If you're tying the knot this year, but haven't registered yet, boy have we got some goods for you!

Zola, an exclusive wedding registry site that provides everything from curated home decor to the necessary household staples, has given us the inside scoop on the most sought-after gifts of 2017 so far.

Register for each item on this list and you'll have (pretty much) everything you and your new spouse could ever need.

1. Lodge Logic Cast Iron Skillet ($30)

These skillets are priceless and can be used to whip up just about anything. It's no wonder they're number one on Zola's list of most-purchased gifts for 2017 so far.

2. KitchenAid Artisan Series Five-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer ($350)

Ugh, every girl dreams of owning one of these mixers one day, and why not? With dozens of colors to choose from, she can find her perfect match.

3. Airbnb $100 Gift Card ($100)

Non-traditional gifts, like an Airbnb gift card, are on the rise, according to Zola.

German startup Volocopter will shuttle passengers in its futuristic, flying taxi in Dubai before the end of the year.

Volocopter signed a deal with Dubai's Road and Transport Authority to begin testing the flying taxi in the fourth-quarter, the startup announced last Monday. The tests will last five years.

Here's what you need to know:

SEE ALSO: Toyota is building a flying car to light the Olympic torch in 2020 — here's a closer look

Volocopter, formerly eVolo, has been working on its Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft since 2011. Like the name suggests, the flying taxi can take-off vertically without needing a runway.

The aircraft, dubbed the Volocopter 2X, is the startup's second-generation vehicle. It has been approved as an ultralight vehicle in Germany and can recharge in just 40 minutes using a DC fast charger.

The electric aircraft is designed to fit two and comes with 18 rotors, allowing it to fly through the air extremely quietly. It can reach a top speed of 62 mph for a limited amount of time.

Sometimes there is nothing more exciting than spending the day at a theme park — no matter how old you are. You can get your adrenaline pumping on all the thrilling rides, eat awesome snacks, and people watch to your heart's content.

But as awesome as it may seem to work at a theme park, it's actually a lot more stressful than you might imagine.

A recent AskReddit thread asked theme park workers to recount the craziest thing they've ever seen happen in the park while working. And though INSIDER can't independently verify any of these tales, they do make for some wild reading.

Take a look at these 12 horrifying things theme park workers say they've witnessed on the job. 

"If you look at my girlfriend again, I'm gonna pop ya!"

"I was sitting with a group of guys by where Mickey and Minnie get dressed. When they came out, the guys started cat-calling Minnie. The guy that was Mickey said, in a perfect Mickey voice, "If you look at my girlfriend again, I'm gonna pop ya!" - Anonymous Redditor

"We were sure a bomb was going to go off and we would all die."

"Someone had left an abandoned bag at the base of Space Mountain for more than 15 minutes, so we followed the normal security procedures, and they brought a bomb dog out to sniff it.

"When our Pluto came to check the bag, he sniffed it and then sat down — which signals there is something wrong with this bag. So we had to evacuate all of Tomorrowland, literally all of the attractions/stores/restaurants, and all the [Cast Members] were standing at all the entrances freaking out because now, of course, we were sure a bomb was going to go off and we would all die.

"Turned out that the backpack was just forgotten, full of carne asada burritos, and Pluto sat down because he thought he was getting a treat." - Redditor steakandasideofsteak

"Please PLEASE leave your cremated loved ones at home."

"Please PLEASE leave your cremated loved ones at home. Stop dumping them in [the] Haunted Mansion. They just get vacuumed up and disposed of." - Redditor overnight_cm_girl

Derek Jeter may not have been the best shortstop ever, but he is baseball's biggest superstar of the last 25 years.

While it is not unusual for an all-time great to slip past the first pick in Major League Baseball's amateur draft, there are some teams who were probably kicking themselves for passing on Jeter in the 1992 draft. 

Below, we take a look at the five teams that passed on Jeter, who they chose instead, and where those players are now.

1. Phil Nevin, Houston Astros

Position: Third baseman

MLB seasons: 12

All-Star games: 1

Championships: 0

Nevin is now the third base coach for the San Francisco Giants.

Nevin retired from playing baseball in 2007. He later became a manager in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system. Prior to the 2017 season he was hired as a coach on the San Francisco Giants.

2. Paul Shuey, Cleveland Indians

Position: Right-handed pitcher

MLB seasons: 11

All-Star games: 0

Championships: 0

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. 

Although the Echo Dot is the smallest and least expensive member of Amazon's Echo family, it has a feature all the others lack: external speaker connectivity.

When connected, you can use the intelligence of the Echo Dot to control your music without having to touch your phone, regardless of your streaming service of choice. 

You can connect the Dot to any speaker through either a wire or Bluetooth, but there are thousands of options at every size and price point. 

To make it easier, Amazon put together a list of "certified Bluetooth speakers" it suggests you pair with the Echo Dot — and we've rounded up the best of those below.

SEE ALSO: The Amazon Echo is one of the most useful tech gadgets on the market — here’s how I use mine

Bose SoundLink Mini II, $179

Because of its aux input, you can connect the Echo Dot to this speaker through a wired or wireless connection. Its 10-hour battery life and emphasis on audio quality makes it a good smart speaker indoors, and Bluetooth speaker when on the go.

Buy it here >>

Sony XB10, $48

Sony's option is waterproof, so if you want to keep an Echo Dot on the patio and listen outside, you won't have to worry about a sudden rainstorm.

Buy it here >>

AmazonBasics Shockproof and Waterproof Mini Speaker, $19

The least expensive option on the list, Amazon's speaker is about the size of an Echo Dot and can be attached to things with an included clip. If your biggest worry is taking up too much space, this is the best choice.

Buy it here >>

The iPad is getting a major overhaul this year.

iOS 11, which is available today in beta as a public preview, adds a slew of new features to the iPad as the device inches closer to its goal of becoming a laptop replacement.

There's a new app for managing files, an app dock that mimics the one on your Mac, some new multitasking features, and loads of other goodies that make it easier to get things done.

It's the biggest iPad software update since the device launched over seven years ago.

I've been testing the iOS 11 public beta for a few days. You can try it too by signing up here. (It's also available for iPhone.) But keep in mind that it's still technically beta software, so you might encounter some bugs. The final version will be available this fall.

Keep reading to see the most important changes coming in iOS 11.

SEE ALSO: The creator of Android explains how his new phone will take on Apple and Samsung

The first thing you'll notice is the new app dock at the bottom of the screen.

It looks very similar to the dock on Mac. You can store all your favorite apps there. The apps to the right of the bar on the dock change based on what Siri thinks you'll want to use next. I wasn't too crazy about this feature, since it often didn't suggest an app I wanted to use.

You can access the dock in any app by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

This makes it easier to switch between your favorite apps.

You can also drag an app from the dock to make it "float" in a separate window. Here's Twitter running on top of Safari.

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.

There are more benefits to regularly working out than burning calories and strengthening your muscles.

But while stress relief and good health are powerful motivators, it can be hard to find the time and energy to go to the gym.

Once you get there, you have to remember to stay hydrated, hope you packed the right tools, and make sure not to hurt yourself.

I asked the Insider Picks team to share the products they use to make their time exercising easier. Whether you use them before, during, or after your workout, these picks could make your time working out an easier and more enjoyable experience, too.

Although the items on this list cover the problems we've faced, we encourage you to send us an email if we missed your biggest fitness gripe.

DON'T MISS: One of the cheapest fitness tools you can buy is also one of the most effective

Bluetooth headphones

I'll admit it; I was a Bluetooth headphones skeptic before receiving a pair of my own. Who has time — let alone remembers — to charge their headphones? But it's been almost a year since I tested TaoTronics' sports headphones and it's still one of the best tech upgrades I've ever made.

The one place these headphones have proved the most useful is the gym. Before going wireless, my phone would regularly fly off the treadmill or stationary bike if I made any sudden movements, taking my headphones with it. Now, my phone stays put, my headphones stay in my ears, and I'm a lot happier for that.

— Kelsey Mulvey, commerce reporter

TaoTronics Bluetooth Headphones Wireless Earbuds, $25.99

A reusable bag for sweaty gym clothes

After leaving the gym, I separate my dirty workout clothes and shoes from everything else I'm carrying using the plastic bags provided by the gym. After the second day of doing this, though, I realized I'd be wasting an irresponsible amount of plastic unless I was going to remember to bring the originals with me every time I went.

Instead, I wanted to apply the same idea as bringing reusable bags to the grocery store. BAGGU's reusable bag is a good fix for this, though not perfect; I tie the handles together before stuffing it back into my backpack. 

— Mara Leighton, commerce reporter

BAGGU Standard Reusable Shopping Bag, $10

A bottle for protein shakes

I like drinking a post-workout protein shake before I leave the gym. I used to keep my big protein jar in my bag, but now that I head straight into the office after working out, I hate carrying that heavy tub with me.

Pouring the protein into my shaker bottle before going to the gym creates a different problem: The powder sticks to the bottom, making it more difficult to mix and creating a bad smell after a couple uses. 

ProTak's BlenderBottle has a "Twist n' Lock" storage system that holds the protein powder in its own compartment. This lets me pour it in after my workout is done, keeping the bottle clean and my bag lighter and less stuffed.

I even use my bottle to drink water during the workout and use it for protein afterwards.            

— Spencer Lambert, UK commerce intern

BlenderBottle ProStak System with 22-Ounce Bottle and Twist n' Lock Storage, from $9.31

The INSIDER Summary: 

• Fidget spinners are one of several popular toy crazes that have swept the nation.
• Some toy fads from the past include Furby, Tamagotchi, and Beanie Babies.
• Even classics like yo-yos and hacky sacks were once all the rage back in the day.

Two months ago, if someone said the words “fidget spinner,” you’d look at them like they had two heads. But in those short 60 days, fidget spinners have taken the world (and internet) by storm, creating a new tiny toy fad for everyone from high-energy kids and stressed out college students to grown-ass adults still trying to figure out what the point is. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and are sold everywhere from gas stations to high-end online shops.

While some people relegate them to the same uncool standards as fedora hats and vapes, there’s no denying that fidget spinners are A Thing and, like the Pokémon Go’s, Silly Bands, and Razor Scooters before them, they might be here for a while. When they’re gone, they’ll likely end up on the same nostalgia heap as the rest of the hype toys that have had their day in the sun over the past few decades.

Still, it’s fun to look back over the fidget spinners of yesteryear to reminisce over what kids were playing with back in the day. Here are eight of our favorites:

Beanie Babies

Manufactured and released in 1993 by Ty Warner Inc. (later renamed Ty Inc.), Beanie Babies lit the toy world on fire in the mid to late ’90s in a way no one could have imagined. What started as quite literally a sack of fabric filled with plastic pellets eventually morphed into something absurdly sought-after, obscenely collectible and worth hundreds of dollars a piece. Literally.

Not only did they release extremely limited special edition bears like Garcia the Bear (in honor of the late Jerry Garcia) and Princess the Bear (for Princess Diana), but people founded actual monthly publications about the beanie bag world.

If you were alive for the Great Beanie Babies Gold Rush, you remember that it seemed for some time that Beanie Babies were establishing themselves as a form of back-alley currency. People quite literally invested in them. And when it all came crashing down in the late ’90s, those same people lost out on millions. Oops.

Tamagotchi

Before there were smartphones, Instagram and Candy Crush, there were Tamagotchis. If you never owned one, they were basically little digital pets. Users would need to play with them, give them attention, feed them, discipline them and even clean up their poop. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize they were actually pretty damn annoying.

Nevertheless, they were extremely popular because they fit conveniently in one’s pocket or on a key ring and served as a welcome distraction from schoolwork or other real-life responsibilities. Everyone wanted one, and the craziest part is that, at one point, it seemed like everyone had one—as of 2010, over 76 million units had been sold worldwide.

In fact, this past April (20 years after its original release), the Tamagotchi proved so popular that it got a complete re-release.

Yo-yo

Yo-yos were a staple in schools throughout the ’90s, although they’ve actually been popular since way back in the 1920s. Although yo-yos are simply constructed toys without many bells and whistles, the main drawcard is that you can do so many tricks with them – and that’s what made them such popular playground fare.

Yo-yoing is a serious sport, too: according to Wikipedia, the World Yo-Yo Contest has been dominated by the Japanese, who took home 71 World Titles over the past 22 years.

Summer travel season is upon us. Whether you're hopping on a plane or taking a road trip, you'll need to pack light when it comes to beauty products.

We've put together a list of TSA-approved essentials that you'll need, from the ultimate waterproof mascara to fresh-smelling deodorant wipes.

Here are 15 makeup and skin care products to take with you on your travels.

When there's no time to wash, Bumble and bumble's Prêt-à-Powder dry shampoo will keep your hairstyle intact.

Cost: $27

Because the product is suitable for all hair types, anyone can use it to absorb oil and cleanse at the root.

Find out more about the Bumble and bumble's Prêt-à-Powder >

To combat dryness, try GLAMGLOW's THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment.

Cost: $22 (travel size)

You can wear the face mask for however long you'd like, making it perfect for cross-country flights.

Find out more about the GLAMGLOW THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment >

Lauren Napier's CLEANSE wipes remove makeup fast without stripping your skin of moisture.

Cost: $10

The cleansing wipes are formulated with aloe, camomilla, and cucumber extracts that are believed to help reduce redness and inflammation. 

Find out more about the Lauren Napier CLEANSE wipes >

This is my son on registration day at Juilliard. We are so excited.

But not surprised.

That’s what happens when you work this hard. You are not surprised.

I am told it’s rare for a kid to get into Juilliard on the first try. Kids audition for three, four, five years before they get in. And that’s what we would have done. So we sort of, in the back of our heads, thought this is just what we are doing. We are excited that he only had to audition one time to get in.

The commitment did not come easily. And each step of the way I’d ask for reassurance. When I was trying to decide if we’d drive 8 hours to take cello lessons with Gilda Barston, I asked the person who first told me my son had talent: Jean Dexter. I said, “Aren’t there other teachers as good as Gilda who are closer?” And she said, “No.”

When Gilda told us we’d have to drive twice a week, I said to her, “I feel crazy doing this for a seven-year-old boy.”

She told me, “Well. If you don’t want to drive here, you could just move here.”

When he was eleven, and I told people we were moving from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania to take lessons with Amy Barston, nearly everyone in the cello community said, “That’s a great idea.”

Parents who are cello parents say “we.” Parents who are not cello parents say, “Don’t you mean your child, not you?”

But I mean we. The sacrifice a parent makes to get a kid to this spot is huge. Which is not to minimize a kid’s sacrifice. Mine has given up a normal childhood. He started driving 8 hours a week to the Music Institute of Chicago when he was six. By age seven it was 16 hours a week.  The year he was nine we spent more than 60 days in a hotel. The year he was ten he had status in the frequent flier program with American Airlines.

He traveled so much for cello that when he joined sports teams, he couldn’t play the games because he had cello on Saturdays. He had bags under his eyes every Wednesday because his cello class on Tuesday was for high schoolers so it ended at 10pm. He went to sleep with headaches. He skipped meals because of sores in his mouth.

I was the family breadwinner and the family cello parent. I took conference calls between cello classes, and I did webinars from the piano teacher’s studio. I ended up in the hospital from stress, and I hired a driver. And if you think cello lessons are expensive, they are nothing compared to a full-time driver.

People are not shocked by their own achievements. People are shocked by luck. But luck isn’t what changes us. Being brave enough to give up a lot to get what we want is what changes us.

Here is the story of the gradual acceptance of an overwhelming goal:

SEE ALSO: My 11-year-old son auditioned at Juilliard, and we both learned a lot about how top performers practice

July 2011 – I took my son to cello camp when he was six years old. Six hours of cello classes a day. I told my family we’d definitely come home early. But we didn’t.

July 2011 – I tell the orchestra teacher, Carol Ourada, that my son is too young and we are not going to attend her class. She says, “Just stay! He’ll learn fast!” I still have no idea how he knew what to play.

August 2011  – As promised, cello camp shows me a new perspective: My son was the only kid who watched TV during the breaks. All the other kids practiced.

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. 

Westward Leaning is a company that started as a socially-minded brand first and a sunglasses creator second. It was founded in 2012 with the goal of incorporating social issues into business in an authentic way; sunglasses were chosen as the product because founder and creative director Robbert Denning believes "they are probably the only fashion product that is truly universal and non-gender specific."

"For us, a great product is as beautiful as it is meaningful" the site reads. And one has to believe that’s at least partly true since Westward Leaning will be donating 25% of the proceeds from their spring 2017 collection to the United Nations Foundation. "We designed our glasses for the universe and to be universal, and wanted to support an organization dedicated to peace therein," said Denning.

This universality is something the company is well-known for — universally-flattering, unisex glasses that have a perfected shape and a wide array of statement-making shapes, colors, and reflections available as well. They have 15 sunglass shapes, all designed in-house. 

Initially, Denning began his company with the single-minded search for the perfect, universal wayfarer that was made to honor a specific, charitable human achievement. For instance, the Galileo style is named after the eponymous father of astronomy. The Flower is inspired by the 1967’s Summer of Love that signified a monumental shift in global attitudes from free love to gender equality.

Today, each pair of Westward Leaning glasses has a signature slanted rhombus shape inlaid at the temples, something that has become a calling card for the brand but which originally and fundamentally serves as the design’s physical celebration of a charitable and humane act. Each inlay is made out of sustainable materials, ranging from reclaimed wood to stone, to synthetic corals or ivory alternatives.

Denning’s decision to genuinely incorporate social issues was a result of his own upbringing. Before launching the brand, he attended the London School of Economics, Stanford Business School, worked for Al Gore on funding for sustainable companies, and also completed NASA’s Silicon Valley research campus study program. As a result, Denning’s own socially-minded passions find themselves imbued in the brand and brand mission rather organically, so it’s no mystery why the integration feels so natural. Topics related to the environment, social and economic inequalities, science, and tech are popular points of emphasis for the brand.

One reason the site doesn't use models is to avoid defining what a Westward Leaning customer looks like, and thereby keep the integrity of that original, universal mission intact.

However, though the brand is successfully unisex, they do enjoy considerable popularity with A-list celebrity women.

Keeping this in mind, the women of Insider Picks decided to try out Westward Leaning personally to see if the hype held up. Our individual reviews are below. 

Shop the entire Westward Leaning selection here.

Mara Leighton, commerce reporter: Dyad 06, $295

I opted for the Dyad 06 for their small, semi-circular lenses and the cool versatility they offered. I can buy cheap aviators that look about the same as higher-end pairs whenever I need a pair to lose on a boat ride, but if I’m going to get a nice pair I’ll want to take care of, I want them to be closer to irreplaceable.

The Dyad 06 has become my go-to pair thanks to their unique style, versatility, and overall quality. But that should absolutely be expected for $295. Their cool-kid take on the aviator was exactly the perfect mix between utility (tortoiseshell is easy to work with) and style (the optional double-band is different in a non-gimmicky way, the funky to standard colored lenses gives you both classic and out-there). The main glasses have clear lenses and the pair comes with three clip-on shades for added versatility: Gold Shiny Wire with Golden Aqua Lenses, Gold Shiny Wire with Super Gold Lenses, and Gold Shiny Wire with Super Silver Lenses. 

For the price, I wish the lenses were polarized. I found it harder to see in direct sunlight in my Westward Leaning pair than those I got from Shwood. However, since so much of sunglass-wearing depends so strongly on shape alone, I find myself opting for these far more for their construction. They feel solid and sturdy on my face, and, to me, higher pricing shows in smart subtleties of design that might not be perceptible at first but make for a much better look on. I will probably always have many inexpensive pairs of sunglasses and one or two nice ones, and I’d happily pick Westward Leaning to supply one or both of those higher-end pairs — not least of all because of their attention to positive social impact and charitable donations.

Dyad 0.6, $295

Ellen Hoffman, commerce editor: Fhloston Paradise 03, $275

Westward Leaning makes a really sturdy pair of sunglasses. I have a pair that’s three or four years old, but you wouldn’t know that just by looking at it — there isn't a scratch on them! And I don’t necessarily take great care of my sunglasses, throwing my go-to pairs in my purse without a case and constantly dropping them on the ground. 

The brand’s newest collection is just as well-built from what I can tell, and the pair I picked out, the Fhloston Paradise 03, might be the funnest I’ve ever worn, with mirrored lens and a frame color WestwardLeaning calls “marshmallow.” The pair isn’t cheap at $275, but you’ll notice that most of Sunglass Hut’s best-sellers for women hover around $200. I can’t say I’d casually spend $275 on a pair of sunglasses as eclectic as this one, but as far as quality and design go, WestwardLeaning’s sunglasses are some of the best money can buy. And if you're someone who wants something different than what everyone else has, these pairs are a lot more original than another pair of Ray-Bans.

Fhloston Paradise 03, $275

Malarie Gokey, guides editor: Double Bridge 01, $225

I don't typically spend a lot of money on sunglasses, mainly because I'm certain that if I actually spent more than $20 on a pair I'd lose them immediately. Needless to say, when I got Westward Leaning's new Double Bridge 01 sunglasses in Snow Leopard, I was determined to treat them with the utmost care. I quickly realized I didn't have to worry at all. The glasses come in a lovely leather box with a classy cleaning cloth, so you're sure to pamper them and less likely to lose them.

The style looks very cool and it goes with just about anything. I love wearing them on days when my blue and yellow hippie shades are a little too flashy. Westward Leaning's Double Bridge 01 are super classy and cool for any occasion. They have me rethinking how I feel about expensive shades.

Double Bridge 01, $225

The highest-ranked American cyclist heading into this year's Tour de France, Andrew Talansky, is using portable neuroscience technology to try to gain an edge over his world-class rivals, and he says his performance has improved since he began using it regularly in December.

The state-of-the-art technology was created by the Silicon Valley startup Halo Neuroscience, which counts Andreessen Horowitz and Lux Capital among its investors. Halo has raised $10.6 million in funding.

Players in the NFL and MLB, Olympians, and Navy SEALs are among those who have tried Halo, but Talansky is one of just two cyclists at the sport's highest level we know of using neuroscience technology. The Halo Sport headset retails for $750, and the app is free, though the company said it may eventually launch a premium version.

How Halo Sport works

The science behind Halo is based on what the company calls neuropriming, or "the process of using electrical stimulation during movement-based training to build stronger, more optimized connections between your brain and muscles." According to Halo, the process "induces a temporary state of hyper-learning or 'hyperplasticity' in the brain, which refines the brain's ability to learn and adapt to training. This allows you to see better results, faster."

It uses transcranial direct-current stimulation, or tDCS, a noninvasive stimulation that uses electrical currents to stimulate parts of the brain.

After you download the Halo Sport app, which controls the headset, you moisten the headset electrodes ("primers") and neuroprime for 20 minutes, during which time you feel a tingly sensation at the top of your head as the device stimulates your brain's motor cortex. All the while you can listen to music through the headphones using your phone or music player.

After neuropriming, you have an hour of "afterglow" wherein you perform your most focused workout and, according to Halo, reap the greatest benefit.

After the initial 20 minutes of neuropriming, you're effectively done benefiting from wearing the headset, but you can keep wearing it to listen to music. Once you complete one full 80-minute session — 20 minutes of neuropriming and 60 minutes of working out — you have to wait at least eight hours to begin another Halo session (though you can keep working out as normal). Talansky said he uses Halo three or four times a week, on average.

As Halo's chief technology officer and cofounder, Dr. Brett Wingeier, further explains in a video: "Understanding the science behinds Halo Sport comes down to how the brain learns new skills. Repetition is the key ... That's why training works. Scientists call this 'neuroplasticity,' and it's how the brain learns how to control the body, and it's a big part of the gains you get from training."

Halo in pro cycling

Talansky, 28, rides on the US Cannondale-Drapac team. Born in New York City and raised in Florida, he's nicknamed "Pit Bull" for his grit. Notable victories are the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2014, the Tour de l'Ain in 2012, and a stage in May's Tour of California. He has finished 10th and 11th overall at the Tour de France, in 2013 and 2015, and seventh and fifth at the Vuelta a España, in 2012 and 2016.

He's one of two WorldTour cyclists we know of using neuroscience, Halo or otherwise, as part of his regular training. Halo told Business Insider that Talansky is not one of its paid athletes and that he simply liked the product. Talansky told us he first heard about Halo through a staff member in the Cannondale-Drapac organization.

As Talansky made clear to Business Insider, he does not suggest that the technology delivers results overnight. Instead, he emphasized that, for him, the benefit came from using it often over a period with many focused workouts.

Business Insider spoke with Talansky by phone from his European base in Girona, Spain, on Friday, eight days before the start of the Tour de France, which begins in Düsseldorf, Germany, on July 1. He explained how he's been using Halo in the run-up to the world's biggest bike race and how he believes he's benefited from using the technology regularly in training.

Daniel McMahon: How are you feeling going into the Tour, and what are you expecting?

Andrew Talansky: I'm definitely excited for it, and I'm leaving it pretty open. That feeling of winning and crossing the line first ... I'd love to win a stage of the Tour de France. The Tour would be such a special place to win. I've been third on a stage, in my first year, in 2013. In 2015, I was really close to a stage win, ending up second. Getting that close to it gave me a little taste, because for a moment there I thought it was going to be possible to win that day, and that feeling is something I definitely want to go after this year.

Given the Tour route this year, it'll reward aggressive racing. Unless you're one of maybe three people in the world right now who can legitimately win the Tour this year, then, you know, you're not looking to win the Tour. So the only way to win something is to win a stage. That's a big goal for myself and for the team.

McMahon: Who are the three who can win?

Talansky: Froome, Porte, Quintana — maybe Contador. Three of them have already won a grand tour.

McMahon: So how did you get into Halo?

Talansky: In late fall I got hold of the headset and have been using it ever since. Incidentally, I got hold of it just before I broke my thumb this winter, which led me to spending a whole lot of time on the [indoor] trainer, which is probably where it's easiest to make use of the technology.

McMahon: How do you like to use it?

Talansky: With road cycling it's probably the trickiest sport to get the maximum benefit, given how it works. You do the 20-minute neuropriming cycle and then an hour of maximum effectiveness. The easiest way for me to do is in a higher-end workout, a big-gear workout, especially TT-oriented stuff, which tends to be shorter overall ride time and very specific efforts on the trainer.

As you're warming up, you have the neuropriming going, then you dive into your core workout set throughout that next hour to get the maximum benefit. It's the higher-end intensity and the bigger-gear-oriented work, because with all of that, the goal is to improve your fitness but also your efficiency. Obviously, as you get deep into repeated high-intensity efforts, your form will naturally deteriorate, and that doesn't contribute at all to the effort, but it takes away watts and energy. So the more fluid and smooth you can be, the better everything is and the more power you're going to put out. That's one of the best applications for me with the Halo technology — just helping the body stay there.

For example, in your first effort, if you're doing five-minute intervals — even if it's difficult and intense — you're going to be pretty smooth and fluid. On the sixth one, maybe you're going to be coming apart a bit. Halo has helped me improve staying efficient. There's also the benefit of you know, on race day, but the biggest benefit to be gained is in a lot of the training leading up that, the repeated use for targeted workouts.

It's easy to use in the gym too. For me, doing core and leg sets, you have that one-hour window of maximum neuroplasticity. So while cycling may be the trickiest sport to apply it to, and using it for a road race is a little more difficult to use before, using it during your warm-up before a time-trial effort — the biggest advantage to be gained is in training, not just on race day. And the design is pretty perfect — putting it in the headphones — because I enjoy music and most people do.

McMahon: How would you describe what it feels like to use? Can you feel the technology actually working as you're wearing the headset?

Talansky: You can absolutely feel it. I'd say a tingling feeling is the best way to describe it. You can ratchet up or down the intensity, which, by the way, doesn't actually indicate how effective it is — say, a 7 instead of a 10 — it's more just for personal comfort. That said, I think most elite athletes leave it on the 10 because it's not uncomfortable by any means, and it's just our nature. Once you have it dialed, it's intuitive. It connects automatically to your phone when you open the app. It's simple.

McMahon: Is it something you feel the benefit from right away, or is it a deeper and longer-term thing?

Talansky: To me, I'd go on the deep side. It's like training in the sense that you train and you might have one great day of training, but that's not what your race day is going to be. It'd not indicative of performance. It's the months and weeks leading up to it together that's going to put you where you are on that day — or, in my case, over three weeks. [Laughs] I'd say there's nothing where you're like, "I did 20 more watts today." But you can look at a time trial and maybe in the last 10 minutes of a 30-minute time trial where you start to become unraveled, like at the Dauphiné or California, and you still feel very solid on the bike, very fluid, able to keep the cadence up.

It's just part of training. You're training your mind, you're training those receptors, you're training yourself to stay in that fluid state. So by no means should anyone expect an overnight improvement. But I really think in repetitive endurance and skills sports — which includes almost everything — there's a lot to be gained from helping from training the mind, and that's one area that's hardly touched. We're always training the body, but they're very, very connected.

McMahon: Playing devil's advocate here, but do you really believe it has improved your performance?

Talansky: If you want to dive into the science behind it, the science is sound. This is sound and not a gimmick, is what I'd say. Things work differently for everyone, obviously. That applies to training, nutrition, everything really. I'd say in elite endurance sports, professional and elite amateur — cycling, running, triathlon — people are always looking for the next shortcut or advantage. I've seen some people purchase incredible things, thinking it's going to make them better.

But what I would say is, this is something that really does have the potential to make you better because it's not promising overnight success. It's saying, this can be another valuable training tool, the same way a power meter can be, or a heart-rate strap. It can be incorporated into your training three, four times a week, whenever your important workouts are. And maybe it doesn't work for everybody, but I'd bet anybody who gives it a chance and really sticks to it, using it at the right times with the right workouts, I would think they would see the results.

McMahon: Do any of your teammates or other pros you know use it?

Talansky:Pierre Rolland uses it. And others ask questions about it and are intrigued. There's a curiosity. At this level, people aren't looking for a shortcut necessarily, but anything that will give a tenth of a percent to improve performance, and I think this can actually be a bit more than that. The way I really view it is, this is another training tool that I've incorporated on a regular basis. It fits well and is easy to make use of.

McMahon: So will you use it at the Tour before the two time trials?

Talansky: That's the plan, definitely. And again, the ultimate benefit is what you get from training, but yeah, it doesn't hurt to use on game day as well. It's kind of one of the first legitimate products touching on the neuroplasticity, the neuro part of athletics. That's exciting because in terms of efficiency, like equipment-wise, we've pushed a lot of frontiers in endurance sports, kind of to their limits, so this is opening a new door. I'll be interested to see where it goes over the next several years.

Halo sent Business Insider a headset to try out; see the photos below.

SEE ALSO: Chris Froome is using weird chainrings

DON'T MISS: After Chris Froome cut back on carbs, he lost 20 pounds, started winning the Tour de France, and became a millionaire

The Halo Sport headset retails for $750.

Some words of motivation greet you when you open the box.

It comes with a spray bottle, a note about the app, and extra earphone pads.

For many of us, life significantly changed with the advent of the app. No longer do we have to wander helplessly through the streets searching for THE best burger in town, or wait more than an hour to see photos of Aunt Becky's Hawaiian vacation. Yelp and Facebook have changed all that.

There are over a million apps in the app store, but these are the eight without which life just wouldn't be right. They are the ones we use daily and maybe even hourly that take up a special place in our phones (and hearts). 

SEE ALSO: Here are the best app launches and updates you may have missed in the last month

Google Maps—we'd be (literally) lost without it

Google Maps can get you anywhere no matter if you're walking, driving, biking or taking public transportation. It can help you avoid major traffic jams and accidents, and even tell you when the next train is coming. Most of us wouldn't be able to get around without it, and would rather wander endlessly than be confronted with a physical map. 

Sure it's embarrassing to have to walk around in a new city listening to Google tell you to "head south towards Pine street," but it's a lot better than the alternative. 

Snapchat—your life is too picture perfect not to share

Snapchat has taken over many of our communications. Why go to the effort of typing out a text when you can convey emotions, location and status with a quick snap?

Once you start, it's hard to stop tapping through your friends stories. And it's a great way to keep up to date with what's going on with your friends with whom you're not in close contact.  

The constantly updated filter options are also addicting, and geotags are the best way to show off all the places you went over the weekend.  

Venmo—a new way of sending money

Venmo is essential for everything from paying rent to going to lunch with a group. Many of us have stopped carrying cash almost completely, and a "cash only" sign puts fear into our hearts. 

The Congressional Budget Office released its analysis for the Senate Republican healthcare bill on Monday, and it appears to dispel a major Republican talking point about the bill's relationship to Medicaid.

Since Senate Republicans released their healthcare bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, on Thursday, the Trump administration and Senate Republicans have argued that the bill would not make cuts to the government-run healthcare program.

Medicaid is a federal program that provides insurance primarily to pregnant women, single mothers, people with disabilities, and seniors with low incomes.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the law better known as Obamacare, Medicaid was expanded to those earning 138% of the federal poverty limit in states choosing to participate. Previously, the line was drawn at 100%.

"I have to strongly disagree with the characterization that we are somehow ending the Medicaid expansion. In fact, quite the contrary. The Senate bill will codify and make permanent the Medicaid expansion, and in fact we'll have the federal government pay the lion share of the cost," Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania told Face The Nation on Sunday.  

Despite Toomey's statement, the BCRA phases out the Medicaid expansion over several years beginning in 2021, with the idea that those who fall out of Medicaid eligibility will access coverage through the individual insurance market.

The CBO threw cold water on both the talking point that the BCRA doesn't end the expansion or cut Medicaid funding.

The CBO's analysis found that 22 million fewer people would have insurance under the bill by 2026. Cuts to Medicaid would reach $772 billion by 2026.

The CBO also said that it does not expect many of those who fall out of Medicaid eligibility under the BCRA to purchase insurance "because of the expense for premiums and the high deductibles" for individual market plans.

SEE ALSO: Doctors and patient advocates are slamming the Senate Republicans' healthcare plan

DON'T MISS: Medicaid cuts in the Senate healthcare bill are going to hit some states hard – here's who will feel it

Here's what Medicaid is projected to look like under the BCRA, compared to Obamacare.

Cuts to Medicaid spending were notably $62 billion less over the next decade than what is proposed in the American Health Care Act, the bill passed by the House in May.

Medicaid covers more than 74 million Americans, including low-income people, families, and kids, as well as pregnant women, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

You may have noticed something about television recently: It's really good!

We're currently in the middle of what a lot of critics call the "Golden Age" of television. The ubiquity of screens and rise of platforms like Netflix have led to more television content than ever, and more competition for them to have the best shows.

The best shows are the ones that take advantage of the length that movies don't have and use the imagery that novels can't conjure. They can captivate big audiences and change their lives forever.

Since we're living in the "Golden Age," a lot of the best shows are recent, and many are still ongoing. Here's INSIDER's list of 23 television shows you should see in your lifetime.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best TV shows of all time, according to experts

"The Sopranos" (1999-2007)

David Chase's mob epic is the daddy of all "Golden Age" television. It's the sprawling story of Tony Soprano — a towering James Gandolfini — trying to stay sane while straddling his personal life as a suburban dad and his other life as a ruthless mob boss.

It's one of the first shows to introduce novel-like storytelling powers and character-building in a serialized television show, and still stands as one of the best.

"Game of Throne" (2011-present)

I'm not sure who's going to end up being the ruler of Westeros, but "Game of Thrones" is definitely the king of TV. Its backstabbing characters, knotty plot lines, and astounding visual effects (dragons!) makes it one of the most obsessed-over shows on TV — right now, and ever.

"The Wire" (2002-2008)

Former Baltimore police reporter David Simon wrote "The Wire," which looked at drug dealers and their relationships with the city's police force through their own eyes. His knowledge of the subject made the show feel gritty without being exploitative, and moving and empathetic instead of merely polemical.

The Obamas are making the most of their vacation time. Since leaving the White House in January, they have been hitting up some of the most exotic destinations imaginable.

After spending a few days on American soil in Palm Springs, Barack and Michelle Obama jetted off on a tropical tour that started at entrepreneur Richard Branson's private Necker Island.

They then headed to French Polynesia to check in to The Brando, an exclusive island resort that can be reached only by boat or by two-engined Air Tetiaroa planes.

In May, the Obamas took a six-day vacation in Tuscany, Italy, where they stayed at a luxurious villa and sampled the food of one of the world's best chefs. More recently, the entire family was spotted whitewater rafting in Bali, Indonesia.

Take a look at the incredible places they have visited so far. 

SEE ALSO: The most exclusive resorts for 'people who care about the planet,' according to National Geographic

DON'T MISS: The 13 best adults-only, all-inclusive hotels in the Caribbean

After eight years in office, the Obamas headed off on a well-deserved break in January.

The first stop (after a very brief stint in Palm Springs) was Necker Island.

This 72-acre island — located in the British Virgin Islands — is owned by British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

When it comes to planning the perfect road trip, there are a few things you can't live without. You need games to play in the car, gas station junk food, and a killer playlist.

But if you want to take your road trip to the next level, planning some pit stops along the way will make any long drive more fun.

That's why we've compiled a list of the country's strangest roadside attractions, choosing one from every state. Here are the most bizarre roadside attractions worth a stop.

ALABAMA: Ave Maria Grotto

This four-acre roadside attraction is detailed, to say the least. Its 125 grottos, statues, and replicas were made of trash and cement by the hunchbacked Benedictine monk Brother Joseph. They're worth seeing should you find yourself near Cullman, Alabama.

ALASKA: The World's Largest Santa

This 42-foot-tall Santa stands guard over the town of North Pole, which used to go by Davis before its name changed in 1953. During the cold Alaskan winters, this Santa might feel right at home but when temperatures rise in the summer, it's apparent that he's far from "home"— farther than 1,700 miles to be exact.

ARIZONA: London Bridge

If you thought that the only London Bridge is in London, you're wrong. The original London Bridge actually sits over Arizona's Lake Havasu.

Though the bridge was first built over the River Thames in England's captial in the 1830s, it was dismantled and brought to the US in 1967 as a tourist attraction for entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch's retirement real estate development, Lake Havasu City.

On Saturday, 198 of the world's best cyclists will start the Tour de France. Only four have a realistic shot at winning.

That's according to the highest-ranked American bike racer, Andrew Talansky, in a recent interview with Business Insider.

"Given the Tour route this year, it'll reward aggressive racing," Talansky said.

"Unless you're one of maybe three people in the world right now who can legitimately win the Tour this year, then, you know, you're not looking to win the Tour."

"So the only way to win something is to win a stage. That's a big goal for myself and the team," Talansky added. Asked who the riders were who could win, he said: "Froome, Porte, Quintana — maybe Contador."

Indeed, very few riders can win the Tour. You need to train hard, pick the right parents, have a super-strong team with a massive budget, and be able to do everything well or excellent, including climbing, time trialing, and racing on the windy flat roads.

Of the four riders Talansky mentioned, three have already won multiple grand tours.

Here's a quick look at where those four men stand heading into Saturday's start in Düsseldorf.

SEE ALSO: America's top cyclist entering the Tour de France has been using a portable brain stimulator to try to gain an edge, and he says it actually works

Froome has won three Tours de France, but he has zero wins this year. He again has the strongest Tour team on paper, but with his lackluster season so far, he hasn't looked this vulnerable in years. Still, he's most people's favorite to win. He's just that good.

Quintana has won a Giro d'Italia and a Vuelta a España. At the start of this year he said he wanted to win both the Giro and the Tour — "the double." He ended up second at the Giro. Will he have enough left in the tank to battle in the third week of the Tour?

Contador has won two Tours, two editions of the Giro, and three Vueltas. Like Froome, has zero wins this year, but he was runner-up in four important stage races. Contador is 34 and could retire any year now. Another Tour win would be huge, but it'll be tough.

If recent news is anything to go by, you no longer need to spend a fortune to drink the best wine in the world.

In May, Aldi's £5.99 ($7.63) bottle of rosé was ranked among the best wines in the world. Soon after, Lidl's £7.99 ($10.11) bottle of sparkling wine received the same award as nearly 40 top Champagnes.

UK discount site MyVoucherCodes.co.uk has examined the past five years of the two most prestigious wine competitions in the world to see where you can get the best wine for a bargain.

The company looked at Decanter's most prestigious "Platinum — Best in Class" award at the World Wine Awards (DWWA) and the International Wine Challenge (IWC)'s trophy winners in order to produce the list.

Here are the 19 best wines you can get for under £9, ranked by price from most expensive to cheapest. The taste descriptions are the words of the winemaker. 

=18. Cono Sur Reserva Especial Sauvignon Blanc, Vina Cono Sure S.A, 2013 — £9 (Tesco)

Award: 2014 IWC Chilean Sauvignon Blanc Trophy, Chilian White Trophy.

Taste:"Zesty chilli over a mineral background [to] emphasise grapefruit, lime, and lychee notes."

Find it here.

=18. The Ned Sauvignon Blanc, Marisco Vineyards, 2011 — £9 (Morrisons)

Award: 2012 DWWA International Trophy: Sauvignon Blanc under £10.

Taste:"This classic tropical tinged, citrus based aromatic theme drives a palate that is crisp and fruit focused whilst bright acid edges add length, structure and an overall sense of liveliness."

Find it here.

17. Russian Jack Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough Vineyard, 2016 — £8.99 (Majestic Wine Warehouse)

Award: 2017 DWWA Platinum – Best in Show: Best Value Sauvignon.

Taste:"Intense and concentrated, offering a backbone of gooseberry and passion fruit flavours supported by aromas of lime blossom and elderflower. Incisive citrus acidity provides a clean finish. Drink with spicy oriental salads."

Find it here.

Summer is a nice time to get out and ride a bike and a nice time to sit back and watch the Tour de France.

It's also the time of year I get all kinds of questions. How do cycling teams actually work? What does managing a cycling team entail?

My job, as CEO of a professional cycling team, is a true unicorn occupation and a mystery to most. Do I yell at the riders to go faster? Coach them? Do I ride with them? My extended family wants to know; the guy at the dog park wants to know. What, exactly, do you do?

The answer is more boring than you'd like to imagine. Running a cycling team is running a business, like any other. We seek to obtain or increase revenue, we produce a product, we market that product, and we try to keep our expenses down.

We are a global, $20 million annual operation with more than 100 people of 17 nationalities working for us — doctors, mechanics, physical therapists, bus drivers. My job is to strategically guide the organization, drawing on the expertise of all our gurus. We have a CFO who always says no, creative folks who always blow the budget, and vertical experts known as coaches who are responsible for making the bike riders ride fast.

Of course there are differences that set professional sports apart from most businesses. The intensity is heightened, and there is no treading water. There is only very public success and very public failure.

The people involved in pro sports, my employees, are hypercompetitive and have zero interest in "life balance." That makes human resources a whole new kind of job.

But beyond all the MBA babble, the most important skill in running a cycling team is managing people, as with every other business — managing people in a highly competitive, unstable, cutthroat, and visible environment. In a way it's also a pressure-cooker test for what types of management will work in other lines of business.

So what can other businesses learn from the management of athletes and professional sports teams? Quite a few things, but if I were to boil it down to the one skill I see most corporate management needing to grasp a bit better, it's this:

Learn to make collective and individual ambitions the same thing.

And do so at all costs.

Collective ambition

Every company has a collective ambition, whether to make better movies or to sell more cars. The owners or shareholders have an objective they are trying to achieve. The collective work of individual employees is the key component to executing on the company's ambition.

Yet like any human being, these employees have their own individual ambitions, dreams, and objectives that may not always be productive for the company's ambition. This is the biggest management hurdle any company faces, no matter what phase it is in.

In professional sports, as a manager, if you cannot make individual and team ambitions come together as one, you will not succeed. And in cycling, we take it one step further in complexity.

In our sport, an individual, who is also a member of a team, wins the race. This is unlike most team-based professional sports, in which the team wins as a whole. But without the other team members backing the individual and sacrificing their own ambitions, the individual can never win. So every great cyclist needs a great team to win, and every great team needs a great individual cyclist to win.

The sociological component is immensely complex.

As management, you must convince all the other members of the team at the Tour — nine riders on each team — that sacrificing their energy and their personal ambitions of doing well in the race is worth the possibility of seeing their teammate win.

For competitive people, this can be a bitter pill to swallow. But this complex piece of management is the lifeblood of every professional cycling team. You must make the collective and individual ambition the same thing.

How do we do that? And how can you get that done in business?

Here are a few tips:

SEE ALSO: Cycling is the best sponsorship deal in sports that brands are missing out on

DON'T MISS: After Chris Froome cut back on carbs, he lost 20 pounds, started winning the Tour de France, and became a millionaire

No. 1: Divide the booty.

In pro cycling, prize money is traditionally distributed equally among team members. If your guy wins the race, you get as much of the prize as he does. Exceptionally, winners of the Tour de France have forgone their personal share of the prize money and let the eight remaining team members split the prizes.

In 1990, Tour winner Greg LeMond had a brand-new Patek Philippe and a wad of cash set out on each teammate's hotel-room bed at the completion of the race. A bit too much gratitude?

Consider a crucial day when LeMond got a flat tire. One of his teammates, who was leading the race, turned around on the course to make sure his leader made it back to the front.

Patek well earned.

No. 2: Always say thank you.

Any rider I manage knows I will lodge my foot in his derrière if the first thing he says in any postrace interview with the media is anything but "I'd like to thank my teammates."

This is pretty simple in business. If you're the boss and the company makes a large stride, you need to be the last person taking credit. Heap praise on the people who really made it happen and who may not get to see the limelight.

In cycling, the guy who drives the truck with all the mechanical tools is part of winning the Tour de France. Without that guy, you wouldn't have won. Don't forget it.

No. 3: Return the favor.

If a cyclist or any other employee I manage does an exceptional job of being selfless or helping someone else win, I make sure that everyone knows I want that guy treated like a king.

Give back to the givers. Whether that means having the whole team help him try to win another race or paying him more than his fair market value might dictate, I get that done.

Because it sends a message to everyone else in the organization: You help us; we help you.

This is very simple to apply in business management. As opposed to trying to beat people further down the corporate ladder from you so they don't threaten your job, instead every time they produce big for the company, bring that to the attention of the compensation committee or board of directors. They helped you succeed. Now help them succeed.

This sounds simple, but when you actually think about it, how many corporate structures truly function this way?