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Processed foods make us fatter and are linked to a higher risk of cancer. Here’s what science suggests we should eat instead.

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quesadilla processed food

Here's an experiment: Sit alone in a hospital room for two weeks and eat nothing but ultra-processed foods like hot dogs, muffins, canned ravioli, and chicken salad.

You probably wouldn't love the results. 

But that's exactly what 20 men and women did in a recent, rigorously controlled study from the National Institutes of Health. Those participants ended up gaining an average of 2 pounds in those two weeks on this ultra-processed diet. They also consumed about 500 additional calories every day, compared to a different two-week period in which the same people followed an unprocessed meal plan.

The scientists behind the study — which was published Thursday— found that this discrepancy arose because patients who were fed processed meals tended to overeat, even though researchers controlled for how much salt, fat, sugar, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates each meal contained (regardless of whether it consisted of processed versus unprocessed items). 

"This is the first time that we can actually say that there's a causal relationship between something that's independent of the nutrients ... that is driving these differences in calorie intake and weight gain," lead researcher Kevin Hall told Business Insider.

His team isn't yet sure why processed food makes us hungrier, but they have a few educated hypotheses. For one, they think the difference in calorie consumption might have something to do with the ways that fresh foods trigger hormones that regulate our appetite (ghrelin), and suppress hunger (PYY). Additionally, people tend to eat unprocessed foods more slowly, which gives our body more time to register that we're full before we overeat. 

Beyond its link to overeating, a diet heavy in processed food is also linked with all kinds of other health problems, according to previous research: People who consume it regularly are more likely to get cancer and die quicker than others.

Given that stark comparison, here's how to determine what to seek out and what to avoid.

The difference between processed and unprocessed food

processed dinner

Researchers classify "ultra-processed" foods as items that are generally factory-made and come laden with additives and preservatives like sweeteners and thickeners. Generally, these things are packaged in plastic or cans. You're likely to see "high fructose corn syrup" on the ingredient list of an ultra-processed food item, or perhaps some interesterified oils (replacements for trans fats, which are now widely banned). 

Unprocessed food, on the other hand, involves raw ingredients like fresh produce, unflavored yogurt, home-cooked meat, and whole grains.

But food items don't have to be completely fresh to be considered unprocessed. In the NIH study, the researchers relied on the NOVA food-rating system, which designates foods as unprocessed if they are edible parts of plants (including nuts), animals, fungi, algae, or water. So it's fine to freeze, boil, ferment, or refrigerate ingredients. But unlike their processed versions, unprocessed foods are not cured or pre-salted.  

The study authors described and photographed the meals they fed their 20 participants — both during their processed-food weeks and the time spent on a fresher eating plan.

Here's one of the processed breakfasts that the participants ate in the lab:

processed breakfast foods

One of the processed lunch meals was a tasty-looking quesadilla made with deli turkey, cheddar and jack cheeses, and refried beans from a can. Personally, I found that one disheartening, since it sounds like something I might make at home. So did a chicken salad sandwich made with canned chicken, pickle relish, and mayonnaise — one of the ultra-processed dinners.

While on an unprocessed diet, on the other hand, the participants ate more produce and skipped sides like tater tots. Here's what a day's worth of unprocessed meals looked like in the lab:

Unprocessed breakfast: a yogurt parfait

unprocessed breakfast greek yogurt and berries

Unprocessed lunch: spinach salad

unprocessed meal

Unprocessed dinner: stir-fried beef tender roast 

unprocessed dinner

After two weeks of meals like these, participants managed to shed an average of 2 pounds.

SEE ALSO: There's evidence for the first time that processed foods like muffins and quesadillas cause us to eat about 500 more calories every day

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What processed meat really is — and why it could give you cancer


The best cake decorating tools you can buy

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  • With the right tools, you can use the same cake decorating techniques that the professionals use, right in your home kitchen.
  • The Emopeak 110 Piece Cake Decorating Supplies Kit includes all of the essentials that amateur cakemakers need to get started, all at an affordable price.

Cake decorating is all the rage at the moment, with shows like "Extreme Cakes," "Cake Boss," and "Ace of Cakes" and demonstrating the incredible looks that both pro and amateur bakers manage to pull off (except for contestants on "Nailed It"). Now, there's pressure to pull off stunning wedding cakes, birthday cakes, anniversary cakes, and cakes for just about any other occasion. The use of fondant, spray-on food coloring, stencils, and more allows decorators to include great amounts of detail in their designs, and ultimately your imagination truly is the limit when it comes to decorating cakes.

Memorable birthday cakes have always been a part of my childhood. My mom baked all of the cakes for my brother's and my birthdays, and though it's been more than 20 years since she made some of those cakes, I still remember them well. My mother piped and frosted some amazing cakes, and while I inherited her love of baking, I didn't inherit her decorating talents.

Luckily, I've discovered a variety of tools that can help. While I'll never be the talented freehand piper that my mom is, with some of these tools, I can do a halfway decent job decorating a cake. These tools aren't top-of-the-line and they're not intended for professional bakers. They do allow home bakers to use some of the same techniques that the professionals use, expanding their options in how they approach each cake.  

If you enjoy baking for friends and family and are looking to improve your cake decorating techniques and skills and even show off a little bit, these tools can help.

Here are our top picks for the best cake decorating tools in 2019:

Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.

The best overall

The Emopeak 110 Piece Cake Decorating Supplies Kit includes all of the basics you need to get started in cake decorating.

With the Emopeak 110 Piece Cake Decorating Supplies Kit, you'll have all of your basics covered. This is the kind of kit you need when you get into cake decorating since it will keep you from getting halfway before realizing you're missing an important tool. Plus, this kit is very reasonably priced and will save you money over what you'd pay if you purchased these supplies individually.

The kit comes with essentials like a turntable, 48 stainless-steel icing tips, two reusable pastry bags, a cake brush, a cake cutter, a cake pen, three cake scrapers, 25 disposable pastry bags, and more. In case you need some ideas, your purchase of this kit also includes an e-book of decorating techniques to get you inspired.

While the tools aren't the top-quality versions you'd find in a professional kitchen, they're functional and easy to use, and they're more than enough for a home or beginning cake maker. You might purchase this kit, discover which tools you use the most, and then choose to upgrade those if you're seriously getting into decorating.

The Emopeak 110 Piece Cake Decorating Supplies Kit has a 4.6 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on 178 reviews. One customer was very impressed with the quality this kit offers: "I don't know a lot about pastry cutters but this has to be one of the best deals (price vs. quality) that I have seen lately. Compared to the one that I saw at the box store for more than double the price, there is no contest. This is a much higher quality product."

Pros: Large variety of tools, excellent value, kit includes storage box to keep supplies organized

Cons: E-book would be easier to use as a printed book, tools aren't of the highest quality

Buy the Emopeak 110 Piece Cake Decorating Supplies Kit on Amazon for $19.98



The best for creating icing flowers

The Russian Piping Tips Kit makes piping icing flowers both easy and fast, ideal for decorating floral-themed cakes.

No cake is complete without some icing flowers, but these flowers are also one of the most difficult (and time-consuming) cake decorating techniques to master. Piping flowers is often done one petal at a time, but the Russian Piping Tips Kit simplifies and speeds up the process. Rather than piping petal by petal, this kit includes an assortment of 12 tips that create different flower designs in a single motion for instant results.

The kit has everything that you need to get started. A tri-color coupler allows you to create multi-colored flowers, while the single color coupler makes it easy to quickly change bags (and colors), which is particularly helpful when you're working on an intricate cake. The 10 disposable bags offer no-mess convenience, but for an eco-friendly option, this kit also includes a dishwasher-safe reusable silicone bag. Additionally, with the purchase of this kit, you'll receive an e-book of decorating ideas for inspiration. You can also access online videos to help you master piping techniques.

The Russian Piping Tips Kit has a 4.7 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on more than 2,600 customer reviews. One customer wrote: "I got these for my sister and she absolutely loves them, she made a cake on Sunday and decorated it using these nozzles and you could not tell that it was baked at home, it looked like it was baked by a professional baker."

Another Amazon customer also likes this kit and has some tips for success: "Just be sure to follow the instructions. Clean and dry your tips well, use a stiffer buttercream, and regularly wipe excess frosting off the nozzle so the formations keep their shape."

Pros: Tips are made of stainless steel for durability, gift box keeps kit neatly contained, excellent assortment of tips for various decorating options

Cons: E-book would be more helpful if sent as a hard copy book

Buy the Russian Piping Tips Kit on Amazon for $15.99



The best for fondant work

The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit features a great assortment of tools to help you get the most out of your fondant work.

When working with fondant, you need the right instruments to truly master the medium. The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit offers an impressive assortment of tools that will give you plenty of options for your fondant work. Ball tools of various sizes are perfect for shaping fondant and creating flower petals, while double-ended tools offer precision perfect for texture and detail work.

These tools are made of stainless steel, plastic, and wood for maximum durability. The tools that feature metal and wooden handles have a much nicer, higher-quality feel to them than the all-plastic tools that you'll find in some other kits. The fully plastic tools in this kit are lightweight and ideal for detail work without causing your hand to fatigue. For its price, this kit is an excellent value.

The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit has a 4.6 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on 18 reviews. One customer appreciates the versatility this kit offers: "This set of tools will come in handy not only for fondant-work but will also be perfect for sculpting with polymer clay. I enjoy making miniature foodstuffs for tiny dollhouse. These cost much less than the same thing listed as clay-sculpting tools, so are a bargain!"

Pros: Excellent assortment of tools, stainless steel and wood adds durability, great overall value for the kit

Cons: No grips or ergonomic contouring makes the tools a little uncomfortable for long periods of use

Buy the Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit on Amazon for $13.66



The best for airbrushing

If you'd like to airbrush cakes, the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit is easy to use and offers excellent control.

Airbrushed cakes can be stunning, and the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit includes absolutely everything you need to start airbrushing your cakes. The kit includes three different airbrushes, so you have precise control over fine detail, spray-to-spray patterns designed for wider coverage. The compressor provides 1/5 horsepower, which is plenty of power for your needs; the motor is quiet.

The airbrushes feature both external mix and internal mix designs. The external mix is less likely to clog, but the internal mix gives you more control for detail work. You can choose the option that's right for your needs, giving you control over your decorating.

While the quality of the airbrushes makes this kit a practical choice for both the beginning decorator and for the professional, the kit includes plenty of resources to help beginners learn this skill. A DVD and manual help you learn to use the equipment, and you can access seven additional airbrushing guides (in e-book format) to help you learn different techniques. The kit also includes 12 bottles of Chefmaster paints so you can start airbrushing right away.

The PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit has a 4.4 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on 120 reviews. One customer said: "Wow, it's a beast. I'm new to airbrush and apparently picked a stellar set-up. I've tried one of the three spray guns for my cookie decorating and am having a blast. It hooks up quick and is ready to go. Cleans easily." Another said: "It would take some adjusting to also use it for finer, more delicate cake artwork, but we just use it for the thicker stuff and it's been great. We also only use one of the three airbrushes that came with it, and it has handled very well."

Pros: Includes three airbrushes for different streams, suitable for hobbyists and professionals, includes 12 Chefmaster paints, seven e-books for additional learning

Cons: High price point for just occasional use

Buy the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit on Amazon for 112.99



The best stencils

Reusable, durable, and beautiful, the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil Kit is a must-have for any cake where you need a little bit of elegance.

To give your cake a touch of detail that will truly make it stand out, consider using the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil kit. This kit includes a variety of stencils that are fully reusable, making them environmentally friendly and saving you the time of having to make a stencil by hand.

All of the designs complement each other, so you can use them on different tiers of the same cake, or just choose one to add some eye-catching detail to your work.

These stencils are designed for repeated use. You can use them with many different materials, including fondant, royal icing, butter cream, lustre dust, and more. Plus, since the stencils can be used on cookies, cupcakes, cakes, etc., they offer plenty of versatility.

While made to be strong, some Amazon customers reported the product arrived torn or looked like they were factory defects.

Pros: Variety of designs, all designs complement each other, reusable and durable, can be paired with a variety of materials

Cons: Stencils often require a bit of practice to learn to use them well

Buy the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil on Amazon for $12.97



How to make your Facebook profile as private as possible

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FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of Facebook logo in this illustration picture, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

  • If you're concerned about online privacy, there are steps you can take to ensure that your Facebook activity and information are kept as private as possible.
  • You can make your Facebook profile private by adjusting your privacy settings to "Only me," on a desktop computer or the Facebook mobile app. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook is a one-stop shop when it comes to networking online. Not only can we connect with colleagues, classmates, friends, and family, we can also play games, cross-post to Instagram, join community groups with people who share similar interests, and more.

But how much of what you do on Facebook are you handling with appropriate discretion? You may not be doing anything embarrassing or illegal, but not everyone wants their every move tracked online.

While you can't control the advertisers and other outside companies Facebook choses to sell your information to, there are ways to ensure that your activity and profile information on Facebook is limited when it comes to the general public and even those on your friends list.

It only takes a few minutes to secure your account and may be worthwhile to do. Here's what you need to know.

How to make your Facebook private on desktop

1. Go to Facebook.com and log into your account using the email address and password associated with your account.

2. Once on your news feed, which acts as your home screen, navigate to the arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and click on it to reveal a drop down menu of options.

3. Scroll down until you locate the "Settings" tab and click.

4. On the left-hand side of your screen, you'll see a long list of menu options. Locate "Privacy," which should appear as the fourth item down from the top, and click on it to launch your privacy settings on the right-hand side of the screen.

Facebook 1

5. Note that Facebook allows you to change your privacy settings for individual website features. This means you can adjust the level of privacy for specific elements of the site such as how you're found and contacted on the site, who can see your posts, and even retroactively limit the audience of your past posts.

6. To change a particular privacy element, click the "Edit" option to the far right of each section. This will expand the section and allow you to choose who, if anyone, sees the relevant information. To keep anyone from seeing it, click on "Only me" under "Who should see this?"

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7. You can make your Facebook even more private by changing who can tag you in posts, who can post on your Timeline, and who can share the posts you make to their own profiles. The options for these can be changed as above, though they're found under the "Timeline and Tagging" section on the left-hand side of the screen, just below the "Security" option.

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How to make your Facebook private on mobile

1. Locate and tap the Facebook app icon on your phone's home screen.

2. Tap on the three stacked horizontal lines in the lower right-hand corner of your screen to launch a menu of options, scrolling until you reach the "Settings and Privacy" section.

3. Tap on "Settings and Privacy" and then "Privacy shortcuts," which will appear beneath it, to customize your privacy options.

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4. On the "Privacy shortcuts" screen, you'll see a list of options underneath the "Privacy" header. Tap the bottom option, "See more privacy settings." This will launch the screen in which you can review and change your current settings.

5. To change who can see your activity including future posts, past posts, as well as people, pages, and lists you follow, tap on the relevant option under "Your activity." In the dropdown menu that appears, change your option to "Only me" so that it is completely private.

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6. Repeat step 5 for each of the options under "How people can find and contact you" to complete the privatization of your Facebook information.

7. Note that you can also manage your profile to make your birthday, relationships, and other profile information private as well under the "Manage your profile" section on the "Privacy settings" screen.

SEE ALSO: How to change the name of your Facebook business page on desktop or mobile, when you're looking to rebrand

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This startup turns 100 non-recyclable plastic bags into a high-end Bluetooth speaker

22 Amazon Prime-eligible gifts for Father’s Day — all under $100

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

KomalC 15 Inch Retro Buffalo Hunter Leather Laptop Messenger Bag

  • Father's Day is June 16, which might seem far away at the moment, but with the unofficial start of summer around the corner, you might want to get ahead of shopping before things get crazy.
  • We've rounded up 22 Prime-eligible products that any dad would love. With free two-day shipping, your gift will be taken care of in no time so you can get back to your scheduled programming. 
  • If you don't find the perfect gift on this list, take a look at more Father's Day 2019 gift ideas here.

The end of May is a crazy time of year. You're gearing up for Memorial Day plans and the unofficial start of summer, and before you know, it's the Fourth of July. Don't let the craziness of summer make you forget one seriously  important holiday sandwiched between your trips to the beach.

If you're still lost on what I'm referring to, then this gift guide is exactly what you need.

Father's Day is June 16 this year, so don't get caught the week beforehand scrambling to get a gift for one of the most important men in your life. To help, we've rounded up 22 Amazon Prime-eligible gift ideas all under $100 so you can add to cart and continue with planning that beach getaway.

Here are 22 Prime-eligible Father's Day gifts under $100:

A pair of noise-cancelling headphones with built-in radio

3M WorkTunes Hearing Protector with AM/FM Radio, available on Amazon for $44.99

These are the perfect dad headphones. They not only reduce the amount of noise he hears when he's mowing the lawn or blowing the leaves, but he can also listen to AM/FM radio since he has quite figured out how to use anything more modern. (Maybe.) The 3M headphones are also voice-activated so he can easily find the smooth jazz he likes. 



A powerful waterproof speaker

JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth Speaker with Protective Travel Case, available on Amazon for $84.99

When one of your siblings inevitably kicks your bag into the pool on your next family trip along with every one of your devices inside, there'll be no hard feelings because this portable speaker is completely waterproof. When charged, it can provide up to 12 hours of continuous music play so the party never ends. 

Check out our full review here and see why it's our favorite under-$100 speaker here.



A sweet and spicy gardening kit

Plant Theatre Hot Chili & Sweet Pepper Kit Gift Box, available on Amazon for $16.99

Perfect for the dad who's just starting out in gardening, this beginners kit provides everything that he'll need to grow red and green peppers that he can then incorporate into dinner. The kit includes six biodegradable grow pots, six peat discs that expand to seven times their size when watered, six plant markers, and six seed sachets, plus instructions and helpful tips.

 



A handmade messenger bag

KomalC 15 Inch Retro Buffalo Hunter Leather Laptop Messenger Bag, available on Amazon for $80.99

This handcrafted messenger bag is made from genuine buffalo leather and lined with durable canvas. The bag can be carried via the top handle as a laptop case or like a messenger bag using the shoulder strap.



A master griller tool set

Mr. Bar-B-Q 94001X 18-Piece Stainless Steel BBQ Set, available on Amazon for $13.89

For the dad that can't step away from his grill, make sure he has everything he needs for the start of BBQ season.

The 18-piece kit includes a barbecue fork, slotted spatula with scraper and bottle opener, basting brush, grill brush, all-purpose knife, tongs, eight corn holders, and four skewers, all designed with stainless steel and finished with wooden handles. 

 



A Bluetooth meat thermometer

GrillEye GE0001 Smart Bluetooth Grilling Thermometer, available on Amazon for $69.99

With this Bluetooth thermometer, your dad can walk away from the grill (or at least as far away as 300 feet) without overcooking his prized T-bone. The professional-grade thermometer uses probes with flame-proof grips to measure internal temperature and it can send the reading to your phone, or can be read right off the LED display. 



A smart light kit

Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Single Pole/3-way Dimmer Switch Starter Kit available on Amazon for $99.95

Give your dad peace of mind with a smart light switch and dimmer set. It's compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, and your dad can schedule and automate when the lights turn on, off, and dim so he can finally stop doing it manually when people leave the living room. Installation doesn't require rewiring, so it's easy to set up. 



A portable label maker

Brother P-Touch Cube Plus Label Maker, available on Amazon for $99.99

For the organized dad, this Bluetooth label maker won't confine him to a desktop computer — he'll be able to make labels straight from his smartphone. Choose from three Brother software and app options to help design labels easily.



A bird feeder

Perky-Pet 325C 2-Tier Copper Panorama Bird Feeder, available on Amazon for $37.39

The bird-watching dad will love this 360-degree bird feeder that has two perches to give birds more space to eat and chill. The locking cap insures that the seeds are for the birds and not for pesky squirrels.



A growler that also acts as a mini keg

Pressurized Beer Growler 64oz Stainless Steel, available on Amazon for $90.24

Your dad can enjoy a tall pint of his favorite craft beer with this growler and dispenser set. The quick-connect regulator and integrated pressure relief valve ensures that his beer will stay crisp, cold, and refreshing. It also comes with three threaded CO2 cartridges, so everything is ready to go. 



A smart light strip

Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance Outdoor LightStrip, available on Amazon for $89.99

These light strips can go pretty much anywhere outside the house — under the stairs, around the door frame, along the driveway, and more. Dad can control the light strip and its color scheme and intensity anywhere on his mobile device or by pairing it with a voice-activated home assistant like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. 

Check out our full review here.

 



A cornhole set

AmazonBasics Wood Cornhole Set, available on Amazon for $55.99

Get summer started with this classic lawn game set. The set includes two plywood targets and a total of eight weighted bags (four red and four blue). Bring the fun anywhere by packing up the game in its compact carrying bag. 



A fresh cologne

Tommy Bahama Maritime Men Cologne, available on Amazon for $78

Cologne might not be a conventional gift, but that's the beauty of it — it's a thoughtful and unexpected gift that will take your dad by surprise. This one has both warm and fresh notes of bergamot, waterlily, cedarwood, musk, and more.  



A tennis ball basket so you can hit the courts together

Wilson 75 Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper, available on Amazon for $21.96

This portable tennis ball basket can hold up to 75 tennis balls and keep them contained with its no-spill lid. The convertible handles make it easy to transport from the car to the court and double-duty as legs to prop up the basket. 



A hand-held Bluetooth device for portraits and not selfies

Adonit PhotoGrip Qi, available on Amazon for $64

This handy little device is perfect for capturing moments whether candid or forced while on family vacation.

Hold it in your hand for selfies or prop it on its tripod and use the Bluetooth remote to take group photos from up to 32 feet away. The PhotoGrip Qi also charges your phone while you use it, so you'll never miss a photo opp again. 



A heavy-duty fishing rod for all the salmon your dad can catch

Centron Spinning Reel 8' Heavy-Full Handle, available on Amazon for $69.98

This 8-foot lightweight rod and spinning wheel is durable enough to wrangle in "heavy action" fish like catfish, steelhead, and even salmon. The rod has stainless steel O-rings that work great with both mono or braided lines. 



A bocce ball set to play at family gatherings

AmazonBasics Bocce Ball Set with Soft Carry Case, available on Amazon for $36.76

Upgrade your lawn games with this bocce ball set. The black carrying case comes fully stocked with four green balls, four red balls, one white pallino, and one measuring device. 



A hands-free flashlight

Cobiz Brightest Headlamp, available on Amazon for $29.99

Whether your dad is out camping, working in the attic, or just needs a hands-free light source, he'll need a rechargeable headlamp. It has four light settings that control the three LED light bulbs, and is waterproof too.



A pair of cool cufflinks

Men's Silver & 18K Gold Plated Round Whale Back Closure Cufflinks, available on Amazon for $67.99

Designed for the most special occasions, these cufflinks are plated with 18k gold and platinum for an elegant finish. He'll be dressed to the nines with its intricate handmade design.



A security camera

Blink Indoor Home Security Camera System, available on Amazon for $79.99

This wire-free, battery-powered indoor camera can help your dad monitor the home from anywhere. He can get instant motion-detection alerts to his smart device, access live video footage, or view past recordings on the free cloud storage. Maybe now he'll stop patrolling the windows.



A shaving kit that's just the right size for business trips

The Art of Shaving Midsize Kit, available on Amazon for $60

This kit is all your dad will need when he's traveling on a business trip. All four items are TSA approved, so no matter where he's headed, he'll always be able to maintain his look. 



A heart-rate monitor made for swimmers

Garmin Chest Strap HRM-Swim, available on Amazon for $86.95

Made specifically for the pool, this heart-rate monitor is designed with a non-slip, compact material that won't move or interfere with swimming performance. Get real time data on a Garmin-compatible watch (sold separately; we like the Garmin Vivo) or store up to 20 hours worth of data on the band, which can be downloaded onto a computer.



These are dogs of some of the most powerful executives in Silicon Valley, from Mark Zuckerberg to Travis Kalanick

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Mark Zuckerberg dog beast

With company cultures that celebrate—and even encourage—employees bringing their dogs to work, it's no wonder that many of tech's biggest players are also parents to the cutest creatures known to man. 

From Google to Facebook, dogs have taken over the hearts and Instagrams of the industry's most powerful leaders. Sure these people are setting the agenda for global business and politics, but even billionaires need a little TLC (tender loving cuddles). 

And did we mention these dogs are darn cute?

Here's a round up of some of the tech industry's most powerful dogs:

SEE ALSO: HubSpot is going to give one lucky person $100,000 to start his or her dream business

The original Instagram pups are none other than the dogs of the platform's cofounders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.



Systrom has a golden retriever named, Dolores but she goes by "Dolly." Her Instagram page has more than 20,000 followers.

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Meanwhile, Krieger and his wife are parents to a big Bernese Mountain dog named Juno, who has a modest Instagram following of his own.

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The couple got Juno at March 2014 when he was an eight-week-old pup. As evident on Instagram, Juno is a big fan of celebrating #TongueOutTuesday.

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This is Beast, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's excessively woolly Puli. Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan adopted Beast in 2010.

 

 



Their daughter Max, who was born in 2015, has grown quite attached to the pup — her first word was "dog."

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Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel became a pup stepdad when he married model Miranda Kerr in 2017.

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Kerr and her dog, named Teddy, graced the November 2017 cover of Harper's Bazaar Australia.

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For years, Salesforce's executive board included a four-legged friend: Koa, CEO Marc Benioff's dog who served as "chief love officer." Salesforce launched in 1999, just one year before Koa was born.

 



Benioff's beloved golden retriever passed away in 2017 at the age of 17. The Salesforce CEO posted a sweet tribute on Twitter in honor of Koa.

 



The award for best dog name goes to 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, for her labradoodle named Fluffy Bunny. She also owns a labradoodle named Luna.

Source: Wall Street Journal



Meanwhile, her sister, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, has a dog of her own.

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai and his family have a fluffy two-year-old dog named Jeffree.

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Jeffree was given a customary Noogler hat, given to new Googlers, when Pichai first got the pup in 2017. "Will get him started on coding once we get through potty training," Pichai wrote on Twitter.

 



The labradoodle dog belonging to venture capitalist Kevin Rose is somewhat of a celebrity. The dog, named Toaster, was voted San Francisco's cutest dog in 2011 in a reader poll conducted by Bay Area lifestyle website 7x7.

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Source: 7x7



But Toaster's claim to fame comes from a 2013 incident when he was attacked by a raccoon. The footage of Rose coming to the dog's rescue, and throwing the raccoon down a stairwell, went viral.

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Tumblr founder David Karp has re-blogged numerous photos of his dog on his personal page on the blogging website. He owns a photogenic French bulldog named Clark.

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Source: David's Log



Until 2015, Yelp's unofficial mascot was Darwin, the dog of cofounder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman. He was featured prominently on Yelp's website — for a while, this picture of Darwin would pop up on the 404 page when a user clicked on a broken link.

Source: Fast Company



Sadly, Darwin passed away in 2015 at the age of 10. "He kept me sane and everyone @yelp smiling for over 10 amazing years," Stoppelman wrote in a Twitter tribute.

Source: Twitter



Tech power couple Brit and David Morin are parents to a miniature Bernese Mountain dog named Pixel, an apt name for a Silicon Valley dog.

Source: Pixel Morin on Facebook



According to Pixel's Facebook page, he was born outside of Toronto. Pixel also loves design, snow, mountains, and "eating fine cheese."

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Source: Pixel Morin on Facebook



Game developer Zynga gets its name from the beloved dog belonging to the company's founder, Mark Pincus. The American bulldog was named Zinga, and she was known for her "human-like qualities," such as sitting on chairs and barstools, and eating dinner at the table.

Source: Zynga



Zinga died in 2008, a year after Zynga's founding, but she lives on as the company's namesake. Zinga was named after an African warrior princess.

 



Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick is father to a small puppy named Yobu. In a 2016 Facebook post, Kalanick campaigned for Yobu to be named the president of Wag, an on-demand dog-walking app that's now worth more than $600 million.

 



One of the most formal names for a dog belongs to Sir Richard Parker, a golden retriever belonging to Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky.

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Sir Richard Parker seems to be an avid fan of good tunes and road trips. Chesky has shared a video of the fluffy Golden jamming in the car with him and his girlfriend, Elissa Waverly.

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Billionaire philanthropist Bill and Melina Gates have two dogs — Oreo and Nilla. He said in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit in 2015 that he's had to resist to urge to get a third dog.

Source: Reddit

 



Gates said in the Reddit AMA that he really loves his dogs — when they're not barking late at night, eating things they're not supposed to, and aren't going to the bathroom inside the house.

Source: Reddit



On top of three kids, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his wife, Anu, have a two-year-old dog named Winston. "We both think children should have dogs," Anu Nadella said in a 2017 interview. "There is a different sense of companionship and responsibility that comes with it — that emotional sense that there is a being waiting for you to come back."

Source: Good Housekeeping



But Nadella has said that Winston is "more than a family pet." The pup provides emotion support to Zain, Nadella's son who is confined to a wheelchair. "It's been such a joy," the Microsoft CEO said of having a dog in the house.

Source: Good Housekeeping



For many dog owners, taking care of your four-legged friend becomes a crucial part of your daily routine. That rings true for Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd. She told the New York Times she plays with her dog, Jett, right before bedtime, so he calms down and goes to sleep.

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Source: New York Times



It's no surprise that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the owner of two dogs with unusual (but adorable) names: Gatsby and Marvin the Martian.

Source: Elon Musk on Twitter



The two dogs were even visited last year by the "Dog Whisperer" himself, Cesar Millan. In an Instagram post, Millan said both Gatsby (the big dog) and Marvin the Martian (the little dog) have "a great demeanor."

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Who can forget about Balto, the Siberian husky that Elizabeth Holmes bought in the dying days of her blood-testing startup Theranos. She flew cross-country in September 2017 to pick up the nine-week-old puppy, and named him after a famous sled dog in Alaska.

Source: Vanity Fair



Holmes brought Balto to the Theranos headquarters and dubbed him the company's mascot. However, Balto wasn't potty-trained, and Holmes reportedly let him relieve himself wherever he wanted in the office.

Source: Vanity Fair



Subscription service Knifey sharpens your kitchen knives so you don't have to — here's how it works

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knifey knife sharpening 6

  • Sharpening your dull knives: You know you need to do it and that it'll make a big difference when you're prepping ingredients to cook, but you, like many other home cooks, keep putting it off. 
  • Knifey is a knife sharpening and exchange subscription service that takes care of this confusing, time-consuming, or expensive household chore for you. 
  • From $5.99 to $18.99 a month, you can enjoy the durability and sharpness of professional-grade knives without dealing with the upkeep. 

A dull knife is the bane of every home cook's existence.

Less-than-sharp knives cause a lot of frustration, yet if you looked in your drawer right now, you'd probably find more than a couple knives in desperate need of sharpening. 

When Cully Wiginton, the founder of a new knife sharpening and exchange subscription service called Knifey, dug into why people were holding onto their underperforming kitchen tools, he learned that most home sharpening solutions didn't stack up to the skills of a sharpening expert, and it's inconvenient to drop off knives with said specialist. Plus — and I suspect this is the case for many home cooks — it's easy to keep putting off the chore of sharpening your knives in favor of the other errands on your long list of to-dos. 

Sharpening a knife isn't necessarily hard, but taking the time to do it and doing a quality job is. Wiginton says, "I wanted to find a way to make it incredibly easy to always have a sharp set of knives, and to have a professional-level set of knives without having to pay hundreds of dollars upfront. The Knifey service solves both of these problems." 

Read more: The best knife sets you can buy

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With Knifey, you'll always have the sharpest knives at your disposal. The service sends a fresh set of knives at a frequency you choose, then you send back your old ones in the same box. This design means you're not left knife-less as you wait for your knives to be sharpened, and with monthly payments, you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars upfront for a knife set. It's also commitment-free — you can cancel your subscription at any time. 

Read more: 6 direct-to-consumer kitchen startups that are changing the way we shop for cookware and knives

Not only does Knifey improve your knife quality, and relatedly, your cooking skills, it also helps underprivileged students gain a kitchen education. In partnership with an organization that helps students obtain jobs in the culinary arts, it provides knife sets to the top graduating students in each class. 

Read on to learn more about how Knifey works and what to expect from this innovative service. You can visit its website to get started and receive your first set of knives.

First, you have a couple decisions to make. Which knife set you want, and how often do you want your knives to be sharpened?

There are three different knife sets to choose from and they contain only the knives you'd use regularly in the kitchen:

  1. Single Chef Knife: the classic, 8-inch, all-around knife
  2. Essential 3 Knife Set: chef knife, serrated knife, and paring knife
  3. Deluxe 5 Knife Set: chef knife, serrated knife, paring knife, Santoku knife, and utility knife 

The sharpening frequency you choose depends on how often you cook and use your knives. You can get a new set once, twice, or three times a year. 

 



You'll pay anywhere from $5.99 to $18.99 a month for the service.

These plans include sharpening and shipping costs. Since you're not permanently keeping the same set of knives, it also serves as a "rental" fee. 

Choose a knife sharpening plan, starting at $5.99/month, at Knifey here

 

 



Knifey sent me its 5 Knife Deluxe Set, which arrived safely and securely packed.

The knives are made from German, high-carbon steel, translating to high durability, razor sharpness, and resistance to corrosion. Cutting smoothly through ripe tomatoes and hard squashes alike, they proved to be sharp and tough enough for the whole range of prepping tasks. 

They're not extremely heavy, but still have a not unsubstantial weight to them and are comfortable to grip.

 



Use your new, sharp knives until the time comes to exchange them.

I received my first set of knives in June 2018, and exchanged them five months later. After consistent use in my kitchen, they were in need for a refresh. 



Your next set of newly sharpened knives comes with a return shipping label. Simply switch out your old knives and ship them back to Knifey.

The process was easy and pain-free. I took out the new, sharp knives, placed my old ones back in the box, and sent them off to Knifey.

I didn't have to spend any time and money learning how to sharpen them myself or physically bringing them to a professional, and the ultimate result was the same: a razor-sharp kitchen essential. 

Choose a knife sharpening plan, starting at $5.99/month, at Knifey here

 



This startup plants 10 trees for every item it sells — here's what its clothing is like in real life, beyond the Instagram hype

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  • TenTree is a Canadian apparel company that plants 10 trees for every product sold.
  • Although its sustainable, wear-anywhere, trail-to-town apparel is very well made, it's still a mission-first company.
  • Since its inception, TenTree has planted more than 25 million trees worldwide, built up local communities on two continents through tree-planting, and clinched the third most-liked photo on Instagram.
  • We tried a few of the company's best-selling pieces. Find our thoughts below, or shop TenTree's apparel at Backcountry.

For some entrepreneurs, the idea that eventually became the Next Big Thing first germinated as an unstructured desire to do good.

For Bombas, that was supplying the most-asked-for item— socks — to homeless shelters. For a couple of Canadian tree planters looking to reforest the Earth, that meant the clothing brand TenTree. 

Founded in 2012 by Stephen and Derrick Emsley, TenTree makes lifestyle apparel that blurs the line between strictly indoor and outdoor gear. Die-hard hikers and city-dwellers can wear TenTree clothes interchangeably. The company also inherently reflects the sustainable, ethical mindset of its shoppers and founders: For every purchase made, the company plants 10 new trees.

Since its inception, TenTree has planted 25 million new trees on earth. By 2030, the company's goal is 1 billion. 

The brand's clothes, while made from about 95% sustainable materials, mostly consist of comfy, unassuming sweatshirts, shirts, leggings, and other basic apparel sold at a reasonable price (reviews below). TenTree also removed virgin plastic from its offerings, converted all its cotton to organic, shifted all leather to cork, and swapped and rayon fibers for tencel to be more eco-friendly. While all these efforts make for great branding, TenTree shoppers would probably be just as likely to buy a $70 Juniper hoodie because it looks cool and goes with pretty much anything.

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But beyond making comfortable, wear-anywhere clothes, TenTree has fostered a large community online built on an easygoing, frictionless love of nature. As of May 2019, the company's Instagram account has 2.7 million followers, and when it posted a picture of a tiny tree with the promise of planting 500,000 trees for 5 million likes, it became the third most-liked Instagram post of all time — right after Kylie Jenner's debut photo of her daughter.  

In an online marketplace increasingly filled with greenwashing and ornamental give-back missions, TenTree's uncomplicated transparency is refreshing. For TenTree founder Derrick Emsley, it all comes down to authenticity.

"Authenticity is important to us because it is who we are." Emsley told Business Insider. "We started a tree-planting company that sells apparel, not the other way around." And more than immaterial virtue signaling, it's TenTree's actions that win over shoppers.

Today, the company is a rare win-win-win. Shoppers love TenTree because its comfortable, wear-anywhere clothes are reasonably priced, look good, and happen to match their values. The Emsleys have effectively scaled their do-good mission into a successful international company.

Communities in Nepal, Madagascar, and Senegal are absorbing the benefits of a customized, sustainable business model. Tree-planting provides good paying jobs where once none existed, and allows communities to thrive off the yields (fruit trees in Senegal and mangrove trees in Madagascar) and rebuild dwindling fish hatcheries. 

For Emsley, categorizing the company's environmental work as follow-through would be to misunderstand the company: "We are true to our mission because our mission is why we exist."

To see how TenTree's gear translates in person, we tested a few of its best sellers. Our verdict is that the company has managed to create great gear alongside a great mission. TenTree claims to be built on authenticity, and with B-Corp status, 25 million trees in the ground, and comprehensive planting programs boosting local economies across Asia and Africa, its shoppers are inclined to agree.

We tried a few TenTree pieces in person. Here's what we thought:

Juniper Pullover Hoodie

Juniper Pullover Hoodie, $69.95, available at Backcountry 

Any brand that can manage to plant 10 trees for every product sold gets a thumbs up from me, but my appreciation for TenTree is deeper than its sustainability efforts. The products are actually good. I tried the Juniper Hoodie and I could instantly tell that it was well made. Its blend of 60% organic cotton and 40% recycled polyester was soft and warm.

I felt comfortable wearing it, and maybe, admittedly, even a little self-righteous about owning clothes that have a very low carbon footprint.

Another small touch that I really liked was the use of cork on the hoodie drawstrings. It ties into the brand's message and image — and it's a great alternative to virgin plastic or leather, which would usually be found on pull tabs. — Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter



Yampa Pullover Crew

Tentree Yampa Pullover Crew Sweatshirt, $81.95, available at Backcountry

When it comes to hoodies and sweatshirts, I tend to buy ones with a relaxed fit. The Yampa Pullover Crew, made from a blend of hemp and cotton, was more fitted than I usually prefer, but it didn't feel tight or constraining. I immediately noticed the quality of the top and loved that it wasn't bulky — I layered it under a light jacket.

In addition to the overall feel, I was super appreciative of the kangaroo pocket in the front. I kept my phone in there when I was on the subway and felt that it was pretty secure despite the wide pockets on the side. Though I will always normally choose 100% cotton over a blend, I was thrilled to wear this one knowing that the company prioritizes sustainability efforts while producing a high-quality clothes. — Megan Foster, Insider Picks intern



Twilight Sweatshirt

Tentree Twilight Sweatshirt, $65.95, available at Backcountry

I've been a fan of TenTree's ethos for a few years now, but this was my first experience with the gear itself — and it impressed me. Even without the sustainable processes, I'd still find myself throwing this cozy sweatshirt on every night when I get home from work.

The 60% organic cotton and 40% recycled polyester mix feels soft and immediately owned-it-for-years broken-in. I love this thing. The only thing I'd note is that it may run slightly larger than average, though my usual size (small) is slightly slouchy and perfect for me.— Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter



20 pieces of 'Game of Thrones' merch to gift yourself or others who are mourning the end of the series

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game of thrones

  • HBO's "Game of Thrones" wraps up its eighth and final season on May 19.
  • Even though this season has received negative feedback from some fans, the social and cultural impact of the show has been staggering.  
  • But just because the show is ending soon doesn't mean you can't still show off your "GoT" pride. We've rounded up some of our favorite Thrones-branded products, including everything from board games to bottle openers.

And now our watch has ended.

The Long Night that is a post-"Game of Thrones" world is quickly approaching, as the final episode ever airs on May 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. Within a world of questionable military strategies, stoic time-jumping teens, and problematic familial relationships, "Game of Thrones" has inspired one of the most passionate television fan bases of all time.

While this passion has materialized both positively and negatively in response to the eighth season, there is no doubt that showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff are at the helm of a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

What is dead may never die, but now that we're reaching the end of new episodes forever, fans must find other ways to keep the show in our lives. 

For many, this means stocking up on some "Thrones"-influenced merchandise for their homes and closets. HBO has not been shy about plastering the "Game of Thrones" brand onto basically any kind of product you can imagine, including direwolf-engraved jewelry, personalized house sigil baby onesies, or even original strategy board games.

To celebrate the show one last time before it's off the air forever, here are our favorite "Game of Thrones"-branded products.

Hold the door!

Hodor Door Stopper, $12, from Etsy

Even though Hodor was a man of few words, he was widely regarded as a fan favorite throughout the past decade. If you're someone with a more twisted sense of humor, this Hodor Door Stopper is the perfect way to make everyone who comes to your last watch party feel all the feels as soon as they walk through your conveniently-held-open door.



What do we say to the God of Frugality? Not today

Arya Stark Bundle, $29.95, from HBO Shop

Arya Stark has become the dark horse MVP of the entire Thrones universe during the eighth season. Whether she's taking on incarnations of death and evil or accomplishing prom night levels of personal achievements, Arya has never had a better run. Show your love for the hero of Winterfell with this bundle dedicated to our number one assassin, indoor archer, home cook, and DIY makeup artist. 



Make lemon cakes, mulled wine, and more

"A Feast of Ice and Fire," $23.79, from Amazon

If you've ever wanted to host your own post-battle feast (don't forget the coffee) or need some inspiration for your final watch party, this is the perfect cookbook. The book contains more than 100 recipes, categorized by the Westerosi region inspired the dish. 



This puzzle is the physical incarnation of the show's intro

Westeros 4D Puzzle, $69.95, from HBO Shop

The geography of Westeros is one of the hardest aspects of the show to remember, even if you had Old Nan as your personal tutor. Beef up on your Thrones knowledge with this 4D puzzle that includes your favorite holdfasts and castles, as well as other notable landmarks throughout the realm. 



Transfer your files with a flash drive, not a raven

Jon Snow 8GB Flash Drive, $17.99, from Amazon

Jon Snow may know nothing, but you can ensure that you'll always have the information you need with this 8GB flash drive. Just be thankful that it's not Ned Stark's head popping out of the side of your laptop. 



Show your support for House Stark in the kitchen

Game of Thrones Cutting Board, $25, from Etsy

While we can't know for sure, I'm confident that Westerosi's top chef Hot Pie would absolutely love this House Stark-themed cutting board. Just make sure that you stick to Hot Pie's list of approved ingredients in the kitchen, not Arya's.



For when you don't have a squire to get your alcohol for you

I Drink and I Know Things Bottle Opener, $9.95, from HBO Shop

If you're like Tyrion and your boss has recently given you the "one last chance or your fired" speech, it may be time to start cracking open some drinks.

Unlike Tyrion though, your potential termination probably doesn't include any actual flames. Regardless, whether you're drinking some official "Game of Thrones" beer or simply trying to pass the time until the May 19 finale, you'll reach for this bottle opener as many times as Tyrion or Cersei has reached for their goblets.



"Dracarys"

Sculpted Dragon Egg Candles, $16.68, from Amazon

If you know someone who is marrying a horselord or having a destination wedding in Pentos, this trio of dragon egg candles is the perfect gift. However, readers are highly encouraged not to walk into a flaming funeral pyre whilst clutching these candles. 



The house always wins with this set of cards

Game of Thrones Premium Dealer Set, $19.99, from Bed Bath & Beyond

Although they're not playing Texas Hold'em, gambling is still fairly prevalent throughout Essos and Westeros. These cards feature illustrations of some of the most iconic and chilling moments of the story, as well as a Three-Eyed Raven dealer position coin. 



Show where your little lord or lady's loyalties lie

Custom Baby of House Onesie bodysuit, $10.99+, from Etsy

If you have recently added a new heir to your house's line of succession or want to announce a new arrival to the lords and ladies in your life, these customizable baby onesies are the perfect way to do it. But if you live north of the wall, maybe keep the news of any incoming male babies to yourself. 



Extend your fandom with the complete set of books that inspired the show

A Song of Ice and Fire paperback completed set, $29.97, from Amazon

If eight seasons, 73 episodes, and about 75 hours of television isn't enough to fulfill your Thrones fix, then I've got some good news for you. There's about 5,000 words of source material ready for you to consume — just don't wait too eagerly for the reported forthcoming final two books of the series. 



In the Game of Thrones (board game), you either win, or you die

A Game of Thrones Board Game, $47.96, from Amazon

We all like to think we have what it takes to sit on the Iron Throne, but there's only one way to find out. The "A Game of Thrones Board Game" requires a solid investment of time and mental energy, so gather your bannermen and start competing for the throne.



Find the trendiest styles from Winterfell, Dragonstone, and more

Game of Thrones Jewelry, $39-$59, from Alex and Ani

This jewelry may not be as powerful as Melisandre's magic necklace, but it certainly will make anyone who wears it feel connected to his or her favorite house or character. Alex and Ani has created brand new designs for different rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets representing the Lannisters, Starks, Targaryens, and more.



Fire and blood, and a nice cup of joe

Daenerys Targaryen Heat Transforming Mug, $22.46, from HBO Shop

Just like the Lord of Light, these mugs reveal their true intentions in reaction to heat. Every time you have your morning coffee, Daenerys and her dragons will be reborn from the darkness.



Daenerys would definitely sign with Adidas IRL

adidas Ultra Boost 4.0 Game of Thrones, $141-$220, from StockX

These specially-designed sneakers created by adidas are definitely one of the coolest "Game of Thrones" products. Each shoe was created to represent one of the main houses in the show, plus there's one for the Wight Walkers.  



Collect 200 Braavosi coins every time you pass go

Game of Thrones Monopoly, $23.49, from Walmart

The real estate market in Westeros has proven to be fairly volatile, but it's a little easier to hold onto a castle in the Monopoly version of "Game of Thrones." Like the traditional game, players compete to be the last one standing, and land on some of the most sought after locations in the show, including Dragonstone, Casterly Rock, and even the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven. 



Unlike Jon and Ghost, you can cuddle this direwolf blanket as much as you want

House Targaryen and House Stark Sigil Fleece Throw, $39.95, from HBO Shop

This fleece blanket duo with House Stark and House Targaryen sigils is the embodiment of R+L=J. Like our northern lords constantly claim that "Winter is Coming," you'll need a nice blanket to cuddle with as you watch the series finale.



Keep track of your debts with these sticky notes

House Lannister Paper Cube, $8.48, from HBO Shop

A Lannister always pays their debt, and this House Lannister paper cube will make sure that you always remember to pay yours. Keep this stack of Post-It Note-style paper at your desk at work, in your home office, or wherever else you need to always remember if you have any outstanding debts to pay. 



For House Stark, Ice now means more than a generational longsword

House Stark Logo Ice Mold, $12.95, from HBO Shop

Winter may finally be here in the world of Westeros, but for most of us, the hot summer weather is beginning to take over. What better way is there to keep your drinks cold than plopping the northern descendants of the First Men's logo into your glass? Plus, these ice molds work as a great addition to any "GoT" fan's bar setup year round.



Make sure your phone doesn't fall through the Moon Door

For the Throne PopSocket, $24.95, from HBO Shop

Beyond being a way to fidget freely, you can become a true millennial by repping "Game of Thrones" on your PopSocket. 




Amazon Prime Day 2019 is fast approaching — check out the best deals we expect to see again this year

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Amazon Prime 2018 Products

Of the many products we receive and test at Insider Picks every day, we've never received a time-travel machine. If we did, however, you know we'd use it to take a peek at the best deals of Amazon's much-anticipated yearly event, Prime Day

Amazon doesn't usually release any details until a couple weeks before the big online-sales event, but what we can tell you is Prime Day 2019 will probably take place in mid-July, it will run for 24 hours or longer (last year's Prime Day was the longest yet at 36 hours), and the deals will be even bigger and better than before.

You'll be able to browse featured deals on this Amazon page on Amazon Prime Day, but the real page you'll want to bookmark is this article. We'll be sifting through the more than 1 million deals anticipated to land on Prime Day and showing you only the best deals so you can save time and get on with your day. 

Whether you missed out on last year's Amazon Prime Day or just want a refresher on what to expect this year, you've come to the right place. Here are the best deals that were hits among Business Insider readers like yourself in 2018: 

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And here were some of the best deals sitewide from last year's Amazon Prime Day. The following list will give you an idea of the types of brands and products, if not the exact products, that could be on sale this year. 

For an even closer look at all the best deals from last year, visit our Prime Day 2018 page. You can find deals sorted by category (tech, beauty and skin care, etc.), price (under-$25, under-$50, etc.), and more. 

Remember, you must be an Amazon Prime member in order to access Amazon Prime Day 2019's best deals. Check out all the great benefits a Prime membership affords in addition to Prime Day access, then sign up for a free 30-day trial here

If you have more burning questions about Amazon Prime Day 2019, read our Amazon Prime Day FAQ. For any unanswered questions you may still have, email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com. 

Learn a little more about 20 Prime Day 2018 best-sellers and deals to expect below.

SEE ALSO: 31 useful Amazon Prime benefits to know that go beyond free 2-day shipping

DON'T MISS: Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2019

Tuft & Needle mattress

Tuft & Needle Queen Mattress, $535.50 [Prime Day price, $459]

Tuft & Needle's mattresses feature a pressure-relieving adaptive foam that doesn't trap heat like traditional memory foam slabs and results in medium firmness and support levels that many sleepers will like. They arrive in a box and are easy to set up, plus they come with a 10-year limited warranty.



Fire TV Stick

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, $24.99 [Prime Day price on older generation model, $19.99]

With the Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can stream media to any TV with an HDMI input. Popular services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Showtime, Sling, and NBC are all available in addition to Amazon Prime Video. With Alexa capabilities, you can control the TV with your voice. The Stick is small enough to take with you when you travel, so you can plug it into a hotel TV, too.

The Fire TV Stick on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest Fire TV Stick.



Eufy robot vacuum

Eufy Robovac 11 Vacuum, $269.99 [Prime Day price, $159.99]

At just $160, Eufy's vacuum is more affordable than its robot vacuum competitors, but no less effective. Standing at about three inches tall, it easily sneaks under tables and couches to tackle the dirt of the most difficult-to-reach areas. The vacuum can run for 1.5 hours at a time, then recharges automatically.



Bose noise-cancelling headphones

Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise-Cancelling Headphones, $198 [Prime Day price, $125]

These wired headphones, available in two different versions for both Apple and Samsung device owners, are a fan favorite. They're particularly effective for traveling, sitting comfortably over your ears and blocking out the roar of the airplane cabin as you enjoy the clear sound quality of your music. Last year, it was sold at the lowest price we've ever seen.



Echo speaker

Amazon Echo (2nd Generation), $99.99 [Prime Day price, $69.99]

The Echo features Dolby speakers that play 360-degree audio with clear vocals and dynamic bass response, plus seven microphones so it can hear your commands even as music is playing. Available in three different fabric finishes and one wood finish, it doesn't look too bad either, blending into living room or kitchen settings.



Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader, $129.99 [Prime Day price on older generation model, $79.99]

The most popular Kindle, now available in a shiny new waterproof form, was $40 cheaper on Amazon Prime Day. Everyone on our team who has bought a Paperwhite loves it — it's lightweight and comfortable to hold, and it makes it infinitely more convenient to enjoy books on the go.

The Kindle Paperwhite on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest waterproof Kindle Paperwhite.



Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Ring Video Doorbell Pro, $249 [Prime Day price, $174.99]

Whether you're in the room right by the door or thousands of miles away, you can see exactly what's happening on your porch with this smart video doorbell. It monitors your home in 1080HD video with infrared night vision, then sends alerts to your phone or Echo device when motion is detected. Depending on who the visitor is, you'll be able to greet them with enthusiasm, or put necessary safety steps in place.  



Breville espresso machine

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, $584 [Prime Day price, $469.99]

Enjoy the riches of cafe-quality espresso at home with this Breville machine, which also happens to be our top pick for the best espresso machine you can buy. While it's a bit of a splurge, it's perfect for anyone who can't live without their daily espresso because it comes with everything you'll need (save for the beans), it's pretty easy to use, and it makes a smooth, delicious espresso. 



Coop Home Goods pillow

Coop Home Goods Memory-Foam Pillow, $59.99 [Prime Day price, $39.79]

Normally more than $150, this top-rated pillow (4.3 stars from 16,000+ reviews) can be snagged for under $50 on Prime Day. The hypoallergenic pillow has an adjustable memory foam fill and soft bamboo rayon case to help you drift off to sleep at the end of a long week of hunting for deals.  



Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush

Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Classic, $159.95 [Prime Day price, $119.95]

Philips Sonicare says its popular electric toothbrush removes up to seven times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. That claim doesn't sound too surprising considering the brush head cleans at 31,000 strokes per minute. There are five brushing modes to help you get a customized clean: Clean, White, Sensitive, Gum Care, and Deep Clean.



3 months of Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited membership [Prime Day promotion: 3 months for $1]

Among our own readers, a top three best seller was a promotional deal Amazon ran on Kindle Unlimited— a departure from past years dominated by tech. With the deal, Prime members who hadn't yet tried the service could sign up for three months of Kindle Unlimited, and get access to over 1 million books, for just $1. The service usually goes for $30 for the same time frame.



ChefSteps sous vide

ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide, (White), $179 [Prime Day price, $129.99] 

You can expect to enjoy the precise cooking benefits of the ChefSteps Joule at a discounted price this Prime Day. This specific model is highly popular because it's so light and compact compared to other sous vide tools. You can control it with your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi and keep track of your food even if you step away from the kitchen. 

 



LifeStraw personal water filter

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping, Travel, and Emergency Preparedness, $17.47[Prime Day price, $9.99]

A surprise best-seller of Prime Day 2018 was this personal water filter that removes bacteria, parasites, and microplastics from water. For anyone who hikes, camps, and travels often, therefore, perhaps its success isn't so much of a surprise. 

 



Anker lightning cable

Anker PowerLine 6ft Lightning Cable, $10.99 [Prime Day price, $6.99]

If you already have all the major tech and appliances, you might be looking for less fancy (but equally necessary) products on sale. Anker's ultra-durable, 6-foot lightning cable is one of those basics that did well on Prime Day. Thanks to features like wide-diameter wires and reduced cord resistance, it charges your device at maximum speed 



Trtl travel pillow

Trtl Travel Pillow, $29.99 [Prime Day price, $20.98]

This travel pillow packs light and holds your neck at an ergonomic position for comfortable, worry-free sleeping while traveling. It was one of the most popular under-$25 Prime Day deals.



Instant Pot multi-cookers

Instant Pot DUO60, 6 Quart, $69.95 [Prime Day price, $58.99]

Instant Pot Ultra, 8 Quart, $179.95 [Prime Day price, $179.95]

Prime Day after Prime Day, Black Friday after Black Friday, the Instant Pot breaks sales records. By combining seven different kitchen appliances into one, it makes cooking and clean-up efficient and also features 14 smart programs (Soup, Rice, etc.) so all you have to do is press a button to make a delicious dinner. 



23andMe DNA test

23andMe DNA Test, $169 [Prime Day price, $99.99]

The 23andMe DNA test offers personalized genetic reports to help you learn about your ancestry, traits, and certain aspects of your health. All you do is take a sample of your saliva, send it to the company's lab, and wait for results.



Sonos One speaker

Sonos One, $199 [Prime Day promotion: came with a $50 Amazon gift card] 

The speaker has Alexa built right in and fills the room with rich sound. Connect it with any other speaker in the Sonos family and the sound becomes even better. Since it connects to your phone via WiFi, the connection and quality won't be compromised. 



Echo Show smart speaker with a screen

Amazon Echo Show, $229.99 [Prime Day price on older generation model, $129.99]

Make a video call to a friend or family member, watch and follow recipe videos hands-free, and pull up the lyrics to sing along to the latest top 40 hit with the newest Echo Show. It's like an Echo married an Echo Spot, with its large HD screen and eight-mic array.  

The Echo Show on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest Echo Show.



Cuisinart cookware set

Cuisinart 64-13 Contour Hard Anodized 13-Piece Cookware Set, $123.99 [Prime Day price, $123.99] 

Single pieces of cookware can cost more than $100, making this $124 13-piece set a true bargain find. If you're looking to start anew, the bundle contains everything you'll need for a revamped kitchen, including sauce pans, skillets, and a Dutch oven. 



Here are all the people Trump has pardoned so far — and who he could choose next

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  • President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued two rare pardons.
  • One went to Conrad Black, a Canadian-born newspaper publisher who has written flatteringly of Trump in the past.
  • The other went to Patrick Nolan, a former lawmaker who is now a criminal-justice reform advocate.
  • The Constitution grants the president sweeping powers to pardon people or grant clemency.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued two rare pardons,  a form of executive clemency granted to the president by the Constitution.

That power is sweeping — Trump can decide carte blanche to legally forgive or free anyone, so long as the crimes were federal ones.

Pardons essentially forgive people who have been convicted of crimes, removing any remaining punishments and restoring their rights. Commutations, on the other hand, merely reduce a prisoner's sentence.

A number of Trump's clemencies fall in line with a recent trend of granting pardons to political allies, as well as people who have been championed by conservative media, prominent Republicans, or celebrities.

Here's who Trump has granted clemency to in the past:

SEE ALSO: Trump floats a pardon bonanza of high-profile people, including Martha Stewart and Illinois' infamous former governor who was on 'Celebrity Apprentice'

DON'T MISS: 'Kim has been my war angel': The unlikely story of how Kim Kardashian West is trying to get Trump to free a 63-year-old grandmother from prison

Conrad Black

Black is a former newspaper publisher and Trump admirer, who wrote a laudatory biography of Trump in 2018 titled, "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other."

Black served three and a half years in prison after being convicted of fraud in 2007, the Associated Press reported.

In a National Post op-ed published Wednesday, Black described the phone call he received from Trump announcing the pardon.

"When my assistant said there was a call from the White House, I picked up, said 'Hello' and started to ask if this was a prank (suspecting my friends in the British tabloid media), but the caller spoke politely over me: 'Please hold for the president,'" Black wrote. "Two seconds later probably the best-known voice in the world said 'Is that the great Lord Black?' I said 'Mr. President, you do me great honour telephoning me.'"

Black continued: "He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point: he was granting me a full pardon that would 'Expunge the bad rap you got.'"



Patrick Nolan

On May 15, Trump pardoned Patrick Nolan, the former Republican leader of California's state assembly who pleaded guilty to racketeering in 1994 after being caught up in a corruption sting by the FBI.

Nolan is friends with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who spearheaded the White House's push for the First Step Act to help reform the criminal-justice system.

"Mr. Nolan's experiences with prosecutors and in prison changed his life," the White House said in a statement announcing his pardon. "Upon his release, he became a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and victims' rights. In fact, it was because of this work that the President learned of Mr. Nolan's case."



Michael Behenna

On May 6, Trump pardoned Behenna, a former US Army Ranger convicted in 2008 of murdering an Iraqi prisoner.

Though Behenna was originally sentenced to 25 years in prison for the "unpremeditated murder in a combat zone" of Ali Mansur, the military's clemency and parole board reduced his sentence to 15 years, then released him on parole in 2014, five years after his sentence began.

A top military appellate court raised concerns about the trial court's handling of Behenna's self-defense claim, and Behenna garnered widespread support among military officials and lawmakers in his home state of Oklahoma.

Behenna was accused of fatally shooting Mansur in retaliation for his alleged connection to an IED attack that killed two of Behenna's fellow soldiers.

Military court filings say Behenna shot Mansur during an impromptu interrogation after saying, "This is your last chance to tell the information or you will die," according to The New York Times. Behenna has said he only shot Mansur after he reached for his gun.



Dwight and Steven Hammond

Trump pardoned Oregon cattle ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond in July, both of whom were serving five-year prison sentences for arson.

The ranchers had long clashed with the federal government over public land, and the length of their sentences infuriated many conservatives, who saw the prosecutions as an example of federal overreach.

The Hammonds' cases even sparked the controversy that led to a 41-day standoff in 2016 at Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a group of armed protesters who argued that federal control of public lands was unconstitutional.

In a statement, the White House noted that Dwight and Steven Hammond had already served three and four years in prison, respectively, and had paid $400,000 to the federal government in a related civil case.

"The Hammonds are devoted family men, respected contributors to their local community, and have widespread support from their neighbors, local law enforcement, and farmers and ranchers across the West," the White House said.



Alice Marie Johnson

Trump granted his second-ever commutation to Alice Marie Johnson in June, freeing the 63-year-old grandmother and great-grandmother from a life sentence in prison.

Johnson was given the sentence in 1996 over non-violent drug offenses she had committed several years earlier. Her case received nationwide attention in recent months after the reality-television star Kim Kardashian West championed her release and paid a visit to Trump in a high-profile White House meeting last week.

"Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades. Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates," the White House said in a statement. "While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance."

Johnson's daughter Catina Scales told Business Insider the Wednesday afternoon she was en route to pick up her mother from the Aliceville correctional facility in Alabama, where Johnson was released.

"I have been literally shaking ever since I heard this news — this is the best present anyone could have gave me in my life," Scales said. "Nothing will ever trump this feeling."



Dinesh D'Souza

Trump granted an unexpected pardon to the conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza in May.

D'Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to illegally using straw donors in 2012 to donate to a Republican Senate candidate in New York. He used the straw donors to funnel his funds to the candidate under their names to try and get around campaign finance laws.

Though D'Souza fully admitted to knowingly violating the law, he lashed out at prosecutors at the time, arguing he was being singled out because of his conservative beliefs.

Though he was spared prison time, D'Souza was sentenced to five years of probation and a $30,000 fine. A pardon relieved D'Souza of any remaining punishments stemming from his conviction, and would restore certain rights, such as his right to vote.



Jack Johnson

Trump granted a rare posthumous pardon on May 24 to Jack Johnson, the American heavyweight boxing champion who died in 1946 and was convicted in 1913 of taking his white girlfriend across state lines.

Johnson's conviction reeked of racism and injustice at the height of the Jim Crow era. An all-white jury found Johnson guilty of violating the White Slave Traffic Act, also known as the Mann Act, which criminalized transporting women across state lines "for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose."

Johnson's conviction and one-year prison sentence has prompted debate for years — and Trump is not the first president to consider a pardon.

Former President Barack Obama faced the same decision, but his Justice Department recommended against one, so as to focus more on pardons that could benefit living people, a former Obama administration official told The New York Times.

Johnson's case received a recent publicity boost from the actor Sylvester Stallone, who visited the Oval Office to watch Trump sign the pardon.



Lewis "Scooter" Libby

Trump in April pardoned Scooter Libby, a former Bush administration official convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice after a special prosecutor's investigation into the 2003 leak of the CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Libby was originally sentenced to 30 months in prison, but former President George W. Bush commuted it. Despite intense pressure from his vice president Dick Cheney, who had hired Libby as his chief of staff, Bush declined to grant Libby a pardon, as well.

Trump said in a statement announcing the pardon that he didn't know Libby, but "for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly."

Libby's case contained echoes of Trump's own legal battles — the president is the subject of a similar probe by a special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian election interference and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.



Kristian Saucier

In March, Trump pardoned Kristian Saucier, a former Navy sailor who took photos of classified areas inside a nuclear submarine in 2009. Saucier pleaded guilty in 2016 and served one year in prison.

He has previously said he took the photos merely as mementos for his military service. But federal prosecutors accused him of undermining national security by taking the photos, and then obstructing the investigation by destroying a laptop and camera.

Conservative media outlets such as Fox News had compared Saucier's case with that of Hillary Clinton, who used a private email server while she was secretary of state but was never prosecuted.

Trump used Saucier's case during his 2016 presidential campaign as a means to portray the perceived double standard of Saucier's treatment by federal investigators with that of Clinton's.

"Now you can go out and have the life you deserve!" Trump tweeted after granting Saucier's pardon.



Sholom Rubashkin

In late 2017, Trump issued his first commutation to Sholom Rubashkin, an Iowa meatpacking executive convicted of bank fraud in 2009 and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Rubashkin had served eight years by the time Trump commuted his sentence and set him free.

Unlike Trump's other clemencies, the decision to commute Rubashkin's sentence had earned widespread bipartisan support, including from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

Rubashkin's clemency bid also received the support of more than 100 legal professionals, including US attorneys general and federal judges.

They argued in a letter to Trump that Rubashkin was a first-time, non-violent offender who received a much tougher sentence than many people sentenced to "murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse, child pornography, and numerous other offenses exponentially more serious than his."



Joe Arpaio

In August 2017, Trump gave his first-ever pardon to Joe Arpaio, the bombastic former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.

The 85-year-old ex-lawman is best known for illegally detaining Latinos and keeping inmates in brutal jail conditions during his 24-year tenure as sheriff. His aggressive tactics ultimately led to a criminal conviction after he violated a court order to stop racially profiling Latinos.

Arpaio had been an early and vocal supporter of Trump during his presidential campaign, often parroting Trump's hardline stance on immigration, so the move was widely expected.

Yet it was still an unusual pardon, as Arpaio had not even been sentenced at the time. Though Trump may pardon whomever he wishes, people who petition for presidential pardons are told by the Justice Department to wait at least five years after completing their prison sentences before they file applications.



Who could be next?

Trump has also weighed pardons and commutations for a variety of other high-profile cases.

He told reporters last May he was considering pardoning Martha Stewart and commuting the sentence of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois in a string of clemency announcements he unexpectedly made in June.

A jury found Stewart guilty in 2004 of obstructing justice and lying to investigators about the reasons she sold shares of a company. She served five months in prison.

Blagojevich is serving a 14-year prison sentence after being convicted of corruption stemming from a scheme to sell the Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama, who was elected president in 2008. Blagojevich is not eligible for release until 2024.

The Constitution is quite sweeping in granting presidents the power to pardon, so Trump can pretty much decide carte blanche to legally forgive or free anyone who's been convicted of a federal crime.

"He shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment," Article II, Section 2 reads.



Here's the pitch deck that raised millions for two ex Googlers whose startup helps new millennial parents find childcare

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  • When Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall swapped stories at work about the difficulties of finding reliable childcare, they realized a new generation of Millennial parents were all facing a big problem.
  • Their solution was Winnie— an online, centralized marketplace that connects parents with certified childcare providers.
  • Prior to Winnie, the childcare market was fragmented, the co-founders said, and the best option available for parents was often a simple Google search.  
  • Below is the pitch deck that helped Winnie raised a $4 million seed round to fund its ambitious vision for the future of childcare. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As more millennials have kids and try to balance work and parenting, they're facing a challenge that hasn't been solved by Silicon Valley's tech giants: how to find safe and affordable childcare. 

When Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall — two ex-Googlers who met while working on the product team at Postmates — exchanged stories of their difficulties finding reliable childcare as new moms, they knew it was a problem they had to solve. 

Their solution was Winnie, an online, centralized marketplace that connects parents with certified childcare providers. The pair told Business Insider in a recent interview that although some companies have made childcare listings a part of their offering, Winnie was the first when it started back in 2016 to entirely focus on helping parents find licensed daycare and preschool providers near them.

The childcare market, they said, was fragmented and the best option available for parents was often a simple Google search. 

"Parents were left feeling like they don't have as many options as they do because over half of the providers are not listed online. Parents think that there's just not childcare for them," Mauskopf said. "We see moms especially dropping out of the workforce at very high numbers because of this and people paying a lot more than they have to to get into a big, popular center that they found on Google." 

To date, Winnie has 150,000 childcare providers listed on its site and hopes, over time, to have every licensed provider in the country. Right now the founders say they're focused on user growth over profits, but they say they've seen success charging parents for early access to new openings, as well as offering the childcare providers preferred placement on its site for a fee. 

Read more:Here are the pitch decks that helped hot startups raise millions

In April 2018, Winnie raised a $4 million seed round led by Reach Capital to help fund its ambitious vision for the future of childcare. In total, the San Francisco-based team of 10 has raised $6.5 million. 

Mauskopf and Halsall say their  fundraising secret is in their storytelling. 

"We're both very data-oriented people, and our initial deck was very focused on graphs and numbers and traction. And that actually made the conversations a lot harder," Halsall said.

"After our first few pitches, we restructured the deck to be more aspirational about where we were going. Anyone who wants to talk about data, it's in the appendix. But what mattered was that we were in alignment [with investors] — this is a big problem, this is a big market, there's no good solution today, and this is a really big opportunity for the first company that gets there." 

Here's the pitch deck that helped Winnie raise its latest $4 million seed round: 

 

SEE ALSO: The US is in the danger zone for a 'demographic time bomb,' and the high cost of childcare could be partially to blame

































These 33 adorable photos of Grumpy Cat's life and rise prove why she stole our hearts and raked in millions for her owner

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The beloved internet sensation Grumpy Cat died this week at the age of 7, his owners announced on Instagram.

In a Friday morning post shared with her 2.5 million Instagram followers, Grumpy Cat's owners wrote that the cat with a perpetual frown had passed away due to complications associated with a recent urinary tract infection.

"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world — even when times were tough," the statement from her owners said.

The famous internet star, who first rose to fame in 2012, raked in millions of dollars for her owner. Grumpy Cat and her owners made appearances on TV shows, wrote several books, and garnered a huge following who loved her frowning facial expression.

Here's how Grumpy Cat first rose to fame, and all that she accomplished during her career:

SEE ALSO: These are dogs of some of the most powerful executives in Silicon Valley, from Mark Zuckerberg to Travis Kalanick

Grumpy Cat was born on April 4, 2012 in Morristown, Arizona. Grumpy Cat isn't her real name, however — it's "Tardar Sauce."

Sources: Grumpy Cat, Mental Floss



Grumpy Cat's famous unamused expression is a permanent fixture. Her face and underbite are due to a condition called feline dwarfism.

Source: Grumpy Cat



Dwarfism in cats affects their bone growth and hormone development. It's the reason behind Grumpy Cat's small frame, and why her rear end wobbles when she walks. "Otherwise she is a perfect little kitty," her website says.

Sources: Catster, Grumpy Cat



Grumpy Cat has a brother, a black-and-white cat named Pokey. He also has feline dwarfism, so "he’s super short and cute too," the cats' owners told Mental Floss in 2013. "His face isn’t as frowny as hers, but he does have an underbite."

Source: Mental Floss



Grumpy Cat's owner is Tabatha Bundesen, was was working as a waitress in Arizona before Grump Cat's fame. She often accompanied Grumpy Cat during his public appearances.



Grumpy Cat's original name, "Tardar Sauce," was thought up by Bundesen's daughter, Crystal. The child thought the new kitten, who was born an orange-ish color, resembled Tartar sauce, something her mom had made her recently try for the first time.

Source: Mental Floss



Grumpy Cat went viral before he was even a year old, thanks to Bundesen's brother. In September 2012, he posted a photo of Grumpy Cat on Reddit. It quickly went viral, and earned more than 1 million views on Imgur within 48 hours.

Source: Reddit, Business Insider



Many online speculated that the photo of Grumpy Cat was photoshopped to give her that perpetual frown. Bundesen posted a few videos of her cat on YouTube to dispel those rumors, and her fame only skyrocketed from there.

Youtube Embed:
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Width: 560px
Height: 315px

Source: Grumpy Cat



Grumpy Cat quickly became a meme, and was thrust into stardom.



Grumpy Cat's viral fame allowed Bundesen to quit her waitressing job at Red Lobster "within days of her first appearance on social media," she said in an interview in 2014. "The phone simply hasn't stopped ringing since."

Source: Telegraph



Grumpy Cat's sudden rise to fame garnered her interest from Ben Lashes, a "meme manager" who also represents internet favorites like Keyboard Cat and the animated Nyan Cat. Lashes became Grumpy Cat's manager in 2012, and helped to develop the cat's brand.

Source: Hollywood Reporter



"We knew she was extremely unique, but we didn't know she would be this magnitude of special," Bundesen said at Grumpy Cat's second-birthday party in April 2014.

Source: Shannon Truax/YouTube



In the first two years after posting the original photos to Reddit, Bundesen generated nearly $100 million from Grumpy Cat's paid appearances, book deals, and modeling career (Bundesen told Huffington Post in 2014 that amount was inaccurate, but didn't say if it was high or low).

Source: Telegraph, Huffington Post



Grumpy Cat's owners have their own brand that sells merchandise featuring the famous feline. The company has sold products from t-shirts and mugs, shoes and stuffed toys.

Source: Grumpy Cat Limited



In 2018, Grumpy Cat and her owners were awarded $710,000 when a coffee company breached the terms of a deal to use the cat on its products. The company had paid to launch a Grumpy-themed drink, but got into trouble after launching a second product without permission.

Source: INSIDER



Grumpy Cat has a few books under her belt with titles like, "The Grumpy Guide to Life: Observation from Grumpy Cat," and "No-It-All: Everything You Need To No." Her 2013 book "Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book," made the New York Times' best sellers list.

Source: Mental Floss



Grumpy Cat posted her first-ever blog post in 2016. She shared her top 10 pet peeves, which include asking her to smile, social media, and selfie sticks.

Source: Multivu Press Release



Grumpy Cat struck a deal with Lifetime in 2014 for a made-for-TV special called "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever." In the movie, a young girl named Chrystal forms a bond with Grumpy Cat (voiced by Aubrey Plaza), and discovers she can tell what the cat is thinking.

Source: TVLine



The Lifetime deal likely made Grumpy Cat "the highest-paid cat in a movie in Hollywood," a network executive told the Hollywood Reporter.

Source: Hollywood Reporter



Grumpy Cat starred in a Buzzfeed video in 2015 called "Happiness Finds Grumpy Cat." As always, she looked delightfully mopey during the video premiere.

Watch the video on YouTube:

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Grumpy Cat has also made cameos on other shows, including "American Idol" and "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose."



Along with other famous internet cats, Grumpy Cat was featured on an episode of the Disney Channel show "Bizaardvark." The 12-year-old agent on the show says he doesn't understand the hype around Grumpy Cat, and orders her out of his office — "Listen kid, let me give you some advice: Cheer up!"

Source: The Wrap



Events featuring Grumpy Cat were highly covered events that drew huge crowds. For an appearance in New York City, people lined up around the block for a chance to snap a picture with the famous feline.



Besides forays into acting and writing, Grumpy Cat also pursued an interest in music. He starred in a music video for "Cat Summer" in 2014 alongside Internet stars like Nala Cat and Oskar the Blind Cat.

Source: Huffington Post



Early on in her career, Grumpy Cat signed an endorsement deal with cat food brand Friskies to be the company's official "spokescat." During her lifetime, she appeared frequently at Friskies events to promote new products.

Source: CNN



For one such event, a pop-up art gallery in Texas featured artwork of Grumpy Cat made entirely out of bacon.



She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at "The Friskies" award show in 2013 for "doing the most to help cats take over the Internet."

Source: Time



Grumpy Cat became a staple in the growing online community early on in her career. She was a frequent attendee at VidCon, an annual convention celebrating online video that attracted YouTube superstars like The Fine Bros.



Grumpy Cat was a true celebrity. She made appearances on talk shows, signed "cat-orgraphs," and was even invited to the MTV Movie Awards (she dressed up for the occasion).



Grumpy Cat joined the cast of the Broadway musical "Cats" in 2016. She was named an "honorary Jellicle Cat."

Source: Playbill



The Arizona-native made multiple cameos at Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games, sporting a personalized jersey and sometimes a miniature ballcap.



In 2016, Grumpy Cat was honored with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas, a nod at the influence the feline has had on society and internet culture.

Source: Madame Tussauds



Grumpy Cat even made it into political fame. In a speech in 2015, President Barack Obama compared Republicans to the famous Internet cat, and even mimicked her expression.

Source: The Hill



But on Friday, Grumpy Cat's owners announced on Instagram that the beloved cat had died from complications associated with a recent urinary tract infection.

Instagram Embed:
//instagram.com/p/Bxjs_9zBmjU/embed
Width: 540px

 



"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world — even when times were tough," the Instagram post says. "Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere."



How to schedule a post on your Facebook page or profile from a desktop or mobile device

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FILE PHOTO: Stickers bearing the Facebook logo are pictured at Facebook Inc's F8 developers conference in San Jose, California, U.S., April 30, 2019.  REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo

Creating a content calendar for your Facebook brand page can help you create a consistent voice and posting schedule. And lining up your posts ahead of time will save you the stress of needing to post in the moment every day (with the exception of timely or otherwise unique posts).

You can schedule your posts both on the Facebook app and other third-party services, like Hootsuite. You can easily keep track of what you schedule, and edit things as you might need in the future.  

Here's how to schedule a post on your Facebook page, a few different ways.

How to schedule a Facebook post on desktop

1. On desktop, start writing your status or share a photo or link as you normally would. Before you hit "Share Now," however, move your cursor instead to the small arrow next to "Share Now" underneath "News Feed."

2. You will see a drop-down menu with a few options. Select "Schedule."

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.14.41 PM

3. A pop-up calendar lets you choose your specific date and time for the post to go out.

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.14.47 PM

4. Once you indicate the date and time, hit "Schedule." Your post will then look like this. Notice the "Later," meaning this post won't go up right away. That signals that you scheduled it successfully. Just be sure to hit "Schedule Post" to finalize everything.

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.14.57 PM

On your main page, you should be able to see "1 Scheduled Post," or try refreshing your page. Click on "See post" for more details.

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.15.10 PM

You can now see your upcoming scheduled posts in one place. From here, you can keep track of everything, and also edit or delete posts that you've scheduled.

How to schedule Facebook posts on mobile

When working from mobile, you can use Facebook Pages Manager to schedule a post.

1. Open the app and hit the "Publish" button.

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2. Write your status and add any links or media. Tap "Continue."

3. Tap on "When will this be published?"

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4. From here, you can choose to schedule the post by hitting "Schedule Later." The blue check mark should be on that field. You'll get a scroll-through menu where you can choose the date and time for the post to go live.

IMG_6612.PNG

5. Once you click "Done," the next screen will look similar to the screen before the date and time menu. This time, however, the "When will this be published?" field will read "Scheduled for later." Hit "Schedule" to finish.

Your post will now be scheduled to go up at the selected date and time. Note that when you schedule something on the Facebook Pages app you should be able to see it in desktop under your list of scheduled posts. This makes it easy to keep track of everything in one place.

How to schedule Facebook posts using third-party posting services

You can also use third-party services and programs like Hootsuite to schedule your Facebook posts.

1. Once you have connected your social channels to the service, simply create a new post. Make sure that you select the exact page you want the post to be published on (under the "Post to" section).

2. Once you finish typing your status and adding any media, select "Schedule for Later."

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.15.10 PM

3. You'll get a calendar option where you can choose the date and time for the post to go live. Once everything looks good, hit "Schedule." You should now be able to see this post under the "Planner" tab on the corresponding date and time it will go up.

Screen Shot 2019 05 09 at 4.33.58 PM

If you ever want to unschedule a post, you can always save it as a draft and keep it for later. Or you can easily change the date and time on an already scheduled post to shift your content calendar just slightly. These tools make it easy to keep track of your content throughout your busy days.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: How to change the name of your Facebook business page on desktop or mobile, when you're looking to rebrand

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We drove a $64,000 Cadillac XT5 and a $47,800 Acura RDX to see which luxury SUV was better — and the winner was obvious

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2018 Acura RDX

  • The Acura RDX is a solid luxury crossover that's been recently revamped.
  • The Cadillac XT5 was the brand's first — and quite successful — effort at launching a new lineup of crossovers.
  • The vehicles don't match up exactly, but they are quite similar, and consumers are likely to be comparing them with each other and with SUVs from Audi, BMW, and Lexus.
  • The Acura RDX takes the prize in this comparison because it's both fun to drive and priced to perfection.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

We live in the golden age of the luxury crossover SUV. Automakers have been launching them at a furious pace to capture customers who have abandoned sedans and wagons in droves.

The major players are Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Lexus. But don't forget about Acura, which has been selling a pair of superb SUVs, the MDX and the RDX, for some time. And don't overlook Cadillac, which in the past few years has added a total of three crossovers to its lineup.

Cadillac XT5

The first was the XT5. I like this SUV, but I've always been an Acura fan. So I thought I'd compare the XT5 with the RDX. Obviously, there are some segmentation questions that arise from such a matchup: The RDX covers both the compact and midsize segments, while the XT5 is intended to be Caddy's midsize warrior (the XT4 covers the compact/subcompact space, and the XT6 handles three-row midsize duties). 

The RDX is also priced significantly lower than the XT5. But segmentation is kind of shaggy these days, as some automakers stick with their smaller lineups and others add new vehicles to dice and slice markets.

Ultimately, I think it's valid to cross-shop the XT5 with the RDX, thus this comparison. Read on to find out how it went down:

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We checked out the all-wheel-drive Cadillac XT5 in 2017, not long after the SUV was rolled out in 2016.

Read the review



We also tested the XT5 in both the Northeast and in Florida: the black SUV in the Sunshine State and the white version in the New York metro area.

Transportation reporter Ben Zhang tried the black XT5, which came with a slightly higher-level trim package and tipped the price scales at about $64,000, while the senior correspondent Matt DeBord investigated a $58,000 "crystal white" XT5.



The new XT5 is undeniably sharp, but it proves that Caddy is shifting away from its at-time divisive "art-and-science" stealth-fighter design vocabulary toward a more globally appealing approach.

There's a smooth sweep of lines from front to back, with an integrated spoiler completing the roof line, and a bold — but not too bold — chrome-trimmed angle on the rear windows picked up and extended by the large rear tail lights. A pair of chromed exhaust ports deliver a sporty vibe.



The XT5 was the first new crossover from Caddy to join the stalwart full-size Escalade in the lineup. Cadillac has since unveiled a small XT4 and larger XT6.



There's more than enough cargo space to use the XT5 as an upscale weekend utility vehicle, send it to the mall to load up on threads and flat-screen TVs, or take it on a weeklong road trip with a family of five.



We didn't enjoy the combination of a 310-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, not even when we put it into manual mode and used the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and pepped up the driving mode. This bugged us. A premium crossover with a decent-size V6 should have been oomphier.

We asked Cadillac to explain. A spokesperson told us that Cadillac's engineering "team was aiming to get the best real-world fuel economy and day-to-day usability for buyers in the market segment," adding that fuel economy ranks really high in owner surveys.

This confirmed our theory. We didn't think there was anything wrong with the engine, but we figured that Caddy had gone for MPGs — 18 city/26 highway/21 combined — over performance.



The eight-speed shifts tidily, and the XT5 hauls you from 0 to 60 mph in a Caddy-claimed 6.6 seconds, and it had a reasonably competent all-wheel-drive system that should be able to handle the worst the suburbs throw at it.



The interior of the XT5 is, in a word, fantastic. It's roomy. It's luxurious without being too much. It isn't an orgy of topstitching and bright chrome. The materials are all excellent, premium, and supple. The leather feels really good.



The XT5's panoramic moonroof is a stunner.



The instrument panel is sort of old-school, but the steering wheel — leather-wrapped and wood-trimmed — is thoroughly modern, with buttons to control just about every function on the XT5.



The infotainment system is a standout feature for the XT5.

What makes it so effective is that the touchscreen interface is simple and intuitive, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, voice commands work well, the navigation is excellent and well-integrated with OnStar, and wireless 4G LTE connectivity means that an entire car full of people can use their devices on the road. That's an amazing package.



The Bose audio system is wonderful.

We've sampled all the premium audio systems on the auto market, and while some are more dynamically interesting than Bose, and some really make you feel as if you're in a rolling concert hall, Bose surround sound will please almost any driver or passenger and can handle any type of music, from heavy metal to new age, pumping it all blissfully through 14 speakers.

It hits a sweet spot. You just can't find anything to complain about. That's why it was our Business Insider Car Audio System of the Year in 2017.

 



On to the Acura RDX, which I tested in an Advance trim level. Sticker price: $47,800 (the base is $37,000, but that's front-wheel-drive instead of the all-wheel-drive for my tester).

Read the review



For many, many Americans, the RDX is their version of a premium wagon, and it's dedicated to upscale family duty. But it also promises zesty performance and plenty of technology, given the typical needs and wants of an Acura enthusiast.

This new-gen RDX is also taking some design cues from the Acura halo supercar, the NSX, which took home Business Insider's Car of the Year trophy in 2016.



SUV rear ends are usually a weak point aesthetically, and the RDX's is no exception. There's a lot going on back there, what with all the swoops and indents and those crab-pincer tail lights. Bonus: Dual exhaust!



Our RDX was of the "Super Handling" all-wheel-drive variety, with torque vectoring that sends traction to the wheel that needs it most. This helps the RDX with stable handling in bad weather and on poor roads.



There's no third row of seats, and thanks to the RDX's larger overall dimensions relative to the previous gen, the cargo space is now a considerable 30 cubic feet. There's also a power liftgate.



The four-cylinder 272-horsepower turbocharged motor is demonstrably torque-happy with 280 pound-feet of pull on tap. It is also not torque-steer-y in any way.

The RDX can serve up a 0 to 60 mph dash in about six seconds. Fuel economy is about what you'd expect: 21 mpg city/27 highway/23 combined. I drove around for a week on single tank.



The 10-speed automatic transmission, which has four driving modes (Comfort, Snow, Sport plus, and a default Sport), along with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.



The leather interior is "Parchment" and almost but not quite as nice as the XT5's.

The 2019 RDX is bigger than its ancestors. The subtle size increase makes the rear seats notably more comfy for passengers. On a side note, getting in and out of the RDX is a breeze — not something one can say about every luxe SUV.



Both SUVs have panoramic moonroofs.



I always find the Acura's driver's view to be soothing. That's weird because you're presented with all kinds of buttons and thumbwheels, and a switch on the RDX's steering wheel. And although the analog instrument gauges are old-school, the somewhat complicated center display isn't.



Acura's new infotainment system is called "True Touchpad," and it uses a high-res center screen that juts from the dashboard and displays a host of apps, along with the map, which is nearly always on view.



Here's where the magic happens. This touchpad can be used like a trackpad on a laptop, and there are several hard inputs. But you can also simply drop a fingertip to an area of the pad that corresponds to the screen.

I found the voice-recognition feature to be satisfyingly accurate, and Bluetooth pairing, navigation, and USB/AUX inputs for devices were all successful. There are better infotainment options out there, but given Acura's history, this new True Touchpad approach has promise. Best of all, once you learn it, you can keep your eyes on the road.

Apple CarPlay is available, but Android Auto isn't yet.



The ELS Studio 3D audio system is all Acura — specially designed for the brand and outfitted with 16 speakers in the RDX.

The system is spectacular — it won our Business Insider Car Audio System of the Year award for 2018.



And the winner is the Acura RDX!

When I reviewed the RDX last year, I swooned. "I'd buy one," I wrote.

"Seriously, I enjoyed the RDX immensely in the week that I drove it around the Jersey 'burbs and the mean streets of New York City. But I tend to respond quite favorably to Acuras. For whatever reason, I think they combine a high level of luxury and value with legendary reliability and fun motoring that isn't too demanding."

A key differentiator for me between the XT5 and the RDX was the engine. The underpowered V6 on the XT5 that we tested was trumped by the overpowered turbo four on the RDX. The RDX's power was snappier, and the fuel economy was superior. 

The driving dynamics, however, were neck and neck. If I had to, I'd give the RDX a slight edge, but around corners, both crossovers are fun to handle.

Acura's updated infotainment system is a notable improvement over the old setup, but the XT5 has an industry-leading system, so the RDX has a ways to go before it even thinks about knocking off the Caddy on this score.

In terms of interior appointments, the Caddy edges out a victory — but a slight one.

Overall, the Acura RDX wins this comparison because it simply feels more like a well-engineered, premium crossover that makes good on its brand promise. The XT5 is a dandy SUV, and it has sold quite well since its introduction, giving Caddy an all-important crossover to pit against BMW and Audi.

But the new RDX continues to more than hold its own. It's also extremely well-priced. My tester was more than $10,000 less than the pricier and cheaper XT5 trims that we sampled. OK, yes — the XT5 could be classified as more of a midsize luxury crossover, and perhaps we should see how the RDX stacks up against the Caddy XT4 that recently impressed us. But the Acura MDX has three rows, while the XT5 doesn't (the new XT6 does). The vehicles are also almost exactly the same size (the XT5 is 3 inches longer). 

The bottom line is that the RDX is and has been one of the most appealing offerings in the luxury market, both as an extreme value and as a capable crossover that's a joy to drive. It's one of those vehicles that I can recommend almost without reservations.



This $100 exercise device mimics what NASA sends into space with astronauts — I thought it was gimmicky at first, but I'm still using it 2 months later

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

OYO

  • A high-quality exercise device is easy to use, motivates you enough to keep you coming back to it, and provides noticeable improvements to your health.
  • I like the OYO Personal Gym because you can adjust the resistance to really push yourself, and it comes with access to dozens of workout videos, including the 10-Week Challenge.
  • Though it's more expensive than some home gym equipment (currently starting at $99.95 on Amazon), it's more affordable than a gym membership, is backed by a full three-year warranty, and you can easily bring it with you when traveling.

From the Shake Weight to the Thighmaster to the Body Blade, there are countless gimmicky exercise devices that prey on people trying to turn over a new leaf in their physical fitness. Most of this equipment is eventually donated to secondhand stores where they serve as just another exhibit in the "Museum of Fitness Fads Gone Bad."

At first, I thought the OYO Personal Gym was going to be another of these short-lived crazes. But, after coming back to it time and again for the last 60 days, my opinion has changed. Read on to learn more about my experiences with this device.

OYO fitness 3

My first experiences with the OYO Personal Gym

OYO sent me both versions of their personal gym to test: the Pro and the LE. Both options come with two 10-pound and one five-pound flex packs, leg and door anchors, an exercise wall chart, and a nutrition guide. Both are backed by a full three-year warranty. The OYO Personal Gym works by providing between 10 and 25 pounds of resistance as you push it together or pull it apart with your hands or with the attachments. You adjust the resistance using the flex packs provided.

The Pro version of the gym costs $50 more than the LE and connects to the OYO app on iOS devices via Bluetooth. The app keeps track of how many reps you have completed, logs your workouts, and offers coaching advice based on your workouts.

The same technology astronauts use in space

For this review, I had the opportunity to talk to former astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao, who spent over six months on the International Space Station and is a spokesperson for the OYO Personal Gym. "When up in orbit, it's very important to exercise," Dr. Chiao said. "On Earth, if you miss a workout, you at least walk around a bit to work the muscles. In space, it's more like you're laying in bed for months at a time. Without exercise, your muscles quickly atrophy and your bones demineralize."

"When I was up in space, I used what was called the iRED, or Interim Resistive Exercise Device," Dr. Chiao continued. "I came back physically stronger in each physical test, and I had immeasurable bone loss in the bone density scan. This was a testament to the effectiveness of the iRED."

"Fairly recently, Paul Francis (founder and CEO of OYO Fitness) got in touch with me to let me know he created the iRED and had patented the SpiraFlex technology and used it in the OYO. I became very interested." Dr. Chiao now brings the OYO with him when he's traveling so he can get his exercise in.

OYO

How the OYO Personal Gym performed

At first, it took a little getting used to the OYO. Specifically, when I was transitioning from pulling the ball-like handles out to pushing them together, I had to make sure that the dowels attached to the handles were back to their original position, or else I couldn't squeeze the device together properly. After the first couple of workouts, I had the hang of it and rarely ran into trouble with this.

I really liked that OYO made it clear where I should start by offering the 10-Week Challenge. This is a series of 36 workout videos that feature a broad array of exercises performed in three to five circuits. Each exercise lasts approximately 30 seconds for the first three weeks. Then, OYO Director of Fitness Nick Bolton ups it to one minute per exercise. And, with week 5, the challenge shifts from three workouts per week to four.

Since I had other training regimens I had to stay on top of for roller derby, I didn't stick with the schedule of the 10-Week Challenge, but I still got a lot out of progressing through it. As of this writing, I'm through week 7 of the challenge.

I received the OYO right as the Michigan weather made outdoor exercise virtually unbearable. Fortunately, this device made it so I didn't have to step outdoors to get a dripping-sweat workout. I got in the habit of working out first thing in the morning – before I was awake enough to talk myself out of it. I found it was an excellent way to start the day. It got my blood flowing and helped me keep my focus throughout the day.

OYO

Some concerns about the device

I was not a fan of the OYO app. First of all, all of my devices are Android so I had to borrow my wife's phone to use the app. I had to reconnect each time I used the OYO device, which took a few tries. I didn't find the rep tracking to be all that helpful, and I already keep a log of my workouts in a spreadsheet so I didn't need the log feature. If you do go with the Pro version and want to follow the workouts, I recommend casting your device onto a larger screen. It's difficult and awkward to try to watch the videos on a small iPhone screen.

I found the leg attachments and door anchors were only marginally useful. I didn't use the door anchors at any point. None of the 10-Week Challenge exercise videos I followed used them. The leg attachments were cumbersome. They were okay attached to the ankles during hip opening and squeezing exercises, but beyond that, it got dicey.

Specifically, the single-leg kickback was the bane of my existence. I was supposed to attach one leg attachment to my bicep and the other to my ankle then kick back while on my hands and knees. The attachment did not fit on my large bicep. So, I put it on my wrist. The motion was still so uncomfortable that I had to modify the exercise.

The bottom line

Overall, I am surprised by how helpful the OYO Personal Gym is. As a runner, cyclist, and roller derby skater, I primarily focus on my legs and have neglected my upper body for decades. Consequently, I suffer from chronic back pain. The OYO Personal Gym changed all of this. Now, I have an easy way to fit a challenging full-body workout into my fitness regimen without having to leave my home. I strongly recommend the OYO to anyone interested in improving their overall physical fitness. I also suggest that you seriously commit to the 10-Week Challenge if you do give the OYO a shot.

Buy the OYO Personal Gym on Amazon starting at $99.95 (originally $129.95)

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This stunning visualization breaks down all the ingredients in your favorite processed foods

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Ingredients: A Visual Exploration of 75 Additives & 25 Food Products offers a jarring look inside the food Americans eat daily. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published on November 13, 2015. 

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How to use the Walkie Talkie app on an Apple Watch to quickly chat with your contacts

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Apple Watch Series 4

  • The Apple Watch is a powerful gadget which offers many useful features, from fitness tracking to email access, as well as a unique Walkie Talkie app.
  • You can use the Walkie Talkie app on an Apple Watch to have a real-time conversation with another Apple Watch user who is able to make and accept FaceTime audio calls.
  • Using Walkie Talkie is simple, quick, and a lot of fun — if you haven't tried it, you'll love it.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Apple Watch is pretty useful for a number of reasons. Not only can you check your email, make calls (on cellular versions), and track your exercise and activity levels throughout the day, but you can also utilize one of the coolest functions the gadget has to offer: the Walkie Talkie.

The Walkie Talkie app on an Apple Watch allows you to audio chat with anyone on your contacts list in real time, without them needing to do anything, and it's pretty neat. It really does work just like a walkie talkie — the person you want to chat with only has to accept your invite once, and then you can talk through their Apple Watch at any time, without any input from them.

If you've never used Apple Watch's Walkie Talkie feature, doing so is easy. It only takes a minimal amount of setup, and once you're done, you can use the feature right away with anyone you want. Here's what you need to know to get started.

How to use the Walkie Talkie app on an Apple Watch

1. Note that before you get started, you'll need to ensure that both you and the person you want to talk to are set up to accept and receive FaceTime audio calls.

2. On your Apple Watch's application screen, click on the Walkie Talkie app, which is a yellow circle with a small walkie talkie within it.

IMG_6722

3. Once in Walkie Talkie, click the + button and choose the person from your contact list that you want to chat with.

4. Tapping on a contact sends an invitation that the recipient will need to accept before you can talk. They will be labeled "invited" until they accept.

5. Once your contact's card has turned yellow, that means that you are now connected and able to chat by pressing the "TALK" button.

IMG_6725

6. Note that you can also remove a friend by swiping left on their contact card and tapping the X key. This will ensure you are no longer connected and are unable to use Walkie Talkie unless you re-add one another.

Walkie Talkie is a convenient way of getting in touch with a friend without dealing with delays that communication methods like texting or emailing can often entail. It also saves you from having to actually phone them via their mobile number and instead allows you to connect directly. What's better than that?

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatches you can buy

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REI's biggest sale of the year just started — here are 20 of the best deals you can find

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

REI

As springtime showers give way to the freedom of summer, REI's big anniversary sale hits its fans with the kinds of savings we wait for all year.

Now through May 27, shoppers can get up to 70% off high-end gear for everything from arduous backpacking excursions to cozy and sustainable Patagonia fleeces. Below, you can find 20 of the best deals included in the 2019 deals.

Otherwise, shop each category directly, below:

If you're a member, you'll also save 20% on one full-price item and an extra 20% on one REI Outlet item with the code "ANNV19" at checkout. If you're not a member yet, now may be a good time to take the plunge

Other secondary deals include the offer to book an REI class, outing, or event during the sale and save up to $20 with the code "OUTSIDE19" at checkout and $200 off the Joshua Tree National Park backpacking adventures trip or $1,000 off the New Zealand Biking trip. 

Below are 20 of the best deals from the REI 2019 Anniversary Sale. Shop it directly here

Patagonia Women's Better Sweater Quarter-Zip Pullover

Patagonia Women's Better Sweater Quarter-Zip Pullover, $73.73 (originally $99) [You save $25.27]

Patagonia's Better Sweater is a classic for a reason — cozy, versatile, sustainable, and streamlined, it's perfect for just about any activity. It has a soft, sweater-knit face and a warm fleece interior. 



REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus Tent

REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus Tent, $159.99 (originally $229) [You save $69.01]

REI Co-op's three-season half-dome backpacking tent is perfect for two — with mesh panels in the upper corners for ventilation and two large doors and vestibules for easy access and additional storage. 



Salomon Men's Quest 4D 3 GTX Hiking Boots

Salomon Men's Quest 4D 3 GTX Hiking Boots, $172.49 (originally $230) [You save $57.51]

Company expertise and high-quality materials make up these reliable, best-selling hiking boots. Techy upgrades like a new 4D Advanced Chassis design help reduce foot fatigue and improve stability. 



REI Membership

REI Co-Op REI Membership, $20

While not technically on sale, now would be a good time to sign up for an REI membership, both so you get access to the member-exclusive anniversary deals and start getting rewarded for your shopping



Patagonia Men's and Women's Nano Puff Jackets

Patagonia Women's Nano Puff Jacket, $138.99 (originally $199) [You save $60.01] 

Patagonia Men's Nano Puff Jacket, $138.99 (originally $199) [You save $60.01]

Patagonia's Nano Puff Jacket is made out of 75% recycled materials, blocks wind, traps body heat, and doesn't restrict your freedom of movement. Plus, it fits into its own chest pocket. 



REI Co-op Men's Traverse 35 Pack

REI Co-op Men's Traverse 35 Pack, $68.99 (originally $139) [You save $70.01]

Sleek enough for a quick day trek, and roomy enough to hold enough gear for an overnighter. 



Patagonia Baggies Shorts

Patagonia Men's Baggies Shorts 5" Inseam, $26.83 (originally $55) [You save $28.17]

Use them for swimming, surfing, hiking, or anything else. They're quick-drying with a DWR finish, and have a relaxed, wear-anywhere fit. 



Patagonia Black Hole Duffel

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel, 60L $96.69 (originally $129) [You save $32.31]

This rugged Black Hole duffel is perfect for packing an inconceivable amount of gear — and keeping it safe from the elements — for everything from a weekend trip to a full vacation. Wear it like a backpack or as a duffel. 



Sea to Summit Single Pro Hammock

Sea to Summit Single Pro Hammock, $41.93 (originally $69.95) [You save $28.02]

Hike with the Sea to Summit hammock from the forest to the beach. The breathable fabric supports up to 400 pounds, and it's built for durability. 



REI Co-op Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

REI Co-op Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad, $58.99 - $70.99 (originally $99.95 - $119.95) [You save $40.96 - $48.96]

Ultralight when being hiked to of from camp, but built for substantial warmth and comfort during sleep, the Flash Insulated Sleeping Pad is a good lightweight companion for overnight trips. 



Patagonia Men's Micro D Snap-T Fleece Pullover

Patagonia Men's Micro D Snap-T Fleece Pullover, $61.99 (originally $89) [You save $60.83]

Patagonia's casual Micro D Snap-T Fleece is the perfect, cushiony-soft layer for everything from hiking to camping to running around town. Plus, it's made from 100% recycled polyester microfleece. 



Garmin inReach Explorer+ 2-Way Satellite Communicator

Garmin inReach Explorer+ 2-Way Satellite Communicator, $399.99 (originally $450) [You save $50.01]

Stay at least somewhat connected when going off-the-grid with this satellite communicator. It'll function as a GPS tracker, navigation tool, 2-way satellite messenger, and SOS device. 



REI Co-op Nalgene Pride Wide-Mouth Water Bottle

REI Co-op Nalgene Pride Wide-Mouth Water Bottle, 32 fl. Oz., $7.59 (originally $10.95) [You save $3.36]

Get on board the fervent Nalgene bandwagon with one of their durable, intuitive water bottles. It's made of long-lasting copolyester, diswahser-safe, and BPA-free. Plus, 5% of your purchase will go to nonprofits that connect LGBTQ people to the outdoors. 



Osprey Men's Aether AG 70 Pack

Osprey Men's Aether AG 70 Pack, $232.49 (originally $310) [You save $77.51]

A good companion for both a light week on the trail or a gear-heavy weekend excursion, the Aether has Osprey's beloved Anti-Gravity harness for comfortable wear and a breathable, suspended mesh back. 



Osprey Women's Aura AG 65 Pack,

Osprey Women's Aura AG 65 Pack, $199.99 (originally $270) [You save $70.01]

A women-specific fit combined with Osprey's traditional Anti-Gravity suspension system makes this an unusually comfortable backpacking pack. 



Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Sleeping Pad

Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Sleeping Pad, $276.69 - $291.69 (originally $389) [You save $97.31 - $112.31]

This sleeping pad is built for two, and completely fills most two-person tents for a level, comfortable sleeping surface — for tents or car campers. 



Patagonia Women's Nine Trails 26L Pack

Patagonia Women's Nine Trails 26L Pack, $46.83 - $118.99 (originally $159) [You save $40.01 - $112.17]

This well-designed trail pack has a wide U-shaped zipper for easy loading and on-the-go access along with a comfortable women-specific design. Take it on hikes for a seamless, breathable experience.



REI Co-op Roadtripper Duffel – 60L

REI Co-op Roadtripper Duffel, 60L, $24.89 (originally $49.95) [You save $25.06]

Throw the Roadtripper into your trunk or rooftop box for easy, durable carrying. The coated 610-denier Cordura polyester is tough and water-resistant. When not in use, the duffel stows in its own zippered side pocket. 



Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite Cargo Roof Box

Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite Cargo Roof Box, $439.19 (originally $549) [You save $109.81]

This SkyBox can hold enough gear for three campers, as well as fit snowboards and skis up to 185cm long. It also has a dimple-textured lid, which is supposed to reduce drag and result in less noise. 



16 must-haves for your Memorial Day beach weekend getaway

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

beach

  • Memorial Day is nearly here, and for hoards of us, that means a long-awaited beach weekend.
  • That also means it might be time to toss out the ratty old towels, congealed sunscreens, and leaky coolers.
  • Here are some of our favorite tried-and-true products to bring to the beach on Memorial Day weekend.

It's 2019, and before you head out for this year's inaugural beach weekend to celebrate our service members, let's get a few things straight: Chemical-based sunscreens aren't just killing the reefs, they could even be hurting you, so it might be time to switch to mineral-based ones.

Then there are umbrellas, which aren't just cumbersome; they blow away and hurt people (they are also notoriously flimsy and prone to breaking), so maybe it's time to switch to a more portable tent-like beach shelter.

There are also plenty of good sunglasses you can bring to the beach and not worry about losing, so leave the Persols at home and grab a pair of these (they even float in water).

And sure, there's a lot of fuss about Yeti coolers, and they are great, but they're kinda heavy, and you don't need all that insulation for a day at the beach. Try something a little more carry-friendly like AO Coolers' vinyl series for your sandwiches, snacks, and beverages.

You'll have to take this one for what it's worth, but similar to Dave Barry and his endless hunt for the perfect breakfast beer, I am on an eternal endeavor to discover the ultimate beach blanket, and I really think I've found it this time.

Lastly, aren't there enough forsaken plastics in our oceans yet? How about some biodegradable beach toys for the kids?

Read on for 16 of our favorite beach-day essentials:

Floating sunglasses

Rheos floating sunglasses, available at Amazon, $55 (various models)

If you're anything like me, you've lost a pair or three of sunglasses at the beach. Leave your fancy shades at home and grab a pair that floats. Polarized, shatterproof, and hydrophobically finished, these glasses are the ones to take along on a (light) ocean dip.



A stealthy beer bottle coozie

BottleKeeper Stainless Steel Bottle Holder and Insulator, available at Amazon, $39.98

Not that we condone it, but no one will have a clue you're not drinking water (if you are, in fact, not drinking water), and you'll also be able to cap off your brew and take a dip (or stash it when beach patrol shows up), and it won't be warm or flat when you return.



A clean, mineral-based sunscreen

All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter, available at Amazon, two 1-ounce tins for $20.99

Here at Insider Picks, several of us have been searching far and wide for the best, most easily-applicable, and least harmful sunscreen we can find. This year, All Good is our favorite: It goes on smoothly and evenly, and leaves a minimal white caste that's gone in an hour or so, in our experience. We haven't tried their new tinted version yet, but if you do want a tinted option, check out Raw Elements' Face and Body (which comes in a bigger tin and works well for us, but spreads more thinly).



A portable outdoor chair

Oniva Picnic Time Fusion Outdoor Folding Chair, available at Amazon, $85.99

One major problem we all encounter with beach chairs is that we have to carry them. A four-way folding chair eliminates some of the problem with a shoulder strap, but the ONIVA Fusion backpack chair has backpack straps that fully free your hands to carry the mountain of other gear you've foolishly, unnecessarily lugged out to the beach — if you're anything like me, that is.

If not, then you can easily manage to fit just about everything you need for a day at the beach into this all-in-one chair because it comes equipped with a side table, cooler, and pockets galore.



An affordable, carry-friendly cooler with supreme ice retention

AO Coolers in various sizes, available at Amazon, $57.49-$99.95 (12-can to 48-can)

AO Coolers foregoes a lot of fluff for the sake of cost and what counts, which is what's on the inside. In this case, that includes a heavy-duty, abrasion-resistant liner and some high-density foam. The zipper isn't watertight, so don't go turning this cooler upside-down, but it will keep everything cold for a day and then some, in my experience.



A biodegradable (and disposable) cooler

Igloo Recool 16-Quart Cooler, available at Target, $7.99

If you're traveling or on the go and don't have a cooler at hand, it's time to give up the Styrofoam kind from the grocery store. They're not all that great for the environment, but then is there really anything to like about them? They make that horrible screech every time they scratch up against something, and they're so delicate and flimsy that they usually break on their initial outing. Igloo's new solution, the Recool, doesn't only hold up better; it's biodegradable. I also purposefully let a bag of ice melt inside of one and left it for five days and it didn't leak. For under $10, you'll get a lot of mileage out of it, and if you're leaving it behind at the end of the trip, well, it's no more skin off of your nose than the old styrofoam stuff (though it might be a weight off your conscience). 



A watertight backpack cooler for a more involved excursion

Hydro Flask Soft Cooler Packs, available at Hydro Flask in 15-Liter and 22-Liter sizes, $206.91-$224.95

If you're camping or hiking this Memorial Day weekend, you might consider a backpack cooler. We like Hydro Flask's. It's small, lightweight, and loaded with external pockets for odds and ends, so if you pack thriftily and lightly, this could be the only bag you'll need to bring along.



An eco-friendly, disposable coconut-charcoal grill

CasusGrill, available at The Grommet, $14.95

If you're planning to do some impromptu beach grilling this summer, consider CasusGrill. It's not only 100% biodegradable, but it is also a blast to cook on. The whole thing tidily assembles in seconds, and in a single-digit matter of minutes, you can throw just about anything you want onto it. You'll also get an endless string of compliments from jealous passersby.



A silky-soft brushed cotton beach blanket for dusk

Faherty Adirondack and Sherpa Blankets, available at Faherty, $128-$168

This isn't the piece you lay in the sand and spill salsa upon. It is, however, the blanket you'll want to wrap yourself in to watch the sunset with a glass of wine or sing kumbaya by the fire. As you like.



Mayde Turkish towels

Mayde towels, available at Urban Outfitters, $79

Ideal for lounging and drying, this is your all-around beach towel that's lightweight, so it's easy to pack and carry. I've tried most of the line out, and each and every one is my new favorite peshtemal towel.



A secure changing towel

Rumpl Shammy Towel, available at Amazon, $59

Yes, enough with the towels already, I know. But three is a magical number, and if you'll be changing on the beach, this third and final suggestion, which comes complete with securing buttons, might just save you some major embarrassment.



A lightweight, easy-assembly beach tent

Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Tent, available at Amazon, $69.99

Umbrellas are often heavy, unwieldy nuisances, especially in a stiff breeze. If you want something a little more manageable, a beach tent might be the way to go. Despite being slightly more complex to assemble, they're lightweight, much more packable, and tend to provide better shade and a degree of privacy, which we can all appreciate (especially on Memorial Day weekend).



A sand play set for your Rugrats, made from recycled plastic

Green Toys Sand Play Set, available at Amazon, $21.55

The Green Toys Sand Play Set is small and doesn't come with a whole lot, but it probably has the best chance of lasting a season out of any plastic beach toy set we could find, and these are, after all, the essentials.

Really, apart from maybe a Kindle, what else does a child or an adult really need for entertainment at the beach? Made from BPA-free recycled plastics, the kit includes a bucket with a sturdy rope handle that won't break, a shovel, a rake, and a sand castle mold, which is all it takes to build the beach fortress of your wildest dreams.



Hats to keep you from getting burned

Sunday Afternoons hats, available at Amazon, starting at $15.16

Lightweight, crushable, and moisture-wicking, Sunday Afternoons has hats in all styles from the urban-chic Havana to the all-out Adventure Hat (which the brand itself suggests you not be caught dead wearing in the city), Sunday Afternoons covers all the style bases.



An affordable and well-organized beach cart

Rio Brands Deluxe Wonder Wheeler, available at Amazon, $75.99

By now, you might be thinking you need a little help carrying things. Rio Brands' Deluxe Wonder Wheeler is a good, affordable option for most people, but if you're doing any heavy toting (e.g., surf fishing gear, metal detector, etc.), the Wheeleez Heavy Duty Beach Cart is the more rugged (if expensive) pick that won't let you down.



A restorative, after-sun skin tonic

Make Succulent Skin Gel, available at Need Supply Co., $25

And after all that sun, how about a little tonic? This gel from Make is made with aloe vera, prickly pear, chamomile, calendula, and comfrey, and it's our favorite after-sun skincare treatment.



The best polarized sunglasses you can buy

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the best polarized sunglasses

  • The best polarized sunglasses for you are going to vary based on the shape of your face and the activities you plan to engage in.
  • Our favorite all-around unisex pick for those who plan to do a bit of everything is Ray-Ban's Clubmasters with an aluminum frame.

While sunscreen and skin care have been a popular topic in light of a recent FDA ruling on ingredient listing requirements, many of us neglect to give our eyes the protection they deserve. Cheaply designed sunglasses that we don't mind scratching may seem like the way to go when they're so easy to lose and scratch regardless of cost, but poorly designed sunglasses often leave our retinas exposed to harmful UV rays that can lead to macular degeneration, cataracts, and myriad other troubles down the line.

Then there are more immediate matters for concern, like snow blindness, especially when we're near water, which is highly reflective in all its physical states. While snow blindness clears after a few days, it will leave you with the unpleasant sensation of having something along the lines of smoldering embers trapped inside your eyes, which is a mild nuisance at very best.

When choosing a pair of sunglasses — no matter how much you want to spend, and whether they're polarized or not — make certain that the lenses have a UV rating of 400, which indicates that they effectively prevent the maximum wavelength of UV rays (measured in nanometers) from passing through to your own lenses.

Also, take into account frames. Full wrap-around frames are the best option for protection, as they keep out stray light that would otherwise have you squinting all day. But then they're not exactly necessary (or savvy) on the street, and we get that, so we have thin-framed options below, too.

Polarized lenses add another level of protection by reducing glare brought on by reflection, or horizontal light. While not always necessary (and often frustrating, especially when trying to operate electronics), polarized lenses are generally worth having, even if you go for a cheap pair. The main difference with a cheap pair of polarized shades is that you won't have the clarity of a high-grain glass or quality resin, which might leave you squinting a lot, and you'll have a harder time seeing your phone screen while wearing them, which, in our opinion, is worth dropping a few extra dollars for most people.

Here are our top picks for the best polarized sunglasses you can buy:

Updated on 5/17/2019 by Les Shu and Owen Burke: Added Smith as our best pick for the great outdoors, added a "what else we considered" section, and updated links, formatting, and prices.

Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.

SEE ALSO: The best sunglasses for women

DON'T MISS: The best sunglasses for men

The best overall

The lightweight but sturdy aluminum frame and thick, scratch- and shatter-resistant metal-rimmed glass lenses keep the timeless Ray-Ban Clubmasters on par with the best.

Thick glass lenses held by an aluminum frame make the Ray-Ban Clubmasters an easy, nearly indestructible choice for people on the move, and while they're still among the more popular — and arguably tired — designs, they at least give the Aviator and Wayfarer shapes a rest.

I was gifted a pair a couple of years ago, and while it's safe to say almost every pair of shades I've owned before or since has taken on a scratch or two at least, this pair has survived just about everything. I should add that I'm extremely rough on sunglasses. I even managed to sit on this pair — strictly for testing purposes — and unbend it from an unnatural 45-degree angle without creasing, let alone snapping the bridge piece.

I've also dropped and kicked them (again, for testing) across fiberglass decks, marble floors, and concrete sidewalks, and they've somehow survived it all. These things are just simply not like the others.

Aesthetically, the Clubmasters seem to suit just about every face shape and outfit, no matter how formal or relaxed, and perhaps that's why they're so iconic. While they lack the full wraparound protection of sportier options, we don't assume most of you will be bopping about town in what could reasonably be mistaken for a tinted pair of safety goggles pilfered from your father's workshop — we certainly won't be. But we'll never judge, and if we're completely out of touch, there's an option below for you, too.

Pros: Fit for any occasion, sturdy

Cons: Pricey, a small amount of light passes through the sides, which doesn't make for the best protection in direct sunlight

Buy the Ray-Ban Clubmasters with aluminum frames from Sunglass Hut for $243

Buy the folding Ray-Ban Clubmasters with acetate frames from Ray-Ban for $233



The best budget polarized sunglasses

Gamma Ray's Polarized Wraparound Sport and Cheaters are fully serviceable shades for an exponentially lower price than the rest of the sunglasses we recommend, so losing them won't keep you up at night.

If you're looking for a cheap pair of driving lenses, or just aren't willing to dish out for another pair of Ray-Bans or Maui Jims because you've lost and broken so many that it hurts, a pair or three of either Gamma Ray's Polarized Cheaters (a Wayfarer-style) or Wrap Around Sports (the sportier version pictured above) should do you well.

While they're nowhere near as durable as the other sunglasses we're recommending here, they do come with a lifetime warranty (though we haven't tested it, yet) against both scratching and shattering. If you can manage to find a case for them, they might last a whole lot longer.

Gamma Ray has gotten praise from both Wirecutter for the Cheater model, and Lifehacker for its computer glasses. Meanwhile, more than 1,200 Amazon buyers gave the Wrap Around Sports an average of 4 stars, and more than 400 Amazon buyers also gave the Cheaters an average of 4 stars.

Pros: Metal-reinforced hinges, budget-friendly

Cons: Cheap nylon frames will break if you're not careful

Buy the Gamma Ray Polarized Cheaters on Amazon for $7 per pair or $14.99 for a three-pack

Buy the Gamma Ray Polarized Wrap Around Sports on Amazon for $14.99



The best for outdoors

Smith Optics' ChromaPop lens technology filters two wavelengths of light that cause color confusion, while the brand's array of lens tints is designed to cover every kind of light (and water) condition you might face in the great outdoors.

In 1965, orthodontist and ski bum Dr. Bob Smith developed the first sealed thermal lens and vent foam goggles, what came to be known and revered as the modern ski goggle. But he didn't stop there, and his line of sunglasses is no less revolutionary.

Smith'sChromaPop lenses come in six different tints, all geared toward different lighting, so whether you're inshore fishing on a gray day or offshore on a bluebird one, they've got the lens for you. On a recent fly fishing trip in Hawaii, I realized, perhaps a little too late in the day, that the shades I'd brought along were not defining the elusive bonefish I was trying to spot — not as well as my guide's Smiths were. We switched glasses at the end of the day and I was suddenly spotting the "gray ghosts" left and right. I'm still kicking myself.

Granted, to run the gamut of light situations you'll encounter as an angler, you'll need at least two pairs of sunglasses. This, of course, isn't cheap, but then performance optics hardly ever are.

But Smith doesn't just cater to anglers; the brand also has a performance line designed for runners and cyclists with removable lenses — I only wish they'd offer interchangeable lenses with their ChromaPop fishing line.

Around the web, Amazon users give Smith a formidable 4.7-star rating overall, and premier fly fishing publication Hatch calls Smith's Techlite Polarchromic Copper lenses "the most versatile pair of fishing sunglasses on the market."

Pros: Lens tints for all light, fishing-, performance-, and lifestyle-specific frames

Cons: Can be pricey

Shop Smith Optics from REI starting at $75.73

Shop Smith's polarized sunglasses on Amazon (prices vary)



The best sustainable sunglasses

Detailed but still sleek, Costa x Bureo's Pescador polarized sunglasses are made from sustainable materials.

Sunglass manufacturer Costa recently teamed up with skateboard company Bureo, which has been producing these sunglasses with frames made entirely from recycled fishing nets. Now that Costa is popping its high-end glass lenses into the glasses, they're a little pricier, but we think they're much more scratch-resistant now, and they're worth it. Plus, you get to help out the environment and a Chilean fishing community through your purchase.

A slightly sportier take on classic Wayfarers, Costa x Bureo's Pescadors are tumble-finished for a detailed finish and grip to keep them neatly propped on the bridge of your nose. The lenses are Costa's patented 580 Lightwave glass, and they offer full 400-nm UV protection while selectively filtering out high energy visible light (blue light) and yellows to cut haze and offer better crispness, which any angler ought to appreciate.

For a less-expensive, similarly eco-friendly and sustainable pair of sunnies, check out Swell Vision'sWomen's or Classic unisex glasses, which are made from bamboo. They're ultra-lightweight, come with sturdy double-jointed metal hinges that allow for a little play in the temples, and did we mention that they float?

Pros: Sustainably made, high-end lenses, full 400-nm UV protection

Cons: Pricey

Buy the Costa X Bureo Pescador polarized sunglasses from FramesDirect for $199.99

Buy the Swell Vision Classic polarized sunglasses on Amazon for $35

Buy the Swell Vision Women's polarized sunglasses on Amazon for $35



The best for prescription lenses

If you don't want to spend upward of $500 on a pair of prescription sunnies, Warby Parker has a ton of styles ranging from $175 for a basic prescription to $375 for progressive lenses.

Born out of necessity by traveling students who were fed up with replacing overpriced glasses, Warby Parker has established itself as the budget-friendly, socially-responsible option for prescription lenses and sunglasses alike.

While you'll spend a small fortune ordering prescription lenses along with some of the other frames on this list, Warby Parker covers a good swathe of styles while staying kind to your wallet. The company also promises that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair will be donated to someone in need.

If you can afford them, it would be hard to build a case for not buying your sunglasses from Warby Parker, but they do fall short of offering a set of frames that cater to sportier souls who might like or require a pair that offers a little better protection from stray light.

In almost every aspect, Warby Parker should probably have you covered. We like the sleekness of the unisex Durand model, but they touch on everything from aviators and wayfarers to Lennons and Jackies.

Pros: Affordable, durable

Cons: No warranty (apart from one-year scratch repairs), no thick frames for protection from intense, direct sunlight

Shop Warby Parker's prescription sunglasses starting at $95

Shop Warby Parker's men's sunglasses

Shop Warby Parker's women's sunglasses



What else we considered

I've been testing polarized sunglasses since I started wearing them to fish when I was about 10, and in the interim, I've tested dozens upon dozens. There are a few key features that make a good pair of polarized shades, and the brands below all tick those boxes, but for reasons discussed below, they're not on our main list of picks.

  • Maui Jim (starting at $229): While polarized lenses are a given, the best sunglasses for a day at sea are only as good as their frames. And since most of us won't probably succumb to wearing cataract sunglasses or the like— at least not until our rightful time — Maui Jim's World Cup shades are better than suffice.
  • Native Eyeware ($81.75-$109): A similar, more affordable on-the-water option is Native Eyewear's Sightcaster, which is similar in design and profile, but about half the price. The Sightcasters come with Native's interchangeable N3 lenses, which is something we wish Smith Optics would do, but Natives aren't quite as technical compared with Smith's. Still, they're wonderful fishing-specific glasses, and if you're on a budget but still want some high-quality lenses, look no further.
  • Persol (starting at $280): Persol offers an elevated look (at an elevated price), but you get the best hardware around, and there's something to be said for that. While we know and love Persol well, their prices are prohibitive for most people, and so we didn't include them in our top picks. That said, if you have the extra money and degree of care, they'll last a lifetime.


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