Jess Last and Charlie Wild, both 29 years old, have been together for almost 10 years. Last year they quit their jobs in advertising and set out to travel the world.

Using Instagram as their only guide, they decided to explore under-the-radar destinations through the lens of locals.

"The Instagram community is full of creative people wanting to meet other creatives and you can feed off each other," Last told Business Insider.

Wild adds: "It's essentially your shop window, or a mood board of your tastes and you can tell quite a lot about a person from their Instagram."

Their route began in India, and then they travelled to Singapore, through Malaysia, Myanmar, and ended in South Africa.

As the couple landed in new cities they used Instagram for tips and hints on what to explore using the hashtags and geo-location settings. They found that every country they visited used the app differently. In India users open up their homes to fellow Instagrammars, while in Hong Kong users reserve certain information for the locals.

In the Himalayas they taught English to refugee monks. In Myanmar they met the tattooed women of a remote tribe. The custom began, according to legend, as a means for young women to repel an ancient King and avoid enslavement.

Overall, they met about 50 other Instagramers on their trip. While they didn't have any "dodgy" experiences during the six-months they spent connecting with strangers, the "coolest and edgiest" experience they had was at a boxing club in Johannesburg.

The couple racked up 12,500 followers on The Travel Project account, and are keen to grow this further on their next stint to the Southern states of America. They funded the first six months with their own savings, but by the end of their trip (and once they're follower base hit 10,000) they were being approached by tourism boards for sponsored content.

Scroll down for a sneak peek of their stunning trip, made possible through the use of the photo sharing app.

Prior to forming The Travel Project, the couple both worked at creative agencies in London. Last was an account director and Wild was head of social, but they grew tired of the same old routines.

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... It began with a one-way ticket to India, where they spent two months. One of their favourite places was the ancient village of Hampi, in Karnataka, South India. "The only way I can describe it is as if you're on a film set of The Flintstones," says Last."There are huge boulders everywhere, next to rice paddies, palm trees and amazing wildlife."

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"Lots of people tip you to go and see different ruins, which are amazing, but our favourite thing was when someone said go to the other side of the river, get a motorbike, and just drive."

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Instagram is huge in India, according to the duo. "It was probably the best place in the world we could have started," says Wild.

The couple soon learned that Instagram users in India frequently open up their homes to fellow users that they have never met before.

Jess adds, "We would reach out to people with 100,000 plus followers (when we had hardly anything) and they'd invite us to meet up."

One girl in Delhi invited the couple to go and stay with her family, "it really felt like we were living like a local."

Uber has always wanted to make calling a car as easy as a push of a button. And while the company has nailed that experience, there's still a lot more you can do to become a power user of Uber. 

Here are seven tips and tricks to take your Uber game to the next level.

SEE ALSO: Uber's bad year: The stunning string of blows that continue to upend the world's most valuable startup

Add bookmarks so you can save time typing in your favorite destinations.

While Uber has gotten better about showing you places you frequent as suggestions when you open the app, you can make it much faster by bookmarking certain locations, like your favorite local bar or a friend's house. 

Here's how to use the Saved Places feature, according to Uber:

Once en route to a favorite place, riders should look for the option to save that address in the Uber feed. To access a saved address, tap "Where to?", and then "more saved places" and select from the list. A rider's Saved Places will even start to show up on their home screen "shortcuts" if we predict that’s where they could be going, so they can get moving with just one tap.

Schedule an Uber pick-up in advance.

Scheduling a ride is great if you know you have an early airport run or need to have an Uber waiting as you wrap up a meeting. To schedule, tap on the button that looks like a calendar to the right of the "Where to?" destination field in the app. You can schedule rides for up to 30 days out.

Order food while you're on your way home.

Uber wants to time it so you can arrive home right as your burrito is being delivered to your door.

If UberEats is available in your city, you can see different restaurant delivery options inside your ride's "feed" while you're on a trip. Even better, Uber calculates how long it will take for your food to arrive after your ride is done so you know how long you'll be waiting.

If you're reading about WiFi routers, chances are your WiFi at home isn't living up to your standards.

The first thing I'd recommend is to make sure you're using your own internet modem if possible, as the one provided by your internet service provider (ISP) might be the culprit for slower internet speeds than your paying for.

If that doesn't do the trick, maybe your WiFi router can't reach the parts of your home where you use WiFi. If you're suffering from poor WiFi signal, I'd sincerely recommend looking into the newer WiFi "systems" over buying a regular WiFi range extender. 

Regular extenders generally don't work very well, as they often cut your internet speeds in half where you want to extend your WiFi. WiFi systems are also easier to use than regular extenders.

I had some time with Netgear's latest offering in the WiFi systems space, called the Orbi RBK40, and it's my new top recommendation if you're looking for a WiFi upgrade.

Check it out:

SEE ALSO: http://www.businessinsider.com/buy-a-wifi-mesh-system-instead-of-a-traditional-wifi-extender-2017-4

I tried Netgear's new Orbi RBK40 WiFi system, which includes two units that are smaller than Netgear's original RBK50 Orbi system.

The main differences between the new RBK40 and the original RBK50 models is coverage and price.

- The RBK40, which includes a primary router and a satellite device, covers up to 4,000 square feet. You can buy the RBK40 for $300 on Amazon at the time of writing. 

- The RBK50, which also includes two access points, covers up to 5,000 square feet. It goes for $380 on Amazon at the time of writing. 

Both units are designed to connect to each other to form a WiFi "system," which is different than the traditional WiFi router and extender setup.

Most WiFi systems offer better coverage than an ad hoc pairing of a router and range extender.

The typical WiFi range extender is designed to work with a wide variety of routers. As a result, such devices typically aren't optimized for any particular one. By contrast, the component devices of WiFi systems are designed to work specifically with each other.

Such "systems," like Netgear's Orbi, also fix some of the main annoyances with regular WiFi range extenders. For example, most WiFi routers and extenders require you to manually switch between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Orbi system, though, will automatically switch bands on your devices based on signal strength and the speeds you need.

By default, it tries to keep most devices connected to the 5GHz band, which can transmit at faster speeds. However, if your devices are out of range of the 5GHz band, it'll automatically switch their connections to the longer range 2.4GHz band. For most applications, that band will still work perfectly well. 

I set up the primary router with the blue top on the first floor at the center of my home and the satellite unit with the white top upstairs where I would usually put a regular WiFi range extender, and got to work.

Normally, a single powerful router would do the trick for most of my home, but not all of it. There are certain WiFi dead-zones upstairs and downstairs. Multiple Orbi units are designed to fix dead-zone problems like mine.

So much about the process of building wealth has to do with cultivating smart habits from the start. These are the behaviors and activities you practice every day, even the littlest ones, that bring you one step closer to your goal.

In their new book "Wealth Can't Wait," entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and self-made millionaires David Osborn and Paul Morris outline how to build sustainable wealth by cultivating smart habits, or disciplines.

Osborn is the operating partner of Keller Williams Realty and managing partner at private equity group Align Capital. Morris is the CEO of the second-largest Keller Williams franchise, located in Beverly Hills, California.

Below, check out their seven strategies to help you build more wealth.

SEE ALSO: 10 signs you'll never be rich

DON'T MISS: 7 ways you're hurting your chances at building wealth, according to 2 self-made millionaires

1. Constantly revisit your plan

"Nothing is more powerful than creating a vision of the near-term, mid-term, and long-term future," the authors write. It's important to "design your life" knowing exactly how you'd like it to end up.

But because life is filled with unexpected bumps and changes in course, it's imperative to revisit your plan constantly. Osborn heads to a coffee shop or juice bar once a week to sit and consider recent accomplishments or setbacks, check in on his progress, and adjust his plan accordingly.

2. Become your own expert

Just because someone is labeled an "expert" at something doesn't mean they can predict the future. Consider the numerous economists who were calling mortgage-backed securities safe "right up until they were nearly worthless," write Morris and Osborn. Or the 2016 presidential election, which Moody's — and nearly every other "expert" under the sun — predicted would be a runaway victory for Hillary Clinton. 

Instead of listening to guesses about what will happen in the future, base your investments and business decisions on what works for you now, the authors advise.

"Invest in things that will stand up if circumstances stay the same for a long time or get worse. Have a plan that will create a predictable value-add. Then go for it."

3. Stay in your lane

This tip is simple: Stick with what you know. "Great wealth isn't built by diversifying into a million different things. ... get really good at something that generates revenue and stick with it," Morris and Osborn write. 

For these two entrepreneurs, that's real estate. They each have a target annual rate of return of 15%, and as they pay off more of the mortgage on a property every year they add principal growth. 

"Compare that to the long-term rate of a diversified portfolio of assets and you'll see why we say don't diversify," they write. That said, once you've built wealth, get in touch with a financial adviser who can help you strategically diversify that earned wealth into new investments.

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

Pretty much all of us understand the importance of sleep in maintaining and improving mental health, attention span, overall capability, and even things like our weight and the clarity of our skin.

But in a more immediate sense, waking up with various aches and pains chips away at the restorative goal of going to bed to begin with.

Thanks to a growing push for lower costs, higher customer convenience, and dissatisfaction with the traditional experience of going to lay down on a variety of mattresses in a showroom with a salesperson, mattress startups are one section of the direct-to-consumer marketplace that’s seen a huge upswell in recent years.

From most of the top competitors, quality is high and costs are comparatively low. To match with ease and utility, many are free to ship to your door. To mitigate concerns over buying something so essential online and trusting reviews, nearly all have a standard, 100-night risk-free trial — long enough to see the effects the specific shape and make have on your body and sleep cycles.

It's a crowded space, and the expense of a high-quality mattress is often, unfortunately, proportionate to how important good sleep is to a productive lifestyle. For the most part, you get what you pay for when it comes to bedding. But one loophole here is the off chance of a discount, which is why we rounded up four great mattress discounts going on right now.

Right now, you can take $50 off a Bear mattress, $75 off a PangeaBed copper mattress, $100 off a Leesa mattress, and $200 off a Sapira mattress. For all of the mattresses included, there is a 100-night risk-free trial, free shipping, and easy returns.

Below, we provide more details about what each mattress offers and how to take advantage of the multiple offers.

DON'T MISS: A pillow made by a popular mattress startup has helped me sleep much better

Sapira

Most direct-to-consumer mattresses are made out of plush memory foam, but Sapira's mattresses are offering much-needed diversity with an innovative, hybrid mattress that fuses traditional pocket springs and high-performance foams to get the best of both worlds. 

"Pocket springs are not necessarily better, but they are a preference for many," David Wolfe, Sapira's co-founder and CEO, told Business Insider. "A high-quality pocket-spring system allows the entire mattress to conform to your body. It allows the upper layers of memory foam and Avena to perform even more effectively."

Right now, you can take $200 off any size Sapira mattress, which is a huge discount considering the quality and popularity. No code is required.

There's free shipping, 100-night risk-free trial, and easy returns.

Typically, Sapira's mattresses range on the more expensive side, but they're much more manageable with the discount.

The Sapira Mattress is available in the following sizes and prices now: twin, $775 (originally $975); twin XL, $875 (originally $1,075); full, $1,075 (originally $1,275); queen, $1,275 (originally $1,475); king, $1,575 (originally $1,775); California king, $1,575 (originally $1,775).

Click here to redeem the offer >>

Leesa

Leesa's mission is simple: be the best mattress possible for the most people; all body shapes and types of sleepers will find their unique needs satisfied. Because of its design, you won't have to choose between a firm or plush mattress, claims which Tech Insider reporter Rafi Letzter backs up. Back, side, and stomach sleepers will all be accommodated by the Leesa.

"Leesa developed a memory-foam-based mattress that was intended to improve on the market leader," David Wolfe told Business Insider. "For all its undoubted benefits in terms of pressure relief, there were three major drawbacks to the market leader. It slept hot (heat), you would sink into it and not be able to move around (bounce), and it was incredibly expensive."

According to Wolfe, "Leesa's mattress fixes all these problems with a solid base layer of foam and two layers of specialty foam on top of that, which provide the benefits of memory foam in the middle layer and cooling and bounce on the top layer."

Though brought to you by the same folks behind Sapira, the Leesa mattress is typically much less expensive. Although, right now, with $200 off any Sapira mattress and $100 off Leesa's, deciding between beds in the queen sizes and up really comes down to personal preference over cost.

The $100 is automatically applied, so you don't need to remember a code when you pay. 

If you'd like to read an extensive review before purchasing, we have one here. There's also a 100-night risk-free trial period, just to be certain it's perfect for you.

The Leesa Mattress is available in the following sizes and the following prices now: twin, $425 (originally $525); twin XL, $525 (originally $625); full, $690 (originally $790); queen, $840 (originally $940); king, $970 (originally $1,070); California king, $970 (originally $1,070).

Click here to redeem the offer >>

PangeaBed

PangeaBed is a mattress startup that's aiming to make sleep more sanitary and temperature-controlled. Copper is an antimicrobial mineral that humans have used since ancient civilizations to kill bacteria and also has well-documented properties as a heat conductor. PangeaBed infuses one of their mattresses and accompanying pillows with copper so the microbes that would otherwise happily breed in your mattress are killed on contact, and your body heat is more rapidly and effectively dispersed.

With the Copper Mattress, you'll sleep cooler and fewer dust mites and other microbes will be able to make your bed their home.

Right now, you can get a Copper Mattress from PangeaBed for $75 less, and save $30 on their pillows as well. Simply use the code "SAVE75" for the mattress and "SAVE30" for the pillow at checkout. 

There's a 10-year warranty, free shipping and free returns, and a 100-night sleep trial.

If you'd like more details before purchasing, you can read our detailed coverage here. We've covered their Copper Pillow, too. 

PangeaBed's Copper Mattress is available in the following sizes: twin, $570 (originally $645); twin XL, $670 (originally $745); full, $750 (originally $825); queen, $820 (originally $895); king, $970 (originally $1,045); California king, $970 (originally $1,045).

Click here to redeem the offer >>

About 47% of all women participate in the world of work.

They take up careers as teachers, coaches, farmers, priests, soldiers, and beyond. These 42 stunning portraits from Reuters show women at work around the world.

SEE ALSO: The most famous author from every state

Shinto priest Tomoe Ichino, 40, performs rituals of the indigenous faith of the Japanese people in Tokyo, Japan. She wears a pink robe because it makes her feel confident.

"In general, people think being a Shinto priest is a man's profession. If you're a woman, they think you're a shrine maiden, or a supplementary priestess," Ichino said. "People don't know women Shinto priests exist, so they think we can't perform rituals. Once, after I finished performing jiichinsai (a ground-breaking rtitual), I was asked, 'So, when is the priest coming?'"

Cristina Alvarez, 29, says she doesn't face inequality as a butcher in Mexico City, Mexico.

"I've never felt any gender inequality," Alvarez told Reuters. "I believe women can do the same jobs as men and that there should be no discrimination."

Elizabeth Mamani, 36, is a reporter working at Radio Union in Bolivia's national congress building in La Paz, Bolivia. She is sometimes barred from events because of her gender.

"When I started in this job, I did feel discrimination (from officials who controlled the access of members of the press to events). To counter discrimination in this profession, we as women, must excel, we must prepare ourselves in every field," Mamani told Reuters.

We need more than 140 characters to describe Twitter's Manhattan office.

The social media platform company, which employed 3,860 people around the world as of 2016, first moved to this Chelsea, Manhattan office, in 2015. Today, more than 400 Twitter employees work there. Out of all of the company's 30-plus offices around the world, it's the second-largest office after the San Francisco headquarters.

Recently, Business Insider took a trip to the office to see if it was hashtag-worthy.

Here's what we saw when we visited:

SEE ALSO: A look inside Kickstarter's Brooklyn office, where employees enjoy perks like a secret rooftop garden, coffee on tap, and plenty of dogs

DON'T MISS: A look inside Facebook's New York office, where employees of the $280 billion company enjoy virtual reality games and an in-house pastry chef

We swung by Twitter's Manhattan hub on a sunny May morning. The company's signature bird logo greeted us in front of the building — which is really two early-20th-century warehouses stuck together.

Our first stop was the lobby, which has a coffee bar ...

... a touch screen that we used to check Twitter ...

Every week, innovative new tech gadgets come on the scene. But for every practical invention, there is also a totally outlandish, off-the-wall gizmo. 

Here at Business Insider, our inboxes are flooded every day with emails from startups and companies "pitching" their game-changing products.  

We can't write about everything, of course. But some of these products are so odd, unusual or just plain fun that it feels wrong to let them languish, unheralded, in the depths of our inboxes.

So we've compiled some of our recent favorites. And who knows, they might just change the world.

See for yourself:

SEE ALSO: This $279 weighted blanket could help you sleep better and feel less stressed

HoverBike, a bike and hoverboard in one

The HoverBike is a two-wheeled bicycle powered by your hoverboard. The bike weighs less than 10 pounds and has an attachment for two different types of hoverboards, which then work to power the bike. HoverBike's Kickstarter campaign launched in May, and the company says early bird orders will begin shipping by July. 

The company says a pledge of $129 will get you your own HoverBike. As with any Kickstarter campaign, pledge at your own risk. 

Mighty Stash Pack, a reinvented lunch bag

A company called Dynomighty has launched a Kickstarter campaign for what it claims is a reinvented lunch bag. Called the Mighty Stash Pack, it's an expandable bag that flips inside out for easy cleaning. When flat, the bag is only about an inch thick but once packed, it expands to the shape of a tent "to hold ample food for any adult lunch."

The bag will eventually cost $20, though a pledge of $15 to the company's Kickstarter campaign right now will get you one at a discount.

Rolkaz hemp skateboards

Rolkaz Collective has created a skateboard made entirely of hemp, flax, and plant-based resin "with the belief that skateboarding and the care for our planet should go hand in hand." There are two styles available, the Drifter and the Mala, for pledges of $150 and $120 respectively. Both styles come in raw, purple, lime, and blue. 

For more information or to back this project, check out the company's Kickstarter campaign. 

President Donald Trump may only be a few months into his tenure, but Democratic leaders are already preparing for the 2020 election. 

The next 1,000-plus days promise an uncertain future for a party that saw Americans choose a bombastic Republican candidate with little political experience.

But some senators and city leaders are already coming out as clear contenders in the next election.

Here are some of the Democratic candidates who could run — or have a strong base of supporters who want them to run — for president in 2020.

SEE ALSO: Here are the odds on the 2020 presidential election (from Elizabeth Warren to Kanye West)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

Though Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primaries, the Vermont senator gained a devoted following among younger, progressive circles. Sanders' support of free post-secondary education, increased taxation for those making over $250,000 and universal healthcare makes him the anti-Trump that many in the Democratic Party have pined for.

Between his progressive views and millions of votes gathered in the 2016 primaries, Sanders has a real chance of becoming the next Democratic nominee — if he wants to run again in 2020, when he will be 78. He is already touring the country with political speeches.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Biden, who served as vice president under President Barack Obama and successfully negotiated several budget deals, became the subject of heated electoral speculation even before the results of the November election.

Biden shot down the idea of running in 2020 at a recent New Hampshire rally, but his frequent political appearances and insistence on rebuilding the Democratic Party after the November loss has kept the speculation alive.

“Do I regret not being president? Yes,” Biden said in March of deciding not to run in 2016 after his son, Beau, died of cancer. Biden said he felt he had a "better than ever chance" of being elected if he had run.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, Warren has emerged as one of the most respected members of the party for her progressive, anti-Wall Street stances and outspoken criticisms of Trump. 

Many liberals attempted to convince Warren to run in the 2016 election with the popular "Draft Warren" movement, though she eventually declined.

Her profile was raised again this year when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell silenced Warren in February after she criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions by reading a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King about Sessions.  

At a recent fundraising event, Warren supporters shouted"2020!" as she walked into the room.

"Game of Thrones" has always been known for its gratuitous nudity, but HBO's epic fantasy drama also packs plenty of shocking violence. 

Over the past six seasons, there have been many deaths, some more gruesome than the others.

In anticipation of season seven, premiering this summer, we put together a list of the most gruesome deaths we've seen on the show so far.

So you can fondly remember some very painful memories of lovable characters gone too soon, and relive some of the most satisfying deaths of the worst villains the show has to offer. 

Here are the most gruesome and violent deaths on "Game of Thrones":

SEE ALSO: All the 'Game of Thrones' deaths, ranked from least tragic to most tragic

20. Shae

The most gruesome, heartbreaking part of Shea's death? You could see it in Tyrion's eyes that despite her epic betrayal, he still loved her. 

Time of death: Season 4, episode 10, "The Children"

Cause of death: Tyrion strangled her upon discovering that she was sleeping with his father, Tywin.

19. Ser Vardis Egen

Not as graphic as some of the others, but it was one of our first looks at how effective (and brutal) of a fighter Bronn is. And such a long fall!

Time of death: Season 1, episode 6, "A Golden Crown"

Cause of death: After a bloody stab in the throat, Bronn throws the Knight of the Vale through the Moon Door, thus winning Tyrion's trial by combat. 

18. The High Septon, Margery Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, Kevan Lannister, Lancel Lannister

According to an alchemist Tyrion talks to in season two, wildfire "burns so hot, it melts wood, stone, even steel! And of course: flesh. The substance burns so hot it melts flesh like tallow."

Wildfire also becomes more potent as it ages. The wildfire Cersei used was placed there by the Mad King over 20 years ago, so it was extremely dangerous. The deaths at the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor were quick, but they certainly weren't painless. 

Time of deaths: Season 6, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of deaths: Burned alive in Cersei's wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor.

On Friday it was announced that Tom Brady would be on the cover of EA Sports' "Madden NFL 18," the latest version of the popular video-game franchise.

Much like the popular Sports Illustrated-cover curse, the Madden video game has its own eyebrow-raising history: the "Madden Curse."

Ever since athletes began appearing on the cover of Madden in the late '90s, they seem to almost immediately lose significant amounts of playing time because of injuries, run-ins with the law, or other reasons.

Below we document the long history of the "Madden Curse," with some help from NFL.com and DigitalTrends.com.

Early years of the Madden video-game franchise

In the early years of the Madden franchise, players occasionally appeared on the cover with John Madden, typically in the background. However, more often, Madden appeared on the cover by himself.

Madden 99 — Garrison Hearst

EA Sports tried something new for Madden 99 (released in 1998). While John Madden appeared on covers in North America, Garrison Hearst of the San Francisco 49ers appeared on the cover of the PAL version released in other parts of the world. In 1998, Hearst had his best season as a pro, rushing for 1,570 yards. However, on his first carry of the divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, he severely broke his ankle and he would miss the next two seasons. This is considered the beginning of the curse.

Madden 2000 — Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders is not always considered part of the curse, but we include him here for you to decide. Shortly after it was announced that he would be on the cover (behind John Madden in the background), he announced he was retiring from the NFL and would never play again. 

Roughly 93% of all the companies in the S&P 500 had reported their first-quarter earnings by Friday.

After combing through earnings calls, three big themes stood out to David Kostin, Goldman Sachs' chief US equity strategist: economic growth, regulation, and wage growth. 

The first two of these themes largely tie to the economic agenda of President Donald Trump's administration.

But mentions of one theme suddenly dimmed on the radar compared to the peak of election season in the fourth quarter: Trump himself.

Goldman published its quarterly S&P 500 Beige Book on Thursday, borrowing the concept from the Federal Reserve's similar release of anecdotes on the economy.

Here's a sampling of quotes on these three themes:

Economic growth

Most companies acknowledged that confidence in the economy has spiked since the election, but that hasn't translated to stronger consumer spending, or demand for their products. 

"The first thing I’d say is that through March 31, as we look at our results, it’s hard for us to see anything that’s suggestive of a material uptick in consumer confidence or consumer or commercial spending," said Jeffrey Campbell, the chief financial officer of American Express. 

"While we have been gaining momentum, as we look at the many different areas gaining momentum, we can see a change that we have made in how we’re running the business and what value propositions we’re offering, et cetera, that seems to be what is driving the change, as opposed to us getting the benefit of just a generally stronger economic environment."

Regulation

Business confidence rose partly on the back of expectations that the Trump administration would roll back expensive regulations.

"Animal spirits were obviously awaken[ed] by the policy direction of the new administration, policy direction that I personally endorse when it comes to regulation of business; less regulation," said Evan Greenberg, the CEO of Chubb. "God, get government out of our way."

However, the exact timing of deregulation is uncertain.

"We would have expected sometime over the last couple weeks to have gotten clarity," Visa CEO Alfred Kelly said during an earnings call. "There was supposed to be clarity no later than the end of March on the next chapter of regulation or guidance in terms of how things would have to go forward. And there hasn’t been, and we’ve been told that it will be delayed likely into early May."

Labor inflation

With the unemployment rate at a pre-recession low, the labor market appears to be near full employment. That's causing wage pressure at the company level, and on minimum wages in several states including California and Washington. 

Higher wages could hurt margins and stock prices, but are great news for workers. 

"Once you start making money, you’ll give more to labor than you did when you were making less money, and they’ll take some of the upside that should go to shareholders," said William Douglas Parker, the CEO of American Airlines.

"This is getting to a level of compensation across the industry that needed to occur. And once you get to that level, I think you’ll see, as you do in other mature businesses, that labor costs, certainly one, you get efficiencies over time, as good businesses do ... but all of us had to get to a point where we got to what, really, team members in this business deserve." 

The biggest restaurant story of the year has arguably been New York Times critic Pete Wells' withering review of Locol, a fast-food concept that brings high-quality, affordable food into urban neighborhoods. Wells awarded zero stars to the restaurant, calling the chili bland, the burger dry, and the chicken, well, "the best thing to do with it is pretend it doesn't exist."

Food blogs erupted in protest. Most did not take issue with the content of the review. Some called it "mostly right." But critics argued the review was in poor taste, given the restaurant's admirable mission to change lives in some of the most neglected food deserts in America.

Locol has two locations, in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles and a gentrifying part of Oakland. The company makes hires from disadvantaged areas, regardless of an applicant's work experience, criminal record, or even literacy, and pays above most fast-food wages.

I recently made a return trip to Locol to see how the food fared since Wells' review. Take a look.

SEE ALSO: This fast-food chain you've probably never heard of is making a killing selling $8 burgers

Welcome to the fast food revolution, according to Locol's website.

As more Americans turn to plant-based foods for health or environmental reasons, new fast-food chains are seizing the opportunity to compete with legacy brands like McDonald's, KFC, and Domino's. They serve low-calorie menus at similar prices.

Source: Business Insider

Locol has carved a niche in the space by serving neighborhoods where residents don't have access to or can't afford high-quality meals.

Ford is officially delivering the production versions of the its $400,000 Ford GT supercars. Ever since the GT's jaw-dropping debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show, anticipation for the car has been running high.

Fans saw what the racing version of the GT could do last year, when the car competed in North America and Europe and won the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, repeating history: it was 50 years to the day that the Ford GT40 went 1-2-3 at Le Mans, forging a legend.

That was a spectacular, against-the-odds triumph, with Ford once again dueling Ferrari (as well as Corvette, Aston Martin, and Porsche). It raised the expectations for the road-car to a fever pitch. Both vehicles were developed at the same time — that was the only way to get the race car on the track and satisfy the regulations to have a road car also in development.

Ford slowly teased us with glimpses of the GT after its 2015 debut. In 2016, a white GT appeared at the Detroit auto show. Then in 2017, a red GT was the centerpiece of Ford's booth in Detroit, sharing space with the battle-scarred Le Mans-winning racing car.

Earlier this year, Ford brought a GT to New York and we got to push the start button for the first time.

Then Ford invited us to drive the car, on the road and the race track, in Utah.

Here's what we thought:

SEE ALSO: http://www.businessinsider.com/ford-gt-pictures-2017-4

When the Ford GT was revealed at the 2015 Detroit auto show in January, it blew everybody's minds. With its elegant flying buttress wings, bold hood scoops, and razorlike edges, the supercar was breathtakingly beautiful. But its existence raised a question ...

Would Ford build a race car to make a run at repeating history? In 1966, the Ford GT40 went 1-2-3 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the toughest race in the world. Would Ford return to glory in France in 2016, 50 years later?

That question was answered a few months later when Ford pulled the cover off the racing version of the GT.

The San Antonio Spurs came up with a big Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, thanks in part to the heroics of Manu Ginobili.

Even at 39 years old, Ginobili remains a pivotal part of a Spurs team that just keeps chugging along.

As ESPN's Zach Lowe brilliantly detailed in 2016, Ginobili has one of the most inspiring, captivating stories in the NBA.

Over the course of 18 years, Ginobili has gone from a little-known guard playing in Italy to a famous sixth man and future Hall of Famer who's won four championships with the Spurs.

Here's how Ginobili transformed over the years to help San Antonio become the NBA's most dominant team over two decades, with details from Lowe's profile.

Ginobili was drafted by the Spurs with the 57th overall pick in 1999.

He did not immediately come over to the Spurs, however, opting to continue playing professionally in Italy. He won MVP of the Italian league in 2001-02.

To hear Spurs GM R.C. Buford tell it, the Spurs found Ginobili almost by mistake.

According to Lowe, Buford was scouting the under-22 world championships in Australia in 1997 and had never heard of Ginobili. He told Lowe, "He was like a wild colt out there, just doing crazy s---. Some of it made sense, and some of it didn't."

When Ginobili came to the NBA for the 2002-03 season, few had heard of him. Gregg Popovich tried to tell Tim Duncan that an impressive rookie was coming over.

Popovich told Lowe, "I told Timmy [Duncan], 'This guy is coming, and nobody in the U.S. knows how good he is.'"

"I had heard that before from Pop about other guys," Duncan said. "I was like, 'Whatever. We'll see.'"

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

Graduation season is fast approaching, and parents, friends, and other relatives are trying to figure out what to get the graduate in their life. 

They’ve just completed one of the biggest milestones in their lives, and it’s worth celebrating.

The objective is to give things that both commemorate the occasion and hopefully make their lives easier and better going forward because of your gesture.

Using input from colleagues, fellow students, and my own input as a graduate-to-be, I’ve rounded up 20 of the most thoughtful gifts that you could give: subscription services that take away pressure and stress, functional luxuries they’ll love to have but can’t buy for themselves, simple alternatives to just giving cash in a lone envelope, and more.

DON'T MISS: 16 of the most valuable things you can buy as a college student

SEE ALSO: 10 gadgets that solve some of our most annoying tech problems

A Birchbox subscription

In general, subscriptions are some of the best gifts that you can give. A monthly treat, especially on a tight budget, can be an extremely nice thing to look forward to. Every time their subscription is delivered, your giftee has a nice reminder that you care.

In my opinion, Birchbox is one of the best subscription services available and uniquely well-suited for graduates. It was started to get around how inconvenient and expensive shopping for new products can be. So, the founders combined monthly deliveries of personalized samples and an e-commerce shop. 

The products come in small sizes, so if they don't love them, no harm done. Her box will likely include products like face primers, conditioners, cleansers, mascaras, etc. that are expensive to buy in a store like Sephora but extremely easy and fun to do with Birchbox. His box will have four grooming samples (like nice aftershave, body wash, or even cologne), plus a stylish accessory or gadget each time. 

For her, you can gift a woman's subscription for 3 months for $30, 6 months for $60, or a full 12 months for $110.

For him, you can gift a man's subscription for 3 months for $60, 6 months for $110, or a full 12 months for $220.

Gift a Birchbox subscription to your grad

An Amazon Prime membership

An Amazon Prime membership is one of those things that immediately makes life easier and better. If you decide to gift one, the recipient will enjoy free two-day shipping; access to the Prime Now app, which provides free two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items; Prime Video, Amazon's streaming video service; Prime Music; the Kindle Lending Library; Prime Reading; Prime Audible Channels; unlimited photo storage, and more. 

If you want to know a little bit more about how Amazon Prime actually gives you a lot more than free shipping, you can read our overview of the service here. 

Gift an Amazon Prime membership

A trusted cookbook

A lot of graduates are coming out of school with little knowledge of cuisine or the human palette as it pertains to tastes not covered in mac and cheese or $1 pizza. A cookbook is a nice way to make sure they can get off on the right foot post-graduation, maybe eating some vegetables and enjoying the activity itself rather than relying on the same cheap eats out of habit or lack of know-how. 

Gift an Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa cookbook

The NBA playoffs have already given us some classic games and performances from some of the league's biggest stars.

This year's playoffs have been interesting in that it features some of the usual cast of characters — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, etc. — but they have also showcased some young, rising stars like Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas, and Gordon Hayward.

In a league where so many players come and go, it can be fun to revisit just how far some of the league's best players have come, both in appearance and skill set.

Take a look at how different some of the biggest stars remaining in the playoffs look today vs. their rookie years.

At 32 years old, LeBron James is still the NBA's most dominant player and poised to lead the Cavaliers to another Finals appearance.

In 2003, James entered the league at 18 years old as a high-school phenom.

Manu Ginobili may be the oldest star of the NBA playoffs, coming off the bench for the Spurs at 39.

Following the House of Representatives vote to pass the Republican health care bill, a left-leaning advocacy group, Save My Care, launched a $500,000 campaign targeting 24 Republican congresspeople who voted to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare legislation. 

The ads, which are a mix of television and digital, accuse congressional Republicans of voting to raise healthcare costs on average Americans and seniors, strip insurance from 24 million individuals, and raise costs for those with pre-existing conditions. It describes the GOP's American Health Care Act as a "disastrous health care repeal bill" that is opposed by the American Medical Association, the AARP, and the American Cancer Society. 

"How could you do this to us?" the ad asks lawmakers. 

Most of the two dozen Republicans targeted in the campaign either barely won in the 2016 election or represent districts that were carried by Hillary Clinton or narrowly won by President Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Democrats are hoping the congressmembers' votes for the Obamacare replacement legislation will help drive them out of office in the 2018 midterm elections.

The effort is reminiscent of a similar campaign (with opposite aims) launched by conservative groups in 2009 and 2010 to whip up anti-Obamacare sentiment, which helped Republicans take control of the House and gain a significant number of seats in the Senate in the 2010 midterm elections. 

Here are all of the Republicans being targeted by the Save My Care campaign:

Rep. Don Young of Alaska refused to support the House's first version of the AHCA and repeatedly said he was undecided leading up to last week's vote. Alaska has the nation's highest healthcare premiums, which are at risk of increasing under the AHCA.

Rep. Martha McSally of Arizona hails from a key battleground district, where 50% of her constituents voted for Hillary Clinton.

Source: Politico

Rep. Jeff Denham won just 52% of his central California district, which has traditionally leaned Republican but is becoming increasingly Democratic.

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.

Starting a smart home is a fun endeavor, but it can also get expensive. Fast.

That doesn't have to be the case, though, and with a little planning and the right products, it's possible to create a smart home on a budget. 

The four products on this list all cost under $100, and when used together can make your current home smarter without a lot of extra work.

DON'T MISS: This little-known Amazon service turns stuff you want to get rid of into store credit

SEE ALSO: You can pre-order Amazon's new Echo speaker with a touchscreen right now

A smart-home hub

Every smart home needs a hub. 

A hub is how you communicate to all of your smart-home accessories, and in the case of Amazon's Echo Dot I mean that literally. 

As someone who uses an Echo product every day, I can attest to the platform's versatility, and being able to control parts of my apartment using my voice still impresses me.

The Echo Dot is just as smart and capable of any other member of the Echo family, but it's smaller and less expensive. If you're starting a smart home on a budget, this is the hub I'd choose.

Echo Dot, $49.99, available at Amazon

Smart plugs

Making the appliances you currently have smarter is significantly less expensive than buying all new ones. 

TP-Link's Smart Plugs make retrofitting these still-functional pieces of your home easy. You plug the smart plug into an outlet, connect it to your Wi-Fi and Echo (a process that doesn't take more than a couple of minutes), and plug in your "dumb" appliance. 

You'll be able to turn the appliance on and off through TP-Link's app or the Echo Dot, which doesn't make it as smart as a new appliance, but does make it more useful.

Think about your morning routine: There's probably something you have to turn on in another room, like a coffee maker. Wouldn't it be nice to turn it on and have fresh coffee waiting when you're done getting changed? That's the type of luxury smart plugs can provide while still being reasonably priced.

TP-Link Smart Plug, $29.99, available at Amazon

Smart light bulbs

Smart light bulbs are probably the first smart-home accessory people think of when considering starting one. 

It's fun to turn your lights on and off with your voice (trust me), but there's also a lot of utility in it. If you have a room where the light switch is in an inconvenient spot, it pays to be able to turn the lights on and off without it. 

I've tried a couple of different smart light bulbs, and both have specific pros and cons. TP-Link's option is less expensive, but isn't part of a larger ecosystem of lighting products. 

Philips Hue bulbs require a larger upfront investment, but are part of a series of different lights that can be used in different places around your house. Most of the initial cost comes from having to buy a Hue starter pack, which includes a hub. Once you have a hub in the house, you're able to buy different lights a la carte, and it becomes less expensive.

Either way, as someone who started their smart home with bulbs like these, I can highly recommend them.

TP-Link Smart LED Light Bulb, $19.99, available at Amazon

Philips Hue White Bulb Starter Kit, $67.94, available at Amazon

There are six apartments that sit in one of the most sought after areas in London — right next to Buckingham Palace —and they have just become available to buy.

If you bought one of the luxury flats in The Buckingham development, located at 7-9 Buckingham Gate, you would have the Queen as a next door neighbour.

The new ultra-prime residential scheme consists of six lateral two and three bedroom apartments, including duplexes, and looks directly onto Buckingham Palace.

Of course, it does not come cheap. The starting price for some of the flats start at £4.35 million ($5.62 million), all the way up to £18 million for a three bedroom duplex penthouse with two private terraces and a share of the freehold — which means you own part of the land it sits on as well.

Check out what the flats look like inside:

Buckingham Palace is one of the most iconic buildings in Britain and is home to the Queen.

The road that faces onto it is Buckingham Gate, where there are six apartments available.

The luxury flats range from £4.35 million to £18 million, and from 1,718 square feet to 5,189 square feet in size, and are in a Grade II listed building.