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Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 3 in your fantasy football league

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Trevor Siemian

With Week 2 of the NFL season nearly in the books, it's time to start planning your lineup for next Sunday.

With seven out of 14 matchups decided by two touchdowns or more, there wasn't much competitive football over the weekend, but that's not to say that Sunday was a total wash for fans. There were a number of strong fantasy performances, along with a handful of high-profile busts, that supplied enough drama to make up for the numerous blowouts.

There are 15 weeks remaining in the regular season, but it's never too early to start reinforcing your roster for the long journey ahead. Below, check out 10 smart waiver wire pickups that could make the difference in your Week 3 matchup.

Trevor Siemian, QB

Team: Denver Broncos

Week 2 stats: 231 passing yards, 4 touchdowns

One thing to know: Siemian found three different receivers in the end zone in a decisive win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. With a 106.9 passer rating through the first two games of the season, the Northwestern product is starting to look like a star signal caller.



Javorius Allen, RB

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Week 2 stats: 66 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards, 5 receptions, 1 touchdown

One thing to know: The fantasy love Allen received after Week 1 will only increase after his Week 2 performance, which included an 83.3 percent catch rate and 19 touches against the Browns. Baltimore's next foe, the Jaguars, shouldn't cause him much trouble.



J.J. Nelson, WR

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Week 2 stats: 120 receiving yards, 5 receptions, 1 touchdown

One thing to know: Nelson continued to play a significant role in the Cardinals offense on Sunday, especially in light of All-Pro running back David Johnson's Week 1 wrist injury. While Johnson's replacements, Chris Johnson and Kerwynn Williams, combined for just 66 rushing yards, Nelson more than doubled his receiving yardage from the opening game.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Blockchain, factory-made homes, and 'the American model': 5 fixes for Britain's broken housing market

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Terraced houses behind Union Jack bunting, England

LONDON – Technology and changing demographics are having a huge impact on the UK housing industry, with some hopeful they can help alleviate the country's housing crisis.

With these issues on the agenda, the UK's biggest property conference, ResiConf, took place last week, and Business Insider attended.

The theme was fixing Britain's "broken" housing market, a phrase borrowed from the government's own white paper on the issue.

Fixes are sorely needed: there is a shortage of homes across the country, and builders are consistently failing to keep pace with demand.

Soaring prices and rising rents are pricing out first-time buyers and young professionals.

So what can be done to address the problem? Here's what everyone was talking about at ResiConf:

1. Factory-built homes are ready to take off

Much of the talk at ResiConf focused on the topic of modular housing (less fashionably called prefabricated homes). Firms like Pocket Living have made their name building affordable homes which are assembled off-site in factories around the country, then shipped on-site on a lorry.

Some think they offer part of the solutions to the UK's housing crisis, especially in cities where space is short.

London mayor Sadiq Khan certainly thinks so. Pocket just secured a £150 million loan from the London Mayor's office, the government, and Lloyds bank to build more than 1,000 affordable homes by 2021.

The benefits? Due to the lower costs associated, Pocket is able to offer affordable homes made to a high specification at around 80% of the local market rate.

The drawbacks? At 38 square feet, one-bedroom Pocket homes are roughly the size of a London underground carriage.

That doesn't seem to have deterred prospective buyers: the waiting list for an affordable Pocket home stands at 35,000 at the most recent count.



2. Proptech can bring down costs and free up land

Many of the sector's game-changing innovations look set to come within the proptech sector — a catch-all term for property technology.

Business Insider met Land Insight, a software firm which pulls in datasets from local government and the Land Registry to help developers identify development sites cheaply and more quickly than traditional methods, which often rely on costly surveys and become bogged down in legal work.

Land Insight CEO Jonny Britton said a greater volume of information would encourage building and bring down costs. In a market low on space and short on time, it is unglamorous but important changes to development such as this which could herald the biggest changes for the industry.



3. Build-to-rent – "the American model"— could represent the future

Build-to-rent is a relatively new concept in the UK, with most developments historically built for sale rather than for renting. But developers have recently started to capitalise on demand for a different kind of product, and there are now 83,650 BTR homes completed or planned across the country.

Living in a BTR home means living in a development designed for renters: typically it has communal spaces, amenities like gyms and swimming pools, a concierge service. Rents often include perks like Sky TV and gym membership.

That means premium prices, but in the UK developments often contain quotas of affordable homes which are let at between 65 and 80% of market value (at the 7,600-home development in Wembley Park, the UK's biggest, 40% of homes are affordable.)

Build-to-rent also means no letting agency fees — because you rent directly from the landlord — and typically rents of three years or more which rise only with inflation, rather than at the whim of your landlord.

Institutional investors also like BTR: keeping all the properties in a building offers a steady, fixed income with a healthy yield of the kind that is attractive to pension funds and insurers.

It's easy to see why the government thinks purpose-built rental blocks — which are already popular in the US, Germany, and France — could be an important fix for a market in which many simply cannot afford to buy.

"The [UK] market is ready to support far more build-to-rent. Although as a concept, it is relatively new in the UK, there is an opportunity to build on lessons from the established multi-family housing sector internationally.

"The US is now delivering around 300,000 multi-family homes every year, but it took them 30 years to get there," he said.

"We have the opportunity to develop the sector more quickly here, by welcoming international investment and hearing from others."

He outlined a £65 million loan package to build 7,000 mainly BTR homes in London.



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What we know about Yahyah Farroukh, the 21-year-old chicken shop worker from Syria arrested over the Parsons Green bomb attack

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The first name to emerge from the counter-terrorism investigation into the bomb attack on the London Underground last week was that of Yahyah Farroukh.

The 21-year-old was arrested late on Saturday night, more than 36 hours after a device detonated on an eastbound District Line train at Parsons Green station, west London.

He was the second man taken into custody. An 18-year-old was arrested at Dover port in Kent earlier on Saturday, but has not been named.

Since his name was made public, a variety of witnesses, officials, and acquaintances have been speaking out about Farroukh, who has yet to be charged with anything. 

Read on to find out what we know about Farroukh so far.

Farroukh is 21 years old. His Facebook lists his date of birth as 28th January, 1996.



He came to the UK from Syria at least four years ago, though the precise dates are unclear. His Facebook lists his home city as Damascus, the Syrian capital.

Damascus has never come under the control of ISIS, and is the seat of power for Bashar al-Assad's government.

But the city has still been a centre of fighting, and is regularly targeted in bomb attacks.



His Facebook profile says that he went to West Thames College in Isleworth, southwest London.

Farroukh's page says he studied ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), a course meant to give its students a basic grounding in the language.

 

A spokesman for the college told Sky News that Farroukh had attended between 2013 and 2015.



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What people take to work for lunch in 16 countries around the world

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Ramen japan flickr City FoodstersDespite its role in breaking up the working day — and giving employees a much-needed time out from their computer screen — many British office workers see lunchtime as another mundane part of their daily ritual.

Office supplies provider Viking discovered that 81% of British workers are bored of what they eat for lunch every day, with one in six eating the same lunch every day for the past two years.

By compiling data from lunchtime search engine terms across the country, the company also discovered the UK's most popular office lunche — including the likes of potato soup and a tuna sandwich, the resulting meal probably leaves something to be desired for many office workers.

In order to inspire British workers to go beyond the realms of soup and a sandwich, Viking asked people around the world what they have for lunch at work and created an infographic that shows the array of options out there.

With profiles for a variety of countries, from Austria to Brazil, the infographic contains an example meal for each nation alongside some information about where workers tend to eat and how long they take away from their desks. 

Business Insider compiled the selection of examples, including some of our own favourite lunchtime meals from other countries, to create a list of how people all over the world enjoy their lunch hour — from taking in a homemade meal to grabbing something from a nearby cafe.

Scroll on to discover what people have for lunch at work in 16 countries around the world.

AUSTRIA: Schnitzel, salad, new potatoes.

Austrian workers enjoy sitting down to a filling and substantial hot meal during their lunch break. One of Austria's national dishes, schnitzel, makes for the perfect option. Flattened meat is coated in breadcrumbs then fried, and is best partnered with buttery new potatoes and a fresh green salad.



BRAZIL: Feijoada, rice, coconut water.

Feijoada is a slow-cooked stew of beans and meat in a rich gravy. This classic Brazilian dish can be found in barbecue restaurants or sold by street food vendors and is best served with rice, washed down with some refreshing coconut water.



CHINA: A bian dang containing rice, meat or eggs, dumplings, and crunchy vegetables.

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Chinese employees will either bring a packed lunch from home or buy a "bian dang" on their way to the office. This boxed up meal, whose name literally translates as "convenience," often contains rice, fried meat or eggs, dumplings, and vegetables.

Some employees in China are reportedly encouraged to take a short nap after lunch to encourage productivity in the afternoon. As a result, some establishments will give their workers up to two hours away from their desks in the middle of the day.



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The 10 world landmarks where you're most likely to find love, according to dating app Happn

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couple eiffel tower

If you're on the hunt for your perfect match, there's a chance you've been looking too close to home.

Travelling is a great way to meet new people — and it turns out there are certain places around the world that increase your chances of finding Mr or Mrs Right.

Dating app Happn— which has 1.9 million users in the UK and 37 million worldwide — analysed the number of "crushes," or matches, made by users across the globe to find out which monuments and landmarks were popular for finding love.

The app, which exists in 50 cities and 40 countries, uses geolocation to connects users who are in the same place at the same time. If the users "like" each other, by tapping a heart on the other user's profile, then they can start messaging each other.

While the likes of the Eiffel Tower did make the list, some of the results were more surprising — and you're unlikely to have heard of the 71.5 metre-tall landmark that took the number one spot.

Scroll down to see the 10 landmarks around the world where you're most likely to meet your match, according to Happn.

10. Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meaning "hunchback" in Portugese, the mountain is known for its "Christ the Redeemer" statue, which tourists flock to.



9. Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. In the 15th century, this stunning spot served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.



8. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia. Whether you're simply checking out the view or attending a performance, this arts centre offers many opportunities to meet someone new.



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17 common food names you're probably pronouncing wrong

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espressoThe INSIDER Summary:

  • You may not realize that you're actually pronouncing these common food names wrong. 
  • You're probably pronouncing "sriracha" wrong. 
  • From gyro to espresso, here are the words you're probably pronouncing wrong. 

 

Bruschetta

Don’t say: Broo-sheh-tuh... Instead say: Broo-SKET-tuh

You'll argue about the differences in these regional food names forever. Is it soda or pop?



Sriracha

Don’t say: Sree-rah-cha... Instead say: SEE-rah-cha (Don't believe it? Ask the maker.)



Maraschino cherry

Don’t say: Mare-uh-sheeno... Instead say: Mare-uh-SKEENO

These foods actually have different names in the U.K.



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The Ford Explorer has been around for more than 25 years — but it's still a brilliant SUV (F)

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2017 Ford ExplorerPROS: Comfort, reliability, towing capacity, EcoBoost V6 engine, seating and cargo capacity, sleek SUV styling.

CONS: Fuel-economy, platform is getting on in years.

There are fancier SUVs. There are more luxurious SUVs. There are faster SUVs. There are more technologically showy SUVs. 

But there are almost no SUVs that have a track record to match the Ford Explorer. Introduced in 1990, the Explorer has been in continuous production through five generations; the 2018 model year will see an update, but the vehicle is getting a little long in the tooth. That said, when we recently borrowed a 2017 Explorer from Ford — about $55,000 as tested, in the Platinum trim level — we were surprised at how well this venerable platform is holding up.

The mid-size SUV market is critical to Ford, given that in combination with its best-selling F-Series pickup trucks, mid-size utes are major profit-drivers in the US. Ford must keep the Explorer competitive, even as both mass-market and luxury brands bring new large SUVs to consumers — and as Ford itself expands its portfolio of crossovers (the fifth-gen Explorer sits on a crossover frame, not a truck-based architecture).

We had a great test in store for the Explorer: a run of roughly 200 miles round trip, from BI's suburban New Jersey test center to the east end of Long Island. Along for the ride would be my family of five. Here's how it went:

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The 2017 Explorer arrived in "White Platinum" paint job, with a black leather interior.



The design of this SUV has evolved over the years, becoming progressively sleeker. But this is still a full-size, three-row SUV that intended to max out passenger space and cargo capacity.



The waveform grille and backward-wrapping headlights reduce the overall massiveness of the front end, but the Explorer continues to have a powerful road presence when viewed from this angle.



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We went to a Toys R Us store the day after the bankruptcy announcement — and we were surprised by what we found

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Toys R Us Times Square

Toys R Us has filed for bankruptcy.

The company has said it is not closing any stores or altering any opening hours.

The specialty toy store has struggled as it increasingly competes with online retailers in its two main businesses: baby goods and toys. Amazon sells more than double what Toys R Us does online in just those two categories alone, according to data from Ecommercedb.com.

We decided to visit Toys R Us' new holiday pop-up store in New York City's Times Square to see what — if anything — had changed now that the retailer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

What we found shows how big of a threat Amazon is.

SEE ALSO: Amazon has triggered a $5 billion bidding war — here are the cities that are in competition for its new HQ

The temporary Toys R Us in Times Square is in the famous Knickerbocker building.



Walking in, I was immediately struck by how clean the shelves were.



Though it was noon on a Tuesday, there was a good number of people shopping — some had children and others didn't, and some clearly were tourists.



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10 fantasy football players who should be benched for Week 3

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Thomas Rawls

In fantasy football, no week is complete without a couple of disappointments, and that's especially true this time of year.

Depth charts are still solidifying, leaving unheralded players from across the league to rise up and deliver big performances. On the other side of that coin are established names who have stumbled out of the gate in 2017, casting doubt on their fantasy utility going forward.

Below, read up on 10 players you should consider benching for Week 3 in your fantasy football league, whether because of initial performance or upcoming matchups. Most of them are worth holding on your bench for now, but keep an eye on the stragglers as the rest of the season plays out.

Carson Palmer, QB

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Week 2 stats: 332 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

One thing to know: Palmer's 54.8 completion percentage through two games is almost as ugly as his league-leading total of four interceptions. He'll continue to throw for plenty of yardage as long as running back David Johnson remains sidelined, but there are almost certainly better options available in your league.



Thomas Rawls, RB

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Week 2 stats: 4 rushing yards

One thing to know: Fantasy managers across the country watched in horror as Chris Carson assumed a starring role in the Seattle backfield on Sunday, leaving Rawls with just five touches. The Central Michigan product may retain some fantasy value as the Seahawks' running back situation solidifies, but he's not worth starting against the Titans this week.



DeMarco Murray, RB

Team: Tennessee Titans

Week 2 stats: 25 rushing yards, 3 receiving yards, 1 reception

One thing to know: There are multiple red flags surrounding Murray this week — not only did he have to leave last Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, but his replacement, Derrick Henry, looked great, rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown. Even worse, the Titans are heading into a tough matchup against the Seahawks.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'The Handmaid's Tale' was Amazon's most-read fiction book of the summer — here are the others

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handmaids tale

Hulu's hit series "The Handmaid's Tale," based off Margaret Atwood's acclaimed novel under the same title, won four Emmys Sunday night.

And it seems the widespread success of the series has sparked some new interest in its original source material.

According to Amazon, "The Handmaid's Tale" was the most-read fiction book this summer on its Kindle devices.

You can bet the popularity of the Hulu series is responsible for this resurgence of interest in "The Handmaid's Tale"— 22 years after it was published.

Who else made the list?

Here are the top five most read fiction books of the summer, according to Amazon: 

SEE ALSO: 9 changes 'The Handmaid's Tale' show made from the original dystopian book

5. "It"

The movie "It" is already being dubbed the first big hit of the fall movie season, and it seems as though Stephen King fans were gearing up for the film this summer by re-reading his lengthy (1,184 page!) novel "It." 



4. "House of Spies"

Daniel Silva's "House of Spies" quickly gained popularity this summer, shortly after it was released. The novel follows Gabriel Allon on his search for a the world's deadliest terrorist and ISIS mastermind.



3. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

The first novel in the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," was one of the most read books this summer — 20 years after its release.



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Antarctica is getting a farm that can grow produce even when it's -100 degrees Fahrenheit outside — take a look

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antarctic greenhouse

Antarctica's nonstop winters make it impossible to grow food outdoors. Fruits and vegetables are instead shipped long distances from overseas, just a few times per year. 

But engineers at the German Aerospace Center (GAC) will soon build a high-tech farm that will allow Antarcticans to harvest produce.

The farm will feature a year-round greenhouse that can grow food for researchers at the Neumayer III polar station on the Ekstrom Ice Shelf.

Called the Eden-ISS, the farm exists inside a climate-controlled shipping container. The greenhouse relies on  a technique called vertical farming, in which food grows on trays or hanging modules under LEDs instead of natural sunlight.

Take a look at the farm, which will come to Antarctica in October, below.

SEE ALSO: Investors are sinking hundreds of millions into a technology that could revolutionize the way we eat

Before the Eden-ISS shipping container farm debuts in Antarctica, the GAC is testing growing fruits and vegetables at its headquarters in Bremen, Germany.



The 135-square-foot farm can grow all sorts of produce indoors. Harvesting food outdoors is impossible in Antarctica due to its endless winters.

The only way to get produce to McMurdo, the US station where the majority of Antarctic researchers stay, is by ship or plane. In January, a shipment of dried and frozen food is delivered, and during summer, planes come with fresh food around once a week, according to Atlas Obscura.

 



GAC scientist Paul Zabel will move with the farm to Antarctica, where he will grow fruits and vegetables under 42 LED lamps.



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The updates to Apple Maps in iOS 11 make me actually want to use it again (AAPL)

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Apple Maps iOS 11

When I first got an iPhone three years ago, it only took me about 24 hours to make the switch from Apple Maps to Google Maps. 

I had been using Android devices up until 2014, and the Apple Maps interface wasn't intuitive to me. Google Maps seemed more reliable, and I was hesitant to trust Apple Maps after the countless bugs, glitches, and outright dangerous directions users were subjected to when the product rolled out in 2012. 

From then on, my opinion of Apple Maps didn't really change — until iOS 11 was unveiled this past June. 

The new iPhone operating system, which arrived today, contains some major changes to Apple Maps. The updates make the app not only a solid mapping tool, but finally give Apple Maps capabilities that are equal to or even better than what Google Maps can do.

Nearly five years after launch, the newest update puts Apple Maps solidly on a par with Google — and it's making me consider switching back for the first time ever. 

Here are some of the major changes to Apple Maps with iOS 11. 

SEE ALSO: Apple's new software, iOS 11, is out — here are 17 major ways your phone just changed

Lane guidance will tell you which lane to be driving in before making a turn or getting off a highway.

Google also offers a lane guidance feature, and most standalone GPS devices have this, too. But Apple's interface looks more modern than Google's, and it's nice to see the number of lane's displayed so prominently at the top. I can picture this being incredibly helpful when driving in a high-traffic area with several lanes. 



Speed limits will show up in the corner of the screen at all times.

Unless you live in San Francisco or Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, you won't see speed limits in Google Maps. But Apple hasn't said if there are any limitations on where speed limits will pop up in its Maps app. 

I drive across New York State a few times a year to visit family, which involves driving on both 70mph highways and tiny, 30mph towns. It's easy to miss a speed-limit sign or fall victim to a speed trap, so having the speed limit displayed at all times could save many drivers from future speeding tickets. 



Light guidance works for routes you take often — you'll hear fewer prompts, see an overview of your trip, and get alternative routes while you're traveling.

Google only offers two forms of maps at the moment: turn-by-turn directions (which you can have on silent or spoken aloud) and a larger route overview. But Apple built a hybrid version, which could help make your commute a lot more enjoyable. 



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The best iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cases for every type of person

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

woodline 7 2The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are officially on their way to stores, and maybe even your door. 

With updated processors, better cameras, and a refined design, these are definitely Apple's best phones yet. So it makes sense that'd you want to keep yours in one piece. 

Accidents happen, and while these latest phones are water and dust resistant, that won't be much help if one of them slips from your hands and falls to the ground. Especially since both the front and back of them are made out of (super durable) glass.

We've rounded up the best iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cases for every type of person below. Because the physical design isn't that different from the iPhone 7, many of these cases have stuck around since last year, which has actually made it easier to sort the good ones from the bad.

Whether you prioritize extra protection, size, or price, you'll find something to suit your taste below.

SEE ALSO: The best wireless chargers for your iPhone 8, iPhone X, or Android phone

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone docks you can buy

For the person who wants a slim, protective case

Caseology Slim Protective Case, $13.99, available at Amazon [iPhone 8]

Caseology Slim Protective Case, $13.99, available at Amazon [iPhone 8 Plus]



For the person who needs a hard-backed case

UAG Plasma Feather-Light Rugged Case, $29.95, available at Amazon [iPhone 8]

UAG Plasma Feather-Light Rugged Case, $29.95, available at Amazon [iPhone 8 Plus]



For the person who drops their phone a lot

Speck Products CandyShell Case, $24.95, available at Amazon [iPhone 8]

Speck Products CandyShell Case, $29.95, available at Amazon [iPhone 8 Plus]



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13 fast food menu hacks for vegans

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ChipotleFast food and vegan are two phrases we wouldn't say go hand in hand. Not only do meat and cheese seem to rule the brown-bag, on-the-fly food game, but we also don't always know what is being used to fry that stuff up. And up until this moment we were pretty certain that there wasn't a vegan option to be had at many favorite chains. Vegan and craving some Taco Bell? Fuggedaboutit. But fam, we were wrong.

It turns out, after a bit of digging, we were able to find meat- and dairy-free options from some of the top drive-thru spots across the nation (13 to be exact). Some are hacks, some are actual menu items, and many are viable meal options. From Subway, to Burger King, and even Dominos Pizza — customers have taken to Instagram and shared their #veganfastfood success stories — proving that with just a bit of curiosity and creativity you too can enjoy a hot batch of waffle fries. (Since many of these items are off-menu and certain chains say they can't guarantee items being free of allergens, anyone with food allergies should take extra precautions.)

So click on to see which joints made the cut.

Little Caesars



Wendy's



Cheesecake Factory



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24 home gym exercise tools that will save you money and time

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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.

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Getting to the gym isn’t remotely easy for most of us.

Things like working late, having a long commute, and preferring not to exercise with gusto in front of others can keep many people from seeing returns on their expensive gym memberships.

Sometimes between the long nights and the long commutes the only time you have for yourself is the morning, and that free time often cut from prospective sleep hours seems to be ill-used on commutes to and from the gym. 

For all those reasons and more, home gym equipment can be a turning point — an invaluable tool in maintaining the kind of fit body and lifestyle you want.

When I was working full-time and taking night classes, I knew that I’d likely never see the inside of a gym — the hours weren’t times that I could make and there definitely wasn’t a convenient 24-hour center nearby. I wasn’t content with losing enough muscle tone to one day flop over like Harry Potter’s arm when his bone is magicked away in one of the movies. So I invested in equipment that I could use when I got home. And it was really great — not only did it always work with my schedule, but on the particularly tiring days I never felt the need to compete with anyone else just to show that I was not always so lackluster — I was the only one there, and I knew how tired I was, so I just gave myself credit for the effort.

Home gym equipment isn’t for everyone, but it can be a way to cut down on monthly costs like gym fees and increase the convenience and comfortability of exercise for people all over the world.

Whether you’re trying a new resolution, are landlocked at home, or have another one of the millions of little reasons why home gym equipment might be nice to have around, it’s wise to pick something up that works for you and whatever your specific fitness goals are.

Below are 24 items that will help you work out at home:

SEE ALSO: 8 exercise headphones that will make it easier to work out this year

TRX Home Suspension Trainer Basic Kit & Door Anchor, $149.95

BUY IT ON AMAZON >>



20 lb Dumbbell Set with Stand, $24.99

BUY IT ON AMAZON >>



High Density Foam Roller, $8.68 - $22.95

BUY IT ON AMAZON >>



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The iPhone 8's new camera mode needs a lot of work

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iPhone 8 plus portrait lighting

One of the big new features on the iPhone 8 Plus is Portrait Lighting, a new camera mode that uses the phone's dual-camera system to adjust the lighting around your subject to add different effects.

It's an enhancement to last year's Portrait photo mode, which was designed to bring the iPhone's camera closer to a high-end DSLR through software enhancements. Portrait mode's software separates the subject from their surroundings and creates a blurred effect in the background. The new Portrait Lighting mode uses a similar tactic to adjust the lighting effects around the subject.

Portrait Lighting launches in beta on the iPhone 8 Plus on Friday, but even though it's an early version of the software that will improve over time, it's clear that Apple has quite a bit more work to do. In my tests over the last week, I found that Portrait Lighting didn't work well unless real-world lighting conditions were just right. Sometimes, the results were abysmal, like someone had a few too many drinks before attempting to edit a photo in Photoshop. Other times, the photos looked great.

Here are some examples of the different Portrait Lighting effects:

Here's Manny. I took this photo using the normal Portrait Mode settings.



This is Stage Lighting. The software removed the background and made it look like a spotlight is shining on Manny. But it's still a bit rough around the edges.



Stage Lighting isn't perfect. Here's what happened when I tried it with my cat Larry. The result was terrible. Look at the jagged lines around his fur.



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32 celebrity couples with huge age differences between them

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blake lively ryan reynolds

Age doesn't necessarily matter when it comes to love for these Hollywood May-December romances.

From the 12 years between Jay-Z and Beyoncé to the 17 years between George and Amal Clooney, these celebrities have found their match in partners more than 10 years older than them.  

Here are 32 celebrity couples with a big age gap between them. 

Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder: 10 years

Reed, 29, and Somerhalder, 38, started their relationship in 2014. They were engaged in early 2015 and were married in April that same year. The couple welcomed daughter Bodhi Soleil in July 2017. 



Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo: 10 years

Levine, 38, marriedVictoria's Secret model Prinsloo, 28, in 2014. Prinsloo gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Dusty Rose, in 2016 and announced a second pregnancy on Instagram in September 2017.



Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne: 10 years

Former One Direction member Payne, 24, has been dating singer Cheryl Cole, 34, since 2016. She gave birth to their first son, Bear, in March 2017.



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Lush is coming out with a ton of new products — here are 10 you should buy before they sell out

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New Lush Products Header

If you're a fan of Lush, you might want to brace yourself the popular skin care brand is gearing up to launch a ton of new products in October. 

Recently, during its Creative Showcase held on September 5 in London, Lush gave select shoppers a first-hand look at the most anticipated collections of the year.

From holiday items to an expanded line of perfumes and body sprays, here are 10 of the best Lush products that are coming soon.

Note: Because they are new releases, pricing information is not yet available for all products.

Pink Pumpkin Bubble Bar

Cost: $7.95

When crumbled under warm water, the bar turns into mounds of shimmering foam. 

Find out more about the Pink Pumpkin Bubble Bar here >



Naked Shower Gels

Unlike traditional bar soap, these solid shower gels "share most of the same ingredients" as their liquid counterparts, according to Lush.

They will be made available online for North American shoppers in mid-October. 

Find out more about the Naked Shower Gels here >



New Gorilla Perfumes

New scents include "Cardamom Coffee," a woodsy coffee scent, and "Amelie Mae," a sweet, fruity floral. 

They will be made available online for North American shoppers on September 26.

Find out more about the Gorilla Perfumes here > 



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It's rare for 0-2 NFL teams to make the playoffs — here's who has the best chance to pull it off this year

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andrew luck

Making the NFL postseason is a difficult task for any team, and it becomes that much harder when you don't get off to a clean start.

Since 2007 there have been 83 teams to start their season 0-2, and just nine of them have turned their season around to make the postseason.

For most, the rarity of making the playoffs can just be chalked up to bad teams being bad. But not all 0-2 teams are the same and some have a better shot to buck the trend than others.

After two weeks of the 2017 campaign, nine teams across the NFL currently sit winless, meaning if the trend holds, there's a good chance at least one of them can shift their fortunes and find themselves playing in January.

Below we're taking a look at every team that still hasn't won a game this season, and breaking down their chances of righting the ship and making a playoff push.

1. Indianapolis Colts

Losses so far: 46-9 at Rams, 16-13 vs. Cardinals

2017 outlook: Colts fans are surely disappointed with the way their year has started, but they can at least say confidently that they're not as bad as their record makes them look. With star quarterback Andrew Luck on the sidelines, the Colts have had to turn to Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett to run the offense. But despite their 0-2 start, Indianapolis is still just a game back in their division and have not played a divisional opponent yet. With a matchup against the Browns this week, the Colts will have a good chance to take a win, and depending on when Luck can take back the starting role, the Colts could put together a run to win the relatively weak AFC South.



2. New York Giants

Losses so far: 19-3 at Cowboys, 24-10 vs. Lions

2017 outlook: The Giants' offense has sputtered to open the season, with just 13 points to their name after two games of effort. Odell Beckham Jr. came back from injury to play on Monday against the Lions, and while he wasn't a huge factor in the game, any football fan knows that he has the power to change the course of a game in an instant. Like the Colts, they're only a game back in their division, although they do already have a divisional loss on their record. Luckily, Eli Manning has been here before — in 2007 the Giants also got off to an 0-2 start before going on to win the Super Bowl. With the NFC East looking like a potential slugfest, 9-7 might be enough to punch a postseason ticket.



3. Los Angeles Chargers

Losses so far: 24-21 at Broncos, 19-17 vs. Dolphins

2017 outlook: There's an argument to be made that the Chargers should be at the top of this list — they've lost both of their games on missed field goal attempts in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Simply put, the Chargers are just one blocked kick and one miss wide away from being 2-0. While there's no doubt that the Chargers have the talent to make a run (they might be the most talented team on this list), playing in a division with the Raiders, Broncos, and Chiefs is a tough hole to climb out of, no matter how good you are. There's a good chance that both AFC wild card teams come out of the AFC West, and the Chargers will have a lot of work to do to get themselves up to third in the division.



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26 cooking hacks you should know from the world's best chefs

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Cooking

The INSIDER Summary: 

  • Pro chefs usually have tons of helpful hacks to make cooking a little easier.
  • Some of these tips range from advanced to fairly simple.
  • The best examples include advice on which cooking oils to use and the best herbs to have on hand.

If you’ve ever taken a cooking class, there was probably a moment (or several) when the instructor demo’d something — how to properly sear meat, or how to efficiently cut veggies — and said something like, “As I’m sure you know, you should always…”

This happened to me when I took my first-ever class at The Brooklyn Kitchen with culinary instructor Sydney Willcox. Willcox kept saying things as she effortlessly floated around the kitchen, and I kept wanting to whip out my phone and take notes, because as basic as what she was saying sounded, they were epiphanies to me, revelations that would cut down my prep time before dinner and minimize the chances of me slicing a finger open.

Below, check out 26 general cooking tips from nine pro chefs around the U.S., some of whom specialize in gourmet vegan cooking, some of whom are grilling and meat aficionados — but all of whom know their way around a kitchen like the back of their hand, so you’d do well to copy them.

Hone those knife skills

“Always keep your fingers tucked in on your non-dominant hand, using your upper knuckles to guide your knife as you slice. If your finger tips are tucked in, you cant ever cut them! And for the highest degree of control over your knife. hold the knife by the blade, pinching the bottom of the blade between your thumb and the side of your forefinger. Grip your middle, ring, and pinky fingers around the handle for support, and avoid laying your forefinger over the spine of the knife.” — Sydney Willcox, culinary instructor at The Brooklyn Kitchen.



Cut veggies smarter

“Use a mandoline to cut down on prep time and ensure consistent slice sizes for your veggies.” — Willcox



Use ingredients in new ways

“Try a seasonal ingredient in an unexpected way! If you have never tried juicing a sweet potato you will be pleasantly surprised. The starch in potato makes your drinks lightly creamy, and the flavor combination is perfectly sweet. This is a dessert vegetable juice, packed full of vitamins A and B complex and beta-carotene.” — Matthew Kenney, raw food chef and owner of Plant Food + Wine Miami



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