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:

• School lunches are very often mediocre, and it costs a lot of money to buy food every day. So why not pack your lunch in an awesome lunch box? We've rounded up the very best lunch boxes for pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and professional life.

Whether your child is heading back to school, you are going back to school, or you’ve just grown tired of buying your lunch from the food truck outside your workplace each day, there’s no denying that a new lunch box makes the midday meal just a little bit tastier.

After all, you have to tote your sandwich and beverage in something, so why not make that something a reusable lunch box that looks good on the lunchroom table and keeps your sandwich from getting smashed, rather than wasting money and resources on use-them-and-toss-them paper bags?

Here at Business Insider, we take our lunch breaks seriously. That’s why we set out to find the best lunch boxes available for every age from pre-school right through adulthood. Honestly, any of these picks could be good for any person, no matter their age. 

We visited the top consumer websites to check out the research, and listened to buyer feedback on what owners love — and don’t love — about their purchases. So if you’re ready to eat, forget about that crumpled paper sack, and read on. Here are the five lunch boxes that we most recommend.

The Bentgo Kids Bento Box, the Packit Freezable Lunch Bag, the L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box, the L.L. Bean Insulated Lunch Box, and the Ramaka Solutions Insulated Lunch Bag are the best lunch boxes you can buy no matter your age.

SEE ALSO: The best water bottles you can buy

The best lunch box for pre-schoolers

Why you'll love it: The Bentgo Kids Bento Box is divided into perfectly sized compartments for your child’s pre-school-sized appetite, and comes in three bright colors.

The first day of pre-school is a day of tears across the country, but it’s not usually the little ones who are crying. Instead, they are the bittersweet tears of moms watching their babies spreading their wings in preparation for the inexorable flight out of the nest. These little birds are just as likely to forget their lunch boxes on the playground as they are to bring them home, so it’s a good idea to choose a box in one of the bright colors most favored by this age group. It’s harder to overlook something colorful.

The Bentgo Kids Bento Box delivers: It comes in three happy colors, including purple, blue, and green that are bright enough to be remembered. But best of all, this pre-school and daycare-friendly lunch box performs a trick that is very important to many youngster; it keeps foods separate in their own compartments, so different foods don't “touch.”

The sturdy plastic box is made without BPA, vinyl, lead, or PVC. It has rubber edges, so it won’t crack if dropped, and the two clasps are easy for little hands to open and close. The inner tray lifts out and is microwave and dishwasher safe. It's also portioned into five compartments that are just the right size for the appetites of the pre-school crowd.

The Sweethome recommends the Bentgo Kids Bento Box as well because it's durable and easy to clean.

This pre-school-perfect lunch box is a hit on Amazon, where it has more than 2,600 reviews and an average of 4.5 stars. Parents love that the box is truly leak-proof and easy for pre-schoolers to carry and open. However, many commented that the compartments are much smaller than they expected, so be aware that this lunch box is truly intended for very young kids or those with small appetites.

Pros: Sized right for pre-schooler through first grade, bright colors, bento design, easy to wash, durable

Con: Compartments are small, so your child’s appetite will likely outgrow the box by first grade

Buy the Bentgo Kids Bento Box on Amazon for $27.99 (originally $39.99)

The best lunch box for elementary school

Why you'll love it: The Packit Freezable Lunch Bag keeps your elementary kid’s lunch cold for hours, and it comes in more than 20 different fun colors and designs.

For the majority of kids, the elementary-school years are good ones. Toddlerhood is firmly in the rearview window, the pangs and perils of puberty are still far ahead, and for most children in this age group, it’s all about family, friends, and fun.

When it comes to a lunch box, elementary school children generally gravitate toward bright colors, favorite animated characters, popular movie themes, cutesy animals, or wacky-but-fun designs. There’s still a fair chance your kid will forget to bring the lunch box home, but when it’s as colorful as the Packit Freezable Lunch Bag, it’s a lot less likely to be left behind on the school bus.

There's no need for separate gel packs or ice packs in this lunch bag. Its patented cooling technology is built right into the bag, so just pop it into the freezer overnight, and in the morning, it’s chilled enough to keep lunch fresh for hours. Of course, you don’t have to freeze the Packit lunch box. If you prefer, just pack lunch the night before and store it in the fridge until it’s time to head out the door.

The soft Packit Freezable Lunch Bag is made of poly canvas, with a food-safe, water-resistant lining. It zips shut at the top and also has a Velcro tab for extra security. Plus, a buckle handle makes it easy to clip onto handlebars or a backpack. When lunchtime is over, the bag folds up to easily fit in a locker or backpack.

With more than 25 colors and designs to choose from, your child is sure to find a Packit Freezable bag he or she loves. Camouflage, bright geometrics, polka dots, tie-dye, treasure maps, owls, and many more designs are available. These lunch bags are fun.

Amazon buyers agree. There are more than 3,200 reviews of the bag, with an average of 4 stars. Parents appreciate the way the bag stays cold for hours and holds plenty of food for your hungry elementary-age child. On the downside, many buyers commented that the Velcro tab quickly wore out, although the bag still closes with the zipper.  

Pros: Many child-appealing designs and colors, stays cold a long time, buckle handle.

Cons: Velcro tab doesn’t hold up to regular use.

Buy the Packit Freezable Lunch Bag on Amazon for $15.95 and up (price varies based on design)

The best lunch box for middle school

Why you'll love it: The L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box hits the sweet spot between grown-up style and a kid-friendly design.

Ah, middle school. The in-between years are the hardest. Pre-teens are filled with yearnings to look, feel, and act more grown up. And yet at the same time, they long to stay in the ease and comfort of childhood. You can’t easily solve all of the angst that comes with junior high, but you can at least make lunchtime a little bit brighter with a lunch box that both reflects the desired maturity of its carrier, and yet retains the memory of the little-kid years they've so recently left behind.

The L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box hits that sweet spot for this age group. It’s available in a wide range of bright solids and equally bright and fun prints, yet it has a simple, “grown-up” design that proclaims the owner is no longer a little kid.

The rugged outer fabric is strong enough to take just about anything your child dishes out. The inner insulation keeps food cold for hours, is easy to clean, and resists leaks and stains. There’s a handy mesh pocket in the top of the lunch box to hold sandwiches, chips, utensils, or snacks that are easily crushed, and there’s plenty of room in the lower section for drinks, fruit, sandwiches, or plastic containers of food. An adjustable shoulder strap makes the bag easy to carry.

Good Housekeeping rates the L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box highly because it's leak-proof and easy to clean.

Pros: Lots of great colors and designs, durable and classic design

Cons: None to speak of

Buy the solid color L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box on LLBean.com for $24.95

Buy the print L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box on LLBean.com for $24.95

All's fair in love when you're looking for it on reality TV, which means there are always surprises in store. 

Fans of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," know by now that anything can happen when contestants are vying for one person's heart and they're being taped. From broken hearts to surprising secrets, there is always some drama on the ABC reality dating show.

Here's a look back at 19 of the craziest "Bachelor" moments: 

Jesse Palmer picks the wrong woman.

The football player messed up during a rose ceremony when he called out the wrong name. He gave a rose to Katie Gehart when he meant to give it to Karen Lindsay. He pulled host Chris Harrison aside to tell him. Gehart was given the option to stay, which she did. 

Wes Hayden has a girlfriend.

Hayden went on Jillian Harris' season of "The Bachelorette" with bad intentions, but nothing was quite as surprising as his limo revelation. After making it to the top four and then being rejected, he bragged about having a girlfriend the entire time as the limo was taking him away.

"I'm going down in flames," he said. "The first guy on 'The Bachelorette' to ever make it to the top four with a girlfriend."

Jason Mesnick changes his mind.

Mesnick became the bachelor for its 13th season, having been a runner-up on "The Bachelorette" season four. He picked Melissa Rycroft, but on the "After the Final Rose" special episode, Mesnick revealed that he changed his mind. He broke up with Rycroft on TV and asked runner-up Molly Malaney if she wanted to give him another try. She said yes, and the couple has now been married since 2010. 

Miami's Metrorail transit system, the majority of which runs above ground, stretches 24 miles from south to north in the city. But the areas underneath the metro's two lines, covered in dirt, grass, and asphalt, are mostly unused by residents.

Now the city is turning 10 miles of space beneath to Metrorail into a new park and pedestrian path that will connect South Miami, Coral Gables, and downtown Miami.

Called the Underline, the project is expected to cost $120 million. In late 2016, the City of Miami committed $50 million to build it, and the rest of the money is still being fundraised.

Construction is underway and should wrap up by 2020. Check out the project below.

SEE ALSO: A smog-eating twisting tower that features luxury apartments will soon open in Taiwan — take a look inside

The Underline will stretch from south Miami to the city's downtown.

The photo below shows what the underpass currently looks like. The Underline was designed by James Ramsey of Raad Studio, the creator of New York's famed elevated park on a former abandoned railroad, the Highline.

Much like the High Line, the Underline will incorporate native flowers and vegetation. The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will provide many of the plants.

The design follows the rising trend of urban projects, like the Wabash Lights in Chicago and the Burnside Skatepark in Portland, that have turned underpasses into public parks.

Lighthouses have served as navigational aids for centuries.

But now that modern day GPS exists, they primarily serve to brighten up shores with their beauty.

Here are 25 of the most beautiful lighthouses in America.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, North Carolina

This lighthouse looks over the Graveyard of the Atlantic where hundreds, if not thousands, of ships have sunk.

Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine

Portland Head Lighthouse first shone its lights in 1791. Not only did John Hancock sign the Declaration of Independence, he also signed the contract that authorized the construction of this lighthouse's Keeper's Quarters.

New London Ledge Light, Connecticut

Completed in 1909, this three-story house and lighthouse in the middle of the ocean is said to be haunted by its original keeper. 

A North Carolina-based chicken chain is demanding to be judged among its top competitors in the US after a recent Business Insider comparison of the best fast-food chicken failed to mention Bojangles'. 

Bojangles' "is widely considered to be one of the South's most popular foods," the fried-chicken chain said in a statement published this week in The News and Observer.

"We've invited these reporters to visit Bojangles' on their next trip to the South and experience for themselves the flavor that's made us a true Southern icon for 40 years."

In fact, two Business Insider reporters had recently visited Bojangles' on a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia. 

We realize that many people north of the Mason-Dixon line and west of the Mississippi have never heard of the Southern chain, which was why it was excluded from the original fried chicken face-off. However, as seen by the backlash to the article, loyal fans swear by their chicken and "Bo-Berry" biscuits. 

Here's how Bojangles' actually measures up to competitors like Popeyes and KFC.

SEE ALSO: I tried McDonald's answer to Chick-fil-A against the real thing and the winner is obvious

Bojangles' beige buttress beckoned from the highway in Charlottesville.

The taupe continued inside. The interior had a clean, sterile, yet vaguely homey vibe, like an old-school New England Wendy's.

The ordering system sets Bojangles' apart from most: the cashier calls orders over a PA system to the kitchen, which springs into action.

On August 4, 1790, President George Washington okayed the creation of a Revenue Cutter Service to collect tariffs from U.S.-bound ships. Two-hundred and twenty-seven years later — after absorbing the Lifesaving Service and the Lighthouse Service — the U.S. Coast Guard is alive and well, charged with preserving life and property on the water… along with drug interdiction, counterterror, ice operations, these Huggies, and whatever cash you got.

Happy birthday to the Coasties — and to the haters who have trouble treating our fifth armed service as a coequal, here are some reasons for you to reconsider, with assistance from the USCG Flickr account and some T&P readers.

1. Coast Guard personnel are salty because they’re good.

You think the Marine Corps is tiny and always gets the bone? There are fewer coasties total than there are Marines at Camp LeJeune — and like their “Semper Fi” counterparts, coast guardsmen do a lot more with a lot less. Their official motto is “Semper Paratus” — “always prepared” — but it’s been pronounced “Simply betray us” by generations of crafty enginemen and boatswain’s mates.

2. This is their premier training ship.

Every Coast Guard Academy cadet gets ample underway time on this tall ship, the US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle — and as a former USS Constitution crewmember, lemme tell you, you’d be amazed how challenging tall-ship duty can be. (The port calls in Bermuda are hard, too, I bet.)

3. Boot camp at Cape May is no joke.

At least as hard as the Air Force. But with fewer golf courses.

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

Now that it's the beginning of August, back-to-school and dorm shopping is really starting to kick up, and retailers know this. Many retailers now offer dedicated college sections on their websites, making it easy to shop for everything on your list in one organized place. You'll find good deals on everything from bedding to home decor now through September as the excited members of the Class of 2021 get ready for the big move-in day. 

Having gone through the stressful process of packing and moving in ourselves, we've collected the best sites to shop for your dorm room essentials. It may be tempting to fall back on Amazon for its convenience, familiarity, and low prices (which is why we still included it in our list), but what these other retailers offer that Amazon can't are curated guides, inspiration, and school packing lists. On top of that, their deals often rival Amazon's. 

Target

Target's dedicated Back to College section contains products across all categories, at the affordable prices you can expect from the discount retailer.

Here are the pages you shouldn't pass up: 

• NCAA Fan Shop: Show your school pride with apparel you can't find at the campus store.
• Casper exclusives: Shop quality sleep products from the Internet's favorite mattress brand.
• Dorm room ideas: Let Target do the work for you with its curated guides.

Here are some of the best deals and our favorite products from Target's Back to College section: 

• Household essentials: Spend $50 on essentials like laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners, and save $15 when you use the code CLEAN.
• Bed and bath: Save up to 25% on bedding sets, comforters, bath towels, shower curtains, and more.
• Keurig K50 Coffee Maker, $69.99 (originally $109.99)[You save $40] 
• Whirlpool 3.1 cu. ft. Mini Refrigerator, $129.99 (originally $199.99)[You save $70]
• Sunbeam 2-Slice Toaster, $14.99 (originally $19.99) [You save $5] 
• 6-Cube Organizer Shelf, $34.99 
• Room Essentials Mesh Shower Caddy, $7.99 

PBTeen

The home furnishing store's Dorm Room brand combines Pottery Barn quality with young and fresh designs. 

Here are the pages you shouldn't pass up: 

• PBDorm Ship-to-Store: Make the move easier by picking up your online order at a PBTeen, Pottery Barn Kids, Party Barn and Williams-Sonoma near your campus.
• Dorm Lookbook: Get room inspiration for different themes and colors.
• Monogram Shop: Add a personal touch like your name or Greek letters to your belongings.
• No Nails Decor: Save the hassle of using pins to decorate your space. 

Here are some of the best deals and our favorite products from PBTeen's Dorm Room section: 

• Student discount: Enter your .edu address to get 15% off your order. 
• Bundle and save: Cross multiple things off your list at once by buying sets (Ultimate Closet Storage Set, Feather Scallop Value Comforter Set, Travel Beauty Set)
• No Nails Fabric Wall Organizer, $39
• Superstudy Lapdesk, $39
• Emily + Merritt Shell Mirror, $159

Dormify

Dormify, as the name suggests, is a site dedicated to dorm room and small space decor. It makes functional, trend-driven products with the dorm room in mind. 

Here are the pages you shouldn't pass up: 

• College Planning Guide 2017: Start here and move from inspiration to shopping to move-in, picking up tips and tricks along the way. 
• Get a Free Design Plan: Browse pre-styled sets or customize your own look. 
• Bedding Basics Guide: Get all your bedding questions answered here before you begin shopping. 

Here are some of the best deals and our favorite products from Dormify: 

• Sale section: Find shams for as low as $5, bed skirts for $10, and pillowcase sets for $17.
• Jewelry Wall Organizer, $15
• Pinwheel Duvet Cover and Sham Set (Twin XL), $42 (originally $99)[You save $57]
• Venice Hand Woven Tassel Accent Rug, $29
• Ombre Knit Throw, $49
• Kate Spade Acrylic Desk Collection, price varies based on how you customize

Celebrities know just how nice it is to have friends on the inside in Hollywood. These friends can help each other land roles, defend against the gossip magazines, or even fluff each other's dresses on the red carpet.

You surely know about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's lasting friendship and you might be well aware that "Friends" co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox are best friends in real life, but there are quite a few friendships that you likely never knew about. 

Here are 18 celebrity duos that you didn't know were friends.

Chelsea Handler and Jennifer Aniston

Aniston and Handler go way way back. Handler says their friendship "just happened" and since then, she's made headlines for defending her bestie. She's called Angelina Jolie a "lunatic" and made sure that everyone knew Aniston didn't care one bit about their divorce. However, Handler has jokingly mentioned that being best friends with someone so famous isn't as fun as one might think. 

"Everywhere I go, people ask me about Jennifer Aniston's wedding," Handler said to HuffPost Live. "I always say to her, I'm like, 'Being friends with you is a burden.' You think it's hard to be friends with me? Do you know what it's like to walk down a red carpet and go, 'When are Jen and Justin getting married?' Like I'm in charge of that."

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire

This interesting friendship kicked off in 1990 when the two auditioned for the same role in a TV show. They allegedly agreed to help each other in the industry whenever possible, and their bond hasn't broken yet. 

Flash forward to 2013 and the two finally star together in the infamous "The Great Gatsby." Between those pivotal moments, paps have spotted the pair rooting on teams at basketball games, snorkeling with each other on vacations, and sitting together at parties. 

Their years-long friendship has withstood the tests of time, and in Hollywood, that's even more impressive.

"Every single choice I've made, I've talked to Tobey about and vice versa," DiCaprio said to The Associated Press during an interview. "We've had endless conversations about certain projects and argued with one another and supported one another along the way."

Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne

Delevingne has a girl gang made up of what seems like every model and pop singer in Hollywood. She's known to hang out with a variety of celebrities, but one of her closer friends is the retired Disney Channel star. They attend events together all the time and got so cozy that rumors even started to spread that they were more than just friends.

"She's incredible and very open and she just makes me open. She's so fun and she's just extremely adventurous, and sometimes I just want that in my life, so I didn't mind it," Gomez said of the rumors while talking to to PrideSource. "I loved it."

The INSIDER Summary:

• You can get money back if an item goes on sale after you buy it.
• Shop for seasonal items and look out for asterisks on prices.
• The rotisserie chicken and bottled water are fantastic deals.

Being a member at Costco is like running a marathon: You have to spend money upfront on a membership (either $55 or $110, depending on the level you choose), and prices are typically higher because you're buying in larger quantities. But over time, being an active member at Costco can save you some serious green, botHerh in money saved and extra perks that go along with holding that little membership card.

Of course, saving even more money is the goal, so we rounded up some of the best (and some little-known) tips from Costco employees who will help keep more of your hard-earned money in your pocket! And it's not just shopping; save some even more cash with our 20 Ways to Lower Your Restaurant Bill, Straight from Employees!

You can get your money back if an item goes on sale

You finally plunked down the cash on that hand mixer or cutting board you've been eyeing forever, but that was last week, and now you see it's on sale. Are you just a victim of bad timing? No, according to one Costco employee on Reddit. If an item goes on sale less than 30 days after you already bought it, Costco will give you the difference, even if you don't have the receipt. And speaking of buying things on sale, you can skip these 12 Things You Shouldn't Buy in Bulk!

The return policy is very, very generous

Costco has one of the most forgiving return policies on the market, according to the same employee. If you buy something at the warehouse and hate it, you can return it and get your money back with no questions asked. They do limit the return of electronic items (television, computers) and major appliances (refrigerators, ovens) to 90 days, but that's still more generous than many retailers.

You can get cash for your rebate check

The Costco Executive Membership—often referred to as the black card—is more expensive than regular gold Costco memberships, but it comes with a bunch of additional perks. One of the best perks is 2 percent cash back on purchases, which comes back to you in the form of a rebate check. Better yet, you don't have to use it in store, according to Reddit user Iccusr, who identifies as a Costco employee. We suggest using it on these 17 Cheap Organic Foods You Should Be Buying!

The INSIDER Summary:

• The Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest showcases the best photos of the night sky and the universe.
  
• The judges announced the shortlisted images from the 2017 contest.
• Here are 15 incredible photos taken by astrophotographers all over the world.

All eyes will be on the sun this summer with the first solar eclipse visible from the US in 38 years occurring on August 21. The real show, though, happens every night when the sun goes down.

The Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest recognizes the best photos of the night sky and the universe taken by photographers all over the world. The winners will be announced September 14, but the panel of astronauts and astronomers recently shortlisted a selection of notable entries.

Here are 15 breathtaking photos that capture just how beautiful the night sky can be.

"A Battle We Are Losing" by Haitong Yu

"The Milky Way rises ominously above a small radio telescope from a large array at Miyun Station, National Astronomical Observatory of China, in the suburbs of Beijing. The image depicts the ever-growing light pollution we now experience, which together with electromagnetic noise has turned many optical and radio observatories near cities both blind and deaf — a battle that inspired the photographer’s title of the shot."

"An Icy Moonscape" by Kris Williams

"A lone stargazer sits atop the peak of Castell-Y-Gwynt (Castle of the Winds) on Glyder Fach Mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, beneath a starry night sky during freezing temperatures in mid-winter. The lunar-like landscape was formed through a process called freeze-thaw weathering: water seeps into cracks in the rock, freezing and expanding as ice forms, eventually cracking the rock over hundreds and thousands of years."

"Aurora over Svea" by Agurtxane Concellon

"The purples and greens of the Northern Lights radiate over the coal mining city of Svea, in the archipelago of Svalbard. The earthy landscape below the glittering sky is illuminated by the strong lights of industry at the pier of Svea."

Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical CEO, was found guilty of securities fraud on Friday — but that was hardly the first time he's been in the news.

Shkreli has been a controversial figure in the public eye ever since he hiked costs of Daraprim, an AIDS treatment drug that has no generic option, from $13.50 to $750 per pill overnight in 2015.

The move was met with widespread criticism, including from both then-presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Here's a look at Martin Shkreli's life, and how he got to where he is today:

SEE ALSO: 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli found guilty of securities fraud

Martin Shkreli had humble beginnings. On March 17, 1983, he was born in Coney Island Hospital to Albanian and Croatian immigrant parents, who both worked as janitors in Brooklyn.

Source: NBC News

Shkreli learned about stocks as a child, from a neighbor named Marty who would play chess with him in the 1990s.

Source: CNN Money

Shkreli was an ambitious child. "I kept thinking even as a young kid — at 10 or 11 years — I could have a company as big as Eli Lilly or Merck," said Shkreli. He ended up buying his first stock shares, in the computer company Compaq, at age 12.

Source: CNN Money

University students are known for being strapped for cash.

With only 28% of UK full-time students working part-time and many others too busy to take on a job, a student's limited funds must be spent wisely in order to make sure that loan stretches as far as possible.

Naturally, one of the biggest factors which affects student expenditure is where in the country they study.

A new infographic by Marbles.com compares the living costs of the 50 best-ranked universities in the country, as decided by The Complete University Guide's 2017 list.

Using data from Numbeo, the world's largest database for costs of living, the infographic considers student necessities such as weekly rent, travel, and even the price of a kebab in order to determine where in the country students get the most bang for their buck. Unsurprisingly, no London-based universities made the top 30. 

Scroll on to see the 30 most affordable student hubs in the UK, as based on typical student expenditure.

30. Bath

Weekly rent:£139

Travel pass:£63

Despite only managing to reach 30th place, the historic university town has the cheapest average cost for a meal for two out of all 50 destinations. At £40, Bath was considered to have the best value in this category.

29. University of East Anglia, Norwich

Weekly rent:£124

Taxi fare (per km):£1.60

UEA consistently remains an affordable place to study, only dropping one place since last year's rankings.

28. Durham

Weekly rent:£157.39

Pint:£3

Durham, in northeast England, has fallen a whole 17 places since last year's rankings.

Japanese tech giant SoftBank is announcing funding rounds in the hundreds of millions on an almost daily basis at the moment. 

The company — led by Masayoshi Son, Japan's richest man — is making investments through the SoftBank Group and the $93 billion (£71 billion) SoftBank Vision Fund.

It has backed or bought a host of established tech firms such as Nvidia, WeWork, and ARM. It's also backed less well-known startups like satellite internet firm OneWeb and farming startup Plenty. Most of the money has gone to companies in Europe, Asia, and North America. 

Here's a running list of SoftBank's investments, in chronological order:

Snapdeal - August 2015

Snapdeal is one of India's biggest online shopping sites. It started as an online deals site but evolved into a wider marketplace, with thousands of sellers offering their wares to shoppers.

Founded: 2010

Founders: Kunal Bahl, Rohit Bansal

Size of SoftBank's investment: $627 million (£478 million), participated in a later $500 million (£381 million) round

Total amount raised: $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion)

OneWeb - December 2016

OneWeb offers low-latency, high-speed broadband through a constellation of satellites. It promises to cut latency from 500 milliseconds to 20 milliseconds, similar to a fibre connection.

Founded: 2012

Founders: Greg Wyler

Size of Softbank's investment: $1 billion (£760 million)

Total amount raised: $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion)

SoFi - February 2017

So-Fi is a US-based "alt-lender," which started out in student refinancing loands and branched out into mortgage products in 2013. It's also taking steps to becoming a fully fledged bank.

Founded: 2011

Founders: Michael Cagney, Ian Brady, Daniel Macklin, James Finnigan

Size of SoftBank's investment: $1 billion (£760 million)

Total raised: $2.08 billion (£1.6 billion)

It only took Anthony Scaramucci 10 days to go from getting hired as President Donald Trump's new communications director to suddenly looking for a new job.

The Long Island native has a long history on Wall Street, and was an early, vocal backer of President Donald Trump.

Scaramucci's appointment to the White House set off a firestorm of controversy that included the resignation of embattled press secretary Sean Spicer, the ousting of chief of staff Reince Priebus, and an expletive-filled interview that ultimately paved the way to his downfall.

Scaramucci has long been a household name on Wall Street, but was relatively unknown elsewhere until his wild ride at the White House. Here's a primer:

SEE ALSO: Inside the rise, fall, rebound, and spectacular flameout of Anthony Scaramucci

DON'T MISS: Scaramucci is out as Trump's communications director after 10 days — and Twitter went nuts

He was hired, fired and then rehired at Goldman Sachs

Scaramucci worked at Goldman Sachs for some time after graduating from Harvard Law School.

He was even fired before being rehired in a sales role, he recounted to reporters several years ago.  

He later founded SkyBridge Capital, which invests rich people's money in hedge funds

Scaramucci later ran SkyBridge Capital, a fund of hedge funds firm. It basically invests wealthy people's money into hedge funds, private investment vehicles that make bets on the markets.

Scaramucci had heralded SkyBridge as a way for America's dentists and doctors – who might not have enough money to access hedge funds directly – to put their money in the hands of hedge fund titans.

The fund's sales practices drew criticism over the years, and a Main Street mutual fund that SkyBridge started also struggled with performance,Reuters reported earlier this year.

Still, the firm grew to billions in assets, much of that from relationships with Wall Street banks that directed their rich clients' money into the fund.

He has a love-hate relationship with the press

Scaramucci loves media attention and courts it like a pro (including from Business Insider). Sometimes, it is to promote books, like one he wrote on entrepreneurship called "Hopping over the Rabbit Hole." He has also hosted a TV show called "Wall Street Week" on Fox Business.

But he was accused of threatening a columnist after he wrote something Scaramucci didn't like. Felix Salmon, a financial columnist, wrote for Reuters about his experience.

Here's Salmon back in 2011:

"I’ve seen another side to Scaramucci: my post about his wine tasting was followed by a series of irate phone calls and emails from him, not only to me but also to any and every senior Thomson Reuters executive he could think of. It’s the steely competitor underneath the glad-handing exterior."

Scaramucci said he tried to get Salmon fired twice, though the two eventually made up.

More recently, he reportedly threatened to sue CNN over a story that it later retracted. When it did, and three staffers were let go, he tweeted ".@CNN did the right thing. Classy move. Apology accepted. Everyone makes mistakes. Moving on."

What can't Elon Musk do?

As CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, and cofounder of OpenAI, Musk seems to be everywhere all at once, pushing all kinds of incredible new technologies. He's said he won't be happy until we've escaped Earth and colonized Mars.

In a more immediate sense, Tesla just announced the Model 3— a $35,000 car that may just be the golden ticket to our electric-vehicle future.

Between space rockets, electric cars, solar batteries, research into killer robots, and the billions he's made along the way, Musk is basically a real life Tony Stark — which is why they used him as reference for the "Iron Man" movies.

But it wasn't always easy for Elon Musk. Here's how he went from getting bullied in school to small-time entrepreneur to CEO of two major, seemingly sci-fi companies ... and how it almost made him go completely broke. 

SEE ALSO: The rise of Larry Ellison, the jet-setting billionaire founder of Oracle

Elon Musk was born on June 28th, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa.

His father Errol Musk, an electronics engineer, once said, “Elon has always been an introvert thinker. So where a lot of people would go to a great party and have a great time and drink and talk about all sorts of things like rugby or sport, you would find Elon had found the person’s library and was going through their books."

Source: Fortune

Elon's mother Maye Musk, a Canadian national, is a professional dietitian and model who has appeared on boxes of Special K cereal and the cover of Time magazine.

A war is waging between "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead" for the title of the most popular television show in the world, but which one will come out on top?

To figure out what shows have captured the world's attention, INSIDER worked with Parrot Analytics, which analyzes ratings data (where available), social media chatter, blogging, and illegal pirating, among other factors, to figure out the viewer demand for shows.

With all the different ways we're watching TV nowadays – online, mobile, and streaming, etc. – Parrot provides one of the best ways to compare shows across platforms and measure how popular they really are.

In ranking the popularity of these shows, Parrot assigned them an expressions total that reflects average daily audience demand from all countries from January 1 to July 31, 2017, which is adjusted for each country's population.

Here are the 20 most popular TV shows in the world for 2017 so far, according to Parrot Analytics:

SEE ALSO: If you're experiencing withdrawal from 'The Walking Dead,' here are 10 great shows to watch instead

DON'T MISS: RANKED: Every Doctor Who, from worst to best

20. "The Grand Tour" (Amazon)

Average demand expressions: 2.93 million

19. "The 100" (The CW)

Average demand expressions: 3.04 million

18. "Lucifer" (FOX)

Average demand expressions: 3.11 million

• The Toyota RAV4 is the second best-selling compact SUV in the US.
• The Chevy Equinox recently got an upgrade and has boasted record sales ever since.
• The RAV4 is competitive when it comes to reliability and safety, but Chevy is catching up on performance and vehicle tech.
• We put the two head-to-head to see which wins the battle of the small SUVs.

For the last few months, I have almost exclusively driven compact SUVs.

It's not as sexy of a driving experience as, say, a Lamborghini Aventador, but there's still good reason for giving the humble crossover a closer look. Mainly, that this is what most of America is buying nowadays.

Compact and crossover SUVs account for 35% of all cars and trucks sold in the US. That's a win for automakers, which secure higher margins on the larger vehicles than passenger sedans.

The Chevy Equinox has boasted reasonable sales, but has conventionally fallen behind frontrunners like the Toyota RAV4, which is the second best-selling compact SUV in the US. Chevy, however, decided to give the Equinox a better shot at cornering the market with a revamped model that's been selling well since its launch.

We put the Chevy Equinox LT and Toyota RAV4 Platinum head-to-head because both are popular crossovers that match on size. We wanted to see how two crossovers on the larger size stack up when it comes to sheer driving experience.

It's worth noting, however, that we're pitting the Equinox's turbo 4-cylinder engine against the non-turbo, 4-cylinder engine used by the RAV4, which is also larger. That may be a dealbreaker off the bat for some buyers who prefer the power of a classic 4-cylinder engine.

That being said, here's our take on the two:

SEE ALSO: The Kia Niro is a fun and zippy hybrid for under $30,000

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

As an initial note, the LT is not the most high-end Equinox available, while the RAV4 Premier is the most luxurious model on Toyota's crossover line. So there is a slight disadvantage there that we will be keeping in mind.

As a caveat, performance is the same across the Equinox line. We also drove an Equinox LT with two separate packages (the Confidence and Convenience Package and Sun and Infotainment Package) that come standard on the Premier trim.

The biggest disadvantage between the two would come down to some safety tech, such as lane-keep assist, that isn't made available on the LT. There's also slight differences when it comes to more luxe features, like heated steering wheels. We'll be making a note of this throughout the story.

The LT starts at $28,500, but add-ons increased the final price tag to $33,730. The RAV4 starts at a lower price ($24,410) but the Premier model we drove costs $36,150.

The Equinox Premier starts at $30,040.

The two SUVs are essentially equals when it comes to price. Unless you commit to the very base model, options that most find necessary will bump the price to the mid-$35,000 range. 

First, some basics. The Equinox isn't a bad-looking SUV. It has a prominent grille that isn't overly large, which gives it a bit of an edge. It's very no fuss without being totally devoid of intrigue.

When it comes to fitness gadgets the general rule is that the current generation tend to overpromise and under deliver.

But in the case of the artificial intelligence headphones called Vi, designed to improve your running, I've been blown away by how much more it does than I imagined.

Not that I haven't had some issues with them, but the way they've helped correct and improve my running form far outweighs the annoyances. I can run longer and faster with less knee pain and soreness.

Vi gained attention in 2016 when it raised nearly $1.7 million on Kickstarter on a goal of $100,000.

I tried Vi for a wide variety of workouts before I came to the conclusion that I love this device.  

SEE ALSO: A controversial ex-banker is the person who really runs Twitter — and he's gambling the company's future on one risky bet

Vi is a set of weighted Bluetooth earphones priced at $250 and chock full of sensors like a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, a gyrometer, barometer, and voice recognition. When used with the speech recognition, AI-powered smartphone app, Vi becomes a personal trainer.

One difference between Vi and a regular set of bluetooth earphones are these curved bits on the earpiece. They are heart rate sensors that you place in the corner of your outer ear. I found the HR tracking to be surprisingly accurate, which is really important if you are training for a race and using heart-rate zone training.

Vi includes an iPhone or Android app that tracks your basic running statistics, like time, mileage, speed, heart rate, etc. Through the app, you set your goals, such as losing weight, getting faster, running farther, reducing stress, or improving fitness, which helps Vi personalize the guidance it gives during your runs.

In this shortened, seven-episode season of "Game of Thrones," basically anyone can be killed — and at any time. 

So to prepare you (and ourselves) for this intense season, which is already filled with deaths three episodes in, we put together a list of all the characters still alive, their chances of dying this week, and in the season generally.

We'll update each character's risk of death percentage every week, depending on what happens as the story progresses. 

Season seven episode four, "The Spoils of War" airs Sunday night on HBO.

Here's who will live and who will die this week on "Game of Thrones:"

SEE ALSO: The 8 biggest questions we have after this week's 'Game of Thrones'

Jon Snow — 100%

Chance of survival this episode: 100%. Jon Snow isn't looking forward to the inevitable battle with the White Walkers, but he is just dandy in Dragonstone yet again this week. 

Chance of survival this season: 90%. He's already died before and his life could be saved again. 

Daenerys Targaryen — 100%

Chance of survival this episode: 100%. She is Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons. She is perfectly fine and there's nothing to worry about for now. 

Chance of survival this season: 99%. All men must die, but Daenerys Stormborn is not a man. 

Tyrion Lannister — 100%

Chance of survival this episode: 100%. Turns out getting wrongfully accused of murder and having to escape execution is the best thing that has ever happened to this guy. 

Chance of survival this season: 75%. Tyrion is at a huge risk being in Westeros. And Dragonstone is too close to King's Landing for comfort. But the chances that we will see his death on the show are very slim. He's one of the people to root for and it's unlikely that George R.R. Martin will let the writers kill off his favorite character.

This list contains a variety of premium and mid-range smartphones you should seriously consider if you need to make a smartphone purchase right now.

That said, several big tech companies — including Apple, Google, and Samsung — will be releasing new smartphones in the coming months.

Since five of these top phones are about to become last year's models, we've listed their successors, their likely release dates, and their price tags, at the very bottom of the list in case you'd prefer to wait for any of those phones.

Here's our list of the best smartphones you can buy right now.

Note: Prices may vary depending on the retailer.

SEE ALSO: 8 reasons Google's Pixel is better than the iPhone

DON'T MISS: These are the smartphones with the best signal strength

20. BlackBerry Classic

If you were a BlackBerry fan in the company's heyday, you're going to love the BlackBerry Classic. It looks similar to older BlackBerry models but features a sharp touchscreen and an excellent physical keyboard.

Price: $169

19. BlackBerry KeyOne

The BlackBerry KeyOne with Android is the company's successor to the Priv, which also ran Android and had a slide-out physical keyboard. With the KeyOne, BlackBerry returned to basics and kept the keyboard as a permanent exterior feature.

This could be a great device for those who want a physical keyboard but also access to Google's apps and services, which aren't available on other BlackBerry devices.

Price: $550

Read the BlackBerry KeyOne review »

18. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 5 is a killer big-screen phone, and it's still technically the latest Galaxy Note phone you can buy as a result of the Galaxy Note 7's exploding battery issues. Like previous versions of the Note, it has a large vibrant display and a stylus for taking notes. The metal-and-glass design is great, too.

Wait for it: Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23. It'll likely cost more than the Galaxy Note 5, but if the rumors are true, it'll come with an improved camera and overall performance upgrade.

Price: $455

Read the Galaxy Note 5 review »