• Ant Group, an affiliate fintech company of Chinese retail behemoth Alibaba, is gearing up to go public with an anticipated $200 billion valuation.
• The company was formed in 2014 to run Alipay, a ubiquitous digital payment service used by millions of Chinese shoppers.
• Here's what we know about Ant Group, whose IPO could catapult the fintech firm past the world's most established financial institutions, like Goldman Sachs.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Although almost 1 billion people in China use Ant Group's mobile payment services, many people likely have never heard of the tech affiliate company of Jack Ma's Alibaba.

With an estimated valuation of around $200 billion, Ant Group is the world's most highly valued fintech company, and it's prepping for an initial public offering in China— which could be one of the largest IPOs in history. According to a Monday report from the Wall Street Journal, the IPO could happen as soon as October.

Here's what we know about the Chinese fintech juggernaut, which is taking aim at PayPal as the leader in the digital payment market and is slated to overtake the world's most famous banks with its IPO.

Ant Group is an affiliate company of Alibaba, the nation's leading consumer retail giant

Some have referred to Alibaba as "The Amazon of China," and while both Alibaba and Amazon are ecommerce powerhouses in their respective home nations — and are going head to head in international markets — there are some differences between the two. 

Alibaba is parent to 14 core units, including its main retail site Alibaba.com and Ant Group

Ant's origins begin with Alipay, which is now one of China's most popular and ubiquitous digital payment services, not unlike PayPal in the US. Alipay was founded in 2004 to serve specifically as a payment service for customers checking out on Alibaba's online marketplaces.

Alipay was spun out of Alibaba in 2011, and has since acted as an independent mobile payment service, expanding not only to a wider swath of the Chinese public but also internationally, like in Vienna. A holding company called Ant was formed in 2014 to serve as not only the parent company to Alipay but also to other financial services, like loans and wealth management.

Ant CEO Eric Jing told Think Business in 2017 that the company named itself after the small insect because it serves "the little guys."

 In 2018, Alibaba bought out a 33% stake in Ant, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

Alibaba: The Chinese holding company founded by Jack Ma in 1999 whose retail sites dominate the country's retail industry.

Ant Group: An affiliate company of Alibaba formed in 2014 to serve as the parent to Alipay, as well as other financial services. Jack Ma, Alibaba founder, maintains a controlling stake in Ant Group.

Alipay: A digital payment service kicked off in 2004 that has skyrocketed from Alibaba's own secure payment processor to a de facto check-out app for the general Chinese public.

Jack Ma: Alibaba founder and one of the richest people in China, with a net worth of almost $50 billion.

Just don't call Ant Group a finance firm

Ant has recently been attempting to shift the optics of the company from financial firm to technology services provider. The company wasn't even called Ant Group until June — before then, it was Ant Financial Services.

That's because the company has veered into the business of some Chinese banks, siphoning off millions of customers and landing in hot regulatory water in the process. It specifically hosted a money-market fund, a type of low-risk mutual fund, that became the largest of its kind in the world — more than 600 million people are invested in it, or a third of China's entire population as the WSJ reports. The mutual fund was reportedly dubbed a "blood-sucking vampire" for the bite it took out of the Chinese financial system. 

And if Ant's IPO goes as some analysts are predicting, other established financial institutions — like Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs — could be left in the dust. Ant is shooting for a market valuation of more than $200 billion. For comparison, Goldman Sachs has a market capitalization of $73 billion.

Ant's IPO could be one of the biggest initial public offerings in history

Ant's last notable fundraising round was in 2018, according to CNBC, when the firm raked in $14 billion from investors to beef up its global Alipay service. That bloated its valuation to $150 billion. The company announced Monday that it was gearing up to go public. 

"It's like having Apple on Nasdaq," Primavera Capital Group founder Fred Hu, whose private-equity firm moved in quick to back Ant early on, told the Wall Street Journal.

The startup skirted a listing on the New York Stock Exchange as US-China relations grow continually strained

Ant opted for a dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai, glossing over the NYSE, though a source told the WSJ that the company always intended to only list in China.

But the move still comes as Chinese tech firms stand in the crosshairs of strained relations between the eastern nation and the US. Lawmakers are increasingly uneasy about the Chinese government having access to user data through Chinese tech platforms.

The US has taken aim at the ultra-popular video sharing TikTok app in recent months, which is owned by the Chinese tech behemoth ByteDance. The House of Representatives has voted to ban the app from all federally-issued devices, and TikTok just filed a lawsuit against the US government challenging an executive order issued that bans transactions between it and US firms. In the UK, the government has placed a ban on 5G network equipment from Chinese telecom giant Huawei, and the US is similarly working to distance itself from the company.

PayPal vs. Ant Group

PayPal Holdings operates in more than 200 markets worldwide and gobbled up almost 14.5% of the fintech market in 2019, per a June report from The Business Research company. Ant Group had 8% of the total share that year and now operates in over 50 markets. Other competitors, like Tencent, Square, and Shopify, trailed behind.

PayPal went public in 2002 and now sits at a $205 billion market cap in the US. And while it may be the leading mobile payment service in the US, when PayPal moved into the Chinese market in 2019, it found itself a small fish in a big pond as Fortune reports. Ant, along with Tencent's WeChat, dominated 90% of the market at the time. Alipay officially moved into the US market in 2017, initially to allow Chinese customers in the country to shop without worrying about exchanging currency, as The Verge reports.

As both companies continue to expand, the tense ties between the Trump Administration-led US and China will likely continue posing obstacles to Ant's move into the American market, per a Quartz report. In 2018, the US threw out Ant's attempt to acquire MoneyGram, a money transfer firm, over national security concerns. 

SEE ALSO: Jack Ma is resigning from SoftBank's board. Here's a look at how the cofounder of Alibaba and the richest person in China built his fortune.

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• Business Insider surveyed CEOs and human resources chiefs from some of the enterprise technology industry's most valuable startups about what jobs they're looking to fill. 
• We also asked them what qualities they look for in a job candidate.
• Below is a list of the top startups that are hiring, as well as what their CEOs, HR bosses and a chief operating officer had to say about how to make yourself stand out as an applicant. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Finding a job during a public health and economic crisis is difficult, but the enterprise technology industry is among the best bets for job seekers as it's been more insulated to the effects of the downturn than consumer technologies.

Business Insider surveyed the most valuable enterprise technology startups to find out which are hiring and what exactly they need – both in terms of open positions and the qualities they look for in job candidates.

Job seekers should keep in mind that we surveyed startups based on valuation, not other important factors such as a financial performance or company culture, though we have noted when startups have faced challenges of which we're aware.

Most information on company valuation and employee count via PitchBook. 

Here's what CEOs, HR chiefs and a chief operating officer from 25 of the most valuable enterprise technology startups told us about what positions they need to fill and what qualities they look for in job candidates they hire:

SEE ALSO: Meet the 54 most valuable enterprise tech startups, worth as much as $216 billion collectively

UiPath

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $10.2 billion

Total raised: $1.2 billion as of July 2020

Employees: 3,000 as of July 2020

What it does: UiPath builds helps businesses automate common and routine tasks through a technology called robotic process automation (RPA). The startup is eyeing an IPO next year, as Business Insider recently reported.

Open positions:UiPath is "actively hiring" for more than 130 open positions, including product support consultant, automaton consulting director, senior application developer, HR manager, enterprise sales leader, software engineer, and customer support manager. The company is also hiring for internships in sales and product marketing, including sales development representatives and university partnerships roles.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "Our company's core values are to be humble, be bold, be immersed, and be fast," UiPath CEO Daniel Dines told Business Insider. "We look for candidates who embody those traits—specifically, individuals who are eager to listen and learn, challenge conventional ways of thinking, experiment, and use their imagination. Culture is incredibly important to us, and we make it a priority to ensure that the individuals we hire will be a good fit." 

Automation Anywhere

Headquarters: San Jose, California

Year founded: 2003

Valuation: $6.8 billion

Total raised: $840 million as of November 2019

Employees: 2,600 as of May 2020

What it does: Automation Anywhere is another RPA startup that helps companies automate repetitive tasks. CEO Mihir Shukla recently told Business Insider that the startup can now "automatically discover" business tasks to be automated.

Open positions: The company is trying to fill technical roles such as such as software engineers, developers, UX designers, and data scientists focused on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and user experience.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Here's what Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy Hauge told us:

"During the pandemic, we are interviewing candidates primarily over Zoom, and are discovering new insights from these interviews, compared to interviews we had in the past conducted in person. Social distancing has in some ways created a greater intimacy because there is a lack of predictability. Interviewers are seeing the candidate wholly. For example, there may be a child interrupting because they need attention, or a dog that suddenly jumps on their lap. How does the candidate react to these distractions?

There is so much more to be learned about a candidate over Zoom. Take the background screen. If they are using a background or filter for their Zoom interview, what is the candidate willing to disclose about themselves on a personal level? As an interviewer, you get to see how someone is marketing themselves by the created environment they invite their interviewer into. Is it a quiet room with a blank space or the chaos of a household? What has changed in evaluating candidates during this time is that interviewers and hiring managers need to be more consciously competent about getting to know people. We cannot rely on the routine ice breakers we had before, but I believe this adds to the quality of our hiring."

Plaid

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $5.3 billion

Total raised: $309.3 million as of January 2020

Employees: 500 as of July 2020

What it does: Plaid's payment infrastructure software connects users' bank accounts to financial applications like Robinhood and Credit Karma. Visa in January announced plans to acquire the company for a whopping $5.3 billion.

Open positions: Plaid is hiring for roles including in product, engineering, sales, and legal.
 
What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We look for a mix of experience and potential," head of people McKenna Quint told Business Insider. "We really want to bring people into Plaid who can grow as the company grows. We also look for candidates who are motivated by our mission to empower innovators and democratize financial services. These candidates often have tremendous  drive to create impact, and a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement."

HashiCorp

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $5.27 billion

Total raised: $349.53 million as of March 2020

Employees: 1,000 as of June 2020

What it does: HashiCorp sells a slew of cloud tools that assist in solving security and operational issues for cloud infrastructure developers. As for HashiCorp's future plans, CEO Dave McJannet recently told Business Insider it intends to be "large standalone independent company."

Open positions: Most of the company's open roles are across sales, engineering, and customer success, but it's hiring across all departments.

"While cognizant of the challenges brought by the current economic environment we believe that this will ultimately accelerate the cloud transition and so we are continuing to selectively hire great talent to join our teams," HashiCorp CEO Dave McJannet told Business Insider.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "At HashiCorp, we believe an organization is driven by its people and culture," McJannet told Business Insider. "Broadly-speaking we think about two categories: skills and attributes. The unique challenge of startups is the pace of change — the job by definition changes and evolves as the company scales. As such we identify functional skills required to succeed in a particular role, but also focus on a set of role-specific 'attributes' that we've found best enable people to succeed as the company changes.  These include innate intellectual curiosity, humility, and the ability to distill simplicity out of complexity, to name a few.

We believe that this balanced focus on hiring for skills as well as attributes allows us to hire top talent at scale while removing bias from our interviewing practices. These core practices ensure we hire the best person for every role who will have long term success at HashiCorp."

Toast POS

Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts

Year founded: 2011

Valuation: $4.9 billion

Total raised: $897.25 million as of February 2020

Employees: 3,000 in February, before cutting "roughly 50 percent through layoffs and furloughs" in April. Current employee count unclear.

What it does: Toast makes software for restaurants and had to cut half its staff in April after the coronavirus crisis hit the industry hard. The company had raised $400 million just before the crisis, and if it had not raised that round in February, "it'd be in big trouble," investor Mitchell Green of Lead Edge Capital told Business Insider around the time of the layoffs.

Open positions:Toast is hiring for a bunch of positions including in engineering, product, marketing, sales finance, and customer success.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? "Empathetic, hospitality-minded, humble, curious, strong problem solvers," Director of talent acquisition Lori Busch told Business Insider.

Confluent

Headquarters: Mountain View, California

Year founded: 2014

Total raised:$455.9 million as of April 2020

Employees: 1,000 as of June 2020

What it does: Confluent builds a platform to help companies stream and analyze data in real-time.

Open positions: "We're still growing significantly and are hiring for over 100 distinct roles across every department," Confluent cofounder CEO Jay Kreps told Business Insider.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We look for people who are smart, humble, empathetic, passionate about what they do, and who get stuff done," Kreps said. "To get a job, you can just apply. We carefully review every applicant and would love to hear from you."

Zenefits

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2013

Valuation $4.5 billion in 2015

Total raised: $598.27 million as of March 2019

Employees: 450 as of May 2020

What it does: Zenefits offers human resources and payroll software for small and medium-sized companies. As Business Insider reporter Rob Price writes, Zenefits was once one of the buzziest startups in Silicon Valley but dealt with various scandals and ultimately saw its valuation drop to $2 billion in 2016, replaced its CEO, and was fined by California regulators. Zenefits has laid off 15% of its staff in April; its current valuation is unknown.

Open positions: Zenefits is currently hiring for roles in customer care, engineering, legal, security, payroll operations, marketing and sales teams, including sales growth account executives, and software and cloud security engineers. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We are looking for people who can thrive in a fast, flexible work environment, who are autonomous, and who manage their time effectively," Zenefits chief people officer Tracy Cote told Business Insider. "As we are all remote for the foreseeable future, and as we move to more of a 'remote-first' culture going forward, a proven ability to communicate effectively and collaborate remotely are critical. At Zenefits, we always hire for the team, not the role, so what we are looking for varies and is dependent upon our current business needs. To get a job at Zenefits, you don't have to know anyone or do anything special — we review every resume submitted, so if your background is the right fit for what we need, we'll be delighted to engage with you."

TripActions

Headquarters: Palo Alto, California

Year founded: 2015

Valuation: $4 billion

Total raised: $125 million as of June 2020

Employees: 900 as of June 2020

What it does: TripActions helps customers plan and pay for business trips without having to go through the arduous approval and reimbursement process that most companies use. 

TripActions has faced challenges during the pandemic. As Business Insider's Megan Hernbroth writes, it cut roughly one-fourth of its global workforce in March, slashed benefits, closed offices, and cut its cofounders' pay in half.

Open positions:TripActions is hiring sales development representatives and account executives in offices including in San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York, and Sydney, and it's hiring product managers, engineers, and designers in the Bay Area and Amsterdam.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We hire to core competencies based on the profile of skills and experiences needed to be successful in the particular role," TripActions chief people officer Leslie Crowe told Business Insider, "We also assess against our core company values." 

Here's how Crowe said TripActions' current interview process works: "Candidates either apply directly or are referred to us by existing employees. A recruiter will conduct a screening interview to ensure the candidate has the appropriate skills and experiences for the given role, then will arrange a series of interviews including with the hiring manager and often peers, direct reports and appropriate leadership. Interviews are happening by Zoom until we are back in our offices post COVID, then interviews will resume back to in person at our offices."

Airtable

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: Up to $4 billion

Total raised: $170 million as of November 2018

Employees: 70 as of November 2018

What it does: Airtable builds tools to make it easier for people to build software applications without knowing how to code. Airtable CEO Howie Liu told Business Insider in March that the company has quadrupled its revenue since it raised a $100 million Series C round of funding in 2018, but declined to give actual figures.

CB Insights lists Airtable's valuation as $1.1 billion, what it was valued at the time of its last funding round in 2018, but PitchBook estimates the company is worth as much as $4 billion. 

Open positions: Airtable head of recruiting Marta Pinilla Aguilar told Business Insider the startup is "hiring for a ton of roles for different departments across offices."

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "Generally, our candidates are kind, thoughtful, scrappy, and flexible," Aguila told Business Insider. "They approach problems from first principles and don't make many assumptions about past patterns upfront. They're also people who want to build a company — e.g., they want to go through the opportunity and challenges of taking a company from 'infancy' to maturity. In terms of hiring, we have an interview process that aims to get a genuine perspective on the person's ability to do the job through assignments, work samples, and realistic interview questions that actually help us understand their body of work. We want to understand if the person has the experience and motivation to complete the job-to-be-done, rather than putting too much emphasis on pedigree, brain teasers, and that kind of thing."

Gusto

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2011

Valuation: $3.8 billion

Total raised: $516 million, according to Gusto

Employees: More than 1,300, according to Gusto

What it does: Gusto makes human resources software for small businesses. 

Open positions: Gusto is "continuing to grow and hire for strategic roles," the company said, but did not specify which roles.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We look for alignment around values, motivation and skillset," Josh Reeves, CEO and cofounder of Gusto, told Business Insider. "At Gusto, we've been very intentional about the culture we've built and the values by which we operate. When there's alignment around those values, when there's alignment around motivation and skillset, that's when employees can truly thrive, be successful, and contribute to what we are building." 

Freshworks

Headquarters: San Mateo, California

Year founded: 2010

Total raised: $401.1 million as of November 2019

Employees: 3,000 as of June 2020

What it does: Freshworks builds customer relationship management software. 

Open positions: Freshworks is hiring for over 200 positions to support its tech team, including data scientists, data platform engineers, data analysts, account managers, and machine learning engineers. CEO Girish Mathrubootham recently told Business Insider the company has pledged not to hold any layoffs during the pandemic, though it has paused hiring.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Here's what Girish Mathrubootham, the CEO of Freshworks, told Business Insider:

"There are a lot of talented people in the market right now. We're looking for something extra. Beyond talent and smarts, we want each hire to add to the culture that we have built at Freshworks. Our culture code, CHAT, emphasizes craftsmanship, building a happy work environment, agility through empowerment and being a true friend of the customer.  We look for individuals who can embody these principles and those that combine a passion for what they do with a strong sense of purpose.

Our hiring process is designed to test all the required skills for the role be it technical skills, design capabilities, problem solving and having the drive to create a better experience for our customers -- irrespective of the function they are applying for."

Rubrik

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

Year founded: 2014

Valuation: $3.3 billion

Total raised: $553 million as of March 2020

Employees: 1,700 as of March 2020

What it does: Rubrik builds a cloud data management platform. 

Hiring: "Rubrik is always looking to hire strong talent, and that's especially true as the company enters its next phase of growth," CEO Bipul Sinha said. The company is hiring "highly qualified and highly committed individuals" across departments, with 42 open positions in engineering. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Here's what Sinha told Business Insider:

"When we established this company, as founders, we envisioned the attributes of the best team that we could bring together: We wanted to be around people who are excellent at what they do, work fast, and who are trustworthy and open. That's how we came up with our core values: Relentlessness, Integrity, Velocity, Excellence, and Transparency (RIVET). As we continue to scale and grow, we're focused on bringing on top talent that exemplifies and adheres to those values. We're also committed to maintaining a low-ego, high-inclusion culture, where a multitude of ideas, appearances, perspectives and backgrounds are embraced and valued. This is the kind of place where individuals who are genuinely determined to move quickly to achieve success with and for others, as much as themselves."

Netskope

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $2.8 billion

Total raised: $744.3 million as of February 2020

Employees: 1,000 as of July 2020

What it does: Netskope builds a cloud security platform to help companies monitor how employees are using cloud software such as Slack and Google Drive — and make it more secure.

Open positions:Netskope is hiring in all departments, especially research, engineering, and customer success. Netskope CEO Sanjay Beri told Business Insider: "Digital Transformation is causing rapid growth across industries right now and has accelerated the inevitable transformation of enterprises' security stack."

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "Culture is very important at Netskope and a culture fit is something we prioritize for every position," Beri said. "Netskope has a strong emphasis on collaboration and transparency throughout our entire company and we look for employees that exhibit and live that culture. When interviewing we take the time to learn about the candidate beyond their resume, ensuring that the company is a fit for values, skills, and interests. While domain expertise and experience is vitally important, culture outweighs both."

GitLab

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2011

Valuation: $2.75 billion

Total raised: $413.82 million as of September 2019

Employees: 1,200 as of June 2020

What it does: Gitlab is a code-collaboration platform that rivals Microsoft-owned GitHub. 

Open positions: GitLab in April said it would close job postings and only hire for critical positions to save money amid the coronavirus crisis. Its outbound recruiting model is set up for recruiters to reach out to potential hires, particularly in support and security.

"This allows us to be more intentional about who we are hiring and makes it easier to manage the thousands of inbound applications we received per month," GitLab CEO, Sid Sijbrandij told Business Insider. "It also enables our recruitment team to focus on hiring team members for our open, priority near-term roles," 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "'Values fit' is more important than culture fit," Sijbrandij said. "We aim to hire team members who share our company values of collaboration, results, efficiency, diversity, inclusion & belonging, and transparency. Specifically, we look for team members who are passionate and self-motivated to make a change—managers of one. Our mission is 'everyone can contribute"' which is something we firmly believe, regardless of position within GitLab."

Collibra

US headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2008

Valuation: $2.36 billion

Total raised: $389.96 million as of March 2020

Employees: 655 as of March 2020

What it does: Collibra builds a platform to help companies manage, track, and learn from their data. CEO Felix Van de Maele told Business Insider in April that he expects demand for data services to continue despite cuts to IT budgets during the pandemic.

Open positions:Collibra is hiring for roles in engineering, IT, finance, and people. The company is hiring at a slower pace than it anticipated this year. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Here's what Collibra CEO and cofounder Felix Van de Maele told Business Insider:

"We look at a number of factors, but an important quality is also one of our core values: open, direct and kind. We want to make sure that as our team grows, we intentionally maintain a culture where Collibrians can speak openly about what's on their minds. Another important element for us is to seek candidates who have the ability to embrace and drive change. Especially in this current environment, we know that constant change is the only way forward and we should all have the courage to both initiate and embrace it. A phrase we use a lot is 'we are One Collibra,' meaning that as a diverse, innovative team, our success is driven by the sum of our parts. As we keep moving in one common direction, we will always be more successful together"

Uptake

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois

Year founded: 2014

Last known valuation: $2.3 billion in 2017

Total raised: $293 million as of December 2018

Employees: 750 as of February 2018

What it does: Uptake builds a predictive analytics platform to help companies gain insights from their data. The company was valued at $2.3 billion back in 2017. Crain's Chicago Business recently reported that Uptake had cut jobs as recently as December. 

Open positions: Uptake is focused on hiring what the company calls "market-facing" roles, such as industrial experts, marketing and sales jobs. The company also plans to add 10 new positions on its technology and products teams within the next four months, including roles such as engineers, data scientists, and product managers.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We look for candidates who are: Resourceful, curious and ambitious, self starters and collaborators, strategic thinkers, willing to tackle problems with unknown solutions, and able to make the complex simple and understandable," Uptake Founder and CEO Brad Keywell told Business Insider. "Uptakers move fast. As a startup, Uptake tackles problems without ready-made  processes or clarity. To work here, you have to also be energized by ambiguity and not scared off by it. As we like to say, we're not just a 'Silicon Valley' software company. Our data scientists have dirt on their boots and grease under their nails. They've been in the field and know the problems facing each industry.  Culture, diversity, and inclusion are important to us, and we look for candidates for whom these values are important too."

Postman

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2014

Valuation: $2 billion

Total raised: $208 million as of June 2020

Employees: 250 as of June 2020

What it does: Postman builds a collaboration platform offering application programming interfaces (APIs) that's used by Microsoft, Twitter, and Cisco.

Open positions: CEO Abhinav Asthana told Business Insider that Postman has been "growing at a rapid pace, and have continued to grow throughout the pandemic." The company is hiring for roles including in software engineering, marketing, customer success, and design.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "At Postman, we create with the same curiosity that we see in our users—and we look for job candidates who embody that curiosity in their professional and personal lives. We value transparency, honest communication, and individuals who are dedicated to delivering the best products possible," Asthana told us. "We have a diverse, global workforce with about 250 Postman employees located in seven different countries, and we value an inclusive work culture. As we hire new Postmanauts, we're continuously striving to increase the diversity of our workforce and the inclusivity of our culture. We hire through multiple channels: in-house recruiting team, referrals, job openings on our website, and social channels."

Auth0

Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington

Year founded: 2013

Valuation: $1.92 billion

Total raised: $333.47 million as of July 2020

Employees: 700 as of July 2020

What it does: Auth0 is a cybersecurity software startup that manages user authentication and secures the login pages for large consumer and enterprise businesses.

Open positions: "Thankfully our team has been in a position to not only keep our team intact but grow beyond what we originally forecasted when the pandemic first hit," CEO Eugenio Pace told Business Insider.

The company has hired 140 new employees in 2020 and is "actively" hiring for positions in departments including marketing, customer success, engineering, finance.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "We are a company of doers — we're not a company of big ideas and no execution. In terms of advice for potential employees during interviews, I would put an emphasis on what you've done as opposed to who you are. While your credentials, where you studied, and where you are from are all important aspects of who you are, Auth0 wants to see what you have done and what you are capable of doing in the future at the company," Pace told us.

Sprinklr

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2009

Last known valuation: $1.81 billion in 2016

Total raised: $228.5 million as of June 2017

Employees: 1,800 as of May 2020

What it does: Sprinklr builds a platform to help enterprise businesses manage social media. Back early 2019, Sprinklr told Business Insider that it hit between $250 million to $300 million in revenue and was preparing to go public. It's been mostly quiet since.

Open positions:Sprinklr is hiring for roles including sales positions, managed services, and implementation consultants across all major cities in the US and Europe and hiring development engineers and product support specialists in India.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Chief culture and talent Officer Diane K. Adams told Business Insider the following:

"Sprinklr prioritizes hiring based on cultural 'fit' — fit also means people who can expand who we are. We look for candidates that align with The Sprinklr Way, which is our foundation for living, working and being. 

There are four cultural attributes which foster inclusion, belonging and diversity at Sprinklr: We hire for culture, we treat employees like family – with dignity and respect, we passionately, genuinely, care, and we help others succeed.

Our hiring process involves a diverse interview team (minimum of six interviewers), and I partner with Sprinklr's CEO & Founder Ragy Thomas to interview every people leader. Our vision is to encourage an environment of belonging no matter where employees are based, and create a culture where we embrace each other for who we are -- in a judgement-free zone."

Dataminr

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2009

Valuation: $1.6 billion

Total raised: $572.37 million as of October 2019

Employees: 650 as of April 2020

What it does: Dataminr has an artificial intelligence platform to track social media and other types of publicly available information to detect "high-impact events and risks," and has customers including American Airlines, McDonalds, and Home Depot. The Intercept recently reported that Dataminr helped police monitor protests following the police killing of George Floyd.

Open positions: "Dataminr has continued hiring throughout the pandemic across locations, levels and functions," the company said, including including engineering, accounting, sales, and information technology.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? Chief people officer Whitney Benner told Business Insider the following:

"Our employees are passionate about what they do, and you can feel that in a meaningful way throughout our offices (even when we are virtual). We look for that same passion in our prospective employees. 

Employees who do well at Dataminr generally possess three key characteristics - willingness to take initiative, find innovative solutions, and work collaboratively. All of which are embodied in our core values: Own It, Find a Better Way, Bring Others Along, and Drive Results. Our business is fast-moving, and we rely on our new employees to immediately help make an impact.

Our ultimate goal is to provide a pathway for our employees across the globe to thrive, so we have additional core competency assessments to gauge each candidate's deep subject matter expertise in their field during the hiring process."

Dataiku

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2013

Valuation: $1.4 billion

Total raised: $147.3 million as of January 2020

Employees: 400 as of February 2020

What it does: Dataiku's machine learning software helps companies turn large amounts of data into concrete insights. CB Insights lists Dataiku's valuation as $1.4 billion while PitchBook lists it as of November 2018 as $671 million.

Open positions: "We currently have open roles across our global offices, as well as open roles that are fully remote, from sales, strategy, product and engineering to people ops and marketing," Dataiku CEO Florian Douetteau told Business Insider. "Locations run the gamut too: from business development in Dubai and full stack engineering in France, to enterprise account executive in Detroit. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "Our core values are ownership, passion, autonomy, and friendliness, so naturally we look at those attributes in candidates, regardless of role or location," Douetteau told us. "At Dataiku, we believe that people are a (if not 'the') critical piece of the equation in building data-powered companies, so it's important that everyone, regardless of job title, plays a role in using data for radical business transformation."

DataRobot

Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts

Year founded: 2012

Total raised: $431.11 million as of September 2019

Valuation: $1.3 billion

Employees: 1,200 as of February 2020

What it does: DataRobot builds a machine learning automation platform to help companies build artificial intelligence tools.

Hiring: DataRobot president and chief operating officer Dan Wright said the company is hiring, but did not specify for which roles.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "At DataRobot our mission is to change the way organizations all over the world make their most important decisions through [artificial intelligence]," Wright told Business Insider. "We view our people as our most important asset to achieving that mission. We look for candidates who lean into challenges rather than accept the status quo. In fact, one of our company core values is, 'Resist folklore. Do it better and different.' We're focused on our goals, motivated by our colleagues, and driven to build AI solutions that will change industries for decades to come."

Qumulo

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $1.2 billion

Total raised: $363.01 million as of July 2020

Employees: 315 as of July 2020

What it does: Qumulo is a hybrid cloud storage startup that helps customers manage data inside their own data centers and the cloud. Qumulo more than doubled its valuation in a recent funding round and told Business Insider that it shows how investors are betting big on digital transformation amid the pandemic.

Open positions: Qumulo is "actively recruiting and hiring" and currently has more than 75 open positions. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "There is a combination of qualities and values we look for in each of our candidates: We have a set of core values that were developed by our founders, are ingrained in our culture and are part of the fabric that makes Qumulo different from other companies," Qumulo CEO Bill Richter told Business Insider. "Everyone is looking for smart and capable experts but it's more than that for us. We look for the qualities that embody the values of Qumulo and we believe that distinction gives us a significant business advantage.  We're also willing to look beyond our immediate industry for diverse talent that brings unique outside perspective and expertise to our team. Each Qumulon is driven toward the goal of making our customers successful."

Fivetran

Headquarters: Oakland, California

Year founded: 2012

Valuation: $1.2 billion

Total raised: $163.12 million as of June 2020

Employees: 350 as of June 2020

What it does: Fivetran builds a platform to bring together all of a company's data into a single dashboard.

Open positions: Fivetran is hiring in multiple roles including engineering, sales, human resources, marketing, product managers, and technical success.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "For starters, the qualities we look for in candidates are those that align with our company values: The Fivetran Core Values are the backbone of our amazing company," Fivetran's VP of global people operations Amanda Townsend told Business Insider. "They are not just a marketing ploy, but an active part of our daily life in and out of the office. We feel that when someone sees our values in action, they can relate to them because we live them every single day. To get a job at Fivetran you need to first apply and then go through the interview process. Once that is complete, if a candidate fits our qualifications and aligns with our core values, we will extend an offer."

Icertis

Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington

Year founded: 2009

Valuation: $1.15 billion

Total raised: $171.5 million as of July 2019

Employees: 1,000 as of June 2020

What it does: Icertis builds a platform to help customers manage contracts in the cloud, which its leaders say increases a company's capacity for contracts, ensures those contracts comply with regulations and policies, and reduces costs.

Open positions: "We are currently hiring across teams – engineering, marketing, sales, customer success – and expect to fill more than 200 new jobs by the end of 2020," VP of human resources Brooke Hue told Business Insider.

 Icertis hired a total of 319 employees around the world in the first six months of 2020, the company said, including more than 50 class of 2020 graduates. 

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate? How does someone get a job at your company? "At Icertis, we are passionately committed to a values-driven approach to doing business – how we get there is as important as the destination," Hue told us. "We look for candidates who by live our FORTE values – Fairness, Openness, Respect, Teamwork, Execution."

• The early generations of Chromebooks were lackluster laptops, but since then, they just keep getting better. Today, they're awfully close in design and capabilities to that of Windows laptops.
• After much research and personal testing, we believe the Google Pixelbook Go to be the best one you can buy for most people.

Chromebooks, since their arrival on the shelves of stores and online retailers, have evolved quite a bit. Today, they've become increasingly capable of operating close to that Windows laptops or MacBooks

We've used a number of different Chromebooks over the years and conducted lots of research to find the best ones you can buy. There are plenty of great options for students, professionals, and anyone who needs a cheap laptop — or even a decently high-end machine.

Our picks here range in price from around the $150 mark for the most basic models to around $900 or higher for the premium powerhouse Chromebooks. Lost on what exactly to look out for when buying a Chromebook? We have some detailed advice for you right here, beneath all of our picks.

Here are the best Chromebooks you can buy

• Best Chromebook overall: Google Pixelbook Go
• Best value Chromebook: Samsung Chromebook 4+ (15-inch)
• Best 2-in-1 Chromebook: Google Pixelbook
• Best 11-inch Chromebook: Lenovo 100e
• Best 13-inch Chromebook: HP Chromebook 14
• Best 15-inch Chromebook: Lenovo Yoga Chromebook (15-inch)
• The best Chromebooks for school work

Updated on 8/24/2020 by Mark Knapp: Added new slide with product recommendations made specifically for students.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks

The best Chromebook overall

The Google Pixelbook Go is the best Chromebook pick overall for how it brings high-end, premium sensibilities to a much more affordable price point. With all-day battery life and an amazing keyboard, it's the one to beat.

Google's latest Chromebook to date, the Pixelbook Go, is also the one we'd recommend to most people who want the quintessential Chromebook experience.

With its approachable starting price, the Pixelbook Go offers up a surprisingly premium mobile computing experience that comparable laptops don't even bother to. For instance, the Pixelbook Go features a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel (1080p) touchscreen with an embedded 1080p webcam as well as 8GB of memory (RAM). These features aren't even seen on the new entry-level Dell XPS 13, which only offers a 1080p non-touch display, 720p webcam, and half as much RAM — for significantly more money.

Where the Pixelbook Go falls is storage, with just 64GB of space to start, relying heavily on the fact that Chromebooks utilize cloud storage via Google Drive (online connectivity required). Still, it's more storage than most Chromebooks offer at this price point. Also, with a rated battery life of 12 hours, it's one of the longest-lasting Chromebooks around.

We love the Pixelbook Go for its incredibly quiet and comfortable typing experience as well as how it brings high-end sensibilities to a more approachable price. At its starting price (our recommended configuration), this is the absolute best Chromebook for the price. However, if you're considering the most expensive configuration — with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 4K Ultra HD display — we'd suggest looking for a flagship Windows or MacBook laptop instead.

Pros: Excellent display, incredible keyboard, lightweight and slim, long battery life

Cons: Fanless CPU, pricey upgrades, no biometric login, small-capacity storage

The best value Chromebook

Samsung's 15-inch Chromebook 4+ packs the most value into a budget laptop that we've ever seen, with many modern niceties for so much less than most laptops with similar features.

For those looking to squeeze the absolute most value possible from a Chromebook purchase, it's difficult to beat the 15-inch Samsung Chromebook 4+. You're getting an incredible amount of laptop for its asking price — no question.

What you get is a sleek, subtle platinum-colored frame housing a 15.6-inch, 1080p display, with power from an Intel Celeron CPU backed by 4GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. That's supported by two USB-C ports, one USB 3.0 port, and a microSD card reader — along with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.0 — for connectivity.

All of this comes within a device that can last for up to 10 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge, and can search the web for you and answer questions with just your voice using Google Assistant. Save for biometric login and more local storage, there's nothing else that this budget laptop leaves off the table.

Pros: Decent display, long battery life, lots of ports

Cons: Small local storage, low amount of RAM

The best 2-in-1 Chromebook

The original Google Pixelbook all but epitomizes what an ideal 2-in-1 Chromebook should be. While expensive, this is the most comfortable and enjoyable 2-in-1 Chromebook experience to date.

It may be a bit of an oldie — and a bit pricey — but the original Google Pixelbook offers the best experience in a 2-in-1 (convertible) Chromebook that we've had the pleasure to enjoy. While the laptop doesn't feature a stowaway stylus or biometric login — things we see in most other 2-in-1 laptops — it offers one of the best keyboards around, paired with a gorgeous display and attractive styling.

The laptop comes in a silver aluminum shell bedecked with glossy white plastic on its lid and a rubberized white palm rest on the backlit keyboard deck. This gorgeous frame houses one of the best keyboards we've ever tested for sound, comfort, and accuracy. The chassis also is home to a fantastic 12.3-inch, 2,400 x 1,600-pixel display at 400 nits of brightness that can shine for up to 10 hours on a charge.

This frame is also able to bend 360-degrees backward for tablet-like use via the Chromebook's super-smooth touchscreen (hence the term convertible or 2-in-1). While sold separately — and must be stored separately as well — Google's Pixelbook Pen stylus is a robust accessory with the ability to trigger Google Assistant information cards on things you circle and highlight using the stylus. 

Ultimately, we love the Pixelbook for its versatility and premium, flagship experience compared against every 2-in-1 Chromebook out there today. While the model comes with 8GB of RAM, an Intel Core i5 CPU, and a 128GB SSD, a maxed-out version — with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD — costs a bit much for a Chromebook, honestly. 

Pros: Amazing keyboard, excellent display, clever design

Cons: Expensive, pricey upgrades

The best 11-inch Chromebook

Lenovo's 100e Chromebook is the laptop we'd recommend to anyone with a restrictive budget, bringing a bit of quality to the web computing basics that the lowest price possible today offers.

Some folks out there still want the smallest laptop possible in spite of developments making 13 and even 15-inch laptops incredibly thin and light. For them, the best Chromebook we've found is the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, which is oddly far more expensive on Lenovo's own website than, say, Walmart.

This diminutive machine (for a computer, at least) is designed for nothing more than the basics of web-based computing: checking email, getting school work done, watching Netflix at 720p, and more. Because this is aimed for education primarily, the keyboard comes in a spill-proof design, and the frame can resist drops from as high as 29.5 inches — roughy the height of a student's desk.

Inside, you're getting a MediaTek CPU backed by just 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD. These are the absolute minimum requirements in terms of Chromebook hardware, hence the laptop's next-to-nothing price at most retailers online. Don't expect glorious computing experience here, though it does have up to 10 hours of battery life and a USB-C charger.

But, it is absolutely amazing for a kid's first laptop or even an older adult just getting into technology. And, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is one of those laptops that's easy to recommend to almost anyone with a restrictive budget. 

Pros: Excellent price, long battery life, spill and drop resistant

Cons: Low power, tiny storage

The best 13-inch Chromebook

The HP Chromebook 14 is an excellent buy for those looking for that traditional laptop experience without spending a ton of cash. With lots of basic features but also versatility, we think it's a winner.

For those seeking a little more screen size and power from their Chromebook than a mere 11-inch device can offer, we suggest considering the HP Chromebook 14. This has many of the same features as your average 11-inch Chromebook, but with more space and a 14-inch, 720p screen crammed into a 13-inch-sized laptop.

The HP Chromebook 14 is both drop and spill resistant to a minor extent, and comes packing an Intel Celeron CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 16GB SSD for storage. Again, this device is assuming that you'll be using cloud storage via Google Drive to supplement your local space. The included microSD card slot can help expand that local storage as well.

On top of that, the laptop has two USB-C 3.1 and two USB 3.1 ports, offering plenty of room for expansion in all sorts of ways, including displays. Finally, just like the Lenovo 100e, this Chromebook can last for up to 10 hours on a charge.

If you're after a more traditional laptop experience but aren't looking to spend a fortune, then this is the best Chromebook for that job.

Pros: Excellent price, lots of ports, long battery life

Cons: 1080p costs extra, tiny local storage

The best 15-inch Chromebook

This 15-inch Lenovo Yoga Chromebook brings entry-level flagship laptop elements into a more affordable package.

When looking for a big-screen Chromebook, it's tough to beat the 15-inch Lenovo Yoga Chromebook. It brings some pretty high-end hardware and features to an affordable price point, making it the best 15-inch Chromebook that we've seen.

Not only does it feature a 15.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen, but a (relatively) whopping 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, which are flagship laptop-level numbers. The Yoga also has one of the best keyboards in the business.

As for connectivity, the Yoga Chromebook offers all of the basics including two USB-C 3.1 ports, a USB 3.0, a microSD slot, and Wi-Fi 5 along with Bluetooth 4.1. When it comes to power, you're looking at a 10-hour use time from this Chromebook. It is also one that supports Google Play Android apps.

Pros: Gorgeous display, lots of storage, long battery life

Cons: Needs more current wireless

The best Chromebooks for schoolwork

The same Chromebook that might do for most people isn't necessarily going to cut it for schoolwork. Some Chromebooks might be over-the-top for middle school assignments, while the most basic Chromebooks could have a hard time keeping up with the demands of high school and college coursework. 

There are some features that students also can largely benefit from that not all Chromebooks have. A compact and lightweight design is one thing, since students will likely be toting their Chromebook around more than just about anyone else. That means durability is also a chief consideration, as is battery life that can make it through a long day away from power plugs.

Touchscreens are all well and good, but when it comes to taking notes on scientific formulas or mathematical equations, jotting down all the special characters or diagrams will be a lot easier and quicker with a stylus. So, active stylus support is definitely a more worthy consideration for a school-bound Chromebook than display resolution. 

So, if schoolwork is on the agenda, it's important to consider what kind of schoolwork this device will need to be ready for. And, since these Chromebooks should last at least a few years, don't ignore classwork that may be further in the future. We've selected a few different Chromebooks that can meet the varying demands students may have, so you can easily find one to do the job:

1. Acer Chromebook Spin 713— powerful and future-ready

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has the can-do attitude. It features a sizable 13.5-inch display with extra vertical space for working on documents, and it's plenty sharp for easy readability. A modern Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM will handle the multitasking for research papers with ease and won't struggle to keep up with video calls for class. Plus, the 360-degree hinge design and stylus support make it a strong note-taking companion. All that's wrapped into a durable chassis built to last.

2.Lenovo Chromebook Duet— portability king

Where power isn't as much of a priority as portability, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is best. It offers modest specs in a compact design that weighs less than a pound. You can detach the keyboard for maximum portability and easier note-taking in tablet mode or snap the keyboard on for convenient typing.

3. HP Chromebook X360 14— affordable size

Portability is undeniably important, but sometimes you really need the bigger screen to see what you're doing or to multi-task. The HP Chromebook x 360 14 offers this without making the rest of the chassis too big, and it does so at a decent price. It even still delivers a 360-degree hinge and stylus support for total flexibility.

4. Lenovo 500e 2nd Gen— rugged and versatile

For a Chromebook that's ready for a rough—and—tumble life, the 2nd-Gen Lenovo 500e Chromebook is a strong bet. Not only does it feature a compact design that can fit into crowded backpacks, but it also has a 360-degree hinge and a built-in stylus. The build uses Gorilla Glass, rubber bumpers, reinforced ports, anchored keys, and even a spill resistant keyboard to keep this device chugging along.

What to consider when buying a Chromebook

Chromebooks aren't designed like Windows or Mac machines. Instead of using an operating system (OS) with software that resides on the computer, Chromebooks run on a cloud-based OS called Chrome OS. It's very simple and easy to use. In place of a productivity suite like Microsoft Office, you get Google's services like the Chrome web browser, Gmail (email), Docs (documents), Sheets (spreadsheets), Slides (presentation), and Drive (cloud storage); all these applications and others are accessed via cloud.

This means all of your files will save to the cloud in Google Drive, so you never have to worry about losing them or saving a physical copy to your Chromebook's storage. As you can guess, much of Chrome OS's core functions work through the Chrome web browser.

Although Chromebooks are cloud-based laptops, they can work offline. There are some Chrome OS apps and programs you can download; Google's office suite has an offline mode; you can read or save files locally on a local solid state drive (SSD), external hard drive, USB flash drive, or SD card (if the Chromebook has a memory card reader); and even install Android apps from the Google Play store (Chromebooks released in 2017 or newer), but most of your activity will be online through Google's apps or the Chrome web browser. If you need specific, special programs, like Adobe Illustrator, Premiere or Logic Pro X, that are only available for Mac OS or Windows, then a Chromebook isn't the best buy for you.

Some of the newest Chromebooks are quite high-end, with sharp, vibrant screens, comfortable keyboards, latest ports (USB-C and USB 3.0), and fast processors (CPUs). Couple that with the fact that just about any Chromebook available today supports the majority of Android apps through Google Play, and you have some awfully capable machines. However, not all Android apps perform well on a Chromebook, and we recommend using the web-based option instead, if there is one. For example, streaming Netflix through the web browser is preferable to using the Netflix Android app.

Here are some key hardware specifications to look out for when browsing the internet for Chromebooks:

• Displays: If you're concerned about how the text, images and video will appear on the Chromebook screen that you'll be looking at while using it, we recommend looking for a 720p (1,280 x 720) resolution at a minimum, with 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) being the gold standard. There are also 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) Chromebooks, but those are exorbitantly expensive whereas you can get a 1080p Chromebook for even $500. If you're looking for a touchscreen, the majority of those come in 2-in-1 hybrid designs and generally start at around $700 for ones with decent hardware inside.
• Processors: A benefit to Chrome OS is that it doesn't require much power to run swiftly and efficiently, so most Chromebooks come with fanless processors either from Intel's Pentium and Celeron lines or ARM-based chip designs. If you need more power for some reason, makers like Google and HP do sell Chromebooks with Intel Core processors at the highest end.
• Memory: The memory (RAM) in your Chromebook dictates how many programs or browser tabs you can run simultaneously before the machine has to reload your content when accessed. Most Chromebooks come with just 4GB or even 2GB of RAM, though some higher-end models offer 8GB or as much as 16GB. We'd feel the most comfortable and free to work without limits using 8GB of RAM, but basic users will get away with 4GB easily.
• Storage: Chromebooks rely heavily on the cloud storage services that Google provides via Drive, so most models come with no more than a mere 16GB of onboard space, which is usually expandable via a microSD card. More premium models in recent years have begun shipping Chromebooks with more storage via faster solid-state drives (SSDs) rather than cheaper flash memory. With Google Drive accesible in the Chrome OS interface as if it were local storage, we would strongly consider a subscription with your Chromebook purchase to save some upfront cost. If you're that concerned with local storage, grab a microSD card or a thumb drive.
• Ports: Most every single Chromebook is going to come with at least one standard USB port, likely the 2.0 edition in terms of data transfer speed. However, more modern and premium models have made the move to the sleeker, faster, and more versatile USB-C standard, so keep that in mind if you want the latest and greatest, but this is your first step into that shiny new world. Finally, generally don't expect to see a lot of ports on Chromebooks, being inherently focused on simplicity and portability. Much of what Chromebooks lack in wired connectivity can be made up for with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 

• JD Power's 2020 Tech Experience Index Study is out, measuring how well different carmakers introduce new tech features into their vehicles. 
• The firm surveyed owners to determine which brands offer the best user experience, and which ones come up short. 
• Some of the top-ranked brands include BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai, Subaru, and Mercedes-Benz. Volvo topped the survey.
• Tesla would have earned the second spot, but it didn't meet all the criteria for the study. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Carmakers consistently try to top one another with bigger screens, better user interfaces, and more advanced safety capabilities. But not all of those snazzy features hit home with buyers, according to a new study from JD Power. 

The research firm surveyed 82,527 owners of new 2020-model-year vehicles to compile its latest Tech Experience Index. The index measures how effectively car brands bring new technologies to market, evaluating both the degree to which they adopt new features and how well customers receive them. 

JD Power found that while buyers like seeing additional camera views, they dislike interior gesture controls and don't trust driver-assistance features. 

JD Power ranked brands based on their scores, and 13 of them were found to be above average. Unsurprisingly, the top spots were dominated by luxury companies, but several more affordable brands made the cut as well. Volvo topped the overall rankings.

Tesla's score would have landed it in second place, but the company only let JD Power survey owners in 35 states instead of nationwide, so it wasn't officially included in the list. 

Keep scrolling to see which brands boast the best new tech, according to owners:

13. Audi

12. Lexus

11. Lincoln

10. Land Rover

9. Nissan

8. Kia

7. Subaru

6. Hyundai

5. Genesis

4. Mercedes-Benz

3. Cadillac

2. BMW

1. Volvo

• Working from home brings its own set of challenges, but having the right tools on hand can help you stay productive.
• We've rounded up the best work-from-home tech you can get to set up your home office.
• Our recommendations include a sharp computer monitor, a comfy keyboard and mouse, as well as an effective webcam and other essentials.
• We've personally used all these items when we have worked from home over the years.
• Read more: The best computer monitors of 2020

One of the biggest challenges of working from home is setting up a home office with the right tools, but once you've got everything in place, it's easier to get your work done.  

Even if you don't have a ton of space or a dedicated room to turn into a home office, you can still have a comfortable and productive work-from-home setup. All you need is a table, chair, and a few key pieces of tech. 

We've compiled this handy list of the best work-from-home tech to help you increase your productivity. The main tech essentials everyone needs to work remotely are reliable internet and a laptop, but we also recommend getting a monitor so you have a bigger screen to work from as well as a decent keyboard and mouse. With these gadgets, you'll feel much more comfortable working than you would if you had to squint over your small laptop screen all day. 

Beyond those main tech gadgets, you may also want to get a few more accessories, so we've added others that are enjoyable to have, including everything from headphones and speakers to webcams and smart lights.

My colleagues and I have all worked from home for varying lengths of time, and these are the tech gadgets we believe are essential to our productivity when we work remotely.

Updated on 3/17/2020 by Joe Osborne, Tony Villas-Boas, and Les Shu: Added several new picks for newly conceived categories. Checked all links and prices for accuracy. This is an ongoing process, and we're updating these links regularly.

A wireless mouse for your home office

Logitech's MX Anywhere 2S

Logitech's Master 3 Model Wireless Mouse

Logitech's MX Master Wireless Mouse is our top pick for the best computer mouse for good reason. It has an ergonomic design that's comfortable to use for hours on end and you can customize the functions of its buttons and the speed of the scroll wheel. I've been using this mouse to work for several months now, and it's helped limit the amount of wrist and hand fatigue I feel at the end of the day. It's also wireless, so it's an excellent mouse to have in your home office setup. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

A cheap Bluetooth keyboard for your home office

Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

I've been using Logitech's K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard in the office for almost a full year. I like its compact design and I find the keys responsive for typing. I never use the numberpad on giant keyboards, so I prefer this no-frills option. It's wireless, too, so my small home office setup doesn't look cluttered by a bunch of cables. For about $30, it's an excellent affordable option. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

A gel wrist rest for your mouse

Kensington ErgoSoft Wrist Rest

To limit wrist fatigue, I've been using Kensington's ErgoSoft Wrist Rest. It's essentially a small gel-filled wrist pad that you can position exactly where you need it. The sticky underside keeps it from shifting around on the table, but it's ideal to have the option to angle it or remove it as needed throughout the workday. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

A foldable Bluetooth keyboard

Plugable Bluetooth Keyboard

If you have limited space to work from home or you need to pack up your setup and take it with you, a foldable Bluetooth keyboard may be the answer. I've been using this full-size one from Plugable when I'm working from home unexpectedly. At the end of the day, I can easily fold it up and hide it away to regain access to my dining table. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

A smart display

Google Nest Hub

I like to have a clock nearby when I'm working from home, because I am wont to lose track of time entirely. I also like to have music playing in the background. To address both of those needs, I set up the Google Nest Hub on my desk. Not only does it always show me the time, but it can also play music, do math for me, and answer any random questions I have while working. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

An affordable 27-inch monitor

27-inch Dell FreeSync Monitor

Although you can get fancy 4K, curved monitors for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, there are also plenty of decent displays for $200 or less. This 27-inch Dell FreeSync Monitor has a full HD IPS LED screen that should be both big enough and high-res enough for most people's needs. It uses Dell's ComfortView tech to limit reflections, blue light, and other distractions. It's the monitor I have setup for working from home. — Malarie Gokey, Deputy Editor

A laptop that can be your WFH warrior for a long time

Google Pixelbook Go

Acer Chromebook 15.6

While many might scoff at $649 for a Chromebook, hold that thought until you take a peek at the Google Pixelbook Go's 1080p display, its excellent keyboard, sharp 1080p webcam, and spacious trackpad. For a combination of WFH-ready features such as these within similar aluminum-clad laptops, expect to pay at least $300 more. If you want to save even more, we'd suggest the Acer Chromebook 15, a $325 15-inch laptop with a 1080p screen and just enough performance and space to get you through this stint of working from home. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

A webcam for acing all of those video meetings

Logitech C920 Pro Computer Webcam 

Logitech StreamCam Plus

If you expect to be holding internal (and outgoing) video meetings for quite some time, and you aren't going for the above recommended laptop, then pick up the Logitech C920. This is a 1080p webcam with an excellent stand for laptops, monitors, and tripods. While this is a plug-and-play option, it's also equipped with enhanced controls and filters for power users. That's a lot of webcam for just under $50. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

A mousepad with a wrist rest to prevent RSIs

3M Precise Mouse Pad

Look, there's enough to worry about much less a debilitating work injury preventing you from getting your work done. That's why we're recommending the 3M Precise Mouse Pad, because it's cheap, effective, and will keep your mouse hand comfortable with a wrist rest. Also, its tracking surface is designed for modern optical mice, so you're basically covered from every angle for less than $20. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

A comfy office chair to plant your bottom

Knoll ReGeneration

Space Seating Professional AirGrid

It's entirely too easy to spend a fortune on an office chair, so while we can personally recommend the Knoll ReGeneration as it's the New York City Insider office's chair of choice, it's also more than $800 for individual pricing. So, may we suggest the far more approachable Space Seating Professional AirGrid? It's a fraction of the price at $175, and offers many similar comfort features. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

A USB or USB-C hub for all of your gear

Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2

HooToo 6-in-1 USB-C Adapter

Anker 10 Port 60W Data Hub

If you have a work laptop or even a personal one released within the last two years, chances are that it has one or more USB-C ports. Naturally, chances are if you have a USB-C laptop you have plenty more gadgets and accessories that use traditional USB or some other more legacy form of connection. That's where the Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2 comes in with several ports and passthrough charging. It's also $80 generally, so something like the HooToo 6-in-1 USB-C Adapter could do just as well for less than half as much. For anyone still rocking straight USB ports, we suggest the Anker 10 Port 60W Data Hub for $43. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

A pair of noise-cancelling headphones

Bose 700 Headphones

Though working from home likely gives you the freedom to pump up the volume on your speakers, headphones can still come in handy in many home offices — especially noise-cancelling models like the Bose 700s. Perfect for tuning out potential distractions around the house, or intruding sounds from outside, the Bose 700s feature some of the best noise cancellation tech on the market. They're especially well-suited for use during important work calls since the mics can isolate your voice from background noises. The Bose 700s are also our pick for the most comfortable noise-cancelling headphones, so you can wear them throughout the workday without any problems. — Steven Cohen, Technology Editor      

A desk for your new make-shift home office

Three Posts Lamantia Computer Desk

Foundstone Black Desk (Out of stock until November)

Fully Jarvis Electric Adjustable Height Desk

Parsons Desk

Generally speaking, we recommend the Three Posts Lamantia Computer Desk as the best desk for its drawer space, dashing looks, and decent $220 price. However, those looking to save as much cash as possible without working on a box should take a look at the $107 Zipcode Design Folkston Desk. Finally, our favorite standing desk is the Fully Jarvis Electric Adjustable Height, which adjusts electronically to save your back. — Joe Osborne, Senior Technology Editor

An affordable smart speaker

Amazon Echo Dot

My Echo Dot has become an essential desktop companion whenever I work from home. The affordable Alexa device is our top pick for best budget smart speaker, and it packs all of the same digital assistant features found on Amazon's more expensive Echo products into a compact, budget-friendly package. Sound quality can't compete with genuine stereo speakers, but the Echo Dot gets the job done for casual background listening while I work. It's also a convenient tool for setting alarms and reminders, getting quick answers to questions, and receiving news and weather updates. And best of all? Its reliable voice control means you never have to step away from your keyboard.  — Steven Cohen, Technology Editor

An UltraWide monitor

LG 34WK650-W 34" 21:9 Monitor

I had the pleasure of testing out LG's 34WK650-W 34" 21:9 monitor for a few months and it completely opened my eyes up to the benefits of an UltraWide display in a home office. Typically, I work with a 24-inch 16:10 Dell UltraSharp monitor, and it performs very well for most needs. There are times, however, when there's just not enough real estate available on the screen for all the applications I have open. With the UltraWide design of the LG 34WK650-W, however, it's basically like having two monitors in one. Organizing different windows around your screen is a breeze, allowing you to multitask like a pro. The monitor also packs in several advanced display features, like HDR and FreeSync, which make it a fine fit for entertainment and gaming when you're not working. — Steven Cohen, Technology Editor

An affordable pair of desktop speakers

Logitech Z313 Speaker System

Logitech is known for its reliable desktop speaker models, and the company's Z313 are our top pick when it comes to budget computer speakers. The system includes compact left and right speakers, along with a dedicated subwoofer for extra bass while listening to music throughout the workday. Though far from high-end, audio performance is solid for such an inexpensive system, making them a very affordable upgrade from integrated speakers on your monitor or laptop. — Steven Cohen, Technology Editor

An ergonomic keyboard

Logitech Ergo K860

If you plan to be desk-bound, an economic keyboard is essential, and my favorite is the new Logitech Ergo K860. I have used many ergonomic keyboards for the past 25 years, and none have worked as well as this one. I like the elevated wrist support that keeps my hands and arms in proper typing position. The split keyboard does take some getting used to, but after a day, I found myself typing away with minimal typos. The keys are well positioned and require very little travel distance, which means less strain on your hands and wrists. It's wireless, so you can easily move it, and it supports up to three Bluetooth devices — I love the ability to switch between my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad quickly. Since I started using this keyboard regularly, it has lessened my wrist pain. — Les Shu, Senior Guides Editor

A portable hard drive

Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD

If you have separate computers for work and home, an easy file sharing solution is to store on a portable hard drive, like Seagate's BarraCuda Fast SSD. In my previous years of testing hard drives, Seagate's are some of the more reliable ones I've used. This particular unit uses solid-state memory, which allows for fast read and write speeds (it can be used for gaming and productivity), and you can toss it inside a bag and not worry about damage to moving parts. The BarraCuda Fast SSD supports USB-C for fast transfer speeds of up to 540MB per second, but it's also compatible with older USB ports, albeit slower. — Les Shu, Senior Guides Editor

A desk lamp

TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp

Whether you're burning the midnight oil or just need extra illumination, this TaoTronics LED desk lamp can add some much needed light. The brightness is adjustable to suit your workspace, and it has a built-in Qi-wireless charger for recharging your phone. For more desk lamp options, check out our guide.  — Les Shu, Senior Guides Editor

A conference speaker phone

Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone

Unless it's a quick call, I'm not a fan of using headsets or putting a phone against my ear for long hours. I also don't like terrible sounding speakers on my phone or laptop. The solution I've been using is the PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone from Anker. Yes, it's designed for group conferences, and it's portable, so you can take it on the road. But I like the sound quality it produces and that it has six microphones, so it can pick up my voice clearly regardless of where I am in the room. — Les Shu, Senior Guides Editor

A multifunction printer

Canon Pixma TR4520 Printer

Whether you need to print, scan, copy, or even fax, the Canon Pixma TR4520 is an affordable all-in-one that does all those things. It's small enough that it doesn't take up a lot of space, and it has high-end features like two-sided printing and an automatic document feeder for multi-page scanning. For more affordable printer options, check out our guide. — Les Shu, Senior Guides Editor

A micro-bead mouse wrist rest to keep you RSI free

IMAK Cushion Ergobeads Wrist Rest

I have a confession to make: I've been using the same Imak ErgoBeads wrist rest featured here for an undetermined amount of years. I've washed it regularly, of course, but let's just say it's not something I would let go of as a hand-me-down. This thing is the definition of computing comfort, in my opinion, and there are bundles that include a wrist rest for your keyboard. There's something about beads that perfectly contour to your wrist and feel like a down pillow underneath it. Don't make this tough time even worse with a repeated stress injury —  trust me, I know from experience. — Joe Osborne, Senior Tech Editor

A strange-looking mouse that's worth the risk

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse

The Logitech MX Vertical looks odd, and feels even stranger when you put your hand on it. But after a few days, using it becomes second nature, and it's noticeably more comfortable than normal mice, especially if you use computers all day. I had an MX Vertical I left at BI's NYC office before the pandemic, and I ventured back into the city from the safety of my suburban home during the pandemic to get it back for my home setup. — Antonio Villas-Boas, Senior Reporter

Nothing beats a classic mechanical keyboard

Durgod Taurus K310 Mechanical Keyboard

I used the Durgod Taurus K310 mechanical keyboard for typing, and I absolutely love it. It has a classic mechanical look and feel, and it's a dream to type on. I have the "Cherry MX Silent Red" switches on mine, which means it's very quiet for a mechanical keyboard, which are typically loud. It has the Windows logo on the Command key, but it's equally compatible with MacOS devices, too. I like having the number pad on my keyboards, but it's also available in a smaller option without the number pad called the Taurus K320. — Antonio Villas-Boas, Senior Reporter    

Don't settle for a cheap, flimsy office mouse pad

Steelseries QCK Heavy Mousepad

I initially wanted a larger, thick mouse pad for PC gaming, but I'd find it difficult to be productive without the Steelseries QCK Heavy mousepad. Indeed, it's about twice as thick and twice as large as a standard cheap office mousepad, the cloth feels premium and smooth, and it's washable. It gives you a lot more room to swing your mouse around comfortably, and it makes a surprisingly positive impact on your comfort without needing to spend very much. — Antonio Villas-Boas, Senior Reporter     

A worthy alternative to Bose's noise-cancelling headphones

Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones

The Bose 700 are featured in this guide as ideal home office noise cancelling headsets. But I'd urge anyone to take a look at the Sony WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones. They're slightly more comfortable than the Bose, in my opinion, and their customizable sound means I enjoy my music more than I do with the Bose, too. Noise cancelling is about as good, and they're $50 cheaper than the Bose, too. Plus, they dramatically reduce ambient noise for better phone calls, and there's no need to switch between your computer and your phone, as they can connect to both devices at the same time. — Antonio Villas-Boas, Senior Reporter

• Luminar, which makes sensors for autonomous vehicles, said Monday it was selling itself in a deal valued at $3.4 billion via a SPAC merger with Gores Metropoulos. Volvo and the tech mogul Peter Thiel are also chipping in.
• The deal means that Luminar will become a public company trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAZR.
• Luminar makes lidar sensors, which bounce lasers off objects to help self-driving cars sense their surroundings, at much cheaper rates than many of its competitors.
• The founder and CEO of Luminar is Austin Russell, a 25-year-old who founded the startup in 2012 while in high school.
• Russell attended Stanford to study physics but dropped out at 18 after winning a Thiel Fellowship to build Luminar.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Luminar, a self-driving-car startup founded by CEO Austin Russell at the age of 17 while he was in high school, said Monday it would go public in a $3.4 billion merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

"Eight years ago, we took on a problem to which most thought there would be no technically or commercially viable solution," Russell said in a press release, referring to building a less-expensive but safer system for self-driving cars known as lidar. "We worked relentlessly to build the tech from the ground up to solve it and partnered directly with the leading global automakers to show the world what's possible."

Luminar, which makes cheap laser-guidance systems for self-driving cars, has a "definitive agreement" to merge with Gores Metropoulos, a special purpose acquisition company connected to the investment firm Gores Group, the companies said. Gores will pay $400 million to make the deal happen, and the venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Volvo's venture-capital fund, and a handful of other investors are chipping in an additional $170 million to buy stakes in the company. Once the deal closes, Luminar will become a public company, trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAZR.

Volvo announced in May that it would begin using Luminar's laser-sensor technology in its cars in 2022.

Luminar has made a name for itself in the autonomous-vehicle market by bringing down the cost of its lidar sensors, which bounce lasers off objects to allow self-driving cars to "see" where they are. It's a popular method for self-driving cars and typically expensive.

In 2019, Luminar introduced a $500 system, relatively thrifty for lidar's niche market, where prices can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Russell's rise has been rapid. Now 25, he founded Luminar to pursue his interest in lidar at 17 while still in high school. He attended Stanford to study physics but left at 18 after winning a Thiel Fellowship, which is Thiel's startup accelerator that pays students to drop out of school and build a startup for two years.

"Dropping out is definitely right for some people and can work really well if you're very clear on what you want to do and how you want to go about doing it, and clear about just life goals in general," Russell told CNBC in 2018.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's $1.2 billion deal to buy Zoox shows just how hard building a self-driving car still is —and why even more startups could become buyout targets

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• On August 11, Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president on his 2020 ticket.
• Harris, a Democratic senator for California, has also held positions as district attorney for San Francisco and attorney general for the state. She has homes in both LA and San Francisco.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigned for Harris in Iowa in December 2019.
• Forbes reported that an overwhelming majority of her 2019 donors came from California and she unsurprisingly has a fan base in the two power centers of the state — Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
• In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter noted that almost half of the entertainment industry's key players in its THR 100 list had made donations to Harris' campaign in its early stages.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Representatives for Kamala Harris didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 

SEE ALSO: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's VP pick, comes from a family of lawyers and Stanford graduates. Meet the family.

SEE ALSO: Meet Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's pick for vice president

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Kamala Harris have known each other for 30 years.

When Harris ran for reelection as California's attorney general in 2014, Benioff cohosted a fundraiser for her campaign, according to a tweet from Recode's Teddy Schleifer.

"Kamala is one of the highest-integrity people I've ever met and is a phenomenal prosecutor," Benioff told Recode in February 2019. "She is truly an impressive leader with a strong legal and public service background."

However, Benioff is unlikely to publicly support the Harris-Biden ticket in the run-up to the 2020 election: earlier this year, he told Recode that since buying Time Magazine, he will "no longer make political positions or funding."

Harris attended Facebook cofounder Sean Parker's wedding in 2013.

Harris and Facebook billionaire Sean Parker appear to be longtime friends. When Parker got married in a lavish California ceremony in 2013, Harris was in attendance. 

Parker has donated to Harris' campaigns in the past, cohosting her attorney general reelection fundraiser in 2014 and contributing to her senatorial run in 2015. 

In late 2019, Parker was slated to host a fundraiser for Harris' presidential campaign at his home in Los Angeles, which was canceled when Harris suspended her campaign in December.

Laurene Powell Jobs has already voiced her support for Harris as Biden's vice presidential pick.

Shortly after news broke that Biden had selected Harris as his running mate, Jobs, the founder of Emerson Collective and widow of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, tweeted her support.

"Joe Biden you made a great choice!" she wrote.

Jobs has been a supporter of Harris since at least 2014, and donated to her Senate campaign in 2015. When Jobs was interviewed by journalist Kara Swisher at Recode's Code Conference in 2017, she brought Harris along because she thought "you would find it more interesting," as Recode's Teddy Schleifer noted. 

And in 2018, Jobs interviewed Harris at the Aspen Ideas Festival, where they discussed President Donald Trump and Harris' views on a lack of bipartisanship in congress. 

Jobs also donated to Harris' campaign for president before Harris left the race last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Harris helped Sheryl Sandberg promote her book "Lean In" in 2013.

Harris and Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, have been public allies since 2013, when Harris helped Sandberg promote her best-seller, "Lean In." As part of a PR campaign for the book, Sandberg asked Harris to supply a photo of herself and an example of a time she "leaned in."

In 2015, Harris participated in a talk with Sandberg on cyberbullying at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, according to Huffington Post. 

When Harris ran for Senate in 2016, Sandberg contributed to her campaign, giving the maximum amount legally allowed for an individual donor, Huffington Post reported. When she won, per the report, Sandberg told her by email, "CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! We need you now more than ever."

On Tuesday, Sandberg posted on Instagram about Harris' nomination, writing that it's
"a huge moment for Black women and girls all over the world – and for all of us."

A slew of other Silicon Valley bigwigs have supported Harris in the past.

Many notable tech CEOs and investors have raised money for Harris in the past, though not all have publicly endorsed the Harris/Biden ticket yet:

• Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and her husband, Zach Bogue, cohosted a fundraiser for Harris' reelection campaign for attorney general in 2014. Mayer also donated to Harris' Senate campaign in 2015, according to VentureBeat.
• Kleiner Perkins' John Doerr and his wife, Khan Academy Chairman Ann Doerr, also cohosted the fundraiser and donated to Harris in 2015, as did SV Angels founder Ron Conway. John Doerr also contributed to her presidential campaign, according to Recode. 
• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has been a Harris donor in the past, both when she served as attorney general and when she ran for Senate. 
• Former Apple design chief Jony Ive supported Harris' bid for reelection as attorney general.
• Former eBay CEO and current Nike CEO John Donahoe contributed to Harris' Senate campaign in 2015.
• David Drummond, Google's former chief legal officer, donated to Harris in 2015.
• LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman raised money for Harris' presidential bid, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Twitter board member Omid Kordestani and his wife, Gisel, both contributed the maximum individual amount of Harris' presidential campaign, according to the Journal. 
• Zynga founder Mark Pincus is a longtime supporter, hosting a fundraiser for her Senate campaign in 2016, the Journal reports. 

JJ Abrams, a filmmaker best known for his involvement with the recent "Star Wars" trilogy, called her "the real deal" and "a powerhouse" in a 2013 Vanity Fair article.

Abrams has written for Vanity Fair that he and his wife, Katie McGrath, first met Harris when she was the district attorney of San Francisco and they became friends. 

"What struck me upon hearing her speak was that we had stumbled upon the most unusual of creatures: an authentically inspiring human being who happened to be in politics," he said. 

Abrams and McGrath hosted a fundraiser for Harris at their home in March 2019. Shonda Rhimes was a co-chair. Each co-chair donated $10,000 and the tickets were priced at $2,800, which is the primary election maximum.

Harris once called Universal Pictures Chairwoman Donna Langley "an advocate for vital voices" at a 2014 Vanity Fair event.

At Vanity Fair's Power of Women event, Harris introduced Donna Langley on stage with praise for her advocacy work and her successful career as a studio executive. 

After Biden announced his pick, Langley told Variety, "Kamala demonstrates a level of passion, grace and grit, that separated her from the pack. I've always believed in her leadership and she is the right VP candidate to face the challenges our country has ahead of us."

Vanity Fair reported that Langley has supported Harris since around the time of her bid for attorney general in 2010. 

Other top NBC executives such as Jeffrey Katzenberg and Jeff Shell have put their support behind Harris.

The LA Times reported that Katzenberg, the former DreamWorks Animation top dog, donated $2,800 to Harris' presidential campaign in 2o19. He also donated to her competition in the initially crowded field of contenders for the Democratic nomination. 

Shell, the CEO of NBCUniversal, opened the doors to his Beverly Hills home for a Harris fundraiser in February 2019. The guest list included Katzenberg, Eva Longoria, and Scooter Braun.

Ron Meyer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal, contributed $2,800.

Harris has been an associate of the Getty family for several decades, even attending the wedding of Billy, George and Ann Getty's son, in 1999.

According to a 2019 Politico story, Harris had Sunday dinners with the Getty family, heirs to one of America's great oil fortunes, from early on in her political career in the late 1990s, when she was deputy district attorney for Alameda County.

The same story reported that Harris was seen at social events at the time with Gavin Newsom, who was then a city supervisor and is now the governor of the state. It has been widely reported that Newsom was a friend and business partner of the Gettys. (The Los Angeles Times reported in 2018 that eight prominent and wealthy San Francisco families supported Newsom's political career, including the Gettys.)

George and Ann Getty contributed to Harris' presidential campaign.

However, as Forbes reported, in keeping with the Biden campaign's promise to not receive any donations from executives with ties with the oil industry, it's unlikely that a Biden-Harris ticket will see any future contributions from the Getty family.

In July 2019, Ryan Murphy told Variety that his dream ticket would be Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg.

"I would be very excited by that," Murphy told Variety's Marc Malkin. 

On August 24, CNBC reported that Murphy and his husband were organizing a virtual event featuring Harris, with the exact date to be decided. The host list includes big names JJ Abrams, Don Cheadle, and Chuck Lorre, and the tickets will be priced between $10,000 and $500,000.

Harris has enjoyed support from other Hollywood A-listers stretching all the way back to her bid for district attorney in 2004.

Spike Lee hosted a sold-out fundraiser for Harris' presidential campaign at his house in Massachusetts and the tickets were priced between $100 and $2,800.

David Robb reported for Deadline that before Biden entered the presidential race, Harris was the clear favorite among the Hollywood set as A-listers such as including George Lucas, Chris Rock, and Shonda Rhimes were some of those who contributed the maximum amount allowed in a primary election, $2,800. 

"This Is Us" creator Dan Fogelman gave Harris' campaign $5,600, split between the primary and the general election. Harris also got upwards of $5,000 from Eva Longoria and Elizabeth Banks. 

Other key players in Hollywood have supported Harris in past election efforts.

For instance, actor Jamie Foxx, supermodel and TV host Tyra Banks, and filmmakers Aaron Sorkin and Steven Spielberg supported Harris' bid for attorney general in 2010, Gene Maddaus reported for Variety. 

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris spoke at a Hollywood fundraiser on August 21 that brought $7 million to their campaign.

The virtual event was hosted by Amal and George Clooney, Jennifer Lucas and Byron Allen, Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. 

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their respective spouses, Jill Biden and Douglas Emhoff, spoke at the event. 

• Quibi is a new streaming service dedicated to short-form video with a lineup of shows that typically run five to 10 minutes per episode.
• After launching in April 2020, Quibi now features dozens of exclusive shows and has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its short-form programming.
• Thanks to a 14-day trial, new members can try Quibi for free before paying for the service.
• A Quibi subscription costs $4.99 a month with ads or $7.99 a month without ads.
• For more streaming recommendations, check out our guide to the best streaming services you can sign up for online.

Quibi, the short-form video streaming service that launched in April 2020, is adopting a new set of strategies to expand its reach to more subscribers, including a free 14-day trial for new members.

Quibi has dozens of original shows with episodes that are just five to 10 minutes in length. The service describes its shows as "quick bites" that are meant to be watched on a phone. In fact, Quibi shows are filmed to appear in the correct aspect ratio regardless of whether you hold your phone in landscape or portrait mode.

Quibi's programming spans a wide range from original series, documentaries, and films to short-form spin-offs of shows from ESPN, E!, and CBS News. Quibi shows have earned 10 Primetime 2020 Emmy Award nominations across three categories for short-form films.

Among the platform's original series are the Kevin Hart-led action-parody "Die Hart," the comedy series "Dummy" starring Anna Kendrick, and "Most Dangerous Game," an adaptation of the 1924 story starring Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz. Quibi is also home to reboots of "The Fugitive," "Varsity Blues," and a new season of "Reno 911."

How does the Quibi free trial work?

To begin your free trial of Quibi, you'll have to download the app on an Android or iOS device and create an account. Quibi is billed directly through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, so you'll need a valid payment method connected to either store in order to start the trial.

If you're a new member your free 14-day trial will automatically begin once you sign up. You can see when your trial expires under the "My Account" heading in the settings menu. After the 14-day trial is over, the Quibi app will invite you to subscribe to one of its paid plans. If you decline, your membership will end and you will not be charged. 

Quibi offers two subscription tiers, a $4.99 per month option with occasional ads, and a $7.99 ad-free monthly plan. The free trial offers access to the ad-supported plan but you can pay to upgrade to the ad-free plan at any time. Quibi is only available in the United States and Canada for the time being.

Before the current 14-day free trial promotion, Quibi previously offered a free 90-day trial for new members who signed up before April 30. In addition to the free trial promotion, Quibi also has a special partnership with T-Mobile, enabling customers who have an eligible T-Mobile service plan to receive Quibi for no extra charge. You can see if you're eligible here. 

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NOW WATCH: Leslie Odom, Jr.'s $500,000 gamble that led to a starring role in 'Hamilton'

• Warner Bros. and DC showed off upcoming DC Comics movies over the weekend during the virtual DC FanDome event. 
• It gave fans a peek at the future of DC movies over the next few years, with new details and footage for anticipated releases like "The Batman," "Wonder Woman 1984," and "Black Adam."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Warner Bros. and DC pulled the curtain back on some anticipated theatrical releases over the weekend during the virtual DC FanDome event, revealing new details and footage for "The Batman," "Wonder Woman 1984," and more.

DC movies have been trending upward since the DC Extended Universe experiment backfired with 2017's superhero team-up movie, "Justice League," which disappointed at the box office after extensive reshoots and was blasted by critics. Between then and now, "Aquaman" and "Joker" both grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and "Shazam!" debuted to favorable reviews.

While the coronavirus pandemic has upended some of DC and Warner Bros.' plans — notably by pushing release dates or stalling productions — the FanDome event highlighted the scope of future movies. 

We rounded up every DC movie with a confirmed release date, with new details from FanDome (of course, the dates could change as the pandemic continues to shuffle the theatrical release calendar). An "Aquaman" spinoff, called "The Trench," is also in the works, but hasn't been dated yet.

Fans can expect plenty of DC content outside of theatrically released movies, too. The long-awaited "Snyder Cut" of "Justice League" hits HBO Max next year. After "Justice League" flopped, fans clamored for Snyder's director's cut and now they're getting it.

Max is also developing original DC shows like a prequel to "The Batman" focused on the Gotham City police and a Green Lantern series.

This story was originally published in December 2019 and has been updated with info from DC FanDome.

Below are seven DC movies with confirmed release dates hitting theaters:

SEE ALSO: The 8 most significant superhero movies of the decade that changed Hollywood

"Wonder Woman 1984" — October 2, 2020

The "Wonder Woman" sequel reunites director Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, but shifts the story forward from World War I to the 1980s. The first movie was a critical and box-office hit, raking in $821 million worldwide. 

It was originally slated for release in November, 2019, but then pushed back to June. Amid the pandemic, Warner Bros. delayed it again to October. 

Watch the new trailer. 

"The Suicide Squad" — August 6, 2021

Margot Robbie will again play Harley Quinn for this "Suicide Squad" sequel from director James Gunn, who was hired by Warner Bros. after Disney fired him from the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie (he was then re-hired, but is finishing "The Suicide Squad" first).

Gunn has assembled a team of new and old faces and the full cast was showcased during FanDome. Returning are Robbie's Quinn, Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang, and Viola Davis' Amanda Waller. Out is Will Smith, who played Deadshot. Newcomers include Idris Elba as Bloodsport and John Cena as Peacemaker.

Gunn called it "by far the biggest movie" he's ever made during a behind-the-scenes look at the movie. Watch it here.

"The Batman" — October 1, 2021

Robert Pattinson will play Batman in a new film from "War for the Planet of the Apes" director Matt Reeves. Pattinson takes over from Ben Affleck, who played the Dark Knight in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League." Reeves has assembled an all-star cast that also includes Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Paul Dano as the Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.

During FanDome, Reeves said that "The Batman" is a "year two" story for a young Batman and acts as an origin story for many of his villains.

He also teased the HBO Max spinoff series, calling it a "Year One" story focused on the corruption within the Gotham Police Department amid the emergence of Batman.

"Year One is the beginning of the emergence, it's the first appearance of this mass vigilante that starts to unsettle the city," he said. "And you start to see the story through the point of view of these corrupt cops and one in particular. And the story is actually a battle for his soul."

Watch the first trailer for "The Batman."

"Black Adam" — December 22, 2021

After years of teasing his attachment to the movie, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is opening up about "Black Adam," a frequent foe of Shazam in the comics but also an anti-hero of sorts.

It was revealed during FanDome that the movie would introduce the Justice Society of America, which preceded the Justice League in the comics. 

"Black Adam has been with me for a very long time," Johnson said during FanDome. "One of the main things I always loved about Black Adam is that he was an anti-hero. I love that he has his own sense of Black Adam justice. I also love the fact that his origins are that of a slave ... he felt the burdens and the pressures of a larger entity holding him down until you can't take it anymore."

"The Flash" —June 2, 2022

The "Flash" movie, from "It" director Andy Muschietti, has gone through several different directors and release dates. But it finally came into focus during FanDome.

Muschietti called it a "time-travel story" and writer Christina Hodson said that the "cinematic multiverse will be born out of this movie."

The event debuted concept art that teased Michael Keaton's return as Batman (he originally played the character in Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns").

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" — November 4, 2022

With $364.5 million worldwide, "Shazam!" wasn't a box-office smash like "Wonder Woman" or "Aquaman." But it was successful enough for Warner Bros. to greenlight a sequel for 2022. "Shazam!" was a hit with critics and has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The full title, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," was revealed at FanDome.

"Aquaman" sequel — December 16, 2022

2018's "Aquaman" grossed over $1 billion globally, so a sequel was inevitable. It will hit theaters in 2022, topping off what will be a busy year for DC movies. Director James Wan is returning. 

Wan said during FanDome that the sequel will be "a little bit more serious, a little bit more relevant to the world we're living in today."

• Offices, hotels, and malls were emptied by the coronavirus. Even as they reopen, the disruption has many thinking we're looking at a new normal for how we occupy space. 
• Some big firms are rethinking office needs, while others charge ahead with expansion.
• Lenders are looking to unload debt tied to hotel properties as global travel takes a hit. 
• A surge in e-commerce, meanwhile, is fueling demand for warehouse and cold-storage space from  Amazon and other online sellers. 
• For more stories like this, sign up here for our Wall Street Insider newsletter.

The coronavirus pandemic threw the real-estate world into disarray, as people emptied out of offices, hotels, and malls and worked from their homes. That disruption has transformed how people and companies finance, operate, and occupy real estate. 

Some big firms are rethinking office needs — and some commercial real-estate deals have been put on ice as financing dries up. Coworking and flex-office firms are struggling under big rent obligations after years of rapid growth. A surge in e-commerce, meanwhile, is fueling demand for warehouse and cold storage space as companies look for new ways to reach customers.

Still, companies like IBM and Facebook have been pushing ahead with plans for big office spaces, showing that it may be too soon to call and end to the office.

Here's the latest news on how commercial and residential real-estate is being upended, and how experts think these markets will play out in the long run. 

Have a tip about layoffs or major changes in this space? Contact this reporter through the secure messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-4772 using a non-work phone, email at anicoll@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @AlexONicoll. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

Here's everything we know right now: 

Latest news and deals

• Blackstone's co-head of real-estate explains why the giant investor is still betting on office properties — and lays out the industries where demand for in-person workspaces are the strongest
• Markets for retail and office space are under enormous pressure. A foreclosure in the works for a building on NYC's glitzy Fifth Avenue shopping corridor shows just how bad it's getting.
• Investments in risky hotel debt could get wiped out as travel gets slammed — and one group of lenders may see an outsized hit
• Neighbor, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that wants to be the Airbnb of self-storage, has started partnering with landlords to turn empty offices into spaces for people's stuff
• A student-housing developer is facing backlash after pressuring schools to bring college kids back to campus so it could keep its revenues up
• Real-estate developers are betting on a risky strategy to reimagine retail space in hopes of rescuing struggling shopping centers
• Cold storage is 2020's red-hot real estate play. Here's how the private-equity backed industry leader is spending $500 million to tighten its grip on the market.
• Facial-recognition experts say the pandemic is a huge tipping point for office landlords embracing the tech. Here's how they're pitching the idea.
• Facebook just reached a blockbuster deal to lease the massive Farley Building in NYC as a tech and engineering hub. Here's why it's a huge win for a shaken office market.
• Ghost kitchens are pitching themselves as the future of restaurants. These are the 14 companies — and the money backing them — that you need to know.
• JCPenney has hired brokers to sell off 163 locations across the US as the department-store chain slashes its footprint and tries to emerge from bankruptcy
• SL Green is looking to sell a $1.1 billion Amazon-anchored building to buy back its shares. Here's a look at its strategy to defend its share price as the office market tanks.
• IBM is on the hunt for a massive Manhattan space, showing that worries about the death of the big-city office may be overblown
• A growing group of lenders are looking to unload hundreds of millions of dollars of souring hotel loans. Teams hired to sell the portfolios say it's just the beginning of a surge in activity.

Warehouse space is heating up

• Real estate developers are building costly cold storage space before they even have tenants. They're betting the risky move could be a winning investment as grocery delivery booms.
• Logistics startup Bond has teamed up with SoftBank-backed REEF Technology to bring nano-warehouses to parking lots across the US. Here's how they're building the distribution hubs of the future.
• Amazon just signed its largest-ever warehouse lease in NYC. Here's how it's been making deals left and right to grow its massive storage and distribution network.
• Amazon just signed a lease on a huge NYC warehouse used by one-time rival Jet.com. The e-commerce giant has been gobbling up industrial space as demand for deliveries surges.
• Warehouses are the new darling of commercial real-estate thanks to a surge in e-commerce, with firms like Macy's and Boeing selling while Amazon snaps space up
• A surge in grocery deliveries is creating a huge opportunity for industrial real-estate developers. Here's how the coronavirus is transforming retail and warehousing.
• Bond, which has raised $15 million from investors including Lightspeed, wants to become the Shopify of logistics by turning vacant retail space into warehouses

Office sublease deals adding supply to the market

• Companies from banks to tech giants are looking to shed huge chunks of office space. Here's a look at 8 key sublease offers — and what they mean for rents in big-city markets.
• Macy's is slashing the size of its brand-new global headquarters by nearly 40% in another drastic step to cut costs

How retail is faring 

• Neiman Marcus' shocking exit from glitzy Hudson Yards strikes a huge blow to the $25 billion project. The departure could unravel one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history.
• Commercial real-estate hiring is heating back up. From strategy-focused exec jobs to the red-hot industrial space, 4 recruiters lay out roles they're trying to fill.
• Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt lays out how retail and office space can still thrive and why private infrastructure is the next big opportunity
• Bankrupt Neiman Marcus's $80 million flagship store in the glitzy Hudson Yards mega-mall is now being marketed as office space. It's another black eye for the city's retail market.
• Burning through cash and nothing coming in: We talked to 7 VC investors about what's keeping them up at night in their proptech portfolios
• Inside a 'big short' bet against malls: Investors are claiming wins, and a research analyst who said the wagers were misguided is out
• Lease obligations are 'suffocating' retailers — and a potential court fight over a Victoria's Secret flagship NYC store highlights a wider battle between tenants and landlords

State of the commercial real-estate market

• A top Americas exec at commercial real-estate giant Cushman & Wakefield is out
• Billions of dollars of Las Vegas development hang in the balance right now, but the owner of Caesars Palace sees the city's crisis as an opportunity to imagine its next mega-project.
• Lenders are balking at financing mega commercial real-estate deals — and that's leaving buyers for buildings like the Transamerica Pyramid in limbo
• Big investors poured billions into student housing — thinking it was a recession-proof bet. Then the pandemic emptied campuses and turned that thesis on its head.
• Facebook is eyeing offices in cities like Dallas, Atlanta, and Denver to act as 'hubs' to support 50% of its workers staying remote — and it's a move that could upend Silicon Valley and NYC real estate
• Global firms are cutting down on their real-estate footprint as CEOs across industries are considering a permanent switch to remote work
• Meet the 4 dealmakers driving Blackstone's $325 billion commercial real estate portfolio. They walked us through how they're thinking about opportunities in the downturn.
• A blockbuster Facebook office deal is a make-or-break moment for the future of commercial real estate. 3 leasing experts lay out the stakes.
• Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.
• Inside the drama over control of the iconic Chrysler Building: A real-estate tycoon and a prestigious college are renegotiating a critical $150 million deal
• The CEO of real estate heavy-hitter Eastdil explains the types of deals that are must-do right now — and warns that a 'de-retailing' trend is set to accelerate
• The lender to a trendy Brooklyn hotel is looking to offload an $80 million mortgage as the hospitality sector craters — and it's the type of deal distressed-debt investors have been waiting for
• Real-estate tycoon Aby Rosen is abandoning $600 million worth of acquisitions as the coronavirus slams New York City's multibillion-dollar sales market
• Major tenants are delaying big leases in NYC as they re-think their office space needs for the post-coronavirus world
• Blackstone bet big on 4 huge Las Vegas casinos. Then the coronavirus brought Sin City to a halt, right as the PE giant was trying to unload one of its multi-billion-dollar jewels.
• 7 charts show how the coronavirus could clobber real estate, from retail vacancies of nearly 15% to plunging office rents in Texas cities

Coworking, coliving, and short-term rentals

• WeWork rival Knotel just told staff it's looking to raise $100 million as it faces a turbulent office market and a host of unpaid bills
• WeWork is turning to big brokerages like CBRE and JLL to help it find customers. It's a huge strategy shift that shows how hard office space is to fill right now.
• Wells Fargo is ditching a 750-person WeWork space, while Citi inked a deal with the flex-office giant far from a big city. Here's a look at how financial firms are retooling their real estate.
• WeWork is looking to fill 2 million square feet of vacancies in New York City, its biggest market. Here's what's sitting empty.
• The short-term rental market is consolidating in big cities as demand surges in rural areas. Here's how startups like Sonder are taking advantage of the shakeout.
• Office-rental startup Knotel bragged it was a nearly profitable anti-WeWork. Now lawsuits are stacking up. 12 insiders reveal what happened to the $400 million Knotel said it raised last year.
• WeWork is leasing a big new office in Jersey City to house the headquarters of a planned spin-off from pharma giant Merck. Here's how the deal will work, and why it's a big win for the struggling coworking giant.
• Women-focused coworking startup The Wing is almost $270,000 behind on rent and other charges at its Bryant Park location in New York, according to lawsuit
• Co-living is the real-estate industry's big bet on dorm-like housing for young professionals. Here's why players like Nuveen and Cushman & Wakefield remain bullish even during the pandemic.
• WeWork is ditching a major Manhattan office it hasn't even moved into yet — and it's the first big step in a turnaround that's put its entire real-estate portfolio under review
• Vacancy rates are soaring above 15% in Washington DC's normally recession-proof office market. Here's how industry players think this downturn will shape up — and why some are still optimistic.
• Leaked financials from WeWork rival Knotel show huge pre-pandemic losses and a shrinking cash pile. It's a grim sign for the flex-office space.
• After 2 layoff rounds, a valuation nosedive, and chaotic landlord negotiations, Airbnb-backed Zeus Living is shifting its business model. Here's how the corporate-housing startup is moving forward.
• WeWork's US head of real estate is leaving the coworking giant as the firm works through a major turnaround attempt
• WeWork is rolling out global layoffs over Zoom and has kicked off talks to slash jobs in the UK as the coworking giant struggles to cope with coronavirus fallout
• IBM is ditching a big WeWork office it has been renting in NYC — showing risks for the flex-space model as the pandemic prompts big companies to rethink real-estate needs
• Knotel and insurance startup Rhino didn't disclose its CEOs were brothers when it struck a complex financial deal. Now a key partner could be on the hook as Knotel scrambles to pay bills, slashes staff, and plans to shed portions of its portfolio.
• WeWork's revenue growth rate was cut in half in Q1, as the company burned through nearly $500 million in 'free cash outflow'
• As WeWork and flex-space rivals stumble, 18 million square feet of space in NYC is at risk. Here's what that means for the real-estate market.
• Airbnb and RXR Realty are scrapping a partnership at Rockefeller Center that the home-sharing giant had touted as a '21st-century hospitality model'
• Airbnb-backed corporate housing startup Zeus Living is asking landlords to renegotiate their leases and withholding April and May rent until they sign
• Knotel is scrambling to pay millions in bills that started stacking up before the coronavirus hit, and hasn't paid April rent at some locations
• Leaked documents from Knotel show the WeWork competitor struggled to hit financial targets well before the coronavirus hit
• 'This is the day of reckoning' for companies like WeWork. 10 real-estate insiders lay out the future of flex-offices, and how employers are preparing now.
• Hospitality startup Sonder is pushing ahead with plans to open its largest NYC apartment hotel yet as coronavirus cripples the travel industry

The future of real estate

• Real estate giant CBRE has an 'unparalleled' amount of data. Its tech chief lays out how it's putting it to good use.
• How commercial real-estate giant JLL is revamping its trainee program to help early-career brokers land deals 
• WeWork is bringing corporate staff back to New York offices in 3 waves as the city enters the next stage of reopening. Here are the details the coworking giant just gave workers.
• Home-financing startup EasyKnock just raised $20 million. Its CEO lays out plans for new launches including a marketplace to match investors with homeowners looking for equity.
• Construction firms that get tech right could see Silicon Valley-like valuations. Here's how an old-school industry can transform itself.
• Silver Lake just added to a string of recent travel bets by leading a $108 million investment in vacation property startup Vacasa
• Companies need to add contactless-entry tech to safely reopen offices. Here are 7 firms ranging from startups to huge conglomerates that are set for a surge in business.
• Robots, remote hires, and insourcing: A top UBS exec lays out how the Swiss bank is tackling the future of work and thinking about real-estate needs
• A smart home startup that raised $41 million from Amazon and Bain just launched an app that lets landlords and residents give remote access for deliveries, guests, and self-guided tours
• Zillow tapped a former US surgeon general for advice as it restarts its iBuyer business. She laid out how the company will get home-flipping up and running safely.
• Here's which real-estate tech startups will soar and which will flop in the new normal of how we occupy space, according to 7 top proptech VCs
• 10 CEOs from Coldwell Banker, JLL, Cushman Wakefield, and more lay out a post-pandemic future of how we'll buy, build, and use real estate
• The office as we knew it is dead
• Mandatory temperature-taking is largely seen as a critical way to return workers to offices. But some big NYC landlords are worried about its effectiveness.
• The future of real estate could be virtual open houses on Facebook. Coldwell Banker's CEO explains why the in-person industry needs to embrace going digital.
• 'We should be prepared for a new normal': 3 real estate experts on how the coronavirus is transforming offices and accelerating the rise of industrial property
• What to expect when you're back in the office: 7 real-estate experts break down what the transition will look like, and why the workplace may never be the same
• Virtual tours are being hyped as a way for commercial real estate giants like CBRE and JLL to keep deals flowing. Here's a look at how they work — and what factors they can't replace.
• Real-estate services giant JLL explains how the coronavirus could usher in a permanent 'paradigm shift' towards more remote work

SEE ALSO: The ultimate guide to Wall Street's summer internships: Here's how they'll go virtual, and how to impress remotely

SEE ALSO: POWER PLAYERS: Meet the bankers, traders, investors, and lawyers seeing huge opportunities in a wave of corporate distress and bankruptcies

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• Equifax is in the midst of a massive digital transformation that is on pace to save the company $240 million by the second half of 2021.
• Bryson Koehler, Equifax's CTO, told Business Insider that firms should consider fully adopting the public cloud from the start as opposed to trying to take baby steps.
• Koehler believes that strategy offers more flexibility than a hybrid or lift-and-switch model. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As an increasing number of financial firms consider the public cloud, the question of which provider to work with often crops up first.

Between the three market leaders — Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform — and IBM, which has a recently launched an offering geared toward financial firms, there are plenty of options.

Read more: Equifax's CTO walked us through a Google Cloud migration that's addressing security concerns, cutting $240 million in costs, and helping speed up product launches

However, the chief technology officer of Equifax believes the more important decision is about the approach a firm will take towards adopting the tech. Specifically, diving in headfirst.

"Cloud native thinking is key. You have to kind of believe in that first. You can make your cloud provider decisions second," Bryson Koehler, CTO at Equifax, told Business Insider. "If you do too much lift and shift, if you do too much hybrid, if you kind of take the baby steps, you could end up in a place where you have more complexity, not less, where you have less flexibility, not more. So you have to really be thoughtful when you do this."

The flexibility a cloud-native approach offers is key

Koehler, who spent time at IBM prior to joining Equifax in June 2018, is a staunch believer in the power of the public cloud and going all in. He previously told Business Insider about how a "significant" amount of a $1.25 billion investment Equifax pledged toward a digital transformation went to the public cloud. 

The result? Equifax has already decommissioned 10 data centers and is on pace to realize $240 million in cash savings from the tech overhaul by the second half of 2021, according to its second-quarter earnings report.  

Koehler credits that to the consumer credit reporting giant fully adopting the public cloud and taking on a "destroy and deploy" mindset. That, he said, is more critical than deciding the cloud provider to work with. 

"I think that cloud-native thinking is the one that I would say we all need to focus on more," he added. "And then, probably slightly less on the actual cloud provider, although they're each different for different purposes."

See more: From Deutsche Bank to CME, Google Cloud has nabbed a string of big financial clients. Here are 3 ways it's making its pitch to win over Wall Street.

Koehler's strong beliefs stem from the benefits he's seen firsthand. The past six months, in particular, have illuminated the advantages.

As companies have scrambled to adjust to remote working environments as a result of the coronavirus, Koehler said Equifax has enjoyed increased speed to market. What previously might have taken eight weeks to build out now can be done in as little as two days, he added.

"Having the flexibility of the cloud where we can not be stuck in fixed-asset investments that we have to leverage fully for a period of time, having the flexibility now that the cloud provides," Koehler said. "We're already seeing that and our ability to respond quickly to our customers' needs as they've needed new types of reports, new insights, new data models, new data feed throughout the last quarter."

Read more:

Google Cloud just poached a long-time Citi exec. Here's why public-cloud giants keep adding Wall Street veterans to their ranks.

SEE ALSO: Google Cloud and AWS see winning over exchanges as key to pitching Wall Street holdouts on the public cloud

SEE ALSO: PayPal is working to handle a chunk of its transactions on Google's public cloud for the first time. The payment giant's head of tech explains how that cuts costs and helps prepare for the holiday rush.

SEE ALSO: Nasdaq is starting to stream real-time market data to the public cloud as Wall Street demands more flexible access to critical information

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• Palantir is expected to reveal key paperwork to go public as soon as Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who said the paperwork could also come on Tuesday. 
• Palantir's analyst day is to be scheduled on September 15, and the company is currently aiming to list its shares on September 24, the person, who requested anonymity to discuss a private matter, told Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Palantir is expected to reveal key paperwork to go public as soon as Monday or Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. 

The S-1 filing will provide the first public look at Palantir's financials and will kick off the countdown to a widely anticipated public listing. The person, who requested anonymity to discuss a private matter, told Business Insider that Palantir's analyst day is to be scheduled for September 15, with the company currently aiming to list shares on the public market on September 24.

The source said the dates were not yet official, but represent what Palantir has communicated to various parties as of this weekend.

Palantir, a secretive data analytics company with ties to the military and defense industries, said in early July that it confidentially filed a draft of its S-1 paperwork for its planned public listing.  

The company's public stock market debut is expected to come in the form of a direct listing, which differs from traditional initial public offerings in that no new shares are issued to outside investors. 

Palantir was valued at $20 billion by private investor in 2015, but shares in the company have more recently sold at a valuation between $8 billion and $12 billion, sources told Business Insider earlier this year.

A spokesperson for Palantir did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the dates on which the S1 filing, analyst day, and listing debut would occur. 

— Troy Wolverton contributed reporting. 

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Many companies use the term artificial intelligence, or AI, as a way to generate excitement for their products and to present themselves as on the cutting edge of tech development.

But what exactly is artificial intelligence? What does it involve? And how will it help the development of future generations?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in AI 101, a brand new FREE report fromBusiness Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, that describes how AI works and looks at its present and potential future applications.

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

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• Facebook's commerce policy prohibits private individuals selling guns, ammunition, and explosives on the platform.
• But sellers have found a new workaround, according to The Wall Street Journal: disguising listings for firearms by selling them as "stickers" and then offering guns to prospective buyers via direct message. 
• Facebook Marketplace, where users can list classified ads for furniture, real estate, and more, has struggled to regulate unscrupulous sellers and illegal goods since its launch in 2016.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook Marketplace, the tech-giant's response to Craigslist, continues to be used to sell second-hand firearms, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Although Facebook's commerce policy prohibits private individuals selling guns, ammunition, and explosives on the platform, sellers have a new workaround, according to the report: disguising advertisements for Glocks and semi-automatic firearms by listing them as "stickers." 

Sellers posted listings advertising, ".040 sticker" or "great little sticker, 22 inches," for hundreds of dollars, then sent direct messages to prospective buyers confirming that they were selling a .40 caliber Glock or .22 semi-automatic rifle, the Journal found. The report also detailed how Facebook's algorithm continued to suggest "sticker" listings, which were actually advertising guns, after users clicked on the deceitful ads, and that a user said the company did not take the listings down even after he flagged them to the company.

The report comes after several prominent lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker, Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar called on Facebook to stop sales of guns. Last year, the Journal reported that gun owners were listing empty gun cases online, then offering the actual firearm to prospective buyers. 

Since Facebook unveiled its marketplace feature back in 2016, the service has struggled to keep illicit goods off of the platform. Within days of the platforms launch, listings for drugs, animals, and adult services popped up. And in 2018, Business Insider found that fake designer goods, ranging from Tiffany bracelets to Gucci handbags, were commonplace. 

"We take action against anyone we catch trying to sell guns on our platform," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "We've removed listings that were flagged and will continue to investigate."

Read the full report at The Wall Street Journal. 

SEE ALSO: Our mission to buy a fake Rolex on Facebook reveals how the company is playing host to countless criminal enterprises

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• New data from Socialbakers, a social-media marketing company, breaks down which industries have had the most efficient influencer-marketing campaigns during the pandemic.
• Healthcare came out on top, followed by packaged foods and household goods. Airlines had the lowest efficiency.
• Socialbakers defined "efficiency" as the engagements from an influencer's sponsored Instagram post compared to the average engagements a brand receives on its own accounts.
• Subscribe to Business Insider's influencer newsletter: Influencer Dashboard.

In March and April, many brands slashed their influencer-marketing budgets in the face of the unknown effects of a slew of shelter-in-place orders and a global pandemic.

But in the last few months, some brands have begun to hire influencers for sponsored posts and campaigns, even in the travel and tourism industries. That doesn't, however, mean all these partnerships have been successful or efficient.

New data from Socialbakers, a social-media marketing company, looked at data from over 8,000 brands to track the efficiency of partnerships on Instagram between April and July of 2020. Socialbakers defined "efficiency" as the difference between the engagement on an influencer's branded post and the average engagement of that brand's Instagram content. In other words: Did the influencer's posts work to drive eyeballs to the brand?

Socialbakers found that healthcare, as a category, had the highest efficiency, with an efficiency index of 4.99. Airlines had the lowest efficiency during this time period, with an index of 0.08. Socialbakers said it considers any efficiency index of 1.00 or greater as the sign of a successful brand partnership.

In April, Socialbakers' data showed a decline in influencer marketing efficiency across all industries. But by July, the overall influencer marketing efficiency rate had started rebounding.

Here are the industries with the highest influencer-marketing efficiency between April and July 2020: 

1. Healthcare: 4.99 efficiency index
2. FMCG (fast-moving consumers goods) food: 2.55
3. Household goods: 2.46
4. Gambling: 2.30
5. Finance: 2.29
6. Telecom: 2.28
7. Home and living: 1.67
8. Retail: 1.63
9. Beauty: 1.62
10. FMCG corporate: 1.60

Here are the industries with the lowest influencer-marketing efficiency between April and July 2020:

1. Airlines (lowest): 0.08 efficiency index
2. Auto: 0.35
3. Sporting goods: 0.43
4. Retail food: 0.59
5. Travel: 0.73 
6. Software: 0.76
7. Industrial: 0.78 
8. Fashion: 0.80
9. Services: 0.89
10. Accommodation: 0.97

For more stories on the influencer industry, check out these Business Insider articles:

• 'Insurance' has surged the most among Instagram influencers of any content topic during the pandemic. Here are the others with the biggest increases and decreases.
• 'Micro' and 'nano' Instagram influencers have proven effective for many marketers, but new data suggests only a small fraction of them are working with brands
• Influencers are seeing a rebound in travel and tourism sponsored content deals. But controversy has come with it.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Harsh Khurana founded Cultivate during the pandemic after he saw the socioeconomic impact COVID-19 was having on the small businesses in his area.
• Cultivate is a search engine and Chrome plugin that helps users find American-made products on e-commerce sites like Amazon and Target.
• Mark Cuban was the first VC Khurana reached out to and the first to sign on to back the startup, which is currently run by a team of four.
• Khurana's goal is to help shoppers find higher-quality products and avoid decision fatigue, while also helping small businesses thrive and generating more money for the US economy.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Say you want to buy a beach chair — you've got a long weekend coming up, and virus-be-damned, you're going to find your slice of summer even if you get a mask tan in the process. 

So you go to Amazon, type "beach chair" into the search bar, and hit enter. Almost instantly, Amazon loads items 1-48 of over 2,000 beach chairs on the e-commerce site. Two thousand beach chairs, some with as many positive reviews. You scroll a bit, not even making it through the first 48 chairs before you get overwhelmed. Which reviews are fake? Which products are shoddy? Which brands are trusted and which are counterfeiters? The stress mounts. You start to rethink the beach chair endeavor entirely. You have a bath towel that should be fine to sit on, right? You leave the tab open just in case.

Harsh Khurana wants to help you buy your beach chair. More specifically, he wants to help you find an American-made beach chair that is a high-quality product, without any of the Amazon-induced decision fatigue. 

"The good quality beach chairs might be at the bottom because somebody's paid to be on top," Khurana told Business Insider in an interview. "We have so many stresses in our lives, especially during coronavirus, the last thing we want to do is spend more time online to find the product that we need."

Khurana is the founder of Cultivate, a website and Chrome plugin that helps consumers find products that are made in the US. The company, currently a team of four, was launched during the pandemic and has already attracted an investment from Mark Cuban. When the country went into lockdown, Khurana sat inside his home in central New Jersey trying to figure out what he could do to help struggling businesses.

He saw that small businesses were getting slammed by the pandemic because of forced closures while huge retailers with established e-commerce shops and big marketing budgets were hoovering up all the consumers. 

"You can't beat marketing dollars and search engine optimization when you're an entrepreneur," Khurana said. "You're focused on your customers and the actual quality of your product."

Small businesses and startups often operate on razor-thin margins, which means they don't have the extra cash to sink into getting eyeballs on their product. And when the internet is awash with brands pumping massive marketing budgets into ads that target and follow consumers, that often means the best products aren't the ones that get discovered. Bad news for small businesses, and bad news for consumers. Khurana wanted to level that playing field to help small businesses get discovered online, help consumers find high-quality products, and generate more money for the US economy. Once he had his idea he knew which VC to reach out to first.

"If there's one person who's going to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, it's Mark," Khurana said. 

Khurana sent him an email, the two got talking, and Cuban was in.

"I'm a big believer in buy-American, invest in America," Cuban told FOX Business of his decision to back Cultivate so early on.

Here's how Cultivate works. You can either use the Cultivate search engine, or install a plugin into your Chrome browser and search on Amazon, Target, or other e-commerce sites as you normally would. (Cultivate's extension is currently live on 50 e-commerce sites beyond Amazon and has more than 250,000 products in its database. Khurana is hoping to get that product number to a million by the end of the year.) On the Cultivate site, users will only get results for the American-made products in its database. If you use the plugin, once you've done a search on a retailers site, a notification will pop up on the Cultivate icon in the corner of the Chrome browser if it found an American-made product in the same category. Khurana made sure the notifications are visible but don't impede the shopping experience. 

"We keep it as simple as possible. Anywhere you're shopping, we want you to enjoy your experience," he said. "If you're buying socks, we're going to show you American-made socks. If you want those, we'll take you to the page where you can buy it. It's that simple. Otherwise, you can continue on with your experience."

Simplicity was key for Khurana as he developed the concept for Cultivate. For many consumers, a disconnect exists between their ethical values and their shopping behaviors, and that disconnect is exacerbated by the number of products out there and the lack of information on where they're coming from. But Khurana isn't trying to make the consumer feel bad about that disconnect. 

"We don't blame anybody," Khurana said.

As Cultivate continues to grow, Khurana has big plans for how to make supporting your ethics with your shopping choices so easy that anyone can do it.

"We'll make it seamless so it won't be an extra click to save a job. It would be the same amount of clicks as when shopping on any e-commerce website. And not only do you get good quality goods, you also help somebody."

Khurana is a big believer in helping the underdog, partially because he sees himself as one — his family came to the US from India when he was 9, and he credits America with giving them a chance to prosper. But he also proves out how shopping for products made in the US is also better for the US economy. In Cultivate's blog post detailing their mission, the team explains, "various studies show that every $100 spent on local businesses generates $68 in local economic activity, whereas the same $100 spent on non-local businesses generates only $43."

Khurana also has plans to show users exactly how their dollar has impacted the economy based on their purchases made through Cultivate. Armed with that knowledge, hopefully, your beach chair will feel that much more comfortable.

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• People are reportedly bypassing Facebook's marketplace policies and selling guns by pretending to sell stickers, per a Wall Street Journal report.
• The outlet found four sellers selling stickers promoting gun makers' logos and priced for hundreds of dollars who confirmed when contacted privately that they were actually selling firearms.
• Facebook prohibits the private sale of guns and ammunition on its marketplace, a policy that sellers have skirted in the past by pretending to advertise gun cases to instead sell firearms.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Sellers are pretending to sell stickers of gun makers' logos to sell guns on Facebook, which is in violation of the company's marketplace policies.

In a new investigation from the Wall Street Journal, the outlet found listings that appear to sell stickers promoting gun makers such as Ruger. When the Journal contacted the sellers, they revealed they actually intended to sell guns, not stickers.

A Mississippi seller posted a $450 sticker for sale sporting the logo for Glock and asked for interested buyers to message them privately for more details, according to the report. When the Journal contacted the seller privately, he revealed that he was really selling a .40-caliber pistol. Three other sellers with sticker listings confirmed to the Journal when contacted that they were indeed selling guns, not stickers. The outlet also found more than 40 results for "gun sticker" and "stickers" that included photos of gun makers' logos.

Facebook prohibits the private sale of firearms and ammunition on its marketplace, and as the Journal notes, said in a quarterly report in early August that it removed 1.3 million firearm-related articles of content between April and June.

But this isn't the first time that sellers have finagled their way around the policy. Sellers have listed gun cases or boxes for sale before at high prices, and when contacted privately, revealed the firearms — in one case a semiautomatic AR-15 — they intended to sell, per a separate WSJ report from 2019. The revelation prompted a slew of Democratic senators, including 2020 vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, to demand an explanation from Facebook on how it moderates gun sales on its marketplace. 

A company spokesperson told Business Insider in an email Facebook takes "action against anyone we catch trying to sell guns on our platform. We've removed listings that were flagged and will continue to investigate."

As the report notes, firearm sales have spiked in recent months as the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns have prompted people to seek guns as a means of protection. The widespread demonstrations protesting police brutality and civil unrest have also been cited as a potential contribution to the growing number of gun purchases in the US.

The report also comes as Facebook continues to struggle with content moderation on its platform, including policing the spread of conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus disease as well as far-right extremist groups like QAnon. The company employs both artificial intelligence algorithms and human moderators to sift through posts on the site.

Read the full report on The Wall Street Journal here.

SEE ALSO: Facebook reportedly agreed to pay $52 million to moderators who developed PTSD while helping the company police toxic content on its platform

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• Both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch Lite have been hard to find online as they continue to explode in popularity, but we've been keeping an eye on the best deals for Switch consoles, games, and accessories.
• We'll update this list regularly with the top Nintendo Switch deals as new discounts are announced.
• Right now, "Luigi's Mansion 3" is on sale for $41.99, which is $18 off its regular price.

The Nintendo Switch has been the best-selling video game console on the planet since its release in March 2017, and it's become one of the hottest products of 2020 as people look for ways to entertain themselves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nintendo Switch sales doubled in March 2020 compared to March 2019, and even surpassed the number of consoles sold during the Switch's first month in March 2017, according to data from the NPD Group. 

Nintendo's $300 hybrid console offers many of the most popular games on the market in a portable package, with the option to connect the Switch to a larger television or home entertainment system. The $200 Switch Lite is smaller and can't connect to your TV, but it's still a popular pick for parents who want an affordable alternative to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, and gamers who want a second console.

Switch exclusive titles include iconic Nintendo franchises like "Super Mario," "Pokémon" and "The Legend of Zelda." The latest Nintendo exclusive, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," was the best-selling game of March 2020 and is already the top selling game in the series.

Below, we've collected the best deals on Nintendo Switch consoles, exclusive games, and accessories. These discounts should all come in handy whether you're looking to buy a Switch for the first time, building your library of games, or trying to find the cheapest price on a Switch peripheral.

Here are the best Nintendo Switch deals for August 2020:

• "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition," $39.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $20]
• "Luigi's Mansion 3 (Digital)" $41.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $18]
• "Borderlands Legendary Collection," $32.99 (originally $49.99) at Amazon [You save $17] **Requires MicroSD card for download
• 256GB MicroSD Memory Card, $52.99 (originally $94.99) at Best Buy [You save $42]

Prices and links are current as of 8/24/2020. Added new deals for Nintendo Switch games. Removed deals that are no longer active. Updated by Kevin Webb.

Best deals on Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite consoles

The Nintendo Switch can be connected to a TV for high-definition gameplay, or taken on-the-go as a portable console. Furthermore, the Switch's controls can be separated from the console and used as two separate controllers called Joy-Cons. Unfortunately, stock for the standard Switch remains low at many retailers. With that in mind, some of the below products might not currently be available for shipment. We'll update this section with more Switch purchase options and deals as stores start adding more inventory.

Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a handheld-only version of the console that lacks the original Switch's removable controllers and ability to connect to a larger television. The Switch Lite appeals to gamers who may already own a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and want to play games with a similar level of quality while they're traveling. Parents may also be more willing to invest in a handheld console at a lower price point when introducing their children to gaming.

The Nintendo Switch Lite comes in four colors (coral, turquoise, grey and yellow). There haven't been many deals that drop the Switch Lite's price below its standard retail price of $199.99, but a refurbished model is sold for a $20 discount when it's in stock at GameStop.

• Nintendo Switch 32GB Grey/Neon Console, $299.99 at Best Buy
• Nintendo Switch Lite (Turquoise), $199.99 at Best Buy
• Nintendo Switch Lite (Gray), $199.99 at Best Buy
• Refurbished Nintendo Switch Lite (Turquoise), $179.99 ($199.99 new) at GameStop [You save $20 buying refurbished]
• Refurbished Nintendo Switch Lite (Gray), $179.99 ($199.99 new) at GameStop [You save $20 buying refurbished]

Best deals on Nintendo Switch games

Though the Nintendo Switch has only been around for three years, there are already more than 2,300 games available for the console. Deals on Nintendo franchises, like "Super Mario," "Pokémon" and "The Legend of Zelda," are relatively rare, but "Luigi's Mansion 3" is actually on sale for $18 off its regular price right now through Best Buy.

You can also find plenty of other fun Switch games on sale at popular retailers or from the Nintendo eShop, the console's home for digital releases.

• "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition," $39.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $20]
• "Luigi's Mansion 3 (Digital)," $41.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $18]
• "Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath Kollection," $39.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $20]
• "Borderlands Legendary Collection," $32.99 (originally $49.99) at Amazon [You save $17] **Requires MicroSD card for download
• "Bioshock Collection," $32.99 (originally $49.99) at Amazon [You save $17] **Requires MicroSD card for download
• "XCOM 2 Collection," $32.99 (originally $49.99) at Amazon [You save $17] **Requires MicroSD card for download

Best deals on Nintendo Switch controllers

Though the Switch's Joy-Cons give players access to two controllers at all times, some gamers prefer the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, which more closely resembles a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One controller.

Nintendo also sells spare Joy-Cons with multiple color options for Switch owners who want to add some additional flair and an extra set of motion controllers for multiplayer games. However, Joy-Cons have been out of stock at most major retailers amid the coronavirus pandemic, with online stores charging prices well above their normal price of $79.99.

Though there are no deals currently available for brand-new Nintendo first party controllers, pre-owned Switch Pro Controllers are available for $64.99 at GameStop. Joy-Cons are also in stock right now for their regular price at GameStop. 

• Pre-owned Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, $64.99 ($69.99 new) at GameStop [You save $5 buying pre-owned]
• PowerA Wireless GameCube Style Controller (Gold), $34.95 (originally $49.99) at Amazon [You save $15.04]
• Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons (Neon Red/Blue), $79.99 at GameStop
• Insten Wireless Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, $32.99 (originally $50.99) at Target [You save $18]

Best deals on on Nintendo Switch accessories

As a portable console with replaceable controllers, the Switch has no shortage of accessories. The most important addition you can make is a MicroSD card, which can expand the Switch's initial 32GB of storage to more than 250GB for about the same price as a new game.

If you plan on taking your Switch on the go, it's probably a good idea to pick up a basic case with space for extra game cartridges too. The Switch is fairly durable so you don't need to spend a ton protecting it.

• 256GB MicroSD Memory Card, $52.99 (originally $94.99) at Best Buy [You save $42]
• Nintendo Switch Game Traveler Deluxe System Travel Case, $26.97 (originally $39.99) at GameStop [You save $13.02]

• The Xbox One X is still the most powerful video game console on the market, and Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox One games will be playable on its upcoming Xbox Series X as well.
• Low cost subscription services, like Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass, also bring tons of value and affordable games to the Xbox One.
• Below, we've compiled the best deals on Xbox consoles, games, accessories, and subscriptions.
• Right now, "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint" is on sale for $14.99, which is $25 off its regular price.

Microsoft debuted its first Xbox console less than 20 years ago, but the brand has blossomed into one of the titans of the video game industry. Its current flagship console, the Xbox One, has shipped more than 50 million units worldwide and dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting the launch of the next Xbox console, the Xbox Series X, later this fall.

For now, the Xbox One X is the most powerful video game console on the market, out performing the PlayStation 4 Pro and Nintendo Switch. The Xbox One S is a strong console as well, boasting 4K resolution playback, HDR support, and a host of media center features that make it an ideal centerpiece for your home entertainment setup.

Microsoft has worked to create a robust ecosystem for Xbox fans, which will include letting them play Xbox One games on the upcoming Series X. Services, like Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass, also bring extra value to the console, offering thousands of games to players for a low price.

We've collected the best deals on Xbox One consoles, games, subscriptions, and accessories below. These should come in handy whether you're an Xbox veteran looking forward to the Series X, or looking to pick up your very first video game console.

Here are the best Xbox One deals for August 2020:

• "Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order," $29.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $30]
• "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint," $14.99 (originally $39.99) at Best Buy [You save $25]
• "Forza Horizon 4," $37.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $22]
• Pre-owned Xbox One Wireless Controller, $49.99 ($59.99 new) at GameStop [You save $10 buying pre-owned]

Prices and links are current as of 8/24/2020. Added new Xbox One video game deals. Removed deals that are no longer active. Updated by Kevin Webb.

Best Xbox One console deals

Due to high demand, stock for all Xbox One consoles remains low at many retailers, especially for the Xbox One X. With that in mind, the below products might not currently be available for shipment. We'll update this section with more retailer options and discounts as stores add more inventory. 

• Xbox One S Bundle with "NBA 2K20," $299.99 at Best Buy
• Pre-Owned Xbox One X, $369.99 ($399.99 new) at GameStop [You save $30 buying pre-owned]
• Pre-Owned Xbox One S, $279.99 ($299.99 new) at GameStop [You save $20 buying pre-owned]
• Refurbished Xbox One (500GB original model), $209.99 at GameStop
• Xbox One S, $299.00 from Microsoft
• Xbox One X Bundle with free copy of "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," $399.00 from Microsoft 

Best deals on Xbox One games

There are thousands of games available for Xbox One, so we've chosen to focus on just a few of the console's most popular titles. Digital games are available through the Microsoft Store, which offers sales on a regular basis.

• • "Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order," $29.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $30]
  • "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint," $14.99 (originally $39.99) at Best Buy [You save $25]
  • "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition," $27.99 (originally $39.99) at Best Buy [You save $12]
  • "Borderlands 3," $14.99 (originally $39.99) at Best Buy [You save $25]
  • "Forza Horizon 4," $37.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $22]
  • "Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath Kollection," $39.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $20]
  • "Rage 2," $10.99 (originally $59.99) at Best Buy [You save $49]

Best Xbox One controller deals

The Xbox One controller has become the standard for PC gaming thanks to its compatibility with Windows and countless indie games. Newer versions of the Xbox One controller make it easy to connect to your computer or phone with Bluetooth too. While most controllers use rechargeable batteries, the Xbox One controller still relies on AA batteries.

Microsoft also makes a premium Xbox One gamepad, the $180 Xbox Elite controller. The Elite series offers some notable improvements, like a rechargeable battery with 40 hours of playtime, four rear paddle bu tons for extra control, customizable thumbsticks, and a rubber grip.

There are no discounts currently available on brand-new Xbox controllers, but you can save $10 if you buy a pre-owned controller from GameStop.

• Xbox One Wireless Controller, $59.99 at Target
• Pre-Owned Xbox One Wireless Controller, $49.99 ($59.99 new) at GameStop [You save $10 buying pre-owned]

Best Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass deals

Xbox Live Gold is a subscription service that's required for online play with nearly all Xbox One games. The subscription also offers free games each month that remain available as long as the Xbox Live Gold subscription is active.

If you're already an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, buying a discounted membership will add time to the length of your current subscription.

Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass is a subscription gaming service that lets you download hundreds of games to your Xbox One or Windows PC. The service costs $5 a month on PC or $10 a month on Xbox One. New Game Pass subscribers will only pay $1 for their first month thanks to an ongoing promotion.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes an Xbox Live Gold subscription and will give you access to Game Pass on both PC and Xbox for a regular price of $15 per month. 

• Three Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, $33.19 (originally $44.99) from CDKeys.com [You save $11.80]

• Europe's biggest nudist resort, Cap d'Agde in France, is seeing a coronavirus outbreak, reported The Guardian.
• Ninety-five nudists tested positive at the resort last week and an additional 50 tested positive after returning home, per The Guardian. More tests are expected this week, so the actual number of positive cases might be even higher.
• The infection rate among nudists was quadruple the infection rate of those in the surrounding village.
• "We are in an alarming situation," a spokesperson for the Hérault region, which includes Cap d'Agde, reportedly said in an emergency announcement, per The Sun.
• Cap d'Agde is located near Montpellier, France, along the French Riviera. Known as the "Naked City," according to CNN, the resort allows visitors to be naked anywhere from the bank to the beach.
• The French Riviera has been seeing a pandemic party problem this summer. Martin Blachier, an epidemiologist at Universite de Versailles Saint Quentin, told Business Insider earlier this month that the French Riviera and Paris are the two most concerning regions where the coronavirus is escalating in France.
• Coronavirus cases in all of France have been climbing in August. On Sunday, France saw its sharpest 24-hour increase in coronavirus cases — 4,900 — since May, reported The New York Post.
• "The virus circulates mainly in very young people here in France, between 20 and 30 years old mostly," Blachier told Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.