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15 celebrities' favorite off-the-beaten-path eateries

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the loveless cafe

  • Many people think celebrities frequent only swanky Michelin-starred restaurants — but sometimes, they crave simple meals just like the rest of us do.
  • Taylor Swift opts for sweet potato pancakes at a breakfast nook in Nashville, Tennessee, while the Kardashians have dined at the same Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California, since they were kids.
  • Sarah Jessica Parker and Jimmy Fallon have even shed light on lesser-known spots in New York City.

When people think celebrities, they think luxury.

But sometimes, when it comes to their food, celebrities are just like us, and they crave something more simple. For Sarah Jessica Parker, a tiny British tea parlor in Greenwich Village does the trick; and Martha Stewart said a breakfast she had at a dive diner in Nashville, Tennessee, was the best she's ever tasted.

Here are 15 celebs and their favorite lesser-known spots to grab a bite. 

Sarah Jessica Parker knows all the good spots in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, but loves Tea & Sympathy in particular.

Tucked away on Greenwich Avenue in New York City is Tea & Sympathy, a cozy neighborhood joint for afternoon tea, shepherd's pie, and sticky toffee pudding. The spot has been around for over two decades and is one of longtime New Yorker Sarah Jessica Parker's all-time favorite haunts.

Parker spoke highly of the British-themed nook on Instagram recently: "Delicious. Comforting. And most perfect spot for a cozy assignation. The whole world stops when you are on the other side of those foggy windows."

 



The Kardashians have dined at Carousel — a Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California — since they were kids.

If you're a devoted fan of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," you may have noticed that they often dine at Carousel Restaurant in Glendale, California. 

Kim Kardashian West recently celebrated her 37th birthday at the family-owned spot, which serves authentic Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. Carousel explained on Facebook, "The Kardashians have been loyal patrons of Carousel ever since the late Robert Kardashian brought his family to the Hollywood location years ago to experience authentic Armenian food."

 



One of Mark Wahlberg's favorite Boston, Massachusetts, haunts is Marylou's Coffee.

Mark Wahlberg is vocal about his Boston pride. When he recently made a trip back to his hometown he stopped at Marylou's Coffee in the Quincy neighborhood of the city, and, according to the Boston Herald, "hopped behind the shop’s iconic hot pink counter and pretended to take drink orders."



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This $10 Target shampoo was designed by a celebrity hair stylist — and it left my hair feeling smooth and healthy

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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.

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  • The cult-favorite Kristin Ess for Target line is an affordable collection of luxury hair products. The signature shampoo and conditioner cost $10 per bottle
  • Ess has a large following as the co-founder of TheBeautyDepartment.com, which includes beauty trends, tips, and how-tos, and for styling the likes of Lauren Conrad and Lucy Hale's hair. 
  • The line's development relied on Ess' expertise from 20+ years as a hair stylist and colorist. Formulas have a proprietary Zip-Up technology that combats split ends, and shoppers will find hair-care tips and tricks on the back of each product. 
  • I tried the Signature Shampoo ($10) and Signature Conditioner ($10), and I came away impressed. The products are hydrating, smoothing, and luxurious. They definitely compete with more expensive formulas I've tried. 

How many times have you watched a behind-the-scenes video of a star-studded event to think: “If only I had a team of seven professional cosmetologists to help me get ready.”

For me, that thought typically pops up once in the moment and then again later, perniciously, right before something like a date. I’m standing in front of a mirror, and I’m sawing through seven advanced-level sailor’s knots in my hair with a plastic hairbrush. I am late. 

But, thankfully, the twenty-first century is a great time to have aspirational style on a shoestring budget. Affordable luxury — and luxuries — are relatively easy to attain. Direct-to-consumer companies like DSTLD are making real leather leggings under $900 (how does $350 sound?), MIT grads at Maelove are making a $28 vitamin C serum that works like a $166 one, and RTR's unlimited subscription is bringing the runway to your office's blandly carpeted hallway for pennies on the dollar. Just by being savvy, you can almost afford to live like the other half lives. 

For haircare, luxury can be as cheap as a $10 bottle of shampoo at your local Target. Social media may be guilty of showing you the perks you're missing out on, but it also gives rise to partnerships between the people you already trust and the fields they've become masters in. 

Kristin Ess' Target hair care line is a great example of this. If you're unfamiliar, Ess has gained fame for a 20-year-long career as a stylist and colorist for the likes of Lauren Conrad and Lucy Hale. She co-founded TheBeautyDepartment.com, which houses beauty tips and how-tos, and runs an informative and disarmingly interactive Instagram with over 500,000 followers. In other words, she's a passionate stylist with a desire to educate and a handle on transparency.

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Ess' partnership with Target is a natural fit. It's affordable, approachable, and, more than anything, surprisingly good for the price, like much of what you'll find at Target. The line launched officially in 2017 and has continually dropped new products since — the latest being hair glosses ($14) and cool metallic essential styling accessories ($5-$20). Core Kristin Ess products are priced under $14. Her new hot tools are $80. Hair dryers are $50. The One Signature Shampoo and Conditioner is $10 per bottle, and they're formulated for all hair types and everyday use. On the back of each bottle, Ess includes personalized tips and tricks for how to get the most out of it — gleaned through a six-month stint of using only her own products on celebrity clients and beauty appointments.

In a nutshell, it's an affordable line of hero products engineered by a reputable, enthusiastic, expert stylist. It may not be the same as having Ess kick the door down to wrangle your hair into a blowout before dinner and a movie, but it's an upgrade to have access to the products she might use if she did — especially if they're only $10 each.

To see if they're worth the $10, or if they stand up to the hype they generated online, I tried the One Signature Shampoo and One Signature Conditioner for myself. It has Ess' proprietary Zip-Up Repair Technology (a strengthening complex) that works to target weak areas of the hair, smooth the appearance of damaged cuticles, and protect hair from environmental stressors and color fade. 

My experience using the Kristin Ess $10 shampoo and conditioner:

First of all, while the aesthetic of the packaging is far less important than the formula, it doesn't hurt that the Kristin Ess line is so pretty to look at. I actually like leaving these bottles out. And when I see them, I get excited about using them. It's a simple thing, but it makes the whole process feel more like a luxurious treat-yourself experience than a Tuesday night shower. 

Without a good formula, though, the looks don't matter. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be a problem here. It's sulfate-free, has lathers well, and can be used every day.

Overall, I was really pleasantly surprised. It performs like a much more expensive line. My dry, unruly hair felt healthy and moisturized after using it, without any grimy product buildup or added weight. It looked shinier, felt smoother, and had fewer flyaways. It also smells amazing.

Most importantly, the One Signature Shampoo ($10) and One Signature Conditioner ($10) nourish hair really well. And while I really only use the T3 BodyWaver as my main hot tool these days, my hair looked nicer on its own without any hot tool intervention. Even though sulfate-free formulas can fail at making hair feel both clean and moisturized, I didn't have that issue here. Having said that, my hair is a huge, thick mass. It has been colored, and it's far more dry than greasy. If your hair is thin or fine and prone to oil, this may not work for you.

The tips and tricks on the back are a welcome touch, even if it's nothing earth-shattering. It's a small, personal detail that closes the distance for you between this product designed by a hair stylist, and another designed by a vague, faceless team. Ess told Allure in 2017 she carted around the whole line for six months to ensure she could rely on her own products to style every client's hair. The knowledge of 20 years of styling hair, and then using these exact products to create professional looks, is why you'd appreciate her specific tips and tricks. She knows hair, she knows these products, and she's a good authority on how to get the most out of them.

The bottom line:

All in all, they're cheap, luxurious products — as promised. They leave my hair feeling clean and silky, I have fewer flyaways and frizz, and I wouldn't guess in a blind test that they're $10 each. They compete with more expensive formulas I've tried and loved, and while I'm often testing products too frequently to be consistent with my own routines, I'd gladly buy these again. However, if you have fine strands or hair prone to grease, this may not be for you. Consider John Frieda's Luxurious Volume Conditioner ($6.99) instead. 

Insider tip: There have been complaints that the Kristin Ess line isn't reliably in stock in physical stores. To save yourself time or disappointment, you may want to order online. 

Kristin Ess The One Signature Shampoo, available at Target, $10

Kristin Ess The One Signature Conditioner, available at Target, $10

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Forget about 'Fortnite': A new, free game makes 9 brilliant changes to the Battle Royale formula

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Apex Legends

  • A brand-new Battle Royale game named "Apex Legends" surprise-launched on Monday. It's free, and available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
  • "Apex Legends" is cut from the same cloth as "Fortnite," but makes several meaningful changes that evolve the Battle Royale genre.
  • After playing a bunch of "Apex Legends," it's clear that the game stands out from its inspiration.


In a risky, unprecedented move, EA announced and released a brand-new blockbuster game this week: A Battle Royale-style first-person shooter for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC named "Apex Legends."

On paper, "Apex Legends" sounds a lot like "Fortnite." 

It's a free-to-play shooter centered around a Battle Royale mode! It costs nothing, and it's available on several gaming platforms! It's full of colorful loot!

In reality, "Apex Legends" is a very different game in the same genre as "Fortnite."

As the latest entry in the increasingly crowded Battle Royale genre, "Apex Legends" evolves the formula in a variety of brilliant twists. Allow me to count the ways:

SEE ALSO: EA just released a new game without any warning, and there's a simple reason why: loot boxes

1. Class-based, team-based Battle Royale that doesn't require a headset.

At launch, there is no way to play "Apex Legends" as a single player online. There is no "duos" mode either. The only way to play the game is in squads of three players, with 60 total players filling 20 squads. 

Given this, "Apex Legends" is very specifically made with communication in mind. Your squad is much, much more likely to win if you're talking to each other.

But don't worry: That doesn't mean you have to actually talk to strangers.

A brilliant, robust system exists in-game for "spotting" various things. See an enemy? Tap the right bumper on your gamepad and your character will call out those enemies and even mark their last movement for your teammates. 

Smarter still, that system is contextual. If you're looking at a level three helmet and "spot" it, your character shouts out, "Level three helmet here!" and marks it for your teammates. It's this system that enables teammates to communicate a wealth of information without having to literally speak to strangers.



2. Death isn't necessarily permanent.

The concept of reviving teammates in Battle Royale games isn't new unto itself, nor is the concept new to online multiplayer shooters.

What is new, however, is the concept of respawning completely dead teammates — "Apex Legends" enables just that.

As is now standard in squad-based shooters, players on the losing end of a fight are "downed" initially. Thus begins a timer that leads to that player eventually dying, called the "bleeding out" process. If you get to your squadmate before they bleed out, you can revive them — pretty standard.

But if they die, a new timer begins. You now have about one minute to retrieve your squadmate's banner, which was left on their corpse. If you retrieve it safely, there are respawn stations where you can outright respawn a fallen teammate. 

This may sound small, but it fundamentally changes the nature of Battle Royale games.

If you encounter a player and you kill them, but don't wipe out their whole squad, you risk allowing that player to be revived. Similarly, if you're killed early in the match, you shouldn't quit out of the game and move on — your squadmates are just as likely to revive you. 

In so many words, it adds another layer of depth to the Battle Royale formula.

Anecdotally, the first game I won was a game where I was respawned by a savvy teammate who carefully got away at the right moment.



3. Dropping as a group solves a major problem with Battle Royale games.

Too often, when playing games like "Fortnite" or "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" in squad-based modes, everyone barrels to the island and does their own thing. 

Right off the bat, "Apex Legends" strongly encourages teams to stick together by forcing them to drop from the airship together. One of the three players is appointed the "jumpmaster" (really!), and that person gets to decide where the trio of players drops on the map. You're able to split off in mid-air or  jump earlier if you'd prefer, but the message is clear: You'll do better together, so why not stay together?

As a bonus, you get to call your friends funny nicknames that involve the amazing non-word "jumpmaster."



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THE PODCAST REPORT: Why podcasts should be the go-to channel for your next ad campaign — and how brands can tap into the future of audio (KRW)

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This is a preview of The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence. Current subscribers can read the report here.

  • The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled in the past decade — and there's still a long runway for growth.
  • And the podcast listenership base continues to grow in the US amid declines in consumption of other premium ad environments.
  • Entertainers, music streaming platforms, and smart speakers will play a role in furthering podcast listenership growth throughout the next five years.

Are your social circles and online feeds always buzzing with everyone’s latest podcast obsession? The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled over the last decade. And by 2023, Business Insider Intelligence estimates there will be some 106 million regular podcast listeners in the US.

Podcast Listener Base Growing

People are getting hooked on audio from a young age, too. Over a quarter (26%) of US consumers over age 12 now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, a jump from just 12% five years ago.

And while the growing listener base is a huge draw for advertisers, it’s not the real reason they should be exploring podcast campaigns. After all, more than half of overall daily media consumption time in the US is now spent with video. Even so, podcasts have the upper hand.

Why should brands advertise on podcasts?

US podcast ad spend is expected to grow over 110% through 2020 — up to $659 million. But consider for a moment that TV and radio ad spend are already at $69 billion and $18 billion respectively, and this figure suddenly feels tiny. The podcast ad market’s small size implies many brands don’t recognize the valuable advertising opportunity podcasts offer.

When looking at factors beyond pure audience size, podcast listeners present several key benefits that make the medium ripe for success for advertising — and brands would be remiss to overlook them.

Here’s why brands should take podcast listeners seriously:

  • The majority of regular podcast listeners complete all or most of the podcasts they start. Forty-four percent of monthly podcast listeners finish most of the podcast episodes they start, while 43% finish the entire episode, per Edison Research and Triton Digital.
  • Listeners are more receptive to ads on podcasts than ads on other mediums. Of US respondents over the age of 18, 55% say they always or sometimes pay attention to podcast ads versus radio (45%), TV (44%), music streaming services (41%), and online video (34%) ads.
  • Most podcast listeners don't skip past ads. Because most podcast ads are read by the host and baked into podcasts, it can be difficult for listeners to easily and accurately skip past podcast ads without missing podcast content, spurring many to listen through podcast ads entirely.

Want to Learn More?

The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence explores the key drivers affecting podcast listenership growth, detailing the benefits of advertising on podcasts versus other media formats, and outlines the best practices for implementing a successful podcast ad campaign.

In full, the report discusses the barriers that will inhibit future growth in listenership and ad spending, and how these hurdles can be overcome to implement a successful podcast ad campaign and attract more big-budget brands into the space.

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China's hopes of becoming the world's largest economy are hitting a major roadblock

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china economy

  • China's growth potential could slow to 4.5% by 2030, according to analysts.
  • Officials have shifted to stimulus programs, including tax cuts and infrastructure incentives, in an effort to curb the decline. 
  • But that could become increasingly difficult against a backdrop of debt and in wake of the trade war with the US, which has demanded structural reforms to the Chinese economy. 

China’s economy is growing at its slowest pace in nearly three decades, and some economists say the worst is yet to come.

Growth potential in China is expected to slow to 5.5% from the current level of 6.5% between 2021 and 2025, according to new estimates from analysts at JPMorgan. That could fall to 4.5% by 2030, a pace that would make it difficult to surpass the US as the largest economy. 

"This means that China will remain the second largest economy much longer than expected," the analysts said in a research note Wednesday. "The transition to slower potential growth could be volatile and requires balancing reforms to move to a more domestically driven growth model with deleveraging and public-sector restructuring."

Officials in Beijing have sought to shore up confidence through a series of stimulus measures rolled out in recent months, including tax cuts, changes to the amount of cash banks must hold as reserves, and various incentives to boost spending.

But those programs could have little room to expand in an economy that has struggled to crack down on relatively high levels of debt in recent years. In 2018, China's debt-to-gross-domestic-product ratio climbed above 250%.

It could also become increasingly difficult to stave off a slowdown as an ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing adds to uncertainty. Trump administration officials have pushed China to pursue structural changes as part of any trade deal, including reducing state support for industrial programs and violations of intellectual-property rules.

Hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of duties on products from the US and China likely won't help, especially considering much of China's rise over the past decade has been a result of trade expansion.

On Wednesday, the Department of Commerce said the US trade deficit with China narrowed in November. But the decline was likely in part the result of increased volatility of trade flows in recent months as businesses adjust to protectionism, according to Moody’s economist Adam Ozimek.

"It's important not to read too much into month to month fluctuations, even more so than normal," he said. "Regardless of short-term developments, you can't tariff your way out of a trade deficit."

While tariffs might not influence the trade balance in a meaningful way anytime soon, their effects are showing up in business activity, said Scott Kennedy, a Center for Strategic and International Studies scholar.

"The tariffs are finally biting and reducing trade in both directions, which hurts producers and consumers at least in the short term," he said.

SEE ALSO: The US trade deficit tumbled to a 5-month low in November

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NOW WATCH: We compared Apple's $159 AirPods to Xiaomi's $30 AirDots and the winner was clear

21 simple accessories to help you declutter your workspace — all under $25

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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.

desk organization ideas 19

  • A clean, organized office desk helps you be more focused and productive at work. 
  • If you can't ever seem to find the supply you need or your drawers are overflowing with snacks, it's time to add some organizational structure to your workspace. 
  • From bin systems to cord organizers, these accessories will get you more organized, and they all cost under $25. 

Driven by the teachings of Marie Kondo, a fervent desire to clean up and reorganize our lives has gripped the Insider Picks team and pretty much everyone we know. While most people are focused on organizing their closets, kitchens, and living rooms, another important place in need of tidying and where you actually spend the majority of your days is your office desk. 

Elbows tucked in as you type because you have no space for any other position or uses of the words "dig" or "paw" to describe how you sift through your filing cabinet drawers are a couple tell-tale signs of a desk in desperate need of a makeover. 

A cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind, and if you're busy handling important sales calls, reviewing the company budget, or creating presentation decks for clients, you (and your boss) won't appreciate the mess. As you optimize your space with necessary supplies and accessories designed to improve your focus and productivity, make sure to also keep them organized. This organized foundation will show in your work. 

It won't cost much to organize your desk. These 21 desk organization ideas all cost under $25:

A monitor stand riser with a built-in drawer

SimpleHouseware Metal Desk Monitor Stand Riser with Organizer Drawer, $20.97, available at Amazon

This desk accessory pulls double duty, lifting your monitor to a comfortable viewing height and adding space below to store your most-used supplies.



An interlocking bin system for your drawer supplies

Made Smart Madesmart Interlocking Drawer Organizer (8 Bin), $10.99, available at Amazon

You can mix and match the different bins in this set to fit any size drawer. There are three small, three medium, and two large bins you can interlock with each other. 



Adhesive cable clips

Cable Clips & Cord Management System, $7.99, available at Amazon

Manage the cord chaos on your desk with these handy helpers, which will stick to any flat surface. They'll work with any cord up to 0.25 inches in diameter: charging cables, USB cords, headphone cords, and more. 



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An influential group sponsored by the Silicon Valley tech titans warns that efforts are underway to 'undermine the integrity of open source' (MDB)

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simon phipps open source initiative

  • The board of the Open Source Initiative signed an open letter reaffirming the Open Source Definition on Tuesday, with groups like the Mozilla Foundation as co-signers. 
  • The Open Source Initiative is an industry group, sponsored by the likes of Microsoft, Facebook, and Google, that decides on the official definition of open source. 
  • The open letter comes as companies like MongoDB, Confluent, and Redis Labs are making controversial changes to their open source software licenses to protect their intellectual property from big cloud providers like Amazon or Alibaba. 
  • The OSI's position is that the whole point of open source is that anybody can use the software for any purpose, even if it's turning a profit — and that without that definition, it would discourage corporate users especially from embracing open source at all. 

For hundreds of years, the definition of a kilogram has stayed exactly the same. It's a measure of standardization that allowed traders from all over the world to know exactly what they were buying, and how they could sell it. 

Now, one of Silicon Valley's most important industry groups warns that the definition of the term "open source" must be guarded just as zealously as that of the kilogram — and that "recently there have been efforts to undermine the integrity of open source" by stretching the definition to suit their own self-interest. 

"These efforts are motivated by the interests of a few rather than the benefit of all, and are at odds with the principles that have so demonstratively served us well in the past decades," writes the board of directors of the Open Source Initiative, in an open letter published earlier this week.  

"If allowed to continue, these efforts will erode the trust of both users and contributors, and hinder the innovation that is enabled by open source software, just as surely as having multiple definitions of a kilogram would erode and undermine commerce," the OSI board wrote. The letter is co-signed by industry groups including the Mozilla Foundation. 

The Open Source Initiative is a cross-industry body, sponsored by Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and almost every other major player in the tech industry. Its mandate is to decide what qualifies as open source, and what doesn't. 

Its mission has taken on new importance, of late: Smaller software companies like Confluent, Redis Labs, and MongoDB have recently found themselves at the center of controversy, as they change their open source licenses to place specific restrictions on how others — namely, larger clouds like Amazon's or Alibaba's - can use their software.

While the OSI's blog post didn't mention these companies by name, it's clearly of relevance. MongoDB's new license is currently under review by the OSI, with a decision on whether it can refer to its new license on open source expected to come within the next few weeks. And some, like Deshpande Salil, the managing director of Bain Capital Ventures, have questioned whether the OSI provides a necessary service.

"OSI, which has somehow anointed itself as the body that will 'decide' whether a license is open source, has a habit of myopically debating what’s open source and what’s not,"Salil wrote in a November op-ed for TechCrunch.

All of this contributed to the timing of the open letter, say OSI officials. 

"There has been genuine uncertainty especially from venture-backed companies built around open source," Josh Simmons, treasurer of the OSI and a program manager at Google in his day job, told Business Insider. "These are coming from individuals who do know better who seem to be making the claim that in order to do business, they need to change the definition of open source, which I think is a pretty wild argument to be making."

For its part, MongoDB is sticking to its guns:  "MongoDB believes that the SSPL [license] meets the tenets of open source and we appreciate the feedback from the community during the OSI review process," the company said in a statement.

The cloud is putting pressure on open source

With the rise of cloud computing, smaller companies have run into the issue of seeing the open source software they created packaged and sold by other cloud companies like Amazon Web Services and Alibaba Cloud. It's legal — by the OSI's very definition, open source software can be used for any purpose, including turning a profit. 

Still, this has rankled some smaller software companies, which have adopted these controversial new licenses as a means of fighting back by limiting how their software can be used. As Confluent CEO Jay Kreps explained in a recent blog post, his view is that open source can't be "free and unsustainable R&D" for tech giants like Amazon.

Then, there's the curious case of Lerna, which last year added a provision to its license that it can't be used by companies that work the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

However, it's the view of open source software advocates that this is a case of trying to have your cake and eat it too, in a phenomenon they call "open washing." Companies can reap the rewards of open source, such as faster innovation, or they can place limitations on how their software can be used — but not both, says Patrick Masson, general with the OSI and an adjunct professor at the University at Albany, says.

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"The benefits of open source licensing have created the innovation and mass adoption across all industries, including the right to use for any purpose," Masson told Business Insider. "There's all sorts of licenses out there now that are examples of people who have good intentions are not understanding the definition of software freedom."

According to the OSI's definition, there should be no discrimination on how open source software gets used. That goes even if those would-be users are mega-companies who want to sell the software on their cloud. If you place those limitations, it's the OSI's view that it's no longer open source.

"They're saying, 'we don't want bad people.' They might pick a license and say, 'you can use this for anything you want, but people who are engaging in cyber warfare or government or spying, they can't use it,'" Masson said. "We ask them to please not call it 'open source.' To put in these constraints, you're ignoring parts of the Open Source Definition."

An academic debate with real-world ramifications

While it may seem academic to debate the meaning of open source, the outcome could have major ramifications for businesses everywhere. 

To the OSI's point about the kilogram standard, corporate legal teams have a responsibility to make sure that their use of any software is both legal and in compliance with the vendor's licensing terms.

Without a body like the OSI to approve a license as open source, says Simmons, those legal teams would have to go through the lengthy, expensive process of vetting the license of every new piece of software they want to adopt. The same goes for any company that wants to release their code under an open source license. 

Read more: Startups are taking on Amazon's cloud with a controversial new plan, but experts warn it could undermine the foundations of open source

As a result, Simmons says, the use of open source software in businesses would fall. In turn, there'd be fewer people contributing code back to open source software projects. And companies might turn to proprietary software, from the likes of Oracle or Microsoft, which is more expensive, but at least has known licensing terms, says Simmons. 

"Just that kernel of doubt whether a piece of software that claims to be open source really is open source would drive up the cost to open source," Simmons said. "Not only does this hurt open source, but it hurts the users."

Community discussions

Simmons notes that the OSI is not a self-appointed regulatory body, but rather, community-driven. Discussion around licenses is open to anyone who wishes to participate. He also notes that the OSI supports the creation of new open source licenses, but that they need to be vetted by that community before they qualify as open source.

Masson also notes that it's not impossible for the Open Source Definition to change, but if it does, it must be a "collaborative and community process." 

Specifically, Simmons says that he would have liked to see MongoDB submit its new license to the OSI to be vetted before it was announced, not after. 

"It was just, 'here's a change, and oh, it's not OSI-approved yet, but it's basically open source,'" Simmons said. "That's just acting in bad faith. OSI is driven by community consensus. They should just get engaged and be part of the process."

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NOW WATCH: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is 35 — here's how he became one of the world's scariest dictators

Jennifer Lawrence just got engaged. Here's everything you need to know about her fiancé, Cooke Maroney.

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Cooke Maroney

  • Page Six first reported that actress Jennifer Lawrence was dating art gallerist Cooke Maroney in June 2018.
  • Lawrence's rep confirmed to INSIDER that the couple was engaged, though Page Six initially broke the news.
  • Cooke Maroney grew up in Vermont and he currently works as a director at a New York City art gallery. 

On Tuesday, actress Jennifer Lawrence's rep confirmed to INSIDER that Lawrence was engaged to art gallerist Cooke Maroney. 

Page Six initially broke the news when actress Jennifer Lawrence was reportedly spotted wearing a "massive ring" on her finger earlier this week. The source added that the couple seemed to be celebrating something and people were talking about her "noticeable" ring. 

Here's what we know about Jennifer Lawrence's new fiancé Cooke Maroney, an art gallerist who seems to live a fairly private life.  

Maroney and Lawrence were first reported to be dating in June 2018, but when they actually began dating is unconfirmed

In June 2018, Page Six reported that actress Jennifer Lawrence had started dating art gallerist Cooke Maroney. Although the two have not spoken publicly about their relationship and they have not confirmed when they actually started dating, from that moment on, they were photographed together multiple times.

Maroney grew up in Vermont and his dad also worked in the art industry Cooke Maroney

In a 2015 Medium-published interview with Maroney's parents, James Maroney and Suki Fredericks, writer Olivia French reported that the couple owns an Oliver Hill Farm in Leicester, Vermont. The farm houses a bed and breakfast and the farm is advertised as a place to host weddings. (He was erroneously referred to as "Cook" in the article). 

Although his parents were based in New York City, they shared that they didn't want to raise their children in the city, so they decided to move the family up north to start a farm. Before they moved, Maroney's father was an art dealer in Manhattan and had once served as the Head of American Paintings at Christie's.

He has a sister

Maroney also has a sister named Annabelle

He's the director at an art gallery in New York City

Maroney is currently the director of NYC's Gladstone art gallery. The gallery has locations in New York and Brussels. A few years prior, he worked at Gagosian Gallery, a global network of contemporary galleries with locations in New York City.

Maroney and Lawrence reportedly met through a mutual friend

When Page Six broke the news that the couple was dating in June, they reported from a source that the couple met through a mutual friend.

The two keep things pretty private

Jennifer Lawrence Cooke MaroneyWhen they were first reported to be dating, a source told Page Six that the two of them "have been very private and careful not to be seen together." Since then, the two have been photographed together but have reportedly only attended one public event together which was in September 2018 when People reported that Lawrence took him to the New York Film Festival premiere of "The Favourite."

They have traveled together

Maroney and Lawrence are regularly photographed on dates in New York City, but they've also been photographed in Europe. Last summer, the two were photographed in Rome and in Paris.

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THE EDGE COMPUTING REPORT: How advances in edge computing will address key problems in the healthcare, telecommunications, and automotive sectors

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

Edge computing solutions are key tools that help companies grapple with rising data volumes across industries. These types of solutions are critical in allowing companies to gain more control over the data their IoT devices create and in reducing their reliance on (and the costs of) cloud computing.

edge popularity

These systems are becoming more sought-after — 40% of companies that provide IoT solutions reported that edge computing came up more in discussion with customers in 2017 than the year before, according to Business Insider Intelligence’s 2017 Global IoT Executive Survey. But companies need to know whether they should look into edge computing solutions, and what in particular they can hope to gain from shifting data processing and analysis from the cloud to the edge.

There are three particular types of problems that edge computing solutions are helping to combat across industries:

  • Security issues. Edge computing can limit the exposure of critical data by minimizing how often it’s transmitted. Further, they pre-process data, so there’s less data to secure overall.
  • Access issues. These systems help to provide live insights regardless of whether there’s a network connection available, greatly expanding where companies and organizations can use connected devices and the data they generate.
  • Transmission efficiency. Edge computing solutions process data where it’s created so less needs to be sent to the cloud, leading to lower cloud storage requirements and reduced transmission cost.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence examines how edge computing is reducing companies' reliance on cloud computing in three key industries: healthcare, telecommunications, and the automotive space. We explore how these systems mitigate issues in each sector by helping to efficiently process growing troves of data, expanding the potential realms of IoT solutions a company can offer, and bringing enhanced computing capability to remote and mobile platforms.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

  • In healthcare, companies and organizations are using edge computing to improve telemedicine and remote monitoring capabilities.
  • For telecommunications companies, edge computing is helping to reduce network congestion and enabling a shift toward the IoT platform market.
  • And in the automotive space, edge computing systems are enabling companies to increase the capabilities of connected cars and trucks and approach autonomy.

In full, the report:

  • Explores the key advantages edge computing solutions can provide.
  • Highlights the circumstances when companies should look into edge systems.
  • Identifies key vendors and partners in specific industries while showcasing case studies of successful edge computing programs.

    Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

    This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
    Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
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Marijuana use may lead to higher sperm counts in men, despite past research

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FILE PHOTO --  People roll a marijuana joint on the informal cannabis holiday, 4/20, corresponding to the numerical figure widely recognized within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana, on the Common in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 20, 2017.   REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

  • A study published Wednesday in Human Reproduction suggests that, contrary to prior research, marijuana could potentially increase a person's sperm count.
  • Researchers analyzed health surveys from men who sought fertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2000 and 2017.
  • They looked at each man's semen volume, sperm count, sperm motility, and hormone concentrations, as well as past and present marijuana use.
  • They found that the men in the study who used marijuana at some point in their lives had higher sperm counts and sperm concentrations than those who never used marijuana.
  • Previous studies, however, have found that marijuana use can lead to lower sperm counts and sperm concentrations.

A study published Wednesday in Human Reproduction suggests that marijuana could potentially increase a person's sperm count. This finding, which contradicts past research on the topic, shocked the researchers. 

"We spent a good two months redoing everything, making sure that there wasn’t any error in the data," Dr. Jorge Chavarro, lead author of the new study and an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology, told Time. "We were very, very surprised about this."

And rightfully so. In 2015, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined 1,215 healthy young men and found that those who used recreational marijuana more than once per week had lower sperm counts than those who used the substance less often or not at all. In December 2018, INSIDER reported on a small study from Duke University that suggested marijuana use could be linked to lower sperm concentrations, a factor that can affect a man's fertility. 

For this recent study, researchers analyzed health surveys from over 650 men who sought fertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2000 and 2017, focusing on each man's semen volume, sperm count, sperm motility, and hormone concentrations. They also asked the men about past and present marijuana use, though they did not ask about specific dosages or frequency.

Of those surveyed, 55% said they had smoked in the past, while 11% said they currently smoke.

Read more:Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, but only one will get you high

The researchers then compared each man's semen and hormone analysis to his reported marijuana use. They found that the men who currently or previously used marijuana had higher sperm counts and sperm concentrations than those who never used marijuana. The men who had smoked marijuana also had lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, which has been associated with a greater risk of infertility, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Researchers said there is a 'potential link,' but not a direct correlation, between marijuana use and sperm count

Although researchers found a potential link between marijuana use and sperm counts, they warned that the findings are not definitive and do "not mean using marijuana is going to increase your sperm count," Chavarro told Time.

One explanation is that the men in the study who smoked marijuana already had higher sperm counts than those who did not. Another reason, according to the researchers, is that men may be more likely to engage in "risk-seeing activities," like smoking marijuana, if they have higher testosterone concentrations— something that aids in fertility. 

marijuana

Additionally, researchers of the current study said the doses of marijuana used by participants may have varied from the doses of participants in past studies, therefore skewing the results. In the previously mentioned 2015 study, the men who used recreational marijuana more than once per week had lower sperm counts and lower sperm concentrations than the men who used marijuana less often. The men in that study who used marijuana at least once per week, in addition to other recreational drugs, had even lower sperm counts, the researchers found.

Given the illegal status of marijuana in some places and its social stigma, the researchers also have reason to believe some of the participants they studied underreported their marijuana use in the surveys.

"[Marijuana use] has potential effects on insurance coverage for infertility services of disclosing this information," the researchers wrote.

They also noted other limitations of their study. First, participants were only asked about smoking marijuana, not consuming it in other forms, like an edible. Second, because the study's sampling wasn't diverse — 88% of the men were Caucasian, 84% were college educated, and the average age was 36.3 years old— the results may not apply to the general population. 

With these limitations in mind, it is clear more research must be done to truly understand how marijuana use can affect a person's sperm and, by default, their fertility. 

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'It changes everything': Facebook insiders are cautiously optimistic about changes to employee bonuses (FB)

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facebook ceo mark zuckerberg

  • Facebook is changing employee bonuses to focus on tackling social issues.
  • It's a big change, designed to change employees' incentives as the company struggles to move past two years of scandals.
  • Business Insider spoke to sources who were cautiously positive about the change.
  • It has the potential to produce good results — but will be hard to measure and could have dangerous unintended consequences.

As Facebook struggles to move past its two years of scandals, it's putting its employees' money on the line.

On Tuesday, the Silicon Valley tech giant told employees that it's changing how it calculates bonuses to focus on fixing the biggest issues bedeviling the company — and some people close to Facebook are cautiously optimistic.

Business Insider spoke to three former employees about the news, and all were at least somewhat positive about the change, arguing that it seems likely to incentivize real work on fixing Facebook's problems, but that it might also have unintended consequences. (All asked for anonymity to speak candidly about their former employer.)

Historically, Facebook's twice-yearly bonuses for employees centered around achieving company objectives like growing the userbase, increasing sharing and engagement, boosting revenue, and improving quality. Now, they'll focus on four goals CEO Mark Zuckerberg set for the company in 2019, around tackling social issues, building new experiences, supporting businesses, and communicating transparently.

In a statement announcing the news, Facebook spokesperson Vanessa Chan told Business Insider: "Over the past two years, we’ve fundamentally changed how we run Facebook. This particular change is designed to ensure that we are incentivizing people to keep making progress on the major social issues facing the internet and our company."

The change to bonuses comes as Facebook has been hit by intense criticism for its role in spreading misinformation online, for violating user privacy and for creating products that encourage excessive screen time at the expense of healthy lifestyles.

Facebook's bonuses have historically played a large part at Facebook in incentivising employees, sources told Business Insider, so the change could help shift the workforce's focus — but they warned that measuring "social impact" will prove incredibly difficult to measure quantifiably.

"This will definitely change things. Most teams at Facebook make decisions based on running tests and measuring how it affects metrics," one source said. "If you take that away, it changes everything."

But, they cautioned, the difficulty in measuring impact could have negative knock-on effects on company culture. "I suspect this will be a feeding ground for politics and infighting unless it comes with some sort of additional empirical rubric. If it's just he said vs she said that's a very different conversation and more of a political skill."

They added: "I see how this move makes sense for shareholders, but definitely also see how it creates a lot of turmoil for employees, and especially those who've come up in Facebooks metrics-focused system."

Another called it "a start."

"There are a ton of good people still working there"

"It will be super subjective, but that's how any performance review process works," the person said. "The most encouraging part of the story to me is that Shrep [as Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer is known internally] is the one speaking about it. I've only ever known him to be a good person who cares about solving problems. There are a ton of good people still working there. They are the ones who can bring Facebook on the right side of this."

Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer at Facebook F8

They added: "People were always quite motivated by their performance rating and the corresponding bonus. If this kind of impact truly makes its way into the review process, it can make a difference."

A third said they supported the move — but expressed concerns that impact would be hard to measure, and suggested other changes at the company might be more impactful. 

"Glad to see they are making some changes," they said. "However it sounds more vague than ever. And not sure how they will evaluate something so subjective."

Instead, they suggested, Facebook should try to alter its internal culture. The company can be hostile to internal dissent and criticism, something that needs to change to tackle issues in future, they said.

"What I think they need is, internally, they need to have even harder conservation that has opposing views," the person said. "Don't just have hard conversations around what you agree with."

It's also not immediately obvious if the changes will have any unintended effects. Radical changes in employee incentive structures can produce bizarre results: When HP tried to encourage innovation in the early 2000s by financially incentivising the workforce to come up with new ideas, employees sat around for months on end inventing curios like soy-sauce-dispensing chopsticks.

In other words, the second-order consequences of Facebook's new bonus structure may not be fully clear for months — or even years — to come.


Do you work at Facebook? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, Telegram or WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at @robaeprice. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: A defiant Mark Zuckerberg says people are focusing on the 'negative' aspects of Facebook's impact on the world

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Three untapped opportunities wearables present to health insurers, providers, and employers

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  • After a shaky start, wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers have gained traction in healthcare, with US consumer use jumping from 9% in 2014 to 33% in 2018.
  • More than 80% of consumers are willing to wear tech that measures health data — and penetration should continue to climb.
  • The maturation of the wearable market will put more wearables in the hands of consumers and US businesses.

The US healthcare industry as it exists today is not sustainable. An aging patient population and rising burden of chronic disease have caused healthcare costs to skyrocket and left providers struggling to keep up with demand for care. 

FORECAST: Fitness Tracker and Health-Based Wearable Installed Base

Meanwhile, digital technologies in nearly every consumer experience outside of healthcare have raised patients’ expectations for good service to be higher than ever.

One of the key mechanisms through which healthcare providers can finally evolve their outdated practices and exceed these expectations is wearable technology.

Presently, 33% of US consumers have adopted wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, to play a more active role in managing their health. In turn, insurers, providers, and employers are poised to become just as active leveraging these devices – and the data they capture – to abandon the traditional reimbursement model and improve patient outcomes with personalized, value-based care.

Adoption is going to keep climbing, as more than 80% of consumers are willing to wear tech that measures health data, according to Accenture — though they have reservations about who exactly should access it.

A new report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, follows the growing adoption of wearables and breadth of functions they offer to outline how healthcare organizations and stakeholders can overcome this challenge and add greater value with wearable technology.

For insurers, providers, and employers, wearables present three distinct opportunities:

  • Insurers can use wearable data to enhance risk assessments and drive customer lifetime value. One study shows that wearables can incentivize healthier behavior associated with a 30% reduction in risk of cardiovascular events and death.
  • Providers can use the remote patient monitoring capabilities of wearable technology to improve chronic disease management, lessen the burden of staff shortages, and navigate a changing reimbursement model. And since 90% of patients no longer feel obligated to stay with providers that don't deliver a satisfactory digital experience, wearables could help to attract and retain them.
  • Employers can combine wearables with cash incentives to lower insurance costs and improve employee productivity. For example, The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority yielded $5 million in healthcare cost savings through a wearable-based employee wellness program.

Want to Learn More?

The Wearables in US Healthcare Report details the current and future market landscape of wearables in the US healthcare sector. It explores the key drivers behind wearable usage by insurers, healthcare providers, and employers, and the opportunities wearables afford to each of these stakeholders. 

By outlining a successful case study from each stakeholder, the report highlights best practices in implementing wearables to reduce healthcare claims, improve patient outcomes, and drive insurance cost savings, as well as how the evolution of the market will create new, untapped opportunities for businesses.

 

 

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Pressure is mounting on Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to resign after a woman accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex in 2004

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Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax

  • Pressure is mounting on Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to step down after Vanessa Tyson, a professor of politics at Scripps College in California and a Stanford University fellow, came forward with her allegation that Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004. 
  • Several prominent politicians, including Rep. Jennifer Wexton, a freshman Virginia Democrat, have expressed their public support for Tyson.
  • The president of the National Organization for Women also took a stand against Fairfax on Wednesday, urging him to step down. 

Pressure is mounting on Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to step down after Vanessa Tyson, a professor of politics at Scripps College in California and a Stanford University fellow, came forward with her allegation that Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004. 

Several prominent politicians and others have expressed their public support for Tyson.

Toni Van Pelt, the president of the National Organization for Women, called on Fairfax to resign from his post on Wednesday evening. 

"[Tyson's] story is horrifying, compelling and clear as day — and we believe her. We believe and support survivors. We always believe and support survivors," Van Pelt said in a statement. "This isn't about politics. It's about a woman who has experienced sexual assault — a serious crime — at the hands of a powerful man, who is now attacking her character. In order to tear down the systemic and toxic sexism in this country, we must speak out against it."

Rep. Jennifer Wexton, a freshman Virginia Democrat who previously served in the state senate, became the first major Democratic politician to side with Tyson in the matter.

"I believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson," Wexton tweeted on Wednesday.

Laura Moser, a Democrat who ran for a House seat in Texas, said Tyson is a personal friend of hers and expressed solidarity with her, calling her a "distinguished scholar" and a "kind person." 

Read more: Vanessa Tyson, who accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, detailed the incident in a statement that contradicts his account

"To not believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson, you have to believe that a lifelong Democrat with a history of working to elect Democrats would decide to torpedo the Democratic Party at the moment when it is the most vulnerable," Ian Millhiser, a columnist at the left-leaning news website ThinkProgress, tweeted on Wednesday. "I believe her. Her statement is utterly devastating."

Tyson detailed her disturbing allegations in a lengthy statement released by her attorneys on Wednesday. 

"What began as consensual kissing quickly turned into a sexual assault," Tyson said of the incident, which she said occurred at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. "As I cried and gagged, Mr. Fairfax forced me to perform oral sex on him. I cannot believe, given my obvious distress, that Mr. Fairfax thought this forced sexual act was consensual."

Fairfax has repeatedly denied Tyson's claim. While he said the two had a sexual encounter in 2004, he said it was "100% consensual." He called the claim a "smear" and has threatened to sue Tyson and others "who continue to spread these false allegations."

Fairfax again denied Tyson's allegations after she released her statement on Wednesday. 

"Reading Dr. Tyson's account is painful. I have never done anything like what she suggests,"he said. "Any review of the circumstances would support my account, because it is the truth."

This is the latest development in an increasingly dire political crisis in Virginia, where both Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring are facing pressure to resign after they both admitted to dressing in blackface in the 1980s.

The Democratic Party of Virginia said on Tuesday afternoon that it is evaluating Tyson's allegation.

"All allegations of sexual assault deserve to be taken with profound gravity. We will continue to evaluate the situation regarding Lieutenant Governor Fairfax," the party said in a statement to New York Times reporter Trip Gabriel.

SEE ALSO: Vanessa Tyson, who accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, detailed the incident in a statement that contradicts his account

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The new $1,100 Roomba has ruined all other robot vacuums for me — it cleans out its own dustbin so I pretty much never have to think about it

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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.

Roomba i7+

  • A high-quality robotic vacuum does an excellent job of cleaning with minimal maintenance, doesn't get caught up on obstacles along the way, and is supported by a user-friendly app.
  • I like the iRobot Roomba i7+ because it's the first robot vacuum to empty its own dustbin so you can essentially set it and forget it for up to 30 cleanings.
  • Though it is one of the most expensive units around (currently $1,099.99 on iRobot), it's backed by an incredible app, has the most cutting-edge features, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and one-year limited warranty.

Much like Kleenex is synonymous with facial tissue and Instant Pot is used to refer to all electric pressure cookers, Roomba is the name in robot vacuums. In the 17 years since Roomba was first released, iRobot has continued to set trends and remain at the top of the industry. Recently, they took another giant leap in robotic vacuum innovation with the i7+ — a vacuum that empties its own dustbin and cleans specific rooms based on voice commands. iRobot sent me the i7+ to test. Here are my experiences with it.

iRobot i7

My first experiences with the Roomba i7+:

The Roomba i7+ comes with the vacuum, the Clean Base, two dirt disposal bags, a virtual wall barrier, an extra high-efficiency filter, and an extra side brush. Due to normal wear and tear, you will need to replace the filters, side brushes, and rubber brushes over time. Fortunately, iRobot makes it easy to pick up replacement parts for your specific model through the iRobot store, which is accessible through the iRobot app and your browser.

When I opened the box, I found the i7+ looked a lot like the 980, my now second-favorite robot vacuum. The vacuum measures about 13 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches high, which was low enough to fit under my couches and other furniture. The Clean Base is a bit big at 19 inches tall by 14.5 inches deep by 13 inches wide. I found I could keep the base anywhere I would normally put one of the smaller, more traditional robot vacuum charging stations.

How the Roomba i7+ performed:

The best part about the Roomba i7+ is that you don't have to empty the dustbin. The Clean Base automatically sucks all of the debris out of the vacuum when it's docked and stores it in a disposable dirt bag. It took about 50 cleaning cycles before I finally had to replace the disposable dirt bag located within the base. I love the Clean Base because I can go weeks without having to worry about emptying or maintaining the Roomba. It's as fully-automated as it gets.

One of the coolest parts about owning a Roomba is the iRobot app. They clearly put a lot of work into making sure it's as user-friendly as possible. IRobot has the best robotic vacuum app I've ever used. With the i7+, they take things to the next level with "smart mapping." The unit can actually map each level of your house as it cleans. You can then adjust the boundaries of each room, label the rooms, and tell the vacuum to only clean certain rooms. If you have Alexa or Google Assistant, you can also use voice commands to tell the Roomba to clean a room.

In practice, I found the smart mapping worked well. Even after rearranging our living room and placing the Clean Base on the other side of the room, it was still able to get its bearings immediately and only clean where I asked it to.

Scheduling the i7+ on the app is a breeze. You can even tell it to clean specific rooms at certain times of the day. I preferred to just have it clean everything at the same time every day, and scheduling that is effortless as well.

Another great app feature is the cleaning history. The app keeps a log of every cleaning and how long it lasted. As of this writing, my i7+ has completed 93 jobs in 82 hours and cleaned up 300 dirt events.

iRobot i7+ 2

If you prefer not to have another app on your smart device, you can also operate the i7+ the old-fashioned way by simply pressing the big "Clean" button on top of the vacuum.

When it comes to performance, the i7+ runs relatively quiet. A sound meter placed about 12 inches from the unit during operation registered 63 decibels, which is a little bit louder than a normal conversation and quieter than other robotic vacuums I've tested.

To test the cleaning ability of the i7+, I poured a bunch of flour, kitty litter, and coffee grounds on hardwood and carpeting. I then put the i7+ to work on it for one cleaning cycle. I'd estimate the Roomba picked up 95% of the kitty litter and coffee grounds on both the carpet and hardwood. It then got 90% of the flour on the carpet and 75% on the hardwood. I also tested to see how close the vacuum could get to corners by sprinkling flour in the corners on both surfaces. In both cases, it came within about an inch of the corner.

When it comes to pet hair, the i7+ does an excellent job. Thanks to its daily cleanings, I can't remember the last time I've noticed hair from our two cats on the floor.

I also liked that the i7+ almost never got stuck on cords or other items so I didn't have to take time freeing it.

Cleaning the i7+ was easy. The app let me know when to clean the bin, debris extractors, and core robot elements. And, it provides step-by-step instructions for doing so.

Read more: The best robot vacuums you can buy

Some concerns about the robot vacuum:

About half the time I ran the Roomba i7+, it would end its cycle stuck in our kitchen. It was able to get over the lip to enter the kitchen, but it couldn't get back out again. Of course, I could use the mapping function to have it stay out of the kitchen or have it clean the kitchen separately. But, I prefer to have it do one cleaning for my first floor per day, rather than multiple for different sections. So, I have to live with occasionally rescuing the vacuum from the kitchen.

The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is a game changer, but I think it could still use some tweaking. There were a few times when the Roomba and base would have trouble communicating. This wasn't a big deal. Most of the time, I would just clean the elements, and it would be back to normal. Other times, though, the app would tell me that there was a clog in the Clean Base's vacuum system when there wasn't. At one point, the app directed me to undo five screws to check the debris evacuation tubing. This was a pain, and there wasn't actually a clog.

iRobot cleanupThe bottom line:

Overall, this is the best robotic vacuum I've ever used. There's nothing else like it available, and it's what other manufacturers will be trying to copy in the coming months and years. The Clean Base works as advertised. The smart mapping allows you to clean the rooms you want while avoiding others. And, the vacuum itself has excellent suction. The biggest downside is the high price. But, if you are looking for a set-it-and-forget-it robot vacuum and have a large budget, it doesn't get any better than the Roomba i7+.

Buy the Roomba i7+ from iRobot for $1,099.99 here

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BIG TECH IN HEALTHCARE: How Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft are shaking up healthcare — and what it means for the future of the industry (GOOGL, AAPL, AMZN, MSFT)

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

bii big tech in healthcare ALL Four

The healthcare industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Costs are skyrocketing, consumer demand for more accessible care is growing rapidly, and healthcare companies are unable to keep up. 

Health organizations are increasingly turning to tech companies to facilitate this transformation in care delivery and lower health expenditures. The potential for tech-led digital health initiatives to help healthcare providers and insurers deliver safer, more efficient, and cost-effective care is significant. For healthcare organizations of all types, the collection, analyses, and application of patient data can minimize avoidable service use, improve health outcomes, and promote patient independence, which can assuage swelling costs.

For their part, the "Big Four" tech companies — Google-parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft — see an opportunity to tap into the lucrative health market. These same players are accelerating their efforts to reshape healthcare by developing and collaborating on new tools for consumers, medical professionals, and insurers.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence explores the key strengths and offerings the Big Four will bring to the healthcare industry, as well as their approaches into the market. We'll then explore how these services and solutions are creating opportunities for health systems and insurers. Finally, the report will outline the barriers that are inhibiting the adoption and usage of the Big Four tech companies’ offerings and how these barriers can be circumvented.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • Tech companies’ expertise in data management and analysis, along with their significant compute power, can help support healthcare payers, health systems, and consumers by providing a broader overview of how health is accessed and delivered.
  • Each of the Big Four tech companies — vying for a piece of the lucrative healthcare market — is leaning on their specific field of expertise to develop tools and solutions for consumers, providers, and payers.
    • Alphabet is focused on leveraging its dominance in data storage and analytics to become the leader in population health.
    • Amazon is leaning on its experience as a distribution platform for medical supplies, and developing its AI-assistant Alexa as an in-home health concierge.
    • Apple is actively turning its consumer products into patient health hubs.
    • Microsoft is focusing on cloud storage and analytics to tap into precision medicine.
  • Health organizations can further tap into the opportunity presented by tech’s entry into healthcare by collaborating with tech giants to realize cost savings and bolster their top lines. But understanding how each tech giant is approaching healthcare is crucial.

 In full, the report:

  • Pinpoints the key themes and industry-wide shifts that are driving the transformation of healthcare in the US.
  • Defines the main healthcare businesses and strategies of the Big Four tech companies.
  • Highlights the biggest potential impacts of each of the Big Four’s healthcare strategies for health systems and insurers.
  • Discusses the potential barriers that will challenge the adoption of the Big Four tech companies’ initiatives and how these hurdles can be overcome.

Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
And more!
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Purchase & download the full report from our research store

 

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Snap's stock jumped 22% Wednesday. Here's why investors are way too excited about its latest results. (SNAP)

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Evan Spiegel

  • Snap's stock closed up 22% Wednesday after climbing as much as 29% earlier in the session.
  • The price bump followed the company's earnings report the previous afternoon.
  • While that report was better-than-expected, it didn't justify the huge rebound in Snap's share price.
  • Snap's still losing lots of money, its sales growth is slowing, and its user base has stagnated.

It's been more than 20 years since then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan cautioned investors about irrational exuberance, but it still seems many investors haven't taken that warning to heart.

Take the case of Snap. The Snapchat maker's stock rocketed upward as much as 29% Wednesday after it reported its holiday results the previous afternoon before closing up 22%.

Seen through a particular filter, the company's report was undoubtedly one that its long-suffering investors could cheer. Snap's top and bottom lines both improved significantly in the fourth quarter from the same period in 2017 and beat Wall Street's expectations. Snap forecast that its bottom line in the first quarter would likely be better than analysts' had previously predicted. And perhaps most importantly, its number of daily users — a source of growing concern in recent quarters — came in better than expected.

Read this: Snap's stock jumps 17% after its Q4 beats Wall Street's expectations

And that's usually the key concern on Wall Street — expectations. Often the most important factor in whether a stock trades up or down on a day-to-day basis is not how it's performing relative to its peers or on some universally recognized scale of profit and loss, but how it's doing relative to expectations.

Snap certainly succeeded on that measure. But was Snap's good news so much better than expected that the company is really worth 22% more today than it was yesterday?

Wall Street analysts raised their price targets

It depends on who you ask, of course. Many Wall Street analysts on Wednesday, citing the surprising results, upped their price targets on Snap's stock, many of them by more than 22%. Nomura Instinet's Mark Kelley, for example, raised his price target from $6 a share to $9, while Mark May at Citi Research boosted his to $9 from $7.

Alan GreenspanBut those target hikes seemed more to be reacting to the jump in Snap's price in after-hours trading on Tuesday than to be true re-evaluations of the company's actual business prospects. After the company reported, its stock rose by nearly 18% in the extended session.

Another way to frame the expectations question is whether investors were so irrationally despondent about about Snap before the report that they'd undervalued the company by 18% or so relative to its new price on Wednesday.

There's some reason to think they had. Through the closing bell Tuesday, Snap's stock was down 49% over the previous year and 59% since its initial public offering in 2017. So, it's quite possible that investors had oversold the stock.

But come on. Even if you play the expectations game, what Snap reported wasn't spectacular. Good, sure. But not exactly stellar.

Compared to expectations, Snap's report was good, not great

Its best result comparable to expectations was its bottom line. It lost 14 cents a share, which was five cents a share less, or 26% better, than analysts were forecasting.

SnapchatThat one figure was a great result relative to expectations, no doubt. But companies aren't supposed to be valued on a single-quarter's bottom line. Instead, they're supposed to be evaluated on how they do on an annual basis. And that five-cent quarterly beat in Q4 looks like chump change in the context of the company's full-year loss of 97 cents a share.

Meanwhile, Snap's other results and forecasts weren't as impressive, compared to expectations. Its revenue for the quarter — $389.8 million, was only $12.5 million, or about 3%, higher than what Wall Street was looking for. At the midpoint of its guidance, Snap's operating income forecast for the first quarter was about 8% higher than analysts' expectations, and its revenue forecast for the first quarter was actually $2 million below analysts' prior outlook.

And it daily active user count? It came in at 186 million, which was somewhere around 1 to 3 million — 1% to 2% higher than Wall Street expected.

In other words, even if you compare Snap's results to expectations, there wasn't that much there to justify its stock spiking so much on Wednesday.

On an absolute basis, Snap's results were pretty awful

And if you take a step back from the expectations game, what you'll see is a quarterly report card that looked pretty lousy.

Snap posted a $192 million loss in the fourth quarter. Sure, that's down significantly from the losses it was posting a year ago, but it's still equivalent to nearly half of its revenue. 

You can't dismiss all that red ink as just paper losses, either. The company is still seeing a major outflow of real cash. Its free cash flow — the amount of cash it generates or consumes in operations less the amount it spends on property and equipment — was in the red to the tune of $149 million.

The consolation for many investors when it comes to money-losing tech startups is that they are growing quickly. But the quarter added more doubts to Snap's ability to make that claim.

Its revenue did increase by 36% in the quarter from the same period a year earlier. But that was the slowest rate of growth it's posted since it became a public company. Worse, this marked the fourth-straight quarter that its growth rate fell. As recently as the fourth quarter of 2017, Snap's sales were growing at a 72% annual rate.

And things could get worse if its user base is any indication. Its number of daily active users was down 1 million from the fourth quarter last year. It hasn't grown its user count since the first quarter of last year. Don't expect that count to suddenly rebound in the first quarter this year either; the only guidance Snap officials offered on user count was that they "do not foresee a sequential decline" from the fourth quarter, which isn't exactly a bold prediction of new growth.

That's problematic because the easiest way for advertising-dependent companies such as Snap to grow their revenue is to own a rapidly expanding audience. Snap has basically stopped doing that.

None of that is to say that Snap's business won't eventually turn itself around. But the evidence to justify any such hope was not in the latest report, at least not for anyone looking at things rationally. 

SEE ALSO: Snapchat is stalling out, and there's not much hope that it'll get back on track

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Conservative student group with close ties to Trump administration hires controversial content creator Benny Johnson

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Benny Johnson

  • Benny Johnson, a well-known and controversial conservative content creator, has been hired by the pro-Trump student organization Turning Point USA. 
  • Johnson announced earlier this week that he's leaving his position as a reporter at the right-leaning outlet the Daily Caller. 
  • "It just kind of makes sense ... Benny is a proven content creator," a person familiar with the discussions behind Johnson's hiring at TPUSA told INSIDER. "He's got a lot of vision when it comes to creating content that's fun."
  • Johnson, known by many in the media world as a serial plagiarist, is behind some of the most viral content shared by conservatives on social media in the past several years.

The pro-Trump student advocacy group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has hired Benny Johnson, a well-known and controversial conservative content creator.

Johnson, who's perhaps best known by many in the media world as a serial plagiarist, is behind some of the most viral content shared across right-wing channels on social media in the past several years — including a widely-derided 2017 video of Federal Communications Commissions Chairman Ajit Pai mocking concerns over the end of net neutrality rules.

The incendiary conservative content creator, for example, took and disseminated the image of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham smiling as he was heckled by protesters amid the chaotic confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

He announced earlier this week that he was leaving his gig as a reporter at the Daily Caller, the conservative news site co-founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, but didn't say where he was heading. 

Johnson emceed TPUSA's Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida in late 2018 and has had close ties to the organization's founder and president, Charlie Kirk, for some time. Kirk is routinely retweeted by President Donald Trump, is close friends with Donald Trump Jr., and has a massive following on social media.

Read more:Meet Charlie Kirk, the 25-year-old self-declared free speech absolutist and BFF to Trump Jr. who's rapidly taking over the conservative movement

"It just kind of makes sense ... Benny is a proven content creator," a person familiar with the discussions behind Johnson's hiring at TPUSA told INSIDER. "He's got a lot of vision when it comes to creating content that's fun."

Given Johnson's propensity for trying to trigger people on the left, however, the source added that he expects there will be "a lot of haters who are going to bring a different spin to this hire."

Read moreThousands of young Trump supporters are gathered in Florida to hear a simple message: the left hates America and 'destroys everything it touches'

In a tweet on Wednesday, Johnson said, "I'm thrilled to be entering a new professional chapter ... I’ve been a speaker & emcee of dozens of @TPUSA events. It's where the energy is."

He'll serve as TPUSA's chief creative officer, a brand new role for the organization. 

In a press press release provided to INSIDER, TPUSA said, "Over the course of the past three years, Turning Point USA has grown rapidly to become one of the largest digital media creators in the conservative space. This growth has necessitated building an internal media department responsible for conceptualizing and creating traditional media, digital media, and now, influencer media. In order to execute on the organization’s commitment to being a leader in conservative content, Turning Point USA is pleased to welcome Benny Johnson."

At TPUSA's Student Action Summit in December, Johnson gave a presentation to young Trump supporters that included instructions on how to "own the libs," which offers some insight into the type of content he'll be creating for an organization that's already come under fire over its social media presence. 

In late 2018, it was revealed TPUSA's content was routinely shared by Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 presidential election. Addressing this in an interview with INSIDER in December, Kirk said "obviously we reject any foreign adversary using any content" but he added that TPUSA "can't control who uses our stuff."

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Trust is the main barrier to smart speaker adoption – here's what companies can do about that

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here. Current subscribers can read the report here.

trust smart speaker makersSmart speakers comprise one of the fastest-growing device segments in the consumer technology market today. Ownership levels have nearly doubled from early 2017 to summer 2018. 

With this rapid growth, there are a few pivotal questions that both companies looking to develop and sell smart speakers as well as those looking to sell products, deliver media, and offer access to services like banking over these devices need answers to in order to craft successful strategies. In particular, they need to know who is and isn’t buying smart speakers, and what consumers who own smart speakers are actually doing with them. 

To offer these stakeholders insight, Business Insider Intelligence asked more than 500 US consumers about their knowledge of smart speakers, the devices they do or don’t own and what led them to their purchase decisions, as well as the tasks they’re using their smart speakers for.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence will look at the state of the smart speaker market and outline how each of the major device providers approaches the space. We will then focus on the key factors that affect whether or not someone owns one of these devices. Next, we will use our survey data to outline the reasons why people don’t own devices in order to offer guidance for who to target and how. Finally, we will discuss what consumers are actually doing with their smart speakers — specifically looking at how the devices are used and perceived in e-commerce, digital media, and banking — which can help companies determine how well they’re publicizing their smart speaker services and capabilities.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Amazon, Google, Apple, Samsung, Facebook, Sonos, LG, Anker, Spotify, Pandora, Grubhub, Netflix, Hulu, Instagram, Snap.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

  • Despite their growing popularity, nearly half of respondents still don't own a device — which presents a long runway for adoption. Our survey data reveals a number of key factors that impact whether or not someone owns one of these devices, including income, gender, and age.
  • Smart speakers are establishing themselves as a key platform for e-commerce, media, and the smart home.
  • The introduction of a screen to some smart speakers will expand the possibilities for companies developing for the device — but developers will need to resist the compulsion to use speakers to accomplish too much.

In full, the report:

  • Provides an overview of the key players and products in the smart speaker market.
  • Highlights critical adoption rates broken out by key factors that define the segment.
  • Identifies how consumers are using devices in important areas where companies in various industries are trying foster greater use of the voice interface.

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THE ESPORTS ECOSYSTEM: Why competitive video gaming will soon become a billion dollar opportunity

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eSports Advertising and Sponsorships

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

What is eSports? History & Rise of Video Game Tournaments

Years ago, eSports was a community of video gamers who would gather at conventions to play Counter Strike, Call of Duty, or League of Legends.

These multiplayer video game competitions would determine League of Legends champions, the greatest shooters in Call of Duty, the cream of the crop of Street Fighter players, the elite Dota 2 competitors, and more.

But today, as the history of eSports continue to unfold, media giants such as ESPN and Turner are broadcasting eSports tournaments and competitions. And in 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch, the live streaming video platform that has been and continues to be the leader in online gaming broadcasts. And YouTube also wanted to jump on the live streaming gaming community with the creation of YouTube Gaming.

eSports Market Growth Booming

To put in perspective how big eSports is becoming, a Google search for "lol" does not produce "laughing out loud" as the top result. Instead, it points to League of Legends, one of the most popular competitive games in existence. The game has spawned a worldwide community called the League of Legends Championship Series, more commonly known as LCS or LOL eSports.

What started as friends gathering in each other's homes to host LAN parties and play into the night has become an official network of pro gaming tournaments and leagues with legitimate teams, some of which are even sponsored and have international reach. Organizations such as Denial, AHQ, and MLG have multiple eSports leagues.

And to really understand the scope of all this, consider that the prize pool for the latest Dota 2 tournament was more than $20 million.

Websites even exist for eSports live scores to let people track the competitions in real time if they are unable to watch. There are even fantasy eSports leagues similar to fantasy football, along with the large and growing scene of eSports betting and gambling.

So it's understandable why traditional media companies would want to capitalize on this growing trend just before it floods into the mainstream. Approximately 300 million people worldwide tune in to eSports today, and that number is growing rapidly. By 2020, that number will be closer to 500 million.

eSports Industry Analysis - The Future of the Competitive Gaming Market

Financial institutions are starting to take notice. Goldman Sachs valued eSports at $500 million in 2016 and expects the market will grow at 22% annually compounded over the next three years into a more than $1 billion opportunity.

And industry statistics are already backing this valuation and demonstrating the potential for massive earnings. To illustrate the market value, market growth, and potential earnings for eSports, consider Swedish media company Modern Times Group's $87 million acquisition of Turtle Entertainment, the holding company for ESL. YouTube has made its biggest eSports investment to date by signing a multiyear broadcasting deal with Faceit to stream the latter's Esports Championship Series. And the NBA will launch its own eSports league in 2018.

Of course, as with any growing phenomenon, the question becomes: How do advertisers capitalize? This is especially tricky for eSports because of its audience demographics, which is young, passionate, male-dominated, and digital-first. They live online and on social media, are avid ad-blockers, and don't watch traditional TV or respond to conventional advertising.

So what will the future of eSports look like? How high can it climb? Could it reach the mainstream popularity of baseball or football? How will advertisers be able to reach an audience that does its best to shield itself from advertising?

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled an unparalleled report on the eSports ecosystem that dissects the growing market for competitive gaming. This comprehensive, industry-defining report contains more than 30 charts and figures that forecast audience growth, average revenue per user, and revenue growth.

Companies and organizations mentioned in the report include: NFL, NBA, English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, NHL, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, Ligue de Football, Twitch, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Electronic Arts, EA Sports, Valve, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, ESL, Turtle Entertainment, Dreamhack, Modern Times Group, Turner Broadcasting, TBS Network, Vivendi, Canal Plus, Dailymotion, Disney, BAMTech, Intel, Coca Cola, Red Bull, HTC, Mikonet

Here are some eSports industry facts and statistics from the report:

  • eSports is a still nascent industry filled with commercial opportunity.
  • There are a variety of revenue streams that companies can tap into.
  • The market is presently undervalued and has significant room to grow.
  • The dynamism of this market distinguishes it from traditional sports.
  • The audience is high-value and global, and its numbers are rising.
  • Brands can prosper in eSports by following the appropriate game plan.
  • Game publishers approach their Esport ecosystems in different ways.  
  • Successful esport games are comprised of the same basic ingredients.
  • Digital streaming platforms are spearheading the popularity of eSports.
  • Legacy media are investing into eSports, and seeing encouraging results.
  • Traditional sports franchises have a clear opportunity to seize in eSports.
  • Virtual and augmented reality firms also stand to benefit from eSports.  

In full, the report illuminates the business of eSports from four angles:

  • The gaming nucleus of eSports, including an overview of popular esport genres and games; the influence of game publishers, and the spectrum of strategies they adopt toward their respective esport scenes; the role of eSports event producers and the tournaments they operate.
  • The eSports audience profile, its size, global reach, and demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes; the underlying factors driving its growth; why they are an attractive target for brands and broadcasters; and the significant audience and commercial crossover with traditional sports.
  • eSports media broadcasters, including digital avant-garde like Twitch and YouTube, newer digital entrants like Facebook and traditional media outlets like Turner’s TBS Network, ESPN, and Canal Plus; their strategies and successes in this space; and the virtual reality opportunity.
  • eSports market economics, with a market sizing, growth forecasts, and regional analyses; an evaluation of the eSports spectacle and its revenue generators, some of which are idiosyncratic to this industry; strategic planning for brand marketers, with case studies; and an exploration of the infinite dynamism and immense potential of the eSports economy.

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Why this new 'Game of Thrones' season 8 photo should have you hyped about Jaime Lannister

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jaime lannister game thrones spoils war

 

  • Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events.
  • A new photo of Jaime Lannister on "Game of Thrones" season eight was released by HBO.
  • His new costume could be a link to the Night's Watch. 
  • Or it might simply be a continuation of the black theme for most of the characters' costumes.

HBO gave fans another major tease for the coming eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones" when 15 new photos were released for our perusal. Among the beautiful new costumes and cold, Winterfell landscape, one photo stood out: The portrait of Jaime Lannister. 

In it, Jaime is wearing a much darker palate of armor than he's ever been seen in before. While this might just be Jaime falling in line with the theme of everyone else's black-dominant costumes (a change that started on the seventh season), one fan theory makes the change even more visually exciting.

Some people have long believed that Jaime could survive the series to become the 1000th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. 

Before we get into the speculation territory, here's the new season eight photo again:

Game of Thrones season 8 Jaime Lannister new costume Helen Sloan:HBO

And for good measure, let's look at Jaime as we last saw him on the seventh season, shortly after he rode away from Cersei and King's Landing and turned his horse north as snow began to fall on the city.

Jaime Lannister on horseback Game of Thrones

As you can see, Jaime is still wearing the same dark-colored overshirt with the rectangular patterning in the new season eight photo. But he's paired it with a dark armor and he might even be sporting a new black glove to cover his golden hand. 

Why Jaime's arc could be leading him towards the Night's Watch

The two most popular guesses when it comes to Jaime's fate are that he either dies (which is likely but more on that in a bit) or that he lives to swear one final oath and live out his days at the Wall. 

On the second-ever episode on the series, Jon Snow and Jaime have a conversation about the Night's Watch. The golden Lannister knight was arrogant back then, sarcastically telling Jon how much his noble sacrifice at the Wall would mean.

Jaime Lannister and Jon Snow Game of Thrones season one

"Let me thank you ahead of time for guarding us all from the perils beyond the wall," Jaime said while shaking Jon's hand. "The wildlings and White Walkers and whatnot."

Jon believed he was heading towards an honorable post at the Wall, while Jaime and many others knew the Night's Watch had fallen in standard over the last several generations.

"Give me regards to the Night's Watch," Jaime said. "I'm sure it will be thrilling to serve in such an elite force. And if not, it's only for life."

As the series went on, of course Jon did wind up rising in the ranks and helping to save the realm from wildlings and White Walkers. And Jaime underwent his own transformation as he was brought low by the cruel amputation of his sword hand and confronted with the reality of his dishonorable past. 

Jaime Lannister baths taklking to Brienne Game of Thrones

His growing relationship with Brienne and increasing disenchantment with Cersei revealed new layers to Jaime. He came to a point where he wanted to lead a more outwardly honorable life and fill the pages of his Kingsguard records with better deeds. He wanted to be known beyond "Kingslayer." 

And so season seven ended with Jaime turning north. We hope towards Winterfell, and the fight against the same White Walkers he once sneered at Jon Snow about. 

The 1000th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch

So what does this have to do with Lord Commander? Well as George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books make clear, Jon Snow was elected to be the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. With the sixth season's events and Jon leaving the Wall, Edd was presumably elected to be the 999th Lord Commander. We never saw this election take place, but last we saw him Edd was clearly in charge. 

Ben Crompton as Edd Tollett Game of Thrones Night's Watch Helen Sloan HBO

This numbering has led book readers to speculate who the 1000th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch could be, since the significant number would carry a hefty weight when it came to the in-universe mythology of these characters. Plus assuming Edd is not safe in that position for long (sorry Edd). 

If you zoom out and thinking about the events of "Game of Thrones," many of the characters sound like living legends. The Mother of Dragons. The Kingslayer. The White Wolf. The Night King. 

It's easy to imagine the people who survive the coming war passing down the stories of the Great War and second Long Night, and how the heroes who prevailed lived out their days. 

In that lens, Jaime Lannister, the legendary knight who besmirched his Kingsguard oath for a secretly noble cause, would be a poignant fit as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Living out his days at the edge of Westeros, in the very place he once believed to be a useless wasteland, Ser Jaime would find the honorable post suited him well. 

Jaime Lannister Riverrun Game of Thrones

All this to say, seeing Jaime in the most black-on-black costume yet could be an indicator of his fate being tied to the Watchers on the Wall. 

But there's also a very strong chance that Jaime dies. 

As we've explored in depth before, one of the most popular fan theories posits that Jaime will kill his sister Cersei, and die himself shortly after. This has been hinted at in the books through a prophecy known as "The Valonqar," and from Jaime and Cersei often discussing how they came into the world together and will leave together as well. 

So maybe a photo is just a photo. But even if Jaime isn't destined for the watch, you can't deny that he's not looking pretty fantastic in his road-worn armor. The style of his armor even matches that seen on Robb Stark on earlier seasons, as well as on Sandor Clegane in his post-Kingsguard days in the Riverlands. 

Game of Thrones season 8 Jaime Lannister new costume Helen Sloan:HBO

And perhaps most importantly, we hope that the person he's looking at off camera is Brienne of Tarth. Their bond is one of the most heartfelt on the series, and fans are hoping to see them side-by-side once more on the episodes to come. 

If Jaime is indeed in Winterfell, that would mean facing Bran Stark for the first time since his attempted murder on the Stark boy way back when. But that possible confrontation will have to wait for another discussion. 

"Game of Thrones" season eight premieres on Sunday, April 14.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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