Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 116404 articles
Browse latest View live

David Koch is dead. His and his brother Charles' combined net worth is over $100 billion, even after years of family feuds and massive lawsuits. Here's how they made and spent their wealth.

$
0
0

koch brothers oil refinery 2x1

  • David Koch is dead at 79, his family announced August 23rd.
  • The Koch brothers were two of the richest men in the world, withnet worths of $58.7 billion each, according to Bloomberg.
  • Their fortunes came from their 42% stakes in the Koch family business: Koch Industries. Some of the company's best-known products include Dixie cups and Quilted Northern toilet paper. Koch Industries also refines crude oil and produces fertilizer.
  • Charles is currently the company's president and CEO, while David served as director emeritus before his death, according to Forbes.

David Koch is dead at age 79, his family announced on August 23rd.

Before David's death, the Koch brothers were two of the richest people on Earth. With net worths of just over $50 billion each at the time, Charles and David Koch tied for 11th place on Forbes' March 2019 list of the wealthiest people in the world.

And they're also two of the most controversial billionaires out there, at least when it comes to their political contributions. Jane Mayer's 2015 book "Dark Money" outlined how the two Kansas natives reportedly used their fortunes to forge a formidable web of political influence, with the intent of promoting their libertarian values.

Read more: Billionaire industrialist and conservative mega-donor David Koch has died at age 79

Still, that never stopped the Kochs from clashing with figures on the right, most notably US President Donald Trump. The two brothers spoke out against Trump's tariffs in the past.

So how did the Kochs come to amass so much wealth and wield such influence? The answer lies within the history of their family business: Koch Industries.

Here's a look at how the brothers became billionaires in the first place.

SEE ALSO: Billionaire David Koch was one of the richest, most influential men in America — and he had a massive New York real estate portfolio

DON'T MISS: A death in the Atlantic, a media empire that once had $4 billion in debt, and a yacht named Lady Ghislaine: Take a look at Ghislaine Maxwell's family history

The groundwork for the duo's wealth was laid by their father, Texas native and MIT graduate Fred C. Koch.

Source: "Sons of Wichita," "Dark Money"



The family patriarch joined the Keith-Winkler Engineering Company of Wichita, Kansas in 1925. Later that year, the firm was renamed the Winkler-Koch Engineering Company. A groundbreaking gasoline refinement technique bolstered the young company.

Source: "Dark Money," "Sons of Wichita," Fred and Mary Koch Foundation



But lawsuits from established competitors forced Koch Sr.'s firm to look abroad for work. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Winkler-Koch Engineering Company ventured into a Europe on the verge of war, building refineries that proved crucial to the development of both the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin and Nazi Germany.

Sources: HuffPost, The New York Times, "Dark Money," NPR



In 1940, having already established himself in the industry, Koch Sr. struck out on his own and founded the Wood River Oil and Refining Company.

Source: Lehman Brothers Collection



Six years later, Koch Sr.'s company bought the Rock Island refinery in Oklahoma. The firm's name switched to the Rock Island Oil and Refining Company.

Source: Lehman Brothers Collection



Fred Koch Sr. went on to have four sons with Wichita native Mary Robinson: Fred Jr., Charles, and twins David and Bill. Reportedly, the Koch patriarch's namesake showed little interest in the family business, which was worth $80 million in 1960. Fred Jr. went on to become a patron of the arts.

Source: "Dark Money," The New York Times 



But Charles displayed a keen interest in the firm. In 1961, the 26-year-old second son joined his father's company. Five years later, he became its president. Fred Sr. died in 1967, leaving Charles as the chairman.

Source: The New York Times



After the death of Fred Sr., Charles discovered a letter that his father had written to his sons back in 1936 that contained financial advice: "If you choose to let this money destroy your initiative and independence, then it will be a curse to you and my action in giving it to you will have been a mistake."

Source: The Seminar Network, "Sons of Wichita"



When Charles took over the private company in 1967, it was worth $250 million. The following year, the new president renamed the firm Koch Industries, to honor his late father.

Source: "Dark Money," The New York Times 



Some of its best-known products include Dixie cups and Quilted Northern toilet paper. Koch Industries also refines crude oil and produces fertilizer.

Source: Forbes



David Koch followed his older brother into the family business in 1970. His twin Bill joined the next year, but tensions reportedly arose between the three brothers.

Source: "Dark Money," The New York Times 



In 1980, Bill Koch launched a coup to take over the company's board. His brothers thwarted the plan, and Bill was fired from the company with a $400,000 severance payment — but the battle wasn't over.

Source: "Dark Money," The New York Times



Bill still owned company shares, as did Fred Jr. Contentious negotiations began between the four brothers, in a struggle that pitted Charles and David against Bill and Fred Jr. A settlement was reached in 1983. Koch Industries reportedly shelled out $620 million for Bill's 21% company stake, while Fred netted $400 million for his shares, according to The New York Times.

Source: "Dark Money," The New York Times 



Two years later, Bill and Fred Jr. were back in court, filing suit against their brothers. They alleged their shares had been significantly undervalued in the initial settlement. Bill also charged the company with stealing oil from federal and tribal lands. The case ultimately reached a $25 million settlement.

Source: CBSDark Money"



In 1998, Koch Industries shelled out a $6.9 million settlement over oil spills in Minnesota, and pled guilty to a subsequent federal criminal charge, resulting in a $8 million fine.

Source: "Dark Money," Corporate Research Fund



It wouldn't be the last time Koch Industries ran into trouble. In 2002, the company paid a $28.5 million fine after one of its subsidiaries was charged with price-fixing.

Source: "Dark Money," Corporate Research Fund



One of the company's biggest controversies came in 1998, when an explosion sparked by a Koch subsidiary's corroded pipeline killed two teenagers. The victims' families received $296 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Source: "Dark Money," Corporate Research Fund, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone



In 2000, the company paid a civil environmental fine of $30 million relating to 1995 charges over 300-plus oil spills, which the EPA attributed to Koch Industries failing to inspect its pipelines.

Source: "Dark Money," Corporate Research Fund



But the series of litigations and settlements didn't stop Koch Industries, which has since branched into mining, real estate, and even ranching.

Source: "Dark Money," Corporate Research Fund



Today, Koch Industries rakes in an annual revenue of $110 billion.

Source: Forbes



Bloomberg's most recent estimates put David's net worth at the time of his death at $58.7 billion and Charles' current net worth as the same. Forbes puts Charles' net worth at $42.5 billion as of August 2019, and David's at $50.5 billion as of March 2019. They each held a 42% stake in the family business.

Source: Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Forbes, Forbes,



David Koch was a major patron of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Source: Forbes, Forbes



"The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan," David Koch said, according to Forbes. "Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless of their race, their gender, their national background, or their political persuasions."

Source: Forbes



But much of the Koch brothers' philanthropy is subject to controversy. The brothers both donated extensively to libertarian and Republican causes.

Source: "Dark Money"



David even ran for Vice President as a Libertarian in 1980. The ticket, led by Ed Clark, won 1% of the vote.

Source: Forbes



In 2018, Koch Industries gave $1,325,115 to federal congressional candidates. The top recipients of the Kochs' money were Republicans Marsha Blackburn, Orrin Hatch, Lee Zeldin, Ron Estes, and Karen Handle.

Source: "Dark Money," Open Secrets



But the brothers' political reach wasn't just a federal affair. Politico reported in October 2017 that the Kochs were attempting to sway a number of states toward committing public funding to private and charter schools.

Source: Politico



Closer to home, the Kochs also donated a considerable amount of money toward projects in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Everything from a city plaza to the local basketball arena to specific halls in the nature center bear their name.

Source: The New York Times



But, while they may have worked closely together in business and politics, the brothers were worlds apart when it came to their primary residences. Charles occupies a sprawling property in Wichita.

Source: Charles Koch Institute, BisNow, New York Magazine



David, however, reportedly owned a massive Park Avenue duplex in Manhattan.

Source: Charles Koch Institute, BisNow, New York Magazine



Prior to his death, David Koch retired from Koch Industries in July 2018 and was named director emeritus. His older brother Charles, however, remains the CEO of at the company that transformed the duo into two of the richest men to ever live.

Source: "Dark Money," CNBC




The inside story of how a tiny startup and a controversial Twitter doctor sparked viral internet outrage against CVS

$
0
0

birth control startup twitter viral 2x1

  • A viral backlash erupted last week against CVS. The social media conversation framed CVS as a massive corporation bent on obstructing women's access to contraception.
  • Behind this social media outrage was a business dispute between the upstart birth-control-delivery company Pill Club and CVS's Caremark unit.
  • When CVS moved to change its rates for online pharmacies like Pill Club, the startup took the disagreement to social media.
  • The campaign Pill Club engineered with the help of a marketing firm and a controversial physician may have appealed to the politicized outrage over women's health and the actions of big companies that has emerged under President Donald Trump.
  • But Pill Club is also one of many companies offering a similar service, and the others are not disputing the new rates. 
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

The first tweet came from Emily Mandel, a recent college grad working as an engineer in Nebraska. 

Mandel had just moved there and was running out of her prescription for birth control when she tried out a new delivery service for the medication.

Called Pill Club, the company she uses is one of a crop of new startups aiming to make it more convenient for millions of American women to buy contraceptives like birth control pills. 

While Mandel was interacting with Pill Club on Instagram, the company shared information that alarmed her. Pill Club told her that a change from pharmacy giant CVS would make it more costly for women to get birth control delivered, and the startup asked Mandel to help raise awareness, she told Business Insider by phone. 

The two representatives that Mandel spoke with said her tweet could go viral — and it did. 

Mandel sent a tweet in the evening of August 14 calling on CVS to take its "hands off my birth control." She noted the medical reasons she takes contraceptives: to avoid ovarian cysts bursting and painful periods. 

By August 15, Mandel's post was one of many chastising CVS using the hashtag, #CVSDeniesCare. It, and then another hashtag, #BoycottCVS, trended that day, lifted by the social media accounts of people like the president of the pro-abortion-rights advocacy group NARAL, social justice writer Shaun King and Charlotte Clymer, a press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign.

Mandel has about 180 followers on Twitter, but the video in her Tweet has been watched 542,800 times. The tweet itself got 12,100 likes. 

Pill Club initially denied it was involved with the social media uproar

Publicly, Pill Club put out a statement saying, "CVS, don't take away access to birth control." The startup told reporters that CVS was planning to cut its payment rates, while initially denying that it was involved with the social media uproar.

It appeared to be a classic tale of an underdog battling a huge incumbent. Pill Club is valued at about $250 million, according to PitchBook, while CVS Health has a market value of about $80 billion. 

Behind the scenes, the startup was coordinating a campaign, with the help of a marketing firm and the controversial, social-media-famous doctor Eugene Gu, according to two early participants in #CVSDeniesCare.

After Business Insider presented the startup with evidence of its involvement, Pill Club confirmed that it "launched this campaign by alerting our patients and allies about CVS's payment changes." Whether Pill Club specifically suggested the hashtag is unclear.

Pill Club's efforts to win better reimbursement rates from CVS spawned more than 110,000 mentions across Twitter over the course of 24 hours, according to data compiled by Blast Media, and spread false information about who might be affected and what the stakes were like wildfire. 

Pill Club had sparked what became a viral outrage, focused on access to contraception and women's rights, making CVS just the latest company to face boycott threats in the hyper-politicized era of the Trump administration. That put the pharmacy chain and health insurer in the company of corporations ranging from Equinox and SoulCycle to Home Depot and Papa John's.

Pill Club would not make anyone available to discuss the campaign. In response to a detailed request for comment from Business Insider, the startup sent a statement emphasizing its mission of empowering women through access to reproductive healthcare, and confirmed that it launched the campaign by alerting patients and allies about the CVS payment changes.

CVS called Pill Club's accusations "extremely misleading" and "irresponsible" in a statement provided last week, and said they were geared at maximizing the startup's profits.

Shannon Coulter, an advocate who has led boycotts of businesses that work with President Donald Trump's family through a movement called Grab Your Wallet, told Business Insider that "I don't know that I believe they're acting out of a concern for our access to birth control. I would have to have ample evidence of that one, and I don't have that yet. I have a lot of marketing messages."

Read more: The strange tale of how a battle between 2 healthcare companies morphed into a viral Twitter backlash against CVS

The makings of a viral campaign

Another early tweet about #CVSDeniesCare was sent by Gianna Fine, a marketing coordinator in South Carolina. Like Mandel, she is also a recent Pill Club customer who had been interacting with the startup on Instagram when it asked her to get the word out about CVS, Fine told Business Insider by phone.

Customers like Fine and Mandel say they like Pill Club because of its convenience. Instead of going to a doctor's office for a birth control prescription, women can instead go online, share their birth-control preference and list any relevant health concerns.

The Pill Club image 1That information is then reviewed by a doctor, who decides whether to write a prescription, and the birth control is sent to a customer's front door.

Much of the frustration on social media about the Pill Club-CVS dispute comes from that: People on Twitter said that losing access to Pill Club would disproportionately hurt women who can't make it to the pharmacy, like those who live with disabilities or in rural areas. 

Many Twitter users also suggested that the CVS change would impact other services, with another major birth-control-delivery service, Nurx, getting explicit mention. A Nurx spokesperson told Business Insider that the company doesn't have anything to share around interruptions with its service.

Read more: The CEO of $111 million birth control startup Nurx told us how she's charting a new path forward after a scorching New York Times exposé

In starting up a social media campaign against CVS, Pill Club had help. Three early posters about #CVSDeniesCare said they had been in touch beforehand with Eugene Gu, a physician who is active about social justice issues on Twitter and has a high-profile platform there, with nearly 300,000 followers, about it. Fine said she was told that Gu was "handling the Twitter side of things."

Gu has been accused of abuse and harassment on the Internet, according to The Verge. There's also evidence of previous "arrest citations, including filed restraining orders and allegations of domestic violence" against Gu involving an ex-wife, The Verge reported. Gu told The Verge that those had been expunged by a judge. Gu did not return Business Insider's detailed requests for comment. 

Both Mandel and Fine said they had been in touch with a marketing coordinator from Pill Club before posting their viral tweets. According to Mandel, that person was Kimia Kalbasi, a managing director at the marketing and PR firm KKPR.

Kalbasi listed Pill Club as a client on her LinkedIn profile last week. After Business Insider sent inquiries to Kalbasi, Pill Club was removed from her profile. Neither Kalbasi nor KKPR responded to requests for comment, including about whether Pill Club was a client of KKPR or whether KKPR was involved in the CVS campaign. 

A new model at odds with the established system

Pill Club's model is part of a new, disruptive trend in healthcare towards consumer-friendly online sales of prescription medicine. These new startups usually combine a virtual doctor visit with medication shipped directly to the customer, though unlike Pill Club, many don't take insurance.

Read more: Investors are betting $660 million that companies that ship Viagra and hair loss pills to your door is the future of medicine —but some doctors are worried

Here's what we know of the Pill Club-CVS dispute:

  • Pill Club gets paid for the prescriptions through a patient's health insurance, specifically, by pharmacy-benefit managers like CVS Caremark.
  • Companies like CVS Caremark set up agreements to pay a certain amount of money per prescription to pharmacies. They're negotiating those prices on behalf of the health plans and employers footing the bill.
  • Companies like Pill Club had been getting paid the same rate as in-person pharmacies.
  • But earlier this year, CVS told Pill Club and others that would change, according to a CVS spokesman. Pill Club has said that CVS plans a rate cut.

Operating an online pharmacy has been heralded as a cheaper endeavor than operating a retail pharmacy. Online pharmacies can be more efficient, and they don't come with the overhead of keeping a store open and staffed.

Because Pill Club and others have such a new approach, "I think it's very likely that the [pharmacy-benefit managers] are trying to figure out what the right reimbursement is for this model," said Dania Palanker, an assistant research professor at Georgetown's Health Policy Institute's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. 

Palanker called Pill Club's response a "really smart advocacy campaign," aimed at getting the public on its side. 

But "as someone who has worked in women's health, I'll personally say I just don't like the idea of a company claiming something is an attack on women's health if it's really a financial disagreement between two companies about the financial bottom line of the companies," she said. 

Read more: Trendy startup Hims wants to shake up men's health by prescribing generic Viagra online and is nearing a $1 billion valuation. But a move to relax guidelines has raised concerns among some of its doctor partners.

How this affects other prescription-delivery companies

No other pharmacy startup contacted by Business Insider was disputing its contract in a manner similar to Pill Club, though some did say they were, or could be, affected by a rate cut.

"Other pharmacies in our network with similar business models as Pill Club have agreed to the same terms and reimbursement," the CVS spokesman said.

Pandia Health, a provider of birth control online, said that it's affected by the changes to reimbursement through the mail-order pharmacy it works with, but could not provide further details because that contract is managed by its pharmacy partner, called Truepill. Truepill declined to comment about pharmacy-benefit manager contracts.

Read more: Meet the pharmacy quietly powering hot startups like Hims and Nurx that ship Viagra and birth-control pills straight to your door

Simple Health, another birth-control-delivery startup, is on a similar contract with CVS Caremark as Pill Club, said CEO Joel Wishkovsky. He said Simple Health wouldn't turn away Caremark patients even if CVS paid his company less.

"The dispute surrounding CVS Caremark is about profits for mail-order providers and not actually about access to healthcare," he said in a statement. "We are against using patients as bargaining chips in negotiations and we have not and will not turn away CVS Caremark patients."

The financial position of an individual company could also be a major factor here.

Payments for birth control are among the lowest in the pharmacy business, and pharmacies typically make money across their whole offering of prescription drugs: some might lose money, while others might be lucrative, pharmacy startups told Business Insider.

Because Pill Club's pharmacy is centered around contraception, offering more than 100 brands of the birth control pill and NuvaRing, changes to reimbursement could have a big impact on its overall business. 

"If you've got a new startup that's trying to figure this out, they may have to take losses on these," Georgetown's Palanker said. "And the question is, can they afford to do that?"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Calorie counters on treadmills and elliptical machines aren't as accurate as you may think

50 mouthwatering photos of street food in Singapore

$
0
0

singapore chili crab

Singapore is officially one of the most expensive cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual report. 

But that doesn't mean you have to blow a ton of cash on fantastic food in Singapore.

While Singapore has plenty of five-star fine dining options, most people opt to eat street food in the city's inexpensive hawker centers, which are open-air food courts where vendors prepare everything from Malaysian curries to Indian roti and Chinese noodle soups.

We ate our way through Singapore, trying everything from hawker centers to fine restaurants. Here are the best things we ate.

Disclosure: Our trip to Singapore, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board.

FOLLOW US: FOOD INSIDER is on Facebook

Chicken rice is Singapore's unofficial national dish. First, chicken is boiled in a flavorful broth. Then the rice is cooked in that same broth. The result is a fragrant, flavorful, succulent rice that pairs perfectly with the juicy chicken.



Chili crab is another one of Singapore's national dishes. The crab is doused in a spicy chili-tomato gravy. Eating it is a messy affair — the best way to eat it is to crack the shell with your hands and slurp out the meat. Then mop up the gravy with doughy buns.



Choy sum is a Chinese vegetable that's a thinner version of bok choy. It's prepared with garlic as a side dish that complements chili crab.



Laksa is another signature Singaporean dish. The Katong Laksa is a Peranakan (a Singaporean ethnic group) fish soup that's made with rice vermicelli noodles in a rich and spicy coconut broth. The soup is filled with seafood like shrimp, squid, and fishcake.



Char kway teow is another iconic Singaporean dish. It's made from flat rice noodles that are stir-fried with soy sauce, chili, shellfish, and chives.



This is Singapore's version of carrot cake, called chai tow kuay — but it's nothing like the sweet confection we think of as carrot cake. The "cake" is cut up into little pieces and fried with soy sauce, eggs, vegetables, and fish sauce. It's greasy and delicious.



Barbecue stingray with chili sambal is another iconic Singaporean dish. The stingray is coated in a spicy chili sauce, wrapped in a cleaned banana leaf, and grilled for a smoky, spicy, and delicious flavor.



Fried Hokkien Mee is made with a combination of thick yellow egg noodles and rice vermicelli noodles which are cooked in a seafood broth and topped with shrimp, squid, pork belly, and lard. Singaporeans love to add chili sauce for an extra kick.



Kaya toast is Singapore's national breakfast food. The toast is grilled over an open charcoal flame, and then slathered with kaya (a coconut jam made with coconut, milk, and sugar).



The kaya toast is served with coffee and soft-boiled eggs. You're supposed to add soy sauce and pepper to the eggs, then dip the kaya toast into the warm, liquidy concoction.



Chui Kueh is a dense rice cake that's topped with savory preserved vegetables.



Lontong is a Malay dish that consists of a spongy rice cake cut into strips and cooked in a rich curry with vegetables and egg.



Fish ball soup is served piping hot with a side of chilis for an extra kick.



Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup is savory and delicious.



Roti prata is a fried Indian pancake that's tissue-thin, greasy, and delicious.



Murtabak uses a dough that's similar to roti prata, but is stuffed with minced lamb, egg, and onions. It's usually served with a side of curry for dipping. You can get this at hawker centers all over the city, but the best place to eat it is at Zam Zam, in Kampong Glam (the traditionally Arab neighborhood in Singapore).



Bok choy is served in a garlicky brown sauce as a green side dish.



Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad that's made with pineapple, cucumber, and dough fritters tossed in a fish paste sauce and topped with crushed peanuts. It's a sweet, spicy, and gooey mixture.



This sweet crispy prawn from the Majestic Restaurant, served with scallions, was enormous.



Dim sum is an extremely popular meal in Singapore. People gorge themselves on all sorts of Chinese dumplings and snacks, like these shrimp and pork dumplings.



Or these beef meatballs.



Dim sum has a few vegetarian options, like these mushroom dumplings.



This roast pork, from Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant, is crunchy and crispy on top and fatty and delicious on the bottom.



Bird's nest soup is a Chinese dish that's made with the saliva of a swiftlet bird and is considered to have healing powers. The soup is incredibly expensive: a bowl can easily cost about $100.



Chinese fried rice with seafood is typical hawker center fare.



Some hawker center stalls display their dishes behind glass, like this Chinese squid with celery dish.



You'll find roast chickens and ducks hanging in restaurant windows and hawker center stalls all around Singapore.



That roast duck or chicken is used in several Chinese dishes, like this noodle soup.



This hawker center vendor serves spit-roasted pork and chicken.



Fried Indian snacks, like samosas, are displayed behind glass in hawker centers.



People help themselves to fried pakora (vegetables) and other fried Indian treats.



Indian food vendors sell fried fish with masala sauce.



Big tubs of chana masala (chickpeas with masala sauce) smelled delicious.



Tandoori chicken is a typical Indian dish.



Singaporeans love their food spicy. You'll find trays of chili condiments all around the hawker centers.



Chinese fish cakes are a quick and savory snack.



Vendors grill satay — skewers of meat — over an open flame.



The satay meat is typically chicken or mutton, and it's served with a side of cool cucumbers and onions and a sweet peanut sauce.



There's also prawn satay.



This Chinese seafood omelette is topped with chopped scallions.



Otak-otak is a cake made of mashed fish that's mixed with coconut milk, chili, and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf, and grilled over charcoal. It's a traditional Peranakan (a local Singaporean ethnic group) dish.



Singaporeans eat cockles either raw or cooked in various noodle dishes.



You can get fried fish and prawns on a stick.



Fried yams and tapioca cake are popular finger foods.



People choose to wash down their meals with fresh coconut water or soy-based drinks.



Sweet red bean buns make for a nice dessert.



This grass jelly with IQ balls is a sweet gelatinous dessert that's made with ice, syrup, and jelly.



Kaya cake is a sweet spongy cake that's made with kaya (coconut jam).



Fried bananas are crispy on the outside and gooey and delicious on the inside.



Pineapple tarts are a traditional Peranakan dessert.



'What is Windows Hello?': A guide to Windows 10's advanced, biometric security system

$
0
0

windows hello

Windows Hello is a relatively new way to log into your Windows 10 computer without needing to type in a password or passcode. Instead, it features a biometric security system — it recognizes your face, irises, or fingerprints, depending on the kind of Hello technology on your computer. 

Essentially, you can log in almost instantly by looking at your computer, or touching your finger to a sensor. 

But not every PC has Windows Hello capability. So before you buy a new computer, expecting to sign in with Windows Hello, it's a good idea to learn more about it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 Home (From $139.99 at Best Buy)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (From $999 at Best Buy)

Logitech BRIO webcam (From $199.99 at Best Buy)

LilBit Face Recognition USB IR Camera (From $69.99 on Amazon)

Mouse Facial Recognition camera (From $69.99 on Amazon)

How to get Windows Hello

Microsoft introduced Windows Hello in 2015, and while there are tablets, laptops, and desktop computers with Hello built in, most computers still don't have it. 

If you want to take advantage of Windows Hello, one way to do that is to buy a new computer that comes with a Hello camera or fingerprint reader. You can study up on new computers to see if Windows Hello is listed in the features, or check out a page that Microsoft maintains, which lists PCs that feature Windows Hello

In addition to those, most Microsoft Surface computers come with Windows Hello as well. 

hello 1

Another alternative is to add a compatible camera or sensor to your existing system. Not all webcams or cameras work with Windows Hello, since the feature requires a relatively sophisticated camera that can sense depth for greater accuracy using near infrared imaging

Some cameras that are Windows Hello compatible include the LilBit Face Recognition USB IR Camera, Mouse Facial Recognition camera, and the Logitech BRIO webcam

hello 2

How to set up and use Windows Hello

If you want to get started using Windows Hello, or if you want to see if your PC is already configured with the right hardware for it, it only takes a few clicks in Settings. 

1. Click the Start button and click the Settings icon (which is shaped like a gear).

2. If it's not already on the Home screen, click "Home" in the upper left.

3. Click "Accounts," and then click "Sign-in options."

4. You should see Windows Hello. If your computer doesn't yet have a compatible 3D webcam or fingerprint reader, you'll see a message that Windows Hello isn't available. There's a link you can click to get more information. 

5. If you do have a compatible device, click "Set up."

hello 3

6. Follow the instructions to configure the device. If you have a Windows Hello camera, you'll be asked to look at the screen for a few moments. After that, setup is complete and you can now log in using facial recognition.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best laptops you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 8 prostheses that are changing lives

How to search for and find specific text messages on your iPhone in 2 ways

$
0
0

texting phone colorful

  • You can search for text messages you've sent on your iPhone, meaning that you never have to scroll for hours through your conversations to find a specific message. 
  • By using iOS's Spotlight and Search features, you can easily search through all your iPhone's messages with a few taps and some typing.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If you've ever spent more than a minute searching for a specific message on your iPhone, you're doing it all wrong. 

The easiest options to search for messages containing a specific phrase are iOS's Spotlight and Search features. You can easily access these through the Messages app and from your iPhone's home screen. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

How to search for specific messages on an iPhone using the search bar in Messages 

1. Launch the Messages app from your iPhone's home screen. 

2. To access the search bar, swipe down. It'll be above your most recent message.

Message1

3. Type the phrase, word, or number you're looking for in the search bar.

Message2

4. As you type, messages containing what you've typed will appear on the screen. 

5. Next, tap on the message thread containing the phrase you're looking for. It will then jump to that conversation, and highlight the exact message containing the phrase you typed. 

Message3

How to search for specific messages on an iPhone using Spotlight

1. From your iPhone's home screen, whether unlocked or not, swipe right.

2. At the top, find the Spotlight search bar and tap it.

Message4

3. Begin typing the phrase you are looking for. Items will begin to populate in the menu below.

Message5

4. Once you've finished typing, under the sub-menu "Messages," find the message that you're looking for.

5. Once you've selected the message, your Messages app will open, and the conversation will jump to the exact message that the phrase you typed was used in.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: If you want an emoji that isn't available, you can create it. Here's how everyday people send their submissions.

The best kids' lunch boxes you can buy

$
0
0
  • A lunch box is an undervalued but extremely important school supply. For some students, it's the most important supply, and it's certainly one that gets a lot of use. 
  • Our picks give you the best options from preschool to college and everything in between.
  • With a built-in ice pack, the PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag will keep your elementary-schooler's lunch cold and fresh.
  • Your high-schooler will appreciate the Rubbermaid LunchBlox's stackable containers that keep food separated for snacking throughout the day.
  • You can also check out our guide on how to pack a school lunch in a few steps.

Since they don't land a spot on the back-to-school shopping lists provided by schools, lunch boxes are sometimes an afterthought, but they are one of the most important school supplies. A good lunch box that allows you to pack a variety of foods will keep your kids full and give them the brainpower to do their best in school every day.

Buying a quality lunch box can make your life a lot easier too. Choose the right lunch box for your kid, and they'll be more excited about eating lunch. They might even help you pack it. You'll also make fewer trips to school for forgotten lunches if your child loves their lunch box. If you can swing it, you can save time on packing lunches by buying a few lunch boxes and batch prepping them at the beginning of the week.  

Choosing the best lunch box can be difficult, and the features you need vary based on your situation. Here are some of the major factors we considered when choosing our top picks: 

  • Durability: As a former high school teacher, I've seen how students treat their school supplies, and it isn't pretty. A lunch box should be able to stand up to getting tossed in lockers, stuffed in backpacks, and dropped in the hallway. 
  • Capacity: You may be surprised how much variation there is in the amount of food lunch boxes can hold. When determining our picks, we considered the average amount of food each age group eats, so our recommendations aren't too big for little ones or too small for older kids. 
  • Appearance: This can make all the difference. Younger kids might be more likely to eat their lunch if it's in a cool container with their favorite character, and older kids wouldn't be caught dead with a juvenile lunch box. 
  • Temperature control: Keeping food at the proper temperature is important for your kid's lunch to taste good and for it to remain at a safe temperature. Some of our picks have built-in ice packs or insulated containers. For picks that don't include these, be sure to include them if the lunch needs to stay hot or cold.  

The cost of school supplies can add up quickly, so we checked out lunch boxes in a variety of price ranges, and our cheapest pick starts at just $6.60. To bring you the best lunch box recommendations, I combined my years of experience as a teacher with thorough research of products on review sites, brand websites, and customer reviews.

Here are the best kids' lunch boxes you can buy:

The best for preschool

The Bentgo Kids Lunch Box comes in a variety of colors and designs, has multiple compartments for different foods, and boasts leak-proof technology. 

Bentgo offers bento boxes in different sizes, but one of their most popular boxes is the smaller Bentgo Kids Lunch Box. They also offer the same style in a bright color line and fun prints that preschoolers will love. 

The box has four main compartments and one smaller compartment that's perfect for dips and sauces. We also love that the bento tray can be removed from the box itself, and the tray is dishwasher- and microwave-safe. The outer box has rubber edges and a drop-proof design, which is perfect for younger kids. 

Unlike many other bento boxes, the compartments in this box are leak-proof, making it much more convenient to pack any food without worrying about it ruining the other foods in the box. This lunch box does not have any built-in temperature control, so you'll need to include an ice pack for food that needs to stay cold. 

The Bentgo Kids Lunch Box was featured on Working Mother as one of the best lunch boxes, and it tops the Amazon bestsellers list for lunch boxes. A verified purchaser on Amazon has found it durable and loves the design, saying, "Great portions, never leaks, and super sturdy! It's SO nice to be able to send a lot of different foods and not have to worry about getting a bunch of little containers back."

The biggest complaint people have about this specific model is that it's too small. It's a great size for toddlers and preschoolers, but kids will likely outgrow this lunch box by elementary school, and it might even be too small for preschoolers with voracious appetites.  

Pros: Multiple color options, leak- and drop-proof design, dishwasher- and microwave-safe

Cons: Small compartments might be too small for kids with big appetites



The best for elementary school

The PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag has over 40 fun colors and designs, and the entire bag itself is a built-in ice pack, keeping food fresh and cold for hours.  

When you have young kids, you'll pay big bucks for anything that makes your life easier and more convenient. Thankfully with the PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag with built-in ice packs, you don't have to shell out too much cash to add a little convenience to your life. Just fold the bag flat in the freezer overnight, and you have a cold lunch bag ready to go for lunches in the morning. 

I've had a slightly older version of this lunch box for years, and it keep snacks cool on road trips as well. The bag zips closed at the top to keep food cold, and it has a convenient carrying handle that can also clip onto your child's backpack. 

Elementary school kids will love that there are over 40 different designs and colors they can choose from. From tie-dye to unicorns to plain black, there is a PackIt bag to match every style. 

A few reviewers note that their bags get wet with condensation as the day goes on, so it would be a good idea to buy one or two of PackIt'smod lunch and snack containers with adjustable compartments to keep food contained and dry. I've never had this problem with my bag, but it is a possibility.

This lunch bag is loved by many with over 2,500 5-star Amazon reviews. It was also praised by Working Mother and Good Housekeeping. Good Housekeeping named it the best overall lunch box. In their tests, it was the only lunch box that safely stayed below 40 degrees after five and a half hours. Working Mother called it "the perfect lunch box for kids who hate carrying lunch boxes."

Pros: Built-in ice packs, over 40 colors and designs, folds flat when not in use

Cons: Some reviewers complain of condensation



The best for middle school

The OmieBox Bento Box can hold hot food in the included leak-proof insulated container, and there is still plenty of room left in the other compartments for cold or room-temperature food. 

The OmieBox Bento Box has a cute design that middle-schoolers will love. Middle school can be a time of great indecision, and we took that into consideration when we chose this for our top middle school pick. This box includes an insulated leak-proof container to keep food hot, but it's also designed to have separate temperature zones. You can pack cold food right next to the hot food, and they'll both stay the correct temperature (as long as you add an ice pack for the cold food). 

No matter what lunch curveball your middle-schooler throws at you, this lunch box will be able to accommodate it. There are five different color options for your middle-schooler to choose from. The box has an attached carrying handle, so you can forgo a lunch bag if you want. 

Don't let the compact design fool you; there are actually a few ways you can play around with the configuration of this box to perfectly fit whatever meal you want to pack. There are three main compartments, one of which fits the insulated container. You could remove the insulated container if you don't need to pack anything hot, and the box also comes with a divider so you can create a customized fourth compartment. 

A review from Martha Stewart named the OmieBox of the top 10 lunch boxes and praised the design of the insulated container: "The insulated jar is wide and shallow, which makes it easy to eat the food inside, and its lid features a chunky handle so even small kids can open it." Wirecutter also named the Omie Box one of the best kids' lunch boxes; one of their favorite aspects is that it holds the most food of all the bento boxes they tested.  

Pros: Holds hot and cold foods, versatile design, simple yet attractive design with color options

Cons: The insulated container is on the smaller side (it holds about a cup of food)



The best for high school

The Rubbermaid LunchBlox has multiple containers that snap together onto an included ice pack, and it's competitively priced at $6.60.

Usually by high school, kids ditch the cute lunch boxes in favor of simplicity, which is one of the reasons the Rubbermaid LunchBlox is our top pick for high school. You can get the Rubbermaid LunchBlox in a variety of colors and sizes, but at $6.60, you can't beat the price of the green sandwich kit. The kit includes a large sandwich box, two snack containers, one side container, and an ice pack that snaps everything together. 

Your high-schooler might be happy putting the LunchBlox in a brown paper bag, but Rubbermaid also makes a LunchBlox Bag designed to fit the boxes. It should fit pretty easily in other lunch bags, too, if your high-schooler wants to add some personality. 

The best thing about these containers is that they can be stacked together, or your teenager can take them apart. When I was a high school teacher, I constantly had students pulling out parts of their lunch at all times of the day. With the Rubbermaid LunchBlox, it would be so easy for them to just grab one of the containers if they crave a snack during second period. This also works well for snacks after school or during practice. 

These containers are loved — they were featured by Apartment Therapy and Good Housekeeping as one of the top lunch boxes, and they are among the top-selling lunch boxes on Amazon. The LunchBlox sandwich kit has over 2,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and one reviewer praised its durability: "I bought this sandwich kit about a year ago, and it's still going strong! …the containers snap easily onto the included blue freeze pack and stay put even if I drop my lunchbox."

Pros: Low price point, ice pack included, containers easily snap together or can be separated for snacks throughout the day

Cons: No lunch bag included — you'll need to use a brown paper bag or purchase a lunch bag to go along with this one



The best for college

The LunchBots Large Trio Stainless-Steel Lunch Container has a professional design and is big enough for college students to pack a whole meal or a full day of snacks. 

A lot of people don't think about lunch boxes when they're headed off to college. Most college freshmen are focused on the all-you-can-eat dining commons for their meals, but you shouldn't underestimate how much a lunch box will come in handy in college. Meal plan points run out, sometimes there isn't time to go to the dining hall between classes, and when students move off campus, they usually don't have a meal plan.  

We love the LunchBots Large Trio Stainless Steel for college because it's simple, durable, and versatile. The plain design won't have college students feeling like a middle-schooler toting around a lunch their mommy made, and it transfers well to professional life. It can also be used to carry just a few snacks for a long day on campus. 

The box is a stainless-steel bento box that's the perfect size for a large main dish and two sides. According to reviewers, the main compartment is large enough to fit a sandwich on standard-size bread. The compartments aren't leak-proof, but you can upgrade to a bundle to add silicone leak-proof containers. 

You might want to buy a bag to put the box in, especially if you need to add an ice pack. However, LunchBots sent me one of their boxes, and I've had no problem just tossing it into a backpack by itself. The lid has never come off, and going without a lunch bag saves space when you already have a lot of things to carry. Since it's stainless steel, things won't smashed (just be sure not to pack anything that will leak). You can also read my full review of LunchBots here.

LunchBots boxes are among the bestselling lunch boxes on Amazon, and reviewers love the box — it has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. Some reviewers noted that the optional colored plastic cover didn't hold up well. Many reviewers rave about the box, and one verified purchaser said: "We've been using LunchBots for years and still have some of their very first containers. I love the durability of them and that they are non-toxic."

Pros: Transfers well to professional life, durable stainless steel, fits plenty of food for a full meal or a whole day of snacks

Cons: Compartments aren't leak-proof, some reviewers note the optional colored cover isn't durable



Billionaire David Koch owned at least $143 million of real estate in NYC, the Hamptons, Aspen, and Florida. Take a look at his lavish homes, from a $40 million Manhattan townhouse to a 13-bedroom Palm Beach villa.

$
0
0

David Koch

Billionaire conservative mega-donor David Koch has died at age 79.

The late Koch Industries co-owner was worth an estimated $58.7 billion when he died (per Bloomberg). Most of Koch's wealth stemmed from his 42% stake in Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate with an annual revenue of about $110 billion, according to Forbes.

Known for his hefty donations to conservative political causes, Koch had a massive real-estate portfolio in New York City, the Hamptons, Aspen, Colorado, and Palm Beach, Florida.

According to calculations by Business Insider, Koch's real-estate holdings are worth at least $143 million (based on sale prices and Zillow estimates).

Here's a look at his known real-estate holdings, from his $40 million Manhattan townhouse to his $18.8 million oceanfront Hamptons mansion.

SEE ALSO: How the billionaire Koch brothers became 2 of the most influential political donors in America

DON'T MISS: David Koch is dead. His and his brother Charles' combined net worth is over $100 billion, even after years of family feuds and massive lawsuits. Here's how they made and spent their wealth.

Billionaire conservative donor David Koch has died at age 79.

Along with his brother Charles, David Koch donated hundreds of millions to conservative organizations over the course of his lifetime.

He was also known for his non-political philanthropy. Koch gave millions of dollars to the American Museum of Natural History in New York and served on its board for 23 years. He also donated $60 million to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2012.

He was also a supporter of cancer research since being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1992, making donations to Johns Hopkins, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and his alma mater, MIT.



Koch was worth an estimated $58.7 billion when he died, per Bloomberg's most recent report.

According to Bloomberg, most of Koch's wealth stemmed from his 42% stake in Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate with an annual revenue of about $110 billion.

Koch retired from the company in June 2018 due to health reasons.

 



Koch primarily lived with his wife in New York City, but he also owned hundreds of millions' worth of real estate in New York, Colorado, and Florida.

According to calculations by Business Insider, Koch's real-estate holdings are worth at least $143 million (based on sale prices and Zillow estimates).



For 15 years, Koch lived in a massive 18-room duplex in a ritzy Manhattan building that John D. Rockefeller, Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman, and other business magnates have called home.

Koch paid $18 million for the duplex at 740 Park Avenue in 2004, according to The Real Deal.



740 Park Avenue is notoriously exclusive and expensive, known for being home to some of New York City's wealthiest residents.

To live at the Art Deco co-op, which opened in the 1930s, applicants reportedly must be able to show a liquid net worth of at least $100 million, as Business Insider previously reported in 2017.

As of 2017, maintenance fees could run up to $10,000 a month. And in 1990, 740 Park Avenue residents paid an average of $250,000 each to repair the building's facade, according to the 2006 book, "740 Park: The Story Of The World's Richest Apartment Building" by Michael Gross.



There are two condos currently for sale in the Park Avenue co-op, according to StreetEasy.

A five-bedroom unit is on the market for $29.5 million, and a three-bedroom penthouse is listed for $34.5 million.



In addition to his Park Avenue duplex, Koch owned a $40.25 million Manhattan townhouse. Sources told the New York Post in August 2018 that he and his wife paid cash for the property.

Koch bought the 15,000-square-foot mansion from real-estate developer Joseph Chetrit, according to the New York Post.

The eight-bedroom Upper East Side home, which was originally listed for $51 million, includes a 1,500-square-foot master suite, a gym, and a rooftop terrace.



Then there's Koch's oceanfront mansion on "Billionaire Lane" in the Hamptons, the ritzy vacation destination for New York City's wealthy elite.

Koch's seven-bedroom Southampton home, which includes a tennis court and outdoor swimming pool, has an estimated value of $18.8 million, according to Zillow.

In 2012, Koch hosted a $50,000-a-head fundraising dinner at his Hamptons home for then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney; the event was crashed by Occupy protesters.

Koch's Hamptons street, Meadow Lane, was nicknamed "Billionaire Lane" for its ultra-wealthy residents, who have reportedly included investor David Och, real estate mogul Aby Rosen, fashion designer Calvin Klein, and hotelier Ian Schrager.



According to Pitkin County property records, Koch also purchased two neighboring homes in Aspen, the upscale Colorado ski town.

Property records for the county show that Koch bought his first Aspen house for $1.9 million in 1989. Two years later, in 1991, he paid $1.75 million for another home on the same street.

Today, the first home has an estimated value of almost $18 million, and the second is valued at $8.8 million, according to Zillow.



Koch also had a 30,000-square-foot mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, called the Villa el Sarmiento.

Koch paid $10.5 million for the home in 1998, and he and his wife reportedly spent $12 million renovating and expanding it, bringing its size to 30,000 square feet.

Today, the mansion has an estimated value of more than $40 million.



21 of our favorite styles from Rent the Runway for work, weekends, weddings, and everything in between

$
0
0

rent the runway favorite 23

  • Rent the Runway is the best online service we've found for keeping your weekly wardrobe fresh or finding an affordable designer outfit for a formal event. 
  • Many Insider Picks members have used or currently use Rent the Runway. Below, we shared our 21 all-time favorite rentals. 
  • They range from work staples to vacation-ready dresses, proving you can find anything on the site to fit your own personal style. 

It's how we keep our weekly wardrobes fresh, new, and exciting. It's where we go to find a nice outfit for weddings and black tie events. It's the retail unicorn startup causing a shake-up in the clothing industry, prompting even big names like Macy's, Banana Republic, and Urban Outfitters to try their hand at clothing rental services. 

I'm talking, of course, about Rent the Runway

Through the service, you can rent individual pieces of designer clothing for four or eight days, at a fraction of the retail price. You can also sign up for a membership plan, RTR Update or RTR Unlimited. Update costs $69 a month and lets you rent four pieces each month, while Unlimited costs $159 a month and lets you rent an unlimited number of pieces each month, with unlimited swaps. 

Whether you choose one-time or membership rental, Rent the Runway includes free shipping and dry cleaning. 

With all these perks, it's no surprise we love the service and personally use it in our own lives. That's why I asked the Rent the Runway users on the Insider Picks team to share their all-time favorite rentals from the site. Rent the Runway offers more than 400 top designers, and pieces that range from flowy maxi dresses to clean-cut blazers. The clothing below proves you can find anything to fit your own personal style. 

If you need inspiration for what to rent, check out our 21 favorite rentals below. You can learn more about the fit, occasion, and overall style of each piece. 

Rent designer clothing from Rent the Runway here

Chinti & Parker Lounge Pants

Rent the Chinti & Parker Lounge Pants

Retail price: $515 

These funky lounge pants are loud and colorful, and should not be restricted to indoor weekend wear. They're made from a knit material (mostly wool) that's not the softest I've ever worn, but is overall pretty comfortable. I like how thick and supportive the waistband is, while the pant legs taper down the legs nicely. If you get lost in a crowd, your friends should have no problem spotting you. —Connie Chen, reporter 



Jill Jill Stuart Floral Cutout Dress

Rent the Jill Jill Stuart Floral Cutout Dress

Retail price: $348 

I have never loved a dress more than this one. The midi length makes it easy to dress up or down (I paired it with Nikes for work but you could easily wear some strappy heels with it for a wedding). It has a very subtle cutout in the front that's just a little bit sexy but not so overtly showy. I recommend going true-to-size for this one — I sized up and the shoulders were slightly loose.  —Sally Kaplan, editor 

 



Auguste Magnolia Violet Midi Dress

Rent the Auguste Magnolia Violet Midi Dress

Retail price: $175 

I felt so summery wearing this long, floral dress. The chest ran a little large, but I just pinned the back to keep it from falling, as everything else fit perfectly and I really wanted to wear it. I got a ton of compliments on the style and paired with wedges, perfect for a summer wedding rehearsal dinner. —Remi Rosmarin, reporter 



Rebecca Taylor Daniella Floral Smocked Dress

Rent the Rebecca Taylor Daniella Floral Smocked Dress

Retail price: $595 

A great Rent the Runway piece is one I never want to return (I'm currently debating whether I should buy this dress on final sale at Rebecca Taylor— I love a good red dress). The V-neck neckline is perfect for work because it's not too low, and the smocked waist creates a flattering hourglass shape. —Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy 



Miaou Leopard Junior Jeans

Rent the Miaou Leopard Junior Jeans

Retail price: $295 

Probably my all-time favorite RTR rental, ever. These leopard print jeans are everything — comfortable, flattering, and fun. They're a lot stretchier than I was expecting, so I'd recommend sizing down for a more flattering fit. I wore these pants a bunch of times and was sad to return them, but I still have my eye on them in case I want to take the plunge and purchase. —Remi Rosmarin, reporter



Tanya Taylor Colorblock Samra Skirt

Rent the Tanya Taylor Colorblock Samra Skirt

Retail price: $425 

Elegant with a flashy pop of color, this skirt is perfect for evening functions or as a mid-work-week pick-me-up. The hot pink portion is a shiny, smooth silk that feels luxurious and attracts a lot of compliments. The skirt wraps at the waist (though it runs a little large) and hits right below the knees, so wear it with heels and your legs will look great. —Connie Chen, reporter 



Jil Sander Navy Tented Green Shirtdress

Rent the Jil Sander Navy Tented Green Shirtdress

Retail price: $750

Talk about versatility! If you wear this dress without a belt, it's flowy, tented, and oversized — a look that I'm personally very partial to on the weekend. But when you belt it, it suddenly takes on a tailored aesthetic that's perfect for work. I've rented this dress three times now, most recently on a trip to Italy where I wore it unbelted with white sneakers for a morning of exploring, then with a Parisa Wang belt bag for an afternoon of gelateria-hopping and a really nice dinner out. —Sally Kaplan, editor 



Amanda Uprichard Wrap Front Trousers

Rent the Amanda Uprichard Wrap Front Trousers

Retail price: $235 

Stick your leg out and — surprise! What looks like a cute skirt is actually a pair of moveable, practical pants. In addition to its unexpected design, I'm a big fan of the salmon color. The only potential drawback is that you have the pick out appropriate underwear to wear with the pants, because the backside is unforgiving. —Connie Chen, reporter 



Marchesa Notte Talulah Dress

Rent the Marchesa Notte Talulah Dress

Retail price: $745

I rented this for a fancy holiday party and it was perfect. Very unique, fit well (ran a bit large for me), and got a ton of compliments. —Sarah Silbert, credit cards editor 



Solace London Colorblock Manon Dress

Rent the Solace London Colorblock Manon Dress

Retail price: $570 

This is the only piece I've rented multiple times and eventually ended up buying. My friends lovingly refer to this dress as the "art dress" because of how often I wear it to museums. It reminds me of the fun, punched-up pop art colors of Piet Mondrian and color blocking of Mark Rothko. It's in-your-face vibrant and retro, which makes it feel contradictorily modern. You can wear it with tennis shoes during the day or heels at night. Plus, the stretchy fabric is really comfortable. —Mara Leighton, reporter 

 



Hunter Bell Blue Fawn Top

Rent the Hunter Bell Blue Fawn Top

Retail price: $413 

This lace top is the first piece I've rented from Hunter Bell, but it won't be the last. I ended up holding onto it for a month and finding more reasons to wear it because the lace sleeves and hemline are so beautiful. The boxy fit runs a little big, so you may want to size down. —Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy 



Stine Goya Aileen Pants

Rent the Stine Goya Aileen Pants

Retail price: $310 

These are the kind of pants you can wear onto a flight, then right into work, a dinner date, or a festival. They're that comfortable and versatile. I normally hate wearing pants during the summer, but they're very flowy and breezy and allow my legs to breathe. —Connie Chen, reporter 



Nicole Miller Painted Primrose Button Down Dress

Rent the Nicole Miller Painted Primrose Button Down Dress

Retail price: $195 

The best part of subscribing to Rent the Runway is wearing clothes you'd probably never buy otherwise — like this neon-yellow, flower-print Nicole Miller dress. Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy



Kate Spade New York Swing Flora Dress

Rent the Kate Spade New York Swing Flora Dress

Retail price: $528 

I wore this dress to work and a bridal shower. I loved the pattern mix and flowy sleeves, but the chest was a little too low-cut for my taste, so I pinned it. Otherwise, the fit was perfect. Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy



Saylor Hadleigh Dress

Rent the Saylor Hadleigh Dress

Retail price: $225 

This purple gingham dress was perfect for a birthday party on a rooftop bar. The fit is flattering and the color and pattern are really fun for summer. —Remi Rosmarin, reporter 



Nicholas Pleated Prairie Dress

Rent the Nicholas Pleated Prairie Dress

Retail price: $678

This is another dress I brought on my trip to Italy. It's the perfect mid-weight dress for transitional weather — just heavy enough to keep you from getting cold, and just flowy enough to keep you from overheating. The material is almost like a thick, ultra-soft linen, but it doesn't wrinkle the same way. It maintains its structured pleats through the day so you always look put-together, but the elastic waist makes it as comfy as loungewear.  —Sally Kaplan, editor 



LoveShackFancy Stevie Top

Rent the LoveShackFancy Stevie Top

Retail price: $325 

This light and airy top is perfect for summer. The colorful flower embroidery is a fun touch. —Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy  



Cinq à Sept Lorelei Pullover

Rent the Cinq à Sept Lorelei Pullover

Retail price: $395 

I loved wearing this pink, frilly sweater. It's boxy (in a good way) so there's room for layering, which you may want to do since it's a little cropped. I paired it with high-waisted, ripped jeans to add some edge, and I loved the look — it's sweet without being too cutesy. —Remi Rosmarin, reporter



Veronica Beard Moroso Dickey Jacket

Rent the Veronica Beard Moroso Dickey Jacket

Retail price: $650 

I'm a sucker for a plaid blazer, and this one delivered to my highest expectation. The way the waist is cut is super flattering, and it's just long enough to feel oversized without looking sloppy. —Sally Kaplan, editor 



Rosetta Getty Pull On Cropped Flare Pants

Rent the Rosetta Getty Pull On Cropped Flare Pants

Retail price: $790 

From the outside, these pants look structured, but once you slip them on, they actually feel like pajamas. All work pants should be this comfortable — they're so stretchy, but still somehow look sophisticated. The pattern is a retro, funky plaid, but it still isn't too loud for everyday. —Remi Rosmarin, reporter 

 



Tara Jarmon Striped Midnight Blue Dress

Rent the Tara Jarmon Striped Midnight Blue Dress

Retail price: $500 

This midi wrap dress is easy to dress up with heels or dress down with white sneakers, flats, or mules. I've rented it multiple times, and even wore it for Christmas with my partner's family in 2018. —Sally Kaplan, editor 




Save up to 55% on Dyson products at Nordstrom Rack — and 7 other sales and deals happening now

$
0
0

best online sales deals

We rounded up the eight best sales and deals happening online today, with savings on appliances at Dyson vacuums at Nordstrom Rack, outdoor gear at REI and Columbia, Cole Haan shoes, and Avocado mattresses. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out Business Insider Coupons.

The best sales and deals happening today at a glance

1. Save up to 55% on Dyson products at Nordstrom Rack

Shop the Dyson sale at Nordstrom Rack now

Now through Sunday, August 25, you can save up to 55% on select Dyson products. The two-day flash sale includes vacuums, blow dryers, humidifiers, and more. Visit Business Insider Coupons to potentially save more at Nordstrom Rack



2. Save up to 40% on outdoor gear and apparel at REI

Shop the REI sale now

REI is celebrating Labor Day Weekend early with a huge outdoor sale. Now through September 2, you can save up to 40% on select gear, apparel, and footwear from all of your favorite outdoor brands. Whether you're shopping for quality basics to wear casually, technical gear for extreme outdoor adventures, or styles for the outdoor sports you love, REI has deals on pretty much all of it.



3. Save 30% on smart plugs and switches on Amazon

Shop the sale on Amazon now

By pairing smart outlets to your Echo device, you can use Alexa voice commands to turn on lights, start coffee makers, and more. You can also schedule when electronics should turn on or off. Right now you can save 30% on select smart plugs and switches.



4. Save $70 on the GoPro Hero 7 Black, plus get a free battery at Best Buy

GoPro Hero 7 Black, $329.99 (Originally $399.99) [You save $70]

As the perfect camera for adventure seekers and athletes, the GoPro Hero 7 Black is rugged, waterproof, and shoots beautiful 4K HD footage. Right now, you can save $70 on the device and get a free GoPro Dual Battery Charger with a replacement battery (valued at $49.99) when you buy it at Best Buy. Visit Business Insider Coupons for more sale and deals at Best Buy



5. Save 25% on select gear at Columbia

Shop the Columbia sale now.

With 80 years of experience in the outdoor industry, Columbia's products are built to withstand the rigors of outdoor living — and plenty of its best items are on sale now. During the brand's early Labor Day sale, you can save 25% on select gear and apparel for men, women, and kids. Whether you're an extreme outdoors-person or you're just looking for quality pieces to wear during the end of the summer, this is a good chance to save. The sale ends on September 3, but don't wait until the final days to shop. Visit Business Insider Coupons for more deals and sales at Columbia.



6. Save an extra 40% on sale styles at Cole Haan

Shop the Cole Haan sale now

Whether you're revamping your work wardrobe, shopping for the upcoming school year, or you simply want new shoes, Cole Haan is where you'll want to shop. Now through August 27, you can save an extra 40% on all sale styles by using the promo code "EXTRA40" at checkout. The sale has deals for men and women has a range of styles, from dress shoes and boots to sneakers and heels. Visit Business Insider Coupons for more sales and deals at Cole Haan



7. Save $20 on the Echo Dot 3rd Gen on Amazon

Echo Dot 3rd Gen, $29.99 (Originally $49.99) [You save $20]

With 4.6 out of five stars from over 53,000 customer reviews, the Echo Dot is one of the most popular and bestselling items on Amazon. The device might be small, but it packs a lot of features. Using the power of Alexa, you can get the news, check the weather, control smart home devices, and play music from streaming services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora. Today only, you can save $20 on the device.



8. Save $175 on green mattresses at Avocado Mattress

Shop the Avocado Mattress sale.

Avocado separates itself from other legacy brands and startups by making organic and vegan mattresses. Not only are they sustainably made and good for the environment, but they're also very comfortable. Right now, you can save $175 on the brand's mattresses by using the promo code "LABORDAY175" at checkout. Verified military personnel can save an additional $50. If you prefer two free pillows (valued at $198) rather than the $150 discount, you can use the promo code "2FREEPILLOWS" at checkout.



How to put a YouTube video on repeat on your computer or mobile device, so it plays on loop

$
0
0

youtube phone computer app

Putting YouTube videos on repeat isn't exactly an advertised feature on the site, but once you know where to go and what tools to use, it can be done fairly easily. 

However, the level of complexity will depend on how you're watching the video – while it's very simple on your computer, it's a bit more difficult on your iPhone or Android.  

Regardless, here's what you'll need to do to put a YouTube video on repeat in both cases. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

Google Pixel 3 (From $799.99 at Best Buy)

How to put a YouTube video on repeat on your computer

This is, by far, the easiest option, assuming you're using a web browser:

1. Go to the video you want to put on repeat.

2. Right click and select "Loop."

1 HOW TO PUT YOUTUBE VIDEO ON REPEAT

The video will loop until you turn off the feature (by right-clicking the video and selecting "Loop" again).

How to put a YouTube video on repeat on the mobile app

Unfortunately, unlike on the YouTube website, there is no easy way to repeat a video on the YouTube mobile app. 

However, you can add a video to a playlist and loop the playlist, which will effectively put that video on repeat. Here's how to do it on your iPhone or Android. 

1. Open the YouTube mobile app and find the video you want to put on repeat.

2. Tap on the video and select the three stacked lines with a plus sign at the top of the screen. 

IMG_4339

3. Select the option to create a new playlist. 

IMG_4340

4. Name your playlist and set its privacy settings, then press Create. 

IMG_4341.PNG

5. To access your playlist once it's created, navigate to the Library tab in the bottom right corner of your screen. Scroll down and select your playlist. 

IMG_4342

6. Once the video is playing, tap the drop down arrow on the right side of the screen just under the video. 

IMG_4343

7. Select the repeat icon on the left side of the screen, and make sure it is highlighted white. This will put the video on repeat and it should start again immediately after it ends. 

IMG_4344

There are also free apps that allow you to put YouTube videos on repeat on your iPhone or Android.

For example, iPhone users can use the Free Music app, while Android users may use Musepic to put videos on repeat.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories

Dermstore's anniversary sale has top skin-care and beauty products for up to 25% off — here are the best deals

$
0
0

dermstore anniversary sale

  • Dermstore is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a sale from Saturday, August 17 through Sunday, August 25. 
  • You can take up to 25% off sitewide when you apply the discount code "CELEBRATE" at checkout. 

Online skin-care shop Dermstore was founded 20 years ago by a dermatologist who wanted to give his patients easier access to top products and professional-strength formulas that were otherwise only available in a dermatologist's office. 

Right now, the store is celebrating its birthday with an anniversary sale, running August 17 through August 25. Use promo code "CELEBRATE" to receive up to 25% off sitewide. If you're a rewards member, you can also earn double points on select brands. 

Some brands are excluded from this sale, but you'll still be able to shop discounts from the vast majority of the site's most popular names, like Dr. Dennis Gross and Dermalogica

Shop the 20th Anniversary Sale at Dermstore here.

We rounded up the 25 best skin-care, makeup, and hair-care deals from Dermstore's 20th Anniversary Sale below: 

SEE ALSO: This $24 face mask in stick form goes on easily and dries quickly — it works so well that I've replaced my sheet masks with it

A strong daily face peel that improves the texture of your skin and reduces inflammation

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel, $120 (originally $150) [You save $30] 

 



A bouncy serum containing 96% snail mucin, which repairs and hydrates your skin

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, $15.75 (originally $21) [You save $5.25] 



A conditioner that strengthens your lashes and makes them look more full

RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner, $73.50 (originally $98) [You save $24.50] 

 

 



A face wash that combats breakouts

PCA Skin Facial Wash, $26.40 (originally $33) [You save $6.60] 



A rice-based enzyme exfoliator that's gentle enough for sensitive skin

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, $47.20 (originally $59) [You save $11.80] 



A supplement that contains detoxifying ingredients like organic algae and beetroot

Hum Nutrition Daily Cleanse, $20 (originally $25) [You save $5] 



One of the best micellar waters to remove makeup

Bioderma Sensibio H2O, $11.18 (originally $14.90) [You save $3.72] 



A hair mask packed with oils, keratin, and biotin to revitalize and repair brittle, frizzy hair

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask, $30.60 (originally $36) [You save $5.40] 



A popular makeup sponge, plus the cleanser to clean it thoroughly

Original Beautyblender + Mini Blendercleanser Solid, $20 (originally $25) [You save $5] 



A facial roller that's an essential part of a self-care routine

Nurse Jamie Instant UpLift, $51.75 (originally $69) [You save $17.25] 



An ultra-moisturizing cream

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, $12.74 (originally $16.99) [You save $4.25] 



A Mulberry silk pillowcase that promotes skin and hair health

Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase, $63.75 (originally $85) [You save $21.25] 



A serum that lightens hyperpigmentation and provides antioxidant protection

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20%, $107.95 (originally $127) [You save $19.05] 



A fine exfoliator you can use all over your body

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion, $59.25 (originally $79) [You save $19.75] 



A volumizing, oil-absorbing dry shampoo

R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo, $24 (originally $32) [You save $8] 



Cooling under-eye pads to reduce puffiness

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, $24 (originally $32) [You save $8] 



A mascara that simultaneously lengthens, volumizes, nourishes, and conditions your lashes

Tarte Cosmetics Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara, $17.25 (originally $23) [You save $5.75] 



A hydrating toner that also works as makeup setting spray

Caudalie Beauty Elixir, $39.20 (originally $49) [You save $9.80] 



A smoothing, moisturizing eye cream

Neocutis Lumiere, $72.75 (originally $97) [You save $24.25] 



An anti-aging treatment that contains lactic acid to exfoliate and clear your skin

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, $126.40 (originally $158) [You save $31.60] 



A cream that contains oatmeal extract to prevent flaking and irritation

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, $24 (originally $32) [You save $8] 



A powerful mineral sunscreen

Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50, $54.50 (originally $68) [You save $13.60] 



A spray formulated with essential oils to help you fall asleep faster

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, $21.75 (originally $29) [You save $7.25]



A lightweight, professional-grade hair dryer

Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000, $199.20 (originally $249) [You save $49.80] 



A primer that glides onto your skin effortlessly

Smashbox Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer, $27 (originally $36) [You save $9] 



I made custom insoles with this $100 kit — now my feet are so much more comfortable after walking all day

$
0
0

Hammacher Schlemmer insoles

  • Hammacher Schlemmer offers a service that allows you to make custom insoles from the comfort of your home. That means no doctor's appointments, wait times, or extra copay fees— everything is included in the initial price of $99.95.
  • The Custom Fit Insole kit includes instructions, two foam blocks so you can create an impression of each foot, and a form to indicate the size of the inserts you will be replacing.
  • After reviewing this service for myself, I was impressed with the ease of use, turnaround time, and quality of the product.

We've all sat on the phone listening to elevator music for 10 minutes only to find out that the next appointment to see a specialist is in approximately three months smack in the middle of the work day. The process ends up being a bit of a headache, especially if you might need a referral or the doctor is out of network.

While you might have a primary care doctor or dentist that you see regularly, you might not have a podiatrist in mind for orthopedic issues like foot pain from standing all day at work or wearing shoes that lack support.

As someone who has seen a podiatrist before (for many sprained ankles) and whose family members have seen one as well, the solution to many foot issues are usually insoles. But custom insoles can cost hundreds of dollars while drugstore options are cheap but not always the most effective.

After doing some research, I found a custom insole kit from Hammacher Schlemmer that is a good middle ground, and could save you some money and a trip to the doctor too.

The kit

Hammacher Schlemmer has a custom insole kit for $99.95 in which you can get full-length insoles made specifically for your feet. You buy the kit online and it gets shipped to your house, so that means no waiting, no paying a copay, and no dishing out hundreds of dollars for prescribed insoles.

The kit includes a set of directions, two foam blocks, a pair of socks, a form to map the size of your current insoles, and a prepaid packing label. 

The insoles are made with a shock-absorbing layer on the bottom and a harder, leather-like layer on top. Think of them as basically a beefed up version of what you might find in stores, but with the added luxury of a custom fit. They're also backed by a lifetime guarantee

I think the insoles are a great first step to help alleviate foot pain and add support to your everyday shoes before making the trip to the podiatrist or committing to pricey orthopedic inserts. But if your foot issues are severe, you should see a podiatrist.

Hammacher Schlemmer mold

The process

When you order your Custom Fit Insoles, there are several steps you'll need to complete before your insoles can be made.

It's all very straightforward and easy to follow, but all of the steps need to be done a specific way, so I strongly urge you to read through all of the information provided before doing anything.

First, your kit will include two foam blocks housed within a cardboard box — don't remove the blocks from the cardboard as they will be needed for shipping. 

Then, you'll need to step into the molds to create your footprint that will be used to make your insole. To do this, make sure your feet are clean (not wet), then wear the socks to create a smoother surface. Make sure the correct box is in front of your left and right foot (they're labeled), and step down directly from above to apply even pressure. You're not trying to walk, just trying to step into the box. To help me do this properly, I anchored myself to my kitchen counter to ensure my foot didn't roll during this process.

Once you've done that for both the left and right foot, you'll need to grab the pair of shoes with which you'd normally wear the insoles. There's a sheet in which you'll indicate the shoe brand and size, and trace the current insole that came with your shoe. This is so that the manufacturer knows how wide and long to make your insoles, since shoes can vary in size from brand to brand. 

When both of these tasks are complete, put the two foam blocks together and pack it with the form in the prepaid shipping label. 

I was surprised by how quick the turnaround time was after I sent my kit out. After a little over a week, my insoles were delivered to my apartment, each slightly different to match the unique contours of my feet.

Pros and cons to consider

What I really liked about my custom insoles is the price. It's a little more than $100 including tax and shipping, but you won't need to pay anything else to ship your molds back to the manufacturer — everything is included upfront. 

I had initially made these insoles for my running shoes, but quickly realized the harder material was better for walking or standing and that I preferred a softer, more cushioned surface for running. Thankfully, I was able to switch the insole to a different shoe without an issue.

Since I don't have a car and I work in the city, I walk a lot. I also have a fairly high arch, which many shoes just don't support. With these insoles, my feet were comfortable walking 10 minutes to and from the office to the train station, standing on the subway, and more. It does take time to get used to, since the insert is adjusting your foot's position in your shoes, but it didn't take me a long time.  

Still, there are a couple of downsides I'd like to point out.

The outcome of your insoles is heavily contingent on how well you can follow the directions and the kind of mold you provide. Additionally, like all orthopedic inserts, the insoles are made to fit one specific shoe, so you probably won't be able to wear them with different shoes. This is pretty standard with custom inserts, so you should choose a shoe that doesn't provide the support you need or a style that you usually wear for long periods at a time.

The Hammacher Schlemmer Custom Insole kit is a great alternative for those needing a quality custom insert but can't afford it or find the time to go to the doctor. It's also a great option for those who wish to try a more advanced alternative solution than drugstore inserts prior to seeing a specialist or committing to more expensive insoles. And for around $100 compared to the several hundred I've been quoted by specialists, it was a worthwhile investment for me. 

But at the end of the day, if the issues you're experiencing persist or are severe, you should definitely go to a podiatrist.

Get a custom fit insole kit from Hammacher Schlemmer for $99.95

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos is worth over $160 billion — here's how the world's richest man makes and spends his money

Gold, Platinum, or Reserve: We break down which Delta Amex credit card gets flyers the most value

$
0
0

Delta Boeing 777 200LR in flight_0

One of the fastest ways to get a ton of frequent-flyer miles or rewards points quickly is to open a credit card and earn its new member sign-up bonus. This is arguably the best way to boost your stock of points and get you closer to a big award trip.

There are two key things to keep in mind when opening a card for the welcome bonus.

The first is whether a welcome offer on a card is the highest you expect to be able to earn.

The second is whether the card offers enough ongoing value for it to be worth keeping after the first year.

For anyone who flies Delta Air Lines — even occasionally — right now is an ideal time to open a new card. While the cards aren't offering the highest welcome bonuses ever in terms of miles, the Gold and Platinum Delta Amex cards are running limited-time offers that can earn you up to 50,000 miles and up to $500 back on Delta purchases in the first three months, depending on which card you apply for.

Plus, the three cards each offer a ton of ongoing value, whether you're a casual flyer or a hard-core Delta loyalist.

Read on to learn more about the three cards, and see which one is best for you.

Best for the casual Delta flyer: The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Delta Skymiles Inline

Welcome offer: 30,000 Delta SkyMiles when you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase in the first three months in the first three months.

The Gold Delta SkyMiles card is the best of the three for the casual Delta flyer, someone who finds themself on the airline a couple of times a year, but doesn't fly regularly enough to use the heftier cards' perks (more on that later).

One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight people on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for a checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary.

Cardholders and travel companions also get Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and extra-legroom passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.

Other perks include discounted day passes to Delta Sky Club airport lounges— $29 per day pass — as well as a 20% discount on in-flight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks, and no foreign transaction fees.

Like the other Delta cards, the Gold SkyMiles card earns 2x Delta SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.

The Gold Delta card has an annual fee of $95, which is waived the first year. This is a great value considering the perks, not to mention the welcome bonus.

Best for more regular flyers: The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Platinum Delta Amex Inline

Welcome offer: 35,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive a $100 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first three months. 

If you fly somewhat regularly, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the $195 annual fee each year.

The Platinum Delta card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding, free checked bags, 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and discounted Sky Club access.

However, the Platinum Delta comes with a huge perk — it's so useful that I'm planning on keeping my card indefinitely.

After your first year with the card, you'll get an annual domestic companion pass each year at your card-member anniversary. A Delta companion pass is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

The companion pass completely blows away the annual fee for me, which is $195 and isn't waived the first year. My wife and I fly domestically at least a few times a year, whether it's to visit family or friends, or to go on vacation. So I save my companion pass until we're taking a flight together that costs more than $195 each. You can read more about the Delta companion pass benefit here.

Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus 10,000 SkyMiles, 10,000 MQMs, and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived.

When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability.

Best for Delta Medallion frequent flyers: The Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express

Welcome offer: 40,000 Delta SkyMiles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. 

The Delta Reserve card has a higher $450 annual fee, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. 

Like the Platinum SkyMiles card, it offers a domestic companion pass. However, the Delta Reserve's pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.

Additionally, the Delta Reserve offers full access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta (the Gold and Platinum SkyMiles cards offer discounts on single-access Sky Club passes).

The Reserve has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status.

Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.

Upgrades clear in hierarchical order based on a number of factors, including each passenger's Medallion status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class: whether they hold the Delta Reserve card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there's only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.

For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Reserve can be extremely valuable. 

$95 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express from our partner The Points Guy.

$195 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express from our partner The Points Guy

$450 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express from our partner The Points Guy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories

The best kids' water bottles you can buy

$
0
0
  • From preschool to college, all students need to stay hydrated to perform their best in school, and no student should be found without their water bottle close by. 
  • We bring you cute designs and easy sipping for preschoolers and durable, insulated bottles for college students — we've brought you the best pick for each school age group. 
  • For elementary school we recommend the Thermos FUNtainer Bottle, while the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth is our top pick for college students.

Water bottles are a staple — pretty much every student carries one. When I was in school in the '90s and early 2000s, hardly any kids carried water bottles, and if they did, there was nothing fancy about them. As a former high school teacher, though, over the past few years, almost every student in my classroom carried a water bottle. 

Water bottles have become much more than a container for water. Most students have water bottles with cute designs or interesting features like built-in fruit infusers. The right water bottle makes a statement and will earn students plenty of compliments from friends and strangers alike. 

Among my friends and family, I'm known for constantly drinking water (imagine how much fun it must be go on a road trip with me). My house is always littered with water bottles, so I've done my fair share of testing. When I was in college, I threw a water bottle into my backpack and it leaked all over my 3,500 page Shakespeare anthology. Don't worry. I've learned from my mistakes, and I now properly vet every single water bottle I buy. 

One important thing to note about our picks: The majority of them are stainless steel because it's a safe material to store water, and it helps keep water cold. However, some schools only allow water in clear bottles, so be sure to check with the school's policy before you buy a water bottle for your child. 

I've combined my own experience with water bottles, my observations of my students' water bottles, and countless roundups and reviews to bring you the best options for each age group. Another quick note to keep in mind about our picks: Many of these bottles are available in multiple sizes, so we picked the size we feel best fits the age group. 

Here are our top picks for the best kids' water bottles for school in 2019:

The best for preschool

The CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle comes in over 40 fun designs, it's leak-resistant, and it's the perfect size for young kids. 

I have the regular-size CamelBak, and it has served me well over the years. I love that the CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle has so many different colors and designs to choose from. A lot of parents worry that their kids aren't drinking enough water, but adding in fun designs can help encourage your child to drink their water, and it can make it less likely the bottle will get left behind at school. This plastic bottle is BPA, BPS, and BPF free. 

This kids' water bottle is the perfect size for little hands, and it's easy for young kids to figure out how to use. We like that it's a simple plastic option for young kids who are still learning how to take care of their belongings. The bite valve provides a way for kids to drink without having to tilt the bottle while it remains leak-resistant. The carrying handle on the top makes it easy to clip to backpacks or lunch boxes so your child doesn't forget their bottle at school. 

One of the only cons of this CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle is that the bite valve has been known to be hard to clean, which can lead to the development of mold. I actually had this problem after having one of my CamelBak bottles for a few years, and the company sent me a new bite valve. 

Wirecutter named the CamelBak Eddy Kids the best plastic kids' water bottle, noting "The CamelBak's spout is easy to open and close, and because of its bite valve, it's the only one that won't leak even with the spout open and held upside down." This is a huge plus for young kids who might forget to close the spout after they're done drinking. Over 2,000 Amazon reviewers have given this bottle 5 stars, and it's one of Amazon's bestselling water bottles. 

Pros: Over 40 designs for kids to choose from, perfect size and easy for young kids to use, leak-resistant even with the spout open

Cons: Bite valve is hard to clean and can get moldy



The best for elementary school

The Thermos FUNtainer Bottle doesn't leak or sweat, and it appeals to young kids with prints like 'Cats With Sunglasses' and 'Paw Patrol.'

Thermos is known for keeping liquids well insulated, and they've done it again with the Thermos FUNtainer Bottle. It has stainless-steel-vacuum-insulation technology to keep your little one's water cold all day at school, and it's sweat-proof so it's less likely to slip out of your child's hands or get their schoolwork wet. 

Cuteness factor is huge for elementary school students, and this water bottle delivers with many different colors and styles, including popular themes like Toy Story, Paw Patrol, JoJo Siwa, Marvel characters, and Disney Princesses.

If your child has already started elementary school, you know that a school full of hundreds of little kids is also full of germs. Because of that, we love how the Thermos FUNtainer has a straw that's covered to keep it as sanitary as a water bottle in an elementary school can be. The cover also prevents leaking.  

This water bottle was named the best kids' water bottle by Wirecutter, and it's loved by consumers with over 4,000 5 star reviews on Amazon. Reviewers love that it doesn't leak and that it keeps drinks cold all day. Many reviewers also mention how easy it is to clean, including a verified purchaser named Maria: "It's super easy to clean since all the pieces come apart effortlessly."

Pros: Leak- and sweat-proof, fun designs, ideal size for young kids, easy to clean, keeps water cold all day

Cons: The bottle does leak if the lid isn't closed all the way



The best for middle school

The Pogo Tritan is a simple water bottle that's perfect for middle school students who are transitioning from kids to teenagers; it's made of transparent plastic and is leak proof. 

Oh, middle school. The time of awkward growth spurts and the peak of puberty. There's one thing that doesn't have to be awkward about your child's middle school years though: their water bottle. 

The Pogo Tritan Water Bottle has been one of my go to water bottles for years, and the 18 ounce size with a simple design is perfect for middle school students. I've thrown this bottle in bags countless times, and it's never spilled or leaked. It's also very easy to clean. (Note: I've tested the chug-lid version; some reviewers complain that the soft straw version leaks.)

There are seven different colors offered, and this is our only large water bottle pick that is transparent, which is a requirement at some schools. The side carrying handle is perfect to slip a finger through when students are already carrying all of their books, and it could also be hooked to a backpack or lunch box. Even though this bottle is plastic, it's BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, and cadmium free.

The larger 32 ounce Pogo Tritan and this 18 ounce size both appear on Amazon's top-selling water bottles list. The 32 ounce might even be a good option if your middle-schooler has sports after school or tends to drink a lot of water. One Amazon reviewer said, "I love that the spout is protected by a cover and the bottle itself is not extremely tall while also holding 18 oz of liquid (we use this for water only). For the price, the value is awesome."

Pros: Low price point; transparent color options; no BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, or cadmium 

Cons: The soft straw version might leak



The best for high school

The Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle has trendy designs that high-schoolers will love, and it's insulated to keep water cold all day. 

The recent trend that I saw a lot in my classroom as a high school teacher is the narrow bottle-shaped water bottles, the exact design you see with the Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle.

In high school, it's all about having the right water bottle to match your backpack, having the coolest design, or even having different options to match different outfits. Some of my students would even cycle through different water bottles in one school year because there are so many fun designs to choose from. 

We like the Simple Modern Wave because it's cheaper than some nearly identical options, it's made of double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, and it comes in fun designs as well as solid colors. There are a lot of different marbled patterns to choose from that are really pretty. 

This bottle is narrow, so it will easily slide into a water-bottle pocket on the side of a backpack. It can also be tossed into a backpack because it doesn't sweat, and the screw-on cap isn't going to leak. The insulated stainless steel will keep water cold from the time you fill it up in the morning until the time your kid hits practice after school. 

Verywell Fit and Wirecutter named Simple Modern Wave one of the top water bottles, and the Wirecutter review mentioned that "the Simple Modern performed identically to a S'well in our test, but costs half as much." The average Amazon rating for this bottle is 4.5 stars, and it's one of their bestselling water bottles. 

Pros: Keeps water cold all day, doesn't sweat or leak, many designs to choose from 

Cons: Small opening makes it hard to fit ice inside 



The best for sports

A classic sports water bottle, the Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is exactly what every athlete needs to quickly hydrate during practice and games. This bottle makes it so easy they don't even have to take off their headgear. 

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is the quintessential sports water bottle, and for good reason. It's simple and cheap, but that's exactly why it's our top pick for sports. Kids can easily toss it into their bag, chuck it onto the sidelines, and use the squeeze function to share without having everyone's lips touch the bottle. And since it's so cheap, they don't have to worry about losing it at a game or accidentally breaking it. 

The wide opening makes fill-ups quick, and it's easy to drop in a handful of ice cubes. Being able to squeeze the water out of the bottles is perfect for sports that require headgear because athletes can quickly rehydrate and get right back in the game without taking their helmet off. 

Since these are such popular bottles for sports, there is a white line on each bottle to write your kid's name to make sure the same bottle is coming home every night. 

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is a top-selling water bottle on Amazon and Dick's. One verified Amazon purchaser raved about this bottle, saying, "This is the product to compare against when purchasing a sports water bottle, the gold standard. These Gatorade branded plastic bottles are super cheap and work very well."

Pros: Cheap, can squirt through headgear, easy to fill and add ice

Cons: Some reviewers complain that the bottle leaks



The best for college

College students need to stay hydrated, but they also need their caffeine. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle will keep water ice cold for 24 hours and coffee hot for 12. 

Hydro Flask has recently become a household name when it comes to water bottles, and they do live up to the hype. When you're on a college campus, days are so busy that you can easily leave your dorm or apartment while it's still dark and return back after the sun sets. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle is designed to keep water cold up to 24 hours, so students can fill it up before they leave in the morning and have cold water all day. Add some ice cubes through the wide mouth in the morning, fill it up, and they're set. 

We like that this is a simple bottle that is built to last, so it can take students well beyond their college years. It has a powdered coat that makes it easier to grip than many other stainless-steel options, and it also has a convenient carrying handle. The standard version has a screw lid, so students will drink out of the wide mouth opening, but you can also buy a straw lid or a flip lid. As with our other picks, there are multiple color options. 

Another reason we love this bottle for college students: coffee, coffee, coffee. Unlike many of the water bottle options out there, the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle can hold hot liquid as well, and is designed to keep it hot for up to 12 hours. Start off with hot coffee in the morning, give it a rinse, and finish the day with ice cold water. Or, you know, just drink coffee all day. 

Verywell Fit named it one of the best stainless-steel water bottles of 2019. They wrote: "Hydro Flask insulated water bottle is truly exceptional when it comes to holding a drink's temperature." Hydro Flask also takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots for bestselling water bottles on Amazon, and over 5,000 5-star Amazon reviews can't be wrong. We like the 32 ounce version to last college students the whole day, but some reviewers mention that it's a snug fit to put it in a backpack's water bottle holder, so the 18 ounce size would be better for that purpose. 

Pros: Keeps drinks hot or cold, durable design, easy to grip, wide mouth

Cons: The 32 ounce version might not fit in a backpack water bottle holder



Scooter Braun just congratulated Taylor Swift on her new album amid their ongoing feud over the rights to her old music — here's everything we know about the celebrity manager's net worth and career

$
0
0

scooter braun

  • Celebrity talent manager Scooter Braun just congratulated Taylor Swift on the release of her seventh studio album, "Lover."
  • Braun works with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato.
  • He purchased Big Machine Label Group for $300 million and now owns Swift's masters, according to The Wall Street Journal.
  • Swift called the situation her "worst case scenario" in a June 30 Tumblr post.  
  • The former party promoter has an estimated net worth of $400 million as of July 2019, according to Fox Business.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Taylor Swift just released her highly-anticipated new album, "Lover." Among the many famous people congratulating her on the achievement was Hollywood talent manager Scooter Braun— and his supportive tweet was particularly surprising to some fans, given their ongoing feud over the rights to her old music.

It was Swift's "worst case scenario" to have Braun control her catalog, she wrote on Tumblr on June 30. But plenty of other stars — including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Karlie Kloss— have been happy to let him control their careers.

After signing Bieber in 2008, Braun became "the defining music executive of the social media era, known for aggressive online cross-promotion between clients," according to The New York Times. Braun's acquisition of Swift's former record label is only his latest move to transform his company, SB Projects, into one of the most powerful forces in Hollywood.

Read more: The fabulous life of Dr. Dre, one of the wealthiest men in hip-hop, who has a $770 million fortune and has owned a sprawling network of glitzy LA mansions

Keep reading to learn about Braun's career and life.

SEE ALSO: 5 Hollywood celebrities who became billionaires and are vastly more rich than their peers

DON'T MISS: Taylor Swift just dropped a new album after her feud with Scooter Braun, and it's the first time she owns the rights to one of her records. From bicoastal mansions to lavish vacations, see how the superstar spends her $360 million-plus fortune.

Scott “Scooter” Braun, 38, is a native of Stratford, Ontario.

Braun attended Emory University, where he sold fake IDs as a side hustle, according to The Washington Post.

Braun also worked as a party promoter before discovering Justin Bieber, according to The Wall Street Journal.



Braun began his career in Hollywood as Justin Bieber's manager.

Braun approached Bieber after seeing videos of 13-year-old Bieber singing R&B songs on YouTube in 2008, according to The Washington Post. Bieber's mother, Pattie Mallette, told The New York Times in 2009 that Braun "tracked down Justin's school, calling board members, imploring them to contact [her]."

As Bieber's career took off, so did Braun's. 



Braun has since become a major player in pop music.

In addition to Bieber, Braun also manages the careers of Ariana Grande, Zac Brown Band, Tori Kelly, Karlie Kloss, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Black Eyed Peas, and J Balvin. Braun has "broken more new artists than any other music executive in the last decade," he says on his personal website.

Braun also heads Schoolboy Records label and has a joint venture with Usher, Raymond-Braun Media Group.



Braun has also dabbled in investing.

Braun has stakes in Uber, Spotify, Songza, Casper, Waze, and Pinterest through his company SB Projects, according to his personal website.

Braun has a net worth of about $400 million, Fox Business reported, citing Celebrity Net Worth.



In May, Demi Lovato announced that she had joined Braun's roster of clients.

"Dreams came true today for me," Lovato wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her and Braun. "Couldn't be happier, inspired and excited to begin this next chapter with you Scooter!!! Thank you for believing in me and for being apart of this new journey. Let's DO THIS!!!!!!"



Braun is married to Yael Cohen, the founder of F*** Cancer.

"I saw [a video of] her TEDx talk," Braun told Architectural Digest in February 2018, recalling his future wife's 2010 lecture on F*** Cancer. "And I just really wanted to meet her."

The guests at their 2014 wedding included Bieber, Jepsen, Sophia Bush, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson, Business Insider previously reported.

The pair has two sons, according to Architectural Digest.



Braun and Cohen split their time between two California homes.

The pair spends most of their time at their house in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. On the advice of friends Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, they also purchased a second home in Montecito, according to Braun's February 2018 interview with Architectural Digest. Braun said he and Cohen were visiting DeGeneres and de Rossi's Montecito home when DeGeneres and de Rossi surprised Braun and Cohen with a meeting with a broker.



Braun also does a lot of charity work.

Braun serves on the board of F*** Cancer, and his companies have "granted more wishes for Make-A-Wish than any other organization in the history of the foundation," he says on his personal website.



Braun is also politically active. He's a supporter of California Senator Kamala Harris and even hosted a fundraiser for her presidential campaign at his home.

Grande, Lovato, and Katy Perry were among the 100 guests in attendance, Insider previously reported.

But Swift's fans weren't thrilled about Harris' decision in the midst of Braun's feud with their idol, and they attacked the presidential hopeful for associating with Braun.

One fan tweeted: "I was so excited for you as a democratic candidate, but if you so choose to go to an event held by @scooterbraun, a man whose arrogance mirrors our president's, I can no long hold onto my excitement and faith for you as a presidential candidate, @KamalaHarris #disappointed."

Read more: Taylor Swift fans are upset with presidential candidate Kamala Harris for attending a fundraising event at Scooter Braun's mansion



Their anger was rooted in Braun's newfound ownership of Swift's old music. On June 30, Braun announced that his company, Ithaca Holdings LLC, would acquire Big Machine Label Group LLC.

In the $300 million purchase, Braun gained control of the masters of Swift's six previous albums, though Swift herself signed a contract with Republic Records in 2018, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Nashville-based label's current artists include Sheryl Crow, Lady Antebellum, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, and Florida Georgia Line.



Swift criticized the deal on Tumblr, calling Braun's ownership of her catalog her "worst case scenario."

Swift said in a Tumblr post that she had been the victim of "incessant, manipulative bullying" by Braun for years. She accused him of orchestrating a music video by Kanye West that depicted her naked, as well as of releasing a recorded phone call with West in 2016. 

Swift wrote that she repeatedly asked to purchase her masters, but was never given the opportunity by Big Machine. She also said that she knew the masters would eventually be sold along with the rest of Big Machine, but wrote that "never in [her] worst nightmares" did she think Braun would be the one to purchase them.

Big Machine signed 15-year-old Taylor Swift as its first artist in 2005, according to The Wall Street Journal

Read more: Taylor Swift just dropped a new album after her feud with Scooter Braun, and it's the first time she owns the rights to one of her records. From bicoastal mansions to lavish vacations, see how the superstar spends her $360 million-plus fortune.



Braun maintains a close relationship with Bieber, who defended him against Swift's accusations on Instagram.

"Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you!" Bieber wrote on Instagram. "I'm sure Scooter and I would love to talk to you and resolve any conflict, pain, or any feelings that need to be addressed."



During an appearance on "CBS Sunday Morning" set to air this Sunday, Swift vowed to rerecord her albums to keep Braun from profiting from them.

The possibility arose in the public imagination after Kelly Clarkson tweeted about the idea July 13, Business Insider previously reported.

"Just a thought," Clarkson wrote, "U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don't own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I'd buy all of the new versions just to prove a point."

Source: CBS

Read more: Taylor Swift says she 'absolutely' plans to re-record her first 6 records now that Scooter Braun owns them



Despite the ongoing drama, Braun congratulated Swift on her seventh studio album, "Lover." The new album was released on Friday.

 




See all our credit card reviews — from cash-back to travel rewards to business cards — in one place

$
0
0

Best Cards of july 4x3

Table of Contents

 

Travel rewards credit cards

First up are the cards that can get you the most value if you're willing to put in the work: travel rewards credit cards that earn Amex, Chase, and other bank points. You can transfer these points to various airline and hotel partners, as well as use them to book travel directly through your credit card issuer.

The mega-popular Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card and others fall into this category.

Chase Sapphire Preferred—  The rewards card that started it all. For a $95 annual fee, you get 2x points on travel and dining, not to mention valuable protections like primary car rental insurance and baggage delay insurance. Read the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review.

Chase Sapphire ReserveThe premium sibling to the Sapphire Preferred has a $450 annual fee, but offers more perks like a $300 annual travel credit and 3x points on travel and dining. Read the Chase Sapphire Reserve review.

American Express Gold Card If dining is one of your top spending categories, the Amex Gold is a great card for you. It earns 4x points at restaurants (and 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 each year, then 1x) and each month you get up to $10 in statement credits when you use the card at GrubHub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shacks. There's a $250 annual fee. Read the Amex Gold Card review.

The Platinum Card® from American Express It's one of the most premium personal credit cards out there, with a $550 annual fee and a long list of benefits. You get annual statement credits for airline incidental fees, Saks purchases, and Uber rides, and can access a variety of airport lounges including Amex's own Centurion Lounges. Read the Amex Platinum review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card— Like the Sapphire Preferred, the Venture Rewards Card packs in a lot of benefits for a sub-$100-annual-fee card, and in this case the $95 annual fee is waived the first year. You'll earn 2x miles on all purchases, and 10x miles on hotel bookings made with the card via hotels.com/venture. You can redeem miles to cover travel purchases on your statement, or transfer them to a selection of airline programs. Read the Capital One Venture Rewards card review.

Read more: The best rewards credit cards of 2019

Read more: The best current credit card sign-up offers



Cash-back credit cards

Not everyone travels enough to make cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth it. If you'd prefer to earn money back on your spending, you have plenty of great options as well. Unless otherwise specified, these cards don't have an annual fee.

Wells Fargo Propel American Express® cardThis is a top cash-back card thanks to its many bonus categories. You'll earn 3x points (3% cash back) on eating out and ordering in, on travel, gas stations, rideshares, and transit, and on popular streaming services, and 1% back on everything else. It's also one of the rare no-annual-fee cash-back cards to waive foreign transaction fees. Read the Wells Fargo Propel Amex card review.

Chase Freedom Unlimited This card offers a solid flat rate (1.5% back) on every purchase, and it's one of the most flexible cash-back cards around, because it gives you options. If you decide you'd like to get into travel rewards further down the line, you can combine your cash-back earnings from the Freedom Unlimited with Chase Ultimate Rewards points from a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred to use them toward travel. Read the Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

Chase Freedom—  Like the Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom earns cash back on every purchase. But instead of offering a flat cash-back rate, it offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter of the year in rotating bonus categories, such as gas stations and streaming services, and 1% back on everything else. You have to activate the bonus each quarter to earn the 5% back. The Freedom's cash-back earnings can be combined with Ultimate Rewards points if you have a more premium Chase card. Read the Chase Freedom review.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express— This card has a $95 annual fee, and it has some great bonus categories. These include 6% back on select US streaming services, 6% back on up to $6,000 spent at US supermarkets each year (then 1%), 3% back at US gas stations and on transit, and 1% on everything else. Read the Blue Cash Preferred Card review.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card If you want to earn extra cash back on your dining purchases, this is a good pick. The Savor card earns an unlimited 4% back on dining and entertainment, 2% back at grocery stores, and 1% back on everything else. There's a $95 annual fee that's waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees. Read the Capital One Savor card review.

Read more: The best cash-back credit cards of 2019



Airline credit cards

If you're loyal to a specific airline — or even if you just travel with the same airline multiple times a year — it could be worth holding a co-branded credit card to get a free checked bag, priority boarding, and other perks. Airline credit cards run the gamut from entry-level to premium options, and the best choice for you will depend on how frequently you travel.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card Alaska miles are very valuable, and also hard to come by. Alaska's co-branded card (with a $75 annual fee) is a great way to earn them, and you also get a companion fare each year. Read the Alaska Airlines Visa review.

Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express— If you fly Delta a handful of times each year, this card is a good option. It has a $95 annual fee that's waived the first year, and offers the basic airline perks like a free checked bag, priority boarding, and 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases. Read the Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex review.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express— For more frequent Delta flyers, the Platinum Delta Amex could make sense thanks to additional benefits like an annual companion certificate and the ability to earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) toward Delta Medallion elite Status. The card has a higher $195 annual fee, but if those perks are useful to you, it can be worth it. Read the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Amex review.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit CardThis card has a $99 annual fee, and earns 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases. One of the top reasons to consider it — or any other Southwest credit card — is that the sign-up bonus you earn from meeting the minimum spending requirement counts toward the Southwest Companion Pass. The Companion Pass lets you designate one person to travel with you on Southwest for free (minus taxes and fees) when you have a flight booked. Read the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card review.

United Explorer Card United's co-branded credit card with a $95 annual fee stands out for offering bonus miles on categories other than just United purchases, and an application fee credit for up to $100 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. As a cardholder, you also get access to additional low-level award space, which makes it easier to stretch the miles you earn. Read the United Explorer card review.

United Explorer Business Card The business version of the Explorer card also has a $95 annual fee, and it offers bonus miles at gas stations, office supply stores, and restaurants, in addition to on United purchases. Read the United Explorer Business card review.

Read more: American vs. Delta vs. United — we compared the 3 most popular airline credit cards



Hotel credit cards

Hotel co-branded credit cards can get you complimentary elite status, bonus points on stays, and other solid perks. As with airline credit cards, the options run the gamut from basic cards with annual fees under $100 to premium picks that offer fancier benefits.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express— This card has a $450 annual fee, but if you have even just a few Hilton stays in a year it can be well worth it. You get complimentary Hilton Diamond status, which can get you free breakfast and complimentary room upgrades, and each cardmember year you'll get up to $250 in Hilton resort credits and up to $250 in airline fee credits each calendar year. Read the Hilton Aspire card review.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card If you qualify for a small business credit card and are a Hilton loyalist, consider this card with a moderate $95 annual fee and benefits like bonus points on Hilton stays and complimentary Gold Hilton status. Read the Hilton Honors Amex Business card review.

Read more: The best hotel credit cards



Business credit cards

If you run your own company or even if you just have a side gig like freelancing or selling items online, a business credit card is a great way to separate your work expenses and earn rewards targeted to business spenders. Many business credit cards offer bonus points on categories like office supplies, and if you opt for a high-end card you can enjoy luxury travel benefits like airport lounge access.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business The Spark Miles for Business earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases with no cap on what you can earn, and you can either redeem your miles to cover travel expenses or transfer them to airline partners like Air Canada and Singapore Airlines. There's a $95 annual fee, but it's waived the first year. Read the Spark Miles for Business review.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card This Chase Business card has one of the best sign-up bonuses around, and it offers great points-earning potential on categories like travel and online advertising for a reasonable $95 annual fee. Read the Ink Business Preferred card review.

Ink Business Cash Credit Card This no-annual-fee business card from Chase earns bonus cash back on categories like office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. If you pair it with a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can redeem the Ink Card's cash back as travel rewards with partners like British Airways and Hyatt. Read the Ink Business Cash card review.

The Business Platinum® Card from American Express The business version of the Amex Platinum Card comes with several unique benefits, including up to $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases each year, and a 35% points rebate when you book eligible air travel through Amex. There's a $595 annual fee, but it could be worth it for frequent business travelers. Read the Amex Business Platinum card review.

Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express This is a great option for anyong who's looking to earn Amex points and can qualify for a business credit card. The Blue Business Plus has no annual fee, and it earns 2x points on the first $50,000 spent each year (then 1x point). Read the Blue Business Plus card review.

American Express® Business Gold Card If your business spends a lot on categories like US advertising and airfare purchased directly from airlines, the Business Gold is a great choice. It earns you 4x points on your top two spending categories each month (from a list of six categories), on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year (then 1x). The card has a $295 annual fee. Read the Amex Business Gold card review.

Read more: The best small business credit cards



I tried Dropps eco-friendly laundry detergent pods — they cost the same as brand-name detergents and perform just as well

$
0
0

Fresh Scent Detergent_Box_1500x1500_7dcaebfc 5b48 4cd2 b5df 34293bbc3d1c_1024x1024

  • Dropps are eco-responsible laundry detergent pods that come in biodegradable pods and compostable cardboard boxes.
  • Formulas are plant-based and free of dyes, fillers, and colorants. Some are lightly scented with natural essential oils.
  • I used Dropps for weeks, and they performed like traditional options with the added benefit of not cutting corners on safe ingredients or eco-conscious design hacks. If you're interested in trying, you can find them on Amazon and Dropps

Ideally, the household laundry detergent is a renaissance man. It's tasked with effectively removing stains, preserving the integrity of clothes, and leaving behind no residue. On top of that, it should smell great.

Dropps, a company that makes eco-friendly laundry detergent pods, delivers on these standard needs. Plus, it exists in the sweet spot between sustainability, convenience, and cost.

Its pods are biodegradable, and once the film dissolves in the washer and enters the water stream, the company says that micro-organisms that commonly exist in nature break down the remaining key ingredients, including synthetic ones like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). You'll see plant-based ingredients and natural essential oils used for the scented options. You won't see any dye or colorants ever. And they don't test on animals. Dropps will also be delivered to you in recyclable, repulpable, compostable cardboard packaging. 

Dropps offers laundry detergent pods in pretty much every variety, scented or unscented: standard laundry detergent pods, pods made for small loads, pods made for sensitive skin, pods for baby laundry, scent boosters and fabric softener pods, oxi booster pods, and bestseller bundles. They also make dish detergent pods, odor defense spray, and laundry bags and dryer balls.

You can find them on Dropps, or shop the Dropps Amazon store directly for all the perks of an Amazon membership. Prices range from $15 (50-count) to about $30 (160-count) depending on the formula and how many washes it covers. (For reference, Amazon's Choice for Tide Pods is about the same at $0.25 per load). You can also save up to 20% by subscribing, and the Dropps site offers free shipping.

I tested the Dropps Stain & Odor Pods in Clean Scent ($20, 56 loads) and Small Loads Sensitive Skin Pods ($25, 100 loads) in 15 loads of laundry and was pleasantly surprised. My clothes came out clean, smelled fresh, and felt soft to the touch. Dropps performed well on food stains, daily grime, and dirt, and on a variety of materials: denim, cotton, flannel, and nylon among them. The clean scent wasn't overwhelming, but it did linger after the wash. If you don't want to smell fragrance after washing, you should buy unscented.

In terms of dirt and stain removal, Dropps performs as well as traditional options, though marginally less than the strongest on the market, according to Wirecutter. For the perks of a safe, relatively eco-responsible product, though, I didn't have to compromise on performance. 

Fragrance_Free_Household_1500x1500_62bd4bde 56db 4f85 b7d8 2394564e76db_1024x1024

Dropps products meet the EPA's Safer Choice standards, which are designed to enforce stringent human and environmental health criteria. When designing new products, the company uses the program as its gold standard.

According to Dropps, 68% of traditional liquid laundry detergent bottles are not recycled and contribute to approximately 606 billion pounds of plastic that ends up in our oceans annually. By using a biodegradable pod and zero plastic, the company aims to reduce plastic consumption by not encouraging any to begin with.

Though Dropps' eco-friendly ethos and descriptions like "eco-responsible laundry detergent" have the ring of a 21st century startup, the company has been around in some form for decades. Seven years before the introduction of Tide Pods, Dropps pods were released as a more eco-friendly alternative. In 2017, they were awarded the EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year title for outstanding achievement in formulation and product manufacturing.

Dropps has managed to create powerful laundry detergents that are convenient and cost-effective. For consumers concerned about planet earth and with a budget, it's a win-win-win. If you're looking for a guilt-free option that performs like the standard stuff you've been using, this is a good option.

Shop Dropps directly on Dropps or Amazon

Join the conversation about this story »

How to post a YouTube video on Facebook in several different ways, using YouTube's 'Share' feature

$
0
0

Woman on phone and laptop.

YouTube makes it easy for its viewers to share videos across most social media sites, including Facebook

Underneath every YouTube video is a "Share" icon — an icon depicting an arrow pointed right. Clicking it opens up a wealth of sharing options.

To share to Facebook on mobile, make sure you have the Facebook app, and to share on Facebook using a computer, be sure you are signed in to Facebook. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

Google Pixel 3 (From $799.99 at Best Buy)

How to post a YouTube video on Facebook using a computer 

1. Go to https://www.youtube.com.

2. Select the video you'd like to share.

3. Once you've selected a video, find the "Share" icon, directly under the video player, to the right of how many views the video has. Click on it.

YouTube1

4. Select Facebook from the sharing options in the pop-up menu. You can also alter the video's start time by checking the box at the bottom. 

YouTube2

5. If you are already signed into Facebook on your desktop, the video will appear in the post. Select the video post destination by using the drop-down menu at the top of the screen (it will be labeled "Share to News Feed or Story" by default), or add it to your Story by checking the bubble at the bottom of the page.

6. Once you've selected the YouTube video's post destination, click "Post to Facebook" at the bottom of the page. 

Youtube3

Alternatively, you can also copy the video's URL, and paste it into a Facebook status.

How to share a YouTube video to Facebook on a mobile device

1. Launch the YouTube app, or go to https://www.youtube.com in the browser on your mobile device (an iPhone seen here).

2. Search for and select the YouTube video you wish to share on Facebook. 

3. Below the video, tap on "Share"  — the icon depicting an arrow pointing right. 

Youtube4

4. Scroll to find Facebook from the list of apps. You can only share to Facebook if you have the Facebook app on your phone. If you don't, copy and paste the video's URL and place it in a Facebook post manually. 

YouTube5

5. Tap "Next" in the upper right-hand corner to share the video after you've made a comment.

YouTube6

6. Tap to select the YouTube video post's destination, whether it be on your timeline, in a group or private message, or on your Story.

7. Tap Share.

YouTube7

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best laptops you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I cleaned my entire apartment with 4 of Amazon's highest-rated cleaning robots, but I could've done a much better job myself

7 back-to-school supplies you should be ordering in bulk — and where to get the best prices on them

$
0
0

staples back to school

  • Back-to-school season is upon us. If you're the parent of a school-age child, or are still in school yourself, chances are you're in the thick of back-to-school shopping. 
  • Buying certain products in bulk is a great way to save money and make sure you don't have to do multiple school supply shopping trips.
  • From pencils to folders, we rounded up 7 products you should buy in bulk this back-to-school season and where to get the best prices.

Growing up, I always looked forward to going back to school. Not just for the classes, but for the shopping trip that would come before the first day. A fresh set of colorful gel pens, stickers to personalize my folders and notebooks, erasers galore — back-to-school shopping always made me more excited for the school year ahead. 

Now it's back-to-school season for students (and their parents) which means there are lots of school supplies to be picked up. Luckily, there are plenty of retailers running back-to-school sales and making it even easier, and more affordable, to do your school-year shopping.

Another way to save money and shop more efficiently is by buying some supplies in bulk. Chances are if you don't use them all this year, you'll use them the next. When I was in school, my mom always kept extra school supplies in the closet, so if my siblings or I ever came to need them, we wouldn't have to make a trip to the store — we could just take from the stockpile we already had. This came in handy often, particularly when it came to finishing up last-minute projects that required a lot of supplies. 

Saving time, money, and trips to the store are all benefits of buying in bulk, and luckily, there are lots of places to do it. We perused Staples, Amazon, Boxed, and Walmart to see which had the best prices on bulk school supplies.  

When choosing where to do your back-to-school bulk shopping, there are a few factors to consider. For example, if you're an Amazon Prime member, buying off Amazon may be a no-brainer for sheer convenience. Walmart is offering competitive shipping options, too, with free next-day delivery on orders of $35 or more. Boxed offers wholesale prices without the need for a membership, and Staples has back-to-school promotions and other benefits that may bring the cost of your overall order down. That being said, from our selection, Amazon and Boxed offered most of the best prices.

Keep reading for seven school supplies you should buy in bulk, and where to get the best prices:

Ticonderoga #2 Pencils

The iconic yellow Ticonderoga #2 has pretty much become the pencil of choice among students and teachers alike. While it may seem like technology is rendering old-school writing utensils obsolete, students still need pencils to scribble down notes, take quizzes, and complete homework assignments. Because pencils can easily chip, break, or get lost, it's worth getting a bunch so you don't ever have to worry about being pencil-less for your next math quiz. 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on pencils is at Amazon or Walmart

Buy Ticonderoga #2 Pencils in bulk here:



BIC Round Stic Pens

BIC's ballpoint pens set the standard with a comfortable grip and ink that writes smoothly. The only negative is that these can run out of ink quickly — especially if you like to doodle in the margins — so it's worth it to buy them in bulk. That way, you won't feel bad if you lose them or share them with your classmates, either. 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on pens is at Amazon or Staples

Buy BIC Round Stic Pens in bulk here:



Post-it Notes

Post-it notes come in handy for everything from sticking notes in your textbooks to studying for exams, and since they're (pretty much) single-use, you'll need a bunch. There are plenty of Post-it bulk options, but a 24-pack should be more than enough. If you use them more often, you can get an even bigger pack.

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on Post-it Notes is at Amazon

Buy Post-it Notes in bulk here:



Mead 2-Pocket Folders

Head back to school with the proper supplies to stay organized all year long. Folders are an easy way to give all of your documents a home. With two pockets, these folders can become designated spaces for multiple subjects, and if you don't overstuff them, they should last for a while. 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on Mead folders is at Boxed

Buy Mead 2-Pocket Folders in bulk here:



Sharpie Permanent Markers

Sharpie markers were always one of my favorite things to check off of my school supplies list. With an assortment of bright colors, you can use them for everything from labeling your belongings to taking notes and decorating your notebooks. The versatility is endless, so why not get as many colors as you can? 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on Sharpie Permanent Markers is at Amazon

Buy Sharpie Permanent Markers in bulk here:



Mead Composition Notebooks

A composition notebook is a classic choice. Wide-ruled pages offer plenty of space to take notes, create lab reports, and learn how to write in cursive. If you don't end up needing all three for school, keep one for next year — chances are you'll need it eventually. Composition notebooks work just as well as DIY planners to organize your school schedule and journals for doodling drawings and writing down random thoughts. 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on Mead Composition Notebooks is at Boxed

Buy Mead Composition Notebooks in bulk here:



Tops Three-Ring Binders

I always liked the colorful three-ring binders, but when it comes down to it, these simple white ones are just as practical. The inside can hold about 125 sheets of paper and both the front and back have a clear overlay for customization. These come in handy for big school projects like poetry portfolios or scrap-booking assignments, but otherwise they're great as regular subject binders, too. 

Right now, the best deal for stocking up on Tops Three-Ring Binders is at Boxed

Buy Mead Composition Notebooks in bulk here:



15 of the best deals from Cole Haan's huge end-of-summer clearance sale — plus a code for 40% off

$
0
0

Cole Haan

  • Cole Haan is having a huge clearance sale on footwear for men and women. 
  • Starting now through August 28, shoppers can save an extra 40% on sale items, plus free shipping on all orders with the code "EXTRA40" at checkout.
  • To help you shop, we rounded up 15 of the best shoes on sale, including dress shoes, sneakers, heels, and sandals.
  • Visit Business Insider Coupons to potentially save more at Cole Haan

As Labor Day Weekend approaches, you'll find us trying to enjoy the final days of summer. While having one last barbecue or trip to the beach might be in your plans, shopping all of the end-of-season sales should be a priority, too. If you're in need of new shoes for school or work (or you just can't resist a really good deal), you'll want to head over to Cole Haan.

Now through August 28, you can save an extra 40% on sales styles by using the promo code "EXTRA40" at checkout. The End-of-Summer sale includes styles from the popular ZERØGRAND line, along with sneakers, classic dress shoes, heels, and sandals that are perfect for wearing into the office during or on weekends.

The sale is massive, so to give you a small glimpse of what's available, we rounded up 15 of our favorite items. Keep in mind that this is one of Cole Haan's largest sale events of the year, so you should expect certain items to sell out relatively quickly.

Shop the Cole Haan sale now.

Check out our favorite shoes on sale, below:

Men's 2.ZERØGRAND Laser Wingtip Oxford

2.ZERØGRAND Laser Wingtip Oxford, $98.97 (Originally $200) [You save $101.03]



Men's 3.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford

3.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford, $119.97 (Originally $300) [You save $180.03]



Men's GrandPrø Chukka

GrandPrø Chukka, $83.97 (Originally $150) [You save $66.03]



Men's Somerset Link Bit Loafer

Somerset Link Bit Loafer, $83.97 (Originally $160) [You save $76.03]



Men's Pinch Grand Classic Penny Loafer

Pinch Grand Classic Penny Loafer, $107.97 (Originally $200) [You save $92.03]



Men's GrandPrø Classic Running Sneaker

GrandPrø Classic Running Sneaker, $59.97 (Originally $150) [You save $90.03]



Men's Washington Grand Wholecut Oxford

Washington Grand Wholecut Oxford, $191.97 (Originally $400) [You save $208.03]



Women's ØriginalGrand Plain Oxford

ØriginalGrand Plain Oxford, $83.97 (Originally $150) [You save $66.03]



Women's Kinslee Pump

Kinslee Pump, $35.98 (Originally $150) [You save $114.02]



Women's 2.ZERØGRAND Laser Wingtip Oxford

2.ZERØGRAND Laser Wingtip Oxford, $77.97 (Originally $150) [You save $72.03]



Women's GrandPrø Downtown Sneaker

Cole Haan GrandPrø Downtown Sneaker, $71.97 (Originally $150) [You save $78.03]



Women's 3.ZERØGRAND Chelsea Boot

3.ZERØGRAND Chelsea Boot, $71.98 (Originally $250) [You save $178.02]



Women's Marlee Mule

Marlee Mule, $59.97 (Originally $140) [You save $80.03]



Women's Josie Block Heel Sandal

Josie Block Heel Sandal, $47.97 (Originally $150) [You save $102.03]



Women's Fernanda Flat Sandal

Fernanda Flat Sandal, $47.97 (Originally $130) [You save $82.03]



Viewing all 116404 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images