While both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle can, at times, dress within a more affordable price-range— some occasions call for the higher-end stuff.

Last year, Middleton reportedly spent more on her wardrobe than ever before — and now Markle has followed suit, wearing a $75,000 dress in her official engagement photos with Prince Harry, and a $9,638 outfit to the royal family's official Christmas celebration.

Ahead, a look at Middleton's best, and most expensive, outfits from 2017 — ranked from least to most expensive.

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry travel the world on commercial flights — here are her most notable adventures

While visiting the German Cancer Research Institute, Middleton wore a Jenny Packham dress paired with a a Russell & Bromley handbag — totaling $1,424.

At the National Portrait Gallery gala in March, Middleton wore a $1,740 outfit.

This white dress, by Polish designer Gosia Baczynska, was part of a $1,950 outfit.

From Barbara Streisand to Al Pacino, Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, New Yorkers have made their legendary dialect the most recognizable in North America, according to sociolinguist William Labov.

But it's more than just "fuhgeddaboutit" and "yuuuge" that set New York English apart — there are more subtle features in a New Yorker's speech that could clue you into where they come from.

Graphic designer Joshua Katz mapped some of the most distinctive elements of New York speech in 2013 using data from the Harvard Dialect Survey of the early 2000s.

Read on for six things you'll only hear in New York.

SEE ALSO: 27 fascinating maps that show how Americans speak English differently across the US

People from New York are likely to say the words "merry,""marry," and "Mary" differently.

And they put "sear-up" on their pancakes.

New Yorkers color with a different type of "crayon."

Now that some of the dust is settling surrounding the discovery of two critical design flaws in computer chips running inside a huge number of devices, we can start looking for ways to protect ourselves. 

Fortunately, it shouldn't be too hard for most users to take the required measures to protect themselves from the flaws, which have been named "Meltdown" and "Spectre."

There's one thing to keep in mind, however: You have to update your operating system, the chip inside your computer, as well as your web browser. You can't just pick one, as it won't fully protect you against the bugs. 

Still, it's likely that some people with a poor track record of updating their PCs won't take the proper measures. If you know someone who puts off updating their PCs, make sure to show them these steps!

There's been some speculation regarding the updates that will protect PC users against these bugs and a potential impact on performance of their PCs. Little is known so far, but Intel states that the impacts won't be significant and will be "mitigated over time."

See how to protect your PC against "Meltdown" and "Spectre":

SEE ALSO: Intel now says it has a fix for the Spectre bug that Google found to be unfixable

1. Update your Windows PC.

Patching up your PC against "Meltdown" and "Spectre" will involve updating Windows 10.

It's possible that Windows' update feature already automatically downloaded and installed the patch, but you may need to restart your computer to finalize the patch. 

Either way, you'd do well to check whether any updates are available for your PC. In Windows 10, click the search bar on the bottom left > type "Update"> click "Check for Updates > click "Check for updates" again the the Windows Update menu.

If Windows is showing that it's already downloaded the update, follow the prompts on the screen. It could tell you to install or restart your computer. 

If you're using a third-party anti-virus program, you may not be able to install the patch yet.

The bug involves the same sensitive PC parts that anti-virus programs monitor for unusual or malicious activities. As a result, Microsoft's patch may not be compatible with your third-party anti-virus program. If that's the case, you'll have to wait for your anti-virus vendor to release its own update before Microsoft's update becomes available. 

I wouldn't disable your anti-virus program so you can download Microsoft's update, as it may not be compatible with the update when you turn the anti-virus program back on. 

I myself haven't been able to download Microsoft's update as I'm using a third-party anti-virus program called "Webroot," which hasn't been updated yet. 

2. Download any other updates from your PC's manufacturer.

Apart from the Windows operating system, the Intel chips inside your computer will also need to be updated with new firmware. For chip updates, you'll need to download and install updates that come directly from the manufacturer of your PC. 

Manufacturer updates will come in Microsoft's Windows Update feature. If you're unsure about how to install their updates, your best bet is to contact your PC's manufacturer.

Those who assembled their own PCs will have to search for updates for their chips on Intel's website. AMD users can find information and updates from AMD's website.

NASA's $1 billion Juno spacecraft completed its 10th high-speed trip around Jupiter on December 16.

The robot gets relatively close to the gas giant planet and takes new photos with its JunoCam instrument roughly every 53 days, while traveling at speeds up to 130,000 mph.

It can take days or sometimes weeks to receive the images, but the wait is worthit. The latest batch of photos features countless swirling, hallucinatory clouds and storms.

Researchers at NASA and the Southwest Research Institute uploaded the raw image data to their websites in late December. Since then, dozens of people have processed the black-and-white files into gorgeous, calendar-ready pictures.

"As pretty as a planet can get, but get too close and Jupiter will END YOU,"Sean Doran, a UK-based graphic artist who regularly processes NASA images, said about the new images in a tweet.

Here are some of the best new photos and animations made with JunoCam data by Doran and other fans of the spacecraft.

SEE ALSO: The most mind-blowing space and astronomy pictures of 2017

DON'T MISS: Incredible photos from space reveal the biggest news stories on Earth in 2017

NASA launched Juno in 2011, and it t took nearly five years for the probe to reach Jupiter.

Juno's orbit takes it far beyond Jupiter — then quickly and closely around the world — to minimize exposing electronics to the planet's harsh radiation.

During each 53.5-day orbit, called a perijove, JunoCam records a new batch of photos.

• Volkswagen is revamping its iconic microbus with the I.D. Buzz.
• The vehicle will be fully electric and hit dealerships in 2022.
• It will feature a customizable interior and tech features that will eventually move the car toward autonomous driving.

Once a symbol of American counterculture during the 1960s and '70s, Volkswagen's microbus was discontinued in 2013 due to safety concerns.

But in 2017, Volkswagen revealed a concept for a new, fully-electric microbus and confirmed it would go into production and reach dealerships by 2022.

Here's what we know about the car so far.

SEE ALSO: 10 predictions for the US auto market in 2018

First produced in 1950, the Volkswagen microbus became a symbol for the American counterculture movement in the 1960s.

It was discontinued in 2013 due to safety concerns, like its lack of airbags and anti-lock brakes.

Volkswagen introduced a revamped concept of the microbus in early 2017.

Every year the Golden Globes throws in a few surprises by nominating terrible or questionable movies, and TV shows that no one could have predicted would get any recognition.

This year, one of the off-the-wall nominations was Ansel Elgort. Elgort was nominated for best actor in a comedy or musical for his role in "Baby Driver," but most critics agreed that his acting was one of the worst parts of an otherwise great movie. 

Considering the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry, has consistently made some strange choices when it comes to nominees (and in some cases, winners), we collected some of the wackiest nominees in Golden Globe history — from Jim Carrey's performance in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to Hugh Jackman in "Kate & Leopold."

Here are the 17 strangest Golden Globe nominees of all time:

SEE ALSO: Our predictions for who will win big at the 2018 Golden Globes — and who should win

17. Freddie Highmore in "The Good Doctor"

Sure, Freddie Highmore is a good actor, who is good in "The Good Doctor." But the show is not good. Considering all of the other great performances by actors in a drama series that could have been nominated — like Lee Pace in "Halt and Catch Fire" or Matthew Rhys on "The Americans" — we're surprised Highmore made the cut.

16. "Legally Blonde"—2001

"Legally Blonde" helped get Reese Witherspoon the career she has today. It's a good romantic comedy, and Witherspoon's performance as Elle Woods (which was nominated for a Golden Globe as well) was great. But it's really just a silly movie that's best watched on a day when you don't feel like thinking or leaving your couch, so a nomination for best comedy or musical was an interesting choice. 

15. "Bobby"— 2007

Emilio Estevez directed the 2006 film that followed an excellent ensemble cast the day Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. Despite a promising premise and an all-star cast, the movie was a dud. But it managed to get nominated for best motion picture in the drama category anyway.

Victoria's Secret has been around for decades and much of its success is down to the company's successful marketing strategy and its infamous "Angels."

The style of the brand has changed dramatically since it was first invented by Ray Raymond in 1977.

Take a look at some of these archive photos to see just how it has changed:

Mallory Schlossberg contributed to an earlier version of this article. 

SEE ALSO: Victoria's Secret has a strategy for casting models that's worth $6 billion

Then: Victoria's Secret actually resembled a boudoir.

"Raymond imagined a Victorian boudoir, replete with dark wood, oriental rugs, and silk drapery. He chose the name 'Victoria' to evoke the propriety and respectability associated with the Victorian era; outwardly refined, Victoria's 'secrets' were hidden beneath. In 1977, with $80,000 of savings and loans from family, Raymond and his wife leased a space in a small shopping mall in Palo Alto, Calif., and Victoria's Secret was born," Naomi Barr wrote on Slate.

Now: The photos show women in more relatable surroundings.

Then: You would have been able to find this sort of image in a Victoria's Secret ad.

The overtly provocative nature of Raymond's Victoria's Secret was slightly altered when Les Wexner took the helm of the brand — but make no mistake, lingerie still abounded.

The Google Home Max is loud. 

Like, really, really loud. 

It's so loud that it drowns out noisy roommates blasting an NBA game, or insistent sirens right outside.

It's so loud that if you have it cranked up between you and another person, you probably won't able to hear them. 

There's more to the Google Home Max than its volume, though. It's nice to look at, dead-simple to use, and has the Google Assistant built in, the best smart assistant on the market. 

In fact, after using the Home Max for a few weeks, I'm struggling to find anything bad to say about it. Here's why:

SEE ALSO: It’s a new year in tech — here are the products, gadgets and games we’re looking forward to in 2018

The Google Home Max has the best smart assistant available, period.

The Home Max has Google Assistant built in, which in my experience is the best smart assistant around. It seems to understand our natural way of speaking better than its peers, and can easily translate commands like "Hey Google, turn it up a little bit" or "OK Google, put on some relaxing music."

The Assistant has a good memory, too. I was impressed by one scenario where I asked it what the weather was going to be like the next day. The Assistant answered immediately — and when my boyfriend entered the room a few minutes later and said, "Hey Google, I didn't hear you," it repeated the same response. 

The Assistant exceeded every expectation. I've long struggled to find the need for smart assistants in my everyday life, but now I'm sold.

The design is boring, but that's a good thing.

The design of the Home Max isn't revolutionary. 

The speaker can sit either vertically or horizontally and is not wireless. It uses the same soft fabric on the speaker as the Home Mini, and while I tested the white and gray version, the Home Max also comes in black. 

At first I was a little disappointed that the Home Max doesn't look all that different from most speakers. It doesn't have a futuristic design and it doesn't look particularly modern.

But I eventually came to see that as an advantage. The speaker is sleek and unobtrusive, and looks just as good sitting on my desk as it would in a living room or kitchen. It blends into its surroundings rather than becoming the centerpiece. 

The Home Max has subtle manual controls.

While you can control the Home Max hands-free, there are subtle, built-in buttons, too.

Tapping on the thin gray line on the top of the speaker lets you play and pause the music, while swiping toward the left or right next to it turns the volume up or down. 

These manual controls on the speaker came in handy a few times, like one instance where the Assistant didn't quite understand what I needed.

While lying in bed one night, I asked the Assistant to set an alarm for the next morning. But when I asked it to turn the alarm volume up, it blasted music at full volume, forcing me to jump out of bed and run across the room to manually shut it off.

I'm sure my neighbors didn't love the loud music at 11 p.m., but at least I could shut the whole thing off without having to yell at it over the music (although, to be honest, a remote would have been great in that situation).

• Mark Cuban met his wife, advertising executive Tiffany, at the gym in 1997.

• Earlier in their relationship, Tiffany had trouble adjusting to the billionaire's lifestyle and the couple experienced "scheduling problems."

• They were wed in an intimate 2002 ceremony in Barbados, and now have three children.

"Shark Tank" star and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has long teased a run for the White House.

As an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump, Cuban even weighed the possibility of taking over the Republican ticket at some point.

But if Cuban's wife Tiffany Cuban has anything to say about it, a run for the White House may be off the table. CNBC reported that he said he would be far more tempted to toss his hat into the political ring if he was single.

The couple wed in 2002, and is currently worth $3.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Here's a look inside their 15-year marriage:

SEE ALSO: A look at the weddings of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, LeBron James, and more highly successful people

Cuban first met Tiffany the gym in 1997. He was 39 and had already launched Broadcast.com, which Yahoo would acquire in 1999 for $5.7 billion. Tiffany was a 27-year-old advertising executive.

Source: Forbes, Bustle

Early on in their relationship, Cuban said he considered any speculation about marriage "a no-win question for me," according to Forbes.

Source: Bustle

And, while they were still dating, Tiffany told The New York Times that adjusting to life with the billionaire required "great patience."

Source: The New York Times

When Amazon chose downtown Seattle for its massive urban campus, John Schoettler, Amazon's vice president of global real estate, wanted to create a thriving"18-hour" neighborhood.

To some extent, Amazon has succeeded. In a decade, nonstop development has transformed Seattle's South Lake Union and Denny Triangle from a sea of parking lots, car rental agencies, motels, and warehouses to gleaming office towers and luxury real estate. 

Restaurants, gyms, cafès, and even medical clinics have moved in, drawn by Amazon's ever-expanding workforce and the promise of high-salaried residents due to move into the thousands of newly-built luxury apartments. 

But for many of the neighborhood's new businesses, things haven't turned out exactly like they hoped. For one, they can't get customers in during non-work hours, at dinnertime and on weekends.

"The worst thing is having an empty restaurant and then trying to keep your staff motivated and energized," local restaurateur and chef Josh Henderson told Marketplace.

On a recent visit to Seattle, we checked out the so-called "18-hour" neighborhood.

SEE ALSO: One photo tells you everything you need to know about Amazon's relationship to Seattle

DON'T MISS: One walk through Seattle's 'Amazonia' neighborhood made me very uneasy for whatever city gets HQ2

Over the last decade, Amazon has transformed South Lake Union and its surrounding areas, Belltown and Denny Triangle. Each of those pins on the map is an Amazon office.

Amazon has nearly 40,000 employees in Seattle, with plans to grow to 55,000 in the near future. Amazonians are everywhere downtown.

Amazon's offices are spread across more than 33 buildings and 13.6 million square feet of office space in the area. This is Day 1 Tower, one of four towers that will form the heart of Amazon's urban campus by the time its completed.

Sources: GeekWire,SF Gate, CNBC 

• I am a successful entrepreneur who sold a company for eight figures by 27, before losing everything.
• Even successful entrepreneurs make a lot of mistakes that you can avoid.
• Failing to maintain work-life balance, picking the wrong team, and basing your company around your ego are just a few.

Every entrepreneur has a unique journey and faces their own challenges. For me, my entrepreneur journey started off amazing.

At 27 years old I had sold a company for eight figures. I was a multi-millionaire. This was very short lived. Not two years later I had purchased a company, built it, grown it and lost everything. I ended up packing up everything my family owned (that we hadn't already sold to pay bills) into a moving van and moved home.

I reflect a lot on this story as it was only four years ago almost to the day. I had $-437.00 in my bank account. I didn't even have money for gas. I waited at the gas station and asked every person to help. It was the 17th person who I asked (yes I counted) that helped me out. My wife was asleep in the front seat. I never told her.

I tell this story to help you know that even when it's the darkest point in your life, you can get through it. You can get past this. While there are a lot of things you can't plan for, there were certainly a few big traps that I could have avoided in my journey had I made better decisions.

Here are a few of the big business traps even successful entrepreneurs have fallen for:

1. Starting with the wrong team.

Just because someone is a good person or a go-getter does not mean that they are the right person to start your company with.

Many entrepreneurs have strong biases when they are picking their founding team

This could be due to friendships or misconceptions about what certain people can really contribute. These cofounders will be the ones that you are spending every day with, though.

It is much better to take the necessary time and bring people on that are a good fit.

2. Taking money just because you can.

Companies with traction or ones that are started by a previously successful entrepreneur often get money thrown at them.

There are definitely times fundraising makes a lot of sense. It is a common mistake, though, for entrepreneurs to raise a round when their company does not need it.

This dilutes their equity. Plus, it can create an influx of capital that they do not know what to do with and add distracting attention.

3. Creating a company around ego and reputation.

A strong reputation as a successful entrepreneur is a real advantage when raising capital or recruiting employees.

However, I've learned it is detrimental to tie a company entirely to one person.

This could draw employees to the company for the wrong reasons. When someone thinks about your company, they should think about the problems that you are solving. T

hey should be passionate about solving the problem, not just about the people claiming to have the solution. 

Entrepreneurs able to disassociate the company from themselves are also able to stay positive when the company struggles.

• It's not always easy to judge your own performance at work.

• In fact, sometimes, you might be underperforming and not even realize it.

• If several of these subtle signs that you're a subpar employee apply to you, consider moving to a role that's a better fit for you.

Some employees are better than others, but what if you're the problem worker in your office?

Being a terrible employee doesn't mean that you're bad, lazy, or even unable to succeed professionally. You could be a bad culture fit for the company. Your disposition may not jibe with your boss' style. Maybe you're just in the wrong industry.

If you feel that you're not doing a good job, then it's important to consider why and then take steps to rectify the situation.

Before you can do that, though, you've got to be able to determine whether or not you are a bad worker.

Here are several tell-tale signs that you're doing a horrible job at work:

SEE ALSO: The 2 worst mistakes you could make in a job interview, according to an ex-Apple recruiter

DON'T MISS: 29 signs your company is about to conduct mass layoffs

You're not punctual

You constantly make excuses

You do the bare minimum

• Iran recently erupted in country-wide protests.
• Anti-government protestors turned to the same target: the wealthy elite.
• Iranian millennials hardly keep their wealth a secret, especially in the age of social media.

Iran recently erupted in country-wide protests that brought out both anti- and pro-government forces.

The demonstrators in Iran mobilized against everything from the government to the economic woes of the country. Gradually, across the country, anti-government protestors turned to the same target: a wealthy elite that has reaped the benefits of a top-down theocratic regime.

At least a part of this seems to have been spurred by a new openness from Iranian millennials, who hardly keep their wealth a secret, especially in the age of social media.

As Iranian journalist Amir Ahmadi Arian puts it in an op-ed for the New York Times, "Wealthy young Iranians act like a new aristocratic class unaware of the sources of their wealth."

"They brazenly drive Porsches and Maseratis through the streets of Tehran before the eyes of the poor and post about their wealth on Instagram," Arian writes.

The inequalities majority of the protestors face has been building up for the past decade, and seemed to finally reached a breaking point, especially after President Hassan Rouhaniintroduced an austerity budget.

While the working class protesters have shouted "Death to Rouhani" and "Death to the dictator," the Rich Kids of Tehran Twitter account has been very supportive of Rouhani and the Iranian government in the past.

Check out some of the rich kids of Iran that have become a driving force for the protests:

SEE ALSO: The protests in Iran appear to be dying down — but they're a sign the regime is getting weaker

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest risks the world faces in 2018

The wealthy of Iran have no problem flaunting their money around.

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Many photos prominently feature gifts that are usually expensive cars.

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Followed up by photos of kids taking those cars out for a drive.

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• We interviewed four couples in which both partners are relationship experts about their best marriage advice.
• Common themes emerged, including: Stay curious about your partner, and know the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Ultimately, marriage is hard for everyone, but there are some time-tested tricks to make it easier.

There's a curious trend among relationship experts: Many of them are married. To each other.

When I first realized this, it sounded to me like the makings of either heaven or hell.

Case for heaven: No one ever name-calls, or violates their partner's trust, or shuts down emotionally because you both know those are counterproductive behaviors. Case for hell: You can't storm off like a child during an argument about chores because you just counseled a client not to do that this morning.

Curious to know which way the pendulum swings, I called up four married couples in which both partners are relationship experts and asked whether and how they practice what they preach.

In the four conversations, I heard some common themes about the conflicts that have played out in their marriages and how they've used their knowledge of successful relationships to resolve them.

Read on to find out how the pros do marriage — and what can you learn from them.

SEE ALSO: A relationship therapist breaks down the 10 most common fights couples have

They know how to be interdependent

Suzann Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski, PhD co-wrote the forthcoming book "Happy Together," in which they apply insights from positive psychology to romantic relationships. Pileggi Pawelski's background is in journalism; Pawelski is a philosopher. Both had been successful in their individual careers, but their approaches to research and writing were starkly different.

Pawelski talked about the importance of "interdependence," which he acknowledged "could be a challenge." At one point, Pileggi Pawelski showed her husband a draft of a chapter she'd written. Pawelski thought they could do better.

Seeing how much energy she'd put into the drafts, Pawelski told me, "I had a choice of saying, 'OK, these drafts are good; we can just kind of tweak them a little bit and then we're good to go.' Or, I could say to her, 'Honestly, I think we need to take them apart and put them back together again and I think they'll be better."

Ultimately, Pawelski gave his wife "some time to think it through more," and she realized the draft could in fact use some revision. Interdependence, Pawelski said, is about standing up for your perspective and also being willing to yield a little to the other person's perspective.

They know the 'why'

Peter Pearson, PhD and Ellyn Bader, PhD run the Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California. Pearson told me one of their biggest points of friction is that he has a "higher tolerance for visual disarray when it comes to clutter, much higher than Ellyn."

Most of the time, Pearson said, he's more conscious of the amount of clutter around and does something about it.

"There's a bigger picture of what we want to create in our relationship," he said, "and having a clutter-free environment helps us both. So it's the why. … Why would I be interested in putting forth the effort of less clutter? Why would Ellyn be interested in relaxing her standards?"

The "why" varies from couple to couple, Pearson said. It's about what you want to create more of as a twosome, whether that's peace, happiness, or personal fulfillment.

They listen with curiosity

Every couple I interviewed mentioned something about staying curious — during conflict and in general.

Carrie Cole, MEd, LPC, and Don Cole, DMin, LPC-S, LMFT-S, who are the research director and clinical director, respectively, at the Gottman Institute, shared something similar. Recently, Carrie was visibly upset with Don because she'd asked him a question and he'd blown her off. Instead of getting defensive, Carrie said, Don got curious.

He asked questions like, "Why did that bother you so badly?" and was willing to listen to the answer. Carrie told me it's about feeling validated. "For somebody to say, 'Tell me more about that' and 'Where does that come from for you? What's your history around that?' That really soothes me."

Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD, president and cofounder at the Gottman Institute, said her husband, John Gottman, PhD, cofounder at the Gottman Institute, adopted a relationship-strengthening strategy directly from their own research.

"If I was really upset about something or making a complaint about a behavior of his," she said, "rather than going defensive, he would say, 'What do you need? Honey, what do you need?' And immediately all the tension would met away. The anger would melt away. It was a balm to my soul."

Why? "Because John recognized that when I was upset about something, first of all my feelings were valid," she said. "He loved me and my feelings mattered," plus he showed a willingness to help ease her distress.

• Wawa and Sheetz are both convenience store chains with a cult following. 
• We visited both to see which was better.
• After the face-off, Wawa reigned supreme for offering food that's worth a trip in itself.

The Capulets versus the Montagues.

Harvard versus Yale.

Britney versus Christina.

Among history's fabled rivalries, perhaps none is more fiercely contested than Wawa versus Sheetz.

In Pennsylvania and the surrounding states where these premium gas stations dominate highway pit stops, everyone has an opinion as to which is the convenience chain of choice.

To definitively settle this schism, we took it upon ourselves to journey to the heartland of the two rivals — the borderlands of Pennsylvania and New Jersey — and see which chain reigns supreme.

SEE ALSO: We ate dozens of meals at restaurant chains in 2017 — here are the 9 absolute best things to try right now

Our quest begins in the parking lot of a Wawa in south Phillipsburg, New Jersey, off Route 22. The gas pumps are plentiful and bustling with activity, but we're more interested in what's inside.

Wawa, with more than 720 locations in six states on the East Coast, is renowned for its high-quality yet inexpensive food. Walking inside, we find the vibe to be clean and professional yet unassuming. Muted yellows and browns are the key colors, leading to a relaxed but often bland visual landscape.

It takes a few minutes to even comprehend the array of food options available at Wawa. The well-stocked prepackaged section is ambitious and diverse in scope. Even packaged food appears fresh — not as though it has been abandoned on the shelf for untold lengths.

At long last, the NFL playoffs are here!

Wild Card weekend is always one of the best weekends of the NFL season and this year's slate brings with it some fairly unpredictable games and teams.

In the AFC, Titans-Chiefs, Jaguars-Bills may not be the sexiest matchups on paper, but they're fairly evenly matched and should produce some intriguing games. And the NFC, as its been all year, is a grinder, with the Saints and Panthers and Rams and Falcons facing off.

As we head into the final stretch run of the NFL season, we ranked where NFL teams stand with the playoffs beginning.

12. Buffalo Bills

Regular season record: 9-7, 6th in AFC

Opponent: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Vegas odds: 100/1

How they can do it: They'll need LeSean McCoy (currently questionable) to play, as McCoy accounted for eight of their 28 offensive touchdowns and over 50% of their rushing yards in 2017. The Jaguars' elite defense was weak only in the run, where they ranked 26th in DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. 

11. Tennessee Titans

Regular season record: 9-7, 5th in AFC

Opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs

Vegas odds: 100/1

How they can do it: It would certainly take a lot. While the Titans could possibly pull off an upset this weekend against the Chiefs, they are going to need Mariota playing the best football of his career. In addition, running backs Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray both need to be healthy and acting as the force we've seen them have the potential to be throughout the year.

10. Atlanta Falcons

Regular season record: 10-6, 6th in NFC

Opponent: at Los Angeles Rams

Vegas odds: 20/1

How they can do it: The Falcons and the Rams may be an interesting battle of efficiency. The Falcons were the top offensive team in time per offensive drive (meaning they stay on the field a long time) and 31st in time per defensive drive (meaning they can't get off the field). Against a strong defensive and running team like the Rams, the Falcons will need their offense to remain efficient while improving on their defense.

Apple launched a lot of new phones and computers in 2017, propelling the company to its biggest year — selling 322 million individual gadgets, according to one estimate.

But that was last year.

Right now, in Cupertino, California, Apple engineers, designers, and marketers are working on the iPhones and iPads that will launch this year.

Apple never comments on future products, but thanks to a robust ecosystem of journalists, analysts, and rumormongers, we can put together a pretty good preview of what to expect from Apple in 2018. Of course, release dates and details can change.

Here's what you can expect Apple to launch this year: 

Three new iPhones.

Apple released the biggest redesign to the iPhone in years in 2017. The iPhone X loses the home button in favor of a facial-recognition scanner and a nearly edge-to-edge screen.

In 2018, Apple will bring that iPhone X design to other iPhone models, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. 

In a November 2017 note, he predicted that Apple will launch three new iPhone models this year. 

One of the phones could feature an edge-to-edge LCD screen and TrueDepth facial recognition that costs between $649 and $749.

Kuo also said he believes Apple is working on a 6.5-inch iPhone with a design like the iPhone X but with a bigger OLED screen.

And Apple will likely give the iPhone X some improvements as well. 

We don't know when these new phones will launch, but for the past five years, Apple has announced new iPhones in September. 

New iPad Pro hardware with facial recognition.

Apple is also said to be working on new iPads that take the facial recognition capabilities from the iPhone X and put them into a tablet. 

This redesign will eliminate the home button and reduce the size of the bezels around its screen even further, according to Bloomberg. 

However, the redesigned iPad is unlikely to have an OLED screen, which has superior display quality and a technology that's currently used on the Apple Watch and the iPhone X. 

Apple could launch the new iPad in the summer, according to Bloomberg. 

A redesigned Apple Pencil.

When Apple launches its new iPad Pro models, it will also release a redesigned stylus it calls Pencil, according to the Bloomberg report. 

• Wards Auto has released its 24th annual 10 best engines list.
• The top 10 includes traditional internal combustion as well as fuel cell, electric, and hybrid drive technology. 
• Mass-market brands and electric mobility dominate the list. 

Wards Auto has released the latest edition of its annual list of best engines in the world. For 2018, the 10 winners are an eclectic bunch. There are 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder engines, along with fuel cell, electric and hybrid drive units. This the 24th time Wards has conducted the competition to find the best engine in the world. 

This year, mass-market automakers and electric mobility dominate the list. The only luxury brands to make the top 10 are Jaguar and Infiniti. Also, no German brands made the list. 

"We’re happy to recognize great engines in luxury cars, but we’re thrilled to see so many high-volume automakers whose vehicles are more affordable for average Americans delivering truly outstanding powertrains," WardsAuto senior content director Drew Winter said in a story announcing the winners. 

According to Wards, only new or significantly re-engineered engines or propulsion systems that are available for sale in the US and are installed in cars having a base price of less than $63,000 are eligible for the top 10. In addition, the winners from the previous year are also eligible to defend their crowns.

A total of 32 candidates were evaluated by the publication's editors in real-life, on-road driving conditions in October and November. Wards scored each engine based on horsepower, torque, comparative specs, noise attenuation, fuel economy, and application of new technology.

Here are the 10 winners for 2018 in alphabetical order:

SEE ALSO: We drove over 70 cars in 2017 — and these were our favorite engines

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1. Chevrolet Bolt: 150-kW electric propulsion system.

WardsAuto editors praised the Bolt's drive unit for its 238-mile range, torquey power delivery, and thrilling acceleration.

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: 3.6-liter, Pentastar V6 with a plug-in hybrid drive system.

• Home prices in the US are lowest during the winter months each year.
• Real estate investors pay 6.6% less per square foot for the same rental property during the winter as they do during the spring and summer.
• In some of the country's biggest metros, a winter buy could increase your overall return on investment by as much as 36%.

Winter is the best time to buy a home— and that includes scooping up a rental property. 

HomeUnion, an online real estate and investment firm, recently released a list of the best places in America to score a bargain on a rental property this season. They compared return on investment figures for homes purchased during winter and homes purchased during summer in the country's biggest metro areas.

"Median home prices drop substantially during the colder months, while rent losses remain marginal for landlords," said Steve Hovland, director of research for HomeUnion. "On average, investors can acquire higher-yielding properties in cold-weather markets like Omaha, Nebraska, Buffalo, and Chicago, as well as some Sun Belt markets."

To determine how much a winter buyer saves in each market, HomeUnion looked at all single-family housing sales over $30,000 that occurred in October and November 2017, and compared them to May and June 2017.

HomeUnion then calculated the capitalization rate (or "cap rate") — the return on investment after operating costs — for each market, and subsequently, the percentage difference between the cap rate in winter months and summer months.

Below, we've highlighted the 26 cities where the cap rate increased by more than 10% when an investor purchased a rental property in the winter rather than the summer.

SEE ALSO: Here's where home prices could take the biggest hit thanks to tax reform

DON'T MISS: The 11 worst cities for homeowners after the GOP tax bill goes into effect

26. Rochester, New York

Increase in annual investment return: 10.32%

Median home sale price (winter): $120,000

Median home sale price (summer): $138,802

Savings on home purchase: 14%

25. Fort Lauderdale

Increase in annual investment return: 10.53%

Median home sale price (winter): $210,000

Median home sale price (summer): $230,000

Savings on home purchase: 9%

24. San Jose

Increase in annual investment return: 10.74%

Median home sale price (winter): $823,500

Median home sale price (summer): $950,000

Savings on home purchase: 13%

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I've been living in New York City for the last five years, and over that time I've gotten used to frequent traveling. My family still lives in the Midwest and until recently my dearest friends lived in other states, so at least once a month I could be seen filing onto a bus, train, or plane to another destination.

And as with all things, practice makes (closer to) perfect.

Because of this, I've become much more discerning about what I travel with, in part because my job involves testing products to see which ones are worthwhile.

Below are 10 things I love to travel with, be it for their space, versatility, convenience, or reliability:

DON'T MISS: The 11 gadgets and tech accessories I used the most while traveling abroad

A carry-on that holds an impossible amount of things and can function as a duffel or backpack.

Plain and simple, this is the best carry-on bag I've ever found. Ever since Cotopaxi sent me a test unit almost five months ago, I haven't gone on a single trip without it.

It fits a lot, while still meeting airline restrictions for a carry-on, and since Cotopaxi is technically an outdoors gear brand, the bag itself is reminiscent of that. The Allpa inherited innovation from that space, like a low-profile harness that helps evenly distribute the weight of the pack so it's comfortable to wear even when stuffed to the brim.

It also opens like a suitcase, so you don't have to waste time digging to the bottom of a traditional backpack.

There are many great selling points to the Allpa, but for a frequent traveler, it's the versatility, durability, comfort, and roomy design that are perhaps the best of the best.

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack, available at Cotopaxi, $199.95

(Actually) wireless earbuds that save on space and add convenience.

I rarely travel with a checked bag anymore, so space is a top concern. For shorter trips where I don't want my Marshall over-ear headphones to take up prime real estate or get crushed, I bring along my Jaybird RUN truly wireless buds. They're tiny enough to keep in my pocket, and their charging case takes up less room than a pair of rolled socks. Plus, they've got an 8-hour playtime and on the off-chance I forgot to charge them beforehand, 5 minutes in their charging case gives me an hour of listening time. 

Jaybird RUN True Wireless In-Ear Headphones, available at Best Buy, $179.99

The most comfortable and supportive socks that you'll ever wear.

It might seem silly to have a favorite pair of travel socks, but to be fair they're my favorite pair of socks for anything. While traveling, though, you're likely on your feet for hours on end, and it's nice not to have to worry about soreness or blisters. The honeycomb support system on Bombas' socks took two years to design, and is just one upgrade that makes them the most comfortable pair you'll own. 

Shop Bombas entire selection here.