• Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford revealed key details on Monday about the attack that left four American servicemen dead.
• The US government is still investigating the incident, and has many unanswered questions.
• Twelve days after the attack, President Donald Trump publicly addressed the incident for the first time, and waded into a feud over a condolence call with one of the soldier's widows.

An attack in Niger that left four American Green Berets and five Nigerien soldiers dead earlier this month has sparked a nationwide debate over how the Trump administration has handled the incident.

During a condolence call with Myeshia Johnson, the widow of one of the men who was killed, President Donald Trump reportedly told her that her husband "knew what he signed up for." Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida, a friend of Johnson's family who listened to the call on speakerphone, called Trump's remarks "insensitive."

In response, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called Wilson an "empty barrel," and said he was appalled that the congresswoman shared what she heard on that call. Trump fired off several tweets calling Wilson "wacky" and disagreeing with the widow's impression of the call.

As the feuding continued, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford held a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday addressing reports that the Trump administration was withholding information about what really happened in Niger.

Here's what we know about how the attack unfolded, according to Dunford's timeline:

SEE ALSO: 'We're there because ISIS and Al Qaeda are': The Pentagon gives new details on Niger ambush

DON'T MISS: How Trump's wild 8-day feud involving Gold Star families unfolded

October 3: A reconnaissance mission

Dunford said 12 members of the US Special Operations Task Force joined 30 Nigerien forces on a reconnaissance mission from Niamey, Niger's capital city, to an area near the remote village of Tongo Tongo.

October 4: The day of the attack

US soldiers and the Nigerien troops met with local leaders to try to gather intelligence information, Dunford said. Some of the soldiers stayed behind to guard their vehicles, a US defense official told CNN.

As the meeting came to a close, the soldiers became suspicious when the village leadership started stalling and delaying their departure.

When US troops started walking back to their vehicles mid-morning, they were attacked by approximately 50 militants. Dunford said the enemy was likely from an ISIS-affiliated group of local tribal fighters.

The militants fired on the US-Nigerien patrol team with small arms, machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades. This apparently caught the Americans and Nigeriens by surprise.

One hour later: US troops request reinforcements

An hour into the firefight, the American soldiers asked for support to thwart the attack.

Dunford said a drone arrived overhead "within minutes," although it was only sent to gather intelligence. French Mirage fighter jets capable of striking enemy targets arrived at the scene "within an hour."

Later that afternoon, French attack helicopters arrived along with a Nigerien quick reaction force as well.

Sgt. La David Johnson was somehow separated from the rest of his unit. US military officials were not able to explain how or when exactly that happened.

"This [attack] was sophisticated," an intelligence official told ABC News. "Our guys not only got hit hard, but got hit in-depth."

Responding to questions about why the US troops didn't request reinforcements sooner, Dunford said he wouldn't judge why it took them an hour to ask for backup.

"I've been in these situations myself where you're confronted with enemy contact, [and] your initial assessment is you can deal with that contact with the resources that you have," he said. "At some point in the firefight, they concluded they then needed support, and so they called for additional support."

• We asked experts from TopResume to make over the résumé of a professional with enough experience to no longer be considered entry-level.
• The experts top-loaded the résumé, made it easier to read, and emphasized job experience over college experience.
• You can use these tips to make over your own résumé.

It may not feel like it, but once you've got a few years of job experience under your belt, you're not an entry-level employee anymore — you're mid-level.

Your approach to finding a job will need to change accordingly.

No longer can you rely on what you did in college to impress potential employers — now it's up to you to convey what you've learned and accomplished in the working world.

With a diverse range of positions over the past five years, Lucy (not her real name) wanted to find a job supporting the administration in higher education, but her résumé, which read more like that of an entry-level worker, wasn't landing her interviews.

As part of Business Insider's résumé makeover series with TopResume, we thought we could help.

We asked Joe S., a résumé writer withTopResume, to rewrite Lucy's résumé and make it more appropriate for a mid-level employee looking to transition careers.

Joe focused on highlighting the hard and soft skills Lucy has acquired from her various positions. He also emphasized her experience in teaching to position her for entry into a role more focused on learning and development.

Amanda Augustine, the career advice expert for TopResume, explains some of the changes Joe made to Lucy's résumé to prepare her for the job search.

While your résumé may look different, these specific pointers should help you overhaul your own résumé:

SEE ALSO: 8 changes experts made to vastly improve the real résumé of a mid-level job hunter

DON'T MISS: 38 things you should remove from your résumé before it ends up in the 'no' pile

1. Added LinkedIn profile

Lucy already had a LinkedIn profile, but she hadn't added this information to her résumé. 

Joe made sure Lucy customized the public URL for his LinkedIn profile to include her name before adding it to her new résumé. 

"LinkedIn is not only a great place to build your personal brand and make connections in your field, but employers expect to find you on there," Augustine said.

She pointed to a Jobvite survey, which found that about 90% of employers use LinkedIn to search for and evaluate job candidates.

2. Removed street address

"Gone are the days when you're required to include your full mailing address at the top of your résumé," Augustin said.

In fact, she said that many security-conscious professionals intentionally remove this information out of fear of identity theft.

If you're searching for a job close to home, Augustine suggested including your city, state, and zip code at the top of your résumé and excluding your street address. Otherwise, it's best to leave the entire thing off.

3. Made job goals clear

Since Lucy held several different positions over the past few years, Augustine said her job goals weren't obvious at first glance of her old résumé.

Joe added a professional title and subhead to the top of her new résumé to clearly spell out her immediate goals and set the stage for her professional summary.

Coming up with an original Halloween costume is hard, so why not take some inspiration from the past?

Every moment has its own Halloween trends: 2008 was the year of the Joker from "The Dark Knight" and the past couple of years had a lot of "Star Wars" and Donald Trump costumes.

But in general, you'll see the same types of things over and over again. Disney characters, the Wizard of Oz, and classic monster characters like Frankenstein are perennials.

Here are what Halloween costumes looked like every year you — or your kids — were born.

1976: Horror movies have long been an inspiration for costumes.

Bill Schuck's cape, ruffled shirt, and moustache could make him the villain of any movie with a spooky castle.

1977: Burlesque-like costumes are also nothing new.

Here are two revelers at New York's Studio 54.

1978: Pharaohs and bug-eyed aliens are Halloween perennials.

The annual Halloween party at Studio 54 was a major event.

• The Levante was Maserati's first SUV.
• It helped increase sales for the brand in 2016 and 2017.
• Now it will be joined by a small SUV.

It would be hard to overestimate the importance of the Levante SUV for Maserati. The brand came back to the US over a decade and a half ago, but since the financial crisis and amid an SUV boom, it's been selling only stylish luxury sedans and sexy GT sports car.

That all changed in 2016, and it couldn't have happened at a more important time for the Italian automaker, part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire. It's down at the bottom of the luxury sales hierarchy in the US, with a puny 0.1% overall market share (Porsche sells five times as many vehicles annually).

The Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans have their fans (me, for example). But in the US and increasingly China, you really need a strong crossover offering. Porsche established the template for an automaker that had never built an SUV crossing that river in the early 2000s when it created the Cayenne, a hugely successful vehicle.

Maserati took the same plunge, and it's paid off as sales have steadily risen in 2017. Now FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne will greenlight a second SUV, smaller than the Levante but that continues the trend.

We first saw the Levante when it was revealed at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and later in the flesh at the New York auto show. Last year, we got some time behind the wheel, from a working farm and restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, about an hour north of New York, to Bear Mountain.

Read on:

SEE ALSO: Another Maserati SUV is coming to rival Porsche

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

I arrive at the driving site. It's the rustic Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, home to the well-known and highly regarded Blue Hill restaurant.

The scenery is spectacular. This is a working farm. There are cows and sheep in the fields, a beekeeping area, and lots of farming plots and pastures.

Gorgeous. A fine day to drive an Italian luxury SUV.

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:

• The best jump ropes are built to last, come with plenty of extras, include replacement parts, and are backed up with a lifetime warranty. The WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope has all of these benefits as well as a smooth bearing system and a cable long enough to accommodate even the tallest athletes.

Forget about the bulky, plastic segmented jump ropes you were forced to use in junior high gym class. Today’s jump ropes are precisely engineered to cut through the air with the slightest flick of your wrists. Tangling is also virtually unheard of. The best jump ropes feature a coated steel cable that is attached to comfortable, lightweight handles with ball bearings that allow for seamless rotation of the “rope.”

You will likely have to adjust the length of your jump rope to match your height. Start by standing on the middle of the rope with your foot. Then, adjust the length so that the handles are at your armpits. From there, test out the rope and decide if you want it to be shorter or longer. Once you have a length you are comfortable with, we recommend using a wire cutter to clip off the ends of the cable so you don’t have annoying and unnecessary lengths of cable hanging off the ends.

We combed through ratings and reviews from beginners and experts to find the best jump ropes. Based on proven performance, affordability, durable design, and the trustworthiness of the manufacturer, we chose five jump ropes that were the best in various categories.

Although the WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope is our overall pick for best jump rope, you should also consider the Fitskuad Jump Rope, the 321 Strong Plastic Fitness Jump Rope, the Survival and Cross Jump Rope, and the King Athletic Jump Rope. Read on to see which one is best for you in the slides below.

The best jump rope overall

Why you'll love it: When speed and long-lasting performance are your main concerns, the WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope is your best option.

The WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope comes with an extra cable, replacement hardware, and a nylon drawstring carrying bag. The cable is 2.5 millimeters thick and is made of coated steel. It comes at a length of 11 feet, which you can easily adjust. The handles are 6.75 inches long and are made of a nylon resin that tapers at the end for a better grip.

This speed rope uses a patented four-metal ball bearing system in the handles. There is a bearing on the tip of each handle to hold the cable and another bearing in each handle for smooth rotations. This model is currently available in nine colors, including black, grey, purple, and orange.

WOD Nation says the jump rope comes with a “100% lifetime guarantee,” but we were unable to find the specifics of this policy. On its website, WOD does state that it does not offer exchanges or refunds if fourteen days have passed since your purchase. Of course, if you order through Amazon, you get 30 days.

Several fitness experts have worked out with the WOD Nation jump rope, and their opinions are almost universally positive. Box Junkies liked that it was built to last and is resistant to tangling or losing its shape. WeWeight rated this item highly because of the fast rotation, efficient movement, and lightweight, easy to grip handles. However, they also found it was hard to use on grass. Dark Iron Fitness ranked the WOD Nation jump rope as the best speed rope. 

The WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope has nearly 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. For the most part, buyers liked that the cord was able to slice through the air quickly to make double and triple unders easier. Buyers were also happy that this product comes with an extra cord, screws, attachments, and the bag to carry everything in. The only negative we found was that when you use this jump rope on concrete, the thin nylon coating of the cable may start to scrape off.  

Pros: Comes with an extra cable, smooth bearing system for speed work

Cons: Susceptible to wear when used on hard surfaces

Buy the WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope on Amazon for $18.87

The best jump rope for beginners

Why you'll love it: The Fitskuad Jump Rope comes with a lot of extras that are ideal for someone just getting started with jump rope workouts.

Much like our top pick, the Fitskuad Jump Rope comes with an extra cable, additional attachments, and a carrying bag. It also comes with a free ebook titled “The Secret to Mastering Double Unders” for people new to jumping rope. The cable is ten feet long and coated with a PVC sleeve for durability. Meanwhile, the handles are six inches long and feature comfortable foam grips.

Fitskuad has a lifetime warranty on this jump rope. The company will send you a new unit if there is ever a problem with yours for any reason.

Kick Ass Home Gym ranked the Fitskuad Jump Rope among the best jump ropes for CrossFit double unders because it has long handles with foam grips, the cable is coated with durable PVC, and it comes with a double ball bearing system. However, the rope lost points because the screws are not very secure. KO Boxing Gloves also listed this model among its best CrossFit jump ropes due to its high performance and high quality. The reviewers do recommend that you check the screws periodically to make sure they are not loose.

Around 84% of the reviews of the Fitskuad Jump Rope on Amazon are for five stars. Buyers liked the sleek look of the handles and cable, the light yet durable feel, and that it is easy enough for beginners to use while still presenting the opportunity for challenging experienced rope jumpers.

The biggest concern brought up in the reviews was with the screws that keep the cable attached to the handles. Buyers advise that you check the screws before each workout to make sure they are tight.

Pros: Durable coated cable and long, comfortable handles

Cons: The screws may not stay tightened

Buy the Fitskuad Jump Rope on Amazon for $18.99

The best jump rope on a budget

Why you'll love it: If you are on a budget and want to buy a jump rope for yourself or a big group, the 321 Strong Plastic Fitness Jump Rope is the way to go.

As with many of the top jump ropes these days, the 321 Strong Plastic Fitness Jump Rope comes with a spare cable, carrying bag, and extra hardware. The cable is made of braided steel wire and coated with PVC and is eleven feet long, which makes it suitable for people up to seven feet tall.  

321 Strong also provides an ebook with the rope. This model comes in seven colors, including black, purple, pink, and blue. The manufacturer also offers a 100% lifetime warranty and satisfaction guarantee.

Fittous included the 321 Strong jump rope among its best ropes for CrossFit because of the comfortable six-inch handles, durability, and the eleven-foot adjustable cable. The reviewers do caution that the cable may be too lightweight for beginners. Herstylecode ranked this model as one of the top ten best jump ropes because of the fast speeds attained by the rope. Comparabit also has this rope in its top ten list because it is tough enough for hardcore workouts yet easy to use.

Reviewers of the 321 Strong jump rope on Amazon gave it four or five stars 88% of the time. An interesting comment in several of the reviews is that the owner of 321 Strong contacted buyers after they received their item in order to see if they have any questions or concerns. Buyers were impressed with this level of customer service. They also liked that the rope came with a carrying bag and a spare cable.

The only complaint we found was that the rope hurts if you hit yourself in the head with it. To avoid this, make sure you adjust the length properly.

Pros: Exceptional customer service, affordable price

Cons: May not be ideal for beginners

Buy the 321 Strong Plastic Fitness Jump Rope on Amazon for $7.99

Quitting your job and moving onto something new is always a nerve-racking process.

But just think about how people who've left the biggest companies out there must feel.

Business Insider has spoken to numerous alumni of some of the most talked about companies.

Many of them described leaving to tackle new ventures and chart their own course in the business world.

Here's some advice from people who've quit jobs at companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook on how to seize control of your career:

SEE ALSO: An Apple alum is helping people land secret gigs on the 'hidden job market'

Be upfront

WayUp CEO and cofounder Liz Wessel got straight to the point in her interview with Google during her senior year in college.

She wasn't planning on sticking around forever.

"I said, 'I am really interested in taking this, but if I take it, I want to leave in two years and start a company. How do you guys feel about that?'"she previously told Business Insider.

Wessel knew from the get go that she wanted to found her own business early on in her career. The Google recruiters were extremely supportive of her plan. And sure enough, after two years at the tech giant, she left.

For Wessel, having a plan and finding an encouraging and educational environment like Google was a crucial step in her professional development.

"I was very adamant about starting a company while I was still young and could take big risks — not that you can't when you're older, but I just was really excited about the concept of it," Wessel said.

Listen to the market

Joe Meyer was CEO of startup HopStop when Apple acquired the business for $1 billion in 2013, according to Fortune.

He stuck around at Apple for two years, before leaving to found careers site ExecThread.

In the end, he said it was hard to leave.

"Apple was treating me very well and they made it very difficult for me to leave," he told Business Insider.

He said he has his positive experience at Apple to thank for some of the success of his new business, which now has around 20,000 users and has raised $6.5 million in funding.

Because he was in no hurry to leave, he worked on ExecThread as a side project until he was sure it was good enough to roll out.

"Apple really taught me to to do things well before you introduce them or market them," he said. "I wanted to make sure there was really something here."

Once his side hustle began receiving attention from other players in the recruiting industry, however, he knew it was time to leave.

"That was when I was like I need to focus on this full time," he said.

Find something to run to

Chris Gomersall was Facebook and Instagram's first creative strategist. He loved his job. Still, he left it in 2015 to start cloud-based marketing software company Atomized.

He had started Atomized as a side project, but said it had never felt like extra work.

"I think in general when you find a job you love, it just doesn't feel like work,"he previously told Business Insider. "It never felt like anything more than doing what I love."

Gomersall said that was how he knew it was time to move on and start something new. He recommends most people leave their job only when they're certain a better, more fulfilling opportunity awaits them.

"It was really more of a calling," he said. "I was running to something rather than away from something."

In the past two years, the internet has given us The Dress, a photo of a mysterious missing leg, and this disorienting floor design.

If you're still hungry for more, INSIDER rounded up a mix of classic optical illusions, baffling viral photos, and  mind-boggling designs that'll leave your head spinning and illustrate how our brains process and interpret color, peripheral vision, size, and more.

One quick note: We've included explanations for many of the images, so scroll down slowly if you don't want to spoil the illusion.

Although you may see a bunch of swirling circles, this image is actually completely still.

The image above was inspired by the famous illusion "Rotating Snakes," created by Japanese psychologist and professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka in 2003.

Both are examples of a peripheral drift illusion, in which we perceive still images as moving ones. Interestingly enough, when you stare at one part of the photo without moving or blinking your eyes, that part stops "swirling" (while the circles in your peripheral vision continue to "move").

You can read about the science behind this phenomenon on Business Insider.

Is this cat going up or down the stairs?

This innocent photo of a cat went viral back in 2015 as people wondered whether the animal was going up or down the flight of stairs.

Internet users used everything from architecture to biology to defend their answers to the hotly debated question. INSIDER's Megan Willett, for example, broke down why the cat is "definitely" going down the stairs — and after reading her explanation on Business Insider, I'm convinced.

This photo of two people hugging confused the internet last year.

The post went viral after Reddit user Blood_Reaper shared it online, along with the caption, "This hurts my brain...."

People couldn't figure out who was initiating the hug, as the man in the photo appears to have two pairs of legs.

For the past two years, Hopper has been working to perfect the art of predicting the best time to book a flight. 

I use Hopper frequently, and it's helped me decide when to book every flight I've taken over the past year. And since you can start tracking trips up to a year in advance, it's the perfect app for long-term planning.

Now, Hopper is bringing that prediction technology to another area of travel: hotels. 

Starting Wednesday, you'll now be able to book hotels through the app in the same way you book flights — you let Hopper know when and where you'd like to travel, and the app watches prices and advises the best time to book. Hopper says it can accurately predict the best time to book 95% of the time.

Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: 16 of the coolest apps and gadgets you should use the next time you travel

Once you add your travel dates and destination into the app, Hopper will pull up a map view of the city you're traveling to.

You'll be able to see all the available hotels, which are color-coded like Hopper's flight booking calendar: green for cheap, all the way up to red for very expensive.

Just like with Hopper's flight section, you can tap "Watch this trip" to get alerts about price fluctuations over time.

If you tap one of the hotels, you'll be able to see some price information, like how it compares to other hotels nearby and whether Hopper thinks it's the best time to book.

Tapping on that hotel again will bring you to the hotel's page within the app.

Hopper selects each hotel individually, then sends out a team of photographers to capture photos and videos of the hotel, the rooms, and the surrounding area.

I've been ignoring my mother for a week and a half.

For the past 10 days, I've stifled the small voice she instilled in the back of my mind to remind me that forgoing breakfast is nutritional doom — all for the sake of a hot new diet known as intermittent fasting.

The diet essentially involves abstaining from food for a set period of time ranging from 16 hours to several days — and surprisingly, it has a lot of scientific backing.

Large studies have found intermittent fasting to be just as reliable for weight loss as traditional diets. And a few studies in animals have suggested it could have other benefits, such as reducing the risk for certain cancers and even prolonging life.

Silicon Valley loves it. A Bay Area group called WeFast meets weekly to collectively break their fasts with a hearty morning meal. Facebook executive Dan Zigmond confines his eating to a narrow time slot; many other CEOs and tech pioneers are sworn "IF" devotees— some even fast for up to 36 hours at a time.

I opted to try a form of the diet known as the 16:8, in which you fast for 16 hours and eat (or "feed," as some proponents call it) for eight hours. With this regimen, you can eat whatever you want — so long as it doesn't fall outside the designated eight-hour window.

Here's how it went.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley’s favorite diet could help with weight loss and even life extension — but there’s one big pitfall

DON'T MISS: I tried the science-backed 7-minute fitness routine that's going viral, and it actually works

Before starting my fast, I had a standard checkup with a doctor called Krista Varady, one of the first researchers to study intermittent fasting in humans.

Varady is a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois and wrote a book about fasting called "The Every-Other-Day Diet" in 2013. She told me that the most scientifically supported benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss.

To this end, most of Varady's IF research has involved obese people. Study subjects have lost a significant amount of weight— roughly the same amount they would have on a traditional diet that involves strict eating and calorie counting.

I told Varady that I was trying out the diet not to lose weight but rather to find out how feasible the plan was. She said that while certain people shouldn't try intermittent fasting — those over 70, people with type 1 diabetes, and women who are pregnant or lactating— "most people can give it a try."

Some research suggests that intermittent fasting has a handful of other benefits, from increased focus to a reduced risk of certain diseases. Some studies even suggest it may help prolong life, but most of that research has been in animals, not people.

Anecdotally, intermittent fasters report that their diets have helped them become more productive, build muscle faster, and sleep better. Members of a Silicon Valley startup called "HVMAN" skip eating on Tuesdays and claim they get more work done on that day than any other.

Varady said that hundreds of people in her studies have reported similar benefits. "But we haven't studied or quantified any of that yet," she said.

With the go-ahead from my doctor and Varady, I was ready to find out for myself. Based on some advice from other IF fans, I chose to break my daily fast at 12 p.m. and stop eating at 8 p.m., giving me eight hours to eat or "feed."

I wanted my last meal before my first 16-hour fast to be good, so I made one of my favorites: homemade pizza. I eat pretty healthy most of the time — for my favorite pizza recipe, I top whole-wheat crust with tomato sauce, a blend of cheeses, arugula, and chicken breast. I gobbled a few pieces and got ready to fast.

• We tried five popular brands of microwave popcorn to see which one tastes best.
• The brands we sampled were Orville Redenbacher's, Act II, Pop Secret, Jolly Time, and Newman's Own.
• We liked Orville Redenbacher's the best because of its smooth butter flavor, which was evenly distributed over the popcorn.
• Jolly Time tasted most closely like movie theater popcorn and came in second place.
• Act II came in third, Newman's Own came in fourth, and Pop Secret came in last.

There's nothing better than curling up on the couch with a bowl of buttery popcorn.

But before you can do that, you have to choose from the numerous brands sold at most grocery stores.

Fortunately, four of my co-workers and I did the research for you. As part of an ongoing INSIDER taste test series, we put five popular brands of microwave popcorn to the test to see which one will satisfy your snack cravings the most. In the past, we've sampled everything from pie crust to vanilla ice cream to cheap beer.

The brands we tried were:

• Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter
• Newman's Own Butter
• Act II Butter Lovers
• Jolly Time Blast O Butter 
• Pop Secret Butter

We bought all five boxes of popcorn at grocery stores in New York City. For consistency's sake, we sampled each brand's butter flavor, and judged it based on two main criteria: taste and texture.

Keep scrolling to read our thoughts.

Although the microwave times differed depending on the brand, all five popcorns had the same basic instructions: place bag in microwave and heat until the popping slows.

We started with Newman's Own, a brand that's known for its "all natural ingredients."

We weren't surprised to see that this popcorn came out looking a lot less artificially yellow than some of the other brands.

It was immediately clear to us that this popcorn needed some added seasoning or spice. It was bland and dry, and we couldn't taste much butter or salt at all.

Although Newman's popcorn had a solid crunch to it in terms of texture, it was lacking in flavor. One of my co-workers made the point that this snack was salvageable, though. As long as you have something in your kitchen to spice it up — Sirracha, salt, everything bagel seasoning — it could still be tasty.

Price: $3.49

Taste rating: 3/10

Texture rating: 9/10

Overall rating: 6/10

With well-publicized employee perks and great pay, it's easy see why Google consistently rates as one of the best tech companies to work for. 

Employees rate the company a 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor and CEO Sundar Pichai is consistently one of the highest-rated CEOs. Google ranked No. 4 on Glassdoor's most recent "Best Places to Work" ranking. 

But what's it really like to work there? 

We read through Glassdoor reviews to find out some of employees' favorite things about being a Googler.

Jillian D'Onfro contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: Google's new Pixel 2 feature that identifies things you photograph isn't ready for primetime just yet

Google treats its employees to parties and outings like ski trips to Vermont and picnics during the summer.

One current Google employee writes: "Aaaaaamazing holiday parties (at Waldorf Astoria, NY Public Library, MoMA, etc.); overnight ski trips to Vermont; overnight nature trips to the Poconos in the summer; summer picnics at Chelsea piers; and on and on and on. I don't see this going away unless the company starts hurting financially."

Top executives like Alphabet CEO Larry Page and President Sergey Brin frequently hold forums on Fridays called TGIF, where employees can ask questions about the company.

"It's truly fair game to ask anything, no matter how controversial, and frequently the executives will be responsive," writes one current employee. 

Employees have access to gyms, volleyball courts, a bowling alley, and an outdoor sports park at Google's Mountain View campus.

Wellness is a priority at Google, so employees are encouraged to use the company's facilities to exercise, employees say.

• Chipotle's shares plummeted after a disappointing quarter. 
• UBS laid out a game plan that the chain needs to execute.
• Initiatives include growing delivery, improving guest experience, and adding new menu items — which could include breakfast. 

Chipotle's shares fell nearly 12% — nearing a five-year low — after missing expectations on Tuesday. 

The company's revenue reached $1.13 billion in the quarter, falling short of the $1.14 billion estimate. Now, the fast-casual chain needs to make some major changes if it wants to survive. 

In a note that called Chipotle's ongoing sales trends "sluggish," UBS analyst Dennis Geiger laid out exactly how the fast-casual chain hopes to survive. 

Here are three key things that Chipotle needs to execute if it wants to turn business around: 

SEE ALSO: You can now easily order Chipotle, Five Guys, and more using Facebook — here's how

Adding new menu items

"Unlike nearly every other fast-food company, Chipotle rarely adds new items," CEO Steve Ells said Tuesday. 

However, he said that this was changing. With the new test kitchen in Manhattan, Chipotle has been semi-publicly testing items including frozen margaritas, new salad dressings, and — prior to its national launch — queso. 

Ells and other executives hinted that queso may just be the beginning of new menu innovation, even mentioning new "day parts"— which likely means a breakfast menu test is on the horizon. 

UBS supports the new approach to menu innovation, with Geiger writing that it is a "shift in philosophy that we're in favor of to avoid menu fatigue, but execution is critical." 

Improving customer experience

Improving guest experience has been one of Chipotle's major focuses as the company attempts a turnaround. 

Last December, Ells said he'd give roughly half of Chipotle's roughly 2,100 locations a C grade for service because of flaws like messy soda stations, dirty tables, and slow-moving lines. In January, Chipotle announced it was retooling its training program.

Investing in digital and catering

Digital, delivery, and catering all provide a new chance for Chipotle to boost sales. 

Chipotle delivery sales increased 33% in the last quarter, and catering grew 14%. Digital orders also exploded, growing 51% since the chain implemented "Smarter Pickup Times" earlier this year. 

HBO has made many of the best television shows of all time, including "The Sopranos,""Game of Thrones," and "The Wire."

And the network is often credited with jump starting the Golden Age of television with its dark, ambitious dramas. 

But drama isn't HBO's only strength. It also has excellent half-hour comedies including "Curb Your Enthusiasm,""Insecure," and "Silicon Valley."

But which HBO shows are the best of the best?

We ranked its shows according to their ratings on Metacritic, which aggregates critic reviews and assigns each season of a show a score.

For shows with multiple seasons, we averaged their scores. And to break ties, we brought in the audience score.

Here are HBO's best shows of all time, ranked:

(Note: We left off animated, children's, documentary/reality, and foreign programming, as well as miniseries, with a few notable exceptions.)

SEE ALSO: The 16 worst HBO shows, according to critics

23. "Dream On" (1990-96), six seasons

Metacritic score: 80

"This is a rare TV union where cast, writers, and directors appear to be of a single comedic mind; the humorous results speak for themselves."— LA Times

22. "High Maintenance" (2016), one season

Metacritic score: 81

Audience score: 6.2

"'High Maintenance' stands out, not just because it's on the front end of what is apparently a reefer TV trend, but because it's so precisely made and has such an ambling, open heart."— Vulture

21. "Getting On" (2013-15), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 81

Audience score: 7.8

"It's a dark and astonishing gem of a show, with a bravely skillful cast juggling the petty obsessions of the workplace with Much Bigger Issues."— LA Times

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:

• A good night's sleep is essential to your overall health and well being. The best sleep trackers can help you catch more zzzs with actionable advice and metrics. The S+ by ResMed is the best sleep tracker because it actively gives suggestions on how to improve your sleep and your health.

Sleep is a pretty important part of our life. On average, humans spend around a third of their lives asleep, and while that sounds like a lot, it makes sense. After all, sleep is when your body heals itself after a long day. Still, all too many of us take sleep for granted, and that’s a problem. Some studies indicate that as many as 30% of adults suffer from some level of insomnia. Being able to track your sleep can be super helpful because you can use the data to help tweak your sleeping habits and improve your quality of sleep.

There are many sleep trackers to choose from, and they range in price from $50 to hundreds of dollars. As a note, for this guide, we’re only testing dedicated sleep trackers — not wearables. Those wearables aren’t really sleep trackers, anyway. They’re fitness trackers that can monitor sleep, too.

There are a few things you’ll want to consider before you buy a sleep tracker. For starters, you’ll want to think about the metrics you want to track. Some trackers can monitor your heart rate, while others rely on breathing patterns to track your sleep. You’ll also want to think about the form of the tracker. Some have strips that you place under your mattress, while others cover your entire bed under your sheet, and others still use infrared to detect movement from your nightstand.

Another important aspect of sleep trackers is the app they connect to. Each of our picks has an easy-to-use app for your phone or computer, though some give better advice than others. We tested several sleep trackers to find our top picks. Read on to see which one is best for your needs.

Although the S+ by ResMed is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Eight sleep tracker, the Emfit QS, the Sleepace RestOn, and the Sleep Number SleepIQ K1.

The best sleep tracker overall

Why you'll love it: The S+ by ResMed provides excellent sleep recommendations in its easy-to-use app, making it the best sleep tracker you can buy.

ResMed is a more than just a sleep tracking company. It actually manufacturers medical-grade equipment for sleep disorders, including CPAP masks, machines, and so on. Safe to say, the company not only has the tech to help people with their sleep, but the medical experience to give good advice, too. That was clearly helpful in developing its sleep tracker, the S+.

The S+, unlike some other trackers, sits on your nightstand and tracks movement during the night to determine an overall sleep score. It can also track the percentage of light, deep, and REM sleep you get, as well as the time you spend awake during the night.

The best thing about the S+, however, has nothing to do with the metrics it tracks. It’s actually one of the only sleep trackers we tested that actively gave advice based on our personal sleep.

Every morning, the app gave me a little note on how well I slept and what I should change to improve the quality of my sleep. Every night, it reminded me when I should probably be heading to bed, too. The S+ also gave me a few tips that could help make the night’s sleep a little better. The tips and reminders were helpful when I heeded them.

Of course, it’s not perfect. The S+ isn’t as in-depth with tracking as some others, but for less than $50 on Amazon right now, it’s easily the best deal for a sleep tracker that gives such good advice.

Pros: Decent app, cheap, offers great sleeping recommendations

Cons: Not as in-depth as some others

Buy the S+ by ResMed on Amazon for $41.98

The best sleep tracker for couples

Why you'll love it: The Eight sleep tracker works with any bed, is easy to set up, automatically tracks your sleep, and can track two people's sleep.

The Eight sleep tracker fits under your fitted sheet and automatically starts tracking when you get into bed, so you can install it, then only check your sleep score and sleep data when you want to find out about it. There's no need to remember to head into the app every night, and no need to worry about whether or not the device is tracking. On top of that, it’s an excellent tracker for couples, because you can set it up to track two people.

That’s a pretty big deal because many couples sleep in the same bed, but few trackers can monitor both people. There’s a good reason for that. Tracking two people poses some pretty serious technological challenges, and Eight’s tracker isn’t perfect in that respect.

For example, sometimes it mistook one sleeper rolling over toward the middle as them getting out of bed, so if you want to keep continued and accurate tracking, you’ll have to ensure that you stay on your side of the bed.

Eight starts tracking as soon as you get into bed and stops as soon as you get out, so if you tend to use your phone or read in bed, it will affect your sleep score. You can manually edit when you got in and out of bed, but there seemed to be bugs in the app where doing that affected parameters during the rest of the night.

Still, those issues aside, the tracker is pretty good at delivering results related to your sleep, and the app is really easy to use. You’ll be able to see things like your average heart rate, repertory rate, average bed temperature, average room temperature, and more. The tracker even has a built-in bed warmer, which you can schedule or turn on and off from the app. You can link it with your Google Fit and Apple Health account to manage and track your overall health.

Pros: Can easily track two people, super easy to use, automatically tracks

Cons: Expensive, some tracking bugs

Buy the Eight sleep tracker on Amazon for $274 and up depending on your bed size

The best sleep tracker for athletes

Why you'll love it: The Emfit QS is pretty easy to use, but the best thing about it is how in-depth its tracking capabilities are.

Some of the sleep trackers on this list are a little superficial, but the Emfit QS is anything but. In fact, this is the tracker that offers the most in-depth information, making it perfect for people like athletes, who want to finely tune their sleeping habits and track exactly what their body does when they snooze.

The Emfit QS comes in the form of a non-intrusive strip of sensors that you’ll place under your mattress. Those sensors can track an extremely wide range of metrics, including heart rate, heart rate variability (RMSSD), breathing rate, total recovery, integrated recovery, and different classes of sleep. That’s pretty impressive, especially for such a basic device. Not only that, but it tracks all this automatically, so there's no need to set it to start at the beginning of the night.

The Emfit QS isn’t perfect. We found it to be a little more useful for those who want to see the tracked metrics rather than those who want an overall sleep score. That’s because the tracker tended to be very generous in giving a high sleep score. Even on a night when the Eight tracker gave me less than 40, the Emfit QS gave me 100, which is an indicator of a “very good sleep.”

Another issue is that the Emfit QS does not offer a mobile app. Instead, it uploads data to the cloud, and you’ll then be able to see it from your computer by logging in to a website.

Still, the information on offer here could prove to be invaluable, and while it may take a little learning to figure out what all the information means, it’s still nice to have that information in the first place.

Pros: Very in-depth, pretty easy to set up, non-intrusive

Cons: A little expensive, no mobile app

Buy the Emfit QS on Amazon for $264.97

• With so many pizza chains to order from, Pizza Hut can sometimes get lost in the mix.
• From buffalo chicken to supreme, Pizza Hut actually has some delicious toppings to offer.
• Not to mention, the stuffed crusts. 
• Here are the top 10 Pizza Hut pizzas, ranked from worst to best. 

It's 2 am, and you're stuck in the library. You're tired and starving from cramming for midterms. You want something that'll fill you up, and something that'll be with you during this difficult time. The answer? Pizza Hut. This beloved pizza chain doesn't get the respect and recognition that it deserves, so I compiled a list of the best Pizza Hut pizzas. Next time you're craving pizza, make the right choice and go for Pizza Hut. 

10. Buffalo Chicken Pizza

To kick off this list, here's a pizza for all you buffalo chicken fanatics. Pizza Hut's Buffalo Chicken Pizza has a spicy buffalo sauce, topped with grilled chicken, red onions, and banana peppers. The best part has to be the cheddar crust. Your wing and pizza cravings will be satisfied after munching on this guy.

9. BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Here's another innovative, creative pie for you. Pizza Hut combined everything good in this world: BBQ, bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza. This might be for everyone, but it's especially good for those with a huge appetite and indecisive palate.

8. Meat Lovers Pizza

I am an advocate for Meatless Mondays, but on any other day of the week, I highly recommend the Meat Lovers Pizza. Every slice is hearty and perfectly greasy, and it's the optimal snack for studying and for keeping your spirits high.

• A penthouse at L'Atelier in Miami Beach is under contract for $21 million. 
• Kayak Software Group CEO Steve Hafner is the buyer.
• It's still under constrution, but the renderings show off the building's amenities.

Steve Hafner, CEO of Kayak Software Group, has just bought a new penthouse for $21 million, the Wall Street Journal reported. Kayak Software Group is the parent company of the travel website Kayak. 

Hafner's new penthouse is at the top of L'Atelier in Miami Beach, and it had originally been listed for $33 million in 2015 before being chopped to $25 million in 2016. 

While construction isn't yet complete, renderings show that the penthouse takes up two floors and comes with a 40-foot-long pool. Take a look, below.

SEE ALSO: An enormous ranch that's bigger than New York City just hit the market for $100 million

Units in L'Atelier start at $3.1 million, and 87% of the units have already been sold.

Source: WSJ

The penthouse takes up the 17th and 18th floor, along with the roof.

The home has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Source: Miami Curbed

Last weekend, Jordan Peele delivered the Keynote address at the Film Independent Forum.

In an hour long conversation with film critic Elvis Mitchell, the sketch comedian-turned-director talked openly about what he learned during his eight-year journey of conceiving, writing and filming his directorial debut, “Get Out” – the breakout horror film that tackles the issues of race and has become not only one the year’s biggest box-office success stories, but finds itself in the midst of the awards conversation.

Here are five important lessons Peele discovered in the process of making “Get Out.”

SEE ALSO: The best movie of every year since 2000, according to critics

Internalizing Hollywood’s lack of representation

Peele told the Film Independent audience that he spent five years thinking about the story of “Get Out” before ever committing pen to paper. He knew it was an ambitious project, but he admits he initially constrained himself by assuming his horror movie about race was something that could never get made.

“Every white person in this movie is evil, you can’t make that movie ,” said Peele, who added he came to realize that Hollywood’s lack of racial representation was something that had become a dangerous part of his thinking.

“I internalized this system and the lack of representation in the system,” said Peele. “[I realized] I can’t worry about this movie getting made, I have to worry about writing my favorite movie that doesn’t exist.”

Good writing = fun

Without the pressure of worrying about “Get Out” getting made, Peele treated the script outlining and writing like a hobby – something he did for enjoyment rather than watch TV at night. Peele said that one the lesson he learned from his comedy writing background – and was a big portion of the success of his hit Comedy Central show “Key and Peele” – was that when you are having fun writing it leads to good writing.

“That’s my advice with dealing with writers block, follow the fun,” said Peele. “If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong.”

Tapping the genre power of social thrillers

Peele wanted to make a film that a black audience would accept as true to life, but admitted that one of his biggest fears is that his movie – that takes a hard look at subtle white liberal racism – would be divisive. He was pleasantly surprised when, during the film’s first public screenings, it was clear that mid-way through the movie that both black and white audiences were seeing and experiencing the film through the eyes of his protagonist Chris, played by Daniel Kaluuya.

The hardest part Peele discovered in the writing process was knowing that most black audiences would instantly recognize the threat of the white suburban family and based on their personal experience with racism in America would instantly know that Chris needed to “get out.” The key, according to Peele was to lean into the power of what he calls a “social thriller” genre, which he defines as “a story to explores the horror of society,” where “human beings and the way we interact is the bad guy.”

The template of how to address the problem came from studying the stories of social thrillers “The Stepford Wives” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” which were based on novels written by Ira Levin.

“When I looked at these Ira Levin movies, what he did with his stories is brilliant,” said Peele. “It’s not simple, it’s very nuanced and very detailed. He would have something a little weird happen – taking a step toward the eventually, horrific revelation – but he would justify why the character doesn’t leave. And the way he justified that was the horror of reality.”

What Levin’s stories about trapped women taught Peele was that the actual horror of actual society – not the supernatural or sci-fi aspects of the story – would supply a relatable sense of danger that doesn’t necessarily force someone to flee.

“For Chris, he’s in this place where everyone is looking at him and we the audience are getting the same feeling as he is – that this is some conspiracy, secret society shit going on and I don’t like this,” said Peele, “But the reality of the situation is it’s not far off from a party I’ve been to.”

As television revenue increases for conferences and the NCAA, and demand increases for schools to compete for national championships, salaries for the head coaches are skyrocketing.

This year we have a new highest-paid coach in college football as Nick Saban has taken the top spot back from Jim Harbaugh.

Using data collected by USA Today and other sources, here are the highest-paid college football coaches for the 20176 season. You can see the full list at USA Today.

25. Jim Mora — $3.6 million

School: UCLA

Conference: Pac-12

Potential Bonus: $1.1 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Mora is signed though the 2021 season and in his latest extension, he can earn up to $85,000 in bonuses depending on how well his players perform in the classroom and another $50,000 in bonuses depending on how well they perform on the field.

24. Kyle Whittingham — $3.7 million

School: Utah

Conference: Pac-12 

Potential Bonus: $935,000

Championships (conference/national): 5/0

One thing to know: In 2004, Urban Meyer left Utah for the University of Florida. Whittingham, who was the defensive coordinator under Meyer, had to choose between being promoted to head coach at Utah and accepting the same position at his alma mater, BYU. He stayed at Utah and is now in his 13th season, having led the Utes to ten bowl games and at least nine wins in each of the last three seasons.

23. Kirby Smart — $3.8 million

School: Georgia

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.8 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Smart is in his second season as a head coach, having spent the previous eight seasons as the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban. Smart is already proving to be a top-level recruiter as the Bulldogs have one of the five best collections of talent, based on recent recruiting rankings.

On Wednesday, Honolulu became the first major city to ban the use of cell phones in intersections. Pedestrians who text or check their phones while crossing the streets in the Hawaiian capital will now get a $35 fine. A second offense is a $75 ticket, and $99 for a third.

Mayor Kirk Caldwall cited the city's unusually high rate of pedestrian deaths among senior citizens as the reason for the law, according to Reuters.

Honolulu's move follows other recent efforts from cities around the world to curb distracted walking. In the US, the number of pedestrians killed in traffic has been rising since 2006, with an 11% spike in 2016. Other researchers say phones account for 10% of pedestrian injuries, and a half-dozen deaths a year. A 2013 study revealed that over 1,500 pedestrians landed in emergency rooms in 2010 because of accidents sustained while texting and walking at the same time — up nearly 500% since 2005.

Several cities, some with limited success, have come up ideas to tackle the issue. Check them out below.

SEE ALSO: The underground 'Thirsty House' could battle droughts by collecting and filtering rainwater to drink

Stockholm, Sweden — signs that warn drivers of texting pedestrians

Swedish designers Jacob Sempler and Emil Tiismann created these traffic signs for Stockholm in November 2015.

"One morning when I walked to work, I almost got run over by a car, because I was staring at my stupid smartphone," 29-year-old Sempler previously told Business Insider. "I looked around and realized that I wasn't the only one."

They were installed in three different locations.

"The thing is though, that the people who really need to see this sign, are most likely just gonna pass it with their eyes glued to their screens," he said.

Hayward, California — signs that tell pedestrians to put down their phones

The city of Hayward, California installed seven snarky signs in early 2015, including one that reads, "Heads up! Cross the street, then update Facebook."

Another sign in the series reminded drivers to slow down, reading "35 mph — it's a speed limit, not a suggestion."

Chongqing, China — a lane only for phone users

A popular stretch of sidewalk in Chongqing, China was designated for phone users in September 2014.

The project was meant to encourage people to be more mindful of their phone use.

Predictably, it's not been so successful. Hordes of people are stopping to take photos of the special sidewalk, BBC News reported.

• Gary Cohn is no longer being considered for Fed Chair, Bloomberg reports
• Trump is down to four candidates for the position, and Jerome Powell and Kevin Warsh are considered favorites.
• Powell, a current Fed governor, would signal continuity; Warsh comes from a politically influential family, but may be seen as too young.

President Donald Trump keeps teasing his eventual decision to appoint the next Federal Reserve Chair as if it were a certain reality show. Except, in this case, the winning contestant gets to play one of the most powerful roles in the world economy, including setting US monetary policy and regulating Wall Street.

In the latest twist, Bloomberg is reporting that Gary Cohn, the president's economic adviser, is officially out of the race.

While the president has also dangled the possibility of reappointment before current chair Janet Yellen, her chances are seen as slim — she’s a liberal Democrat who has voiced concern about Trump’s desire to roll back post-crisis financial rules she was charged with implementing.

The two favorites are Jerome Powell, a former private equity magnate now on the Fed’s board, and Kevin Warsh a former Fed governor and Morgan Stanley banker whose wealthy family is a major Republican donor.

Also on the list, but unlikely as picks, are John Taylor, a former Treasury official under George W. Bush who has advocated for raising rates sooner and more quickly and Gary Cohn, head of the president’s National Economic Council.

Cohn was long seen as a shoo-in for the Fed position, but then he voiced some concern about Trump’s non-condemnation of Nazis after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, leading to a falling out between the two. Another reason to doubt Cohn’s appointment is that Trump really needs him around if he wants to try to pass his tax cut plan. Cohn is a former president of Goldman Sachs.

Here are more details about Trump’s Fed chair final four, now that Cohn is out of the picture :

SEE ALSO: Trump’s reality TV take on his Fed chair pick leaves Wall Street wondering who'll get hired

Jerome Powell

Powell spent most of his career at the Bush-family-linked private equity Carlyle Group, amassing millions of dollars. He is the richest member of the Fed’s board. Powell has been a centrist on monetary policy, always voting inline with the committee as most board members do. However, he has expressed a willingness to rollback some post-crisis rules, which is sure to please Trump.

Kevin Warsh

Warsh’s appointment to the Fed’s board in 2006 was seen as controversial due to his youth and lack of experience. As a governor, Warsh was an ally of ex-chairman Ben Bernanke in dealing with Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis, but he was also deeply critical of the Fed’s bond buying program, even though he repeatedly voted to approve it. Warsh was also very wrong about the risk of imminent inflation from the Fed’s actions. In reality, the central bank continues to undershoot its 2% inflation goal some nine years into the recovery.

Janet Yellen

Both academic and Wall Street economists overwhelmingly favor Yellen’s reappointment, not just for the sake of continuity, but also because she is by far the best qualified and experienced candidate. She has managed to walk a middle ground within a somewhat divided central bank and was the first woman to be appointed to lead the central bank in its more than 100-year history. Her successful first four-year tenure should, in a reasonable world, lead to a no-brainer reappointment.