• Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web, has persuaded Google, Facebook, and the French government to sign up to a set of ethical principles.
• He also suggests breaking up these tech titans.
• The "contract" asks companies and governments to respect people's privacy and to keep the web free.
• Berners-Lee has been hugely critical of Silicon Valley firms monopolising the web.
• He met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this year to discuss how the firm could do better, including suggesting that the social network scraps its Free Basics offering for emerging economies.

Tim Berners-Lee, the British inventor of the web, has convinced Google and Facebook to agree to new ethical principles around respecting people's data and privacy — while also advocating for breaking them up.

Berners-Lee and his World Wide Web Foundation are trying to pressure tech giants into behaving better through a new "contract", a set of core principles to which he believes governments, companies, and citizens should stick.

Berners-Lee is critical of the many issues plaguing the web, and says a contract might force private firms and governments to improve the health of the web.

Speaking at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon on Monday, Berners-Lee said: "All kinds of things have gone wrong.

"We have problems with privacy, abuse of personal data, people can be profiled in a way that they can be manipulated by clever ads... [they can be] taken to sites where they can come across fake communities of fake people with fake ideas and fake truths. There are lots of issues with the web."

Berners-Lee's proposed principles include: Making the web free and accessible to everyone; respecting people's data and privacy, and developing technologies "that support the best in humanity." Additional principles for government and individuals include keeping the web free and available to everyone and to respect people's fundamental right to privacy.

Apart from Facebook and Google, the World Wide Web Foundation has so far signed up the French government, as well as political figures including former UK prime minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah Brown.

Read more:We ran 2 fake ads pretending to be Cambridge Analytica — and Facebook failed to catch that they were frauds

World Wide Web foundation CEO Adrian Lovett told Business Insider in a call that he and Berners-Lee had met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the US earlier this year while firming up these principles.

He said the pair had criticised Facebook's record on Free Basics, its controversial free internet service for emerging economies that some have described as digital colonialism.

"We had a discussion on a whole range issues, [such as] on Free Basics. I think they're engaging at the top levels, and we will judge them according to their actions," Lovett said.

He described the meeting with Zuckerberg as "cordial," with just two other Facebook staffers in the room.

"I certainly had a strong sense... of the extraordinary weight on one individual's shoulders, which you sense was not something he probably aspired to. It's a remarkable responsibility, and one that he and other leaders are expected to take very seriously. At a human level, it's hard not to empathise."

Lovett added that the pair had not yet met with Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, but planned to later this year.

Tim Berners-Lee has battered Facebook and Google for bad behaviour

Berners-Lee has has been highly critical of Facebook and Google and their impact on the web.

He warned Reuters on Thursday about tech firms monopolising the web and said there was no alternative to "really coming in and breaking things up." He didn't name Google or Facebook, but it was clear he was referring to Silicon Valley firms.

Another pet project of Berners-Lee is to decentralise the web, something that would naturally involve defanging the likes of Facebook and Google, which exert a ton of influence over the internet.

The contract, Lovett said, is only the first of several stages. The idea is to turn the principles into something that the UN or the G7 might adopt, with governments and firms holding themselves accountable for sticking to the agreement.

It all sounds a little quixotic and vague, but Lovett thinks there will be tangible results. Accountability, he said, might involve an annual report that tests how different companies and governments are holding up.

"The criticism that this could just be happy-clappy would be justified if we were going to just stop next week. If we only got as far as these principles, that's only worth so much," he said. "The process we have at the second stage is to turn these principles into more concrete commitments... the third stage of the process would be an accountability mechanism.

"I accept you can only judge this some months down the line."

SEE ALSO: 'The web had failed instead of served humanity': Tim Berners-Lee was crushed by Russia using Facebook to meddle in the US election

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• Since 1996, Victoria's Secret has chosen one Angel every year to model a lavish bra in its annual runway show.
• Monday morning, the brand announced online that Elsa Hosk will wear this year's Fantasy Bra.
• The Dream Angels bra is made of 2,100 Atelier Swarovski-created diamonds and features a balconette design with thin spaghetti straps.
• A Swarovski crystal-studded bra inspired by the $1 million creation will be available for purchase from Victoria's Secret starting November 29.
• The 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which will be filmed on Thursday, is set to air on December 2 at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC.

Following tradition, Victoria's Secret has revealed this year's Fantasy Bra, two days before its annual fashion show will be filmed in New York City.

Monday morning, the brand debuted the lavish piece of lingerie, the Dream Angels bra, on Instagram and Twitter. According to both posts, Victoria's Secret Angel Elsa Hosk will wear the $1 million design in Thursday's runway event, which will air on December 2 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

The 2018 Fantasy Bra is made of 2,100 Atelier Swarovski-created diamonds and features a balconette design with thin spaghetti straps. A Swarovski crystal-studded bra inspired by the $1 million creation will be available for purchase from Victoria's Secret starting November 29.

The brand's Fantasy Bra has been a staple of its annual runway show since 1996. That year, Claudia Schiffer was selected to wear the first iteration of the extravagant garment: a $1 million piece called the Million Dollar Miracle Bra.

Read more:Here's how the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra has changed through the years

Since then, one Victoria's Secret Angel — models who have special contracts with the brand — has been chosen to wear the Fantasy Bra every year.

At $1 million, this year's Dream Angels bra is far less expensive than some of the ornate designs that have graced the lingerie brand's runway over the past two decades.

In 2001, for example, Heidi Klum wore a $12.5 million bra covered in pink sapphires known as the Heavenly Star Bra. To this day, it remains the most valuable bra in the world, according to Guinness World Records.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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• On the "Today" show Monday morning, Kenan Thompson was asked about a joke his "Saturday Night Live" castmate Pete Davidson made over the weekend that has been receiving a lot of backlash.
• On Saturday, Davidson mocked the appearance of Texas Congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
• Weighing in on the controversy, Thompson said he thought Davidson "definitely missed the mark" with the joke.

Kenan Thompson refused to defend a controversial joke his "Saturday Night Live" castmate Pete Davidson made over the weekend.

Davidson stirred up controversy during a segment on Weekend Update on Saturday, when he made fun of the appearance of Texas Congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Davidson commented that he looked like "a hit man in a porno movie." When the joke didn't land, he laughed it off, saying "I'm sorry, I know he lost his eye in war or whatever."

The joke made headlines over the weekend, with many calling for Davidson to apologize to Crenshaw.

Read more: Pete Davidson addresses his breakup with Ariana Grande on 'SNL': 'It's nobody's business'

So when his castmate Thompson appeared on the "Today" show Monday morning, to promote a new film, he was asked to weigh in on the scandal.

"He definitely missed the mark," Thompson said, adding that it was an "unfortunate outcome."

As the son of a Vietnam war veteran, Thompson said, "I personally wouldn't ever necessarily go there."

But he said it's difficult for stand-up comedians to make jokes about serious subjects.

"They're the ones that help us laugh through the most awful things in the first place, so they're always fishing in weird places," he said.

'Getting dumped by your pop star girlfriend is no excuse for lashing out at a decorated war hero'

The backlash came from both sides. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, was among those who called Davidson out for the joke, saying it was "absolutely appalling."

"No one should ever mock a Veteran for the wounds they received while defending our great nation, regardless of political party or what you think of their politics. Pete Davidson owes Dan Crenshaw an apology,"Duckworth tweeted on Monday.

The National Republican Congressional Committee said Davidson should "immediately" apologize to Crenshaw and to all veterans in a statement Sunday morning, because "they're not laughing."

"Getting dumped by your pop star girlfriend is no excuse for lashing out at a decorated war hero who lost his eye serving his country," NRCC spokesman Jack Pandol said.

Despite the public outcry over the joke, Crenshaw told TMZ on Sunday that he doesn't think that Davidson owes him an apology.

"I want us to get away from this culture where we demand apologies every time someone misspeaks," Crenshaw said.

He also tweeted: "Good rule in life: I try hard not to offend; I try harder not to be offended. That being said, I hope @nbcsnl recognizes that vets don’t deserve to see their wounds used as punchlines for bad jokes."

In addition to mocking politicians, Davidson also took the time to insult his own appearance. Watch the full "SNL" clip below:

SEE ALSO: Ariana Grande revealed the name of her new album, and it's a phrase she used to diss Pete Davidson

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• Nine games into their first season without LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers have fallen to 1-8, the worst record in the league, while internal conflicts have arisen.
• According to a report, there are disagreements about the team's direction between the front office and coaching staff.
• Veteran players are upset about playing time, with some wanting to be traded.
• Some of the Cavs veterans are also not impressed with the team's younger players currently getting playing time, including rookie Collin Sexton.
• The Cavs thought they could compete this season while developing young talent, but it increasingly appears their best path forward will be blowing it up.

For the second time this decade, LeBron James has left the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the team has seemingly collapsed in on itself.

James' departure for the Miami Heat in 2010, of course, left the team in dire straights as they toiled in the NBA's abyss, collecting lottery picks and racking up 20-win seasons until James returned in 2014.

From the looks of things, James' latest departure isn't any different. Through nine games, the Cavs are an NBA-worst 1-8, with the worst point differential in the league.

As The Athletic's Joe Vardon revealed in a damning report, there are systemic issues on the team that paint an even uglier picture of the post-LeBron landscape.

At the heart of the issue, according to Vardon, seems to be organizational disagreement about the direction of the team. According to Vardon, when James left, some of the veteran Cavs players were under the impression they would be moved to different teams so the Cavs could start a rebuild. However, despite James moving, the team decided they wanted to stay competitive and fight for the playoffs.

Vardon reported that veteran wing Kyle Korver signed with the Cavs under the premise that if James left, he would be moved elsewhere. From Vardon:

"The first player Altman ever signed to a contract as GM was Kyle Korver. It was a three-year, $22 million deal inked in July of 2017, but it came with an understanding: If LeBron were to leave, the Cavs would either trade Korver or buy him out of the deal so he could move his family to his next team during the summer. So when LeBron left July 1 for the Lakers, Korver asked for the Cavs to move him. They refused because, they told him, they wanted him to play and for the team to try and win."

The decision to compete for the playoffs, sans LeBron, seems to have created issues on the roster, namely in acquiring young players to kick-start a rebuild around the team's veterans.

The Cavs used the eighth pick in the draft to take 19-year-old point guard Collin Sexton. Their biggest free agency moves included signing young, talented players like David Nwaba and Sam Dekker in hopes of giving them chances to improve.

According to Vardon, after two losses to start the season, head coach Tyronn Lue sat his veterans, who he preferred, to play younger players. But when the team still didn't win, Lue turned back to his veterans, going against the wishes of GM Koby Altman and the front office. The move still didn't result in wins, so with Lue and Altman at odds, Lue was fired.

That has only opened up new cans of worms.

Interim head coach Larry Drew has pushed back against the label of "interim" head coach, requesting more money and job security for himself and his coaching staff. Drew has made his requests public, and Vardon reported that players don't feel Drew has the proper command of the locker room because he doesn't have any long-term security.

Read more: The Cavaliers are in an awkward stalemate with interim head coach Larry Drew just days after promoting him

While that tug-of-war continues, Smith has publicly requested a trade, upset about him playing time. Meanwhile, Kevin Love, fresh off signing a four-year, $120 million extension, had to undergo foot surgery that could keep him out for over a month.

There's more! According to Vardon, Cavs players have also become disenchanted with Sexton, one of the young players the front office wants to devote more playing time.

According to Vardon, some players increasingly believe he can't play, questioning his ability to run an offense, score efficiently, set up teammates, then play defense on the other end. Vardon reported that the issues don't have much to do with Sexton as a person, and his teammates understand he's only 19, but that his performances have not won many people over.

Increasingly, it looks like the Cavs' best path is to blow it up — exactly what they decided not to do when James left.

There are real benefits to that plan. The Cavs owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks unless it lands in the top-10. Currently, the Cavs are on pace to keep that pick, but it wouldn't hurt to trade off some of their veteran players.

ESPN's Zach Lowe has reported that the Cavs signed Love to such a big extension to make it easier to trade him — the contract security that comes with an extension is more enticing than trading for Love before he hits free agency. It's unclear what the Cavs could get in return for Love now, but perhaps they could land another asset or young player to continue their rebuild.

Issues within the organization were only thinly veiled in recent years, even with James on the roster. The Cavs went all-in to build around him, and the aftermath was always going to be ugly. But at least in recent years, the winning masked some issues.

Now the team appears to be heading back toward the NBA's doldrums, and it's hard to imagine the present situation continuing. The Cavs thought they could smoothly transition between eras — remaining competitive with a veteran roster built around Love while their young players slowly developed and took center stage.

Instead, it appears their only path forward it to begin anew and usher in an entirely new era.

Join the conversation about this story »

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Prediabetes is a serious condition that signifies an early onset insulin resistance— it can also potentially become type 2 diabetes. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, untreated prediabetes can lead to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis within five years. The good news is, early intervention can help get you back on a healthy track before prediabetes develops into type 2 diabetes.

Here are some actions you can take to reverse prediabetes. 

Add exercise and activity to your daily routine.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), physical activity can have a lot of benefits, including lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes. 

The ADA notes that there are four major types of activity one should incorporate into their day: continuous activity, aerobic activity, strength training, and flexibility exercises. 

Overall, the organization suggests staying as active as you can throughout the day, even if it means setting reminders to go for a walk. 

Make the most of what you eat.

Dr. Danine Fruge, medical director of Pritikin Longevity Center, told INSIDER that it's important that you make the most of your diet by sticking to whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams.

"They're naturally packed with nutrients, and their high fiber-to-calorie ratio is very beneficial in curbing hunger, which curbs weight gain," she added.

Focus on healthy carbohydrates.

Dr. Fruge said you can normalize blood sugar levels and even reverse a prediabetes diagnosis by ensuring the bulk of your diet is fiber-rich, unprocessed carbohydrates like vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, and beans.

Dr. Michael Kagan,  L.A. Care medical director for utilization management, recommended sticking to fruit that has a low glycemic index, like cherries, pears, grapefruit, oranges, and dried apricots.

Read more: 10 signs you're at risk for developing type 2 diabetes

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.

• Combine the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card for a mostly-free trip to a Hawaiian island of your choosing.
• Each of these cards offers a huge sign-up bonus you can utilize to cover a huge component of your trip.
• Hilton Honors offers a broad range of hotel options across several of the most popular islands in Hawaii.

Even though Hawaii is part of the United States, traveling there feels like a journey to a different world. Each Hawaiian island is as diverse as it is beautiful, but they all feature stunning beaches and dynamic landscapes that will take your breath away.

Lush greenery, volcanoes, waterfalls, and crystal-clear waters perfect for surfing and scuba are the norm in this tropical paradise, making any vacation there a dream come true for both nature lovers and lovers of water and sea life. The only problem? Hawaii is notoriously expensive to visit, both due to the exorbitant costs of airfare and the high prices of hotels.

Fortunately, many travel credit cards make it possible to rack up rewards perfect for an epic Hawaii trip. If two spouses were to pick up two cards and earn the sign-up bonuses on both, they could even get both their hotels and their airfare fully covered for the Hawaiian vacation of a lifetime.

Read more: Most people think paying $450 a year for a hotel credit card is insane — here's why I signed up for the Hilton Aspire anyway

Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard

Like any trip, the first detail you'll need to handle for your journey to Hawaii is airfare. For this component of your trip, you should consider picking up the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard.

Not only does the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard offer 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening, but you also earn 3x points on Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2x points on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases, and 1x points on all other purchases. You also get a free checked bag on Hawaiian Airlines flights, along with a $100 annual companion discount and no foreign transaction fees.

Currently, Coach SuperSaver flights from the US mainland to Hawaii are just 20,000 miles one-way or 40,000 miles round-trip. You can also fly within the Hawaiian Islands for just 7,500 miles one-way with a Coach SuperSaver fare.

As a result, each person who signs up for the card and earns the sign-up bonus would have enough miles for a round-trip open-jaw fare into Hawaii and one intra-island flight at the very least. This makes this card perfect for a couple who both get the card and want to visit two islands during their trip. For example, a couple could use 20,000 miles each to fly into Oahu, 7,500 miles each to fly from Oahu to Kauai, then 20,000 miles to fly home to the US from Kauai.

On top of their airline miles redeemed, however, each person would need to pay government-mandated airline taxes and fees of $5.60 per leg.

The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard also charges a $99 annual fee.

Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card

When it comes to covering your Hawaiian hotels, focusing on the Hilton Honors hotel loyalty program is an absolute no-brainer. This is mainly due to the fact that there are so many Hilton hotels all over Hawaii, but it's also due to the fact the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card makes it so easy to rack up points.

Currently, the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card is offering 125,000 bonus Hilton Honors points after you spend $2,000 on your card within three months of account opening. You also earn 12x points on all your Hilton Honors purchases, 6x points at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations in the US, and 3x points on all other purchases.

Finally, this card comes with no foreign transaction fees, automatic Hilton Gold status, and a free weekend night award from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card within a calendar year. This card does charge a $95 annual fee.

While the points you need for a free night can vary at Hilton properties depending on dates and demand, some of your hotel options include:

• Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo— a DoubleTree by Hilton: 40,000 Hilton Honors points and up
• Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach: 49,000 Hilton Honors points and up
• Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort: 58,000 Hilton Honors points and up
• Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay: 45,000 Hilton Honors points and up
• Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort: 95,000 Hilton Honors points and up

These are just some of the Hilton properties you could choose from, but there are plenty of others. Also note that Hilton Silver members and those with higher status receive a 5th night free when they book certain five-night stays with Hilton Honors points. The Hilton Honors programs also lets you pool your points with up to 10 people within the program, which makes it a winner for couples who want to combine their points together for optimal travel redemptions.

As an example of how this could work, let's say that two partners both signed up for the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card and earned the 125,000 bonus Hilton Honors points. This would leave the couple with 250,000 bonus points total not counting points they earned on their regular spending.

If they wanted to spend five nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach at 49,000 Hilton Honors points per night, they could combine and cash in 196,000 of their points for four free nights and get their fifth night free provided standard award nights were available during their entire reservation period. They could also break their stay up across a few of Hawaii's famous islands, redeeming points for a few free nights at each.

The bottom line

If you're angling for a trip to Hawaii this year, a handful of rewards cards can make travel an especially cheap proposition. You'll still have to pay for food and fun, but having your airfare and hotels covered can help you stretch your travel budget much farther than most people realize.

Click here to learn more about theHilton Honors Ascend from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard.

SEE ALSO: 4 travel rewards cards I use to book free cruises for my family of 4

DON'T MISS: Hilton's business credit card is a compelling choice for loyalists of the hotel chain — we break down whether it's worth the $95 annual fee

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• Interrupting people may seem impolite, but it's the best way to inject life into a boring conversation.
• That's one of the points in "Nonviolent Communication," a book that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made his senior leadership team read when he took over in 2014.
• "The best time to interrupt is when we've heard one word more than we want to hear," author Marshall B. Rosenberg wrote.

There are few things more uncomfortable at a party than getting stuck in a lifeless, one-sided conversation.

If you've found yourself in one of these dull interactions, you know how hard it can be to change the subject or make a graceful exit. Meanwhile, mentioning how bored you could hurt the feelings of your conversation partner.

But that's exactly what one expert recommends to inject life into a dead conversation.

Psychologist Marshall B. Rosenberg wrote in his 2003 book "Nonviolent Communication" that interrupting someone can be a powerful conversational tool that leads to more shared empathy between people.

In his book, Rosenberg argues that communication breaks down when people fail to articulate their needs and feelings. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella famously made the members of his senior leadership team read the book when he took over in 2014.

"Our intention in interrupting is not to claim the floor for ourselves, but to help the speaker connect to the life energy behind the words being spoken," Rosenberg writes in the book.

Read more: When CEO Satya Nadella took over Microsoft, he started defusing its toxic culture by handing each of his execs a 15-year-old book by a psychologist

At one point, Rosenberg described a cocktail party he attended in which he was "in the midst of an abundant flow of words that to me seemed lifeless." He decided to take matters into his own hands:

"Excuse me," Rosenberg said to the other members of his conversation circle. "I'm feeling impatient because I'd like to be more connected with you, but our conversation isn't creating the kind of connection I'm wanting. I'd like to know if the conversation we've been having is meeting your needs, and if so, what needs of yours are being met through it.'"

As might be expected, the other people in the group "stared at me as if I had thrown a rat in the punch bowl," Rosenberg wrote. Recognizing their surprise, he asked the original speaker, "Are you annoyed with my interrupting because you would have liked to continue the conversation?"

His answer shocked him even more.

"No, I'm not annoyed," the speaker said. "I was thinking about what you were asking. And no, I wasn't enjoying the conversation; in fact, I was totally bored with it."

Rosenberg said the experience taught him the value of interrupting someone, even though it can be hard to muster the courage to actually speak up. To remedy that, he recommends chiming in before it's too late. 

"I'd suggest the best time to interrupt is when we've heard one word more than we want to hear," Rosenberg wrote. "The longer we wait, the harder it is to be civil when we do step in."

He later conducted an informal survey asking people the following question: "If you are using more words than somebody wants to hear, do you want that person to pretend to listen or to stop you?" All but one respondent said they preferred to be stopped, he wrote.

"Their answers gave me courage by convincing me that it is more considerate to interrupt people than to pretend to listen," he wrote. "All of us want our words to enrich others, not to burden them."

SEE ALSO: When CEO Satya Nadella took over Microsoft, he started defusing its toxic culture by handing each of his execs a 15-year-old book by a psychologist

DON'T MISS: The 15-year-old book CEO Satya Nadella handed his execs to start defusing Microsoft's toxic culture explains exactly how the words we use can get people on our side — or turn them against us

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Does science fiction predict the future or does it merely inspire future discoveries?

That's the question these 15 books force readers to ask themselves as they read about computer hackers, bionic limbs, and iPads, all thought up by authors decades and sometimes centuries before the inventions were created.

Inspired by this infographic of seemingly precognitive sci-fi books, we've assembled a list of the books that predicted the future.

Keep scrolling to see.

Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver’s Travels" predicted the discovery of Mars’ two moons.

This 1726 social satire follows a man named Gulliver as he travels into different worlds, like one occupied by tiny humans or another inhabited by giants.

But when Gulliver is on the island of Laputa, a floating world filled with scientists, the astronomers notice Mars has two moons in its orbit. Over 150 years later in 1877, it was discovered Mars did indeed have two moons— Phobos and Deimos.

Buy the book here >

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" predicted modern transplants.

When Shelley wrote "Frankenstein" in 1818, science was just beginning to explore the new realm of dead tissue reanimation through electricity.

And while the early methods were crude to say the least, they paved the way for future medical breakthroughs like organ transplants that were envisioned in Shelley's novel.

Buy the book here >

Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" predicted the electric submarine.

Jules Verne is known as one of the most forward-thinking authors of the 19th Century, predicting everything from lunar modules to solar sails over 100 years before they were invented.

His most famous book, however, is "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." Published in 1870, the novel predicted electric submarines 90 years before they were officially invented.

Buy the book here >

Travel isn't cheap, but getting away can be cheaper if you're more conscientious about the ways you're wasting money on booking hotel rooms. Accommodations may be the most expensive part of any trip, but there are tons of ways to save money — and prevent yourself from wasting money when choosing a hotel for your next getaway.

We talked to travel experts and veterans to share the best tips for not wasting money the next time you need a bed away from home to sleep in.

Booking through discount sites.

"Travelers often book through the big box sites that allow them to search across multiple hotel chains. That's a mistake," said travel blogger Veronica Hanson. "Hotels should always be booked through the hotel website directly. Prices are almost always cheaper when booking through the hotel." And if it's not, ask for a price match, which is advantageous to a hotel.

"[Third-party sites] typically charge a commission of 10% to 30% for bookings made through their website, and when all is said and done, that extra cost is something the consumer will be coughing up," explained Matt Baer, CEO and founder of KeyoCoin. "It may be possible to bag a discount or negotiate extra perks if you skip the intermediary altogether and speak directly to the property itself."

Forgetting to use a cash back site.

"Most people could be saving between 4% and 12% on the cost of their hotels simply by using a cashback website," said travel blogger James Cave. "Hotel booking websites like Expedia pay other websites a commission for customers that they send their way.

"Rather than keep the commission, cashback websites like eBates and Topcashback give the cash back to you in the form of Amazon vouchers or good old-fashioned cash. It's so easy you'll wish you had been doing this all along."

Not enrolling in rewards programs.

No matter how frequent or infrequent a traveler you are, you need to sign up for hotel loyalty programs, which are, essentially, free money. And many rewards programs come with perks, like faster WiFi or turndown service.

Signing up is as easy as giving your name, email and perhaps a few other details, and you'll accrue credit for discounts or free nights. To save time when you're booking your next hotel, enroll in popular programs like Starwood Preferred Guest, Hilton Honors, Marriott Rewards, and IHG Rewards before your stay.

• Tesla reported a surprise third-quarter profit two weeks ago, sending shares up as much as 20%.
• But new details show that the company's record profit was boosted by credit sales which the company earned by producing clean energy products, UBS says.
• The electric-car maker disclosed on Friday that its credits sales were $189.5 million in total.
• Watch Tesla trade in real time here.

Tesla surged two weeks ago when it posted a surprise third-quarter profit, with shares up as much as 20%. But UBS said the strong quarter was in part thanks to "some unexpected help."

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• Brandcast has raised $18 million in Series A funding to build out technology that lets marketers build and edit websites quickly.
• CEO Richard Yanowitch says that he's seeing a switch from brands pumping out content for social media to publishing websites.
• Marc Benioff, Shasta Ventures, and Affinity Group are backing the San Francisco-based startup.

Websites aren't dead.

Even as more web distribution moves to social platforms, San Francisco-based Brandcast is betting big on websites. The firm has raised $18 million in Series A funding from a handful of intriguing investors: Marc Benioff, Shasta Ventures, and Affinity Group (a firm backed by TPG Group that focuses on marketing and communication investments).

Brandcast provides cloud software that helps brands create and tweak their websites on the fly and then pulls in analytics, including its own and that of third parties like Google Analytics that track web traffic. The idea is to allow marketers to handle web design within their own teams without necessarily needing IT or tech resources.

Read more: The rise of Marc Benioff, the bombastic Salesforce CEO who's buying up Time Magazine for $190 million

Brandcast's clients include health and wellness retailer Shaklee, creative shop The Craftsman Agency, and natural soda brand Virgil's.

"The relationship between brands and customers is being redefined every day by trends in the digital world," said Richard Yanowitch, CEO and chairman of Brandcast. "We've found that it's critical for digital experiences to be brought under the direct control of CMOs, marketing, and digital teams in order for them to unleash the full creative potential of those teams."

According to Yanowitch, enterprise companies are increasingly taking static assets — like PDFs and PowerPoint presentations — and figuring out how to turn them into pieces of digital content. Brands are also creating personalized websites that feature content specific to individual customers that are created in minutes.

The new funding will go to more customer-focused functions like more salespeople and staff focused on customer success, Yanowitch said.

Benioff and Shasta Ventures have both previously invested in Brandcast.

Social media killed websites. Now they're back.

A few years ago, brands seemed to ditch websites for social media for distribution and tried to sell things on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

"For a while up until very recently, social media appeared to be the panacea for these brands, but they are starting to find that they're too limited as a brand by the confines of a Facebook Page and the format that you have for Facebook or Twitter," Yanowitch said. "And they have to pay a toll for every interaction with a consumer."

On top of that, Facebook and Twitter are struggling with hacking,bots, and trustworthiness.

"There's this new phase where CMOs and digital innovation teams are realizing that they have to manage a much bigger portfolio of URLs and digital experiences — they have to be in many places at once," he said. "Rather than go back to their website, they're creating a whole new generation of websites with marketing dollars."

Brands are reinvesting advertising money into technology

Increasingly, brands like Nike are shifting money from advertising into services that provide so-called "digital transformations" like user experience, data, and technology. Those aren't things that traditional ad agencies usually specialize in, and a crop of consultancies promise to help brands manage all of it in addition to handling their advertising.

Other brands are cutting out some of their partners and moving technology and marketing in-house. Yanowitch said Brandcast works with both agencies and in-house marketers.

"One of the reasons this is taking off is [because] it is viewed as one of the fastest ways to make progress in digital transformation for these important brands," he said. "It allows them to create this ecosystem of collaboration with in-house teams, external teams, with all the technology being taken care of up in the cloud."

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NOW WATCH: There's so much CO2 in the atmosphere that planting trees can no longer save us

• NASA launched its $1.5 billion Parker Solar Probe mission toward the sun in August.
• The spacecraft is scheduled to "touch" the sun on Monday night during the first of 24 flybys.
• NASA's probe will reach a speed of 213,200 mph while flying through 3.6-million-degree solar plasma.
• A heat shield protects the probe, but these conditions won't be the fastest or hottest the spacecraft will experience.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe just smashed the record for fastest human-made object — but it's just getting started on a series of feats that defy comprehension.

On Monday night around 10:28 p.m. ET, the probe should fly around the sun at about 213,200 mph. Compare this to the speed of NASA's Juno spacecraft, which zooms past the cloud tops of Jupiter at 130,000 mph once every two months.

While the car-size Parker Solar Probe breaks humanity's speed record, it's also surviving some of the solar system's harshest conditions. Right now, it's screaming through the diffuse outer atmosphere of the sun, which is about 3.6 million degrees Fahrenheit.

NASA launched the robot in August aboard a powerful rocket — the start of a seven-year, $1.5-billion mission to decrypt some of the sun's greatest mysteries.

The Parker Solar Probe is expected to easily survive this solar flyby, though its operators won't know until later this week if anything went wrong.

"For several days around the November 5 perihelion, Parker Solar Probe will be completely out of contact with Earth because of interference from the sun's overwhelming radio emissions," the space agency said in a press release.

This orbit will bring the spacecraft within about 15 million miles of the sun's surface. That's about six times as close as Earth is to the sun.

However, this perihelion — the term for the closest point to the sun during a given orbit — is only the first of the Parker probe's 24 death-defying solar encounters.

What's in store for the Parker Solar Probe

Over the next seven years, each of the robot's orbits will get closer and closer to the sun. Its speed relative to the star will also increase, as will the hellish conditions it must survive.

The Parker Solar Probe's perihelion in December 2024 (about 21 orbits from now) will accelerate it to nearly 430,000 mph and get it within 4 million miles of the sun. That's close enough to study the star's mysterious atmosphere, solar wind, and other properties more deeply than ever before.

The goal is to crack two 60-year-old mysteries: why the sun has a solar wind, and how the corona — the star's outer atmosphere — can heat up to millions of degrees. That's about 100 times hotter than the sun's surface temperature of about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"That defies the laws of nature. It's like water rolling uphill," Nicola Fox, a solar physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said during a NASA press briefing in 2017. "Until you actually go there and touch the sun, you can't answer these questions."

Both the solar wind and corona are key to understanding solar storms, which can overwhelm electrical grids on Earth, harm our satellites, disrupt electronics, and possibly lead to trillions of dollars' worth of damage. Data collected by the probe's sensors might help space-weather forecasters better predict potentially devastating, violent solar outbursts.

The probe's maximum expected speed translates to nearly 120 miles per second. This is fast enough to fly from New York to Tokyo in less than a minute and 3.3 times as fast as the Juno spacecraft.

To achieve this feat, the probe has to zoom past planet Venus seven times; each flyby helps the robot correct its orbit to slip closer to the sun and boost its speed. On September 25, during its first Venusian flyby, the probe turned back toward Earth and took the photograph below.

Our planet is the bright dot at the top-right of the picture.

How to fly through hell and back

For now, the searing-hot plasma that the plucky solar probe is withstanding is so diffuse that "it doesn't influence the temperature of the spacecraft," NASA said.

But the space agency added that the spacecraft's high-tech heat shield is the reason its temperature is so stable.

The shield, called the Thermal Protection System, always faces the sun and blocks its light. It also protects the probe and its sensors from a solar wind of charged, high-energy particles that can mess with electronics.

The 8-foot-wide shield is made of 4.5 inches of carbon foam that's sandwiched between two sheets of carbon composites. That allows it to absorb and deflect solar energy that might otherwise fry the probe. A water cooling system will also help prevent the spacecraft's solar panels from roasting and keep the Parker probe at 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Already, the surface of the heat shield has reached a temperature of about 820 degrees Fahrenheit. And it's only expected to get hotter as the probe continues its mission.

During the most harrowing segment of its journey, NASA's probe must withstand sunlight 3,000 times stronger than occurs at Earth. Outside the spacecraft, temperatures during this pass may reach 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. (If steel was heated to this temperature, the metal would melt into a liquid.)

The probe's mission will continue for about seven years, or until it runs out of the propellant necessary to keep the heat shield pointed at the sun.

When that happens, the star's blistering heat will burn up "90% of the spacecraft," science writer Shannon Stirone said on Twitter— but not the heat shield itself.

"The heat shield will then orbit the sun for millions of years," she said.

SEE ALSO: NASA's $1 billion Jupiter mission has taken years' worth of stunning images — here are some of Juno's best pictures

DON'T MISS: How a solar storm nearly triggered nuclear war in 1967

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: NASA is flying a $1.5 billion spacecraft into the sun — here's why

• The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a long account describing a student's rape allegation against Liu Qiangdong, the billionaire founder of Chinese tech firm JD.com.
• Liu was arrested in connection with the claim in August, and prosecutors are deciding whether to charge him.
• The article, which cites police interviews and text messages, offers details of the allegations made by the 21-year-old student accusing Liu of rape.
• It describes her claims of being plied with alcohol and manoeuvred into a situation where Liu went home with her in his private car.
• It describes her claim of a violent encounter inside her apartment, ending with non-consensual sex.
• Liu has denied these allegations, and his lawyer called the Star Tribune story "one-sided."

A new report has offered the first detailed account of an alleged rape by JD.com CEO Liu Qiangdong, claiming that the Chinese tech billionaire forced himself on a student after a night of heavy drinking in Minnesota.

Citing text messages, police interviews, and other documents, the Minneapolis Star Tribune offered a long account of the woman's allegations of the night during which she claimed to have been raped by Liu.

Liu is the founder and CEO of JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce giant which recently struck a deal with Google to help it enter the US market. He is one of China's richest men. He has consistently denied the allegation, and did so again on Monday via a statement to Business Insider from his attorney.

Read more: Google is helping a Chinese CEO being investigated for rape to bring his company to the US

The Star Tribune reports that the woman was a student from China who says she volunteered to help with events related to a high-powered course held at the University of Minnesota for Chinese executives.

It describes the woman's allegations of being invited to an expensive restaurant, separated from her one friend at the event, being seated next to Liu, and encouraged to drink heavily.

An earlier report by the Reuters news agency said the woman later described the event as "a trap."

According to the Star Tribune's account, the woman asked to leave at the end of the meal, but was instead picked up Liu's private SUV, which eventually took both of them back to her apartment near campus.

The Star Tribune describes the following further details of the alleged victim’s allegations:

"The woman unlocked her apartment door and Liu followed inside.

"Inside the apartment, she told police, he pulled off her sweater over her protests. She said that Liu told her she could be just like Wendi Deng, the Chinese-born ex-wife of Australian media executive Rupert Murdoch.

"'I told him "no" several times,' she told police. She also told police that he tried to pull off her skirt and bra, held her arms and tried to throw her onto her bed.

"'We were battling against each other on the bed and finally I escaped from him and went back to the living room and put the bra back on again,' she said in the interview. 'Finally, he just threw me onto the bed. He was on me. He was heavy. I tried to push him away. But he was on top of me … and then he raped me.'"

Liu was arrested the following day. He was allowed to leave the US and return to China while police investigated the incident. Liu has continued to run JD.com in the meantime.

Prosecutors in Hennepin County, Minnesota, were handed the results of a police investigation in late September. They are considering whether to charge Liu with any crimes.

Jill Brisbois, Liu's attorney in Minneapolis, told Business Insider that her client has done nothing wrong.

Her statement, which refers to her client by the more western name Richard Liu, said: "We are not at liberty to discuss this investigation nor share evidence with the media right now because we respect and do not want to interfere with the judicial process.

"It is unfair for Business Insider to publish a one-sided story when the prosecutors are still considering the case. Richard maintains his innocence, has cooperated fully with the investigation, and was quickly released by police without any restriction on his travel and without being required to post bail.

"We believe his innocence will be apparent once a determination has been made and all evidence is disclosed to the public."

In response to a renewed request for comment, JD.com repeated a statement it first issued on September 4, just after Liu was arrested.

It said: "We were informed that our CEO Richard Qiangdong Liu was taken into custody by Minneapolis police on August 31, 2018. He has been released without any charges, and without requirement for bail. Mr. Liu has returned to work in China."

SEE ALSO: China's biggest retailer is coming to America with the help of Google

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INSIDER decided to take a look at a variety of movies new and old that are about the end of the world as we know it.

Whether the world ended thanks to aliens, zombies, natural disasters, or man-made disasters, the following movies show how people behave when confronted with the end of the world. 

Keep reading for our ranking of 19 apocalypse movies (including some ties).

16. The star-studded "Armageddon" was about an asteroid threatening to destroy Earth.

"Armageddon," Michael Bay's 1998 blockbuster, featured an ensemble cast — including Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Owen Wilson — trying to prevent an asteroid from destroying the planet.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 38%

15. Kevin Costner's "Waterworld" is set in a world ravaged by climate change.

The polar ice caps have melted, and the world is covered in water. That's the premise of 1995's "Waterworld," directed by and starring Kevin Costner.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 42%

14. A new Ice Age has descended upon the planet in "The Day After Tomorrow."

The dangers of climate change are explored in 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow," in which a sudden international storm triggers a new Ice Age.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 44%

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

• Plenty of retailers are offering free shipping this holiday season, but only a few have removed the minimum order requirement.
• This year, Amazon announced that even non-Prime members will get free shipping an any order set to be delivered before Christmas. 
• Other retailers offering free shipping with no minimum include Best Buy, Nordstrom, and Target. 

Free shipping is one of the best perks an online store can offer. It always feels good to save a few extra bucks, and it decreases the pressure to fill your cart with unnecessary items to reach an order minimum. Many stores already offer free shipping all year long, but they tend to be startups with more specialized wares. 

Just for the holidays, however, a few stores where you can shop for pretty much anything are relaxing their shipping policies and giving you free shipping on your order, regardless of the order total.For example, Amazon announced today that all shoppers can get free shipping on orders of any value (the minimum is usually $25 to qualify) — a welcome piece of news for any non-Prime member.

It's also a wake-up call to other major retailers to implement similar policies if they hope to attract holiday shoppers this season. We certainly won't complain if more online stores join the following list and let us enjoy free shipping. 

These are the stores offering free shipping for the holiday season:

1. Amazon

It's usually only Prime members who enjoy free two-day shipping, but for a limited time, Amazon is opening up free shipping to all shoppers. As long as the item ordered will arrive before Christmas, it will ship for free (though the two-day guaranteed shipping perk is still reserved for Prime members specifically). The vast selection of hundreds of millions of products makes it easy to pick up a cheap stocking stuffer alongside a thoughtful gift for your in-laws. 

2. Target

Target is taking away the $35 shipping minimum now through December 22. To ensure your order arrives in two days and when you want it to, check out this order cut-off chart.

If you're not sure where to start, we found more than 30 gift options from Target for you. If you're just browsing, you're sure to stumble across cool finds from online start-ups you've probably heard of or fun holiday pajama sets that also make great gifts.

3. Best Buy

Though there are some exceptions (special-order delivery items, some scheduled-delivery items), most products at Best Buy enjoy free shipping, now through December 25. The holiday deals are already starting, and you probably don't need us to tell you twice that you'll find some of the best tech gifts here. 

4. Nordstrom

Nordstrom also offers free shipping during the pivotal holiday shopping season — actually, it does so the rest of the year, too, but we think it's worth emphasizing as you search for luxe gifts for your designer-inclined friend and limited-time collaborations you can't find anywhere else. It won't be as fast as Amazon or Target, which both have two-day policies for most items, but at least it's still free. 

Do you have someone in your life who's difficult to shop for? Fill out this form and we will reply to you with personalized gift suggestions.

Looking for gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

Join the conversation about this story »

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

• Photography can be an expensive hobby or profession, but there are plenty of necessities and toys that don't cost an arm and a leg.
• Whether you're shopping for a full-time pro or a brand-new enthusiast, this gift guide has the perfect option.

Photography is a fantastic hobby or profession, and despite many changes to the scene as smartphone cameras have proliferated, there is still plenty of useful gear out there.

If you're shopping for a photographer on your list, whether a professional, an enthusiast, or someone who's looking to get started, this list has the perfect gift. From entry-level cameras to novelty gifts, and from advanced photo drones to inspirational ideas, you're sure to find something perfect.

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.


SEE ALSO: 34 cool stocking stuffers you can get on Amazon for under $20

DON'T MISS: 32 gifts anyone who just moved into a new apartment will appreciate not having to buy themselves

A top-of-the-line entry-level advanced camera

Nikon D3500, available at B&H, $496.95 (also available at Amazon)

The Nikon D3500 is the perfect camera for someone getting started with photography and looking to advance past iPhone photos. It shoots great photos on automatic mode, and offers full manual control and advanced features. The less-expensive model comes with an 18-55mm kit lens, but it's also worth considering the two-lens bundle, which includes a 70-300mm lens for just $100 more.

A stylish pair of cufflinks

Camera Mode Dial Cufflinks, available at Amazon, $54.95

These iconic cufflinks look just like an actual camera dial.

An entry-level drone that can fly and take photos and shoot video outdoors

DJI Spark Drone and Remote Combo, available at Amazon, $399

The DJI Spark is one of the best all-purpose devices for someone getting into drone photography. It has a stabilized camera capable of taking 12 MP photos and 1080p video.

• Marla Beck, the cofounder and CEO of beauty-store chain Bluemercury, has a jam-packed morning routine.
• Beck said in a column at The Cut that she wakes up naturally at 6 a.m. every day, walks four miles or runs up to five miles, reads four newspapers, and tests beauty products in the office in her master bathroom — all before heading into work.
• Beck is one of many CEOs who say they wake up before dawn to jump-start their workdays.

There's nothing laid-back about being CEO of a cosmetics company, and Marla Beck is proof.

Beck, the cofounder and CEO of beauty-store chain Bluemercury, revealed her jam-packed morning routine in a column by Jessica Prince Erlich at New York Magazine's The Cut.

Beck told Erlich that she wakes up every morning at 6 a.m. — without the aid of an alarm clock — and walks four miles with her husband Barry, the other cofounder of Bluemercury and the company's chief operating officer. On days when Barry is traveling, Beck said she does five miles of interval training at the gym instead.

Back home by 8 a.m., Beck said she powers through four morning newspapers: The New York Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times.

Read more:21 successful people who wake up incredibly early

One some days, Beck said she doesn't head into work until as late as 11:30 a.m., but that's because she's already started her work day from home. Beck wrote that every morning, she tests beauty products from the home office in her master bathroom — sometimes the process involves dozens of products and spans up to three hours.

Beck's habits mirror those of other successful executives like Apple's Tim Cook, GE's Jeff Immelt, General Motors' Mary Barra, and Virgin Group's Richard Branson, all of whom have reported waking up before dawn to jump-start their work days.

So far, Beck's routine has led to success for Bluemercury. In 2015, Macy's acquired the chain for $210 million while keeping her as its CEO. Bluemercury now has shops in Macy's stores as well as more than 150 freestanding locations across the US.

"I'm always thinking about products, I'm never off," she told The Cut. "But I'm lucky that I have the opportunities I have to create and have a family. I'm really lucky."

Read Beck's full daily routine at The Cut »

SEE ALSO: How Bluemercury CEO Marla Beck makes hiring decisions in 7 minutes

DON'T MISS: 21 successful people who wake up incredibly early

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• Amazon is hiring its own fleet of full-time drivers to deliver packages to Prime customers. 
• Amazon will manage these drivers directly, meaning the company will set their wages, provide them with delivery vehicles, and schedule their routes.
• Amazon has previously relied on delivery services provided by UPS, FedEx, and USPS, as well as contractors employed through its Flex delivery program and third-party courier companies called Delivery Service Partners.
• At a recent Amazon training for the new program, drivers were told "they didn't want people peeing in bottles," a source told Business Insider.

Amazon is launching a new last-mile shipping service this holiday season.

For the first time, the company is planning to hire and manage thousands of full-time drivers to transport packages to customers from Amazon delivery outposts across the US, the company confirmed to Business Insider on Monday.

Amazon will manage these drivers directly, meaning the company will set their wages, provide them with delivery vehicles, and schedule their routes. The drivers are seasonal, but will have the option to apply to continue their employment with Amazon following the holiday season. 

"Seasonal employees have long been utilized to supplement capacity during peak shopping periods," an Amazon spokeswoman said. "This holiday, thousands of full-time, seasonal Delivery Associates will deliver to customers during the busy retail shopping season."

In the past, instead of hiring its own drivers, Amazon has relied on delivery services provided by UPS, FedEx, and USPS, as well as contractors employed through its Flex delivery program and third-party courier companies called Delivery Service Partners.

The company's move to hire its own drivers follows a recent push to expand its network of Delivery Service Providers. Amazon has been trying to grow its delivery options as the company's shipping costs explode, nearly doubling between 2015 and 2016 to $21.7 billion.

The new delivery roles could create some competition between Amazon and its own contracted Delivery Service Providers, however. 

Drivers employed by Amazon will qualify for the retailer's recently-implemented $15 minimum hourly wage— unlike drivers employed by its Delivery Service Partners.

Job postings for the new Amazon delivery jobs advertise hourly wages of $16.25 per hour to $17.25 per hour. 

This could put some pressure on Amazon's Delivery Service Partners to raise their own wages to at least $15 per hour. 

Amazon also appears to be trying to create a more reasonable working environment for its own drivers. 

At a recent training last week for new hires of the delivery program, an Amazon manager addressed Business Insider's reports of Amazon-affiliated drivers urinating in bottles and skipping breaks on their delivery routes, according to an attendee of the training who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

"They said they didn't want people peeing in bottles," this person said. "They also said that people weren’t taking lunch breaks, and they said we have to take those."

Read more: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of 'free' shipping

Work shifts could still be strenuous and long, however, with the potential to last up to 12 hours, according to job postings for the new roles.

"Under tight deadlines, drives a delivery van up to 10,000 pounds to many customer residences and businesses, climbs in and out of van, and walks up and down stairs as required to deliver packages according to established procedures in all weather conditions," reads a job description for Amazon's new delivery role. "Ability to lift, bend, reach above the head, kneel, crouch, and/or stretch during shifts up to 12 hours long."

Also read:

• Missing wages, grueling shifts, and bottles of urine: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of "free" shipping
• 'Someone is going to die in this truck': Amazon drivers and managers describe harrowing deliveries inside trucks with 'bald tires,' broken mirrors, and faulty brakes
• Amazon plants fake packages in delivery trucks as part of an undercover ploy to 'trap' drivers who are stealing
• More than 200 delivery drivers are suing Amazon over claims of missing wages
• "We sped like crazy": Amazon delivery drivers say they feel pressure to drive dangerously, urinate in bottles, and sprint on the job

SEE ALSO: 'Amazon has all the power': How Amazon controls legions of delivery drivers without paying their wages and benefits

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• With the 2018 midterm elections upon us, now is the perfect time to make a plan to vote to make sure your Election Day goes off without a hitch.
• Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2018, but you can vote early or absentee in most states.
• Here's everything you need to know about your state's voter registration deadlines, when your ballot is due if you'll be voting absentee, whether you can take time off work to vote, whether you can take a ballot selfie, and when the polls open and close in your state.

With the 2018 midterm elections upon us, now is the perfect time to start planning when and how you'll vote, whether you plan to head to the polls in person on November 6 or send in an absentee ballot before then.

A 2010 experimental study found that voter turnout was up to 9% higher among people who made a plan to vote before Election Day compared to those who did not.

Since every state has different requirements and deadlines, informing yourself about voting in your state to make sure you won't be blindsided by unexpected poll closing hours or registration deadlines will pay off when Election Day comes around.

Here's everything you need to know about your state's voter registration deadlines, when your ballot is due if you'll be voting absentee, and when the polls open and close in your state, if you plan to vote in person.

Registration deadlines by state:

While voter registration deadlines have passed in most states, there's still time to register if you live in North Carolina or one of the 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allows voters to register on Election Day.

Since North Dakota has no voter registration, you don't need to do anything advance besides bring an ID to the polls. (Keep reading below to more learn specifics about voter ID laws).

Deadlines to apply for an absentee ballot by state:

If you're registered to vote but will be away from your polling place on Election Day, there's still time in many states to request and send in an absentee ballot.

While states all have different requirements for receiving a ballot, most military service members, US citizens living abroad, college students, or people who will otherwise be away from their polling place for another reason, including a disability or religious conflict, are eligible to vote absentee in the November 6 election.

All states allow voters to request ballots by mail, but only some permit in-person requests. Virginia is the only state where voters can apply for an absentee ballot online.

Deadlines to send in your absentee ballot by state:

While most states require that your absentee ballot be postmarked or received by your election official by Election Day, some will count your ballot as long as it arrives within up to 10 days of Election Day.

If you request a ballot but don't receive it in time to mail in back by your state's deadline, you can fill out the Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot as a backup.

In the meantime, you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot lookup tool for information on all the federal, state, and local elections and/or ballot initiatives that you can vote on this fall.

• "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd appeared on the "Today" show Monday morning to discuss the midterm elections.
• Todd said the voter turnout could cross the 100 million mark.
• Such a high turnout renders predictive polls practically useless, he said.

Early voting numbers suggest that Tuesday's elections will have one of the highest voter turnouts for a midterm election in recent years.

But while it's good that Americans are exercising their civic duty, it makes predicting the outcome of the election almost impossible, according to "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd.

Todd appeared on the "Today" show on Monday to discuss the midterms, which Democrats are hoping will win them back control of the House, and possibly the Senate.

Read more: These 25 Congressional races to watch are some of the most competitive in the 2018 midterm elections

Todd says he expects the vote to cross the 100 million mark, and that the numbers he's seeing so far are more like the engagement one would see for a presidential election, which are far more popular.

"When you have a turnout like this, it's gonna make pollsters look ridiculous, not because they don't do a good job, but because you can not accommodate for all these new voters in any sort of model," Todd said.

Pollsters ran into a similar issue during the last election, when a wave of voters turned out to vote for Trump. Almost every poll at the time predicted Hillary Clinton winning the race.

SEE ALSO: The 2018 midterms will be the most expensive in history – here are the candidates who have raised and spent the most money since Trump's election

DON'T MISS: See if you need to bring an ID to vote in this handy map breaking down all the state rules for the 2018 midterm elections

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