A Baby Bodyguards team member in the process of babyproofing a client's nursery.
Baby Bodyguards
Fred and Courtney Ilarraza are the founders of Baby Bodyguards, a New York City-based company that offers "babyproofing" services to expectant parents.
After having their first child in 2008, they realized that babyproofing their home was a big task, and decided to launch Baby Bodyguards to meet the needs of local parents.
Their services include everything from full-home babyproofing to in-home child and infant CPR, and expert instruction on car seat installation.
Since the pandemic, Fred Ilarraza says more clients want the $700 two-story babyproofing package, as many New York families have upsized or moved to larger homes outside of the city.
The company's most elaborate job to date was for a client renting a home in the Hamptons for just a month — the fee was $10,000 and it involved adding a removable pool fence.
Here's their story, as told to freelance author Jenny Powers.
It was 2008 and my wife Courtney and I had just had our first child. As first-time parents, we began thinking about all the ways we needed to safeguard our home and since we had a lot of experts in our circle we reached out to them for advice. We wound up getting recommendations from pediatricians, child psychologists, and first responders, as well as other safety professionals.
Courtney and Fred Ilarraza, founders of Baby Bodyguards.
Baby Bodyguards
During this process, we found there were no New York City-based babyproofing services.
So, we decided to launch our own, called Baby Bodyguards (BBG).
At the time, I was the owner of a title insurance company and Courtney was the deputy bureau chief for the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. Those first few months when I was holding down both jobs and leading a double life were difficult. I would leave the house in my BBG attire, do an installation then race to my car to change into a suit and tie and head off to a multi-million dollar closing.
BBG was profitable from its first week but not in the same way a title insurance company is. That was our first real hurdle. We had this moment of 'How far do we take this?' and 'Can we afford to do this?' because at that point it wasn't profitable unless I was doing everything. We had to choose whether to continue offering a service we believed in, or stick with just making money at our jobs.
We decided to go all-in with BBG right before the market imploded. The beginning was rough, and thankfully Courtney still had a job with benefits. It took over a year before we needed employees but from there, it took off and Courtney was in a position to leave her job and work for BBG full-time.
Twelve years later, we've babyproofed nearly 12,000 homes.
We've got three children now, and are still the only New York City-based babyproofing business around. You need an insane amount of storage and a ton of inventory to do this type of business, and most New Yorkers just don't have that kind of space. We live in Brooklyn and have a basement, garage, driveway, and a backyard where we can store bulk supplies and pallets of product.
Every job begins with a comprehensive home evaluation where me or one of our five employees does a room-by-room walk-through.
Fred Ilarraza on his way to a job in the Baby Bodyguards uniform shirt during the pandemic in New York City.
Baby Bodyguards
From there, we email a PDF detailing everything we covered, along with a quote. Due to the pandemic, all of our consultations are now virtual. It was really a eureka moment when we realized we could have been doing them virtually all along. In the past, when we've scheduled home visits, sometimes only one caregiver could be there; now this way, everyone can be conferenced in from wherever they are. Moving forward, we're going to stick with virtual consults because it's more inclusive and saves a lot of time.
We offer several packages which include products and installation. One Level Living costs $350, and is a soup-to-nuts package designed to cover all the basic items you'd require to secure a single-story home such as drawer and cabinet latches, sliding cover outlets, and soft corner guards. This used to be our most popular package, but since the pandemic began, Duplex Delight ($700) which is tailored to a two-story home has been far more popular, as many families have relocated to the suburbs or upsized in the city.
We also have a la carte options available, because everyone's needs and homes are different.
The most elaborate job we've ever done was for a client renting a home in the Hamptons.
The architect, house manager, realtor, designer, owner, and renter were all present with a list of what we could and couldn't do in the home. The fee was $10,000, and the client was only renting the home for a month.
My title insurance skills came into play on this job, as we had to come up with solutions that met everyone's needs and criteria on the fly. I had to remind the owner a few times on the liability involved in telling a renter they couldn't safeguard something that was inherently dangerous. We worked with them to create solutions that wouldn't harm the home, but would make it safe. The owner got to keep the removable pool fence — one of the most expensive parts of the job — to use for future tenants at no cost to him. It was a win/win for everyone.
We also offer private car seat installation lessons where a certified child passenger safety technician will teach you how to properly install your car seat. If your car seat isn't installed properly, you run the risk of your child not being protected in a crash. This is why we insist on actually teaching people how to install it, rather than simply checking the seat or installing it ourselves.
Courtney also teaches private in-home infant and child CPR.
A nanny client taking BBG's outdoor CPR class, an option they now offer due to COVID-19.
Baby Bodyguards.
There are common mistakes many expectant parents make when doing their own babyproofing.
A lot of parents want to use those electrical outlet caps, which are more of a choking hazard than a protective measure. Also, when you preemptively install stove knob covers, you effectively add five toys to the front of the range that resembles an activity center to a child.
A lot of people install toilet locks and wind up creating a false sense of security for themselves by assuming they can now leave the bathroom door open. Kids can still climb onto the toilet and fall and hit their head or attempt to give themself a bath. It's better to install something on the bathroom door that requires an adult to operate, mitigating any dangers that may present themselves in the room itself.
These days before a job, our team all gets temperature checks, and none of us use public transportation. In addition to taking our shoes off on the job, which is customary, we wear facemasks and sanitizer holsters.
The best time to have your home babyproofed is when the child is six months old and getting ready to crawl.
If you're still pregnant and nesting, it's a bit too early to book us. But don't worry, we'll be here when you need to.
John David Washington and Robert Pattinson in "Tenet."
Warner Bros.
Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" grossed $53 million internationally over the weekend.
It hits theaters in the US this weekend. Analysts say that Nolan's name recognition and the promise of a big-screen blockbuster could lure audiences back to theaters this weekend, but the long-term box office is less clear.
Box Office Pro projected "Tenet" to earn between $15 million and $35 million in the US this weekend.
Experts told Business Insider that the movie's global success could give Warner Bros. the confidence to release "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Dune," which are still on the release calendar for this year.
Christopher Nolan's latest hits theaters in the US this weekend after several coronavirus-related delays and an international rollout last week that is giving experts hope for movie theaters.
The movie's $53 million haul at the international box office over the weekend is a "win for the theatrical experience and the drawing power of a high-profile, big ticket blockbuster," Paul Dergarabedian, the Comscore senior media analyst, told Business Insider. Shawn Robbins, the Box Office Pro chief analyst, said that the numbers "provide a major boost of optimism" for the theatrical industry.
But the major test will be in the US, where coronavirus cases continue to rise and major theatrical markets like New York and Los Angeles remain closed.
Adding to the potential complications, audiences remain wary of returning to traditional theaters. A recent Morning Consult survey of 2,200 US adults found that just 17% would be comfortable returning to theaters right now. The top venues for recent releases like "Unhinged" and "The New Mutants," have been drive-in theaters.
Warner Bros. is betting on Nolan's name recognition and the promise of a big-screen spectacle to lure audiences back to theaters for the $200 million blockbuster. Jeff Bock, the Exhibitor Relations senior media analyst, said that it could work, but the implications won't be immediately felt.
"There may be a huge rush to theaters opening weekend and a bigger drop-off than normal over the next three to four weeks," Bock said.
"Let's get through Labor Day first," he added, "and a couple weeks after to understand the scope of everything."
On Friday, Box Office Pro projected an opening weekend range in the US for "Tenet" of between $15 million and $35 million.
Robbins noted that "Tenet" and other movies should be judged by their entire runs and not only their opening weekends, saying that they "will play in theaters longer than we're used to seeing."
"Tenet's" international success could be good news for Warner Bros.' theatrical calendar for the rest of the year, Robbins added. "Wonder Woman 1984" is slated for October after being pushed back from June and August. "Dune" is still set for a December release.
Warner Bros. did not return a request for comment to this story.
"We can never say never to more shifting release plans during the pandemic era, but the global performance of 'Tenet' so far should provide even more confidence for Warner Bros. to keep its remaining tentpole films on the slate for 2020," Robbins said.
Similarly, Dergarabedian said that the "positive momentum created by 'Tenet' should pave the way for the other films on Warner Bros.' slate to have their shot at worldwide big screen glory."
JPMorgan said it sees President Donald Trump's chance of being reelected rising and advised clients on Monday to position accordingly.
Investors can expect a 5- to 10-point shift in polling from Democrats to Republicans if people begin to perceive pro-Democratic demonstrations as violent, said Marko Kolanovic, the head of macro quantitative and derivatives research at JPMorgan.
The "liberal trend of 'cancel culture'" is likely behind many Trump supporters lying in polls, Kolanovic said, adding that the effect could artificially skew polls by up to 6% in favor of Biden.
With 63 days left until the US presidential election, JPMorgan is advising clients to prepare for a closer race than some expect.
President Donald Trump trailed Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, by as much as 25 points earlier in August, but his chance of being reelected crept higher following last week's Republican National Convention. The shift left investors fearing that pricing in a Biden administration could have been premature.
In a note on Monday, Marko Kolanovic, the head of macro quantitative and derivatives research at JPMorgan, tied Trump's slump and subsequent resurgence to recent protests and a widespread bias in polls.
Academic research tracking peaceful and violent demonstrations' effects on elections from 1960 to 1972 indicated that peaceful, pro-Democratic demonstrations aided Democrats by 2% to 3%, while violent pro-Democratic protests aided Republicans by 2% to 8%, the bank said.
Should the overall perception of current protests turn from peaceful to violent, investors can plan for a 5- to 10-point shift in polling from Democrats to Republicans, Kolanovic said.
"The impact of protest violence on the 2020 elections may be even larger," the strategist wrote, citing "the broad online availability of violent footage (everybody can record and share in real time), but also the ability to influence social media to amplify this message."
Separately, a disparity in voters' honesty in polls could be painting a disingenuous picture of Trump's reelection odds, the bank said. In a recent survey by CloudResearch, roughly 10% of Trump supporters said they were unlikely to be honest in phone polls, while just 5% of Biden supporters said as much.
Kolanovic said the trend shouldn't surprise investors, "given the liberal trend of 'cancel culture.'"
"We find that this 'cancel culture' effect could artificially skew polls in favor of Biden by 5-6%," he wrote.
Unless Democrats change their stance on demonstrations, Kolanovic sees momentum for Trump in polls. That could boost companies that benefited most from Trump's policies, the bank said.
Most investors remain positioned for a Biden win, so clients should review their balance of momentum versus value, cyclical stocks versus tech names, and exposure to ESG trends before the candidates' polling gap closes further, Kolanovic added.
Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:
You can brew coffee in a number of ways, but many connoisseurs swear by the French press method.
Of all the French presses we researched and tested, the popular Bodum Chambord is the best one you can buy with its glass and metal design that's as durable as it is beautiful.
Coffee brewing methods are many and varied — there's the pour-over, the cold brew, the classic espresso, the percolator, and probably the most common, the drip machine. One of the other more popular methods is the French press, which steeps your coffee grounds in boiling water before you push the plunger down and pour the coffee right into your mug.
We've researched the best ones and tested a few ourselves to find out which French presses are the best you can buy. If you want to get into what to look for in a French press and how these special coffee makers work, skip ahead over here.
Prices and links are accurate as of 8/31/20: Bodum is still our favorite French press overall, and we continue to stand by our top picks from last year.
The best French press overall
Dylan Ettinger/Business Insider
There are many French presses as simple, but few as elegant as the Bodum Chambord and its "form-follows-function" ethos.
Bodrum's Chambord will, at least in my eyes, forever be the prototype to which all other French presses are compared, and, unless you're fussy about grit in the bottom of your mug or particularly accident-prone, it's almost certainly the French press for you.
When I was growing up, my parents drank coffee from nothing else, and, apart from someone clumsily dropping one, I can't ever remember a single thing going wrong, some 20 years, day in, day out.
Okay, so there's not a lot to a French press: stainless steel for the frame and plunger, a little polypropylene for the handle, and heat-resistant borosilicate for the carafe. If you want to jazz up your pot a little, consider the cork-topped plunger. Bodum, though a Danish company, makes its French presses in Portugal, which is, after all, the cork capital of the world.
The biggest downside of the Chambord? The stainless steel frame that holds the carafe in place can warp over time, especially if you're not careful when you remove the carafe. That would be more or less fine if the plastic handle weren't supported by it on one side with no fastener.
As a result, the handle tends to slip out of the frame once it's been bent, and that's how catastrophe takes place. I've noticed this myself and had one or two close calls over the years, but I was able to bend it back into place (more or less), which, knock on wood, has held. Still, it's certainly an inconvenience. What's more inconvenient is a limited one-year warranty that doesn't cover the glass.
But, while this press is sort of fragile and the warranty may not be terribly encouraging, it's fairly inexpensive and does its job well. Just treat it carefully, and be sure to let it cool down before cleaning. Although it is heat-resistant, borosilicate becomes much less stable when heated. Otherwise, consider investing a little more in a stainless steel model — glass is still glass after all.
If you want a top-of-the-line, stainless steel French press, the Frieling Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker is the best one you can buy. It's made of remarkably high quality 18/10 stainless steel, and it has a double-wall design to keep the heat inside and away from your hands.
The dual-layer steel wall also keeps your coffee piping hot, and Frieling claims it's four times better at keeping your coffee warmer than glass French presses. The Frieling French Press we recommend has a 36-ounce capacity, but the company also makes French presses in sizes ranging from 8 to 44 ounces.
Inside, there's a two-stage filter system with both a big metal filter and a fine mesh one, and a metal wire inside the coil presses the plunger tight against the stainless steel wall. Together, these features ensure that you don't get many coffee grounds in your cup. Frieling's French Press is also dishwasher safe, so it's very easy to clean when you're done.
The company offers a five-year warranty in case of any defects, but chances are you won't need to resort to it: While glass French presses tend to break in accidents, stainless steel ones like this do not. The handle is also long and comfortable to hold.
Le Creuset is well-known for its excellent stoneware and enameled cast iron cookware. Its French Press is also exceptionally well made and uses the same dense stoneware and enamel exterior as Le Crueset's other cookware. You can choose from several beautiful colors to get a French press that matches your style and kitchen decor.
I've been using this French press to make coffee each morning, and it works just like every other French press. I put in some coarsely ground coffee, pour boiling water over the grounds, and let it steep for a few minutes before plunging the mesh-insert down to prevent the grounds from getting into my mug.
I've also used it to brew tea, and it's worked wonderfully. Tea leaves need lots of space to brew properly, and this French Press gives them more room to brew than a small infuser would. I've noticed a big improvement in tea taste with this French Press.
The main benefit of Le Creuset's French Press — beyond its incredibly beautiful design — is that the stoneware is very easy to clean. It's even dishwasher safe. It doesn't absorb any flavors from the drinks I brew in it, nor does it imbue any metallic taste to my drinks.
However, because it is stoneware, it can break and chip if you're not careful with it. It's not as durable as stainless steel, but it is hardier than glass and much nicer looking than plastic.
Pros: Beautiful, fun colors, multiple sizes, solid stoneware, well made, long-lasting, stoneware doesn't absorb flavors, dishwasher safe
This French Press comes in two capacities, one liter or 1.5 liters, and it's made out of 18/10 stainless steel. The double-wall design keeps your coffee warm and protects your hands from burning when you touch the sides or handle. There is a plunger with two screens to filter out most coffee particles. You also get two free replacement screens.
It more or less offers everything the $99 Frieling French Press does for less than half the price. The only real difference is that the SterlingPro doesn't have that nice five-year warranty.
Pros: Affordable for stainless steel, durable design, double wall insulates heat, sturdy handle for good grip
Cons: Not as high-end as the Frieling French Press
If you always run out of time in the morning, you can make your coffee on the go with the Bodum Stainless-Steel Travel French Press Mug. Just spoon some coarsely ground coffee in the bottom, pour hot water on top, pop the lid on, and rush out the door. Plunge it down a few minutes later when you're in your car, on the subway, or at work, and voila! Fresh French press coffee is yours.
Bodum makes a few different travel mugs, but you should buy the French press style stainless steel one. It is vacuum-sealed and has a double-walled design to keep your coffee hot for hours. The stainless steel one won't crack or break like the plastic one, and it'll keep your coffee hotter longer.
Bodum's Travel Press also has a fun colorful silicone grip around the middle that makes this travel mug easy to hold and prevents burned fingers. You can use it for cold drinks or tea as well, so it's a very versatile mug.
Pros: Portable design for coffee/tea on the go, stainless steel mug is durable, retains heat well, rubbery grip protects hands
Cons: Pricey for a travel mug
The best alternative French press
Williams-Sonoma
The AeroPress is small, simple, portable, and easy to use. It makes a highly competitive, frothy cup of coffee somewhere between a French press and an espresso.
One of my favorite discoveries in the coffee world has been the AeroPress. I'm predominantly an espresso drinker, and I have my various portable devices for that, but if there's anything that will suffice in its place, it's a French Press.
The AeroPress is a very simple but effective method for getting a quick foamy cup of rich coffee on the go, and there is a formidable subculture of java heads that have ditched everything else altogether in light of it. It's also quick, especially because it requires espresso grounds, so there's not so much steeping time as there is with a French Press.
No, the AeroPress, as you may have already gathered, is not the prettiest thing around. Far from it, in fact, it looks more like some sort of medical receptacle than something you'd want anywhere near your kitchen. But then that's the beauty of its size: It doesn't have to live on your counter.
The whole process is only marginally more involved than loading a French Press. You pack a compartment with a shot of roughly espresso-ground beans, slap a paper filter on it (a pack of 350 replacement filters costs less than $10), pour some water over it, and plunge it through into your cup. Because the grounds are finer, there's a good chance you'll have a cup ready quicker than you would if you were using a French Press.
For less than $30, it also comes with all the utensils you'll need, start to finish, including 350 paper filters, which can be reused. Here's a guide on how to use an AreoPress. — Owen Burke
Pros: Portable, affordable, and makes a superbly heady cup
Cons: Plastic, not the prettiest little contraption around
What to look for in a French press
When we're researching and testing French presses, there are a number of factors we look for and test against to ensure they're really the best. Here's what we advise on what to look for:
Glass French presses: Glass carafes are gorgeous because you can watch the coffee brew and see the grounds go down as you plunge. They are more fragile, of course, so you should get one that's made out of borosilicate glass to avoid thermal shock and breakage. Most glass French presses also have plastic or metal braces for added protection. Having a sturdy base is important, too.
Stainless steel French presses: A double-walled design is key for stainless steel French presses. Two walls will help keep the heat in and make for a better brew. You should also check for the quality of the stainless steel — 18/8 and 18/10 ratios of chromium to nickel are best. Stainless steel carafes are more durable, but know that you'll miss out on the fun visual element of glass French presses.
Plunger and handle design: The plunger keeps the grounds out of your cup of Joe, and the handle helps you keep the carafe steady as you push the plunger down. It's also key for pouring coffee into your cup. Most plungers have multiple metal screens to keep the grounds out of your coffee, including a large steel screen and a finer mesh screen to catch tinier particles. Some use a basket design, but most don't. The handle should be sturdy, strong, heat resistant, and not prone to breakage.
Capacity: How much coffee do you want to make? French presses come in different sizes. If you're alone and just looking to make a cup a day, the smallest one you can find works just fine. But if you're making any more than that, it's best to look for a French press with a capacity of one liter or more, depending on your needs. You can always fill a big carafe with less water, but you can't fill a smaller one with more, so bigger might be better.
Check out our other great coffee maker buying guides
A great coffee maker can make or break your brew — and your morning. These are the best coffee makers you can buy, whether you want a drip coffee, French Press, espresso, pour-over, or cold brew coffee maker.
After hours and hours of research, testing, and countless ensuing caffeine overloads, these are the best stovetop espresso makers we've found to make strong, delicious coffee right at home.
Freshly ground coffee is addictive and delicious. If you want to make the perfect brew each morning, you need a coffee grinder. After much research and some testing, we found that these to be the best coffee grinders you can buy.
Twitter said Monday it is making it easier for users to find accurate voter registration information as the 2020 presidential election draws near.
When users search for keywords related to voter registration, a blurb will appear offering to redirect people to a website with information on how to register in every state.
The move comes as President Trump has strongly voiced his opposition to mail-in voting, which will play a larger role in this election given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twitter also placed a "public interest notice" on one of the president's tweets last week after it found his claim violated the site's rules on "civic election integrity."
Twitter announced Monday that it was making it easier for users on its platform to find accurate voter registration information.
In a tweet, the company said it would include vote.gov — a website that offers information on how to register to vote in every state, among other resources — in the results when you search for related keywords. The prompt is available in English or Spanish.
For example, if you search for "voter registration," a disclaimer entitled "Know the facts" will appear with a link to the website. Normal search results will appear below that.
In an email to Business Insider, the company said to "expect many similar election related updates from us over the next month."
Mail-in voting is expected to play a large role in the upcoming presidential election amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the Trump administration has strongly opposed states' efforts to simplify voting by mail.
The president made the unsubstantiated claim last week that the "Mail Drop Boxes" that would be used for ballots are "a voter security disaster" and aren't "Covid sanitized." Twitter slapped a "public interest notice" on the tweet after finding it "violated the Twitter Rules about civic election integrity."
When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.
Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
We rounded up the best sales and deals happening online today, with savings at Leesa, REI, JACHS NY, eBay, and more.
Deals in this story are subject to change throughout the day. The prices listed reflect the deal at the time of publication. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out Business Insider Coupons.
Starting today, shoppers can save 25% on select products from Dyson, Bissell, Hasbro, Samsonite, and more with the promo code PARTYFOR25. The discount maxes out at $100 and does not apply to purchases made via auction or via the Best Offer feature. This promotion ends September 7, but the best stuff may sell out early.
Save up to 50% on select products during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty Sale
Now through September 19, you can save up to 50% on select products from brands like Lancôme, M•A•C, Mario Badescu, and more. Better still, each day during the sale, a handful of cult-favorite beauty and skin-care items are discounted 50% for 24 hours.
Save up to 40% on select products during REI's Labor Day sale
Now through September 7, you can save up to 40% on outdoor gear, apparel, and more at REI's Labor Day sale. Plus, you can also save between 50-70% on clearance clothing, sandals, and swimwear. Through the duration of the sale, shoppers can use coupon code LABORDAY20 at checkout to save an extra 20% on one REI Outlet item. There are hundreds of items included in this sale, so regardless of what you're looking for, it's likely there'll be a discount for you.
Insider Reviews readers can take 20% off any Leesa Hybrid or Legend mattress with our exclusive discount code INSIDER. This is the lowest price Leesa has ever offered on these mattresses, and it applies to all sizes of each mattress. For what it's worth, we ranked the Leesa Hybrid as the top pick in our best mattress buying guide for its comfort and support.
JACHS NY is having a huge sale ahead of Labor Day. Right now, you can save up to 87% sitewide, with styles starting at a low $10. This will run until labor day September 7, and one big benefit: JACHS NY offers free returns.
Save up to 50% on select clothing and accessories at Patagonia
If you're like me, you love pretty much anything Patagonia makes. And now through August 27, you can save up to 50% on past-season clothing and gear at Patagonia. You'll find discounts on pretty much every category, including masculine and feminine clothing, kid's apparel, backpacks, and outdoor accessories.
Whether you're looking for a new pair of running shoes, or need a fresh set of activewear, you'll be glad to know you can save up to 40% on select Nike products. This sale includes markdowns on Dri-FIT apparel, Air Jordans, and more. Prices start at just $8.
Right now, you can save 30% on M.GEMI's collection of affordable, well-made Italian leather shoes. Use code SUMMER30 at checkout to save on M.GEMI's collection of masculine and feminine footwear.
GoSkills is having a big sale that'll keep you learning new skills long past graduation. Right now, you can gain access to the site's entire selection of online courses for $199 per year. With the discount, you'll save $100 on unlimited courses. The sale includes everything from simple courses like Microsoft Office to more advanced courses on business, finance, and writing. After completion, you'll be able to add the official certification of training to your resume.
There isn't a member of the Insider Picks team who doesn't love underwear from MeUndies. Right now, you can save up to 15% off your first order with our exclusive promo code is INSIDER15. This offer excludes packs and membership.
Save up to 25% on closet storage essentials at The Container Store
If your closet is currently a disorganized mess, The Container Store has the sale you've been waiting for. Right now you can save up to 25% on closet storage solutions, including hangers, garment bags, shoes, drawer solutions, shoe organizers, and much more. Whether you have a large walk-in closet or something much smaller to store your clothes in, you'll find plenty of useful items for making the most out of your space.
E-learning poses an opportunity for cheap, impactful online learning in a way that makes sense for your schedule, budget, and interests.
CreativeLive is the go-to site for creatives with more than 1,500 classes taught by 650+ industry-leading experts covering topics such as photo and video, art and design, music and audio, crafts and makers, or money and life.
Classes start as low as $15, and you can buy and own them forever — just in case you need a refresher one day.
The site houses over 1,500 classes taught by 650+ industry-leading experts. The community includes over 10 million students and each class falls under one of five categories: photo and video, art and design, music and audio, craft and maker, or money and life. Ultimately, the classes are centered around making creativity a habit, be it for personal or professional use.
As a CreativeLive student, you can watch on-air broadcasts for free on five channels for 24-hours a day, or you can buy a class and own it for life with the option to watch, rewind, and access bonus materials whenever. This is particularly great for anyone looking to develop a hobby, since you may fall out of consistent practice and want to pick it up again later. As a whole, the site adds structure, insight, and timetables to an industry that can feel obscure and opaque to beginners, as well as provide walk-throughs of new advancements for veterans.
If you're looking for a way to develop a creative habit, add industry know-how, or expand a creative business (many of which rely heavily upon the individual), then CreativeLive may be a tool worth considering.
Looking for more e-learning? Here are some of the best online classes you can take
In order to make money as a photographer, you have to know how to price, package, and sell your work. In this 3-day course, small business owner and award-winning portrait photographer Julia Kelleher will teach you how to create a strategic sales system — without relying on over-the-top, hard-selling sales techniques.
By the end of this course, you will know how to predict your sales averages, forecast growth, and go from thinking about the next single sale to thinking about the next year of sales.
This workshop will give you the confidence to incorporate small portable flash in your photography toolkit. From shooting receptions at weddings or adding drama in senior portraits, this workshop will include lots of live shooting examples that will help everything make sense. Once you start working with a portable flash, you'll never understand how you lived without it.
As a photographer, you will need to master the technical basics of the camera and form an understanding of the types of equipment you need. The Fundamentals of Photography class will also teach something even more important (and crucial for success) — how to bring your creative vision to fruition.
Taught by seasoned photographer John Greengo, who specializes in outdoor and travel photography, the Fundamentals of Photography places emphasis on quality visuals and experiential learning. In this course, you'll learn:
How to bring together the elements of manual mode to create an evocative image: shutter speed, aperture, and image composition.
How to choose the right gear and develop efficient workflow.
How to recognize and take advantage of beautiful natural light.
Photographers are hired to capture portraits that accentuate the best features of their subjects. Fashion photographer Lindsay Adler will share techniques on how to photograph your full-figured and curvier clients by accentuating their lines and creating beautiful silhouettes.
This class will cover:
Styling suggestions for full-figured women including a bridal session.
Camera angles and posing techniques for the most flattering images.
Photoshop techniques to help highlight your curvy subject.
If you've photographed groups before you know it can be a challenge. This class will answer your questions and cover the most important considerations to keep in mind for your next group session. You'll learn depth of field, lens choice, posing, focus considerations, light modifiers, light position, and more.
Images of architectural interiors present particular challenges for retouchers. In this class, architecture photographer Mike Kelley will show you how to use exposure blending, manual masking, advanced blemish removal, curve adjustments and other techniques to achieve stunning interior shots.
You'll see how Mike overcomes extreme dynamic range, color casts from various sources and difficult perspective issues to create a professional interior architectural photograph.
Workflow, time management, and productivity for creatives
Fine artist, illustrator, and author Lisa Congdon has worked with over 75 clients around the world including MoMA, REI Co-op, Harvard University, Martha Stewart Living, Chronicle Books, and Random House Publishing, among many others.
In this class, she will teach you how to establish effective workflows and time management strategies that will streamline your processes and maximize creative work time.
Among other things, you will learn:
How to organize and implement a workflow system.
How to manage to-do lists effectively.
How to utilize time-blocking.
How to identify and manage the distractions that keep you from being productive.
In this class, Peter Hurley, author of "The Headshot," reveals his methodology for capturing amazing headshot portraits.
Hurley spent the last two years formulating these unique concepts into his highly anticipated book and will demonstrate how his simple techniques can help bring the best out of every person you photograph. His "squinching" phenomenon has gone viral and continues to have people using his signature lower lid move every time they step foot in front of a camera.
Victoria Will's background as a photojournalist and celebrity photographer helped her develop techniques on editorial assignments to quickly connect with a subject. She'll show you how to use your environment to capture a unique image that reflects the person in the portrait. She'll also highlight how to quickly evaluate a less than perfect situation and make it work for you and your subject.
You'll learn:
Techniques for choosing the light, process, and locations for a successful portrait.
How to build a rapport and utilize clear communication with your subjects.
How to set up a developed concept, as well as how to light on the fly.
Successful strategies for marketing yourself as a photographer and how to get your work in front of editors.
Photographs are among our most treasured possessions, but not every photo was shot under optimal conditions or preserved in an ideal way, which makes photo restoration a big business opportunity for skilled photographers and retouchers.
If you want to answer every, "can you fix it?" with a resounding "yes," Adobe Photoshop mastery with Ben Willmore is the class for you.
You'll learn how to tackle:
Advanced color correction and enhancement techniques.
Retouching and scratch removal strategies.
Detail enhancements.
Folds, scratch, mildew, ink, and water stain repairs.
Reconstruction of missing pieces such as torn corners and rips.
How to fix faded images and make skin tones more lifelike.
You'll also learn what actions to take, the optimal order to perform them, and which tools are right for the job. Ben will share time-saving tips and offer insights on the corrections that create the biggest impact.
Join Molly Murrah for a fun, 5-week watercolor class for beginners. Learn about color, papers, brushes, drawing, and composition, as well as many great painting techniques that will get you working and playing with watercolors. The class will cover lessons such as paint properties, understanding color, the color wheel, mixing colors, light and shadow, and more.
How to break the habit of self-doubt and build real confidence
Mel Robbins is the most booked female speaker in the world, a serial entrepreneur, and a best-selling author. She is one of the most sought-after motivational instructors trusted by global brands to design and deliver life-changing, interactive experiences that inspire change, challenge thinking, and accelerate personal and professional growth.
If you are plagued by imposter syndrome, suffer from anxiety or low self-esteem, or fall into the trap of self-pity that keeps you from seeing positive outcomes, you're definitely not alone.
Mel will give you concrete, actionable advice and steps to overcome these problems and build the confidence to realize your dreams. After this class, you'll better understand your patterns, what to do to break unhealthy habits, act with courage, self-compassion, and overcome self-doubt so you can get what you want out of life.
Color for designers: exploration, theory, & application
Our response to color comes from the place in our brain where trust, loyalty, behavior, and decision occur. Every successful project relies on a designer making smart choices about color.
In this class, Richard Mehl will give you a foundational understanding of color theory principles and demonstrate how to apply them. Richard has studied alongside design legends like Paul Rand, Bradbury Thompson, and Herbert Matter, and will share insights gleaned from 12 years of teaching and writing about color in design.
Richard takes an accessible approach to the serious study of color theory for designers. You'll be exposed to a relevant series of ideas and skills by exploring a range of analog and digital projects.
Learn how to shoot and retouch with shadows and dark tones in this class led by photographer Chris Knight. Students study how to maximize details in dark imagery through lighting and post-production. Chris will take you from concept through execution covering simple (yet effective) lighting techniques as well as tethering tips with Adobe Lightroom.
He'll also discuss how to develop the raw image, as well as retouching tactics to make your image appear powerful and purposeful.
The emotional and physical energy of weddings makes for good photography, but a wedding photographer does more than simple, passive documentation of the revelry. Great wedding photography immortalizes the story of the event by combining a mastery of technical skills in a highly dynamic environment, and the social skills to put people at ease and capture genuine moments.
Join Rocco Ancora and Ryan Schembri for this in-depth class on wedding photography and powerful storytelling. You'll learn:
The fundamentals of shooting a wedding — lighting, exposure, and composition.
How to maximize the use of natural and artificial light to create the mood.
What to do once the wedding is over — image culling, album development, and sales.
This class places heavy emphasis on developing strong posing and direction techniques and deploying them in a natural, non-confrontational manner. Rocco and Ryan believe that the job of the wedding photographer is to understand the story of the evening and to document it as a journalist would, with technical confidence and the mind on storytelling. All levels of wedding photographers will benefit from this class.
CenturyLink, a major telecommunications company, experienced a giant outage on Sunday that impacted internet users across the US. The issue, which the company says has since been resolved, caused global internet traffic to drop 3.5%, according to the internet company Cloudflare.
The outage began at about 6 a.m. Eastern and affected individual users as well as internet-based services like Hulu, Chase, Xbox Live, Discord, and Amazon. Connection was restored about five hours later, at around 11 a.m. Eastern.
The outage comes at a time when Americans are relying on internet access more than ever. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors appointments have become tele-visits, working from home is the norm, and students from kindergarten to college are attending classes online.
Parents like Glennon Doyle, who is an author, mother of three children, and partner to soccer athlete Abby Wambach, were concerned that the outage would impact their children's education.
CenturyLink powers individual connections to the internet across the US, as well as connections for other web companies. Web services like CloudFlare, which provides the infrastructure for sites ranging from Reddit to OKCupid, rely on CenturyLink for connection.
So when CenturyLink went down, it created a domino effect, impacting not only its customers, but its customers' customers too, ranging from major gaming servers and streaming sites to e-commerce retailers and banking apps.
Sunday's blackout isn't CenturyLink's first major outage. In 2018, the company had an outage that lasted over 24 hours that prevented 911 phone calls for going through, according to The Verge. Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC, called the issue in 2018 "completely unacceptable" and "particularly troubling," announcing he would launch an investigation into the company.
On Sunday, CenturyLink apologized for the outage.
"We are able to confirm that all services impacted by today's IP outage have been restored. We understand how important these services are to our customers, and we sincerely apologize for the impact this outage caused," the company wrote in a tweet on Sunday.
After a historic August, the stock market is about to enter its worth month of the year on average, according to a note from LPL published on Monday.
The S&P 500 posted a gain of more than 7% in the month of August, marking its best return for the month since 1984, LPL said.
But investors shouldn't expect these gains to continue into the months of September and October, given that during election years, both months tend to be weak as investors divert focus to a November election.
On top of that, when the S&P 500 was up more than 5% in August in 1986 and 2000, the market fell 8.5% and 5.4% in the following month, respectively, LPL said.
Despite the seasonal weakness, investors should use any dips in the market as opportunities to add to their longer-term core stock holdings, LPL said.
The stock market has experienced a surge in August, but investors shouldn't expect the gains to continue, at least not for the next two months, LPL said in a note published on Monday.
The S&P 500 is up more than 7% in the month of August, marking its best return for the month since 1984, according to LPL.
This represents the first August on record that saw two separate six-day win streaks, LPL observed.
But what follows a strong August tends to be a weak September.
Since 1950, September has been the worst month of the year for stocks on average. And when August is a particularly strong month, September is an especially bad month for stocks.
LPL's chief market strategist, Ryan Detrick, said "the last two times August was up more than 5% were 1986 and 2000, the S&P 500 fell 8.5% and 5.4% in September those years [respectively]."
But election year throws a wrench into the average monthly market returns as measured by the S&P 500.
During election years, both September and October tend to be weak months as investors prepare for an uncertain presidential election.
"What caught our attention was both September and October have a negative return during election years, with October the worst month of the year," Detrick added.
LPL Research
During election years, the S&P 500 returned an average decline of -0.2% in September and -0.7% in October during election years, according to LPL.
Despite the historical weakness in stocks for the months of September and October during election years, especially after a strong August, investors shouldn't sell their stocks now. Instead, they should do the opposite, LPL said.
While noting that the current rally in stocks is "extremely stretched," Detrick recommended investors should "continue to use any pullbacks as an opportunity to add to longer-term core equity holdings, as the economy continues to come back quicker than most expected," the note concluded.
Reusable shopping bags and totes are a great way to cut down on plastic and paper usage and lessen your carbon footprint in your grocery routine.
As more states and municipalities ban the use of disposable plastic bags while charging for paper, bringing your own bag is a simple and smart solution.
In March 2020, New York became the second state to ban the use of plastic bags at most stores, following California and hundreds of cities in other states. In addition, New York City and other municipalities have imposed a tax on shoppers who need single-use paper bags.
The easiest way to avoid this inconvenience and fees is to bring your own reusable bags. But there are also added benefits: Reusable shopping bags are stronger than the plastic bags that stores distribute, and they are environmentally friendly since they help cut down on waste and lessen your carbon footprint. Even in many where there aren't any bans on plastic bags, some retailers encourage shoppers to use their own bags.
Most reusable shopping bags are made of nylon or canvas and come in all shapes and sizes. Though they look similar on the surface, there are subtle differences that make some reusable shopping bags perform better than others. Some, like our top pick, come with their own storage solutions, and others are just cuter and sturdier than the competition.
Updated 8/31/2020. We updated prices and links and added a selection of related buying guides.
The best overall
Amazon
The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes with several nylon shopping bags, plus a pouch to hold them all together without taking up too much space.
The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes in sets of five or 10 shopping bags made of sustainable, water-resistant, machine washable nylon. These are ideal for transporting groceries.
This set is unique because it comes with a compact pouch that holds the bags for easy storage in a cabinet or the trunk of a car when they're not in use. There's a clip on one end that attaches to a shopping car, so you don't have to juggle with them in the middle of the produce aisle. If you always forget to bring enough bags when shopping, having them all in a convenient place would help.
Pros: Comes with multiple bags, storage pouch, clip for shopping cart
Cons: Limited designs
The best canvas
Baggu
The Baggu Duck Bag is an attractive and sturdy canvas tote suitable for a variety of lifestyles and purposes.
For a reusable shopping bag that could double as, well, a regular bag, look at the Baggu Duck Bag. Adorable name aside, this is a nice-looking and practical canvas tote. You could easily take it from the office to the grocery store, or as an everyday tote.
The Duck Bag snaps shut, has an interior zipper pocket, and two sets of straps — top handles and shoulder straps. It's a bit more structured than other reusable bags, so it's well-suited to more than just groceries. That said, despite the deep compartment, the size makes it better for smaller runs than your big weekly shopping haul.
But the slouchy material and artfully worn fabrics create a cool, lived-in effect. These bags are machine washable but should be hung to dry to prevent fading. While the structure and thicker fabric make it a bit more durable than some of its nylon counterparts, the shape is a bit restrictive so you likely can't carry as many items.
Another stylish-meets-functional choice is the Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag. Inspired by the look of a classic paper shopping bag, it's made of waxed canvas that is stain-resistant and easy to clean, though not machine washable.
The 16-ounce bag is shorter than it is wide and measures 17 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 7 inches deep. It's also vegan and made with an eye toward sustainability, as most reusable grocery bags are. The brand also sells reusable produce bags, which would make a nice addition to any sustainable shopping routine.
If you're not looking to splurge, the Easy Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack is a great option. It comes with three ripstop nylon bags that fold for easy storage or transportation.
These are machine washable and, though not as attractive as some of the others on this list (the company is going more for utilitarian than style), they do come in three colors. At $9.98, you can't beat the price. They aren't as sturdy as some of the pricier options, based on reviews, but should still last a long while.
Pros: Affordable, pack of three, machine washable
Cons: Fabric is a little shiny, not as sturdy as other picks
Need a super-sized shopping bag? The Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag holds up to 50 pounds and comes in a host of cute colors and patterns.
Made of sturdy 100% ripstop nylon, the bag is durable and flexible. Despite its large capacity, it folds down to a neat 7-by-7-inch square for easy storage. The material is both thin and strong, allowing you to carry a number of heavy items with ease. The bag is also machine washable.
Pros: Holds up to 50 pounds, machine washable, cute patterns, folds into small square
Navigating the e-commerce world for fresh, high-quality seafood is full of obstacles and trepidation, and the last thing you want is to end up with overpriced and weeks- or months-old fish at a premium price. We spent eight months sifting through the world of online seafood suppliers to find the best ones.
The ratings and polling numbers following both the Republican and Democratic Party conventions say more about who's tuned out than who's persuadable.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
It might be time to stop putting so much stock into the TV ratings on the major party conventions.
The largest audience arrived on the final night of each convention, with the Democrats edging out the Republicans with 24.6 million viewers compared to 23.8 million.
Nielsen found a decline in ratings for both the DNC and RNC this year compared to 2016, but the broader trends are worth paying more attention to.
More Americans are picking up their news in bits and pieces on social media, and there is no similar Nielsen-like source for streaming numbers.
While the convention programming may be geared toward getting out the vote and persuading undecided voters — who break heavily male — using TV ratings as a metric for predicting some sort of boost to the campaigns may no longer apply.
Hemming and hawing over the ratings and polling bumps from the major party conventions every four years is nothing new, but both of them taking place at least semi-virtually during a pandemic and recession is.
The sheer number of programming hours was roughly cut in half by both parties, with Democrats holding a more strictly virtual campaign while Republicans packed the South Lawn at the White House for the biggest speeches last Thursday night, while the rest spoke in front of a cavernous Mellon Auditorium in Washington.
Amid the unusual circumstances, overall viewership on conventional television was down, according to Nielsen's ratings, considered the gold standard in the TV business.
Yet the numbers following both the Republican and Democratic Party conventions say more about who's tuned out than who's persuadable.
Parsing the raw numbers
Televised viewership of the conventions has been steadily trending down, with both parties seeing a drop this year compared to 2016.
The Democrats outperformed the Republicans on TV each night, according to Nielsen.
Each convention's final night saw the biggest audience of the week, with the Democrats edging out the Republicans with 24.6 million viewers compared to 23.8 million.
Total household viewership for the Democratic and Republican conventions.
Nielsen 2020 election hub
Going beneath those numbers by network, Fox News cleaned up in its convention coverage, particularly during the RNC.
Fox News broke a cable news record for total viewers during a convention on the final night of the RNC when President Trump spoke, averaging 7.8 million in total, according to Nielsen and a breakdown of data from Fox sent to Insider.
On the other nights of the RNC, around 50% of the people watching the convention at all on TV were watching it on Fox News, with the other cable and major networks splitting up the rest, according to Nielsen.
The viewership was more evenly split among the networks during the DNC, and the decline of younger viewers is also a relatively evenly shared dynamic.
Young voters have tuned out of the conventions since 2008.
Interestingly, both nights two and four of the RNC this year got more viewers between 18 and 34 than the DNC, with First Lady Melania Trump and President Trump drawing eyeballs in primetime.
Nielson numbers don't tell the whole story
What the Nielsen data doesn't show is how many people are streaming the conventions or tuning out entirely.
When it comes to streaming, it gets a little more complicated.
There is no Nielsen equivalent for capturing online viewership, with major firms like Crowdtangle focusing on a variety of social media metrics but not live viewership of an event split between countless outlets online.
A viral claim that 128 million people watched the RNC's first night when streaming viewers were included has been debunked, since there is no evidence for that figure and no empirical way to round up the streaming audience into one number.
A new poll from Ipsos shows how positively or negatively viewers found the convention programming, but that still doesn't account for who tuned out.
However, there is polling out there showing that a sizable number of voters have what's sometimes referred to as "Trump fatigue," where they block out the news.
So while the convention programming may be geared toward getting out the vote and persuading undecided voters — who break heavily male — using the ratings as a metric for predicting some sort of boost to the campaigns may no longer apply.
Even if it weren't for the pandemic displacing the pageantry of the conventions in arenas, the modern landscape of people getting their news from disparate clips makes leaning heavily on the Nielsen ratings a risky bet.
Instead, the convention ratings show how much the American monoculture has broken down, and the incalculable amount of people who were not willing or able to make an appointment to watch the parties make their pitch in a televised infomercial.
The fall debates will likely fall to a similar scenario. And if the conventions are any indication, it might be safer to hold off on making any sweeping predictions following a singular televised event, given where American news consumers are by now.
Wish, the e-commerce marketplace known for its rock-bottom prices, said Monday that it has confidentially filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to go public.
The company did not disclose any of its financial information or share whether it planned to go public via an IPO or direct listing.
Wish was last valued at $11.2 billion in a $300 million Series H funding round led by General Atlantic in August 2019. It has more than 70 million active users and over one million registered merchants, according to the company. Its vendors sell everything from apparel and home goods to electronics.
Much of Wish's business was built on shipping cheap goods directly from sellers and manufactures in China. At the time of its latest funding round, it said it would look to "expand its merchant footprint in Europe and North America," according to a press release.
Wish was founded in 2010 by former Google engineer Peter Szulczewski, who is currently the company's CEO.
Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, speaks with President Donald Trump during a COVID-19 briefing on August 12.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A recently hired pandemic adviser, Scott Atlas, is urging the White House to consider a "herd immunity" approach to combatting the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
The strategy is controversial because it would allow the disease to spread to most of the population in order to build resistance while also attempting to protect vulnerable groups such as older Americans.
Many health experts have said that such a strategy could cause hundreds of thousands of more deaths.
Shortly after The Post published its article, Atlas denied that the strategy was being proposed.
A new coronavirus adviser is pushing the White House to adopt a "herd immunity" strategy that would allow the disease to spread through most of the population to build resistance, five sources told The Washington Post on Monday.
Scott Atlas, a healthcare policy fellow at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution think tank, joined the Trump administration earlier this month as a top pandemic adviser. His expertise is in neuroradiology, and he "does not have a background in infectious diseases or epidemiology," The Post said.
The Post's sources said Atlas had proposed that the US adopt Sweden's pandemic response, which relies on keeping the economy open so healthy people can build immunity to the disease through the spread of infection.
At the onset of the outbreak, the Nordic country decided against imposing strict lockdown measures — a far different approach from its European neighbors. Instead, it advised people to behave responsibly and told vulnerable populations, such as older people, to self-isolate if they had symptoms. The Post noted that Sweden now has among the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the world.
The approach has received mixed responses. Many public-health experts have described it as a reckless strategy that could result in hundreds of thousands more deaths. Others are considering its feasibility as a long-term solution.
It's unclear exactly how many people would need to become infected to achieve herd immunity; estimates have ranged from 20% to 70% of the population, according to The Post.
The Post reported that Atlas had also suggested that an increased case count would not lead to more deaths if vulnerable people were protected, a claim that most infectious-disease experts strongly dispute. More than 25,000 people under age 65 have died of the virus in the US so far, the report said.
Before joining the coronavirus task force, Atlas regularly advocated reopening schools and businesses. He frequently appeared on Fox News to share his opinions, many of which aligned with those expressed by President Donald Trump's. Atlas now meets with Trump more than any other health official, The Post said.
"When younger, healthier people get the disease, they don't have a problem with the disease," Atlas said in a Fox News interview in July. "I'm not sure why that's so difficult for everyone to acknowledge."
Atlas has clashed with other officials, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's top infectious-disease expert. A senior administration official told The Post that Atlas had positioned himself as an "anti-Dr. Fauci."
Shortly after The Post published its report on Monday, Atlas released a statement denying any push for a herd-immunity strategy. "There is no policy of the President or this administration of achieving herd immunity," he said. "There never has been any such policy recommended to the President or to anyone else from me."
A White House representative also said there was no change to its approach.
Like picking out the right clubs, choosing which golf ball to use for a day spent on the links is an important decision — and not all are created equal.
Whether you're just learning the game of golf or have several years of the sport under your belt, you'll want to make sure you find a ball suited to your play style and preference — and just because you like the balls the pros use on the weekends, doesn't mean you'll have the same outcome they do.
To help, we've tested a variety of the top golf balls currently available from brands like Titleist, TaylorMade, and Callaway to find the best for a variety of golfers.
Our top pick, the Titleist Tour Soft golf ball, delivers outstanding performance and feel, and has a distance that'll work nicely for any mid- to low-handicap players.
One of the best things about the game of golf is that you can test yourself on many of the same courses and hole distances the pros you watch on television play. Better yet, you're even able to use some of the same equipment they use to make the weekend cut.
Of course, once you take a look at the cost of some of the drivers and irons the pros use, you may want to seek out a cheaper way of copying your favorite pro's game. One way to do that is to pick up a pack of the same golf balls they use. No matter if it's Tiger's signature Bridgestone ball or Jordan Spieth's Titelists, picking up a pack of the same brand or style takes little more than a simple Google search.
And perhaps the golf skill to pull off using a ball intended for elite golfers.
How to shop for golf balls
Even though it may feel cool to use the same ball as whoever just won the Masters, you're highly unlikely to receive the same performance from that pro-level golf ball as the pro does. Pro-level balls react differently to the skills professional players have versus the talent of the occasional weekend golfer's skill level.
This means that those balls are often fine-tuned to respond exactly as that golfer sees fit. If they favor a fade shot while driving on the fairway, then a golfer who tends to draw will likely have a far different experience. The contact sweet spot which allows for greater driving distances can also be much smaller which may produce more off-the-mark strikes for less accurate golfers.
But even if you aren't yet cut out for the PGA Tour, it doesn't mean you have to ditch seeking out your favorite golfer's preferred ball altogether. Different levels of golf balls are available to meet the needs of different players, both in terms of skill and in terms of price. So, maybe you can play with a ball from the same company as your favorite pro but just choose a level or two lower than what they use.
To help, we've tested a variety of golf balls from a who's who in the industry such as Callaway, Titleist, and TaylorMade to find the best currently available. And don't fret, our guide includes picks for every skill level and type of player, too.
Updated on 8/31/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the section on how to shop for golf balls, checked the availability of each recommended set, and updated the prices and links where necessary.
The best golf ball overall
Titleist
The Titleist Tour Soft has been redesigned for better distance and feel versus other two-layer golf balls.
The Titleist Tour Soft golf ball is a new ball from one of the best golf ball makers around, and it delivers a great mix of distance and feel. Whether it will be as popular as its predecessors — the Titleist NXT Tour and the Tour S — remains to be seen, but it's an interesting choice at a great price.
The Tour Soft is a two-layer golf ball with an extremely thin cover, which may leave some golfers skeptical that it can deliver the performance of a three- or four-layer ball. Titleist is banking on the huge core to give advanced golfers the control they want and expect from a multiple-layer ball.
Titleist redesigned the cover on the Tour Soft ball, making it with a mix of materials, to better handle the large core that allows for greater exit velocity for the ball.
The thinner cover delivers feel and spin. Golf Info Guide says the Tour Soft should give you a better level of feel than the balls it's attempting to replace. However, it's a little more difficult to spin the Tour Soft on short approach shots and chip shots than some other high-level golf balls.
The softness of the Titleist Tour Soft is noticeable on the greens, too. It takes far less force to putt with this ball, which should give you more control over your stroke on long putts.
Pros: Smart new design gives you more feel than a normal two-layer ball, huge core delivers more exit speed and distance, offered at a reasonable price point for a newly designed ball
Cons: Spin control on chip shots lags a little bit, only a two-layer ball, which leaves some golfers skeptical
The best golf ball for amateurs
TaylorMade
When you want to learn how to spin a golf ball on approach shots, the TaylorMade Project (a) golf ball will give you more control than most balls aimed at bogey-level golfers.
One of the best ways for mid-level amateur players to make a jump in their scores is to improve their performance on approach shots and around the green. To become a high-level golfer, learning how to spin the ball off iron and wedge shots will help quite a bit, as the right spin can help you keep the ball closer to the pin.
When you're just learning how to spin and control the ball, the best ball to help you is the TaylorMade Project (a). This ball, which has been upgraded in 2018, carries a high spin rate when struck properly.
Of course, if you don't strike it properly, it can cause a greater severity of hook or slice, which means this TaylorMade ball probably isn't the best choice for high-handicap golfers. Still, this ball can potentially help a bogey golfer to start consistently shooting in the 80s.
TaylorMade uses a three-layer design to give the Project (a) golf ball its high level of spin. The better spin results should give mid-level handicappers the ability to keep the ball closer to the pin on approach shots, leading to shorter putts and better scores. However, you may notice more spin off the face of the driver, too.
Pros: High level of spin on approach and chip shots, good price point for such a responsive ball, TaylorMade recently gave ball a slight design upgrade, three-layer construction works great for many levels of golfers
Cons: Mis-hits will slice or hook more severely than other balls, thin cover on the ball will scuff easily
The best golf ball for straight flight
Bridgestone
For less-skilled golfers, golf balls with high levels of spin could lead to more severe slices and hooks, so the Bridgestone e6 Speed golf ball's promise of less spin makes it a great choice.
One of the biggest frustrations for mid-to-high-handicap golfers is hitting the ball straight. It doesn't take long to ruin a solid score by slicing your drive on the 12th hole into the trees and taking five shots to work your way out.
Certainly, improving your swing is the best way to avoid unwanted slices and hooks that leave you in big trouble off the tee. The Bridgestone e6 Speed golf ball can help you stay straighter off the tee, too, while also delivering a nice level of distance.
These golf balls carry a really nice price point, closer to the value end of the market than the top end and it works well for amateur players who don't have a high club speed and exit velocity rate for the ball.
Don't expect to have a lot of spin control with these Bridgestone balls, though, as the design of the e6 Speed causes for a slower spin rate, which provides a straighter shot.
Bridgestone is betting on the fact that for most amateur golfers who are fighting their swings a bit, a straighter ball is more beneficial than a spin control ball. The company uses a three-layer construction with the e6 Speed, but its middle layer works to reduce spin, rather than enhance spin like many three-layer balls.
Pros: Designed to reduce the spin of the golf ball for straighter shots, when struck properly should give you a bit more distance, works well for amateur players who don't have a high club speed, nice price point
Cons: Less backspin means it can be tougher to hold the green, not really made for advanced players who want ball control
The best value golf ball
Callaway
Even though it carries a value price point, the Callaway Warbird golf ball will give mid-to-high-handicap golfers really nice performance, especially in terms of distance.
If you miss the old days where nearly every ball was a two-layer golf ball and where distance was the primary concern, the Callaway Warbird will give you that old school performance.
Don't mistake the Warbird as an old-time golf ball design, though. Callaway has created the Warbird with an extremely thin outer layer, which is common on modern golf balls. Yet, the company was able to maintain a low price point for these golf balls.
Even though the Warbird uses a really thin cover to try to maximize softness and feel, it's the excellent distance you'll receive with this ball that'll grab your attention. This two-layer design features a soft core that is larger than average, helping to give you good distance performance.
The Callaway Warbird's distance is impressive, especially off the tee. The aerodynamics of the dimple design on the surface of the golf ball allow it to perform well in windy conditions.
With its large core, the Warbird delivers a higher level of exit velocity off the clubface than other types of value-priced golf balls, which results in more distance. It will better serve a high handicap player or a beginning player who isn't concerned about ball spin. The value price point of the Warbird also fits this type of player better.
Pros: Very nice price point, delivers a good distance off the tee and out of the fairway versus similarly priced balls, works nicely for beginning players, performs better than expected during high wind conditions
Cons: Doesn't give you a great sense of feel, only a two-layer golf ball that won't help low-handicap players
The best high-end golf ball
Titleist
Low handicappers will be able to control the new version of the Titleist Pro V1 like they always have, but they'll also receive a straighter and longer ball flight.
If you've paid attention to golf ball technology in the past couple of decades, you've almost certainly heard of the Titleist Pro V1. This golf ball has been in regular play since 2000 among low-handicap players.
Because of its nearly two-decade lifespan, you may be tempted to ignore the Pro V1 these days. However, don't let this top-of-the-line Titleist ball's age deceive you. Titleist's designers have continually improved the Pro V1 over the years, and the latest upgrade, done last year, keeps this ball at the top of its game.
It delivers exactly the feel and performance you'd expect, yet it's still a better ball than previous high-end Titleist balls, which is no small feat for Titleist's designers to have achieved.
The new Titleist Pro V1 design still uses a three-layer construction with a solid rubber core, a soft mantle layer, and an outer urethane cover. The primary difference in the latest version of the ball is that the large core doesn't spin as much, providing greater distance without sacrificing the feel of the ball that the cover and mantle layers provide.
The ball achieves a great level of spin for low handicap players while giving you a consistent flight, thanks in part to the impressive dimple pattern. The Pro V1 now offers 352 dimples that cover the ball more evenly, helping create a better flight path.
Pros: New dimple design allows for straighter ball flight, yields excellent spin control on approach shots, will give low handicap golfers a good feel for shots, brand and model that's been at the top of the game for almost two decades
Cons: Very expensive golf ball, new version from last year isn't massively different from previous version
What to look for in a golf ball
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Levels of golf balls
Tour: A tour-level ball is one that professional golfers play with. These are the most expensive golf balls, and they'll give you a high level of distance and spin control performance.
Premium: The premium level ball fits in the mid-range of the golf ball market, both in terms of price and performance. Average players will receive a nice ball that can enhance their games and help them work on shot-making at the same time.
Value: Inexpensive balls tend to have a limited number of features, but they'll work well for beginning and high-handicap players who are still developing their skills. They have a low price point, and many of them will work to yield a straight ball flight, which is nice for players who tend to mis-hit the ball more often.
Most mid-to-high-handicap players don't have the skills to manipulate a tour-level golf ball. If you cannot spin the ball to make certain types of shots, a premium-to-value-level golf ball should serve you well.
When your skills have advanced to the point where you're ready to try spinning and controlling the ball more precisely, you may want to switch to a high-end tour ball.
Design features of golf balls
Golf balls may look nearly identical on the outside, but the interior of the ball will vary quite a bit from model to model.
Compression: The compression level of a golf ball measures the deflection of the ball when the club strikes it. You can see this compression in a series of high-speed photographs. An average compression rating on a ball will be 90 to 100. Higher compression rated golf balls require more club speed to compress the ball and create distance, but they tend to fly straighter. A lower compression rated golf ball achieves good distance even with a slower club speed but it may not be as easy to control.
Layers: Golf balls can consist of anywhere from one to five layers. The rubber has a different consistency and thickness in each layer, too. Balls with more layers tend to cost more, as they're aimed at experienced players looking to gain more spin control. Designers can affect the distance and spin of the ball by making slight adjustments to the layers.
Spin: The design of the ball can lead to a high, average, or low level of spin. Balls that generate more spin off the clubface give low-handicap golfer more control around the green. Such balls typically have more layers but with a higher level of spin, mis-hit balls can slice or hook more severely than low-spin balls, which are aimed at beginning players.
Most golf balls are white, but you also can find bright yellow, orange, and pink golf balls. Color doesn't really affect the performance of the ball, but some people find it easier to follow the track of a yellow or orange ball in the sky.
You also may have an easier time finding a brightly colored ball in the rough or in the trees versus a white ball, should you spend a lot of your golf round in those areas.
Music streaming services give you access to millions of songs for a monthly subscription fee so you don't have to buy individual songs or albums anymore.
Spotify is the best music streaming service for most people, but Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, and YouTube Music are also great options, depending on your needs.
If you're looking for a good pair of headphones or speakers to listen to your favorite music services on, be sure to check out our roundups of the best headphone deals and the best speaker deals.
Music listening has come a long way over the past few decades. Gone are the days when you had to buy CDs, vinyl records, or cassette tapes. You don't even have to buy digital downloads anymore. These days, you can simply sign up to a music streaming service and have access to all the music you'll ever need on a device that sits in your pocket.
Of course, there are quite a few music streaming services out there, and they're all a little different. Because of that, it can be hard to find the service that's perfect for your needs.
When deciding which streaming service to get, it's worth considering a few things. For starters, you'll want to make sure that there's an app for your chosen streaming service on every device you use for music listening.
You'll also want to consider things like streaming audio quality and support for platforms like digital assistants. Voice assistants are getting better at working with third-party services, but they're still not great at it — especially when it comes to Siri.
Still figuring out which streaming service is for you? We've done the research so that you don't have to. Here are the best music streaming services worth considering.
Best music streaming service for Google users: YouTube Music
Updated on 8/31/2020 by Steven Cohen: Revised pricing and free trial options for Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music. Removed paid promotion for Best Buy and Tidal. Added a link to our review of Amazon Music Unlimited.
The best overall
Spotify
Spotify has a ton of music and audio content and it's available on a range of products, making it a great choice for those who listen to music on a variety of devices.
Looking for a music streaming service that has a huge range of music and is compatible with all your devices? Spotify is the way to go. Spotify is the original big music streaming service, and it has apps for all major platforms — including iOS, Android, and your preferred web browser.
One of the best things about Spotify is that you can try it out without having to subscribe. There's a free, ad-based version of Spotify that you can use for as long as you like, as long as you're fine with hearing ads every now and then.
While on a desktop, many streaming services only work through web-based apps, Spotify has native apps for everything. In other words, if you're on a Mac or PC and prefer a dedicated app, then you can get an app for Spotify. The service also has podcasts and video content, plus it streams music in up to a 320Kbps resolution, which should be good enough for the majority of listeners.
Of course, there are a few downsides to consider. For example, there's no live programming or lossless audio plan, like there is on some other music streaming services. Apart from that, however, Spotify is a great streaming service that any music-lover will enjoy.
The ad-free version of Spotify starts at $9.99 per month for one account. There's also a Duo plan that supports two accounts for $12.99 month, and a Family plan that includes support for up to six accounts for $14.99 per month. Students can sign up for a discounted $4.99 per month plan as well.
New subscribers to the Spotify Individual Premium, Duo Premium, or Family Premium plans can currently receive a two-month free trial period. New Student Premium members can receive a free three-month trial.
For a detailed rundown of how Spotify stacks up to one of our other top picks, Amazon Music, check out our full comparison of both services.
Pros: Highly compatible, has a ton of content, audio quality is good enough for most listeners, free version available
Cons: No live content, no lossless audio option
The best for Apple fans
Apple
Apple Music works beautifully on Apple devices, plus there's an app for it across a range of platforms, including Android.
If you use an iPhone and other Apple products, then it's worth considering Apple Music. Apple Music integrates very well with Apple's hardware and software, plus it's well-designed and works with your existing library of iTunes music. Not only that, but Apple Music has a library of 60 million songs, which is absolutely massive.
One of the best things about Apple Music is that it integrates with Siri and the Apple Watch perfectly, plus it can be played on a HomePod without issue. In other words, if you have other Apple devices, then Apple Music is probably the service to go for.
Apple Music has a nice selection of content too. Apart from the songs available on Apple Music, the service also offers the Beats 1 radio station and some exclusive music.
Though Apple Music was initially missing a web browser option, Apple now allows subscribers to use the service through internet browsers on computers and laptops without having to install a separate app.
Apple Music starts at $9.99 per month for one account. A Family plan with support for six people is available for $14.99 per month, and a discounted Student plan is available for $4.99 per month. New members can receive a free three-month trial. That's one month longer than the trial period that Spotify currently offers for its comparable plans.
Unlike Spotify, however, Apple Music does not offer a free version with ads, so you will need to subscribe to enjoy the service's selection of songs.
Pros: Huge selection of content, live radio, excellent integration with Apple devices, three-month trial
Cons: No free version, no lossless audio option
The best for audiophiles
Tidal
Tidal is available on a range of platforms, plus it offers much better audio quality than the majority of other music streaming services out there.
Tidal is a little different from other music streaming services in that it's targeted toward those who want a higher resolution audio experience — and as such, it provides excellent sound performance.
While Tidal offers a Premium plan that uses the same 320Kbps bitrate that services like Spotify use, Tidal also has a HiFi plan that steps things up to a whopping 1,411Kbps in the lossless FLAC format. This means that you get to listen to music in full CD quality exactly as it was meant to be heard. It should be noted, however, that you will need higher quality audio gear and a Wi-Fi or wired connection to your playback device in order to really enjoy the benefits that lossless audio provides.
Tidal's HiFi plan also includes a selection of 3D audio tracks using the Dolby Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio codecs. 3D audio uses spatial technology to create an expanded sense of dimension with more enveloping sound.
Tidal is also known for streaming some notable exclusive content. Albums like Jay-Z's "4:44" and Kanye West's "The Life of Pablo" were first launched on Tidal, and the service will likely get other exclusive launches too. There are also music videos and other behind-the-scenes content, plus Tidal subscribers get access to select concert and sports tickets.
Nothing's perfect, and Tidal is no exception to that rule. The service doesn't have some features that others offer, like lyrics, and there's no free version for those that don't mind an ad-supported service. The HiFi plan also costs more than most competing music streaming services — though you do get better sound quality for the higher monthly fee.
Tidal Premium starts at $9.99 per month for one account, and there's a Family plan for $14.99 per month with support for six people. Tidal HiFi steps the price up to $19.99 per month for one account, or $29.99 for the Family plan with support for six people. A Student Premium option is also available for $4.99 per month, along with a Student HiFi plan for $9.99 per month. A 30-day trial is available for new members who sign up for a regularly priced plan.
When it comes to other lossless music streaming options, Tidal has some tough competition from Amazon's new Music HD plan. This service offers similar high resolution audio for a more affordable price of $14.99 per month. Unlike Tidal, however, Amazon Music HD doesn't include videos. Music HD is also available on fewer devices and it lacks the exclusive releases that Tidal features.
Pros: Excellent audio quality with an option for lossless playback, available on a range of platforms, exclusive content, includes music videos
Cons: No free version, missing some features, HiFi plan is expensive
Amazon Music Unlimited works on a range of platforms, plus it integrates perfectly with Alexa and offers discounts for Prime subscribers or Echo owners.
If you're a Prime subscriber, you already have access to Prime Music, but if you want a more comprehensive streaming service, then it's worth stepping things up with Music Unlimited, which offers a much bigger music library.
Music Unlimited is available on a range of platforms, including iOS, Android, and the web. The service is tightly integrated with Amazon's Alexa, so if you have an Echo or other Alexa product, it'll work perfectly.
If you use other Amazon products, you might get a bit of a deal, too. Amazon Music Unlimited normally costs $9.99 per month, but Amazon Prime subscribers can pay a discounted monthly fee of just $7.99 per month or an annual fee of $79 a year. Prime members can also choose a Family plan with support for six people for $14.99 per month or an annual plan cost of $149 a year. If you just want to stream music on one Amazon device, like an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, you have the option for an even cheaper plan at just $3.99 per month.
New members can receive a free 30-day trial of Music Unlimited. After the trial, your subscription will automatically continue for the regular monthly price unless you decide to cancel.
When it comes to audio quality, Music Unlimited streams at 256Kbps. Amazon doesn't detail exactly how many tracks are included on Music Unlimited, but the company boasts a collection of "over 60 million songs." Music Unlimited doesn't offer any non-music content, but apart from that, it's a pretty great service for those plugged into the Amazon ecosystem.
For those who want lossless audio playback, Amazon also offers its Music HD service with support for high resolution audio playback. Amazon Music HD is available for a regular price of $14.99 per month or a Prime member discounted price of just $12.99 per month.
In addition to lossless audio, Music HD includes a selection of tracks mastered in Dolby Atmos and Sony's 360 Reality Audio codecs as well. These formats enable 3D audio on supported devices, including the Echo Studio.
Pros: Discounts for Amazon Prime and Echo customers, good music library selection, Alexa integration
Cons: No content other than music
The best for Android users
YouTube
YouTube Music has a decent library of music, plus it integrates very well with Google's other apps and services, including Google Assistant.
YouTube Music is the way to go if you're really plugged into Google's ecosystem of products. In other words, if you have an Android phone and want your music streaming service to integrate well with Google Assistant, then YouTube Music is a convenient service.
YouTube Music isn't only available for Android devices. It's also available on iOS and on the web, so you should be able to access the service wherever you are. The platform is smart, so you'll get interesting location-based playlists and the ability to search for songs based on the lyrics in that song.
Of course, YouTube Music isn't perfect, but Google has been working on making it better. The app doesn't really integrate with other voice assistants like Alexa, so if you have an Echo you'll be stuck with playing music through the Bluetooth connection on your phone. With that said, the service does now support Siri.
Like Spotify, YouTube Music offers a free, ad-supported version that you can try out first. The Premium plan without ads is $9.99 per month for one account. There's also a discounted Student plan for $4.99 per month, and a Family plan with support for six people for $14.99 per month. All of the plans include a one-month free trial.
YouTube Music is also included as part of a YouTube Premium plan for $11.99 a month. YouTube Premium includes exclusive video content and ad-free video playback. Since this option is only $2 more than YouTube Music Premium is on its own, this plan is a better value for music fans who also like to watch YouTube videos.
Pros: Interesting playlists, good integration with Google services, free version available
Cons: Doesn't integrate with Alexa, no lossless audio option
Check out our other related buying guides
Amazon
If you're signing up for a music streaming service, chances are you'll need a reliable media player or smartphone to access the app, along with a nice pair of speakers or headphones to actually listen to your favorite tracks on. With that in mind, we've highlighted some of our other buying guides for streaming players, mobile devices, headphones, and speakers that are sure to come in handy for anyone who wants to stream music.
Though media players are primarily used for video services, like Netflix and Disney Plus, many streaming devices also offer access to music services like Spotify. With a dedicated streaming player you can listen to your favorite songs directly through your TV. Through research and testing we've picked the best streaming sticks and boxes you can buy.
If you're looking for a reliable device to stream music on throughout the day, few options are as convenient as a smartphone. Android and iOS mobile devices offer access to a large assortment of music streaming services, allowing you to easily stream tracks over your mobile connection or Wi-Fi. These are the best smartphones you can buy.
After finding a device to access your favorite music streaming services on, you'll need something to actually hear your music through, and a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones are an excellent choice. With active noise cancelling tech, these headphones are able to minimize distracting ambient sounds, making it easier to hear your music. These are the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy.
Completely free from wires, true wireless headphones allow you to pair each earbud to your phone without any pesky cables getting in the way. Some true wireless earbuds even include support for noise cancellation technology. After testing out several models, we've selected the best true wireless earbuds you can buy.
Headphones are great for personal listening, but if you want music to fill your living room or office you'll need a nice pair of speakers. There are many different speaker types to choose from. For the best audio quality you'll likely want to go for a pair of floorstanding speakers or bookshelf speakers. Meanwhile, if mobility or digital assistant functionality are your primary concern, you'll be better off with a Bluetooth speaker or a smart speaker. With different needs and budgets in mind, we've picked the best speakers you can buy.
Bluetooth speakers allow you to listen to music wirelessly from a connected device. Though Bluetooth speakers typically don't offer the very best audio quality, they often feature other added benefits, like portability and digital assistant integration. These are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy.
If you plan on streaming hi-res music services, like Tidal or Amazon Music HD, then a dedicated digital-to-analog converter (DAC) will help unlock the full potential of higher fidelity tracks. A quality DAC can refine the processing of digital to analog audio transformations to optimize the sound produced by smartphones, computers, and other connected devices. These are the best DACs you can buy.
FILE - In this May 15, 2019, file photo, founder of Alibaba group Jack Ma arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris. Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is stepping down from the board of SoftBank Group Corp., as the Japanese technology company struggles over its risky investments such as office-sharing venture WeWork. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
Associated Press
Ant Group's upcoming IPO aims to raise a record $30 billion and could bring first-time tech fundraising to the highest level since 1999.
Should demand for the offering hold up, Ant's debut could bring global first-time stock sales to more than $57 billion, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The dot-com bubble's annual proceeds peaked at $62 billion.
The debut is the latest to enjoy surging investor demand for tech stocks. With concentration in giants like Apple and Microsoft reaching historic highs, traders have turned to the IPO market for cheaper entry into the tech sector.
Ant Group's upcoming initial public offering could bring tech IPO proceeds to the highest level since the dot-com bubble's 1999 summit.
The company — an affiliate to billionaire Jack Ma's Alibaba empire — is targeting a valuation of $225 billion and could raise roughly $30 billion in the stock sale. Should demand for Ant's IPO hold strong, the debut would push global first-time stock offerings by tech companies above $57 billion, according to data collected by Bloomberg.
The previous record was set in 1999, when investor interest in new tech stock offerings drove $62 billion worth of IPO proceeds. That year represented the peak of the dot-com era, before fledgling tech stocks tumbled at the turn of the century. By 2001, tech IPOs brought in less than $10 billion.
Ant's offering is already set to break records all on its own. Plans to raise at least $30 billion would just edge out Saudi Aramco's blockbuster $29 billion offering from the end of last year. The oil titan sold 3 billion shares at a $1.7 trillion valuation.
Ant aims to use the funds to accelerate its move into the financial industry and form an online marketplace. The company recently rolled out robo-advising and banking services to Alipay users.
Tech stocks are enjoying their best run-up in years as investors flock to the sector to ride out the coronavirus pandemic. Mega-caps including Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet led all three major US stock indexes to erase their 2020 losses. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite sit at record highs after the market's best August since 1984.
The sector's rally goaded several companies to enter the market despite the weakened economic backdrop and fears of tech crowding. July alone drove $19 billion in IPO proceeds, according to Bloomberg data, the biggest one-month haul since September 2014.
The pick-up in IPO activity revives the public funding market after it slumped through the end of 2019. A highly anticipated trading debut from WeWork collapsed in a matter of weeks, and investors shunned shares of Uber, Peloton, and Lyft when the firms first began trading. After years of buying into companies' stories and ignoring annual losses, investors began to prioritize profitability.
The market's summer surge threw a wrench into that shift. Tech giants' stretched valuations defy fundamental-based strategies, yet concentration in the stocks is its highest in decades. With investors looking for underappreciated tech names, the IPO market has grown into a steady supply of opportunities.
Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:
A pedestrian walks by a TD Ameritrade office on November 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Robinhood, TDAmeritrade, Schwab, and Vanguard all experienced issues on Monday.
In many instances, users reported problems logging into their accounts, placing trades, or having them executed.
Short outages are typical, though a sustained, industry-wide issue is rare.
Also on Monday, Bloomberg reported Robinhood was being investigated by US authorities over an outage it experienced earlier this year. A spokesperson declined to comment on the report.
Several major online brokerages and trading platforms were rocked by service interruptions during trading Monday.
Robinhood, TDAmeritrade, Charles Schwab, and Vanguard all said they had experienced some form of issues or slowness on their websites.
Robinhood, the extremely popular online brokerage, said its issues were resolved around 12 p.m. Eastern after customers logged thousands of reports beginning shortly after 8 a.m through the opening of trading.
TDAmeritrade said that many of its clients had experienced "high levels of slowness" on its web platforms affecting logins. The issues have been fixed, it said.
Schwab and Vanguard alsosaid they were experiencing issues Monday, and by late afternoon not yet said they were resolved.
Discrete outages are common for online brokerages, if not many websites across the web. However, as Bloomberg points out, a coinciding outage is rare. According to the news site, the US Securities and Exchange Commission as well as an industry self-regulatory body are investigating another major outage experienced by Robinhood earlier this year. A spokesperson declined to comment on the reported investigations.
When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.
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As the pandemic continues, it's become harder to maintain the same enthusiasm for cooking as we had back in March and April.
To help you get back into the kitchen, I asked professional chefs, food and drink brand founders, and cookbook authors how they continue to feel inspired.
Among many other useful tips, they recommend visiting farmers markets, trying out new and unfamiliar ingredients, consulting diverse sources of inspiration, and using small kitchen appliances to speed up the process.
The pandemic has forced us to spend more time in the kitchen than ever. And though many of us initially embraced the cooking streak with gusto, the overall sentiment lately leans more towards fatigue and frustration.
I asked the experts — professional chefs, food and drink brand founders, and cookbook authors — how they overcome a cooking rut.
They provided excellent tips on where to find inspiration, how to deal with a hot kitchen if the summer weather is slowing you down, how to make the most of your leftovers, and more.
I couldn't include all of the responses, but here were the most common words of wisdom I received:
Go to the farmers market or wander your local market. Let fresh produce and vibrant colors inspire you.
Roasting a whole chicken is the best way to get the foundation for an entire week's worth of meals.
If you want to order less takeout, get back into the kitchen, and revive your love of cooking, try out these expert tips below.
First, embrace the rut.
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Personally, I recommend letting yourself hit the rock bottom of a cooking rut. When I get in these moods, I let myself order all the takeout and make all the frozen foods, until I just cannot take not cooking anymore. —Seung Hee Lee, pop-up chef and author of Everyday Korean
The most extreme way to get myself out of a cooking rut is to first make the situation I'm in so unbearable that I'm desperate to get out of it. It's easy to just coast along when it's boring but not terrible. Meal planning is something I hate, like emptying a dishwasher. But I find four or five days of eating the same thing again and again makes me crave, so deeply into my f------ soul for flavor, different textures, exciting combinations, a challenge. —Michael Zee, creator of @symmetrybreakfast and author of SymmetryBreakfast
The first three months of the pandemic I cooked every meal every day. By the end of May, I was burnt out. I was cooking our meals, plus for my clients and my blog. It was a lot. Finally, I had to take a break and really just let someone else cook and so we ordered our first takeout meal. Let me tell you, it was glorious. Eating someone else's cooking was a breath of fresh air. After that meal, I had to get out of my head and just look for inspiration. Honestly, from someone that is always in the kitchen, the best way to get out of a cooking rut is to not cook. —Rezel Kealoha, recipe developer
Consult a trusty cookbook. Or pick up a new one.
Simon & Schuster/Instagram
For easy weeknight meals that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, I just love Mark Bittman's website and cookbooks. They're remarkably user-friendly and often make enough for leftovers. My favorite is "How to Cook Everything Fast." —Paul C. Reilly, chef and owner at beast + bottle
I've always loved reading cookbooks cover-to-cover with Post-It notes ready to go for anything that inspires me. There are two kinds of cookbooks I love the most: first, ones that empower you with foundational knowledge and skills that you can use to level-up all of your cooking and second, ones that give rich cultural or historical context to the cuisines beyond recipes.
I love cooking completely in a location that is not the kitchen or your backyard grill. Plan a little cooking fun on your canoe in a lake, or at the top of your hike up among the wildflowers. Bring one good knife, a light small cutting board, great EVOO in a tiny travel bottle, and some salt and whatever ingredients are in season. Just the change in routine and scenery will already inspire you to think differently. —Linda Hampsten Fox, chef and owner of The Bindery Denver
When it is too hot to cook dinner, I try to grill outside as much as possible. We've been eating a lot of quickly grilled shrimp in corn tortillas with avocados smashed with lemon juice and salt and it is my fave savory recipe of the summer. —Jessie Sheehan, baker and author of The Vintage Baker
Wander the farmers market or a local grocery store you've never been to before.
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Removing the boundaries around what you cook can be helpful and inspiring! On a weekday afternoon, go to a new market or grocery store, with no agenda or shopping list, and wander. Just see if you can build a dish or meal out of an ingredient that speaks to you, like a gorgeously ripe heirloom tomato, smoked duck breast, or chili oil. —Kim Pham, cofounder of Omsom
I always find inspiration by visiting my local farmers market and getting inspired by what is in season. Talking with the farmers and finding what they're excited about is a surefire way to build excitement in yourself and kick-start some culinary ideas. —Paul C. Reilly, chef and owner at beast + bottle
Try new spices and techniques.
Omsom/Instagram
A game-changer to get myself cooking more has been finding a few spices that I love that I know will make anything I cook taste good. My faves right now are the onion salt from Trader Joe's, Asian-inspired spice kits from Omsom, and a couple Tunisian spice mixes my mom sent me during quarantine. Throwing these on top of whatever I'm making, whether it's a quick stir fry or a salad, gets me so much more excited to eat it knowing it's going to be that much more flavorful. —Mayssa Chehata, founder and CEO of Behave
Macerating fruits and veggies is my favorite trick at this time of year. Take great fruits and veggies — especially the juicy ones like tomatoes, berries, stone fruits, cucumbers — and throw them in a bowl with salt or sugar and let them sit. They will turn into something more interesting. Macerating is great for sweet or savory preparations. Add herbs, too, to create a new summer salad: the flavors meld deliciously (this is the same concept as salsa or gazpacho, for example). —Charlie Brooks, executive chef at Sunday Vinyl
Use a small gadget or appliance to speed up the process.
Calphalon/Instagram
I love my mini food processor. I can blitz garlic, make pesto, and whip up sauces much, much faster. Then you just toss it in the dishwasher and you're good to go! —Kim Pham, cofounder of Omsom
Summertime is the perfect opportunity to keep the oven off and use small pieces of cooking equipment. My blender is whizzing all day. For breakfast, I make nutritious smoothies to start my day off and at night I make a ton of "nice cream" (made without dairy) as a guilt-free treat. I'm also a big fan of using my air fryer to make roast chicken, quesadillas, vegetables, crispy tofu, and more. —Catherine McCord, cofounder of One Potato, founder of Weelicious, and author of Smoothie Project
It's not super chef-y, but the Instant Pot is so convenient and a huge time-saver. You can cook big pieces of meat (like a pork shoulder for tacos, nachos, etc.) quickly or even cook from frozen. It's great for wintertime cooking but I'll also use it for rice and beans so that when I get home late I can make versatile and delicious dishes. I'll utilize beans, chickpeas, or rice as bases for grilled chicken with steamed rice and veggies and then the next day, I'll add an egg and use the same ingredients to make fried rice. —Cody Cheetham, chef de cuisine at Tavernetta Denver
Make the most of your leftovers.
Porter Road
My go-to hack for creating second meals, or having enough leftovers to turn it into something else, is to pull your "leftovers" aside before you plate up your first meal. That way you won't eat so much you're left with a tiny useless portion, plus it's an effective method of portion control if some is already reserved for another day. —Michael Zee, creator of @symmetrybreakfast and author of SymmetryBreakfast
I dislike leftovers so I try to create a new meal with my leftover ingredients. Replacing the microwave with a skillet will go a long way in making them more fun and flavorful. Few meals will not taste good reheated in a skillet with a fried egg on top. Or dipped cold in aioli. Or on top of white beans cooked in olive oil.
For instance, I always roast a whole chicken for dinner, and make chicken salad with the leftovers, and broth with the bones and my leftover vegetables. Later, I just add some noodles to them for chicken soup. —Melanie Masarin, founder and CEO of Ghia
My all time favorite for this hack is to roast a whole chicken, which honestly, could not be easier. A 3-3.5-pound chicken will roast at 450°F for 75 minutes. Stuff the cavity with lemons and garlic heads and boom, you're done. The first night you have roast chicken. Any leftover meat can be picked and mixed with celery, pickles, and yogurt for chicken salad sandwiches the next day. Save the bones and you have chicken noodle soup for dinner or lunch another day. It's about a $15 investment for three meals.—Paul C. Reilly, chef and owner at beast + bottle
I always think of a few things when meal planning: how can I incorporate this into either a stew, fried rice, frittata or a baked shepherd's pie of sorts. If you are reheating, I like to throw everything in the oven at 300°F with a little bit of stock or water to help keep the pre-cooked food hydrated so it does not dry out. If you can incorporate water or liquid into reheating, you will always get a better end result. —Joshua Sutcliff, executive chef at Local Jones
If the summer heat is getting to you, stick to cold platters and dishes.
SideChef/Instagram
I live in Atlanta, GA and my kitchen doesn't have any ventilation — it gets hot! Whenever the temperatures go up I tend to do a lot of cold cooking: crudos and noodle dishes in particular. One of the recipes I return to often is my DIY Bibimguksu (mixed cold noodles).
Yes, you do have to boil the noodles for this dish, but you end up rinsing them under cold water before serving, and all of the toppings are super easy and interchangeable. If you have leftover pulled pork, pop it on! Cold cucumbers, carrots, raw tomatoes, it all works.
If you have a mandoline it's easy to make it look beautiful, but not necessary for it to be delicious. The noodle holds up really well, too. I like to make two portions and save one for the next day's lunch. —Seung Hee Lee, pop-up chef and author of Everyday Korean
My kitchen at home is full of beautiful, large western-facing windows, which means it is hot and sunny during summer dinnertime. Crank up the oven and a few stove burners, and it heats up fast.
At my house, we have come to appreciate the beauty of cutting board grazing! I will go beyond the normal expectations of a cheese and charcuterie display. The board is really a representation of what we have lingering in the fridge. Fresh fruits, veggies and dip, a sandwich cut in bite-sized pieces, toasted nuts, last night's roasted potatoes, maybe a hunk of crusty bread…The list is endless, but the name of the game is cold food without the pressure of tons of dishes, and letting the family graze on their own time. —Bonnie Moore, executive chef at Three Sisters, Blackberry Mountain
I'm always out of time but rarely out of ideas! I follow a lot of chefs on Instagram — my favorites during quarantine are Taku Sekine, Frederik Bille Brahe, Helene Darroze, and Joseph Viola (from my hometown). They all have very different cooking styles and different regional inspirations, and they are generous with their techniques. My foodie friends Mia Moretti, Anna Polonsky, and Emilien Crespo and I share a lot of our recipes and techniques as well. —Melanie Masarin, founder and CEO of Ghia
Lately, I've been loving looking to 101Cookbooks (Heidi Swanson) and Milk and Cardamom (Hetal Vasavada) for inspiration. I also love Brightland's own Field Notes where we feature recipes from chefs, recipe developers and some of our favorite entrepreneurs and tastemakers. —Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland
He has donated at least 29 times since 2017, and the Trump campaign was reportedly made aware of the donations in 2018 by The Forward.
Popular Information detailed donations from several others, including businessman Peter Zieve, who was sued by Washington state over accusations of discriminating against minority employees.
The Trump campaign has accepted thousands of dollars from racist extremists, including a neo-Nazi leader who runs an outpost of the Aryan Nations in Louisiana.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Popular Information also detailed a number of others who have donated to the Trump campaign, including businessman Peter Zieve, who was sued by Washington state over allegations of discriminating against minority employees, handing out "procreation bonuses" to his nearly all-white staff, and called immigrants from developing countries "repulsive."
Zieve, who settled the lawsuit in 2017, has donated $5,600 to support Trump's campaign, Popular Information reported.
Other donors include Timothy Mellon and KC McAlpin. Mellon, a businessman who said social programs made Black people "unwilling to pitch in to improve their own situations," donated to a Trump Super PAC, while McAlpin, an associate of John Tanton, who has founded a number of anti-immigrant groups, donated $1,600 to the campaign.
Despite the sluggish pace of sheltering in place for six months now, Labor Day weekend is days away. Summer came, and in a flash, will be gone again. And while that trend is nothing new, it certainly looked a lot different this year.
But before you rush to hit book, you may want to keep reading to heed timely advice from Insider Reviews travel writers. We're sharing our biggest takeaways based on how we altered our behaviors to safely travel during COVID-19, and what we plan to do differently next time.
Of course, it's crucial to assess your own risk and understand that without a vaccine, it's impossible to guarantee safety. Also, check whether you're leaving from or traveling to a hotspot, so as not to contribute to infection spikes, be aware of local mandates, and follow guidelines from the CDC and WHO such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing, no matter where you go.
If you do choose to travel in the weeks and months ahead, consider making some of these modifications, proceed with caution, and remember that this is a fast-evolving situation. Flexible cancelation policies are everything right now.
Keep reading for top tips and advice from travel writers on how to safely travel during coronavirus.
1. Prefer to stay in hotels? Look for one that makes it easy to follow COVID-19 guidelines and take advantage of flexible cancellation policies.
I previously wrote about how I booked a small cottage-style hotel on Hotels.com for a weekend with my husband. We weren't comfortable flying, staying in large hotels, or planning a long road trip that required multiple stops and encounters with others. With vacation rentals either booked up or too expensive, we selected a small property with standalone accommodations and private exterior entrances.
While I was initially nervous, I ultimately enjoyed my decision. I'm someone who loves hotels and I was able to enjoy the amenities only a hotel can provide (super clean renovated room, a pool) in a smaller setting akin to a private home.
My nerves weren't quelled immediately, but here's how I eased them: I opted for contactless check-in, brought my own pillow, and upon entering my room, wiped down high-touch surfaces, opened all the windows, and promptly left for three hours to air it out.
Heeding these tips from experts made us feel much more comfortable. More importantly, we knew our limits and established boundaries. We wanted to avoid restaurants, so we brought takeout back to the hotel's spaced out picnic tables. We limited our time at the beach to the morning when it was less crowded, and returned to the hotel to avoid public restrooms and use the small hotel pool when everyone else was still by the ocean. In doing so, we took advantage of on-site amenities we may not have otherwise and were able to still enjoy our vacation.
Next time though, I'm booking farther in advance with a generous cancellation policy so I can widen my scope of lodging choices. Many hotels offer significantly more flexible policies and fewer fees than you'll find on vacation rental platforms — take advantage of these deals. — Emily Hochberg, Insider Reviews travel editor
2. Opt for multiple, short getaways to gauge your comfort with resuming travel.
As a travel editor, I'm used to frequent global trips and typically go for flights over road trips and hotels over vacation rentals. But all that was upended in 2020.
This year, I opted for a few domestic trips, all within easy driving distance and social distancing in mind. Like many New Yorkers, I don't own a car, but after reading expert advice, I felt safer renting a car for short road trips than taking flights or trains. Similarly, I followed recommendations to stay in vacation rentals since there is less contact with others.
My first trip post-pandemic trip was to Cape Cod. I stuck to socially distant activities like biking and beach picnics in uncrowded areas. After I felt comfortable with that, I planned a short weekend trip to a campsite on Long Island since camping in your own designated area feels especially safe. Now, for the fall, I'm eyeing a similarly remote-but-nearby getaway to catch the fall foliage the Northeast is famous for.
While the pandemic often makes it hard to plan in advance, I've learned it's best to look for vacation rentals and car rentals as far out as possible. Both are becoming increasingly popular and booking up fast. If you can, opt for rentals that come with flexible cancellation policies so you have your bases covered, especially if you aren't sure how you feel about resuming travel. — Hannah Freedman, Insider Reviews associate travel editor
3. Be open to types of travel you may have previously overlooked, and discerning with accommodations.
Staying at hotels is a big part of my job. But with COVID-19, the idea of communal spaces like hallways and lobbies made me anxious. For my 2020 summer vacation, I decided to try Airbnb. The idea of having an entire house for just my family felt much safer.
But beyond just picking a home within driving distance, I looked for one with a Superhost, stellar reviews, and followed Airbnb Enhanced Clean guidelines.
I found that in this restored sawmill. My Superhosts not only followed the Airbnb Enhanced Clean program, they also chose to leave the property empty for three days between guests.
Also, living in a house in a small town gave us a true taste of local life and after a few days, we no longer felt like tourists. The overall experience was more immersive than staying in a hotel, and we felt the right balance of privacy and togetherness.
I liked my experience so much, I came back a few weeks later and rented another property from the same hosts, an airy apartment at an old boarding house. It was equally spotless and fabulous. I am now hooked on Airbnb, pandemic or not. — Allison Tibaldi, freelance travel writer
4. Speak to the hotel before you arrive to discuss concerns and ask questions about impacted services.
My biggest tip for traveling during COVID-19 is to speak to the hotel before you book. The majority have reopened with limited amenities, meaning, the pool, spa, gym, and restaurants may be partially or completely closed.
Beyond that, try to get as much information as possible regarding how they're handling social distancing and protocols. If the hotel pool is open and your plan is to spend the day there, make sure there isn't a time limit per guest, which some hotels are doing, or if there is food and drink service available by the pool.
For example, on my recent weekend getaway to the Catskills, I didn't know the pool had a limit of only 10 people at a time and was with five other girls. We had to make sure we got to the pool extra early to ensure we had spots, which forced us to alter our morning plans.
Next time, I will check beforehand to plan accordingly. Plus, when you learn of the details before you book, you'll know how to adjust your expectations and still enjoy the experience. — Lindsay Paige Stein, freelance travel writer
5. Work with a travel agent if you plan to visit another country.
I'm based in Barcelona and when Americans can once again travel to Europe, they should be prepared for any eventuality. COVID restrictions, including social distancing, mask requirements, and even lockdowns, are constantly shifting, from one country to another, and sometimes even within a single country.
I'm generally a DIY-er when it comes to planning travel, but with Europe's COVID restrictions constantly in flux, it might be wise for Americans to use a travel agent when they can once again visit Europe.
An experienced agent can respond quickly to any COVID-related issue, whether it's arranging alternative destinations due to a lockdown or managing flights should any problems arise. You may recall in mid-March, following sweeping travel restrictions on Europe, Americans abroad were desperately seeking flights and spending thousands of dollars on return tickets. Hopefully, this won't occur again, but a travel agent is far better positioned to work with airlines to get you home. — Jennifer Ceaser, freelance travel writer
6. Wake up early and do what makes you the most comfortable.
Wake up early. Even when there's not a pandemic, I always try to avoid the crowds while traveling. During a recent trip to the Jersey Shore, I felt much freer to go for a run on the beach or bike down the boardwalk in the morning when there were fewer people.
And don't let yourself feel silly. If your vacation destination is more crowded than you anticipated, you might see a lot of people walking around without a mask. It's even possible that you'll be the only one following the rules. While no one will tell you to take your mask off, the pressure to fit in is real and can be strong. Be aware that this feeling might come up and be prepared to stick to your guns. — Jamie Ditaranto, freelance travel writer
7. Consider other options besides flying or driving.
I'm loving Amtrak as an alternative to flying or driving and took it all the way from New Orleans to New York City.
The coach fares are comparable to flights and you don't have to worry about traffic. Plus, not having to deal with airports is a real bonus right now. Taking a train requires a little more time flexibility, but you'll have Wi-Fi and meals available on board so it's easy to work, relax, and watch movies. You'll also arrive right in a city center for added convenience without having to look for parking.
I hadn't traveled much by train prior to the pandemic, but I'm an absolute convert. The new Amtrak booking engine also shows you how full each service is, making it easier to book with social distancing in mind. — Paul Oswell, freelance travel writer
For more reporting on safe travel, click a link below to jump directly to related coverage: