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Official residences of world leaders that you can visit

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La Casa Rosada in Buenos AiresThe INSIDER Summary:

  • From medieval castles to luxury townhouses, world leaders know how to live.
  • Each home has their own unique architecture and identity that tourists are able to go see. 

From Great Britain’s 10 Downing Street to South Korea’s Blue House, the private residences of world leaders are all unique in their own way. Some are gargantuan palaces, while others are traditional castles, sprawling mansions, or luxury townhouses. Each one displays its own architectural identity and significant historical importance. So where do the world’s presidents and prime ministers retire after a day of running their respective countries? Here, a list of 10 amazing addresses, which are also the official residences of powerful leaders around the world. 

Élysée Palace in Paris, France

One of the most opulent residences to house a world leader, the Élysée Palace in Paris, France is a beautiful example of classical architecture. Given its gilded interiors, which are outfitted in gold, velvet curtains, and fine art, it’s no surprise that some former French socialist presidents have chosen to shun the palace for more modest living arrangements. Built in 1722 and home to French presidents since the 1840s, the Élysée Palace is located in the center of Paris, close to the Champs-Élysées. If you want some immediate office envy, check out the Salon Doré (Golden Room) where the French prime minister carries out day-to-day work surrounded by lavish gold walls. 



Blue House in Seoul, South Korea

The Blue House, the official residence of the South Korean head of state, boasts a whopping 150,000 blue granite tiles on its roof. One of the few executive residences open to the public, visitors can explore parts of the 62-acre complex in Seoul, which features some beautifully manicured gardens. In 1968, 31 North Korean commandos stormed the palace’s grounds, in an attempt to assassinate the then-president. The mission was unsuccessful.



The White House in Washington D.C., United States

While Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is getting plenty of attention (it’s even touted as the winter White House), it’s not going to be easy to usurp the famous 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue address in Washington, D.C. The White House is more than 200 years old (building began in October 1792), and while George Washington oversaw the construction, he never had a chance to take over the Oval Office. Outside, the portico columns and whitewashing echo the strong Greek Revival influences, but inside, the style depends on who’s in power. When presidents take office, they don’t just come to the White House with their family, but they also bring their own interior design ideas (it could be home for eight years, after all). However, decorating is not anything new in the White House, which was set ablaze by the British in 1814, destroying its original interior. 



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$8,000 A MONTH: The 15 highest paying tech internships in the US

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facebook interns

Summer is almost upon us and with it comes summer internships.

The tech industry is famous for its internships. With more open jobs than the industry can fill, companies use internship programs to scout for talent and to give them a leg up when making offers to graduates.

And that means interns in tech are up for some pretty exciting experiences, full of interesting work, parties, and great pay.

Job hunting site Glassdoor sifted through its giant databases of self-reported salaries to come up with this list of the best-paying tech internships, based on at least 25 salary reports in US dollars by US-based interns in the past year.

In cases where companies offered the same median monthly pay, the company with the greater number of salary reports entered by former interns into Glassdoor's site receives higher rank.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best IT jobs for new college grads and other tips on landing a job in tech

SEE ALSO: The return of Joe Lonsdale: How the cofounder of multibillion-dollar company Palantir was vilified in Silicon Valley, then bounced back

No. 15: MathWorks, $5,120 a month

Median monthly pay: $5,120

Mathworks makes popular programming languages and modeling tools for technical computing.

Internship details: MathWorks interns are assigned mentors to help them achieve milestones with plenty of regular feedback on their performance. Internships last between three and six months, for summer and throughout the year.

An interns says:“Amazing workplace and wide range of career options.” —Former Web Developer Intern



No. 14: Adobe, $5,120 a month

Median monthly pay: $5,120

Adobe offers cloud software for graphics, photographers and marketers.

Internship details: Adobe is a big name in software. Interns work with master statisticians, experienced designers, engineering fellows, community activists and so on.

An intern says:“Lots of benefits, great employee perks and events, including a chance to have a meeting with the CEO. Became a full member of a team for 3 months.” —Former Computer Scientist Intern



No. 13: Workday, $5,440 a month

Median monthly pay: $5,440

Workday sells financial and HR cloud software to businesses.

Internship details: Workday calls its internship program Generation Workday, and says the program balances fun, support and challenge.

An intern says:“Interns got to design and build their own project. Treated like a full time employee, and everyone was always willing to explain the code base / language to us. Workday is a super collaborative and supportive environment.” — Current Software Applications Engineer Intern

 



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24 apps you need on your phone right now

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Group looking at iPhone

The INSIDER Summary:

  • With thousands of apps in the App Store and Google Play, it's hard to separate the good from the bad.
  • INSIDER rounded up 24 apps that'll actually make your life easier.
  • Use TaskRabbit to find a handyman, Tiny Scanner to turn pictures into PDFs, and Hopper to save money on your flights.


Deciding which apps to download from the thousands available on the App Store or Google Play can be stressful — especially if you just bought a new phone. Even if you've had your phone for years, you may not be using apps that are worth your time.

INSIDER found 24 apps that will make your life better, whether by shortening your commute or delivering groceries to your front door. The best part? Most of them are completely free: 

TaskRabbit connects you with people who will help you move, clean, build a desk, and more.

Half-LinkedIn, half-Craigslist, TaskRabbit helps you find people in your neighborhood who will take care of everyday tasks for you. All you have to do is describe the task, and choose and book someone from a list of qualified and vetted "Taskers."

I've used TaskRabbit for everything from fixing a leaky sink to building a bed frame. Taskers on the app have detailed profiles and client reviews which give me peace of mind, and they're usually less expensive than professionals I find on Yelp.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android



Pacifica teaches you how to improve your mood and mental health.

Like Headspace, Pacifica is designed to help you relax and manage stress. In addition to following guided meditations, you can also keep track of your mood, identify negative thought patterns, and set goals. But while Headspace requires a paid subscription after its initial 10-day free trial, Pacifica is completely free. (You can upgrade to unlock more features for as low as $2.99 a month.)

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android



Instapaper lets you read online articles, even when you're not connected to the Internet.

If you've ever made, downloaded, and listened to playlists offline in Spotify Premium, you basically already know how to use Instapaper. This app keeps me entertained during long, boring commutes underground and lets me quickly bookmark articles I want to read later.

You can also organize articles into neat categories, highlight your favorite lines, and leave notes in the margins.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android



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Inside the Wall Street charity day where celebrities and star athletes pretend to be traders

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676317310Trading firm BTIG hosted its 15th annual Commissions for Charity Day on Tuesday, inviting nearly 80 all-star athletes, models, actors, journalists, politicians, fashion designers, and business leaders to its trading floors.

"Since 2003, BTIG Charity Day has helped support important non-profit organizations around the world," Scott Kovalik, co-founder and CEO of BTIG, said in a press release. "We are very grateful to our celebrity guests, clients, and employees that help us improve the lives of others year after year."

This year, with the help of Bill Clinton, Mark Cuban, Shaquille O'Neal, and many more, the firm raised $4 million to donate to hundreds of charities.   

SEE ALSO: The largest private-equity firm in the world opened a more casual, amenity-filled office for its tech team — take a look inside

BTIG cofounder Steven Starker was there to greet all the star guests as they walked through the door, including actress Jenny McCarthy.



Former President Bill Clinton stopped in for the day.



MLB star Alex Rodriguez was on the phone taking calls.



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12 thoughtful gifts all new mothers will love

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baby and mom

There are plenty of great gift ideas for moms, but new moms have their own needs.

The single best gift you can get for a new mom is the offer to give her a break — whether it's babysitting while she naps, cooking, cleaning, or just hanging out and having some adult conversation.

But if you can't physically be there or want to give her something longer lasting, here are 12 great gifts that all new moms will love.

A flowy, loose top

It takes a while to get back in shape after having a baby, so a loose, flowy top will help new moms lounge around comfortably. It will also make breastfeeding easier. 

Anthropologie makes a bunch of cute, flowy tops in bright colors and patterns.

Anthropologie Pintucked Silk Cami, $88



A subscription to a streaming service

While new moms don't have much free time, they still enjoy movies and shows. Get her a subscription to a streaming service, like Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, or Netflix, so that she can catch-up on movies and TV shows when the baby's asleep. 

Netflix, $8/month; Amazon Prime, $99/year; Hulu Plus, $8/month



A monogrammed necklace with her baby's initial

A monogrammed necklace with her baby's first initial is a sweet and subtle gift that will remind her of her baby whenever she wears it.

Anthropologie Delicate Monogram Necklace, $38



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How 11 famous chefs make scrambled eggs

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Eggs en Cocotte

There are so many tricks to cooking the perfect egg, but the world's most famous chefs have their own methods.

While you may expect these chefs to go all out with exotic egg recipes, extravagant cooking methods or over the top ingredients, their tips and tricks for making scrambled eggs are surprisingly simple.

Here are 11 scrambled egg recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite chefs. 

Martha Stewart

Unlike so many other chefs, Stewart doesn't use anything but eggs for her scrambled eggs.

"If you have really good eggs, you don't need anything in the eggs at all," she said in a cooking video on Martha Stewart.

For her recipe, the most important factors are low heat and constant motion. To get the perfect batch you simply have need to keep the eggs moving once you've dropped them into a buttered skillet.

See the recipe here »



Mario Batali

This famous chef is known for his days on "Iron Chef America" and of course his bright orange Crocs.

According to him, a perfect scrambled egg only needs pepper and half & half. The four-step recipe is pretty simple, but being the genius Italian chef that he is, it's no surprise that he suggests adding Parmesan, Marscapone, and truffle shavings for an even better flavor. 

See the recipe here »



Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay is a man with many recipes. He has shared his tips for the perfect cast iron scrambled eggs, a recipe for scrambled eggs with goat cheese, and the Internet has even tried to master his famous scrambled eggs from Gato.

But if you want the most basic Bobby Flay recipe for scrambled eggs, look no further than his brunch-worthy eggs. His special ingredients for "the best scrambled eggs" are smoked salmon, scallions, and goat cheese butter. 

See the recipe here »



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5 new clothing and handbag brands every professional woman should know

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Lemonade Lookbook Riverside Taxi

Getting dressed for work as a woman can be difficult; it takes longer to do than the guy who can throw on a suit, and most of the options available are missing the mark between flattering and "cute." Instead of making the clothes women want and need, legacy brands have yet to adapt to accommodate the new lifestyles of modern women.

Totes need smarter, more commuter-friendly designs and well-made classics in premium materials are better than the constant churning out of trends in cheap materials that you'll hate to be in for more than a couple hours, let alone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or however long your work day really takes).

For many women, even spending that precious, limited free time in a dressing room to find enough different combinations to wear to work is both exhausting and unappealing — a thought that hasn't made a large enough impact on retail, yet. Instead of expending more of their energy and time working with the complexities of the office, don't many of us wish we could just outsource the problem to a professional who gets it, instead? So we can spend our free time doing what we like, like hanging out with our friends, our family, or even getting ahead in our career. 

These five women's workwear brands, if you don't know them already, will address each of these concerns and a couple more. Some people do get it, and thankfully we can spend the time you might not have to find them for you.

I'm willing to bet you’ll be happy to know them: Dagne Dover, MM.LaFleur, Citizen’s Mark, Cuyana, and Of Mercer.

SEE ALSO: This is the work bag professional women everywhere have been looking for

DON'T MISS: This piece of jewelry is actually a health tracker that tells me when I’m getting stressed

Dagne Dover

Dagne Dover is a relatively new company that has gained notoriety and a bona fide cult following for bags that master sophisticated leather styles and conscious design aimed to simplify the lives of women on the move. Satchels, totes, backpacks, and other products feature commuter-friendly designs without sacrificing style. 

On the outside, the bags are beautiful constructions of high-quality materials like leather in flattering neutral shades. We've covered both their Dakota Backpack and Classic Tote in depth, and our unanimous opinion is that Dagne Dover is doing something special. The design team has anticipated your needs, your lifestyle, and the things you'll carry and delivered with smarter execution than we've seen most anywhere else.

"It’s no longer good enough to just be 'arm candy'. Nowadays we expect the services and products we use to multitask, to be data-driven and to work harder," Mash told Business Insider. "Dagne Dover is the only brand in the handbag market that does so while continuing to be stylish and organized." 

Take a closer look at Dagne Dover's collections here.



MM.LaFleur

MM.LaFleur works off the same basic assumption that President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did when they made the decision to pare down their wardrobe selections to only two colors of suits or the same grey shirt for public appearances. There are simply too many other important decisions to make.

Instead of trying to churn out trends, MM.LaFleur is thoughtfully constructing and improving upon the classics that will become your wardrobe staples.

MM.LaFleur was created to cater to women whose work days can look more like 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and who might not want to devote their limited free time to trying on work dresses in a changing room. As a result, they offer a subscription service called the Bento Box, which is a box of workwear staples handpicked for each customer by a discerning MM stylist based on a short quiz of workwear preferences, prices, and office atmosphere. Don't want to think about the complexities of officewear and wish you could just outsource it? Done.

Women can try on their selections at home, keep what they like, and text a number to get UPS to pick up and return what they don't. They're only charged for what they keep, and 70% of MM.LaFleur's customers are repeat clients. 

If you'd like, you can read our full review on MM.LaFleur and their Bento Box here

Check out the complete MM.LaFleur collections here. 



Citizen's Mark

Citizen's Mark might be the one blazer brand to know. While working at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, Citizen’s Mark founder Cynthia Salim realized at 23 the same thing every working woman inevitably does: It’s hard to find high-quality women's workwear that looks credible.

Salim wanted to create the staples she wished existed for a career that the fashion industry didn't seem to know she and her female peers had. But she quickly realized that the problem ran much deeper than expected: When she contacted wool mills to produce for her, they asked if she'd like men's or women's fabrics. When she couldn't find a satisfactory suit factory in the US, most European factories explained that they only did men's tailoring. When even materials and machines are gendered to reserve the highest quality for menswear, no wonder the market for women was so dissatisfying.

All of Salim's blazers are subsequently made with "male" fabrics in factories that specialize in "male" tailoring. The result is stunning. I reviewed the company and two of the blazers myself, and Citizen's Mark is unlike anything else I've ever owned.  

To further reflect the working woman Salim set out to design for, Citizen's Mark contributes to a responsible global supply chain with responsibility, sustainability, and transparency.

Take a look at the Citizen's Mark collections here.



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Here's everything we know about the next 'Star Wars' movie

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daisy ridley star wars

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" feels ages away right now. The next chapter of the franchise will hit theaters December 15, 2017. 

Fans finally received their first good look at the film when Disney and Lucasfilm released the official trailer for the film in April. Not only will we see a large returning cast, but we'll also see a few new faces on screen.

In celebration of Star Wars Day, we've rounded up everything we know about the next film in the saga.

"The Last Jedi" is plural.

Fans started speculating who the title of the next movie was referring to right away. The obvious answer was Luke Skywalker. The opening crawl of "Episode VII" directly referred to him as "The Last Jedi." Others thought "The Last Jedi" may be plural and refer to both Luke and Rey, who exhibited Force powers in "The Force Awakens." 

When Disney revealed the international titles for the film, it was confirmed the title of the eighth movie is plural. The Spanish title for the movie is "Los Ultimos Jedi," referring to more than one, and possibly a group. If the phrase was referring to one character, the film could have been called "El Ultimo Jedi" or, if the film was referring to a female, "La Ultima Jedi." Nouns in Spanish are masculine or feminine.

However, in a recent interview on "Good Morning America,"Johnson said in his mind, the title is singular, making things all the more confusing. We're betting "The Last Jedi" may be open for interpretation and have more than one meaning.



The film picks up right where "The Force Awakens" left off.

Thank goodness! "The Force Awakens" ended on quite the cliffhanger with Rey offering Luke his old lightsaber. Johnson delivered the good news on the last day of Star Wars Celebration Orlando (SWCO).



The first line of the new film will be spoken by Mark Hamill.

Disney showed a short tease of the film to shareholders in March. According to Los Angeles Times reporter Daniel N. Miller, the first dialogue in the film is Luke asking Rey, "Who are you?"



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Images and video show the aftermath of major flooding in Arkansas

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arkansas flood

A levee burst in the town of Pocahontas, Arkansas, caused flash floods after a weekend of rain in the Midwest.

Some of the 6,500 residents in Pocahontas were ordered to evacuate, as the National Weather Service called the flooding "a potentially life-threatening situation,"The Washington Post reported.

At least 20 people died in the storms, but the levee breach took things to another level.

These aerial images show the extent of disaster residents of Pocahontas are facing.

SEE ALSO: Flooding forces hundreds from homes in Canadian province

This aerial shot shows encroaching floodwaters which appeared to surround businesses and a highway.

 



Here's a photo of the actual levee breach.

 



Video footage appears to show floodwaters flowing over a section of the broken levee.

 



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The 9 largest musical fortunes in Britain

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Mick Jagger Perform

Music is big business, and while singing and playing in a band can make you rich and famous — working as producer, dancer, or lyricist can be even more lucrative.

Every year The Sunday Times publishes its highly anticipated "Rich List" of all the wealthiest people in Britain.

As a preview, the publication released a snippet of some of the rankings, listing who accrued the largest musical fortunes in the UK.

This includes individual dancers, singers, bands, and music producers.

The Sunday Times did not say why it split some bands' musical fortunes up into individual rankings.

Even though Adele is one of the most popular music artists of all time, in Britain she still fails to even remotely top the top 10 richest music-related people with £125 million.

Business Insider took a look at some of the largest musical fortunes in Britain.

T=8. Michael Flatley — £200 million. The dancer, choreographer, and musician became famous in the 1990s for his Irish dance shows Riverdance and the Lord of the Dance.



T=8. Ringo Starr — £200 million. The former drummer for The Beatles amassed a huge fortune during and after his time with the band through royalties and personal music projects.



7. Olivia and Dhani Harrison — £210 million. When one of The Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in 2001, he bequeathed his fortune to his wife and only child Dhani (pictured).



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7 images that show off how the new screen on the iPhone 8 could work (AAPL)

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iPhone 8 function area

New concept images of the iPhone 8 depict what the bottom of the phone might look like and how it could be used.

The designs — created by Benjamin Geskin for iDropNews— show an iPhone with a section at the bottom that's being described as a "function area" and no physical home button.

The so-called "function area" would reportedly contain a virtual home button and possibly a display-embedded fingerprint sensor, according to iDropNews. But it could also be used to control music and videos in the same way that the Touch Bar can on the new MacBook Pro.

The "function area" idea has some credibility. It was first predicted in February by renowned KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an impressive track record for accurately predicting features on upcoming devices.

Leaks and reports suggest that the new iPhone 8 will have a 5.8 inch screen but Kuo believes that only 5.15 inches of that display will be usable in the traditional sense. The remainder will be dedicated to the "function area".







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5 great tech brands you’ve probably never heard of

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

cartella slim macbook pro cover on desk closed_1

At Insider Picks we try to write about a mix of big and small companies — whether they're the titans you've heard of or up-and-coming startups looking to disrupt an industry.

We've written about the products from the five companies below, but in case they've fallen under your radar, we're calling them out again here. You'll find out who they are, what makes them interesting, and which of their products are most worth checking out.

You might be surprised that a company you've heard of only once or twice is making the product you wish you'd bought months ago.

DON'T MISS: 50 must-have tech accessories under $50

SEE ALSO: Amazon's store brand makes a lot of great tech, but these are the 10 gadgets actually worth buying

Who they are:

Monoprice has been a long-time friend of geeks looking to avoid high markups on cables from traditional big-box retailers. 

Why you should know about them:

They're not just about cables anymore! For the past few years, Monoprice has started to enter different industries, but their mantra has stayed the same: cut out the middle step between the product and customer, and save the customer money. Their emphasis is placed on value, so in many cases, you'll be getting a Monoprice product that's comparable to a name-brand one, but without any extra bells and whistles.

Which products you should pay attention to:

5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System, $99.99, available at Amazon



Who they are:

Pad & Quill is a retailer selling hand-crafted cases for Apple (and some Android) devices.

Why you should know about them:

If style and craftsmanship are two attributes you're looking for in a case for your tech, Pad & Quill should be your first — and maybe only — destination. Out of all the cases I've tried for my phone, none match the aesthetics of the company's Woodline Case.

I'll still try other cases for review, but Pad & Quill's continues to be the phone case I use on a daily basis. Many of their products are hand-assembled in the US, so if you're looking to support the domestic economy with an aesthetically peerless case, you should certainly check them out. 

Which products you should pay attention to:

Woodline Case for iPhone 7, $49.95, available at Pad & Quill

Woodline Case for iPhone 7 Plus, $49.95, available at Pad & Quill

Contega Linen iPad Pro 9.7 Case, $119.95, available at Amazon

Contega Linen iPad Pro 12.9 Case, $129.95, available at Amazon

Cartella Slim Case for 2016 Macbook Pro 13, $89.99, available at Pad & Quill

Cartella Slim Case for 2016 Macbook Pro 15, $99.99, available at Pad & Quill

You can check out all of Pad & Quill's products here.



Who they are:

As the original makers of the iPhone battery case, mophie has cemented their legacy as a key mobile-accessory maker.

Why you should know about them:

If you care at all about keeping your devices alive, mophie should be one of the first companies that you should think of. They're all about making batteries of all shapes and sizes, but their standout products are their battery cases. I've tried two of them: one for my iPhone 6 Plus and one for my iPhone 7 Plus, and both have impressed. They're relentless in their pursuit of making battery cases that keep bulk and weight down to a minimum, which I can appreciate.

Which products you should pay attention to:

Juice Pack for iPhone 6/6s, $69.99, available at Amazon

Juice Pack for iPhone 6/6s Plus, $129.95, available at Amazon

Juice Pack for iPhone 7, $99.94, available at Amazon

Juice Pack for iPhone 7 Plus, $75, available at Amazon

Power Capsule, $39.95, available at Amazon

Editor's note: The charging pad comes bundled with the iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6/6s Plus cases, but isn't bundled with the iPhone 7/Plus case. It can be purchased separately here.

You can check out all of mophie's products here.



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18 traditionally British foods that Americans are missing out on

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scotch egg

The English may have a notoriously bad reputation in the culinary department, but it appears that some people living across the pond pine for some traditional British favorites — or they might, if they knew they existed.

A Quora user asked the question: Are there any UK foods USA folk wish they had readily available & vice versa?

There are in fact quite a few quintessentially British snacks and drinks that are difficult to source in the states.

We've picked a selection of the best, according to Quora users and members of the Business Insider London office.

1. Cadbury's chocolate

British-made Cadbury chocolate is praised for its rich and creamy texture, while the American version is often criticised for being too sweet. That's because they use different recipes

Shona Ghosh, senior tech reporter at BI UK said: "American chocolate, specifically Hersheys, has this strange, vomit-like flavour, which happily you don't find in British chocolate."

"Even really cheap British chocolate seems to have a better, tastier combination of milk and sugar. Personally, I'm a big fan of non-US KitKat."



2. Scotch eggs

Fortnum & Mason, an upmarket department store, claims to have invented the Scotch egg, which consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried.

A trusty picnic snack, they have witnessed a resurgence in popularity in recent years and gourmet Scotch eggs are now sold in trendy gastro pubs as a bar snack.



3. Ribena

Ribena, a sweet juice drink most famous for its blackcurrant flavour, is a firm childhood memory for most Brits. The majority of Americans, however, have never even tasted blackcurrant.

Ribena also comes in squash form, a concentrated syrup which is diluted with water to make a drink.

"You can't get *any* kind of squash here," according to Quora user Dewi Morgan, a UK expat living in Texas since 2009.



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We got up close and personal with Ford's $400,000 GT supercar (F)

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Ford GT 22

I wrote an entire book about Ford's new GT supercar, but up until quite recently, I had only gazed upon the car at auto shows and watched the race-car version win the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France. Briefly, I sat in it at the 2017 Detroit auto show.

That all changed when Ford brought a brand-new GT to Manhattan's Classic Car Club to show off the $400,000 machine's multiple driving modes.

I slipped into the driver's seat, tucked in front of the mid-mounted 647-horsepower twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, and pressed the start button.

Wow.

The glorious machine came to life. Here's what it was like, inside and out:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

 

SEE ALSO: Ford is giving GT owners 5 ways to drive its $400,000 supercar

The GT arrived on a rainy day in Manhattan. The "Liquid Blue" paint job was what the car wore when it was debuted to dropped jaws at the 2015 Detroit auto show.



I got in the driver's seat as quickly as possible.



The design is a symphony of bold gestures, smoothly flowing lines, and exotic shapes. The Ford design team worked in secret on the car for a year.



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The new BlackBerry phone brings the old-school keyboard back from the dead — here’s what it’s like

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blackberry keyone

Here’s what I think is going to happen to smartphones.

Today, most name-brand smartphones look and feel about the same. The trend with the latest top-end phones is to shrink the borders around the display, but that's well on its way to being commoditized, too.

But for most phone makers, the "follow the leader" strategy isn’t working. Apple and Samsung are, for the most part, the only ones who consistently sell to a mass market. 

Eventually, these other companies will have to stand out or go away. If they do the former, I think we'll see a new wave of hardware that plays to specific niches. There'd be a phone for gamers, a phone for camera fiends, maybe even a modular phone. Would all of these be good? No. It's also worth noting that many companies have tried and failed on this route before. But with better tech to work with, augmented reality coming, and a much larger pool of people to sell to, it may be time to try again.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying the BlackBerry KeyOne is a quality phone, but only for a very particular group of people. More specifically, the new $549 device — which is technically built by Chinese brand TCL but uses BlackBerry's branding and software — should align well with anyone who misses the feel of a physical keyboard. What's more, it's the only good phone for that group.

For everyone else, though, it's probably overpriced.

I've been using a pre-production unit of the BlackBerry KeyOne for the past two weeks — here's what it's like:

SEE ALSO: One year later, I’d still take the iPhone SE over the iPhone 7

The KeyOne does well to replicate the classic BlackBerry feel. It's a busy, grown-up device — all black and silver, with a grippy, rubbery back accented by rounded aluminum sides. It's thicker (0.37 inches) and heavier (6.35 ounces) than an iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8, but not to the point of annoyance. There's a heft and solidness to it that keeps it from feeling cheap.



That said, it's not much of a looker. Between the contrasting materials, the weirdly prominent proximity sensor on the front, the big cutout at the top, the slight camera bulge, and that plastic keyboard, there's just a ton going on here. It’s got the "professional" vibe that BlackBerry is known for, but there are too many lines for it to ever be stylish.

It also lacks any official waterproofing, which is a disappointment given that it costs $550.



At the center of the KeyOne is a 4.5-inch IPS display. It has a resolution of 1620x1080, which is more than sharp enough. It's not the brightest I've used, and colors aren't nearly as vivid as they are with the best OLED displays, such as the one on the Galaxy S8. But phone screens have become so good in recent years that even a middle-of-the-road option like this should be perfectly fine for most.

It's also small. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, but because the phone itself is fairly big, the small screen mostly serves to make watching videos and playing games less enjoyable.

If there was any doubt over how this phone is meant for working more than entertainment, that should squash it.



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4 times you need a financial planner — even if you're good with money

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wealthy couple umbrella

DIY is all the rage, but there are situations when you should call in a professional — like when you're rewiring a bathroom or reworking your investment portfolio.

If you're dealing with the former, call an electrician. Please. And when it comes to managing your money, you might want a financial planner on the job.

What does a financial planner do?

A financial planner looks at the big picture when it comes to your money and develops a comprehensive plan to address your needs and long-term goals. Ideally, he or she can advise you on investments, insurance, estate planning, and taxes, among other things.

Your planner might be paid hourly, on a project basis, via a monthly retainer or with a percentage of any investments he or she manages on your behalf.

Do you need a financial planner?

If your finances are relatively simple and your money questions can be answered with a Google search, save your money and skip the financial advisor. You don't need to pay someone to tell you to keep contributing to your employer's 401(k).

"Do you need a surgeon to put on a Band-Aid? Do you need a mechanic to put air in your tires?" asks Pedro Silva, a financial advisor in Massachusetts. "The complexity of the situation should dictate how much help [you] need."

Below are four potentially complex money situations that might warrant a financial planner.

SEE ALSO: I spent 5 years studying self-made millionaires — these are the 10 traits they had in common

You're getting married

Sometimes combining finances requires a neutral party. A financial planner can be that party, says Scott Snider, a financial planner who works in Ohio and Florida.

"When couples are first married, they're still getting to know how they both operate in terms of money," Snider says. "A financial planner can help them work through defining their goals, how they look at their money, and then ranking and prioritizing goals."

Once you have a plan, you can implement it yourself and check in with a planner as you approach other milestones that could affect your finances, such as having children.

A planner can also determine whether you and your partner are better off filing taxes together or separately. Snider recalls one instance when filing separately cost a couple $4,200.



You're getting divorced

Happily ever after doesn’t always end that way, and the consequences can wreak havoc on your finances. For starters, you’re likely going from two incomes to one. You’re also divvying up financial assets — property, investments and cash — and responsibilities, such as child support and alimony.

“Anyone going through a divorce should find a good lawyer and a good planner and make sure they’re on the same page,” Snider says. “Are you getting hosed on something, like your spouse taking all the cash holdings but giving you the pretax IRA? They’re not the same things.”

Snider says a good lawyer will fight for a fair division of assets and a financial planner will help you hit the reset button and figure out how to manage your money going forward.



You're starting a family

Babies are expensive. That’s not news to parents, but exactly how expensive might be surprising.

With health care, clothing, food, toys, diapers and day care, parents could spend more than $20,000 in just their child’s first year, according to a recent NerdWallet analysis. But most seriously underestimate the costs of raising a baby.

A financial planner can help you plan for your child’s first year and beyond. He or she can advise you on balancing college savings with retirement savings and other priorities, ensure you have the right level of disability and life insurance coverage, and help you stretch your dollars.



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7 ways to tell whether someone is cheating on you

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Ever worry that your significant other isn't being entirely truthful?

First of all, there's a good chance you're right — it's perfectly normal to lie on occasion.

But if you're worried that your partner's fibbing extends into the important stuff, like happiness or fidelity, you might be wondering how to catch them in a lie.

Unfortunately, science can't tell you if your partner is sleeping around, but there are ways to spot when someone — especially a significant other — is being deceptive.

Here are seven ways to tell if your partner might be keeping something important from you.

SEE ALSO: Psychologist says these 2 patterns of behavior are the most common signs that a couple is going to divorce

READ MORE: 5 things that happen to couples who've been together a long time

Ask a friend.

Other people — strangers, even — have an uncanny ability to detect when something's not right in someone else's relationship.

BYU psychologists tested this idea by having couples draw an object together, with one participant blindfolded and the other one giving instructions on what to draw. The whole thing was videotaped. Before they started, the scientists had the couples answer a few questions about their relationship in private, including whether or not they'd ever cheated. 

Then, the researchers had a group of strangers watch the footage and guess which couples included a partner who'd ever cheated. The volunteers were surprisingly accurate.

Although preliminary, the research suggests that, simply by watching a couple doing something that requires working together, an outside observer may be able to detect infidelity or unhappiness.

"People make remarkably accurate judgments about others in a variety of situations after just a brief exposure to their behavior," the researchers wrote in the study.



Mull it over while doing something else.

When people are given time to process another person's actions subconsciously, they seem to get better at telling truth from deceit.

In 2013, a team of psychologists had a panel of student judges watch people give testimony and decide if they'd lied or told the truth. One group of students was given time to think before they made a decision — but were made to think about something other than the case they were assessing. Those students were better at figuring out whether the person they were judging had been deceitful.

"These findings suggest that the human mind is not unfit to distinguish between truth and deception," the researchers wrote in the study, "but that this ability resides in previously overlooked processes."



Listen carefully to the words they use.

For a recent study, University of Texas at Austin psychology professor James W. Pennebaker looked at data he and his colleague Diane Berry gathered from a text analysis program. They found some specific patterns of language that were helpful at predicting when someone was avoiding the truth.

Liars, they found, tended to use fewer of the following three types of words:

  • First person words, like "I,""me," or "my"
  • Cognitive words, like "realize" or "think"
  • Exclusive words, like "but" or "except"

But they tended to use more of the following types of words:

  • Negative emotion words, like "hate,""anger," or "enemy"
  • Motion verbs, like "walk" or "move"


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RANKED: Hulu's original shows, from best to worst

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Ofglen and Offred salvaging The Handmaid's Tale

Last month, Hulu scored its first certified breakout hit with "The Handmaid's Tale," the adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, starring Elisabeth Moss.

But that's not the only hit Hulu has had recently. "Harlots," Hulu's edgy historical drama about an 18th century brothel owner, is sitting at a 97% on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Though Hulu has been making original shows for a few years, these are its two top-rated shows by critics — and they came out less than a month apart.

Hulu, whose main value has been "next-day" episodes of blockbuster TV shows, is having a moment right now with its originals. On Wednesday, the company finally launched its $40-a-month competitor to cable TV. So it's a good time to take stock of Hulu's catalog of original material, and see which ones you might have missed.

To give you a full picture of how Hulu shows stack up against each other, we turned to Rotten Tomatoes, which pulls in critic (and audience) reviews from all over the world. We excluded Hulu originals that had less than four critic reviews.

Here are Hulu's 12 original shows, ordered from worst to best:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Amazon's 20 original shows from best to worst

No. 12: "Shut Eye"— 38/100

Critics score: 38

Audience score: 81

Hulu description: "Shut Eye takes a darkly comedic look at the world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them. Former magician Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan) oversees a number of fortune telling parlors on behalf of his violent and domineering Romani kingpin boss, until a blow to the head jars him into a new mindset, making him question everything he has ever believed."

Status: Current



No. 11: "Dimension 404"— 67/100

Critics score: 67

Audience score: 54

Hulu description: "In the darkest depths of cyberspace, there is another world. A lost dimension, home to wonders unseen, terrors unspeakable, and stories unlike any ever told. Dimension 404 is a science fiction anthology that explores the wonders - and terrors - of our digital age. From outrageous horror comedy to mind-bending action adventure, each episode tells a weird and wild sci-fi tale where the twist ending... is just the beginning. Do not click back. Do not reload. You have reconnected... to Dimension 404."

Status: Current



No. 10: "Hotwives of Orlando"— 78/100

Critics score: 78

Audience score: 100

Hulu description: "A parody of one of the most popular franchises in reality television, “The Hotwives of Orlando,” takes you inside the uber-exclusive and glamorous world of six hot housewives livin’ large in Central Florida's sexiest city, Orlando. The show follows a cast of ladies as they fight over pretty much everything except for their love of shoes, plastic surgery, and the pursuit of spending all of their husbands’ money."

Status: Ended



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We tested the two best-selling SUVs in America — and the winner is clear

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When it comes to the US auto market, consumers have declared bigger is better.

Pick-up trucks and SUVs continue to be a dominate force in the industry as passenger car sales fall. Cheaper gas prices have only made larger vehicles more alluring to consumers — a trend unlikely to cease as the Trump administration preps to roll back fuel emissions standards.

Compact and mid-size crossover SUVs are particularly hot, accounting for 35% of all cars and trucks sold in the US.

With that in mind, we decided to take the two most popular crossover SUVs for a spin: the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The two vehicles are fairly easy to compare: they fall within the same price bracket and have dominated the compact SUV segment the last several years. Here's our verdict:

SEE ALSO: I tried the $500 car gadget created by ex-Apple engineers — here's what it was like

Behold, the Honda CR-V. The vehicle is America’s best-selling crossover SUV and has posted 7 years of sales gains at the company. It starts at $24,000, but the more luxurious Touring model pictured here costs $33,695.



Next is the Toyota RAV4, a close second to the CR-V when it comes to crossover SUV sales. But the vehicle is gaining steam — Toyota sold 352,169 RAV4 cars in 2016, an 11.6% gain from the year prior. The vehicle starts at $24,350, but I took Premium model priced at $36,150 for a spin.



The CR-V isn’t anything special to look at it, but it’s certainly not boring. Powerful LED lights and chrome trimmings give an otherwise straightforward SUV a refreshed look. At 180.6 inches long with a 104.7-inch wheelbase, it’s a little bigger than a traditional compact SUV, but still fits nicely in the segment.



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These before-and-after photos show how much fast food has changed over the years

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McDonald's

To say competitive, fast-food chains across America have to revamp their menus and re-design their stores almost as quickly as they prepare their food.

These days, top chains are doing everything possible to stay current and keep their customers coming back. That includes adding mobile ordering, self-service kiosks, and even alcohol at some locations. 

Take a look at how some of America's most popular chains have evolved over the years:

 

 

 

 

Back in 1955, McDonald's offered 15-cent hamburgers. At the time, its menu only offered nine items.



McDonald's packaging has gone through noticeable changes over the years. This is what it looked like in 1955, complete with its old mascot.



Ronald McDonald made his first appearance in 1963, and he has been around ever since.



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