessary to do it right.
  • The Owlet Smart Sock was a gift my wife and I gave to ourselves, as well, as the peace of mind it provides lets us sleep better at night.

 

A few years back, if you had asked me what was the best money I ever spent, I probably would have told you it was on a pair of hiking boots. Back in 2012, I treated myself to a pair of Asolo TPS boots that cost more than $300, a lot of money for me then (and plenty now, of course), but I was getting more serious about mountaineering, and I wanted gear that could help ensure my safety and comfort.

Those boots have held up beautifully even after miles of trekking through all sorts of conditions, and I have sung their praises to any who would listen. They cost three times more than many decent options, but I have never for a second regretted the purchase; they were money well spent.

But ask me today, and I'll tell you the best money my wife and I ever spent was on the Owlet Smart Sock, a pulse oximetry monitor that we wrap around our daughter's little foot every night before she goes to sleep. By tracking her blood oxygen level and heart rate, the Owlet gives us constant, real-time reassurance that she is OK; that she's breathing, that her heartbeat is strong, and she's not in danger or distress.

owlet smart sockSure, it's an expensive little device. In fact, the Smart Sock costs $300, just about the same price as my trusty boots. But that's a small price to pay for peace of mind. And should our baby ever experience a serious medical issue, from a blocked airway to an infection causing a rapid heart rate, the Owlet Smart Sock could be the difference between life and death. I'd say that meets the criteria for a classification of priceless.

There are all sorts of baby safety products out there, from futuristic monitors that track infant sleep patterns to good old baby gates and outlet covers (and we have plenty of such hardware ourselves, with corners capped, drawers locked, and so on), but no product has ever matched the Smart Sock in terms of value.

We use it every night and we know full well that in less than a year, our baby will outgrow it and it will be obsolete for our family. Yet if I accidentally stepped on the thing or ran it through the washing machine today, I'd have ordered another one by tonight. And I wouldn't sleep that well while waiting for it to be delivered.

SEE ALSO: I was a PC diehard for most of my life, but I now own Apple products across the board. Here's why I made the change and stuck with it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: British Airways has a $13 million flight simulator that taught us how to take off, fly, and land an airplane

After 5 years of resisting, I finally bought a minivan — and I can't believe I lived without it

0
0

minivan kia sedona

  • When it came time to get a bigger vehicle, a minivan seemed to make sense for Mike LeMoine and his family of six.
  • However, they said they had to overcome a stigma that minivans weren't "cool" enough.
  • Here, LeMoine shares his perspective on becoming a minivan convert.

 

Mike LeMoine and his family resisted getting a minivan for several years, especially after a bad experience with a used one. But, finally, they relented to getting one again — and would never look back.

Below, LeMoine explains how he went from believing in a minivan stigma to letting go of it and embracing owning one as told to Business Insider contributor Natalia Lusinski. 

My wife and I are in our late 30s with four kids, aged three to 17. We live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and resisted getting a minivan for many years. We actually bought a slightly used Buick Enclave in 2014 instead of a minivan. The Buick was a great SUV for the most part.

However, every time we traveled, we ended up with huge space issues: With luggage, computer bags, the family dog, food for the road, and the necessary blankets and pillows the kids just "had to have," it made for a very tight and uncomfortable fit. Plus, the leg room in the far back seating was not great either.

We've also owned many other vehicles, including a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Camry, Jeep Wrangler, and even a very old beat-up minivan that we'd paid just $5,000 for. We got that minivan when we needed a vehicle after one broke down, but we didn't like it. This, too, played into my former feelings about minivans.

The minivan stigma

minivan

The stigma of owning a minivan is that we were officially not cool — that we needed an SUV to be cool and keep up with the Joneses.

It seemed to us (more me than my wife) that getting a minivan again was basically like waving a red flag that said, "We are officially moving toward middle age; we can't afford a nice SUV so we are settling on a minivan." I felt that if we owned a minivan, I may as well go get tube socks and a fanny pack, too; it is just not something I considered modern for someone who lives in a rural area.

Plus, we own a digital marketing company and felt that a minivan was not high-tech — so we were initially worried about the stigma of potential clients finding out we had a minivan.

Read more:The 5 best US cities to commute from — and the 5 worst

Our kids all voted to stay with an SUV — they are big and look great, inside and out. Their previous experience with the horrible used minivan and the "coolness" factor of pulling up in an SUV versus a minivan made it easy for them to vote on the SUV, so we settled on a slightly used Buick Enclave. 

How we chose the Kia Sedona

minivan

When our Enclave started to give us problems (like losing power, making weird noises, and feeling like it always needed a tune-up to run correctly), we began car shopping again, and the minivan became a reality.

The price of a new SUV was so high, between $60,000 and $75,000 for what we wanted, and used SUVs were the same price of a new minivan, around $40,000 — but without a warranty and with high mileage. In some cases, they had over 100,000 miles. So, we decided to go with a brand new minivan because it would be far safer for the family and had a great warranty.

We chose the 2018 Kia Sedona after comparing many types of minivans (including Honda and Chrysler ones), and the price for what we were getting seemed right: It had an amazing amount of room (much more than the Enclave!); bucket seats in the back that we can fold down; great high-tech packages — for instance, I was blown away when I saw that the Kia Sedona had 360-degree outside cameras, just like a friend of mine with a Mercedes SUV has, and this certainly made me feel better about the vehicle; and it has many safety features, such as tons of airbags and a smart cruise control, which monitors vehicles in front of us and keeps a safe following distance.

Also, the sliding doors are electric, which is very nice for the kids to be able to open and close them. And we now use the minivan to transport items for our business, too, when we are holding seminars at different places in the city. Plus, we were impressed with Kia's warranty for the vehicle, which was a five-year/60,000 mile basic package and 10- year/100,000 mile powertrain. The final price tag was just under $40,000.

The vehicle has a lot of space

5c4f1ced2bdd7f426031ef86 960 721

Space-wise, normally, we can seat seven people, though we're able to fit in eight if we keep the center console/seat for the middle row (we typically keep that out; we love that it is removable).

We've also gone on several road trips with it. We took a long summer trip with it last year, driving 12 hours to Port Aransas, Texas, and it was great: lots of room, safe, and plenty of space for luggage and beach toys. The kids were comfortable the entire trip, and my wife and I were comfortable, too.

We were even able to bring a ton of stuff with us, between the storage in back and the luggage rack; we would never have been able to do that in our Enclave. Plus, the front seats recline and are very comfortable to rest in.

My family and I no longer care about the minivan stigma

5c4f1cb72bdd7f3160131aa4 960 720

Because we have used it so much and it's much better for our family, we no longer care about the minivan stigma or what other people think.

Friends, family, and coworkers have all said how nice the minivan is — and it really is. We've brought them around town with us, and it's much easier to load everyone into the minivan versus separate cars. They love the room and the amount of people it holds. Probably the biggest surprise is that the clients that have seen it or who know about it have shared that when they had young kids, they loved their minivan and that it provided tons of room. They totally understand why we got it and there is no stigma at all.

We are very happy with our Kia Sedona and actually look forward to taking more road trips with the kids. Ultimately, the stigma we avoided for many years was just a story in our heads and not reality. Unfortunately, that story prevented us from having much more room when going on big family trips. I can't believe we missed out on many years of comfortable travel just because we "wanted to be cool," but better late than never.

SEE ALSO: After 12 years of resisting, I finally bought an SUV — and I can't believe I ever survived suburbia without it

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Airports are dealing with massive lines during the government shutdown as TSA employees are working without pay


The dangerous measles outbreak near Portland, Oregon, is what happens when people refuse to vaccinate their kids

0
0

measles vaccines 1963

  • Officials in Clark County, Washington — across the river from Portland, Oregon — have declared an emergency after identifying at least 41 cases of measles, most of which are in kids who aren't vaccinated.
  • Two more measles case connected to the outbreak have been identified: one in the Seattle area, and another in the Portland area.
  • Before the US developed a measles vaccine in 1963, the contagious infection was a common childhood illness. Hundreds of children died every year, and millions more had symptoms.
  • As vaccination rates plummet around the US, officials are worried that outbreaks like the one near Portland will become increasingly common.

It's a public health emergency, and it's spreading fast: At least 41 kids and young adults are sick with the measles in an area of Washington state just north of Portland, Oregon. 

Last Tuesday, the public health department of Clark County, Washington, announced that at least 23 people were sick with the viral illness, which incubates for a week or two before prompting fevers, coughing, runny noses, and little red bumps that break out on the face and body. 

By Thursday, the number of confirmed measles cases had ballooned to 25, with 12 more suspected cases. On Friday, the number rose to 30 confirmed cases. There are now at least 41 people with the measles in Clark County.

The infection can be deadly.

Thirty of the sick people are age 10 or under, and so far the public health department has confirmed that 37 of the 41 didn't get their measles vaccine. One person has been hospitalized.

The sickness is also spreading beyond county lines. One man in his 50s who said he'd been in Clark County took measles home with him to King County, Washington. He's since recovered, but county health experts are still worried. 

"Measles is a highly contagious disease and if you don’t have immunity, you can get it just by being in a room where a person with measles has been," Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health in Seattle and King County, wrote on a blog that detailed locations where the man had been while he was infected. 

The outbreak is not confined to Washington State anymore. Across state lines in Oregon, a resident of Multnomah County (the Portland metro area) has also contracted the measles, the Oregon Health Authority confirmed Wednesday. Two infected, unvaccinated kids recently traveled from Washington to Hawaii, but they were quickly quarantined and have since left the Big Island, The Oregonian reported. 

This is exactly the kind of scenario public health experts have been warning about. In 2018, the World Health Organization said measles cases had surged by 30% around the globe, with some of the biggest hikes in places like the US and Europe, where more parents are opting not to give their kids recommended shots like MMR (protecting against measles, mumps, and rubella).

"This is something I've predicted for a while now," Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told The Washington Post. "It's really awful and really tragic and totally preventable."

A perfectly good, safe measles vaccine

measles vaccine in iraq

The measles vaccine was developed in the US in 1963. Before then, measles was a common childhood ailment that would kill 400 to 500 people every year in the US and sicken 3 million to 4 million others. As more kids got shots and oral doses of the vaccine in the decades after 1963, measles rates plummeted.

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said measles was effectively eliminated in the US, because the virus was not being transmitted year-round anymore and there were fewer than 100 cases per year. But increasingly, kids in the US are going without their shots.

Read more: Bill Gates says investing in 4 simple plans has saved millions of lives and provided a better return on investment than the stock market

an abandoned measles ward

Outbreaks in the US have more become common where unvaccinated people cluster and parents sometimes forgo shots for religious or personal reasons. There was one in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn late last year and in Amish communities in Ohio in 2014.

Other parents mistakenly believe that there's a link between autism and the measles vaccine. This is chiefly because of discredited research by the scientist Andrew Wakefield. His main paper on the subject has been retracted, and many other studies since then have found no link between autism and vaccines. But the spread of misinformation and anti-vaccine campaigns (like those that targeted a Somali-American community in Minnesota) have led to more frequent outbreaks.

A 2018 report on the state of the US "social movement" not to vaccinate children found that Portland was one of the more dangerous "hotspots" where people weren't vaccinating their kids despite doctor recommendations. (Other spots of concern included Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Detroit.)

"Without urgent efforts to increase vaccination coverage and identify populations with unacceptable levels of under- or unimmunized children, we risk losing decades of progress in protecting children and communities against this devastating, but entirely preventable disease," Soumya Swaminathan, a deputy director general at the WHO, said in a recent statement.

2014 and 2018 were both banner years for measles in the US, with 667 and 349 confirmed cases.

What a measles infection looks like

child with measles CDC

There's really no way to prevent someone from getting the measles other than a vaccine. The virus can easily spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes on others.

It takes one to two weeks after the infection for measles symptoms — which can include, fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes — to show up in a kid.

Often, parents notice white spots, called Koplik spots, appearing in an infected child's mouth about two to three days after the onset of symptoms. After a few more days, a rash breaks out, and flat red spots that may first appear on the face can cover the child from head to toe, developing into raised bumps.

With any luck, the rash and fever persist for only a few days before the child gets well again.

But deadly measles complications affect about one in every 1,000 people with measles. These can include pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and a rare disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis that doesn't show up until seven to 10 years after a person has had the measles.

Before 1963, about 4,000 Americans developed brain swelling from measles every year. The encephalitis, when it didn't kill them, sometimes left people deaf or with brain damage.

Update: This story was originally published on January 23 and has been updated with the latest measles case counts.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates says investing in 4 simple plans has saved millions of lives and provided a better return on investment than the stock market

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Jeff Sachs destroy the anti-vaccine movement in under two minutes

This $80 lamp has helped me cope with the winter blues at home by emitting light that mimics the sun

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

IMG_1863

  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of people each year. It often starts in the fall and continues into winter months. Symptoms can include fatigue, depression, and social withdrawal. 
  • One highly recommended and inexpensive treatment is light therapy, which mimics the elements found in sunlight.
  • I tried the new Verilux HappyLight Touch ($79.95) and found that my mood pretty much instantly improved. It's not ideal to spend $80 on anything, but it's relatively cheap and convenient.
  • I chose the HappyLight Touch because it's sleek and unobtrusive in my apartment and easy to move around — both at home and for travel. 

The cold months, and their characteristically long, dark, chilly days, are known to usher in SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for millions of people each year. Energy levels and moods drop, sleep quality worsens, and some, like me, eschew hobbies and activities they enjoy to burrow into the comfort of their homes under two weighted blankets until the weather lifts.

SAD, if you're unfamiliar, is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time each year — usually the fall or winter, according to the Mayo Clinic. One possible treatment that's relatively inexpensive, convenient, and effective is light therapy.

Light therapy, in a nutshell, includes siting by or working near a light-emanating device that essentially mimics the elements of bright, natural light. In one study, an immediate improvement in mood was observed after one session as short as 20 minutes. It feels almost primal, and it can ticks the right boxes in your brain to produce better, happier, more energetic moods. According to doctors, you should start light therapy in the early fall and continue through the spring, or until the natural light is sufficient enough to provide those higher energy levels.

When looking for a light therapy box, you want to search for something with 10,000-lux light. The Wirecutter and the Center for Environmental Therapeutics (a nonprofit collective of scientists and clinicians focused on environmental therapies) suggests the $115 Carex Day-Light Classic Lamp, but I opted for the new Verilux HappyLight Touch ($79.95) instead. It meets the requirements for efficacy, and it's far more portable and unobtrusive in a shoe box New York City apartment. Since it's more convenient, I'm more likely to use it rather than resent it for taking up two-thirds of my most spacious room corner. It also small enough for travel.

For me, this has been a great fit, and one that isn't disruptive to my life. The Verilux HappyLight emits 10,000-lux light, and claims to be the first with personalized settings of brightness levels and two colors of light (day light and warm light). It's sleek and looks like a tablet, so it fits in well with the rest of my decor and can be slipped into a purse or suitcase. Though technically you can wall mount it, I like the convenience of mobility. 

To use it most effectively, the light from the light box needs to enter your eyes indirectly. Don't look right into it or you may damage them (same rules as the sun). Ideally, you'll set it up about 16 to 24 inches from your face. With 10,000-lux light, sessions typically involve daily sessions of 20-30 minutes. Lower intensity boxes will require longer sessions. Whatever you opt for, the most important factor is just being consistent. 

71uLD4qHPfL._SL1500_

For most people, light therapy is most effective when you do it right after you wake up in the morning — but you may want to check with your doctor for a personal plan. For me, it's a really great ritual to begin the day with. When I leave my room's watery light (courtesy of a blocked off window in Manhattan), the real sunshine outdoors feels brighter and more invigorating.

Though my experience won't always be the same as the next person, I can firmly say that this light does, indeed, make me feel happier. Surprisingly so. Having said that, I'll readily admit that I'm already sensitive to my environment (my best home splurge was smart lights with 50,000 shades of white light), and that the sickly light in my low apartment has been known to kill strong plants even when perched on windowsills. So this is a definite upgrade.

The major upside to this type of therapy is that it's inexpensive. You should not replace regular in-person therapy sessions with light therapy, but it may be an affordable supplement. I think feeling more relaxed and happy at home, and overall, is worth the $80. Investing in mental health is important to me, and this light is probably one of the cheaper therapy bills I'll rack up in life for such immediate and convenient results.

Part of the reason light therapy boxes are so beloved is their safety and convenience — but you should check with your doctor before using one, just to be certain. If you're taking any medications or have any conditions that make you sensitive to light, it may not be for you.

It's also worth noting that light therapy probably won't cure Seasonal Affective Disorder or other types of non-seasonal depression. But, it may decrease symptoms and make you feel happier, better, and more energetic in the meantime.

I still come home some winter nights feeling fatigued, and there are still mornings when I feel lethargic, but I genuinely feel happier, calmer, and more like myself with a light therapy lamp session. It's not ideal to spend $80 on something you may see as inessential, but it's one of the cheaper options, and I wouldn't regret the expense. 

If you're considering a light therapy box, this has been a good option for me. You may want to visit your doctor before getting your own, but I'd recommend keeping this one on the list.

Buy the Verilux HappyLight Touch Light Therapy Lamp, available on Amazon, $79.95

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Join the conversation about this story »

This $45 phone case has a built-in grip, kickstand, and car mount — which would have cost me $75 to buy separately

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Scooch Wingman

  • New iPhones are pretty expensive now, making it harder to shell out extra money for accessories.
  • Scooch, a new smartphone accessories brand, found a way to pack a case, grip, kickstand, and car mount into one gadget called the Wingman, is built to withstand military drop tests.
  • At about $45, it's cheaper than buying everything separately.
  • I've always been the type to buy one basic case and leave it on my phone forever, but the Wingman's versatility and convenience led me to make a permanent switch.

Owning a new iPhone is expensive. On top of the $1,250 I paid for the device and my monthly bill for service, I also needed to shell out money for essential accessories like a protective case, a car mount, and some sort of grip like a PopSockets Grip or Speck GrabTab.

Being the smart shopper that I am, I decided to add up the cost of everything I needed before actually buying it and it came out to about $75 — $40 for a decent case,  at least $10 for a grip, and $25 for the car dash mount my coworker Brandt recommended — which was a lot more than I wanted to spend.

After holding out on buying everything separately, I found a single product that packed everything I needed all in one at a much cheaper price — the Scooch Wingman iPhone Case (from $40). 

Scooch

The Scooch Wingman is a highly protective case that meets military drop standards by using EXO-D impact technology. While its ability to withstand 6-foot drops and lots of abuse is a very important feature, the built-in wing on the back is what makes the case special. Acting as a grip, a kickstand, and a car mount, the innovative wing design adds a lot of usability to an otherwise simple, yet solid iPhone case.

Since I was in the market for a bunch of products that could do all of those things separately, I decided to give the Wingman a try. I'm usually the type of person to put one case on my iPhone and leave it on forever, but the Wingman was so useful I made the switch permanently.  

Here's how it works as a phone grip

As phones get bigger and bigger, they also get harder to hold. We've all struggled to click the shutter while gripping the phone at the right angle for a selfie and that's where the wing comes in handy most. Simply push down on the middle of the wing in order to get it to stick out and you'll then have a grip that functions similarly to a PopSocket Grip. Since I have the largest iPhone, the Xs Max, I often find myself using the grip function whenever I'm holding it in my hand; it just feels more secure.

Personally, I prefer this design over PopSockets Grips because when it's not in use, it lays flush against the phone. The only upside that other grips have is that they are available in hundreds if not thousands of colors and themes. If you must have a grip with your favorite color, cartoon character, or sports team, then PopSocket Grips would be the way to go. If not, the Wingman works perfectly fine.

Scooch Wingman

The kickstand feature is great for watching videos or using FaceTime

I bought this gigantic iPhone so that I could watch videos on a decent-sized screen, but the last thing I want to do is have to hold my phone for an entire TV show or movie. In the past, I've had to come up with creative ways to keep my phone standing like leaning it against a water bottle, a stack of books, or whatever else might be laying around. With the Scooch Wingman, the wing is there to keep your phone propped up. It's even good for FaceTiming, taking photos with the self-timer, or anything else you might want to do without using your hands. 

Scooch Wingman

Using the Scooch Wingman as a car mount is easy:

Installing a phone mount in your car is a good way to be a safe and responsible driver. I'm all for using dash mounts, but I have several cars of my own and occasionally drive my parents' cars. Buying a separate dash mount for each car would be a bit ridiculous, not to mention expensive. The Scooch Wingman ensures that I never go without a mount, no matter which car I'm driving. Simply extend the wing and slide it into your car's air vent. The curved design of the wing will keep your phone securely in place. Below, you'll see my iPhone Xs Max mounted in my mom's Honda CR-V. It does block a good portion of the air vent, but it definitely beats driving and trying to look at GPS directions with the phone in my lap. 

Scooch Wingman case

Unfortunately, the Scooch Wingman doesn't work with wireless chargers, but such is the case with most add-on grips anyway. As much as I liked using a wireless charger with my last case, the trade-off for everything the Wingman does offer makes using a normal charging cable worthwhile.

As cool as the collective features are, the price is the most impressive part. At about $45 for the iPhone X/Xs or iPhone Xs Max, the Scooch Wingman is a clear winner in terms of value. If you have an older iPhone or a Samsung phone, you can also find choices on Amazon here.

As an added bonus, Scooch will donate 10% of the proceeds from every product sold to programs that support victims of crime and domestic abuse. It doesn't make the case any better from a function standpoint, but it's always nice to see a brand you like supporting a noble cause. 

In short, you can either buy a bunch of different iPhone cases and accessories, or you can buy a Scooch Wingman. It's protective, versatile, and convenient in every way.

Scooch Wingman for iPhone Xs Max, available on Amazon, starting at $39.99

Scooch Wingman for iPhone X/Xs, available on Amazon, starting at $44.39

Join the conversation about this story »

5 ways you can help your kids balance screen time with healthy sleep

0
0

kids

  • Chronic lack of sleep can have multiple negative effects on a young person's wellness, including poorer performance at school, impaired physical development, and mental health issues.
  • Nearly 50% of American children are not getting enough sleep these days despite broad understanding of the importance of rest.
  • One of the leading causes of sleep deprivation among children and teens is the use of technology with screens.

Kids are not getting enough sleep these days. Neither are adults, but that's our own fault – we're the adults. Of the many culprits behind youth sleep deprivation, including a glut of homework, a schedule overloaded with extracurricular activities, and an irregular bedtime routine, in recent years the expanded use of technology has become a serious impediment to healthy sleep habits.

And chronic lack of sleep can have a major and decidedly negative effect on a child's mood, performance at school, physical development, and even mental health. Tired kids are cranky and prone to whining, they are less focused in class, they are more likely to become overweight, and they are more likely to engage in risky behavior and even to develop suicidal tendencies.

Simply put, missing out on proper sleep at night isn't just a problem for the day that follows, but rather for the lifetime made up of all those many days. And one surefire way to miss out on sleep is to stare at a screen shortly before bedtime; not only does screen time delay bedding down, but the blue light emitted by screens inhibits production of melatonin, the hormone that naturally aids sleep.

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, more than 75% of American kids now have some form of screen-based technology in their bedroom, be it a TV, tablet, computer, gaming system, phone, or a combination of multiple devices. And only about 37% of kids regularly meet expert recommended limits for daily screen time. This surging and improper use of tech is one of the major reasons that approximately 50% of America's youth are chronically sleep deprived, according to the Journal of Pediatrics.

Read more:I slept under a 15-pound weighted blanket for a week — and it was the best sleep I've had in ages

Dr. Whitney Roban, clinical psychologist, American Sleep Association advisory board member, and family sleep specialist, literally wrote the book about healthy sleep for kids. Actually, she's written two books on the topic at present, and she has helped thousands of families across the country establish healthier, sustainable sleep habits that balance limited use of technology with respect for a child's wants and needs.

Unlike most books written to help families deal with the many challenges everyday life presents, Dr. Roban's books are not written for parents, but for children. They are picture books with simple, rhyming text that convey an important message to their young readers: sufficient sleep truly is essential for every aspect of one's waking life, from success in school and sports, from enjoying time with friends and family, for good health and physical development, and for happiness itself.

By speaking directly to children and helping them understand the importance of sleep, Dr. Roban's books help kids take ownership of their sleep habits, thereby reducing the burden parents bear in the bedtime struggles. When kids innately understand that they need enough sleep rather than simply being told as much by a parent, they are less likely to push back against screen time ending well before bedtime or, more broadly speaking, against bedtime itself.

Once you and your kids are in general agreement that limited technology use, a regular bedtime, and sufficient nightly sleep are critical for the proper functioning of the household, you can follow these tips to help establish a routine that allows for a healthy balance between technology and rest.

1. Establish a technology cut-off time

For physiological reasons (melatonin production, e.g.), screen time should end at least one hour before bedtime, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Ending tech time well before bedtime also allows for a smoother evening routine, and when there is a hard and fast cutoff time, kids won't engage in a battle of attrition: "Just ten more minutes! OK just five? OK just two!"

If your children have trouble sticking to the cutoff time, you can, ironically use technology to your advantage. You can use device and Wi-Fi management hardware like the Gryphon Wi-Fi Parental Control Router to block internet access to certain devices (or to temporarily shut down the Wi-Fi household wide) and to track device usage, controlling and monitoring your kids use of technology. (Circle also makes such a device that offers fewer security features than the Gryphon, but that does have a handy bedtime feature that works with your cutoff plan.)

2. Remove technology from the bedroom

If you can't count on your kids to turn off their phones, close their computers, and switch off the TV after cutoff time (or you think they might be powering them back up in the middle of the night), then simply remove the tech from the bedroom.

Young people are still working on developing their self-regulation abilities, so it's understandable that they have trouble with rules. You'll be doing them a favor, not punishing them, by keeping that technological temptation out of arm's reach.

3. Make sure homework, chores, and family time come first

Within reasonable limits, screen time is no big deal for kids and can even have many positives, from helping them unwind while gaming, learn from watching or reading educational, and establishing and strengthening interpersonal relationships via chat, snaps, and various social platforms.

But before the games, YouTube, or Insta has to come the homework, the clean room, the actual face time, and so on. Screen time should be treated as a privilege, not a given.

4. Establish a solid bedtime routine

All human beings thrive on routine; for youngsters still working to figure out how the world works, routine is imperative. Establish and then stick to a nightly bedtime routine; for younger kids, it will be a hands-on affair for the parents as well, with bathing, brushing, pajamas, and the rest of it a shared process.

For older kids and teens, clearly explain each goal the child must complete himself or herself (consider writing out an actual checklist) and until the routine is locked in over time, check in to make sure each goal is being met.

5. Make your kids part of the process

As Dr. Roban wrote in an email, when you teach children why sleep is so important, the negative consequence of sleep deprivation, and about "how much sleep they actually need," they will be less prone to seeing limited screen time and established sleep habits in an adversarial light.

As you establish bedtime routines, do so with your kids, not for them. You're in charge, of course, but by respecting your child as a person rather than bossing the kid around like a subservient you will create the best possible scenario for the best possible sleep.

SEE ALSO: The best money I've ever spent was on a small piece of technology that let's me know my baby is safe

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Mistletoe is actually a tree-killing parasite — here's how it became a Christmas icon

6 common mistakes people make when selling a home, which can cost them thousands

0
0

home for sale

  • Selling a home is the largest transaction most people will ever take part in, and it's usually the most complex one as well.
  • By failing to properly plan for the home-selling process, including the careful selection of the professionals who will assist, home sellers risk losing thousands.
  • These are some of the mistakes many homeowners can make during the long, complicated process of selling a residence.

 

Selling a home is a big deal. With the median home value in America standing at $223,900 as of December 2018, according to Zillow, even homes on the lower end of the price scale represent major assets.

And if you make mistakes during the home sale process, you stand to leave major money on the table — or, more accurately, to hand it over to the new buyer and the agents involved in the sale.

In order to sell your property, you need to be objective about everything. Yes, this is your home and you love the place, but once it's time to sell, it's a financial asset — you'll always have the memories; now it's time to think of the money.

Before you list, there is a lot of work to do, from making sure everything in the home is up to code, there are no liens in place, that you have plans in place for the move and for housing after the sale, and that you know with whom you'll be working during the process.

There are a lot of ways to mess up during the home sales process. Here are six common ones that I've encountered or observed, which, hopefully, won't be an issue for you.

SEE ALSO: 12 common, expensive things that aren't worth your money

Sellers choose the wrong real estate agent

Your real estate agent stands to help you make the largest possible profit on your home sale if all goes well, but they can also cost you thousands if things don't. This is your home and your capital, so put yourself and your family first. Don't feel obliged to work with a friend or family member, and thoroughly vet anyone you find.

You can also consider skipping the traditional agent path altogether — you can use a home seller's education platform like Sold.com to determine the best route for your home sale and to find the best tools and or people to help you in the process. (And keep in mind that even the most gregarious of realtors is also looking to make the best possible commission — make sure to negotiate a fair deal no matter who you work with, friend, family, or perfect stranger.)



They don't properly fix up the home

You know how a stitch in time saves nine, right? Well so too do a new water heater, a re-tiled bathroom, and a replaced window end up saving thousands of dollars. Savvy buyers (and, more importantly, home inspectors) can see through a fresh coat of paint to the real problems lying beneath.

If you spend the money to properly fix problems, replace worn out hardware, and upgrade dated fixtures and features, you can command a much higher price for your home. In most cases, the investment that improves your home from fixer-upper to move-in ready will more than pay for itself. (If your home is in a red-hot market, then you can consider minimizing the time and money you put in fixing it before listing, FYI.)



They improperly stage the place

Some sellers refuse to change their homes during the sales process, leaving too many personal effects around — too many photos on the walls, trinkets on the shelves, toys on the floor — to allow a prospective buyer to reimagine the space as it would be once theirs.

On the other hand, going too minimalist with the staging can have the effect of making a home austere and unwelcoming. Have an unbiased party, whether your real estate agent, a staging professional, or a friend with a knack for decor and for candor, help you stage the place.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 new books Amazon's editors say are must-reads this February

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

nighttiger

  • Each month, Amazon's editors release a selection of the best new releases on the site's Best Books of the Month section.
  • This month you'll find 10 great titles, including the highly anticipated spotlight pick "The Night Tiger" by Yangsze Choo.
  • Check out the books, along with quick summaries from Amazon's book editor, below to find your next great read. 

We're entering February in the midst of a polar vortex. With record-breaking low temperatures sweeping across the United States, depending on where you live the temperatures may be too cold to even go outside. If you can't leave the house, you're going to need something to keep you from going stir-crazy — make it a great book.

To get your mind off the weather, escape with a whimsical historical fiction or a psychological thriller. Whether you can get to the bookstore or not, don't worry — you can find all of these great reads on Amazon. Head over to the site's Best Books of the Month section, where you'll find a selection of the top new releases across all categories, curated by Amazon's editors. This month you'll find the spotlight on "The Night Tiger" by Yangsze Choo alongside nine other new titles. 

If you're looking for a great book to cozy up with in this cold weather, check out this list to see what Amazon's editors are loving right now.

Captions have been provided by Erin Kodicek, editor of books and Kindle at Amazon.com.

"The Night Tiger" by Yangsze Choo

The search for a severed finger spells adventure, and bad luck, for a young Chinese houseboy and a dressmaking apprentice in this magical historical novel set in 1930s Malaysia.

Buy it here >>



"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides

In this page-turning psychological thriller, a therapist is determined to solve the mystery of a woman who went radio silent after brutally murdering her husband.  

Buy it here >>



"Underground" by Will Hunt

For Will Hunt, finding a tunnel under his house spawned a fascination with the subterranean, something you will share when you read his utterly engaging examination of the worlds that lie beneath us.

Buy it here >>



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Johnnie Walker's whisky expert says you can tell how expensive a bottle of scotch is just by smelling it

0
0

whisky smelling

  • Johnnie Walker's Whisky Ambassador told Business Insider that it's possible to tell how expensive a whisky is just by smelling it.
  • According to Ali Reynolds, detecting the sting of alcohol is a sign you're drinking a young whisky.
  • Meanwhile, if you can pick up other flavour notes, it's a good sign it's a more expensive bottle.
  • Reynolds suggested that newcomers to the world of Scotch explore each whisky region to find the one they like.
  • When buying a single malt, he says £40-50 ($50-60) is a good bench mark to start at.

From simple matters like knowing the difference between whiskey and whisky to avoiding big mistakes when buying, ordering, and drinking the liquid, the worlds of scotch, bourbon, and rye can seem complicated.

However, according to one whisky expert, knowing the difference between a good or bad bottle can be as simple as smelling it.

Ali Reynolds, Whisky Ambassador for Johnnie Walker, has been in the drinks business for 10 years, having started out managing bars across the UK.

ali reynolds

He told Business Insider he came across Johnnie Walker when he entered a cocktail competition run by the brand's owner, Diageo, in 2015, and won the Great Britain final, travelling to South Africa for the global competition.

Read more: The 3 mistakes people make when buying, ordering, and drinking whisky — and what to do instead

"I fell in love with the brand there really," he said. "It was nice to see the other side of the business, less of the late nights and more early meetings."

Now, his role as Whisky Ambassador involves educating people on the spirit and "helping the brands show up in the right place" — plus lots of travel.

Having always had a passion for scotch, he certainly seems to know a lot about the liquid now. Still, he had a few pointers for less confident drinkers when it comes to choosing the right bottle — and the right distillery.

You can detect quality by smell alone

Reynolds, who works with whiskies selling from £25 ($33) to £25,000 ($33,000), said that it's often the case that "the more you pay, the better the liquid."

"If you're buying a good single malt, £40-50 ($52-65) plus is a nice bench mark to start at," he said.

He added that it's actually possible to tell how cheap or expensive a bottle of whisky is without even seeing the price tag, simply by smelling it.

"Some whiskies don't smell like they taste," he said. "You want to look out for that sting of alcohol. If that's there, it probably means it's quite a young whisky. If it has depth to the smell, and you can pick up other flavour notes, that's quite a good thing."

Read more: This is the real difference between whisky and whiskey

He added that you can often pick up on leather or wood notes in more aged whiskies.

"It's hard to tell from the colour, so look for layers of flavour. If you can describe them in different ways, that's a good sign."

Keep it out of direct sunlight

Once you've made your selection, to ensure the quality of your whisky remains intact — particularly if you've invested in it — Reynolds warns that you should keep it out of direct sunlight.

"If it's in a green or blue glass bottle, it should be fine no matter where, as long as it's not too warm, because alcohol will evaporate," he said. "It will lose a lot of the colour and whisky starts to bleach itself."

He added that he keeps his in a cabinet or cupboard "out of reach from everyone else.

"As long as it's not in direct sunlight or next to a radiator, it can keep for as long as you like."

Whisky has regions just like wine

Reynolds said that most people choose their whiskies by how old they are, which he called a "good guideline, as you have a guarantee."

However, he said that as a whisky ambassador, he doesn't personally think any whisky is "bad," and is a proponent of finding the right one — or the right region — for you.

Read more: This is the difference between scotch, bourbon, and rye

Reynolds believes you can get to know whisky regions like you get to know wine regions — and there are four main ones in Scotland.

"When I’m educating the bartenders, [I tell them] to explore the regions around Scotland," he said, adding that because of this, bartenders are often the best people to ask for advice.

"Once you've nailed the four regions, they have their own distinctive character, and there's something for everyone," he said.

A fine time to be up in Scotland picking whisky 🥃 for tomorrow!!! . . . #caskstrength #drambassador #truespirit #bobbyburns #johnniewalker

A post shared by A L I R E Y N O L D S (@ali.scotch) on Jan 24, 2019 at 11:01am PST on

He added that blends, which mix different whiskies together to create one flavour, are a good place to start if you're new to scotch.

"There are almost 130 distilleries producing scotch, so there's a lot out there," he said. "Explore, but know your favourite region."

There are 'ghost distilleries' all over the world

Even Reynolds is still always discovering new things — and happening upon "ghost distilleries" resulted in the launch of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare blend.

JW_Ghost and Rare_Open 01e kopiera

"The term comes from lost but not forgotten distilleries which have closed down," Reynolds explained. "The one we're focused on was in Port Ellen, a revered distillery [which] shut its doors in 1983.

"They haven't made a drop since then, but there are amazing liquids sitting in casks still. We're bottling them [with the new launch], and we wanted to focus on amazing flavours."

Read more: Stars like George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, and Bob Dylan have struck gold with liquor launches, and countless celebrities are following suit

Liquid from three different ghost distilleries are going into the Ghost and Rare blend — but Reynolds added that these ghost distilleries exist around the world.

"There are limited release that come out in Ireland, Japan. Unfortunately a lot are quite tragic, it might have been fires that closed them down, [but] whatever it might be, a lot of distilleries are open to helping make blended whisky."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Japanese lifestyle guru Marie Kondo explains how to organize your home once and never again


I tried a $270 kitchen appliance that combines the best functions of an Instant Pot with an air fryer — and it actually worked well

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

ninja foodi main

  • A new kitchen appliance from Ninja contains all the functions you could ever want from a multi-cooker, including two methods home cooks love the most today: pressure cooking and air frying. 
  • The Ninja Foodi (currently $269.98 on Amazon) is like an Instant Pot and air fryer in one, but ultimately takes up less space than if you owned both, and performs each of its many functions very well.
  • It's a versatile, efficient, and easy-to-use appliance that makes sense for anyone who is interested in the diverse and delicious results of pressure cooking and air frying, but only wants to buy one device. 

Two kitchen appliances that have captivated home cooks, topped wish lists, and generated a plethora of recipes and recipe books in the last couple years are the Instant Pot and the air fryer. Both fulfill our needs for efficiency and versatility: the Instant Pot cranking out flavorful stews, soups, rice and pasta dishes, and desserts in less than an hour, and the air fryer producing crunchy, healthier versions of your favorite fried foods. 

These appliances each command their own spheres and strengths, but if you want to own both, you should be prepared to clear out some serious cabinet or counter space. Before you pit your many other cooking appliances against each other in a dramatic island vote to make room for both a pressure cooker and an air fryer, you should keep reading because kitchenware brand Ninja has combined these disparate devices into a powerful and convenient all-in-one solution, the Foodi.

It's a pressure cooker that also air fries, so if you want an appliance that can truly do it all, the Foodi is the one to get.

ninja foodi

When I first received a sample of the Foodi, I'll admit I was a little intimidated. It's larger than the Instant Pot (though ultimately takes up less space than two appliances together) and comes with a pressure lid, crisping basket, reversible rack, and a control panel teeming with functions. However, it doesn't take long to familiarize yourself with it and start cooking. For an appliance of its wide-ranging capabilities, the Foodi is surprisingly easy to use and doesn't skimp on effectiveness in squeezing in its long list of functions. 

Here's that list of what the Foodi can do: 

  • Pressure cook
  • Steam
  • Slow cook
  • Sear/saute
  • Air crisp
  • Bake/roast
  • Broil
  • Dehydrate 

If you've never pressure-cooked, Ninja suggests a short trial run with a pot of water to see how it's done and loosen any nerves about using it. As safety measures, the lid of the Foodi will never unlock until pressure is fully released, and there are labels inside the cooking pot to mark the maximum point to where you can add ingredients. 

The product package includes a small recipe book, but for my tests I chose to freestyle them and look at general cooking times as suggested by people on the internet, which turned out to work just as well. Regardless of how you use the Foodi, the basic steps are the same: place your ingredients in the pot, in the crisping basket, or on the rack; choose your cooking function; adjust the temperature and timer using the arrow buttons; and press "Start." 

ninja foodi saute

Cooking with the Foodi is pretty much fool-proof, whether you want to make a savory pork tenderloin that falls apart with a poke of your fork, or sweet potato fries that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I loved that I had dinner on my table within half an hour of coming home, and during that half hour I could busy myself with other tasks instead of watching my food.

For air frying in particular, its TenderCrisp technology came in handy because I could tenderize and ensure ingredients were fully cooked before finishing them off in the crisping basket for an even cook. Whatever I wanted to make, entree or dessert, with fresh or frozen ingredients, I could enlist one or more of the Foodi's functions. 

One-pot cooking also thankfully means one-pot cleaning, and the ceramic, non-stick pot washes clean in a few short minutes, even after having just housed a complex meal that generated oils and residue galore. 

The Foodi costs $270, so its price isn't necessarily better than the combined cost of an Instant Pot and air fryer, but its other benefits certainly outweigh the hassle of buying, storing, and mastering two separate appliances. With the reliable and user-friendly Foodi, you can do all your cooking in one place, from pressure and slow cooking to air frying and roasting. 

Shop the Ninja Foodi for $269.98 at Amazon here

Join the conversation about this story »

17 business and leadership books that have helped MBA students succeed in the business world

0
0

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

mba approved business books thumbWhether you're a startup founder seeking advice to guide your journey or an exec who's always challenging herself to become a better leader, you can probably find the proper inspiration in one of the thousands of business books published every year.

To save you the trouble of sifting through each and every one of them, we've previously narrowed down the huge category to the most influential books, the books CEOs recommend reading, and the best books of 2018 so far.  

A group of people who no doubt have some thoughts about the business and leadership books you should read are MBA students, so I asked some MBA alumni about the books that have actually stuck with them long past business school.

After graduating from the top business schools in the country, they've gone on to found successful startups or lead business development, analytics, and product strategy at their respective companies. 

With all the clutter in the world of business publishing, these MBA-recommended books are worth more than one read. They contain insights and lessons that are applicable in real business situations, from strategy and negotiations to team-building and company culture. 

Learn why MBA alumni love the following 17 business and leadership books. 

"Power Up: How Smart Women Win in the New Economy" by Magdalena Yesil

Buy it here >>

Throughout her book, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Magdalena Yesil urges women to take control of their careers and combat the gender wage gap. Magdalena immigrated to the United States in 1976 with only $43 and today is best known as the first investor in the multi-billion dollar company, Salesforce. A definite must-read for anyone looking to get ahead in business. — Heidi Zak, co-founder of ThirdLove, MIT Sloan School of Management 



"The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail" by Clayton M. Christensen

Buy it here >>

This is probably one of the best known books on innovation and business out there, but I think it's for good reason and worth highlighting again. For entrepreneurs and leaders of startups, there are layers and layers of insightful thinking on product market fit, how many large companies eventually "over-engineer" their products and create opportunity for new entrants, and deep thoughts on how to create and capture value in these situations. 

Christensen's book is also the intellectual foundation for a lot of the best business writing out there today (like Stratechery by Ben Thompson, a personal favorite) and is necessary reading for anyone interested in how these ideas have evolved over time. — Josh Hix, co-founder of Plated, Harvard Business School 



"Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose" by Tony Hsieh

Buy it here >>

"Delivering Happiness" provides a real-life blueprint for starting and growing a company. It inspired much of the foundation of Cuyana and I highly recommend it! — Karla Gallardo, co-founder of Cuyana, Stanford Graduate School of Business 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

After a month in Morocco, I can tell you the last place you want to stay is a hotel or Airbnb

0
0

Morocco Travel Riads (2 of 2)

  • Traveling to Morocco is different from vacationing in most other countries.
  • While major hotel chains have outposts in all major Moroccan cities and Airbnb is easy to use, the best way to see the country is by staying in riads, traditional Moroccan homes that have been converted into guesthouses.
  • There are hundreds of riads throughout Morocco, most with unique and exquisite interior decoration, excellent locations in the heart of the old city, and run by Moroccan locals who provide excellent hospitality.

People often visit Morocco for a glimpse of an exotic past.

There are snake charmers and monkey tamers putting on a show for tourists in the central square of Marrakech and shop owners serving piping hot mint tea to passerby. There are remote mountain villages that make you feel like the first foreigner to have ever stepped inside, and golden, timeless seas of sand.

The best way to see the Morocco of old is to stay in the numerous riads that that lay hidden in the winding labyrinths of the country's old medinas.

Once the townhomes of wealthy Moroccan citizens, riads are traditional Moroccan houses. They often date back hundreds of years and are characterized by an inner courtyard and fountains, with rooms arranged around the center. The name riad comes from the Arabic word for "garden."

As tourism has exploded, hundreds of riads have been restored and converted into small guesthouses or bed and breakfasts.

riad idrissy

Major hotel chains like Sofitel, Mandarin Oriental, the Four Seasons, and Fairmont all manage luxurious hotels in different parts of Morocco and it's easy enough to find a relatively cheap apartment to book on Airbnb. But I found while visiting Morocco in January that half the fun of visiting the country is staying in different riads. 

Each riad is unique, from the interior design to the architecture to the style. Some are homey, some are chic, others look like an Islamic palace, and some are former Islamic palaces. Some are owned by Moroccan families, while others have been snatched up by Europeans looking to mesh modern hospitality with a taste of the past.

Prices ranged from $50 a night for budget riads up to $250 a night for the most luxurious. Hotels and Airbnbs tend to fall along the same range.

"There is extraordinary diversity among Marrakech riads, whose aesthetics range from the ornate flourishes of traditional Moroccan style to ultra-modern interiors that wouldn't look out of place in a New York City loft," Cyrus Bozorgmehr, a Brit who manages numerous Marrakech riads, told CNN.

Take, for example, Riad Mimouna in the seaside site of Essaouira, where I stayed around New Year's. The style was lavish and classic, featuring painted and carved wooden ceilings, Islamic geometric tile work, and stone pillars and walls.

Like almost all riads — and unlike most hotels and Airbnbs in Morocco — Riad Mimouna was located in the heart of the old medina of the city. It was both an oasis from the bustling marketplace nearby and a gateway to it.

Morocco Travel Riads (2 of 1)

As with most riads, each room of Riad Mimouna was designed differently.

My first two nights I stayed in this sea view suite ($230/night), which was so close to the Atlantic Ocean that the waves kept hitting the wall below my bedroom window. I could see seagulls fishing for sardines in the morning.

My last night I switched rooms to a room that was cozier and provided views into the old walled city ($85 /night).

Morocco Travel Riads (1 of 2)

Moroccan design is a visual feast of Arabic, Andalusian, Berber, and French influences. 

I met many a tourist who, wandering through the souks of Marrakech or Fez, commented that they wanted to buy everything — the furniture, the pillows, the tiles, the lamps, and intricate patternwork — and decorate their home with it. I felt the same.

Staying in a riad gives you an opportunity to see how Moroccan designers bring all those elements come together in harmony. 

Take for example, this two-bedroom suite ($171/night) that I stayed in at Dar Akal, a riad in the heart of Marrakech. 

DarAkal

Lastly, riads actually are the dream that Airbnb is selling — a tangible connection with the city you visit. As many riads are owned and operated by one or two Moroccan families, it is a chance to get to know locals, eat a home-cooked meal, and hear about the country and its culture.

Moroccans take their hospitality seriously. As soon as you enter any riad, you will be immediately served mint tea and given the opportunity to sit and have a conversation.

Without fail, all of my hosts provided me with excellent restaurant recommendations, tips about which tourist sights to prioritize and which to skip, and what scams to avoid.

When I stayed at the Imlil Lodge in the Atlas Mountains ($23/night), my host arranged a tour guide to take me on a day hike through mountains within minutes of my arrival. As someone who rarely plans in advance, my riad hosts were an invaluable resource.

Morocco Travel Riads (1 of 1)

If you're planning on heading to Morocco anytime soon, take my advice: Skip the hotel and the Airbnbs. Opt to stay in a riad.

You won't regret it.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Your Christmas tree could be a big fire hazard — take these steps to stay safe

People rely on the EpiPen in life-or-death situations, but the devices are remarkably hard to test. Here’s why. (PFE, MYL)

0
0

EpiPen allergic reaction treatment

  • The EpiPen is a treatment for severe allergic reactions. People who carry EpiPens rely on them to work in emergency, life-or-death situations.
  • US Food and Drug Administration inspectors raised concerns about how the product was being manufactured over the last few years, including in 2017 around the time of a large EpiPen voluntary recall.
  • FDA inspectors had also been telling the EpiPen's manufacturer, a unit of drug giant Pfizer called Meridian Medical Technologies, for years that it should be taking complaints from customers about malfunctioning EpiPens more seriously, Business Insider recently reported for the first time.
  • Meridian has said that it is challenging to test EpiPens before they get into patients’ hands because the one-time devices are destroyed in the process.
  • Pfizer told Business Insider that it is “very confident” in its EpiPens and that the manufacturing process has many steps of “stringent controls.”

People who carry an EpiPen hope they’ll never have to use it.

That’s because the EpiPen is an emergency medication, used when someone has a severe allergic reaction to foods like peanuts, or stings from insects like bees. Patients rely on the device in life-or-death scenarios, so it has to be dependable.

US Food and Drug Administration inspectors have warned for years about problems at EpiPen manufacturing facilities, Business Insider recently reported for the first time.

The situation came to a head in 2017, when the device’s manufacturer, Pfizer’s Meridian Medical Technologies unit, voluntarily recalled a number of EpiPens because of concerns about a faulty part. Meridian failed to thoroughly investigate product failures or take appropriate corrective action, the FDA told the company in a September 2017 warning letter. A subsequent, nearly year-long shortage of the products continues to this day, in part because of the manufacturing issues.

Read more:Hundreds of EpiPen users complained about problems with the lifesaving device. It still took 3 years and a top regulator stepping in before serious change — with potentially deadly outcomes

But testing EpiPens to ensure that they work before they’re sent to pharmacies across the country is particularly challenging, according to two high-up employees who work for the device’s manufacturer. The details are revealed in internal Meridian documents, which were obtained by Business Insider in a public records request. 

EpiPens are a “one-shot” device, and can’t be used again once they’re tested, the documents state. In other words, “a successful test results in the destruction of the device,” two employees at Pfizer’s Meridian Medical Technologies unit wrote in an April 2017 correspondence with the FDA.

So the company tests a certain number of individual EpiPens from each manufacturing batch to make sure they’re up to par. Then, it uses a statistical method to make a more sweeping prediction about whether all the devices are reliable.

That means balancing two different factors: the risk that the EpiPen won’t work, and the need to make enough EpiPens available to people with severe allergies, according to the documents obtained by Business Insider.

Pfizer said in a statement to Business Insider that it is “very confident” in the safety of its EpiPens and how well they work.

“The manufacturing process of EpiPen includes numerous steps of stringent controls to verify the quality and reproducibility of the product,” the company said, including “chemical, microbiological and functional tests – from the manufacture of vendor components through processing to the shipment of the finished medicine.”

See: Drug giant Novartis is gearing up to release a cheaper EpiPen rival, but one big factor may make competition tricky

EpiPen concerns

The EpiPen is a relatively simple device, consisting of the rescue medication epinephrine and a device, an auto-injector, which delivers the drug into the user’s outer thigh.

But the correspondence between Meridian and the FDA also shows just how much it has to be able to do in a scary scenario.

When an individual is having a severe allergic reaction, an EpiPen must quickly deliver the right amount of epinephrine under their skin or into the thigh muscle, without accidentally sticking people with a needle or injuring someone if used before intended.

EpiPens must be highly reliable, but just a small minority of them are actually used. Meridian estimates that just 5% of the millions sold each year are deployed, a figure that’s based on scientific literature and real-world databases, according to the documents obtained by Business Insider. Pfizer’s Meridian has shipped more than 30 million EpiPens globally between 2015 and the present, the company told Business Insider in a statement.

But the FDA was concerned about the EpiPen and how it was being manufactured — so much so that it had sent Meridian a “Form 483,” which the regulator uses to tell companies about “objectionable conditions” at its factories, in March of 2017.  

The same month, Meridian announced a voluntary recall of an estimated 260,000 EpiPens because of a defective part.

FDA inspectors had also been telling the firm for years prior that it should be taking complaints from customers about malfunctioning EpiPens more seriously

Read more: The strange history of the EpiPen, the device developed by the military that turned into a billion-dollar business and now faces generic competition between Mylan and Teva

In the Meridian leaders’ mid-April response to the FDA, though, they insisted that Meridian’s system to ensure EpiPen quality and reliability was good enough.

Meridian also has other systems in place to ensure safety and efficacy besides testing, including robust product and process development, and rigorous manufacturing and quality management processes and procedures, according to Pfizer.

Still, because of FDA feedback, the firm would do a risk assessment to look at reliability at a system-wide level, the two employees said.

The FDA uses a strategy similar to Meridian’s when its inspectors visit companies’ manufacturing facilities, testing random samples rather than a number of products in a row, Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, a think tank that conducts research on behalf of consumers, told Business Insider.

“Obviously, the EpiPen is a little different because it truly is life-saving,” she said. “How many things can you absolutely say that lives truly depend on it?”

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Saturn is officially losing its rings — and they're disappearing much faster than scientists had anticipated

People are obsessed with buying cars through Costco instead of at dealerships — these are the biggest differences between the two (COST)

0
0

costco

  • The Costco Auto Program allows Costco members to buy discounted cars through participating dealerships.
  • The program makes a lot of the hardest parts of buying a car — like research and negotiation — easier.
  • But it also limits the customer's options in some areas.

 

Shopping for a car can be overwhelming.

Even if you know what kind of vehicle you're looking for, you have to decide on the brand, model, and model year you'd like, as well as the dealership you want to use, whether you'd like to buy new or used, and whether you want to buy or lease.

Where do you start your research? Which sources can you trust? What's a reasonable price?

The Costco Auto Program attempts to eliminate some of that uncertainty.

Read more: How to use your Costco membership to rent a car

In the past five years, over 1 million Costco members have purchased a vehicle through the program, which allows members to research and compare vehicles, calculate monthly payments, and get a discount at participating dealerships through the program's website or call center.

While the size of the discount varies based on the vehicle's class, brand, and model, a Costco Auto Program representative told Business Insider in March that the average discount was over $1,000 off a vehicle's average transaction price.

And since the program is available only to its members, Costco has plenty of reasons to vet dealers and salespeople so their customers don't end up feeling tricked and blame Costco.

"We're not just providing leads to dealers — we're creating a referral," Rick Borg, a Costco Auto Program senior executive, told Business Insider in March.

Here's how using the Costco Auto Program is different from the average car shopping process.

SEE ALSO: After 5 years of resisting, I finally bought a minivan — and I can't believe I lived without it

1. You have to be a Costco member to use the program.

This may sound obvious, but while nonmembers can use some of the program's research tools, only Costco members are eligible to get the discounted price.



2. Multiple strands of research are condensed into one place.

One of the most difficult parts of shopping for a car is figuring out where to start and end your research, especially if you don't read car reviews for fun.

The Costco Auto Program brings reviews, safety ratings, a financial calculator, and a vehicle-comparison tool under one roof.

While it never hurts to compare research from multiple sources, the program's website provides a good place to start.



3. Your choice of dealerships and salespeople is limited.

Borg said Costco works with one dealership per brand in a defined geographic area around a Costco warehouse — and at each participating dealership, only a handful of salespeople are authorized to work with customers shopping through the program.

He said Costco picks dealerships based on prices, customer satisfaction index scores, and reputations on social media. Authorized salespeople are also evaluated based on their customer satisfaction scores and must work at their dealership for at least six months before they are eligible to work with the program.

But the limited number of dealerships and salespeople makes things a little more difficult for customers who don't end up satisfied with the first dealership Costco recommends. While Borg said Costco can point customers to other participating dealerships, they may not be geographically convenient.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Viewing all 115285 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images