Don't be fooled.

While Wall Street bank revenues appeared to bounce back in the first quarter of 2017, with banks posting strong results in fixed income trading in particular, industry-wide revenues were still down on the same period from 2012 to 2015. 

According to data from industry consultant Coalition, investment bank revenues at the top 12 banks totaled $42.4 billion in the first quarter, up 14% from the previous year, but still down sharply on previous years.

The data includes revenues for: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Societe Generale and UBS. 

Have a look:

Fixed income revenues rebounded in the first three months of the year, hitting $21.4 billion. Still, that's down from $34.7 billion in 2012.

Credit and securitization trading revenues jumped, up 65% and 82% respectively. That helped offset weak revenues in foreign exchange and commodities.

Equities revenues disappointed, falling 8% to $10.8 billion.

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Taking in a new city, especially one in a different country, is an amazing cultural experience.

Packing for an international trip is, well, an experience.

It is a source of stress for many people, myself included.

For my most recent trip to Edinburgh and London over the holidays, questions like "will my hair dryer work abroad?" and "should I buy a power adapter or voltage converter, or both?" were top of mind while I was putting together a packing list.

Below are the specific tech gadgets and accessories I used on my trip.

Some allowed me to recreate my favorite creature comforts from home, while others let me get some work done in my Airbnb.

SEE ALSO: This is by far the best travel pillow I've ever used

DON'T MISS: 26 things under $20 we use every day

A portable battery

Being able to keep your phone charged no matter where you are isn't just a convenience in 2017, it's basically a necessity.

Prior to traveling to the UK, I already owned a couple Anker batteries I used all the time. They proved even more essential on my trip, since Google Maps and Trip Advisor were constantly open on my iPhone. I'm recommending Anker's 5,000mAh portable charger for its excellent blend of power and compactness. It served me well.

Anker PowerCore Slim 5000 Portable Charger, $18.99

A smart carry-on suitcase

Speaking of portable chargers, this carry-on I reviewed last summer comes with a removable interior 10,000 mAh battery and two USB ports, so you can easily charge up your phone and other devices before a long flight. 

Beyond its handy built-in portable battery, Away's made a carry-on with a very considered design. The inside has two compartments, one designed for clothes, the other for shoes, toiletries, and other hard objects. The outside is an impenetrable shell that has some give to it so it doesn't break. I have only good things to say about it. 

Away Carry-On, $225

Extra-long charging cables

I never knew I needed these, but after I lost my original iPhone charger, I ended up buying a few of these six-foot chargers from Anker, and they're absolutely amazing. They reach all the way to my bed super easily. They're lazy, sure, but convenient.

I like my Anker cables for a couple of reasons beyond their length, too. I like that they're bright red (Anker makes them in four colors), so I’m always able to spot them, and I like that the cables are coated in a thicker braided nylon material, instead of the usual hard plastic. They're a little more expensive than some of their competitors for these reasons, but they feel great, work reliably, and, most importantly, hold up over time. 

Chances are you'll end up using them every day — well beyond the length of your trip. 

Anker PowerLine+ Micro USB Cable (6ft), $9.99
Anker PowerLine+ Lightning Cable (6ft), $16.99

Japan has a sex problem. The country's birthrate is shrinking year after year, to the point where deaths are outpacing births.

Simply put, Japan's population is decreasing.

But let's be clear: Population change is a complicated subject affected by many factors.

Western media often correlates the decline in Japan's population size with recent studies of Japanese sexual habits and marriage. A 2016 study by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan, for instance, found that "almost 70 percent of unmarried men and 60 percent of unmarried women are not in a relationship."

But just because people aren't in relationships doesn't mean they don't want companionship, of course. And that's where something like Gatebox comes in.

Yes, that is an artificially intelligent character who lives in a glass tube in your home. Her name is Azuma Hikari, and she's the star of Gatebox — a $2,500 Amazon Echo-esque device that acts as a home assistant and companion.

Here's what we know:

SEE ALSO: Japan's sex problem is so bad that people are quitting dating and marrying their friends

DON'T MISS: Japan's huge sex problem is setting up a 'demographic time bomb' for the country

A Japanese company named Vinclu created the Gatebox.

It's about the size of an 8-inch by 11-inch piece of paper, according to Vinclu. And there's a good reason for that: The device is intended to be "big enough for you to be able to put right beside you." You'll understand why you'd want a Gatebox so close soon enough.

The Gatebox is similar to Amazon's Echo — it's a voice-powered home assistant.

The Gatebox has a microphone and a camera because you operate it using your voice.

For now, it will respond only to Japanese; the company making Gatebox says it's exploring other language options. Considering that preorder units were available for both Japan and the US, we'd guess that an English-language option is in the works.

Gatebox does a lot of the same stuff that Echo does — it can automate your home in various ways, including turning on lights and waking you up in the morning.

Each year, the Cannes Film Festival gets everyone talking, and not just about movies.

All eyes are on what the festival's celebrity attendees wear on the red carpet, of course.

The festival sadly came to a close on May 28, but we had plenty of show-stopping outfits to admire during the event  — and some surprising fashion faux pas.

Here are all the best and worst looks at the 70th anniversary Cannes Film Festival:

BEST: Bella Hadid wowed everyone on the red carpet at the festival's opening ceremony in this high-slit, blush dress.

BEST: Jourdan Dunn's embellished sheer gown looks like something out of a fairytale.

BEST: Irina Shayk rocked a form-fitting yellow dress with ruched detailing.

Everyone just wants more battery life.

With each passing year, smartphones get thinner, faster, and stronger, with sharper cameras and better displays. But all of that eats power, and lithium-ion batteries are still flawed, needy little things.

There is no perfect way around this. Barring some major technical breakthrough, you simply cannot get a phone that lasts a week off a single charge and adequately performs all the tasks people expect from a modern smartphone.

But the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom makes the best of what we’ve got today. The latest device from the Taiwanese tech firm is unremarkable from a distance — it’s a midrange Android phone, and there are a million of those. However, by mixing a giant 5,000 mAh battery, an energy-efficient processor, and a good enough display, it lasts longer than any other decently-powerful smartphone I’ve seen.

Whether that’s enough to make it worth your $330, though, is another question. Let’s take a closer look:

SEE ALSO: Motorola just made the best phone you can buy for under $300

The Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom is handsome, but nondescript. It looks a bit like an iPhone. Its edges are rounded, and its back is coated in smooth aluminum. It’s neither thin nor light by modern standards, and it’s too big for most to use comfortably with one hand. It does manage to be lighter and more compact than an iPhone 7 Plus, however, which is impressive considering it has a same-sized screen and a much larger battery.

To be clear, nothing here feels as high-end as a Samsung Galaxy S8 or HTC U11. The aluminum is nice, but the areas above and below the antenna lines are made of a cheaper plastic. It's not waterproof, either, so you'll have to watch for spills. And the bezels around the display are sizable, though that’s understandable with a less expensive device like this.

I’ll also note that I managed to scratch both the back and front of my device without effort. Your mileage may vary here, but in most cases keeping my phone in the same pocket as my keys hasn’t led to those kind of scuffs.

Altogether, though, the design is a plus. Like Lenovo’s Moto G5 Plus, its main competitor, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is affordable without feeling cheap.

The design does cut some corners, though. While the phone uses the newer and faster USB-C standard, it doesn’t support NFC or 5GHz (i.e., faster) WiFi signals. The former is disappointing, but not too surprising for this price range; it mainly means you can’t make contactless payments. The latter is more baffling; it may not be a deal breaker, but those with newer WiFi routers will have to stay on the slower 2.4GHz band.

Also of note: Like many mid-tier unlocked phones, the Zenfone 3 Zoom only works with GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile.

Even then, the phone doesn’t support LTE band 12, which helps boost coverage, particularly indoors, with T-Mobile. I could get by without it, but be warned that you may see a downgrade.

By contrast, there are models of the Moto G5 Plus that work with all four of the major US carriers.

It does have a headphone jack, however. What’s more, it’s one of the handful of phones that supports High-Res Audio files. You have to be the kind of audiophile that goes out of their way to download those files in the first place, but in general, audio through the Zenfone 3 Zoom sounds a bit more alive than it might elsewhere.

The speakers on the bottom of the device are decently loud, too. And while we’re talking design, I’ll also note that the fingerprint scanner on the back is nice and fast.

When it comes to footwear, there are two types of women: The type that effortlessly glide down the street in four-inch heels, seemingly oblivious to their precarious footwear, and the type that avoid wearing heels unless absolutely necessary. 

I belong to the latter group, although I've always wanted to be in the former category. For me, it's not a matter of aesthetics or a political statement — they simply hurt my feet. 

So when I heard about a startup called True Gault that makes shoes designed specifically for your feet using 3D scans, I was intrigued. Would it solve my high heel woes? Would I suddenly become confident and comfortable and — best of all — four inches taller? 

I decided to give it a try. 

SEE ALSO: This new startup let me design my own $1,000 luxury handbag from scratch

For now, True Gault is only available to users with an iPhone 5 or newer. Once you download the app from the App Store, you'll set up your account and tell the company a bit about yourself (like your height, weight, and standard shoe size) and your preferences in terms of colors and styles.

Once you're registered, you can shop True Gault's selection. There are 19 styles to choose from, and many of the styles have the option of a two-inch or four-inch heel. In total, there are more than 70 leathers and fabrics to choose from.

I decided on the Devin, a four-inch lace-up pump that comes in five different materials. I chose a cobalt blue called "Royal Blue Suede." Like all the pumps, Devin costs $250 (True Gault's boots cost $350).

While $250 or $350 isn't cheap, it's a bargain for customized, genuine leather or suede shoes. Designer brands often retail for double or triple that price, and they're not fitted perfectly to your feet. 

Sure, Ferraris and Lamborghinis are awesome. But can they host a trained bird of prey?

Sadly, no. The new Bentley Bentayga Falconry by Mulliner, however, can.

"Hand-crafted by Mulliner – Bentley’s personal commissioning division – the Bentayga Falconry features a bespoke installation in the rear which houses all the equipment required for an enjoyable falconry expedition," the carmaker said in a statement.

The Falconry treatment for the $230,000-and-up-ultra-luxury SUV adds everything the well-heeled falconer requires.

"At the heart of the Bentayga Falconry by Mulliner are two individual natural-cork-fabric-trimmed units: a master flight station and a refreshment case," Bentley said. "These sit on a movable tray that allows for easy access. Inside the master flight unit is a special Piano Black veneered drawer – with a Saker falcon crest – containing bespoke storage for all the equipment required for this unique sport."

According to Bentley's Geoff Dowding, who runs Mulliner: "The Bentayga Falconry showcases what’s possible with our skilled craftspeople. They can devise elegant and exquisitely executed bespoke solutions to compliment any lifestyle or hobby.  Falconry is regarded as the sport of kings in the Middle East, so it was vital that the kit we created was as luxurious as it was practical and durable to appeal to our valued customers there and around the world."

Let's take a closer look:

SEE ALSO: Bentley's Bentayga is the first of a new kind of hyper-luxury SUV

Where else would you want to let your falcon ride?

The Bentayga is Bentley's first SUV. It's haute luxury, tipping the price scales at $230,000 to start.

The Falconry setup has everything the accomplished falconer requires.

Sometimes, the best way to spend a long weekend or a hot summer day is to curl up on the couch and enjoy a film.

If you're looking for something entertaining and beautiful that'll also make you knowledgeable, there's an incredible variety of science- and nature-focused documentaries and TV episodes streaming on Netflix right now.

You can find compelling documentaries that'll captivate you with the beauty of the planet, you can delve into the details of how food arrives on your plate, or you can explore the mysterious and alien world that exists in oceans around the globe.

But there's a downside to all of that choice: It's a lot to choose from. So to make it easier, we've asked our colleagues to pick out some of their favorites from the Netflix documentary selection.

Here are our favorites, listed in no particular order:

Films come and go from Netflix every month, but as of the date of publication, all these films should be available on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: 24 health 'facts' that are actually wrong

"Cooked" (2016)

What it's about: Journalist and food expert Michael Pollan explores the evolutionary history of food and its preparation in this four-part docuseries through the lens of the four essential elements — fire, water, air, and earth. 

Why you should see it: Americans as a whole are cooking less, relying more on unhealthy, processed, and expensive and prepared foods. Pollan aims to bring viewers back to the kitchen by forging a meaningful connection to food and the joys of preparation. [Click to watch]

"Blackfish" (2013)

What it's about: This film highlights abuses in the sea park industry through the tale of Tilikum, an orca in captivity at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. Tilikum has killed or been involved in the deaths of three people while living in the park. 

Why you should see it: This documentary opens your eyes to the troubles of keeping wild animals in captivity through shocking footage and emotional interviews, highlighting potential issues of animal cruelty and abuse when using highly intelligent animals as entertainment. Sea parks make billions of dollars off of keeping animals captive, often at the expense of the health and well-being of its animals. This documentary played a huge role in convincing SeaWorld to stop their theatrical "Shamu" killer whale shows. [Click to watch]

"Particle Fever" (2013)

What it's about: This documentary follows six scientists as they prepare for one of the biggest and most expensive experiments in history: recreating conditions from the Big Bang with the launch of the Large Hadron Collider in Europe. Their aim is to unravel the mysteries of the universe and the origins of matter.

Why you should see it: Physics is often considered a forbiddingly dense subject, but 'Particle Fever' gives you a window into physics without breaking your brain. It documents the discovery of the famous Higgs boson particle that many physicists think holds the key to understanding the universe. Instead of getting bogged down with the complexities of particle physics, the film focuses more on the human drama of the discovery, and how it could change our understanding of the world around us. [Click to watch]

This Memorial Day, Americans will take time to reflect on those who have served in our nation's military.

But what of those individuals whose time in the military is coming to an end? What resources and insight can be offered to the men and women transitioning from the military back to civilian careers?

A number of organizations including American Dream U, the Honor Foundation, CivCom, the Mission Continues, the Heroes Journey, and Victor App, strive to provide support for this community of veterans. Certain companies also strive to hire veterans and provide military-friendly environments.

Business Insider spoke with 10 veterans from several different branches of the military about transitioning back to civilian careers.

Here's their best advice for people considering leaving the military:

SEE ALSO: 29 American presidents who served in the military

Start preparing as soon as possible

Omari Broussard joined the Navy about three weeks after graduating high school at the age of 17. He says he enjoyed his subsequent 20-year career, during which he rose to the rank of Navy Chief. However, as the father of six kids with an interest in starting his own business, he knew at some point he'd have to move on.

"I loved it, but it was a conflict, between missing out on family time and becoming and entrepreneur," he tells Business Insider.

Broussard says that the most crucial part of transitioning from military to civilian work is preparation. It's advice he's shared with his fellow attendees at American Dream U, an organization that helps veterans transition to civilian life.

"As a military member, you only get so much time to prepare, but that doesn't mean you don't get any time to prepare," says Broussard, who is now the founder of counter-ambush training class 10X Defense and author of "Immediate Action Marketing.""I retired in 2015. My preparations for getting out started in 2007."

Getting ready included earning his degree in organizational security management at the University of Phoenix, becoming a firearms instructor on the side, and laying the groundwork for founding his own business.

"The military gave me more of the framing and the conditioning," he says. "The skills I had to go out and get on my own."

"Start early," says James Byrne, who served as a US Navy SEAL officer for 26 years. "You need to start planning your exit when you start the service."

However, Byrne, who now works as the director of sales and business development at solar tech company Envision Solar, tells Business Insider that doesn't mean you should divide your attention.

"I don't mean one foot in, one foot out," he says. "In order to do what we do, you have to have a complete commitment to our mission in special operations. But get your education. Get your medical VA stuff in order. Keep everything up to date."

Byrne is a fellow at the Honor Foundation, a group that specifically helps Navy SEALs transition back to civilian careers and life. He says that he's seen many people simply become overwhelmed by the process of leaving the military.

"It's not so much that any one part of the transition is really that hard," he says. "The problem is when it all comes together at one point — that's what makes it hard and overwhelming. The better you can prepare in those different areas, the better it's going to be. You can't wait till three months before you get out."

Brace yourself for a major culture shift

Retired Green Beret Scott Mann has a total of 23 years of experience in the army. Today, he runs a leadership training organization MannUp and the Heroes Journey, a non-profit devoted to helping veterans transition.

"As a warrior, you live in a honor-based culture," Mann tells Business Insider. "It is tribal, in the sense that tribal society is built around the group, honor, and it's about the collective. If you're in the military, or a military dependent, your relationship with your teammates is tribal — you took the needs of the many in front of your own needs. That's how you fight, train, and survive, and it becomes trained within you."

On the other hand, the civilian job landscape tends to be far more individualistic.

"Bam, you're out and you're in this world that's the polar opposite of that, where it's a society that values the individual above the group, puts the needs of one in front of the many," says Mann, who also authored "Mission America," a book breaking down insight on the life after the military. "It's literally like changing planets. It's not that one is better than the other, but each is necessary in its own way."

He says that high-performing military veterans must brace for that extreme change, as well as learn to tell their stories and translate their own experiences in the civilian world.

Kayla Williams is a US army veteran who now works as the director of the Center for Women Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She's collaborated with veterans' transition group the Mission Continues in the past, serving as a panelist at a recent talk.

She tells Business Insider that civilian workplaces also tend to be far less hiearchical and structured.

"It was also a challenge to not feel the same deep sense of purpose that infused my daily life while in the military, which is what ultimately drove me to work at the Department of Veterans Affairs: I wanted to serve in a new way," she says.

Know what you want

After a brief stint as a financial planner in DC, Randy Kelley served as a Navy SEAL sniper for 11 years. Since retiring in 2005, he has found his calling as an entrepreneur and built up seven different companies.

He tells Business Insider that ancient military stategist Sun Tzu is the inspiration behind his top advice for other recent veterans: "Know yourself."

"You've got to know yourself first, what you're good at, what you like to do, where you can provide value, and basically, what is your competitive advantage?" Kelley says. "I'm an entrepreneur. I'm very good at building ideas, and not so good at organization. I'm not going to be an accountant. It's just not going to happen. I'm not going to be a project manager."

Kelley, who founded the wellness startup Dasein Institute and has collaborated with American Dream U, recommends that veterans boil down their favorite aspects of their military career to figure out a new path forward.

"Do you like tasks or do you like missions?" he asks. "If you're a mission-oriented guy, like I am personally, you want to know what the big picture is. You want to know what needs to get done. If you're a task-oriented person, you like stability and you like a consistent paycheck and those kind of things, and you need to follow a separate route."

As airlines around the world search for higher revenues and increased profitability, the effect on the passenger experience has not been overly positive, to say the least. Even though airliners have not been getting any larger, their passenger carrying capacity has been growing steadily. Airlines have achieved this by cutting down the size of lavatories and the amount room between seats. (This is also known as seat pitch.)

Using data from TripAdvisor's SeatGuru as well as from airlines themselves, we've compiled a rundown of the amount of seat pitch offered in the economy-class cabins of America's major airlines. This includes the nation's three major legacy carriers along with boutique airlines such as JetBlue and Virgin America, as well as ultra-low-cost operators such as Spirit and Frontier.

SEE ALSO: This is the cheapest private jet in the world — and it's a true game changer

American Airlines

American Airlines generally offers 31 to 32 inches of seat pitch in its economy cabin. Although it does operate some of its Airbus A319s and Boeing 757s with 30 inches of pitch. 

Delta Air Lines

Like American, Delta also operates a fleet with 31 to 32 inches of seat pitch on most of its planes. However, the airline does operate some Airbus A319s, A320s, Boeing 757s, and McDonnell-Douglas MD90s with 30 to 31 inches of pitch. 

United Airlines

United Airlines also operates a fleet with mostly 31 to 32 inches of seat pitch. At the same time, it does operate some Boeing 737, Airbus A319, Bombardier CRJ700, and Q400 aircraft with 30 inches of pitch. 

In US Navy history, just four ships have borne the name Kearsarge.

The first, a Civil War sloop, sank the CSS Alabama off the coast of France in 1864.

The next one, a battleship, sailed around the world with Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet.

The third, an aircraft carrier, recovered astronauts from the sea during Project Mercury, the US's first human-spaceflight program.

The current USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that docked in New York City for Fleet Week, has a lower profile, but it is no less essential to the fleet.

"We have a very special mission as opposed to your other ships of the Navy," Lt. J.G. Christian Sedarski, a deck-division officer on the Kearsarge, told Business Insider. "We are strictly landing and bringing back Marines from the beach."

"So the way I like to explain it is, we are a glorified hotel with a F-150 flatbed," he added.

It also has extensive medical facilities, capable of taking in wounded troops as well as survivors of natural disasters. Its ability to hold 600 patients makes it second to only the Navy's ready-reserve hospital ships in medical capacity.

In a display of its versatility, the Kearsarge deployed to provide flood relief in Pakistan in August 2010, steaming west six months later to support operations in Libya as part of Task Force Odyssey Dawn.

Below, you can take a tour of Kearsarge and get an up-close look at a ship that ferries Marines and their gear into battle around the world.

SEE ALSO: The Air Force put on a show of force with the A-10, and a day later it got taken off the chopping block

The Kearsarge stretches 844 feet from bow to stern with a 27-foot draft. Fully loaded, it displaces 44,000 tons and can push through the water at over 24 knots.

Deck-edge elevators, like the one seen here, lift the Kearsarge's contingent of aircraft to the flight deck, where three cargo elevators lift supplies to meet them.

The ship rises 186 feet from waterline to top of mast. It sails with over 1,100 officers and crew and can carry about 2,000 Marines and their gear.

I went to Utah recently to drive the $400,000 Ford GT supercar — a rare privilege as only 250 will be built in 2017 — but the day before I hit the road and the racetrack, Ford put me through its one-day Performance Racing School program.

For eight hours, I received high-level on-and-off track instruction from professional drivers. We had at our disposal the 526-horsepower Shelby GT350 (the single-day course is offered for free to any new owner of a Ford Performance vehicle).

I learned a lot. But here were my five biggest takeaways:

SEE ALSO: Here's what you learn at Ford's Track Attack racing school that's free for some customers

1. Nobody except a pro driver is a pro driver.

Being taught to drive better on track is a humbling experience. I've tracked numerous cars, but the pros who've been doing it since they were little kids in go-karts and who have actually raced for money are about 50,000 miles above me in terms of ability.

I'm not fit to sit in the same car with them, much less a track-ready beast like the 526-horsepower Shelby GT350. That said, they're the best at figuring out what you're doing wrong and how to fix it.

At the Ford Performance Racing School, by the end of a day of driving and learning, you get a hot lap with one of the instructors. This will and should boggle your mind. I can drive fast. But a pro driver drives fast on an entirely different plane.

2. Driving hard and fast is for the racetrack — not the road.

Ford offers a day at its Performance Racing School — located at Utah Motorsports about a half-hour from Salt Lake City — for all new owners of Shelbys, Focus RS and STs, Raptor pickups, and Fiesta STs so that they can fully explore their cars' capabilities.

In the case of the GT350, the capabilities are mind-boggling. (I've also tracked a Focus RS, and its capabilities are also mind-boggling, just in a different way.)

If anything, the way these cars can be pushed near their limits on a track should remind you that they shouldn't be pushed anywhere near their limits on the public roads. 

That's a big takeaway: speed is seductive, but it's dangerous and needs to be controlled. The FPR instructors stress safety, safety, safety. So, of course, you're wearing a racing suit, helmet, and are strapped in with a four-point harness the whole time. 

Speed is for the track, not the road.

3. You have $1 to spend — and not a penny more.

This might have been my favorite piece of wisdom, dispensed by instructor Charlie Putnam as he was explaining why you should only attempt a pass except on a straightaway and with the cooperation of your fellow driver (at our level). 

Putnam gave the example of a driver coming into a corner right before a long straight preparing to pass a car in front of it. The driver is steering, braking, and preparing to get hard back on the throttle.

But a driver can only use 100% of any of those inputs. If you're using 50% steering, you only have 50% left over for braking and throttle.

The driver who wanted to pass forgot this rule. He had "a dollar to spend," as Putnam put it, but because he went too hard back on the throttle while still spending some of his buck on steering, he went over $1 — more like $1.30.

Crash! Luckily he was OK.

It was a great lesson. Performance driving is all about balancing the inputs. Overdo it on any of the inputs and you'll lose the car. At best, you'll have to correct, costing you time on a lap. At worst, you crunch your car. 

English football has increasingly become a billionaire's playground.

But it's not all elusive Russians occupying the upper echelons of the game at the so-called 'big clubs' like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

No, there's some surprising names at the top of the money table and not all of them have brought winning ways with their wealth.

Using the 2017 Sunday Times rich list, Forbes, BBC, Birmingham Mail, and talkSPORT, Business Insider has put together this list of the 15 billionaire football club owners in England.

Here they are in ascending order.

15: Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom – net worth: around £1 billion

Enigmatic Bloom took control of Brighton & Hove Albion in 2009 and oversaw promotion into the Premier League in 2017.

A Business Insider feature on Bloom speculated that his net worth could exceed a billion. It is believed he has sunk over £200 million into Brighton, including a £93 million injection so the club could move into a state-of-the-art 30,000 capacity stadium in 2011.

Nicknamed The Lizard, Bloom is a poker legend and even set up the UK's biggest gambling syndicate StarLizard in the early 2000s, a company believed to make £100 million a year.

Most expensive signing: Shane Duffy – £4.5 million (2016)

Source: Business Insider

14: Bristol City owner Stephen Lansdown – £1.48 billion

Stephen Lansdown is co-founder of FTSE 100 financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown. More recently, he invested in sport as he is majority shareholder of Bristol Rugby (rugby union), Bristol Flyers (basketball), and Bristol City (football).

Lansdown started Hargreaves Lansdown from his bedroom in 1981. In April 2009 he sold a 4.7% stake in the company for £47.2 million to put toward the costs of redeveloping Bristol City's stadium, Ashton Gate. The works completed in 2016.

The club currently competes in the Championship.

Most expensive signing: Johnathan Kodjia – £3.25 million (2015)

Source: Sunday Times

13: Fulham owner Shahid Khan – £1.85 billion

Like Stephen Lansdown, Shahid Khan is an all-round sports tycoon as he owns NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars and Championship club Fulham.

Once dubbed 'the face of the American dream' by Forbes in 2012, Khan made his fortune in the automotive and hospitality industries.

Khan bought Fulham from previous owner Mohamed Al Fayed in 2013. It was denied promotion into the Premier League because of an unsuccessful play-off campaign, losing to Reading in a Championship semi-final in May, 2017.

Most expensive signing: Konstantinos Mitroglou – £12.4 million (2014)

Source: Sunday Times

The big stars are in the South of France looking their most glamorous for this year's Cannes Film Festival and getting their photos shared across the world.

Following her eye-catching red dress at last year's Cannes, model Bella Hadid returned to the festival to grace the legendary red carpet. But fellow model Emily Ratajkowski also showed up and was turning everyone's head. Then there are the movie stars like Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Elle Fanning, Robin Wright, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Williams, Charlize Theron, and Uma Thurman. 

And Rihanna pretty much put everyone to shame.

But the person having the best time has to be festival jury member Will Smith. When he's not arguing about Netflix with jury president Pedro Almodóvar, he's having an incredible time walking the carpet and waving to the fans.

Here are photos of all the stars looking fabulous at this year's Cannes:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 11 best movies of the year so far

Here's Robert Pattinson for the premiere of his movie "Good Time."

Here's Pattinson with his "Good Time" directors Benny and Josh Safdie.

David Lynch celebrated the return of "Twin Peaks" with a smoke on the red carpet for its Cannes premiere.

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. 

It doesn't happen very often, but when I find a piece of tech I really like, I sometimes buy it twice. In some cases it's to have a consistent experience wherever I go; other times it's to automatically replace a product I've broken or lost.

Either way, the items on this list all get my highest recommendation. 

DON'T MISS: 20 must-have tech accessories under $20

SEE ALSO: I’ve written about a lot of great tech, but these are the gadgets I use every day

Anker's Bluetooth keyboard

I haven't used a wired keyboard with my home computer setup in years. Wire clutter bothers me, which is why I switched to Bluetooth. 

Anker's keyboard looks and feels like Apple's while being very reasonably priced. I've used this keyboard while traveling with my iPad and at home with my Mac. In fact, outside of work, the only keyboards I use are Anker's. 

Anker Bluetooth Keyboard, $17.99, available at Amazon

Logitech's Bluetooth mouse

I wrote an entire article why this is the only mouse I use, but I'll sum up my thoughts here. 

It's small, has great battery life, very low latency, and because it's Bluetooth you don't have to worry about plugging in a little USB receiver.

You can customize the function of all of its buttons, which can save you time if you're used to calling up certain advanced settings using complicated key commands. This mouse has ended up saving me time, which is more than I can say for any other one I've used.

Logitech M557 Bluetooth Mouse, $19.99, available at Best Buy

Apple's Airport Extreme

I think that Eero's mesh network routers are great for people who live in big spaces, but I've been using an Airport Extreme for years. It's easy to set up, has great range, and got me the internet speed my ISP (Internet Service Provider) said I should be getting.

When my mom complained about having slow internet in her small place in Florida, I immediately bought this router — and it's been smooth sailing ever since. 

Apple Airport Extreme, $190.99, available at Best Buy

Everything around us is becoming connected. As a result, we are seeing shifts in investments and returns. There is already a great demand for network expansion, cyber security and insurance. And generally, the prices of hardware will fall as IoT becomes less of a novelty.

All of this opens up a huge opportunity for everyone to make and save a lot of money. We will invest $6 trillion in IoT between 2015 and 2020, which will yield $12.6 trillion ROI over the next decade. Enterprise will make up the majority of the investment dollars, followed by government and consumer.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck exploring the most disruptive trends in IoT. To get a more detailed view of the progression, landscape and projections of the Internet of Everything, access the complete slide deck by clicking here.

Some of the topics covered include:

• The market drivers for the IoT.
• Forecasts for the IoT market.
• A breakdown of how many industries are utilizing IoT devices.
• A look at how governments are using the IoT to revolutionize their cities and defense.
• An examination of the smart home and connected car market.
• And much more.

Below are 8 sample slides from the 60-page deck. Want the full deck? Access it here for FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel married supermodel Miranda Kerr during an "intimate" event in their Brentwood, California, home on Saturday, E! News reported.

Spiegel and Kerr bought their lavish home for $12 million last year, as TMZ first reported. The 7,164-square-foot home came with city views, a pool and pool house, a home gym, and a guest house.

Take a look around the home that hosted an estimated 50 people for the wedding ceremony and reception on Saturday.

SEE ALSO: No one wants to buy this $20 million townhouse owned by a real-life 'Wolf of Wall Street'-er

Renowned California architect Gerard Colcord designed the house.

It's in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles.

There's more than 7,100 square feet of living space.

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.

The Insider Pick:

• Cats like to drink fresh running water, so a cat fountain is a great way to encourage them to stay hydrated. The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain is the best one you can buy with its free-falling stream, generous basin, integrated filtration system, and adjustable flow control for maximum freshness.

Does your cat hop up onto the counter every time you turn on the faucet? Does he drink from the toilet or dip his paws into the water bowl before drinking? These behaviors may seem strange, but they actually have a logical reason – cats don’t like drinking still or stagnant water. They also tend to have a low thirst drive in general.

Wild cats get most of their water intake from their diet, a diet that consists primarily of moisture-rich meats. This being the case, cats don’t have a strong instinct or desire to drink water. Water is an essential nutrient for cats, however, so it is important to ensure that your cat stays properly hydrated. One of the best ways to increase your cat’s water intake is to provide him with a cat fountain.

A cat fountain is designed to give your cat unlimited access to fresh water. These fountains come in many different forms, so you can choose the model that best suits your cat’s preferences. Some fountains consist simply of a trough that refills as your cat drinks while others produce a free-falling water supply for maximum freshness. We’ve scoured the reviews and have come up with our top 5 picks for cat fountains in a number of different categories. 

If you have a cat, you'll also want to check out our buying guides for the best cat toys and the best cat beds.

Although the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider ceramic PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain, the stainless steel Pioneer Pet Raindrop, the PetSafe Healthy Pet Water Station, and the Drinkwell 360 Cat Fountain.

SEE ALSO: The best cat toys you can buy

DON'T MISS: The best cat beds you can buy

The best cat fountain overall

Why you'll love it: The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain is our top pick for cat fountains with its a free-falling stream, generous basin, integrated filtration system, and adjustable flow.

The perfect cat fountain should keep your cat’s water supply fresh and clean while encouraging him to drink more water. It should also be affordable, durably constructed, and easy to clean. The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain checks all the boxes.

This unit is an updated version of the Drinkwell Original, and it features improved pump and motor performance, as well as reduced noise and increased water circulation.

The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain mimics the effects of a running faucet with its free-falling stream design. An integrated filtration system featuring an activated carbon filter keeps your cat’s water supply fresh, clean, and free from odors to entice him into drinking more water. Made from BPA-free plastic, not only is the design of this fountain functional, but it is aesthetically pleasing and it runs quietly.

Users of the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain speak to the quality construction and long-lasting durability of the unit as well as its ease of use. Listed among the three best cat fountains of 2017 by Cats Are On Top, this fountain is incredibly reliable. The submersible motor and pre-filter save you from the frustration of clogging by removing dirt and hair from the water column.

Catalogical offers an in-depth review of the product, noting that while it does take a little work to clean the internal parts and the filters need frequent changing, this pet fountain outperforms dozens of other models and is a great choice for cats of all breeds and ages.

The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain is not only one of the most popular cat fountains on the market, but it is affordably priced at less than $40 and it's designed for long-lasting performance. It also offers several options for adjustability to suit your cat’s individual preferences.

Pros: Appealing but simple design, free-falling stream, generous 168-ounce water basin, adjustable flow control, submersible pump and pre-filter system, low-voltage 12V system, made from BPA-free plastic

Cons: Filter may need frequent changing, internal parts can be challenging to clean, some assembly required for use and cleaning 

Buy the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain on Amazon for $34.99

The best ceramic cat fountain

Why you'll love it: With dual free-flowing streams, the ceramic PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain keeps your cat’s water fresh while inhibiting the growth of bacteria. 

The PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain features a hygienic ceramic construction with a modern design that is sure to fit with your home décor. With dual free-flowing streams, up to 70 ounces of water is kept oxygenated through constant motion. The integrated filtration system includes a pump with a replaceable carbon filter that removes bad tastes and odors, keeping your cat’s water fresh and clean.

Although the ceramic construction of the PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain makes it a little more fragile than some models, it is top-shelf dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. Plus, the ceramic surface won’t scratch or harbor bacteria the way that plastic fountains sometimes can. The streamlined design is also aesthetically pleasing and will fit with your home décor.

With more than 1,300 reviews on Amazon, the PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain is a consumer favorite – it also gets rave reviews from pet experts. CatHealth calls it one of the best cat fountains around and highlights the aesthetically pleasing design that's easy to clean. As one of the top 10 pet fountains reviewed by Heavy, this fountain offers maximum water circulation with its dual free-falling streams, integrated bubbler, and large drinking basin.

If you’re looking for a fountain that will encourage your cat to drink by keeping the water fresh and clean, the PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain is a great choice. Just keep in mind that this fountain is more fragile than plastic or stainless steel models and the carbon filter may need to be replaced frequently for optimal performance.

Pros: Dual free-flow streams keep water fresh, hygienic and streamlined ceramic design, 70-ounce water capacity for multiple pets, two drinking areas, top-shelf dishwasher safe, integrated filtration system with replaceable carbon filters

Cons: Ceramic materials are fragile, may become noisy as water is depleted, pump and housing parts are made of plastic, may stain if you use tap water versus filtered water, filter needs to be changed often

Buy the ceramic PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain on Amazon for $79.95

The best stainless steel cat fountain

Why you'll love it: With its elegant design and streamlined performance, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop fountain is a versatile and reliable cat fountain.

Water movement encourages cats to drink more, and the Pioneer Pet Raindrop is designed exactly for that purpose. This pet fountain features a 60-ounce stainless-steel basin with a unique slide design that maximizes water circulation and bubbling while minimizing noise and splash. You’ll also love the aesthetic appeal of this pet fountain. It will go with any style of home décor.

The Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain comes with a premium replaceable charcoal filter to keep your cat’s water pure, clean, and free from hair and debris. The pump and filter are enclosed in a plastic housing under the unit for safety and the seven-foot cord detaches for convenience and cleaning. Simply disassemble the unit and place the stainless-steel parts in the dishwasher.

In addition to having more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon, this pet fountain earned a positive rating from Petsho and PetHelpful. Rated among Petsho’s top 10 pet fountains, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain is safe and easy to use, plus it does a great job of enticing cats to drink. A review from PetHelpful speaks to the versatility of the fountain – your cat can drink from the stream or the basin – and to the convenience of the adjustable flow option.

Stainless-steel pet fountains offer excellent durability, easy cleaning, and aesthetic appeal – these are all qualities that the Pioneer Pet Raindrop has in spades. Affordably priced at less than $50 and protected by a one-year warranty, this pet fountain is sure to please.

Pros: Durable and hygienic stainless steel construction, attractive design, generous 60-ounce basin, slide to promote circulation and minimize splash, dishwasher safe, replaceable charcoal filter, comes with a one-year warranty, detachable 7-foot cord for easy cleaning

Cons: Filter needs to be replaced regularly, requires some disassembly for cleaning, may become noisy as water is depleted, may not be large enough for multi-cat households, pump may burn out with constant use

Buy the stainless steel Pioneer Pet Raindrop on Amazon for $39.99

Old Navy has become Gap’s saving grace.

Gap Inc, the parent company of its namesake brand, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, has reported negative same-store sales growth for the past two years. 

Independently, however, the Old Navy brand has seen positive same-store sales growth for the past five years. Last quarter, sales were up 8%, boosting Gap Inc’s share price and rescuing it from an otherwise gloomy period.

We visited a Gap and an Old Navy store on a rainy Thursday afternoon in one of New York’s busiest shopping areas: Herald Square. We saw firsthand why the brand is resonating well with customers:

We timed our visit to Old Navy with the start of Memorial Day weekend sales. The first thing that struck us was the amount of clothing and accessories that were on sale.

The store was awash with signs offering discounts ranging from 20% to 60% off.  

There were also several clearance sections around the store.

Even before discounts, however, Old Navy was still much cheaper than Gap.

A basic women's cardigan costs $24.94 here. At Gap, it's $49.95 (now on sale for $25 with the Memorial Day weekend discount).

If you want to buy a home, it will cost you.

Mortgage site HSH.com has updated its estimate of how much annual income a household would need to buy a home in major metropolitan areas in the US, according to first-quarter 2016 data.

In Q1, the site found that the prices of sold homes in the majority of the markets it examined dropped from Q4 2016, but an increase in 30-year mortgage rates more than countered that drop. Between the mortgage rates and the prices — which may have been less than Q4 but were still more than a year prior — the average home price increased by about 9% across all markets.

HSH.com looked at median home prices from the National Association of Realtors. It took into account interest rates for common 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and property taxes and insurance costs to figure out how much money it would take to pay a median-priced home's mortgage, taxes, and insurance in each city, and how much you'd have to earn to afford it.

HSH.com emphasizes that this is only the base cost of owning a home, without taking into account maintenance and other incidentals.

The site also calculated how it would change the salary needed to buy a home if a buyer were to put 10% down instead of the recommended 20%. No matter where you are, putting down less makes things more expensive — you can visit HSH.com to see both numbers.

Salaries are listed from lowest to highest needed and are rounded to the nearest $500.

SEE ALSO: Here's how much you need to earn to live comfortably in 15 major US cities while still saving money

19. San Antonio

Population: 1,409,000

Median home price: $202,600

Monthly mortgage payment: $1,186

Salary needed to buy: $51,000

18. Philadelphia

Population: 1,517,628

Median home price: $209,000

Monthly mortgage payment: $1,221

Salary needed to buy: $52,500

17. Orlando

Population: 255,483

Median home price: $230,000

Monthly mortgage payment: $1,229

Salary needed to buy: $52,500