• President Donald Trump is considering forming a new climate review panel tasked with challenging scientific consensus that would be led by a 79-year-old physicist who thinks carbon dioxide is good for the planet.
• "The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler," physicist William Happer said in 2014. "Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world, and so were the Jews."
• But global scientific consensus holds that carbon dioxide pollution is dramatically speeding climate change by trapping heat and warming the Earth. 
• The proposed panel is part of the Trump administration's multifaceted attack on the scientific consensus on climate change and its broad efforts to dramatically alter US environmental policy. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump is considering forming a new climate review panel tasked with challenging scientific consensus that would be led by a 79-year-old physicist who rejects established science concerning carbon dioxide and fossil fuels.

The adviser, William Happer, joined the National Security Council as Trump's deputy assistant for emerging technologies last fall, and has since pushed for the creation of a panel to undermine the federal government's scientific findings. He's also stirred controversy by finding parallels between climate change and the Holocaust genocide of 17 million people.

"The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler," Happer said during a 2014 interview. "Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world, and so were the Jews." 

In 2014, Happer co-founded the CO2 Coalition, an advocacy group that promotes criticism of climate science and efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The group has received funding from Robert and Rebekah Mercer, an ultra-conservative GOP donor and his daughter, who've poured money into conservative causes including Trump's 2016 campaign. 

"We've got to push back vigorously on the demonization of fossil fuels," Happer said in a 2015 speech."They're not demons at all. They're enormous servants to us."

Global scientific consensus holds that carbon dioxide pollution is dramatically speeding climate change by trapping heat and warming the Earth. Happer's former colleagues at Princeton, where he was a respected scientist, are critical of his approach to climate science.

Read more: The Trump administration is reportedly stepping up its war against climate science by forcing scientists to omit key details from a major report

The New York Times recently reported that some of Trump's top advisers and former aides, including chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow and former adviser Steve Bannon, are opposed to forming the panel before the 2020 election because they fear the political repercussions of a backlash. 

"The very idea will start a holy war on cable before 2020," Bannon said. "Better to win now and introduce the study in the second inaugural address."

But the president reportedly remains interested in moving forward with the new panel — just one part of the Trump administration's intensifying, multifaceted attack on the scientific consensus on climate change and US environmental policy. 

In the coming months, the Trump administration is set to finalize its reversal of some of the federal government's most sweeping regulations on greenhouse gases, double down on its international policies that are hostile to climate science, and undermine climate science by altering the methodology used in important government climate science reports. 

SEE ALSO: The Trump administration is reportedly stepping up its war against climate science by forcing scientists to omit key details from a major report

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NOW WATCH: White House photographer Pete Souza reveals what it was like to be in the Situation Room during the raid on Osama bin Laden

• LeBron James accepted a challenge to a three-point shootout against a 14-year-old over the weekend.
• Gabe Cupps, a teammate of LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., called James out, hitting three straight shots, before missing his fourth attempt.
• James matched Cupps first three attempts and then ended the showdown with his fourth-straight bucket.
• After the contest, James posted the shootout on Instagram, complimenting the young player on his game.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

LeBron James is not playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

But while James might not be playing for a title this year, he's still finding plenty of places to stay competitive on the basketball court. Over Memorial Day weekend, James showed that he was still ready to put up some shots with the pressure on, accepting a 14-year-olds challenge to a shooting contest.

The young player in question was Gabe Cupps, who is a teammate of LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. on the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team.

Read more: LEBRON JAMES: How the king of the NBA spends his millions

Cupps challenged James to a three-point shooting contest and drilled three straight shots before missing his first bucket — an impressive showing from a young player putting the spotlight on himself against the biggest superstar of the sport.

James matched Cupps basket-for-basket on the first three attempts, and after Cupps' miss, hit the decisive shot to end the contest.

"I got called out by my guy and in my opinion the best shooters (he can do more too) for the Class of 2023 @gcupps23 today," James wrote on Instagram. "Told him about a certain switch I can hit when needed and he didn't believe me. Well, he found out the hard way! Still my guy Cupps nevertheless."

You can watch the contest play out below.

James has already said on numerous occasions that he hopes to play in the NBA until his son joins the league. If his shooting contest is any indication, it's possible that Cupps will be a part of that same draft class.

• Read more on LeBron James:

LeBron James has reportedly 'already begun the recruiting process' to bring another star to the Lakers, and the list includes some big names

There is growing buzz about a LeBron James trade, and the Sixers could be involved

Conor McGregor says he learned a vital lesson about spending money from LeBron James

Warner Bros has been struggling to recruit other star NBA players to join LeBron James in 'Space Jam 2,' and shoe deals could be to blame

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NOW WATCH: I've used iPhones for nearly a decade and switched to the Samsung Galaxy S10. Now I understand Android loyalty in a way I never understood before.

• "The Sims 4" is free on PC and Mac until May 28. The game is normally $40, but Electronic Arts is offering the standard version as a free digital download.
• Released in 2014, "The Sims 4" has grown into a massive game with a bunch of expansion packs and downloadable content.
• The free version "The Sims 4" doesn't include all of the extra goodies, but it'll be yours to keep forever. If you like it, you can purchase the expansion packs later.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"The Sims 4," the popular life-simulator game from Electronic Arts, is available as a free digital download on PC and Mac until May 28.

For those unfamiliar, "The Sims" lets players create and customize a household of digital people called Sims and build a community for them. Each Sim has their own unique appearance and personality, and players have complete control over the lives of their creations.

Since September 2014, Electronic Arts has gradually built "The Sims 4" into a massive game with dozens of upgrades and expansion packs. The expansion packs add things such as new jobs, pets, clothing, and even weather effects.

Read more: Moschino's new clothing line is designed to make you look like a 'Sims' character in real life

Unfortunately, most of this content isn't included with the free standard version of "The Sims 4," but if you like the game enough, you can purchase the additional features in discounted bundles later on.

"The Sims" is famous for being accessible to casual players who are less interested in traditional video games. The original game had enough cultural influence to earn a spot in the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

You'll need to make a free Origin account to claim your copy of "The Sims 4" and download the game. Once you add the game to your account library, it'll be yours to keep forever.

SEE ALSO: HQ Trivia is making a major change to the game by offering players a way to win prize money that doesn't require getting every question right

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NOW WATCH: 9 simple ways to protect your data that don't take much time, but could have huge security benefits

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• Sennheiser is known for its great-sounding, high-quality headphones and the PXC 550 wireless noise-cancelling headphones are no exception to the rule.
• For a limited time, the headphones are on sale for $230, which is an awesome deal for such high-quality headphones.
• At their normal price of $350, these headphones are a bit pricey and face competition from Bose and Sony, but with this $120 discount, they're a smart buy.

Sennheiser has a long history of delivering high-end, great-sounding headphones, but they are typically a little expensive. Sometimes, however, they can get great discounts, and now is one of those times. The Sennheiser PXC 550 wireless noise-cancelling headphones are on sale on Amazon for $229.97 — representing a pretty sweet $120 discount.

At their normal price of $350, these headphones have some serious competition from the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones and the newer Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, both of which are hailed as some of the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy. Now that they're on sale and in the sub-$250 price range, however, there aren't many other comparable headphones that can compete with Sennheiser's PXC 550s.

These wireless headphones are great for noise cancellation. They're built for a comfortable over-ear fit, too, making them perfect for long-distance travel and commuting. On top of that, you'll get a 30-hour battery life and excellent sound quality. Sennheiser headphones are known for their detailed and clear frequency response, which makes for an awesome listening experience.

The headphones pair to your listening device with Bluetooth 4.2 and they have NFC pairing, too, which makes for a quick and easy pairing process. There are three microphones built in, so you'll have good vocal clarity when you're answering phone calls, too.

We don't know how long these headphones will stay on sale, so if you want a great pair of noise-cancelling, wireless headphones, you'll want to act fast.

Buy the Sennheiser PXC 550 noise-cancelling headphones on Amazon, $229.97 (originally $349.95) [You save $119.98]

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• Amazon may be changing the way it works with thousands of vendors, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
• Bloomberg reported that Amazon is planning to focus on big name-brand vendors and end its vendor relationship with smaller ones. The move, known as One Vendor, would have catastrophic effects for some vendors who rely on Amazon for a part or all of its sales.
• In a statement to Business Insider, Amazon denied that it was targeting smaller vendors in a purge and said that "any speculation of a large scale reduction of vendors is incorrect."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon could be making a drastic move to completely change the way it acquires products to sell.

As the company continues to tweak what it buys from vendors, it could stop buying products directly from thousands of smaller businesses, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

If it happens, the tweak would mirror a nightmare many small vendors have feared becoming a reality: that Amazon would one day stop buying from them directly, and that they would instead have to embrace an alternative.

Drying up orders from smaller suppliers that may not move as quickly could be a move to create room in Amazon's warehouses for additional product from larger, in-demand brands. It could also create room for products from Amazon's growing suite of private labels.

In a statement to Business Insider, an Amazon representative denied that it is planning to purge vendors from its platform at a large scale.  

"We informed Bloomberg prior to publication of their article that their sources and story are wrong. We review our selling partner relationships on an individual basis as part of our normal course of business and any speculation of a large scale reduction of vendors is incorrect. Like any business, we make changes when we see an opportunity to provide customers with improved selection, value and convenience, and we do this thoughtfully and considerately on a case-by-case basis," the Amazon representative said. 

Eliminating products from smaller vendors would allow Amazon to be more flexible with the product it sells on its website, relying on algorithms and eliminating the need for humans to decide what it sells, according to Michael Krakaris, co-founder of Deliverr, a third-party fulfillment platform for sellers and vendors.

Smaller vendors experiencing a halt of orders would have two options, he said.

First, the vendors could transition into selling like a third party on Amazon's marketplace in order to keep their products on Amazon — and "figure out how to sell on Amazon," Krakaris said. 

Inventory would be managed by these vendors themselves, or handled by another system like Fulfillment by Amazon or a third-party company. Amazon would collect fees on any sale on the marketplace, like it does for every other third-party seller.

Or the vendors could sell to another large third-party seller and keep the vendor-type relationship they had with Amazon, but likely on terms that are "not going to be as good," Krakaris said.

In March, Amazon spooked its vendor partners with an email telling many smaller vendors that it would not be placing more orders going forward.

It reversed course about a week later, saying it would resume orders after a "temporary pause." Amazon also renewed a focus on its Brand Registry, telling vendors that if they did not register, the vendor relationship would not continue, according to Digiday.

SEE ALSO: Watch the moment when an Amazon customer tried to return an order directly to Jeff Bezos during a question-and-answer session

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• Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Its summit is 29,029 feet — or 5.5 miles — above sea level.
• Climbers and scientists have a special name for the highest part of Everest, or everything above 26,247 feet (8,000 meters): "The Death Zone."
• In the Death Zone, oxygen is so limited that the body's cells start to die. Climbers' judgment becomes impaired, and they can experience heart attacks, strokes, or severe altitude sickness.
• Recently, the queues to reach Everest's summit have been so long that climbers in the Death Zone are dying of exhaustion waiting in line for their turn to climb.
• Visit Businessinsider.com for more stories.

Human bodies cannot function properly above a certain altitude. We work best at sea level, where oxygen levels are adequate for our brains and lungs.

But if climbers want to summit Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world at 29,029 feet (8,848 meters or 5.5 miles) above sea level, they have to brave what's known as "The Death Zone"— the altitude above 8,000 meters where there is so little oxygen that the body starts to die, minute by minute and cell by cell.

Recent overcrowding on Everest has resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people this past week. In the Death Zone, climbers' brains and lungs are starved for oxygen, their risk of heart attack and stroke is increased, and their judgment quickly becomes impaired.

Read More:Mount Everest is so crowded that climbers are dying after being forced to queue in the 'death zone' while waiting to reach the summit, expedition companies say

There is a dangerous lack of oxygen at the top of Mount Everest. One mountaineer says it feels like 'running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw'

At sea level, the air contains about 21% oxygen. But when humans reach altitudes above 12,000 feet — where oxygen levels are 40% lower— it takes a huge toll on our bodies.

Jeremy Windsor, a doctor who climbed Everest in 2007 as part of the Caudwell Xtreme Everest Expedition, told Everest blogger Mark Horrell that blood samples taken from four mountaineers in the Death Zone revealed that the climbers were surviving on just one-quarter of the oxygen they needed at sea level. 

"These were comparable to figures found in patients on the verge of death," Windsor said.

Five miles above sea level the air has so little oxygen in it that even with supplementary air tanks, it can feel like "running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw," according to US mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears.

Climbers need to acclimate themselves to the lack of oxygen, but doing so can put people at risk for a stroke or heart attack

This lack of oxygen tends to result in myriad health risks. When the amount of oxygen in your blood falls below a certain level, your heart rate soars to up to 140 beats per minute, increasing your risk of a heart attack.

Climbers have to give their bodies time to acclimate to the lung-crushing conditions in the Himalayas before attempting to summit Everest. Expeditions generally make at least three trips up the mountain from Everest Base Camp (which is higher than nearly every mountain in Europe at 17,600 feet), going a few thousand feet higher with each successive trip, before making a push for the top.

Over the course of weeks, the body starts to make more hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body) in order to compensate for the change in altitude.

But too much hemoglobin can thicken your blood, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. That can lead to a stroke or the accumulation of fluid in your lungs.

A quick stethoscope check can reveal a clicking sound as fluid that's leaked into the lungs rattles around — a condition called high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Symptoms include fatigue, a feeling of impending suffocation at night, weakness, and a persistent cough bringing up white, watery, or frothy fluid. Sometimes the coughing is so severe that it cracks or separates ribs.

Climbers with HAPE are always short of breath, even when resting. 

In the Death Zone, your brain can start to swell due to lack of oxygen, which can lead to nausea and a form of high-altitude psychosis

One of the biggest risk factors at 26,000 feet is hypoxia, a lack of adequate oxygen circulation to organs like your brain. That's because acclimatization to Death Zone altitudes isn't possible, high altitude expert and doctor Peter Hackett told PBS.

If your brain doesn't get enough oxygen, it can start to swell, causing high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which is HAPE for the brain. This swelling can trigger nausea, vomiting, and difficulty thinking and reasoning.

An oxygen-starved brain means climbers sometimes forget where they are, entering a delirium that some experts consider a form of high-altitude psychosis. Hypoxic climbers' judgment becomes impaired, and they've been known to do strange things like start shedding their clothes or talking to imaginary friends.

Other possible dangers include appetite loss, snow blindness, and vomiting

Impaired judgment and shortness of breath aren't the only things high-altitude climbers have to worry about. "Humans will start to deteriorate," Hackett added. "Sleeping becomes a problem. Muscle wasting takes place. Weight loss takes place."

Nausea and vomiting from altitude sickness, including HAPE and HACE, will cause a decrease in appetite. The glare from the endless snow and ice can cause snow blindness — temporary vision loss, or burst blood vessels in your eyes.

Some climbers are injured or perish from the indirect results of these high-altitude health problems. Physical weakening and impaired vision can lead to accidental falls. Incorrect decision-making — from exhaustion or lack of oxygen — can mean forgetting to clip back into a safety rope, or straying from the route, or failing to properly prepare life-saving equipment like supplementary oxygen tanks.

Mountaineers survive the Death Zone by trying to climb it in a day, but people are currently stuck waiting for hours, which can be deadly

All told, climbing in the Death Zone is "a living hell," as Everest climber and 1998 NOVA expedition member David Carter told PBS. 

Typically, climbers attempting to bag the summit try and make it up and down in a single day of flurried activity, spending as little time as possible in the Death Zone before returning to safer altitudes. But this frenzied push to the finish line comes at the end of weeks of climbing, during one of the hardest parts of the route up. 

Lhakpa Sherpa, who's reached Everest's summit nine times (more than any other woman on Earth) previously told Business Insider that the day a group attempts to summit Everest is by far the most difficult section of the trek.

In order to summit successfully, everything must go right. Around 10 p.m., climbers leave their haven in Camp Four at 26,000 feet, just on the edge of the Death Zone. The first chunk of their climb is done wholly in the dark, lit by starlight and headlamps.

Seven hours later, typically, climbers reach the summit. After a brief rest filled with celebrations and photographs, the expeditions turn around, making the 12-hour trek back to safety and arriving (ideally) before nightfall.

But recently, expedition companies noted that the peak became so choked with climbers scrambling to the summit during a rare period of good weather that people were stuck waiting in the Death Zone for hours, leading some to collapse from exhaustion and die.

On May 22, when 250 climbers attempted to reach the mountain's summit, The Kathmandu Post reported, many climbers had to wait in line to go up and down the mountain. These extra, unplanned hours in the Death Zone made the difference between life and death for 11 people.

SEE ALSO: What the top of Mount Everest is really like, according to the woman who's been there a record-breaking 9 times

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NOW WATCH: There's a region near the top of the world's tallest mountains called the 'death zone' — here's a first-hand account of what it's like

Insider Inc. is hiring an HTML/Web Producer to join our Subscriptions team and build email and web assets that support our subscriber acquisition and retention efforts.

The HTML/Web Producer is responsible for coding Business Insider's email creative and other email-related assets including landing pages, customer data segmentation, and dynamic content. As HTML/Web Producer, you will be part of a team that develops and codes email campaigns, tests on multiple internet platforms, and troubleshoots deployment issues. The assets you create will be used in marketing campaigns for our core subscription products: Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider Prime, and free editorial newsletters.

Business Insider Intelligence is Business Insider's cutting-edge research service, delivering real-time insights on emerging trends, technologies, and transformations in the digital arena. Business Insider Prime is our premium subscription service, providing access to exclusive reporting from inside the companies and topics which matter the most to Business Insider's audience.

Responsibilities:

• Build responsive emails and web pages using HTML, CSS, and media queries.
• Assist in producing and implementing web materials for online marketing campaigns.
• Proactively provide ideas and solutions towards the improvement of the email process.
• QA emails and web pages before production deployment.
• Update and refresh new content on existing emails and web pages handling any change requests by providing quick and efficient solutions.
   

You are…

• Passionate about HTML email development and stay up to speed on new cutting-edge technologies in the medium.
• A highly organized multitasker who is able to work independently while consistently meeting deadlines.
• A perfectionist about producing high quality code that will provide the ultimate user experience for recipients.
   

Other skills required for the job:

• 3+ years of email development and email service provider programming experience
• Experience with Sailthru or similar email service provider product
• Highly skilled in: HTML/5, CSS3, JavaScript, Responsive Design, Media Queries, Cross-Browser Development, and mobile design best practices.
• Required knowledge in Adobe Photoshop/XD, Sketch, and Litmus (or comparable product).    
   

If this sounds like a great job for you, please apply online and include a cover letter and portfolio of examples highlighting why you'd be a good fit for the role.

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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.

The way incumbent banks onboard and verify the identities of their customers online is inconvenient and insecure, resulting in lowered customer satisfaction and loyalty, and security breaches leading to compensation payouts and legal costs.

It’s a lose-lose situation, as consumers become disgruntled and banks lose business. The problem stems from the very strict verification standards and high noncompliance fines that banks are subject to, which have led them to prioritize stringency over user experience in verification. At the same time, this approach doesn't gain banks much, since the verification methods they use to remain compliant can actually end up compromising customers' personal data.

But banks can't afford to prioritize stringent verification at the cost of user experience anymore. Onboarding and verification standards are increasingly being set by more tech-savvy players within and outside their industry, like fintechs and e-retailers. If banks want to keep customers loyal, they have to start innovating in this area. The trick is to streamline verification for clients without compromising accuracy. If banks manage to do this, the result will be happier and more loyal customers; higher client retention and revenue; and less spending on redundant checks, compensation for breaches, and regulatory fines.

The long-term opportunity such innovation presents is even bigger. Banks are already experts in vouching for people’s identities, and because they’re held to such tight verification standards, their testimonies are universally trusted. So, if banks figure out how to successfully digitize customer identification, this could help them not only boost revenue and cut costs, but secure a place for themselves in an emerging platform economy, where online identities will be key to carrying out transactions. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• The strict verification standards that banks are held to have led them to create onboarding and login processes that are painful for clients. Plus, the verification methods they use to remain compliant can actually end up putting customers' personal data at risk. This leaves banks with dented customer satisfaction, as well as security breaches and legal costs.
• Several factors are now pushing banks to attempt to remedy the situation, including a tougher regulatory environment and increasing competition from agile startups and tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Facebook, where speedy onboarding and intuitive service is a given.
• The trick is to streamline verification for clients without compromising accuracy, something several emerging technologies promise to deliver, including biometrics, optical character recognition (OCR) technology, cryptography, secure video links, and blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT). 
• The long-term opportunity such innovation presents is even bigger. Banks are already experts in vouching for people’s identities, so if they were to figure out how to successfully digitize customer identification, this could help them secure a valued place, and relevance, in a modernizing economy.

In full, the report:

• Looks at why identity verification is so integral to banking, and why it's becoming a problem for banks.
• Outlines the biggest drivers pushing banks to revamp their verification methods.
• Gives an overview of the technologies, both new and established but repurposed, that are enabling banks to bring their verification methods into the digital age.
• Discusses what next steps have to happen to bring about meaningful change in the identity verification space, and how banks can capitalize on their existing strengths to make such shifts happen.

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• Zumba shoes support and cushion the feet and have just the right amount of grip so you can get the most out of working out to pulsating music.
• The lightweight and flexible Ryka Influence provides support, stability, and swivel-action for busting out Zumba moves.

Do your hips start swiveling when you hear a beat? If so, try Zumba, a dance-inspired exercise program born from ingenuity. Developed in the 1990s, the popular exercise program uses soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, and hip-hop music to get people moving.

Zumba provices a full-body aerobic-cardio workout that burns 369 calories in a 39-minute class. Zumba not only strengthens your legs and core, but also increases your agility and flexibility. You don't need to be a dancer to enjoy this high-impact activity — all you need are two feet (even two left ones!) and a love of rocking to music with a strong beat.

In order to get the most out of your Zumba workout, you'll want to wear high-quality, comfortable shoes designed to handle diverse movements like turns, lunges, hops, weight shifts, kicks, squats, rapid direction changes, and more. A good pair of shoes help you maintain proper form for maximum benefits and minimum injury.

When considering a pair of shoes for Zumba, look for the following features:

• Flexibility: Look for bendable uppers and soles.
• Fit: Some models run narrow and some run wide — as do people's feet. Obviously, you want your feet to be comfortable. Avoid excess room, which could lead to pain from tight spots and pressure points or sliding.
• Weight: The lighter, the better.
• Cushioning in the insoles, midsoles, and outer soles: Although you may want thicker soles for greater shock absorbency, remember that the thicker the sole, the heavier the shoe and the less your foot feels the floor.
• Support: Look for support across the sole (front to back, side to side), under the arch, at the heel (a heel cup securely holds the back and sides of a dancer's heel), and around the ankle (with high-top models).
• Grip: Seehow the sole "grips" the floor.Because dancers pivot, slide, and frequently change direction, they need shoes that don't stick to the floor, which could result in twisted ankles, knees, hips, backs, etc. Avoid running and tennis shoes, which are designed to grip surfaces.
• Sole construction: You'll find two types of soles: full (one solid piece that runs along the entire shoe bottom) and split (composed of two sections, the heel pad and the toe pad) which offers more flexibility but no arch support.
• Pivot point: This isa circular patch of rubber on the shoe's sole — usually located under the ball of the foot and/or under the heel — on which a dancer can twist, turn, and spin with ease. Some but not all models have pivot points.

In our research, we read opinions by trained Zumba instructors as well as reviews by Zumba students — from beginners to veterans — to narrow the field down to these five models.

Here are our top picks for the best Zumba shoes in 2019:

• Best Zumba shoes overall: Ryka Influence
• Best budget Zumba shoes: Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 
• Best high-top Zumba shoes: Ryka Tenacity
• Best split-sole Zumba shoes: Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker
• Best Zumba shoes for men: Nike Men's Free 5.0+

Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.

The best overall

The Ryka Influence is not just stylish and sporty, it's also lightweight, flexible, and sturdy, offers support and cushioning, and has a low-grip sole and pivot point.

Designed for high-impact exercise, theRyka Influence has a lightweight and flexible construction that's great for kicks and jumps and provides ample support for side-to-side movements. 

The Ryka Influence has a trademarked a "Comfort Fit Precise-Return" insole for shock absorption. It also has an attractive synthetic mesh upper for breathability as well as a padded tongue and collar for comfort. Another great feature is the pivot-point under the ball of the foot, which makes turning, twisting, and pirouetting easy and safe. The sole's grip provides "decent traction," according to Sportsly, yet still to moves easily across the floor. In fact, many Amazonreviewers note that they wear these shoes while dancing on carpet. Only a few feel the sole has too much grip.

Ryka makes shoes specifically for women, so the Influence has a narrow heel, a high instep, a secure insole, and a roomy forefoot. SomeAmazon reviewers like the narrow heel box while others find the toe box too narrow. ZumbaHQ points out that this model may be a bit narrow and uncomfortable for people with wide feet. In terms of overall sizing, theRyka Influence runs true to size for some users but feels a half or whole size too small for others.

Named "Best of the Best" on BestReviews and "Best Cross Trainer for Zumba" on Shrewd Fitness, the Ryka Influence is also the top pick for women's Zumba shoes on Sportsly, BestWomensWorkouts, RunnerClick, and BestExerciseShoes. ZumbaHQ, WalkJogRun, 5 Min To Health, and Zumba instructor Allen Lizzie of Zumba Center rate this model as one of the best Zumba shoes. Of the more than 2,100 Amazon customers, 77% rated it 4 or 5 stars.

Pros: Lightweight, flexible, supportive, and great for turning with pivot point

Cons: A little narrow for some and lacks ankle support as a low-profile shoe

Buy Ryka Influence on Amazon for $45.89 to $89.99 (price varies based on size and color)

Buy Ryka Influence on Zappos for $80.00

The best budget shoe

Lightweight and flexible, the Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 with gel cushioning is quite comfortable for Zumba class.

The Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 seems to be built for Zumba. It has a breathable mesh upper for air ventilation, a "Rearfoot GEL" cushioning system that absorbs shock from the impacts of jumps, a midsole with a crisscross pattern for multidirectional bendability, and a rubber sole with the right amount of grip. People also like its stylish yet understated appearance in a selection of appealing (and "not wild) solid colors.

According to Sportsly, which rates the Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 as its third best model, the shoe's flexibility "promotes extreme articulation during Zumba dance classes."This flexibility also provides freedom of movement in non-Zumba activities like walking and light cross training.  

WalkJogRun ranks the Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3within its top ten picks and says the "lightweight design [is] great for lateral motions." Add the Mono-Sock design (an elastic internal sleeve that replaces a traditional tongue, making the shoe easy to slip on and slip off), and you have a sneaker that fits comfortably like, well, a sock — in fact, some people skip wearing actual socks. This construction feels secure and snug but not too tight.

The trade-off of the lightweight and flexibleAsics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 is a need for more support, particularly in the arch and the sides. Although Amazon reviewers describe wearing the shoes as "walking on baby clouds" and some feel they provide adequate support and cushioning, several say otherwise.

The Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 is ranked second highest on BestWomensWorkouts,third on Shrewd Fitness, and within the top ten picks on RunnerClick. Among more than 180Amazon reviewers, this shoe has 4.1 stars out of 5.

Pros: Lightweight, flexible, comfortable

Cons: Needs more arch and side support

Buy the Asics Women's GEL-Fit Sana 3 on Amazon for $34.97 to $139.99 (price varies based on size and color)

The best high-top

The high-top Ryka Tenacity offers strong ankle and heel support along with stability and cushioning thanks to a springy insole.

Great for low-impact Zumba classes (like Zumba Gold, a low-intensity version designed for dancers who want routines that are easier on the joints), the Ryka Tenacity provides ample ankle support as well as comfort and security. Zumba Gold instructors recommend this model to students.BestWalkingFeet praises its heel support and describes "a molded, rigid heel reinforcement unit which keeps you from pronating too much to either side as you dance."

The Ryka Tenacityhas a breathable synthetic mesh upper that adjusts with a lace-up front and Velcro strap across the midfoot for customizing a secure fit. The manufacturer boasts both a RE-ZORB footbed (which BestWalkingFeetdescribes as "bounc[ing] back and return[ing] the energy of each downward motion back up to your legs") that reenergizes dancers and a dual foam midsole engineering design to provide extra cushioning at forefoot pressure points.

What the Ryka Tenacitydoesn't have is strong arch support. You can insert custom insoles with arch support, but some users dislike the extra expense and inconvenience. Nonetheless, the shoe's rubber outsole has a pivot point under the ball of the foot and the right amount of grip for dancing.

The Ryka Tenacityseems to run fairly true to size, although a few Amazon reviewers recommend sizing up by a half whileBestWalkingFeetsuggests sizing down a little bit. We recommend trying these on before you use it, or purchase from an online retailer with a good return policy like Zappos.

Of the more than 430 Amazon customers, 62% gave the Ryka Tenacity 5 stars. This model is the second-highest ranked Zumba shoe onRunnerClick, the fourth on Sportslyand BestWomensWorkouts, and sixth on BestWalkingFeet.

Pros: Comfortable, great ankle support, secure fit

Cons: Weak support for the arch (can add own insole, which isn't always convenient) and lateral movement

Buy Ryka Tenacity on Amazon for $29.95 to $84.95 (price varies based on size and color)

Buy Ryka Tenacity on Zappos for $85.00

The best split-sole

For women and men who demand bona fide dancewear, the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker provides maximum flexibility for Zumba movements and foot extensions in a well-constructed studio shoe.

Famous dancewear manufacturer Capezio makes the unisex Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker, which is perfect for Zumba enthusiasts, dance teachers, hip-hoppers, etc. Users love this well-padded yet lightweight and flexible shoe. Its sturdy upper is made of polyurethane nubuck, imitation suede, and mesh. This model also has a ventilated arch for breathability as well as a padded collar, tongue, and Achilles notch above the heel for comfort. The removable footbed, made of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate, a man-made material often used running and hiking shoes), provides ample cushioning.

What's really special about the Capezio Rockit Dancesneakeris that it's designed specifically for dancing. Zumba instructors state that it facilitates easy turning and pivoting without sacrificing stability. Excellent for changing direction, rotating, and executing lateral movements, this shoe has a non-marking, polyurethane sole split sole for maximum foot articulation and toe pointing; flex points and a spin spot under the ball of the foot for pirouettes; and a flat, boxed toe for executing toe stands.

The Dancerholic blog notes that the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker is "great for those with knee problems as they have built-in flexible points and a spin spot so you can move side-to-side without putting pressure on your knees." Several Amazon reviewers report switching to this shoe in order to avoid and/or eliminate aches and pain. Some users like the sole's grip (even for dancing on carpeting) while others find it a bit slippery for lunges, squats, and on non-carpeted floors.

People (especially those with wide feet) find the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker a bit narrow and that runs small. The manufacturer recommends women order one size up from their street-shoe size and men order two sizes up.

The Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker is one of the top picks on Dancerholic, RunnerClick, BestExerciseShoes, Shrewd Fitness, BodyTechReview, and ZumbaHQ. On Amazon, 52% of more than 600 reviewers gave it 5 stars.

Pros: Split sole allows full foot articulation and rotations, lightweight and flexible

Cons: Run a little narrow and small, can be slippery on wooden floors

Buy the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker on Amazon for $55.86 to $138.15 (price varies based on size)

Buy the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker on Zappos for $68.50

The best for men

The Nike Men's Free 5.0+ is lightweight, breathable, and flexible, and provides cushion for men starting out in Zumba.

Finding Zumba shoes for men is a bit like playing "Where's Waldo?" because unless shoe models are labeled as unisex or for men, you can assume they're likely for made for women. Nonetheless, there are good Zumba shoes for men out there, like the Capezio Rockit Dancesneaker described earlier and others by Capezio and dance brands like Bloch and Sansha. The best "mainstream" shoe we found after an exhaustive search is the Nike Men's Free 5.0+. It accommodates the male foot shape well and has features that make it appropriate for Zumba.

Fitness enthusiast and BodyTechReview founder Mark Brennan likes the Nike Men's Free 5.0+for men trying Zumba because it's lightweight, flexible, and comfortable. The shoe's upper is made out of breathable mesh for releasing heat and evaporating sweat during an intense Zumba workout. The shoe also has a molded, cushioned footbed and arch support that adjusts to your foot and absorbs shock.

Its sleek look may appeal to men. Although marketed as a running shoe (which normally you shouldn't wear for Zumba), the Nike Men's Free 5.0+has "decent" but not overly strong grip according toAmazon reviewers. Instead of heavy, deeply grooved treads often found on running shoes, this model features hexagonal flexible grooves on its minimal rubber sole, so it isn't too "grippy," which is important in executing twists, turns, and other Zumba moves.

The Nike Men's Free 5.0+ runs a bit small and wearers recommend ordering up a size.

One Amazon reviewer wrote that his pair of Nike Men's Free 5.0+ is "the absolute best Zumba shoes I have ever owned!" This model has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars among more than 1,400 Amazon reviewers.

Pros: Lightweight, flexible, not too "grippy," sleek and masculine appearance

Cons: Pricey, no pivot point, runs a bit small

Buy the Nike Men's Free 5.0+ on Amazon for $130

• Ornate bridesmaid dresses with ruffles, collars, and puffy sleeves have gone in and out of vogue.
• Patterned dresses dominated the 1970s, and bohemian off-the-shoulder dresses were big in the 1980s.
• These days, bridesmaid outfits don't all have to be the same color or style, or even be dresses at all.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Just as wedding dress styles have changed over the years, different bridesmaid gowns have gone in and out of vogue. 

From ornate dresses with ruffles, collars, and puffy sleeves to sleek, pastel-colored pieces, here are 32 photos that show how bridesmaid dresses have evolved.

1853

Corsets that smoothed hips, narrowed waists, and enhanced bustlines were popular in the Victorian era.

Bridesmaid and flower girl dresses from 1853 on display at the Chicago History Museum were made of silk taffeta and lace and feature fringe on the sleeves and neckline.

1885

In 1885, Princess Beatrice (Queen Victoria's youngest daughter) and Prince Henry of Battenberg posed with their bridesmaids, who were wearing short, ruffled dresses.

1893

King George V, then the Duke of York, married Mary of Teck in 1893. Their bridesmaids' dresses featured puffy sleeves and long skirts.

1910

At the Drexal wedding in 1910, bridesmaids resembled the bride themselves with veils, bouquets, and plain white dresses.

1917

In the 1910s, tightly-constricted corset waistlines began fading out of style in favor of loose dresses. 

Lord Edward Stanley, the Earl of Derby, and Sibyl Cadogan married in 1917. Their bridesmaids wore floaty tea-length dresses cinched at the waist.

1920

Princess Anita Lobkovitz's bridesmaids in 1920 wore shorter dresses that were characteristic of  flappers in the decade. The bride also wore a flapper-style headpiece. 

1928

Matching bridesmaid hats were also in vogue at the wedding of Piers Debenham and Angel Paget in London in 1928.

1931

During the Great Depression, bridal dresses became less formal due to monetary concerns, and bridesmaid dresses followed suit.

Bridesmaid dresses at the wedding of Terence Wheatley and Ena Cadbury-Brown were adorned with puffy flowers and scalloped edges.

1935

Collared dresses made a comeback in 1935 at Olive Primrose Haxton and Fitzroy Paget Upsall Phillips' wedding.

1937

Bridesmaids at the 1937 wedding of Olympic equestrian Derek Allhusen in London wore long, flowing gowns with collars and pins at the neck.

1938

Puffy sleeves also returned in the 1930s.

1942

Hats were a major trend in the 1940s, and matching headgear became a bridesmaid staple. 

1946

By the mid-1940s, puffy sleeves had started to deflate in favor of cap sleeves.

1950

The 1950s ushered in new silhouettes such as strapless dresses with sheer capelets.

1952

Dresses with full skirts dominated the 1950s.

Bridesmaids at a London wedding in 1952 wore two-toned dresses with collars and striped tulle skirts. 

1959

Bridesmaids at a wedding in 1959 wore plain dresses with elbow sleeves and ribbons at the waist paired with white gloves.

1965

Shift bridesmaid dresses with short hemlines in the 1960s exemplified the decade's mod style.

1966

When President Lyndon B. Johnson and first lady Lady Bird Johnson's daughter Lucy got married in 1966, the bridesmaids wore bubble gum pink dresses and veils.

1974

The 1970s gave us hippie chic— introducing bold patterns and colors.

1975

Bright green bridesmaid dresses with ruffles and high necklines were chosen for Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen's wedding in 1975.

1979

Towards the end of the 1970s and into the next decade, off-the-shoulder bridesmaid looks became popular.

1982

The 1980s were a time of big dresses with design elements including voluminous sleeves, large ruffles, and poofy skirts.

1993

Candy-colored bridesmaid dresses in vibrant colors made for memorable wedding photos in the 1990s.

2002

Deep jewel tones remained popular in the early 2000s, and full-length gowns came back in style.

2003

Bridesmaid dresses began to lighten up and offer simpler silhouettes.

2004

Some brides also began focusing less on uniformity, incorporating a mix of dress colors and styles into their bridal party.

2005

Strapless dresses gained popularity in the 2000s as more people held their weddings at places other than houses of worship. Matching dresses remained a classic look.

2008

At Leah Wood and Jack MacDonald's 2008 wedding in London, bridesmaids wore lilac gowns with spaghetti straps — a staple of the 2000s.

2011

Pippa Middleton's sleek, tailored bridesmaid dress at Prince Harry and Kate Middleton's wedding made her a style icon in 2011. Dressing bridesmaids in white became increasingly popular.

2013

Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green's bridesmaids wore plain pastel pink dresses. It seems that ornate dresses with ruffles, collars, and puffy sleeves are gone for the time being.

2016

Uniformity in a bridal party is also not compulsory anymore — in fact, mismatched bridesmaids dresses became more and more popular.

2018

Different lengths, colors, and styles can be mixed together for an assortment of dresses that still photograph well together.

• Read more:
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• 16 of the best wedding movies of all time
• 23 people reveal the most horrifying bridezilla moments they've ever seen — and they'll make you want to stay single
• 9 questions you need to ask before choosing your bridesmaids for a drama-free wedding

• Big asset managers like BlackRock, Vanguard, and WisdomTree are increasingly offering or investing in technology for financial advisors to use with their clients. 
• Some advisers said that the move from offering investment products to technology solutions could raise conflicts of interest and privacy concerns.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Big asset managers like BlackRock and Vanguard have much to gain from pushing into technology for financial advisers – but some advisers are eyeing what they have to lose, with concerns around client privacy and conflicts of interest.

At a time when the industry is seeing an exodus of money from high-revenue products like mutual funds, managers have invested internally and externally in platforms aimed at financial advisers. The products help advisers, who manage more than $6 trillion in North America oversee portfolios and evaluate risk. For managers like BlackRock, adviser technology is adding new revenue streams, increasing brand loyalty, and bringing in more money to its products. 

But some advisers say they're wary of using products directly or indirectly owned by managers, concerned that asset managers could exert too much influence on where their clients' data and money go.

The stakes are high. A March report from Morgan Stanley said managers could add $10 billion to $15 billion in revenue by 2023 if they continue to expand mass customization solutions, technology that allows advisers to tailor their offerings to individuals. That could be a critical source of revenue as investors flee higher-fee active funds. Morgan Stanley predicted that iindustry revenues will grow 1% annually for the next five years, compared to 4% for the last five years.

See more: Vanguard thought its app was just for millennials. Then it realized older investors spend just as much time on it, and it's changed how it thinks about design.

At recent events and in conversations, financial advisers highlighted the potential pitfalls – and a few positives – of asset managers' tech efforts. The discussions come as asset managers are expanding their reach. Earlier this month, Vanguard's CEO revealed it's in the early stages of building a platform for financial advisers, which will be similar to its wildly popular Personal Advisor Services.

'No voice with BlackRock'

Heather Fortner, the chief operating officer at SignatureFD, which oversees more than $3 billion, said the tech push presents "an enormous risk" to advisers, despite some upside. 

"I love the investment in the technology. Taking a really good technology platform and putting a ton of money into it so it can be better and develop at a faster pace and that it can actually master what it's doing in a better way – I love that," Fortner said at Morningstar. "What I don't love about it is putting all our eggs in one basket."

She said she's concerned about choosing a single provider that may not offer flexibility to advisory firms.

"I have no voice with BlackRock. BlackRock's enormous," Fortner said. "If I choose that firm, and I have no voice, and they eventually decide that this one small thing that they're doing doesn't make economic sense to their overall business, but it is my whole business, and it fuels my whole business, I've really put our business in a really bad spot."

Joel Bruckenstein, who founded T3 Consulting Services to advise wealth firms on digital transformation, countered that advisers have that risk with any platform, since "things could change tomorrow." 

He recommended advisers think through when, if ever, using an asset manager's platform would breach their fiduciary responsibility. Surveying the tech options right now, Bruckenstein said that's not a concern, "but that doesn't mean it couldn't turn into a problem in the future." 

While some advisors relayed worries about clients' data being stored and potentially misused by asset managers, one wealth manager told Business Insider that his younger clients had no such concerns since they've become accustomed to frequent privacy lapses from Facebook and other major companies. They, unlike Baby Boomer investors, have no expectation of privacy from the start.

Managers' tech evolution

Vanguard is only testing its platform right now, so it's too early to understand any specific risks – or benefits – for advisers.

"We're continually looking for new ways to enable advisers and expand our existing suite of services to our financial adviser clients," a Vanguard spokesman said. "We often receive requests for access to methodologies that have been perfected in our Personal Advisor Services offering and we're in the beginning stages of building out those capabilities in order to help advisers improve end investor outcomes."

Vanguard's product, coming by 2021, will enable the $5.2 trillion firm to compete with BlackRock's Aladdin Wealth, which is used by more than 30,000 financial advisors at nine wealth management companies, including Morgan Stanley, UBS, and HSBC. In November, BlackRock said it would buy a minority stake in financial technology firm Envestnet for $123 million. About 92,000 financial advisers use Envestnet's wealth management platforms, which include portfolio management, reporting and other capabilities. There are about 300,000 financial advisers in the US. 

Sign up here for our weekly newsletter Wall Street Insider, a behind-the-scenes look at the stories dominating banking, business, and big deals.

"We engage advisers through a combination of personal engagement and technology," a BlackRock spokesman said. "We want to understand their needs and deliver solutions that meet them. Digital solutions save advisers time to focus on their clients' needs, help them forge deeper personal connections with clients and put the value of their advice at the forefront of their relationship."

WisdomTree, meanwhile, owns a 41% stake in digital advice firm AdvisorEngine, with the option to buy out the remaining interest this year. AdvisorEngine was used by 14,000 managers at 1,500 firms as of last June, according to its most recently available figures. WisdomTree did not respond to requests for comment.

• Read more:
  
  • There's one clear winner in the asset-management business in 2018, and it shows how the industry's changing
  • 4 top investors give their best predictions for the business in 2019, from the culling of products to new types of private equity deals
  • It's a 'brutal' market for asset management firms, but one expert says there are 2 winners
  • BlackRock now has a higher percentage of technologists than JPMorgan, and it says a lot about the future of the money-management industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WATCH: The legendary economist who predicted the housing crisis says the US will win the trade war

Insider Inc. is hiring a Director of Subscription Lifecycle Marketing to lead our marketing initiatives to generate and retain subscribers.

As Director, Subscription Lifecycle Marketing, you will lead a digital marketing team and be the driving force behind marketing campaigns that will grow the audience of our premium subscription products; Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider Prime, and free editorial newsletters. You will manage the campaign cycle from creative ideation to final execution. This role will report to the VP of Subscription Marketing.

Business Insider Intelligence is Business Insider's cutting-edge research service, delivering real-time insights on emerging trends, technologies, and transformations in the digital arena. Business Insider Prime is our premium subscription service, providing access to exclusive reporting from inside the companies and topics which matter the most to Business Insider's audience.

Responsibilities:

• Generate fresh and creative campaigns to deploy in digital marketing channels in order to acquire and retain paid subscribers.
• Develop consumer lifecycle messaging, manage email production, QA, content planning, and analytics/reporting.
• Campaign project management. You will develop seamless strategies for campaigns to be executing and ensure that teams have ample time to carry out planned marketing initiatives.
• Lead a team of marketers in the development and execution of campaigns planned through the subscription marketing calendar.
• Meet aggressive free and paid subscription sign-up goals to support individual business, as well as qualification and lead generation for enterprise business.
   

You are...

• A strong collaborator who enjoys working with teams to develop and execute successful campaigns.
• Passionate about audience segmentation and targeting across all phases of the customer lifecycle.
• Obsessed with optimizing marketing efforts with personalization to improve engagement and drive subscriptions.
• Excited about digital marketing technology capabilities with a strong background in email marketing.
   

Other skills required for the job:

• 7+ years of lifecycle and email marketing experience.
• Deep background in email marketing. Experience with technical implementation of email service provider platforms (Sailthru, Salesforce, etc), creative and content strategy, and campaign performance measurement.
• Demonstrated experience in strategy and execution in acquisition marketing, direct response advertising, and/or paid performance media.
• Technical expertise in digital analytics tools (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, ComScore etc...).

If this sounds like a great job for you, please apply online and include a cover letter highlighting why you'd be a good fit for the role.

Join the conversation about this story »

• UBS surveyed around 8,000 smartphone owners in the US, UK, China, Germany, Japan, and India, and found the overall 12-month forward-purchase intent had fallen to the lowest level since it started conducting the surveys.
• "We continue to see extending device lifetimes, weak near-term purchasing intent and with these issues compounded by the disruption Huawei faces, we forecast smart-phone units declining 7% in 2019E," UBS said.
• The findings spell bad news for Apple in particular.
• Watch Apple trade live here.

Feeling less than jazzed about the latest smartphone update? You're not the only one. 

UBS recently surveyed around 8,000 smartphone users in the US, UK, China, Germany, Japan, and India, and the findings spell bad news for many of the major players in the smartphone market. Specifically:

• UBS found the overall 12-month forward-purchase intent, a sign of whether respondents were looking to buy a new phone in the next year, had fallen to the lowest level since it started conducting the surveys.
• That, coupled with the disruption surrounding Huawei, led UBS to cut its forecast for smartphone units in 2019 by 7%.

In particular, the charts spell bad news for Apple. To be clear, Apple is still a UBS analyst pick, with a price target of $225, versus the current price of around $180. But it still faces the following problems:

• UBS says that on its latest supply-chain analysis, it thinks iPhone procurement volumes in the first half will be down 32% year-on-year.
• The percent of people planning to buy an iPhone has fallen in the US. Android has now overtaken Apple as the most retentive brand. Apple probably can't raise prices anytime soon. And it's lost some of its allure as an aspirational brand.
• And in China, Apple's status as a trusted brand has taken a hit, its retention rate has dropped, and the percent of people planning to buy an iPhone in China has dropped sharply.

Fewer people plan to buy a phone in the next 12 months.

Because everyone is holding on to their phones for longer.

The percent of people planning to buy an iPhone has fallen sharply in China and dropped in the US.

Android has now overtaken Apple as the most retentive brand on the smartphone market.

UBS says that over time it believes this will "increasingly pose a headwind to Apple's ability to take share."

Th note added: "This can also be seen if we look at the destination of consumers who are switching OEM - in prior periods Apple would have been a net-gainer in this base but now the outlook is much more balanced which we believe is a consequence of the improved retention that has built up around the Android ecosystem." 

UBS says Apple's average selling price (ASP) has likely hit a ceiling, meaning there's not much room to raise prices.

And Apple's been losing some of its allure as a "aspirational" brand with unique products.

Apple's status as a trusted brand in China has also taken a hit.

Apple's retention rate has dropped in China in particular.

Apple is possibly a victim of the on-going trade tensions between the US and China, according to UBS. 

SEE ALSO:

Trump's tariffs are inflicting pain and uncertainty across the market. Comments from very different American companies show how.

• A New York Times report chronicles the conditions faced by Google temps, vendors, and contractors (known internally as TVCs), who often accept their roles with the hopes of reaching full-time status. TVCs are barred from all-hands meetings, as well as access to internal job postings or company job fairs.
• As Business Insider reported earlier this year, the prospect of TVCs converting to full-time employees can become even more difficult without access to the tools necessary for completing their jobs.
• In April 2018, TVCs were banned from all internal chat forums running on Google Groups, three former TVC workers told us earlier this year.
• Another TVC told us she "wasn't able to get access to a lot of their systems," and as a result, "you can only do half of your job."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Google's ranks of temporary workers now outnumber its full-time employees, according to a New York Times report on Tuesday.

This massive "shadow workforce" is raising questions about the way Google treats its contractors compared to its full time employees, and about whether a contracting job at Google can really serve as a stepping stone to a career at the tech giant, or is merely a clever way for Google to cut costs. 

Many contractors hope to turn their part-time roles into full-time gigs, which offer better pay, equity compensation and other job benefits. But as the Times notes, the path towards full-time employment is laden with roadblocks: Temps are not allowed to attend internal all-hands meetings and company job fairs, and they don't have access to internal job listings.

The disparity between Google's full-timers and temps (who must wear red badges to identify themselves) is even more severe than the Times describes. As Business Insider has previously reported, Google's two-class employee system means that even the day-to-day interactions between red-badge temps and full-timers are limited.

In April 2018, TVCs were banned from all internal chat forums running on Google Groups, three former TVC workers told Business Insider earlier this year. The company cited security concerns as the reason for locking TVCs out of the Google Groups forums, according to one TVC who worked at YouTube at the time.

The Google Groups ban, he said, had a "chilling effect" on the contractor community across Google.

'You can only do half of your job'

Some of the contract workers told Business Insider that the exclusion from Google Groups made it impossible for them to perform their core job responsibilities. At a company such as Google, where many employees begin as TVCs and hope to impress their managers enough to get hired full time, the rule changes have become a growing cause of distress and unease.

One former Google TVC told us that he was blocked from Google Groups that were "essential" to his work and felt fortunate that his manager advocated for him to obtain the access he needed. That same manager also helped the TVC gain permission to book meeting rooms.

Another former Google TVC said she had a different experience with her manager and "wasn't able to get access to a lot of their systems." As a result, she said, "you can only do half of your job."

A Google spokesperson confirmed with Business Insider on Tuesday that TVCs still had limited access to Google Groups in an effort to reduce security vulnerabilities. The spokesperson also said TVCs are provided access to the resources needed to succeed in their assignments at Google.

SEE ALSO: Google tightened security by banning contractors and temp workers from its internal Groups forums, and it's raising new workplace problems

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I've used iPhones for nearly a decade and switched to the Samsung Galaxy S10. Now I understand Android loyalty in a way I never understood before.

• Apple introduced a new iPod touch this week.
• The last iPod touch was announced in July 2015 — almost four years ago — but the new iPod touch looks identical to the previous model. Only the internals have been updated.
• Apple's approach to the iPod says a lot about the company.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple introduced a new iPod touch this week.

But it's tough to call this iPod touch "new." This model is a minor update of the last iPod touch from 2015, which itself was a modest update from the iPod touch from 2013.

Apple is keeping the iPod alive, but just barely. The 2019 iPod touch — a brand-new device — is running on a chip Apple introduced back in 2016.

The new iPod touch says a lot about Apple right now.

Read more: Apple just released a new iPod touch for the first time since 2015

Profitability over everything

Apple is one of the most valuable and most profitable companies in the world. But to achieve this level of success, Apple walks a very fine line to create quality, high-end products for customers that are also not too expensive to make. Apple must regularly make decisions to balance quality and profitability.

Take Apple's recent debacle with its laptop keyboards, for example: MacBook Pro customers have complained about Apple's butterfly keyboards since the design was first introduced in 2015, but Apple has yet to redesign the keyboard four years later— it would be significantly more expensive to redesign the chassis to fit a new keyboard than it would to make minor adjustments to the current keyboard, sans redesign.

Apple even opened up a keyboard repair program, which certainly wasn't cheap to do, but it was cheaper than redesigning a brand-new laptop for the sake of these problematic keyboards.

In other words, Apple needs to get mileage out of each new product it makes. That's why iPhones, as big a moneymaker as they are, usually have two full years as the "current" design, including one "S" year, until Apple moves onto something new — because it would be way too expensive to design a brand-new phone every single year.

Apple does the same thing with its iPads, Mac desktops, MacBook laptops, and pretty much everything else it makes. Hardware isn't cheap to design or mass-produce, so Apple likes to squeeze as much from each design as possible.

That brings us to the iPod touch, Apple's little music player that could.

The iPod has been one of Apple's most iconic devices in its history. But imagine the blowback Apple would receive if it cancelled the iPod, one of its most beloved devices, simply because of poor sales.

The iPod isn't just a gadget; it represents Apple's unique philosophy, located at the intersection of technology and the arts. The iPod (and iTunes) helped launch Apple into the cultural stratosphere, and it wouldn't be where it is today without it. The iPod laid the foundation for the iPhone: Getting music players into people's pockets, paired with those iconic white earbuds, may have been Apple's way of preparing people for the smartphone era. Cancelling the iPod, however unsuccessful it might be at the moment, would be sad from a symbolic point of view.

And so, Apple introduced a "new" iPod this week, but it's hardly new; it's almost identical to the previous model from 2015, which itself is almost identical to the model before that from 2013.

The iPod is a shadow of its former self

Before the iPhone, the iPod was Apple's cash cow. And Apple was visibly invested into its music player.

Apple designed new iPod hardware every single year between 2001 and 2007. Six generations of iPod in six years, each one different from the last.

Around this time, Apple also built two iPod "Mini" devices, four generations of iPod Shuffle, and seven generations of iPod Nano. The first iPod touch was introduced in 2007, the same year Apple debuted the first iPhone.

The iPhone took away a lot of the excitement from the iPod: After all, the iPhone was an iPod plus a phone plus an internet communication device. But since that hectic period in Apple's history, the company has done little to reinvigorate any interest in its once-beloved iPod, aside from refreshing internals every now and again.

The iPod may not be the profit-monster it was back in the early 2000s, but it's sad that almost 20 years after the first design, Apple has shown no intention of making an iPod into a product people can get excited about right now. Even if the iPod touch remains functionally identical to the last model from 2015, it's a shame that we're not seeing Apple try an interesting new hardware design — even this weird new game console with a crank on it seems more interesting than the new iPods.

Apple could have even just copied its recent iPhone designs to the iPod touch, removing the home button in favor of an edge-to-edge display, but it didn't seem to want to do that. It was probably too expensive to redesign the iPod, given the comparatively little interest in the product.

The new iPod says a lot about Apple right now: It will innovate, but only when it's strategic and/or profitable to do so. Otherwise, it's not worth the risk.

SEE ALSO: Forget the iPhone 11: Here's why you should buy an iPhone 7 right now instead

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• A French metal supplier says Tesla hasn't paid for $1.7 million in parts.
• Lebronze alloys filed a lawsuit for the overdue payments in court on Tuesday. 
• It's not the first time suppliers have said Tesla has balked on agreements. 
• Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. 

Tesla owes roughly $1.77 million in overdue payments, a French metal supplier alleged in a new lawsuit filed Tuesday.

According to court documents, Lebronze Alloys has supplied a metal part for Tesla's electric motors since 2016. However, efforts to collect the €1,559,420.06 (approximately $1,768,460.32) that the company owes have been unsuccessful, the company said in the lawsuit.

"LBA made numerous efforts to get Tesla to pay the amounts Tesla owed to LBA. LBA convened meetings, sent e-mails and letters, and initiated numerous telephone calls in an effort to get Tesla to pay what it owed, to answer any questions Tesla may have had, and to resolve any issues," the lawsuit, filed in California's Northern District reads. "In addition, LBA demanded reasonable assurances of performance by Tesla."

In 2016, Tesla agreed to buy parts from LBA for up to 1.5 million vehicles, according to contracts filed as exhibits in Tuesday's suit. That agreement was amended in February 2019, with the forecase trimmed to just 250,000, according to another exhibit. 

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the full lawsuit below.

This story is developing. Check back for updates…

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• The SpillNot claims to let you carry around open beverages without spilling a drop.
• Backed by physics that we didn't quite understand, we learned that with the SpillNot, you can even twirl your drink in a full 360-degree spin.
• We test it out by swinging our drinks around, twirling our drinks 360 degrees, and racing around the room with them.
•  Visit INSIDER.com for more stories.

The following is a transcript of the video: 

Medha: So we're testing out the SpillNot, which claims to help you walk around with an open beverage without spilling it.

Jake: I'm Jake.

Medha: I'm Medha, and we're testing out inventions to see if they live up to expectations.

Jake: We're here to answer the biggest question.

Medha: It's cool.

Jake: But does it really work? So I am known to be that guy that spills drinks because I'm clumsy, I got a lot going on in my head, so this could be a big deal.

Medha: Yeah, it's definitely different. So let's see how it works through these videos.

Jake: Oh, my dude, no.

Medha: He had too much coffee.

Jake: Oh, look at that. It's not spilling.

Medha: Wait, that's actually pretty cool.

Jake: This is so great. It's like when you go to the tailgate and you wanna do big windmills with your drink. It won't fall.

Medha: Yeah, is that even possible?

Jake: This is the perfect thing for something I never knew I wanted to do, like competitive drink twirling.

Medha: That looks like fun. I feel like I would've done that as a kid in the backyard.

Jake: Honestly think this thing will work really well. I was thinking ahead, and I made you some nice chai tea. But you can't drink it unless it survives the spin test. If it's on the ground, you can't drink it.

Medha: You don't know me.

Jake: You're gonna be on the ground with a straw, just slurping up the results of your failed experiment. All right, Medha, let's have some tea. Tea time, tea time, everyone, gather round. It's tea time. Grab your crumpets.

Medha: Liftoff.

Jake: Whoa, huh! All right, so far, so good. Oh, you're just going for it. But you know how water would be going up on either side? Look at this. It's, like, not sloshing at all. The water doesn't move.

Medha: Whoop, whoop! Whoa, this is like magic.

Jake: Ha!

Medha: Stop, stop it!

Jake: Ha!

Medha: Oh, my God! Now you're just trying to make trouble.

Jake: Let's pretend we're at the clubs right now. We got our cool drinks at the club. We're just sittin' here like, "Oh, hey! 'Sup friends at the club? We just got our drinks. They ain't spillin' anywhere. Oh, oh!" - Pretty good! It works pretty friggin' good. But we haven't yet done the full windmill that we saw in that commercial earlier. That's the big test.

Medha: I am so excited to try the windmill.

Jake: Three, two, I'm really nervous.

Medha: I'm so scared.

Jake: There she goes.

Medha: Go?

Jake: Here I go. You ready? Three-sixty, all the way around. Nice!

Medha: The fear is still there! And it worked.

Jake: Wanna do a race?

Medha: Yes! Three, two, one! Oh, God!

Jake: This is not gonna end well! Huh, huh! Science! Whoo!

Medha: I won! I won!

Jake: That was the scariest race I've ever run. You did a good job.

Medha: We did it.

Jake: Now I'm parched.

Medha: Me too.

Jake: Wink.

Medha: We have the inventor of the product, Josh, who has sent us a video about how his product works.

Josh: The reason why people usually spill drinks while walking is that they apply a lateral force to the cup, which pushes on the liquid and causes the liquid to slosh up and over the side. But the SpillNot has a very flexible handle, it has no shear strength, and that means that if I apply a lateral force to the handle, it can't be translated to the side of the cup. Instead, everything swings together. Gravity acts equally on the tray and the cup and the liquid.

Jake: That was some physics, forces acting on forces, with the slope, and then there's Isaac Newton over here waving at you. Like, very confusing stuff, but I think I get what he's saying.

Medha: It really did work, and we saw with our own eyes, and we had so many people that saw it, and were shocked that it worked, and it's amazing because we could do a race. We could spin. We were dancing a bit, and it didn't spill.

Jake: Everyone was asking, "When would you actually use this?"

Medha: So I think that this is definitely a product that I would get if you're really clumsy or if you just have a hard time holding a cup of any liquid whatsoever. Don't have to worry about it spilling. It's amazing.

Jake: It's essentially giving you a third hand.

Medha: Literally, it's like another limb that you have.

Jake: Was this invention a total disaster?

Medha: Or a huge success?

Jake: Or somewhere between?

Medha: Let us know in the comments.

Jake: Bah, bah.

Medha: Bah, ah, ah.

Jake: All right, we're so good. Gotta get our energy going.

Director: And, action.

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• A new lawsuit filed against Tesla alleges that a California woman was sent into premature labor after her brand-new Model X performed an "unintended acceleration" while she was in front of the vehicle, pinning her against the wall of her garage.
• She was eight months pregnant at the time, and her 2-year-old son was in the car.
• She is suing Tesla, saying that the company knew the Model X had issues and that Tesla was negligent in designing the car without proper sensors and other safety features.
• In a response to Harcourt's attorney, Tesla said the car responded "as designed" during the incident and that company data shows that someone pressed the brake, shifted the car into drive, and hit the accelerator to engage it. Tesla said in the letter that some of these actions were caused by Harcourt's son, who was in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
• Tesla declined to comment for this story.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A California woman, Mallory Harcourt, is suing Tesla, alleging that her brand-new 2019 Model X SUV performed an unintended acceleration and pinned her to a wall in her garage. The lawsuit was filed on May 17.

According to the suit, Harcourt was eight months pregnant at the time and the accident sent her into premature labor after breaking her bones. She had just come home from the grocery store and Harcourt's 2-year-old, B.H., was in the car as this was happening, the suit says.

Here's how it happened, according to the lawsuit:

• Harcourt's family purchased the Tesla Model X on December 23, 2018.
• On December 27, Harcourt exited the car after returning home from shopping and opened the car's falcon-winged doors to remove her groceries and B.H. from the back.
• She took her son inside to change his diaper, but he ran back into the car, into the driver's seat. The vehicle was in park.
• As Harcourt moved in front of the Model X to remove B.H., the car accelerated, pinning her against the wall with its doors still open, the suit says.
• The suit claims the acceleration lifted Harcourt off her feet and pinned her against the wall. B.H. started crying and Harcourt called to her neighbors for help. The neighbors called an ambulance, and Harcourt went to the hospital, where she went into premature labor with her daughter.

Read more: A Tesla Model X driver claims her car crashed into a gym after she hit the brakes — but similar incidents point to a different explanation

Unintended acceleration

Unintended accelerations are not unheard of in the automotive industry. The lawsuit cites a case from 2013 in which an Oklahoma jury rendered a verdict in favor of plaintiffs who alleged that software issues with their Toyota caused an unintended acceleration, which killed one person and injured another.

Harcourt's suit alleges that Tesla's poor Model X design is at fault. The suit says the car lacks proper driver's occupancy seat sensors, control logic to ensure all doors are closed before acceleration, a simultaneously pushed button on the shifting mechanism to engage the car's drive system, and/or necessary control logic to prevent an unintended acceleration or reversal.

To put a Model X into drive and accelerate it, a driver should have to hit the brake and click down the controls on the steering column to move it from park to drive. Then the driver would have to move their foot from the brake to the accelerator, as with any car.

Harcourt alleges that Tesla knew its Model X was faulty and that the company encouraged its agents to say that it was a perfectly safe car for her and her family, despite knowing that it had design flaws. The suit also cites that numerous incidents of unintended acceleration in Tesla vehicles have been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the rate of those complaints is even higher than Toyota's.

Harcourt's attorney, Alison Gokal, sent Tesla a letter in February acknowledging that B.H. had lodged himself between the accelerator and driver's seat, but that "very minor changes in code, design and manufacturing" could have prevented the unintended acceleration incident.

Gokal told Business Insider that Tesla has so far declined to share any information about the car's diagnostic log during the incident. But in a response to a letter Gokal sent on February 21, the company did describe the events based on what it recorded in the log.

According to Tesla's letter, the company concluded that its data showed that the vehicle "responded to the operator's inputs, as designed," and said that some of the inputs came from Harcourt's son.

Here's how it went down, according to Tesla's letter:

• About 9 seconds after someone entered the car, the brake was pushed, the driver's door closed, and the gear shift was put into drive.
• Then, over the next 6 seconds, the brake and the accelerator were pressed.
• "Over the next 2 seconds, as the accelerator pedal continued to be pressed ranging from 44% to 98%," Tesla said in its statement to Harcourt's attorney.
• Tesla continued: "[T]he brake pedal was briefly pressed, prompting the vehicle to issue a user message advising that both pedals were being pressed; at this time, pressing the brake overrode the accelerator pedal such that the motor torque being commanded by the accelerator pedal input was appropriately suppressed."
• Over the next 4 seconds, the accelerator and the brake both were pressed, according to Tesla.

Tesla also informed Harcourt that it does not have insurance that applies to this particular situation and has said that it would repurchase the car from her at resale value only.

After a similar incident in April 2018, when a Model X crashed into a gym after the driver reportedly hit the brake, a Tesla spokesperson said that in every case when a driver has "suddenly" and "unexpectedly" accelerated that the company has dealt with, the driver was at fault.

"Accidents involving 'pedal misapplication,' in which a driver presses the accelerator pedal by mistake, occur in all types of vehicles, not just Teslas. The accelerator pedals in Tesla vehicles have two redundant sensors that clearly show us when the pedal is physically pressed down, such as by the driver's foot," it said.

Read the full suit below:

If you have ever experienced an unintended acceleration in a Tesla, or have worked on solving that problem at Tesla or any other car company, email me at llopez@businessinsider.com.

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The smartphone is an essential part of our everyday lives.

But as with all technology, things change. So the question becomes: What will be the next smartphone?

Will it be the connected car? Or the smart speaker? What about the smartwatch?

Find out which device, if any, will take over the smartphone's role with this brand new slide deck from Business Insider Intelligence called The Next Smartphone.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Smartphones are the fastest adopted tech in the U.S.
• Whichever device becomes the next smartphone needs to go everywhere
• Consumer expectations around the smartphone are changing
• And much more

To get your copy of this FREE slide deck, simply click here.

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• You can make a conference call on an iPhone with up to five callers at a time, including yourself, for any work conference or to connect far flung friends.
• During an iPhone conference call, you can slip into a private conversation with one of the callers or accept a new incoming call that you can merge into the greater chat.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Your iPhone is a powerful tool. It serves as a camera, gaming device, e-reader, television, web browser, and so much more.

But let's not forget that, first and foremost, a smartphone is still a phone. And in this capacity it also has amazing capabilities, such as the option to host a conference call with as many as five people connected together, your phone included.

Using an iPhone to make conference calls is quick and easy, and you have total control over the call while it's in progress, too.

And if creating a five-person call from your phone isn't good enough, keep in mind that you can always use the iPhone FaceTime app on an iPhone or iPad to connect as many as 32 people, either via video call or via a FaceTime audio call.

How to make conference calls on an iPhone

1. Place a call to the first person you wish to join the conference.

2. Once they answer, tap the "+" symbol above the words "add call."

3. Select the number to be added from your contacts or tap the keypad and punch in the new number.

4. Once the new caller answers, tap the twin arrow icon above "merge calls" to join the lines together.

5. Repeat up to four times, connecting a total of five numbers, including yours.

Features you can use to control other lines on the call

During your conference call, you can drop a line or enter into a private conversation with any one of the numbers on the call. Tap the blue icon with the letter "i" in a circle to display each line on the call.

The options "End Call" and "Private" will be displayed.

Tapping end call drops that caller, while hitting Private takes you and that line onto a separate line. You can rejoin the main call by again merging the lines.

And of course you can always just end your call to drop all the lines at once.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• How to leave a group text on iPhone or mute its notifications when you're tired of them

• How to set up call forwarding on an iPhone through any major phone carrier

• How to stop robocalls and other spam calls from reaching your iPhone

• How to hide messages and message notifications on your iPhone, so only you can read them

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

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