• President Donald Trump called on the US to prioritize advancements in artificial intelligence in a new executive order. 
• Trump, however, did not allocate any funds for the effort, but told aides to budget the costs required to maintain a lead in AI.

After months of pushing China to retreat from its strategy to dominate the technologies of the future, President Trump today ordered US agencies to prioritize keeping the US ahead in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.

He did not allocate specific sums of money — and it will be expensive to match Chinese spending — but told aides to tally up what it will cost to maintain the lead, and to budget it.

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• A lottery winner in Jamaica claimed their prize last week wearing a Scream mask to protect their identity.
• The winner, who was only identified by the name A. Campbell, says they're going to use the prize money to invest in a house.
• Campbell won $158.4 million Jamaican dollars, which equates to about $1.2 million U.S. dollars.

A lottery winner in Jamaica claimed his prize last week while wearing a Scream mask to protect their identity.

The winner, identified only by the name A. Campbell, claimed their giant check in a ceremony at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston on February 5, according to local outlet Loop. They went so far as to wear gloves so that no inch of skin was showing or identifiable.

Campbell came forward after Supreme Ventures, which runs the lottery, put out advertisements telling them to claim the $158,400,000 Jamaican dollar prize before the 90-day cutoff. Campbell claimed the prize, which amounts to about $1.2 million in U.S. dollars, on day 54.

Campbell told Loop that the winning numbers came to them in a dream and that they've been sick ever since winning.

"I looked at my ticket and ran into my bathroom and said, 'I won! I won!' From the day I found out that I won, I've been sick," he said.

Read more:A woman wore an emoji mask to pick up her $1.4 million lottery check — and it's not as weird as it may sound

"My head hurt me for three days because I was thinking so much. [Wondering] if what I've been longing for really come true. I had a belly ache for two weeks, sometimes I feel so much pain I forgot that I had won," Campbell added.

Campbell says they plans to use the money to get a new house.

"I want to get a house, I want to get a nice house. I haven't found it yet, but I'll be looking for one soon," Campbell said.

Campbell donned their scream mask about eight months after another Jamaican winner wore an emoji mask to pick up their prize.

At the time, certified financial planner Matt Cosgriff told INSIDER that protecting one's identity is a great idea after such a windfall.

"I think trying to maintain a low profile and remain anonymous is a great idea after winning the lottery as it helps maintain a certain level of privacy to ensure you don't have people coming after you asking for money," Cosgriff said.

The Jamaican Star reported at the time that local lottery winners are afraid of having their faces broadcast on TV because "crime is rampant in the country."

"People who suddenly get these tens of millions of dollars, it is new to them, and they are afraid that they may be targeted," Fitz Jackson, a spokesman on National Security, told the Star.

Additional reporting from Katie Warren. 

• Read more:
• A retired couple explain exactly how they used math skills and a lottery loophole to win $26 million in 9 years
• The winner of the $343 million Powerball jackpot in New York finally won after playing the same numbers for 25 years
• A man won a $1 million lottery jackpot off a ticket he forgot he had purchased 2 months earlier
• The first 2 things you should do if you win the $700 million lottery

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• There has been a push within Barclays over the past few months for its equity traders to learn the coding language Python.
• The goal is to empower traders to run post-trade analysis for their own clients, as opposed to asking Barclay's small team of quants, to do it.

It's time to go back to school for members of Barclays' equities trading desk.

The bank has been encouraging and enabling its traders to learn how to code in the programming language Python in recent months. Daniel Nehren, Barclays' head of statistical modeling and development for equities, told Business Insider the goal is to have traders develop and run their own post-trade analysis, as opposed to relying on Nehren's team of roughly 30 quants to do it for them. 

Doing so will free up Nehren's team to have more time to analyze post-trade reports and make adjustments to improve how the bank executes trades for clients. 

Read more:Barclays has the fastest growing stock trading team around — and it's posing a threat to some of the biggest players

It's a move that indicates a shift in how the bank services clients — gone are the days of on-size-fits-all. Clients of the British bank, which has one of the fastest growing stock trading teams in the industry, don't want to be overburdened with a 40-page document that covers more information than they need, Nehren said. Instead, they're interested in specific analysis geared exactly towards what they are looking for. 

The issue, however, is that Nehren's team only has so much time and resources. 

"You have to find a way to balance, essentially, that bespoke resource-intensive view with the reality of, we are not going to have 500 quants running post-trade analytics for everybody," Nehren said. 

Barclays is setting up traders with code, template examples and blogs and online training classes they can watch to teach themselves how to code. No formal classes are held, but Nehren said his team is happy to sit down with any of the traders to talk through issues they are having or to help them code.

One of Python's key benefits is its readability. Unlike other coding languages, Python can be more easily understood by those without a background in programming. Just because it is easily digestible doesn't mean it has sacrificed any power, though. Python can be used for machine learning and data analysis. 

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The language has become increasingly popular within the finance community. According to a recent GitHub report ranking the top technologies favored by its community, Python was the third most popular programming language. 

Nehren also said he believes traders will be able to offer suggestions for improvements to algos the bank is using as they gain better insight through their Python programs. 

"As we give them the depth of being able to look at what these algos do and how they behave, the innovation comes actually from this cross-pollination," Nehren said. "The depth of partnership that just this effort has brought between my team and the coverage team and sales team, I think that just could be a game changer on its own.

Barclays' equities business posted $614 million in 2018 third quarter revenue, an 33% increase from the year-ago period. It will report fourth quarter results later in February. 

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• Valentine's Day can be a bummer for servers. 
• They've seen fights, breakups, and dates being stood up. 
• Here are some of the saddest and wildest stories. 

Although a lot of Valentine's Day dates include two people, it often involves a third party — your server. And for many servers, Valentine's Day can be one of the most overwhelming, yet interesting, nights to work in the service industry. 

From breakups and demanding proposals to fights and insult slinging, these Reddit threads show just how eventful a V-Day shift can be. Here are stories from servers that prove working on Valentine's Day is as unpredictable as love itself. Just a reminder, these are just for fun, as INSIDER can independently authenticate these stories. 

One server witnessed a fight

"We were super busy that night, but everything was going well until the fight. We had two large parties in a certain section that was [separated] from our more intimate tables. It was a party section.

"Halfway into the meal one girl wraps a chain around her fist and goes after a girl in the other party. Everyone ran out and the manager still [had] their bill with him when I quit."— Redditor kykyjelly

Another saw someone stood up and felt his pain

"I once waited on a guy on Valentine's Day who was obviously waiting for his date to show-up. He had to be middle aged, 40s perhaps, and this was in the days before cellphones (1997 maybe?).

"Anyway, it was a busy night, and he kept checking his watch and he had a rose sitting on the opposite plate — and he kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting. He got more and more sad as the night went on.

"He eventually ordered a meal, by himself, and it looked like he may cry by the end of the night ... I paid for his meal out of my own tips that night. It was one of the saddest meals I ever waited on." - Redditor gopher33j

The 'karate kids' left this server's restaurant in disarray

" ... Last year we had a group we call the 'karate kids' come in half an hour before closing time. These are kids that run all over the restaurant, are given enough money to empty the toy machines (once when they showed up — again, completely unannounced — we had bouncy balls flying all over the restaurant in the middle of dinner rush: bouncing off walls, flying between the liquor shelves behind the bar, hitting other customers. You've never seen anything like it, I promise).

"[They] left candy wrappers all over the tables and spilled milkshakes splattered on booths and walls. Of course, the parents have money and never tip. Anyways, 100 of them showed up right before close.

"We close at 11 p.m. and I was there until 1 a.m. I crushed an enormous piece of ice cream cake at the end of the night by myself as I did my check out that shift. Never forget V-Day 2014." - Redditorkogx3

This server got tricked with fake money

"Super busy at one point and a table came to pay a $140 bill with two $100 bills. Stood there for change and seemed super nice. When I go to cash out later I realize both were fake. I was so busy I didn't even think of checking.

"I had three different $100 bills and that's the only table who paid with two of them and they were faked in the same way. Happy Valentine's Day to me. My boss is making me pay the $200 out of my own pocket." - Redditordahnjenika

A guy asked this server for a booster seat to give to his date

"I was serving a couple probably in their mid-20s. It was Valentine's Day and they were arguing a lot. The guy ended up calling me over to the table to calmly ask me, in front of his date, ‘Do you have a high chair or a booster seat since someone wants to act like a child.' I was speechless, she wasn't. They left soon after that." - RedditorPuddin__pop

One server witnessed things get awkward after the appetizers were served

"I was working cocktail and had a couple sat at a small high top. The girl's having a great time and the guy is being quietly polite, they get cocktails and appetizers, I'm having a good time with them.

"And then suddenly the girl is very much not having a great time and holding back tears while the guy politely and apologetically asked to pay out. I guess they [drove there] together because they just say there waiting for me to get back. It was so awkward."- RedditorAmbitus

This server helped with a proposal involving an 'enormous diamond' speared between the olives of a martini

"Most anxiety-inducing 10 minutes of my serving career — waiting for the bar to make a martini while I had somebody's engagement ring in my pocket. The hubby-to-be wanted it speared between the olives, and it had to have been at least a carat.

"I was terrified to let it out of my sight. Naturally, the bar was backed way the hell up so I have to go by the table and say ‘Sir, ma'am, that martini is coming right up. RIGHT UP,' the subtext being ‘Sir, don't worry, your enormous diamond is safe.' Drink delivered, ring in place, and she said 'yes.'" - Redditormatchy_blacks

This server watched a date end in tears

"On my first V-Day I had a couple disappear from their table. I found them arguing by the bathroom doors. They end up breaking up and then I had a puffy-faced guy crying at my table. This all happened before the entrees arrived. We ended up comping his meal and boxing it up for him." - Redditorkrrusty

One server witnessed a girl immediately shut down a proposal 

"A couple came in on Valentines Day with no reservation. They got seated at the bar, ordered some drinks and appetizers, and they were sitting there chatting and laughing. It seemed pretty normal.

"After finishing their appetizers, the guy dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring. The girl immediately shut him down. He didn't so much as get a word out before she was saying, 'nope. nope. nope.' She grabbed her coat off of the back of her chair and was putting it on, still saying 'nope' over and over. She practically RUNS out of the place and does not look back.

"He looked gutted. Paid the bill and walked out, staring at the floor the whole time"— Redditor macklackey

Another heard an awkward date. 

"We saw a horrible date happen between a woman and a man, where he simply would not stop talking about air-conditioning repair. Anytime there was a pause in their conversation, he started right up with the AC repair and installation facts. The woman would try to steer the conversation into movies, books, Mexican food, friends, and he would say nothing. It was soooo awkward to watch, it hurt." - Anonymous Redditor

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• The VicTsing Mini Essential Oil Diffuser has a simple look and an even simpler user experience, all for only $20.
• Unlike many diffusers out there, the VicTsing is incredibly quiet with no dripping or gurgling sounds, so your aromatherapy experience won't be interrupted.
• On top of that, it has an automatic shut-off feature that powers down your diffuser when the water runs out.

My coworkers constantly preach about the benefits that essential oil diffusers reap, but I've always been skeptical since there is no medical evidence that aromatherapy cures physical ailments. Still, I've been experiencing a lot of congestion in the mornings so I thought I'd give one a try.

Naturally, I went straight to Amazon to get the job done. As I gazed at the pages upon pages of products I began to feel overwhelmed (which is not a benefit of essential oils) by the different shapes, sizes, and settings each diffuser offered. Finally, I found what I was looking for.

The VicTsing Mini Essential Oil Diffuser has a smooth and homey look with a wood-like finish in the shape of a teardrop. There is also an eight-color night light that illuminates from a sleek ring around the widest part of the diffuser and at the top where the mist is dispensed. The one negative I'd note about this product is that an essential oil starter kit was not included with the purchase — thankfully Amazon paired the product with a great six-set essential oils pack by Lagunamoon for only $12.

When it arrived in the mail I wasn't sure if it would live up to its 4.5-star Amazon rating, but I was quickly proved wrong. After removing it from the box, I noticed how lightweight the product was, which is perfect for moving it around from room to room, and that it was small enough so it didn't stick out like a sore thumb on my nightstand.

Like the simple look, the functionality of the VicTsing diffuser is straightforward as well. There is one sole button that operates several key features. With just one press, the color-changing light and mist turn on, and a second press locks in just one soothing color. To enter sleep mode, hold the button for two to three seconds and the night light will turn off but the mist will continue.

Read more: 21 helpful products we've bought for our apartments

Powered via an AC adapter, the diffuser holds 130 milliliters, which translates to three to five hours of pure bliss. All you have to do is twist the top off, fill the base with water up to the clearly denoted line, then place two to four drops of your essential oil in — I chose to use peppermint oil since I've read it clears your sinuses. The best part is that this diffuser automatically shuts off when the water runs out, so I wasn't nervous to use it while I slept.

I've only been using the VicTsing for a little over a week now and I've truly noticed a difference in my breathing ability each morning. Not only am I less congested, but my nose and throat feel less dry as the cold months set in. On top of that, the diffuser is incredibly quiet, a whisper at best, so it didn't inhibit me from falling asleep at night.

This product was well worth the purchase and for someone like myself who has never used a diffuser or essential oils before — the ease of use was exactly what I was looking for. If you're interested in aromatherapy and want to purchase an inexpensive, basic diffuser, I recommend trying out the VicTsing Mini Essential Oil Diffuser.

Buy the VicTsing Mini Essential Oil Diffuser at Amazon for $19.99

SEE ALSO: These home and kitchen startups want you to stay in more — here's how they're capitalizing on exhaustion

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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.

Regtech solutions seemed to offer the solution to financial institutions' (FIs) compliance woes when they first came to prominence around 24 months ago, gaining support from regulators and investors alike. 

However, many of the companies offering these solutions haven't scaled as might have been expected from the initial hype, and have failed to follow the trajectory of firms in other segments of fintech.

This unexpected inertia in the regtech industry is likely to resolve over the next 12-18 months as other factors come into play that shift FIs' approach to regtech solutions, and as the companies offering them evolve. External factors driving this change include regulatory support of regtech solutions, and consultancies offering more help to FIs wanting to sift through solutions. Startups offering regtech solutions will also play a part by partnering with each other, forming industry organizations, and taking advantage of new opportunities.

This report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, provides a brief overview of the current global financial regulatory compliance landscape, and the regtech industry's position within it. It then details the major drivers that will shift the dial on FIs' adoption of regtech over the next 12-18 months, as well as those that will propel startups offering regtech solutions to new heights. Finally, it outlines what impact these drivers will have, and gives insight into what the global regtech industry will look like by 2020.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Regulatory compliance is still a significant issue faced by global FIs. In 2018 alone, EU regulations MiFID II and PSD2 have come into effect, bringing with them huge handbooks and gigantic reporting requirements. 
• Regtech startups boast solutions that can ease FIs' compliance burden — but they are struggling to scale. 
• Some changes expected to drive greater adoption of these solutions in the next 12 to 18 months are: the ongoing evolution of startups' business models, increasing numbers of partnerships, regulators' promotion of regtech, changing attitudes to the segment among FIs, and consultancies helping to facilitate adoption.
• FIs will actively be using solutions from regtech startups by 2020, and startups will be collaborating in an organized fashion with each other and with FIs. Global regulators will have adopted regtech themselves, while continuing to act as advocates for the industry.

In full, the report:

• Reviews the major changes expected to hit the regtech segment in the next 12 to 18 months.
• Examines the drivers behind these changes, and how the proliferation of regtech will improve compliance for FIs.
• Provides our view on what the future of the regtech industry looks like through 2020.
  Get The Regtech Revisited Report
  

   

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• Wealth management firms are pitching corporate HR departments to provide financial wellness offerings to employees, hoping they can manage the wealth of employees as they grow older. 
• The deal Morgan Stanley announced on Monday tries to tackle this trend, while competitor Goldman Sachs created a financial wellness offering last year and signed up Google as a client. 
• The pitch won't be easy, analysts say, as it can be difficult to cross sell employees or keep the relationship when staff leave for other companies. 

When it comes to prospecting for new customers, Wall Street's wealth managers are turning to unfamiliar terrain: corporate HR departments. 

That's part of the rationale for Morgan Stanley's $900 million purchase of Solium Capital, according to CFO Jonathan Pruzan. The firm manages corporate stock plans in what Pruzan called the "workplace solution" industry and it gives Morgan Stanley an entree into corporate HR departments. From there, it can sell more holistic financial planning tools, including its wealth management platform, he said on Tuesday at an investor presentation in Miami.

"Employers today, not only do they want state-of-the-art technology when it comes to their stock plan administration, but they also want to offer their employees financial education, wellness and tools and advice around investing and savings," Pruzan said. "We think it's a growing space."

The funny thing is, Morgan Stanley isn't the first Wall Street firm to notice the opportunity. Goldman Sachs last year took the collective knowledge housed in Ayco, a 40-year old financial planning outfit serving C-suite executives, and distilled it into a technology platform that can be offered to every employee, regardless of rank or wealth status, Larry Restieri, the partner who runs the business said in an interview last year.

Read more:A Goldman Sachs unit hidden in an office park in Albany, New York holds clues to the future of wealth management

In the past, both banks focused their marketing efforts on senior executives, in part because those clients had more money to manage and in part because the banks didn't have the digital capabilities to profitably serve lower-level employees. Goldman's build out began to address that need, while Morgan Stanley believes it now has that offering in its Access Investing digital platform. The latter is also planning more technology too. 

"We're going to try to generate what we're calling the Morgan Stanley wealth portal," Pruzan said. "What we'll be able to do is provide corporates or employers with sort of a comprehensive suite of products. So you'll have a stock plan business, you'll have 401(k), financial wellness education, our goals-based planning technology. That will be all bundled in one web portal."

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Goldman's offering helped it lure Google as a client, which means that Goldman will be working with everyone from the tech giant's executive officers down to its first-year coders. While the business opportunity in the early years will be in managing the wealth of senior officers, the firm hopes that by serving more junior employees it can make an impression and put itself in the pole position to manage their wealth when they acquire it. 

Morgan Stanley sees the same, according to Pruzan. 

"There are obviously millions of employees and it's where a lot of wealth is going to get created over the next couple of generations," Pruzan said. "We think that's a very important space and this helps us attack that space."

While most wealth managers or startups must add a customer at a time, this approach offers the ability to onboard hundreds or thousands of customers with the signing of a single corporate agreement. 

Morgan Stanley will add Solium's 1 million employees with its purchase, and also give it a much more sophisticated solution for the 1.5 million additional employees already served by its in-house stock-plan administrator. As Goldman headed into year-end 2018, it was hoping to have its offering at companies with a combined 1 million employees.

Pruzan said one way Morgan Stanley will ensure success is by capitalizing on a Solium institutional sales force that sells direct to the corporations. 

The prospect won't be without difficulty. As anyone who works in an office can attest, it's not always easy for human resources departments to get in front of their employees and it can be difficulty for employees to know the full suite of HR perks they're entitled to. And for Morgan Stanley and its stock plan business, it can be tough to persuade employees to convert their vested shares into other assets and keep them with the plan operator or leave them there when they leave for another firm, analysts say.

See also: Morgan Stanley just made its biggest bet since the financial crisis in a bid to win the hearts and minds of unicorn startup employees

"The special sauce that most of the other plan administrators can’t do is deliver great wealth management advice," said Glenn Schorr, an analyst at Evercore ISI. "There isn’t execution risk from a perspective of something getting messed up, it’s just hard to do."

Getting it right will be an imperative, Pruzan said.

"This is critical," he said. "It's really going to allow us to get into what we think is an important phase which is, again, the employees of all of these employers." 

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• Aziz Ansari spoke about the sexual misconduct allegation made against him during a stand-up set at New York City's Village Underground on Monday, Vulture reported.
• An anonymous woman wrote an article in Babe.net last year accusing Ansari of forcing himself on her during a date despite "verbal and non-verbal cues" that she wasn't interested. Ansari said at the time he thought their interactions were consensual.
• The actor and comedian reportedly said during his set that he was "upset and humiliated and embarrassed" in the wake of the allegation, but hopes he has "become a better person."
• Ansari said he feared he would never be able to work again and thanked the crowd for coming to see him perform, according to Vulture.

Aziz Ansari said being accused of sexual misconduct made him fear that he would never work in comedy again, but he hopes it encourages other men to go the extra mile to make other people feel more comfortable, according to a new report about Ansari's New York City pop-up show on Vulture.

Ansari reportedly opened up about the year-old allegation in front of a crowd of 200 people at NYC's Village Underground on Monday.

"It's a terrifying thing to talk about," he told the crowd, according to Vulture. "There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way."

In January 2018, Babe.net published an account from a woman identified only as Grace, who alleged Ansari forced himself on her during a date despite "verbal and non-verbal cues" that she wasn't interested.

At the time, Ansari released a statement that he believed everything between the two of them had been "consensual."

Read more:Aziz Ansari denies sexual assault after accusation from woman he went on a date with

On Monday, according to Vulture, Ansari said of the allegation: "After a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward."

In the year after the allegation, Ansari primarily kept a low profile, but has recently started doing stand-up performances after announcing a tour late last year.

"It made me think about a lot, and I hope I've become a better person," Ansari said on Monday, according to Vulture. "If that has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, that's a good thing."

Read more: A woman's account of feeling sexually 'violated' by comedian Aziz Ansari has sparked the first big debate around the #MeToo movement

He reportedly told the crowd that after the accusations emerged, he feared he would never be able to do comedy again.

Ansari said he used to tell the crowd "Thanks so much" at the end of a set.

"But now, I really mean it. I mean it on a different level," he said, according to Vulture, adding that fans now have to put their phones in magnetic pouches so they can's record sets. "You did all this s--- just to hear me talk for an hour and some change, and it means the world to me, so thank you so much."

Read the full story from Vulture »

• Read more:
• 2020 Democrat candidates join lawmakers calling for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to resign as a 2nd woman accuses him of sexual assault
• Women are accusing Sandals Resorts of covering up sexual assaults on its properties in Jamaica with free stays and refunds
• Police complaint says there is a video from 2016 of Kevin Spacey allegedly sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man
• Nearly 400 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have been accused of sexual misconduct over the last 2 decades

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NOW WATCH: There are serious health reasons why you shouldn't eat your boogers

In an increasingly digitized world, brick-and-mortar retailers are facing immense pressure to understand and accommodate their customers’ changing needs, including at the point of sale (POS). 

More than two years after the EMV liability shift in October 2015, most large merchants globally have upgraded their payment systems. And beyond upgrading to meet new standards, many major retailers are adopting full-feature, “smart” devices — and supplementing them with valuable tools and services — to help them better engage customers and build loyalty.

But POS solutions aren’t “one size fits all.” Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) don't usually have the same capabilities as larger merchants, which often have the resources and funds to adopt robust solutions or develop them in-house. That's where app marketplaces come in: POS app marketplaces are platforms, typically deployed by POS providers, where developers can host third-party business apps that offer back-office services, like accounting and inventory, and customer-retention tools, like loyalty programs and coupons.

SMBs' growing needs present a huge opportunity for POS terminal providers, software providers, and resellers. The US counts roughly 8 million SMBs, or 99.7% of all businesses. Until now, constraints such as time and budget have made it difficult for SMBs to implement value-added services that meet their unique needs. But app marketplaces enable providers to cater to SMBs with specialized solutions. 

App marketplaces also alleviate some of the issues associated with the overcrowded payments space. Relatively new players that have effectively leveraged the rise of the digital economy, like mPOS firm Square, are increasingly encroaching on the payments industry, putting pricing pressure on payment hardware and service giants. This has diminished client loyalty as merchants seek out the most affordable solution, and it's resulted in lost revenue for providers. However, app marketplaces can be used as tools not only to build client loyalty, but also as a revenue booster — Verifone, for instance, charges developers 30% of net revenue for each installed app and a distribution fee for each free app.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence looks at the drivers of POS app marketplaces and the legacy and challenger firms that are supplying them. The report also highlights the strategies these providers are employing, and the ways that they can capitalize on the emergence of this new market. Finally, it looks to the future of POS app marketplaces, and how they may evolve moving forward.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• SMBs are a massive force in the US, which makes understanding their needs a necessity for POS terminal providers, software providers, and resellers — the US counts roughly 8 million SMBs, or 99.7% of all businesses.
• The entrance of new challengers into the payment space has put pricing pressure on the entire industry, forcing all of the players in the industry to find new solutions to keep customers loyal while also gaining a new revenue source.
• Major firms in the industry, like Verifone and Ingenico, have turned to value-added services, specifically app marketplaces, to not only build loyalty but also giving them a new revenue source — Verifone charges developers 30% of net revenue for each installed app and a distribution fee for each free app.
• According to a recent survey by Intuit, 68% of SMBs stated that they use an average of four apps to run their businesses. As developers flock to the space to grab a piece of the pie, it's likely that increased competition will lead to robust, revenue-generating marketplaces.
• And there are plenty of opportunities to build out app marketplace capabilities, such as in-person training, to further engage with users — 66% of app users would hire someone to train and educate them on which apps are right for their businesses. 

In full, the report:

• Identifies the factors that have changed how SMBs are choosing payment providers.  
• Discusses why firms in the payments industry have started to introduce app marketplaces over the last four years.
• Analyzes some of the most popular app marketplaces in the industry and identifies the strengths of each.
• Breaks down the concerns merchants have relating to app marketplaces, and discusses how providers can solve these issues.
• Explores what app marketplace providers will have to do going forward in order to avoid being outperformed in an industry that's becoming increasingly saturated. 

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• Cole Haan is having an enormous clearance sale in anticipation of their spring inventory. 
• Starting now, shoppers can save an additional 40% off already discounted items. 
• Shoes, boots, accessories, and cold-weather apparel all made their way onto the clearance list. 

After a long shopping season full of gift-giving and splurging, most of us feel the need to take a break from spending. Or, at least, spending a lot.

Luckily, even though the year’s most anticipated sale season has come to a halt, some of the internet’s best deals are happening right now. Retailers are racing to clear their inventories and make room for new styles, which is great news for you and your wallet. 

Cole Haan is one of the companies that seems to be eager to send you home with shoes, accessories, and winter gear at a discount. By using the code EXTRA40, already marked-down items receive an additional 40% off. The sale includes their notoriously dependable collection of boots alongside accessories, cold-weather clothes, and shoes that will take you from work to a night out.

We compiled a list of 17 great finds from the sale. View our favorite products below or find other outstanding deals on the site here. 

Shop the Cole Haan clearance now.

Men's ZERØGRAND All-Terrain Waterproof Sneaker

Men's ZERØGRAND All-Terrain Waterproof Sneaker, $125.97 (Originally $250) [You save $124.03]

Women's ZERØGRAND Quilted Sneaker

Women's ZERØGRAND Quilted Sneaker, $53.98 (Originally $180)[You save $126.02]

Reversible Flat Strap Belt

Reversible Flat Strap Belt, $41.97 (Originally $80) [You save $38.03]

• Angela Ahrendts' resignation could end up being a good thing for Apple.
• Ahrendts, who headed up the company's retail operations, was charged with remaking Apple as a luxury brand.
• That strategy has resulted in higher prices for Apple's products, which have depressed sales.
• With Apple's revenue falling and its iPhone sales plunging, it could use a new approach.

Angela Ahrendts' departure from Apple may end up being a blessing in disguise for the iPhone maker.

A big part of Ahrendts job was to transform Apple into a luxury brand. But it's just that kind of thinking — and the nosebleed prices that go with it — that's gotten the company in trouble lately.

With revenue falling amid plunging sales of its all-important iPhone line, Apple could use a fresh perspective on its ritzy remake. Ahrendts' resignation gives it the opportunity to get just that.

Apple, of course, has always charged a premium for its products. The original Macintosh was expensive even in its day, compared with rival computers. Consumers had to pay more for the iPod when it launched than for comparable MP3 players.

But under former CEO Steve Jobs, Apple recognized that in order to attract a mass market, it needed to offer products at lower prices and it needed to try to keep its prices stable rather than continually ratcheting them up. To broaden the market for the iPod, the company introduced a lower-priced iPod mini and then the budget-priced iPod shuffle. To expand the market for the Mac, it launched the relatively inexpensive Mac mini.

Apple under Jobs also launched the iPad at $500, which was considered an surprisingly low price at the time. And when initial sales of the first iPhone were slower than expected, he worked with AT&T to subsidize the cost, slashing the upfront price and making the device a lot more appealing to many consumers.

Apple has been pushing up the price ladder

But in its drive to become a luxury brand, the company in recent years seems to have forgotten that history and the importance of price in attracting and retaining a mass market of customers. It also seems to have been oblivious to the  inherent problem of a company that depends on large and growing sales to mainstream consumers trying to upscale its offerings without losing much of its current customer base and stalling out its business.

One of Apple's first stabs at its upscale transformation came with the launch of Apple Watch, soon after Ahrendts joined the company. Although Apple offered versions of the device at relatively affordable prices, it gave particular attention to its gold-cased models that retailed for $10,000on up.

There's been plenty of other examples since. Apple struck a deal with Hermès to create a version of the Apple Watch that carried the luxury goods purveyor's brand and used its straps. In its iPad line, Apple has put most of its energy lately into its Pro line, which retails for $800 on up, at a time when Amazon and others have been offering tablets for as little as $50. Apple offers a $150 version of Apple TV; but that's no bargain when compared with Roku's $25 streaming stick or even it's top-of-the-line model, which costs $100.

But it's in the iPhone line where Apple has really been pushing upward on pricing. It launched one of the first $1,000 phones in 2017 with the iPhone X then followed that up with an even pricier model last fall with the iPhone XS Max, which starts at $1,100. Even Apple's supposed mid-tier model — the iPhone XR — cost $750.

That was the starting price of the most expensive model just two years ago — the iPhone 7 Plus. By contrast, the original iPhone when it launched cost $500 — or about $602 in today's money.

Apple keeps learning tough lessons about high prices

The problem with Apple's premium push is that as prices go higher, the number of consumers who can afford or can be convinced to pay them gets smaller. That's particularly true when it comes to computer products; there just aren't that many consumers who will pay top dollar for a product that will become obsolete in a few short years.

Apple seems to have learned that the hard way with the gold version of the Apple Watch. Within a year of launching those models, the company discontinued them, replacing the gold-cased models with a much more affordable — but still pricey — ceramic encased version. Last fall, Apple dropped even that model. You can bet if either version had sold particularly well, Apple would still be offering it.

But the company seems to keep having to learn that same lesson over and over. Its iPad sales consistently shrank for years amid its premium push with the Pro and its resistance to introducing a truly low-cost model. Its share of the streaming media player market declined too. And in terms of the number of phones it sells in a given year, Apple peaked in 2015 and hasn't come close to reaching that level since.

Read this: Hey Tim Cook, there's a simple solution to your iPhone sales problem

Boosting prices can be beneficial. Even though the number of iPhones Apple sold in its last fiscal year was basically flat with the year before, its revenue from selling them jumped 18%, thanks to its new $1,000 phones.

But that kind of revenue surge tends to be fleeting, as Apple is starting to discover this year. Because the number of people able to pay higher prices is so much smaller, companies tend to reach saturation quicker and unit sales can quickly fall. That's precisely what's happening with the iPhone. Unit sales plunged in the holiday quarter, taking Apple's iPhone revenue down with it.

Worse, the decline iPhone sales imperils the company's move to remake itself as a services company. Much of its services revenue, including AppleCare warranties, commissions on App Store sales, and Apple Music subscriptions, is closely tied to purchases of new phones.

You can't blame all of Apple's premium push on Ahrendts. Tim Cook is the CEO, after all, and Ahrendts was just one of his top lieutenants.

Ahrendts was a key part of Apple's rebranding

But since she came aboard in 2014, she exemplified and personified the company's prioritizing of the premium over the plebeian. Indeed, Cook brought her in from fashion house Burberry specifically to remake Apple as a luxury brand.

Pushing the gold Apple Watches — and the new devices, generally, as exclusive products— was just the first step in that effort. Under her direction, Apple redesigned the interiors of its stores to make them more of a showcase for premium goods and the company made room on its shelves for super-pricey products, such as the $2,000 Phantom wireless speaker. The company also began opening up more stores in high-end locations and in historic buildings in city centers, attempting to cater to the affluent customers it was now targeting.

These moves sparked a backlash in some cases and ridicule in others, particularly when she attempted to rebrand the stores as Town Squares. Many found that move in poor taste, particularly when Apple was trying to convert formerly public areas in some cities into its private retail space.

But the biggest downfall of the Ahrendts era has been Apple becoming increasingly out of touch with its mainstream customer base. Those consumers have long been willing to pay a premium for the perceived quality of Apple's products. But now many have come to think of them as just to darn pricey.

• Read more about Apple:
• Facebook and Twitter are following in Apple’s footsteps by hiding some of their most important numbers. Here’s why investors should be concerned
• One of Apple's best-known analysts says an all-time low iPhone upgrade rate is going to cause more pain than investors realize
• The most important things we learned from Apple's earnings call
• iPhone sales crater 15% in Apple's worst holiday results in a decade, and the forecast looks just as grim

SEE ALSO: Here's why Apple's iPhone sales won't get better anytime soon

Join the conversation about this story »

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This is a preview of The Digital Media Forecast Book from Business Insider Intelligence. Current subscribers can read the report here.

Media consumption has changed rapidly over the past decade, with digital increasingly claiming a larger share of the daily time spent with media. Increased mobile usage is driving much of the growth in digital time spent, as smartphones become more powerful and capable of handling tasks otherwise completed on desktop.

Meanwhile, cord-cutting and cord-shaving will continue as consumers seek more affordable alternatives to traditional pay-TV. Marketers need to understand the underlying consumer trends that are driving billions of dollars in global advertising, and how those behaviors are likely to play out in the near term.

In this three-part forecast book, Business Insider Intelligence forecasts how much time users spend consuming each format as we approach peak media, and how those changes reflect how advertising dollars are spent globally and in the US.

Join the conversation about this story »

• ASMR, short for autonomous sensory meridian response, is a phenomenon where certain soft whispering or tapping sounds cause a tingly sensation in some people. It's become a whole YouTube phenomenon.
• A new report from Wired UK found an overlooked aspect of the ASMR movement: An increasing number of children are making their own ASMR vidoes.
• The report highlights Makenna Kelly, a 13-year-old superstar on the ASMR scene with over 1.3 million subscribers — and who, it was reported last year, makes an estimated $1,000 a day, both from ads, and from taking paid requests from strangers. 
• YouTube says that keeping these child stars and their families safe is a priority.

ASMR, short for autonomous sensory meridian response, refers to a phenomenon where soft sounds like whispering or soft tapping triggers a tingling or relaxation effect in the listener. 

It's become a whole subculture on YouTube, which hosts some 45 million ASMR videos. Rapper Cardi B has gotten in on the action with her own ASMR video, and even Michelob Light turned its Super Bowl ad into an ASMR sensation.

But, as Wired UK reports, there's another side to the subculture: Kids as young as 5 years old are making their own ASMR videos — and making good money in the process. Wired spoke to 13-year-old Makenna Kelly, who makes ASMR videos for the 1.3 million subscribers to her "Life with MaK" channel. In some of her most-viewed videos, Kelly eats instant ramen noodles, or glides makeup brushes over a microphone. 

Here's one of her recent videos, in which she "eats" a Gucci shoe: 

It was reported in October that Kelly's channel brings in an estimated $1,000 a day. That puts her on a par with ASMR Darling, also known as Taylor Darling, the biggest name in the ASMR space with 2.2 million subscribers, and who Wired now reports also brings in about $1,000 a day. 

Some of the money comes from YouTube advertising. However, Wired reports that Kelly also makes money from her channel by letting viewers pay for special requests. For example, Kelly was paid $50 over PayPal for 10-minute ASMR videos where she chewed whole pieces of honeycomb. The video brought in 12 million views.

This clearly raises some challenges in keeping the children safe from online predators and other bad actors — especially since finding these channels is a simple search for "child" and "ASMR" away. YouTube says that it's prioritizing keeping these children safe, and has even taken channels down while it talks with the families of young creators. 

Claire Lilley, YouTube’s child safety policy manager, told Wired in a statement: 

"We believe technology presents great opportunities for young people to express themselves creatively and access useful information, but we also know we have a responsibility to protect young creators and families and consider the potential impact of emerging trends on them. We’ve been working with experts to update our enforcement guidelines for reviewers to remove ASMR videos featuring minors engaged in more intimate or inappropriate acts. We are working alongside experts to make sure we are protecting young creators while also allowing ASMR content that connects creators and viewers in positive ways."

Spokespeople for Kelly and YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the full story at Wired.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how to use Apple's time-saving app that will make your life easier

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.

In recent years, we've seen a ballooning of activity in fintech — an expansive term applied to technology-driven disruptions in financial services. And 2018 has been no different, with fintechs' staggering influence on the market evidenced by record funding levels for the industry — by Q3 2018, overall funding was already up 82% from 2017’s total figure, according to CB Insights.

Additionally, this year marked a watershed moment for the industry, with the once clear distinction between fintechs and financial services proper now blurred significantly. Virtually every incumbent financial institution (FI) is now looking inward and engaging in an innovation drive, spurred on by competition from fintechs. As such, incumbents are now actively investing in, acquiring, and collaborating with their fintech rivals.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence details recent developments in fintech funding and regulation that are defining the environment these startups operate in. We also examine the business model changes being employed among different categories of fintechs as they strive to embed themselves further in mainstream finance and prove sustainability. Finally, we consider which elements of the fintech industry are rapidly rubbing off on incumbent financial services providers, and what the future of fintech will look like.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Funding Circle, GreenSky, Transferwise, Ant Financial, Nubank, Cellulant, Oscar Health, Stripe, One97, UiPath, LianLian Pay, Wacai.com, Gusto, Toast, PingPong, Flywire, Deposit Solutions, Root, Robinhood, Atom, N26, Revolut, OneConnect, PolicyBazaar, WeCash, Zurich, OneDegree, Dinghy, Vouch Insurance, Laka, Cleo, Ernit, Monzo, Moneybox, Bud, Tandem, Starling, Varo Money, Square, ING, Chase, AmEx, Amazon, Monese, Betterment, Tiller Investments, West Hill Capital, Square, Ameritrade, JPMorgan, eToro, Lendy, OnDeck, Ripple, Quorom, Chain, Coinbase, Fidelity, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Bank of America, TransferGo, Klarna, Western Union, Veriff, Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Canada, Facebook, ThreatMetrix, Relx, Entersekt, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Gemalto, Lloyd's of London, Kingdom Trust, Aviva, Symbility LINK, eTrade, Allianz, AXA, Broadridge, TD Bank, First Republic Bank, BBVA Compass, Capital One, Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Ally, Goldman Sachs.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Fintech funding has already reached new highs globally in 2018, with overall funding hitting $32.6 billion at the end of Q3.
• Some new regions, including South America and Africa, are emerging on the fintech scene.
• We've seen considerable scaling in older corners of the fintech ecosystem, including among neobanks and alt lenders.
• Some fintechs, including a number of insurtechs, have dipped into new markets to escape heightened competition.
• Emergent areas like blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), as well as digital identity, are gaining traction.
• Many incumbents are undertaking business transformations that aim to reimagine everything from products and services to front-end systems and back-end processes.

 In full, the report:

• Details the funding and regulatory landscape in the US, Europe, and Asia.
• Gives an overview into a number of fintech segments and how they've changed over the past year.
• Discusses how incumbents are reacting to fintechs in order to stay relevant in the changing financial services sector.
• Evaluates what the future of fintech will look like and what trends to look out for in the coming year.
  

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SEE ALSO: How the largest US financial institutions rank on offering the mobile banking features customers value most

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• Lena Headey, who stars as Cersei Lannister on HBO's "Game of Thrones," shut down an Instagram user who told her: "don't record yourself without makeup again please."
• The comment was made in response to a video that the actress recently shared, in which she was seen not wearing makeup while on a plane. 
• Headey shared a screenshot of the troll's comment and captioned the image, "I shall continue to not wear makeup. Go f--- your self."

"Game of Thrones" star Lena Headey was criticized for not wearing makeup, and she had the best response. 

On Tuesday, the actress called out an Instagram user named @hsn_hodor who commented on one of her recent posts. In response to the video that Headey shared, in which she did sans makeup on a plane, the person wrote: "don't record yourself without makeup again please." 

Headey posted the screenshot online and captioned the image, "I shall continue to not wear make up. Go f--- your self."

Her masterful reply was met with praise from fans and fellow actors. Co-star Emilia Clarke, known for her role as Daenerys, wrote: "PREACH BEAUTIFUL WOMAN" followed by several emojis. "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Runaways" actress Ever Carradine also said, "F--- that noise. You're perfect." Carice van Houten (Melisandre on "Game of Thrones," added to the support, writing: "I get that too. F--- THAT."

Read more: 11 times the 'Game of Thrones' stars trolled fans — from faked photos to straight up lies

This isn't the first time Headey has spoken out after people have commented on her appearance. 

During an appearance on NBC's "Running Wild With Bear Grylls," the 45-year-old actress revealed an unpleasant experience that she had while doing press for "GoT."

"I went in and was seven months pregnant and [there was] a whole room of journalists, and this guy stood up and he said, 'Uh I just want to say that you're really disappointing in real life.'"

Headey went on to say that the journalist said that he preferred her blonde wig, which she wears for her role as Cersei Lannister, over her natural hair. 

"I was like, 'OK.' I was just crushed," Headey said. "How is that alright to say?"

• Read more about Headey:
• 'Game of Thrones' star Lena Headey said she tried to sneak off the set after she finished shooting because it was emotional
• Lena Headey said the cast is ready to move on from 'Game of Thrones' after its eighth and final season
• Lena Headey revealed details of the massive 'Game of Thrones' wrap party, and said she had to peace out

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Starting on Valentine's Day, Panera Bread is launching double bread bowls nationwide.
• Designed to be enjoyed by two people, double bread bowls are sourdough loaves that have been carved out to hold two different soups or macaroni and cheeses.
• Through the end of February, guests can customize their double bread bowl with multiple soup and macaroni and cheese combinations. 

This Valentine's Day, you and your loved one can share your love of carbs in a special way at Panera Bread. Starting Thursday, the chain will be offering its double bread bowl nationwide for a limited time.

Last summer, people got pretty excited about the initial release of Panera Bread's double bread bowl. Unfortunately, the bowl was only released as part of a test launch in select Philadelphia locations. Now, it's part of a special Valentine's Day release. 

The company officially announced the news today after some teasing on its social media channels, doubling its wording as a hint.

"Since the test launch, we've seen an overwhelming response on social media from fans asking, 'When will double bread bowls come to my city?' We're excited to answer that demand and spread the bread to guests nationwide," Tom Sadler, vice president of food and beverage product development at Panera Bread, said in a release.

Customers can order double bread bowls at select locations nationwide starting Thursday. The shareable bowl will only be available through the end of February.

Like the classic bread bowl, the double bread bowl is made from a sourdough loaf

Built for sharing, the double bread bowl is a loaf of sourdough with two holes carved into it. Panera Bread patrons can fill their bowls with two soups or mac and cheeses of their choosing. 

Some of the many things you can put in your double bread bowl include Panera's classic mac and cheese, baja mac and cheese, bacon mac and cheese, broccoli cheddar soup, creamy tomato soup, and so many more.

There are dozens of different soup and mac and cheese combinations to choose from unless you're ordering from the Panera app

If staying in is more your speed, select Panera Bread locations will deliver a double bread bowl to you. Prices for the bowl start at $9.99 but may vary depending on your location. 

Although guests ordering at a physical Panera Bread location can have any combination of soup and mac and cheese they want, those ordering online or via the Panera app are limited to five pre-set soup combinations that include different pairings of the chicken noodle, broccoli cheddar, creamy tomato, bistro French onion, and 10 vegetable soups.

Panera Bread isn't the only restaurant chain that has created special foods you can share with your Valentine this year

Plenty of national chains have already released foods that can be shared this Valentine's Day. This month, you can purchase heart-shaped Cinnapacks at select Cinnabon locations nationwide or online. And fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is offering heart-shaped trays of their famous nuggets at participating locations until the end of the month.

And if you're looking for something sweet that's available for a limited time, Dunkin' recently released a doughnut that's filled with cookie dough and brownie batter. You can purchase the filled treat as well as heart-shaped doughnuts from the chain through the end of February.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon

• Wall Street analysts are far too pessimistic in their estimates for Apple's hardware sales over the coming years, Bank of America Merrill Lynch research analysts wrote in a note to clients.
• The rise of 5G will drive "significant" hardware and iPhone unit revenue growth in 2021, according to the firm.
• Shares of Apple have climbed nearly 18% so far this year, though they're still trading 26% below their record high hit last October.
• Follow Apple's stock price here on Markets Insider.

A major feature of Wall Street's conversation around Apple has been the tug-of-war between the tech giant's services and hardware segments.

Investors were rattled when Apple said late last year that it would no longer report iPhone unit sales. There was also the company's warning last month about its weak fourth-quarter results, which was largely due to issues surrounding the iPhone.

Both instances sent the stock plunging and sparked renewed concern over a slowdown for the flagship product. Meanwhile, the services segment has thrived, with revenue jumping 19% in one year, according to Apple's latest earnings report.

In a new report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch examining the state of both hardware and services, research analysts contended that analysts are generally too pessimistic in their forecasts for how hardware product sales will fare relative to services in the coming years.

Specifically, Wall Street thinks hardware sales are going to decline meaningfully through 2021 and badly lag services-driven revenue growth. But the firm says that's too negative an outlook.

Read more: Investors focused on Apple's disappointing iPhone sales are missing the company's hidden goldmine

"In our opinion, consensus is incorrectly baking in a relatively higher contribution from Services (to total company GP dollars) and is arguing for a higher multiple on the stock," New York-based analysts led by Wamsi Mohan said in a report distributed on Tuesday.

He continued: "While margins are indeed high in Services, the materiality of Services to total company profit dollars is still a work in progress, in our opinion, and for the next several years, Hardware remains the dominant driver of earnings."

More granularly, Bank of America outlined the scenario it believes the majority of analysts are building into their outlook: hardware and accessories revenue declining at a 2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the three-year period between 2018 and 2021. That also includes Apple's gross margin shrinking by 100 basis points each year, and services revenue growing at a 3% CAGR in that time.

"We see that even if Services margins grow to 70%, Services still only contributes ~42% of total company gross profit dollars in F21 (still much less than 50%). That is Hardware remains the major contributor of gross profit dollars for Apple," the analysts said.

"In our opinion, to assume continued decline in Hardware revenues is too pessimistic."

After all, services — a group of business segments including the App Store, licensing, iCloud and AppleCare — still comprise a small chunk of Apple's overall sales and profit.

Read more: iPhone sales crater 15% in Apple's worst holiday results in a decade, and the forecast looks just as grim

Services accounted for $39.7 billion in revenue and $23.7 billion of gross profit in 2018, or 23% of Apple's total gross profit. Meanwhile, hardware and accessories accounted for $226 billion of revenue and $78 billion of gross profit in the same time — 77% of total gross profit.

In a model closer to what Bank of America currently estimates, the firm said it's more likely that Apple's hardware and accessories revenue grow at 5% CAGR between 2018 and 2021, with margins unchanged, and services revenue growing at a 3-year CAGR of 20%. Additionally, the firm said it sees Apple benefitting from the launch of a 5G iPhone, expected next year, which should drive "significant" year-over-year iPhone unit and hardware revenue growth in 2021. 

To be sure, the firm isn't entirely alone in its view that services isn't the explosive-growth segment some investors think it will prove to be.

Widely followed Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, who carries a "market perform" rating on Apple, wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday that he expects services growth to slow this year. Taking his view a step further, he said he doesn't think Apple's different components can always be compared equally.

"On the bull side, investors oftentimes espouse that Apple should be valued on a sum of the parts (SotP) basis, breaking out the profit contribution between slow-growing hardware and fast-growing, higher margin Services. We are skeptical of this assertion, as we believe SotP is generally only valid when valuing 2+ truly independent 21 businesses that could theoretically be split apart."

More broadly, the Bank of America analysts carry a "neutral" investment rating on Apple shares due to a "lack of near-term catalysts" for the stock and continued weakness in iPhone sales — both of which the firm believes are balanced out by a relatively attractive valuation and the company's hefty net cash per share.

Shares of Apple have climbed nearly 18% so far this year, though they're still trading 27% below their record high hit last October.

Read more about Apple and investing:

• Apple's rumored subscription news service will reportedly be announced at a March 25 event
• Billionaire investor Ray Dalio sat down with his idol, Paul Volcker, who laid out the 3 principles that have guided his legendary career
• The investment chief at a $628 billion behemoth explains why the path is clear for a 10% stock-market gain this year — as long as one key issue is resolved

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The first teaser trailer for "Frozen 2" is here.
• Fans are freaking out because Elsa is wearing pants, or at least a pair of leggings.
• The movie comes out in November 2019. 

Disney just released the first teaser trailer for "Frozen 2," and Elsa is wearing pants.

When the teaser starts, Elsa is shown on a dark and stormy beach. She takes off a jacket and her shoes before proceeding to try and run into raging water with the help of her powers.

Read more:The first teaser trailer for Disney's 'Frozen' sequel is here and it shows the beloved characters on a grand adventure

It's a powerful scene, and fans are particularly excited that the Queen of Arendelle has pants, or at least leggings, on.

Some people got emotional over the pants. 

Some fans pointed out that Elsa wears pants in the Broadway production of the hit 2013 movie.

"Frozen 2" will hit theaters November 22, 2019. 

Watch the trailer below: 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Bud Light's 'Dilly Dilly' just made a comeback at the Super Bowl with a weird crossover ad with Game of Thrones — here's what the phrase means

• Overtraining by running too much can potentially increase your risk of injury.
• Overtraining can make your body feel weaker. 
• A sign you could be running too much is if you're feeling a decreased appetite. 

Once you tap into that "runner's high," the surge of endorphins that creates an almost euphoric feeling in your brain, it's natural to want more of it. But overtraining your body by running too much can cause a slew of different health issues.

Fortunately, your body typically sends out signals when you're taking training a little too far. Here are some signs you're running too much and may want to cut back.  

Your muscles feel weaker instead of stronger

Running too much can take a toll on your muscles, leaving them tired and susceptible to injury.

Timothy Lyman, ACE- and ISSA-certified personal trainer and director of training programs at Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, told INSIDER that one of the most common signs of physical exhaustion and overtraining in runners is plantar fasciitis, inflammation that causes a sharp pain near the base of the heel.

"The inflammation is a result of weakened muscles in the foot, which highlights the importance for proper form and rest," Lyman said. "Make sure to use supportive insoles and stretch regularly to avoid pain."

You start feeling physically ill

When doing the proper amount, exercise can give your immune system a boost. But doing any exercise, including running, too often can tire out your immune system and cause it to become weakened.

"[Too much] exercise of any kind can suppress your immune system and cause frequent sickness," Harley Pasternak,celebrity fitness trainer, told INSIDER. "Also, flu-like symptoms, aching muscles or connective tissue, and even depression can be a byproduct of overtraining."

You haven't been feeling much of an appetite 

Any increase in your activity level is going to kick-start your metabolism and increase your hunger. But if you're overtraining by running too much, your body can fall into a state of exhaustion that can actually suppress your appetite, Lyman told INSIDER.

You've been dealing with mood swings

Exercising gives you a boost of endorphins that trigger a positive response in your brain. Unfortunately, if you're running too much, these endorphins get overshadowed by fatigue and possibly a lack of quality sleep that could result from overtraining. This can potentially lead to mood swings.

"It is common for runners to experience mood swings," Lyman said. "Overtraining can cause your body to not produce the right amount of certain hormones, which can influence the way you function and act around others."

You aren't recovering properly

If you're struggling to recover after a run, you probably aren't giving yourself enough time to rest in between sessions.

Read More: Everything you need to know about foam rolling — a tool that can help you recover after tough workouts

"Too much overtraining means you don't have enough recovery [time] or you've progressed too quickly and too intensely,"Pasternak told INSIDER. "I suggest taking the time to properly stretch post-exercise. A quality mat and a foam roller for stretching are essential products to have at home."

You might have trouble sleeping through the night

Sleep is part of recovery and if you're not taking enough time to recover, the quality of your sleep can be disrupted by too much running and not enough downtime.

It all comes back to hormones, Lyman told INSIDER. "Fatigue and an imbalance in hormones [from running much] can easily affect the runner's sleep," he explained. "A runner that is overtraining will notice a shift in their circadian rhythm and experience trouble sleeping throughout the night."

You're struggling to maintain proper form when you run

"If your body starts to get tired from overtraining, [your] form is greatly affected," Lyman said. "You won't pay as much attention to proper form because your body is more focused on just taking that next step and remembering to breathe," he added. "[Without proper form] runners are more susceptible to common injuries like plantar fasciitis, [Iliotibial] band syndrome, and Achilles tendinitis."

Your energy levels have plummeted

"Trying to increase the miles you run too fast or drastically change your training without a proper plan will cause runners to feel more drained than ever before," Lyman told INSIDER. 

You're experiencing injuries like shin splints or runner's knee

Common injuries like runner's knee and shin splints are tell-tale signs you're training too hard, Lyman told INSIDER. He said you have to be mindful of how much you're running, how hard, and what shoes you wear to train in. "Weak hips [and bad shoes] can contribute to runner's knee, so it's important to stretch and rest to avoid developing this injury," he added.

Read More: 10 signs your workout is actually hurting you

Shin splints occur in the lower part of the leg and they can be a throbbing pain that leads to swelling. They develop when runners either run too fast, too often, or on too hard of a surface. "However, these are easy to avoid – similar to the other injuries you need to rest and apply ice," added Lyman. 

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• Instagram users are saying they're suddenly losing massive amounts of followers.
• The major loss of followers has reportedly affected popular accounts including Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and YouTuber James Charles.
• Instagram said in a statement posted to Twitter that is was "aware" of a bug causing such issues, and was working to fix the problem "as quickly as possible."
• The drop in follower counts led some to speculate it was caused by the photo-sharing platform's efforts to curb "inauthentic activity," including the use of third-party apps to amass fake followers.

A bug is causing some Instagram users to see their follower counts drop by thousands, and for some, even by millions.

Instagram users started to notice the major changes to their accounts' follower counts on Tuesday night. Instagram responded in a statement, posted to Twitter, saying it was "aware of an issue" and trying to solve the problem "as quickly as possible."

Prominent users liked YouTuber James Charles and actor Don Benjamin wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night that they had seen their follower counts drop by hundreds of thousands. The Instagram-tracking page on Down Detector, a website that monitors website issues, has been flooded with comments from Instagram users reporting drastic drops in followers.

Social media consultant Matt Navarra has been keeping track of the "popular accounts" affected. This lists some users who have apparently lost more than a million followers, including Kylie Jenner, Cristiano Ronaldo, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez.

The sudden follower drops led many to speculate it was due to Instagram's crackdown on "inauthentic behavior" across the platform. The company said back in November it would be taking steps to target accounts using third-party apps and bots to boost their popularity through faked likes and followers.

Read more: Instagram will soon start cracking down on accounts that use third-party apps to dole out fake likes and followers

Meanwhile, Instagram has denied any sort of "follower purge" taking place, and has blamed the sudden change in followers on a bug.

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