When it comes to condoms, chances are pretty good that you think you know everything there is know on the matter. Like, you've been learning about safe sex since eighth grade health class. You're good.

But where, exactly, does most of your current-day condom knowledge stem from? If it's sourced from a mix of things your friends have told you, plus whatever memory of eighth grade health class you have stored deep within your temporal lobe, it may not all be entirely accurate. In fact, there are more than a few common condom myths floating around — some of which you may believe as fact.

INSIDER spoke with Dr. Logan Levkoff, a nationally recognized health and sexuality expert who works with Trojan brand condoms, to get down to the bottom of of what you should (and shouldn't) believe about condoms.

Myth: Condoms haven't evolved over the past few decades.

Think that condoms haven't really changed from the time that your parents (and even your grandparents) might have been using them? According to Dr. Levkoff, this couldn't be farther from the truth.

"One of [the biggest myths] is when people say that condoms haven't changed over time, that the condoms that are out today are the same as they were thirty or forty years ago. And it's just not true," Dr. Levkoff told INSIDER.

"There are have been a ton of innovations about condoms, condom shape, the use of lube, the thinness of latex, the ribbing. They're so much better now!"

Myth: Condoms aren't that effective.

Most of us have heard the same statistics — condoms, when used perfectly, are 98% effective. But "typical" condom use (aka the way most people use them) is 85% effective. Because of this, you may feel as though condoms aren't so important.

"What we don't typically tell people is that this "typical" number, that includes people who don’'t use condoms all the time. So, is there a surprise that the number is lower if people don't use them at all?" Dr. Levkoff told INSIDER.

"I think myths occur because we aren't really clear on the numbers we're giving and talking about."

So, if you feel like you can skip a condom because it won't make that much of a difference whether you use one or not, think again. If you use one, you'll be in a much better position than you would be if you'd skipped one.

Myth: Sex with condoms isn't as enjoyable as sex without condoms.

Condom sex = bad sex. Or, at least, this is a commonly-accepted narrative that you've probably heard two or three (or 10) times.

As it turns out, this isn't true at all.

"Because we have these preconceived notions of what condoms are — thick latex, big smell — we perpetuate the message that condoms don't feel good or condoms aren't fun. And the reality is that condoms have lower latex odor today and they feel great," Dr. Levkoff told INSIDER.

Dr. Levkoff also noted that a study done at Indiana University found that people rate sex with condoms equally as pleasurable as sex without condoms.

"And that's really important, because condoms give us the ability to be fully engaged in the act of sex, to not worry and think about the 'what ifs.'" Dr. Levkoff told INSIDER.

Flu experts agree that the 2017-18 flu season may not be a full-blown pandemic, but it sure is nasty.

The flu is widespread across 48 US states right now. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say doctors are seeing as many patients right now as they did at the height of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

The epidemic this season is not at pandemic levels, but it has been especially tough on baby boomers. CDC officials say that could be in part because they weren't exposed to this year's most aggressive H3N2 strain as children.

It's nearly impossible to predict how this flu season will end, as flu viruses don't follow predictable models from year to year.

Still, there are a few simple things to do to stay healthy and safe. Here's what you need to know.

SEE ALSO: This year's deadly flu season is reaching its peak — here's how to tell if you're contagious

It's been a season of horror stories about the deadly flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called this the worst season since the 2009 swine flu.

Sixty-three children across the country have died from the flu this year, and experts think the real number could be double the total in official reports.

In California, at least 163 people under the age of 65 have died. As of early January, most of those deaths were unvaccinated adults, the state's Department of Health told Business Insider.

It's been deadly, but this season is not a pandemic.

Flu viruses can shift rapidly, making them harder to vaccinate against and tough to predict from year to year. That's part of the reason drug makers have struggled to come up with a "universal" vaccine for the flu that would protect you for life.

What counts as an "epidemic" changes a little from season to season — and even week to week — but the CDC's latest numbers indicate we've reached epidemic levels, meaning the flu is spreading quickly and leading to more fatal cases than usually expected. Last week, 10% of all deaths across the country were attributed to flu and pneumonia, well above this year's epidemic threshold of 7.3%. 

Pandemic flu happens "when a new flu virus emerges that can infect people and spread globally," quickly, and efficiently, the CDC said.

The flu reaches epidemic levels (like we're experiencing now) at some point every season. But pandemic flu levels are even more dangerous.

Long before the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the deadly 1918 Spanish flu spread around the world, infecting about one in every five people and killing as many as 50 million. That's more casualties than in World War I.

Valentine's Day can be tricky no matter what stage of a romantic relationship you happen to be in. If you just met, there's the fear of being too generic with classics gifts like flowers (anyone can buy a bouquet!) and chocolate (do you even know what type of candy this person likes?), pushing things too far with an over-the-top gift or just not knowing enough about your new boo for a truly personal present.

Years into a relationship, you may have exhausted your list of romantic gestures and personal presents, so what's next? February 14th is looming, so use this guide to find the perfect gift for your significant other, no matter what stage your relationship is in.

When you haven't quite met that special someone yet.

First date on Valentine's Day? No pressure. Woo your to-be love (or future ex, it's fine) with a cute little gift, like a nostalgic, straight from the halls of your Elementary School Valentine's Day candy with a cheesy message attached.

Bonus: They're sold in packs, so you can share candies with your friends (or just eat the rest at home). $11.99 at OrientalTrading.com or $5.99 in supermarkets and drugstores.

When you've just met.

Oh, you met the weekend before Valentine’s Day and now you’re in this awkward, not quite-seeing-each-other but definitely into each other phase? Amp up your candy and flowers game with Sugarfina’s wine-infused rose gummies, Champagne gummy bears and other romance-themed sweet treats, available in single cubes or in stylish bento boxes.

This Valentine's Day, they even have Candygrams you can send simply by knowing their email. The best part? They pick the candy so you don't even have to sneak in a question about chocolate versus gummies. Starts at $34 including tax and shipping, Sugarfina.com

When you've officially been dating a few days.

So you just DTR-ed and it’s your first Valentine’s Day together. No pressure! Seriously. Signal that you’re looking forward to making it another season with a Hyggelight. Cozy up near this stylish scented candle the winter, and when it’s burnt, the pot becomes a planter in which to grow the included wildflower seeds. $25, Hyggelight.com  

• Uber and Waymo have settled their epic legal battle over self-driving car tech.
• It was like a Hollywood drama, often veering from the deadly serious to the ridiculous.
• Here are the craziest moments, from lawyers squabbling over Michael Douglas' performance in "Wall Street" to debate over a "pound of flesh."

Uber and Waymo have reached a settlement in their Hollywood-worthy legal battle over self-driving car technology.

Uber, accused of stealing trade secrets from Google sister company Alphabet, agreed to pay $245 million worth of equity on Friday — abruptly halting the proceedings that had been scheduled to go on for at least another week.

The stakes were high, with Waymo initially seeking as much as $1.8 billion in damages. But over the four days of the trial before the settlement, matters veered wildly from the serious to the surreal.

One moment, presiding judge William Alsup was outlining trade secret law to the jurors; the next, lawyers were bickering over whether they could show the legendary "greed is good" scene from the Michael Dogulas film "Wall Street" in court, or debating the philosophical nature of "cheat codes" with ousted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

The case revolved around Anthony Levandowski, a former Google engineer, later with Waymo, who left to form a self-driving car startup called Ottomotto that was subsequently acquired by Uber. Levandowski was accused of purloining Waymo's trade secrets, but the settlement meant he never had a chance to take the stand, where he had been expected to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

In fact, the alleged trade secrets weren't even discussed all that much before the proceedings were halted. The majority of the case was held open to the public, with the focus more on allegations of conspiracy between Kalanick and Levandowski than the technical details of the LiDAR self-driving car sensors at issue in the case.

Here are nine of the weirdest and most unusual moments in the dramatic legal battle — along with some of the key points in the transcripts.

SEE ALSO: A complete guide to the weird and wacky tech-bro slang used by former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

1. The judge slammed Uber and Waymo's lawyers for taking up too much room.

Judge Alsup, who presided over the case, is famous for his quips and take-no-prisoners approach, and this case was no different.

Within minutes of the trial beginning, he was chastising both sides' legal teams for taking up too much space — leaving little room for the public.

"This is unconscionable that the law firms would take up this much space," he chided.

2. Travis Kalanick wanted a "pound of flesh."

On Tuesday, Travis Kalanick first took the stand — and his use of unusual idioms and lingo came under heavy scrutiny.

One of the most cryptic was a note saying that he wanted a "pound of flesh" from the Otto team. And while he claimed not to remember saying it, he did admit he uses the Shakespearean phrase from time to time.

3. "Laser is the sauce."

Later in the day, a phrase came up that has spawned multiple memes: "Laser is the sauce."

Written on a whiteboard by Kalanick, the phrase perfectly encapsulated both the futuristic nature of the issues at stake, as well as the absurdity of much of the proceedings. 

It came up during the questioning of Kalanick by Waymo's lawyers. To those lawyers, it was yet another piece of evidence of the importance of lasers and lidar technology to Uber — that they are the "secret sauce" that underpins self-driving cars, and critical to their success. 

VERHOEVEN: And then under Item 3 on the board, read what it says.

KALANICK: "Laser is the sauce."

VERHOEVEN: So during this jam session, you discussed the fact that laser is the sauce; correct?

KALANICK: Yes. I think it was probably a description of our sesh, yes.

VERHOEVEN: And what that meant is that lasers are the sauce to make autonomous vehicles work; right?

KALANICK: It's close. I would say it's an important part of making autonomous work. It doesn't work without it.

 ...

VERHOEVEN: If you want to make an autonomous vehicle, you must have a viable way to get lasers at scale; isn't that true?

KALANICK: That is correct.

VERHOEVEN: And Uber didn't have that sauce prior to the Ottomotto acquisition, did it?

KALANICK: That's correct.

Movies and TV shows provide a considerable amount of couples that fans become obsessed with, but they also leave viewers devastated when a favorite couple breaks up. After becoming emotionally invested in the fictional love lives of characters, it's heartbreaking to see the couples that you were rooting for decide to part ways. 

Here are some of the most devastating TV and movie relationships.

Ross and Rachel —"Friends"

Ross and Rachel's relationship can best be described as a roller coaster, because it had constant highs and lows. Over the course of 10 seasons, the couple dated other people, broke up, and rekindled their relationship. Their relationship took a hit on season three, when Ross started getting jealous of Rachel spending more time at work with her co-worker, Mark, than with him. Thinking they were on a break and Ross was so upset, he slept with a woman who worked at a nearby copy store, Chloe. 

The next morning, Ross got a message from Rachel where she professed her love for him and they seemingly fixed the rough patch from the previous day. However, Rachel didn't know that Ross slept with someone else, and when she did find out from Gunther, it was one of the saddest moments in the show. 

Ross begged Rachel to stay with him, but she couldn't get past what he did.

"It doesn't matter what you say or what you do, Ross. It's just changed everything forever," Rachel said. 

They did eventually end up together — because as Phoebe said, they're each other's lobsters— but that scene scarred Ross and Rachel fans forever. 

Olivia and Fitz — "Scandal"

One of the biggest storylines on "Scandal" involves Olivia's relationship with Fitz. Fans care deeply about their romance, so when they broke up, people demanded a proper reason — and they got one. 

When the cast and creator attended a panel discussion, Shonda Rhimes was asked about why she decided to break up Fitz and Olivia. 

"Olivia is on a journey," Rhimes explained. "She has been on a journey since we started. It's interesting to me that it's a romance, that her primary story is a romance — that's what you've seen. But to me, her primary story has been discovering herself."

She added: "I'm happy that you have fallen in love with Fitz because that's the journey that Olivia went on. She got the fantasy and then discovered the fantasy wasn't real. That doesn't mean she doesn't love Fitz, but it means Olivia does not know who she is yet."

Even though the breakup was hard for fans to deal with, this seems like a great explanation as to why "Olitz" had to end. 

Stefan and Elena — "The Vampire Diaries"

Fans of "The Vampire Diaries" are all too familiar with the love triangle that played out over the course of several seasons. In the heated debate over who Elena should end up with, viewers took sides, choosing to be on "team Damon" or "team Stefan." 

On season one, Elena and Stefan started dating and it was a sweet relationship that you couldn't help but root for. Stefan was a gentleman who swept Elena off her feet, while Damon was the bad boy who caused unnecessary drama. Even though "Stelena" stuck together when things got complicated, Elena decided to break up with Stefan because she thought she was becoming too focused on their relationship and neglecting others. 

When she told him "it's over" and they both started crying, all the "Stelena" shippers of the world also cried. 

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Friday brought together leaders from around the world, with the US seated near Japan, Germany, South Korea, and, surprisingly, North Korea.

Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, was there — the first member of the North's ruling family to visit the South since 1953. She attended the ceremony along with the head of the North's Olympic delegation, 90-year-old Kim Yong Nam, who leads North Korea's parliament. 

But Kim Yo Jong didn't speak or shake hands with US Vice President Mike Pence, who was there with the Second Lady, Karen Pence. Pence had also avoided shaking hands with or sitting next to Kim Yong Nam at a reception before the start of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Pence reportedly didn't have to sit in the box with the North Koreans — but he wanted to make a political point.

Here's what happened:

SEE ALSO: A mystery missile at North Korea's military parade should make the US worried

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence sat in the front of Kim Yo Jong and Kim Yong Nam.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961961063880179712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, Mike Pence, Kim Jong Un’s sister. Quite a photo via @YonhapNewspic.twitter.com/tgvuybmH2a

It doesn't look like they smiled a lot.

By contrast, Kim Yo Jong notably shared a warm greeting with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in.

The 2018 Winter Olympics officially kicked off on Friday with the opening ceremony held in the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium.

While NBC will air the ceremony in primetime on Friday evening in the US, the ceremony was carried live — sans commentary this year — online.

Below we will follow along with the biggest moments from the opening ceremony.

The show opened with fireworks and an incredible view of the stadium with the mountain events lit up in the background.

The stadium, which was built just for the Olympics and will be torn down later this year, is a pentagon to represent the five goals of the games: the economy, technology, the arts, peace, and the environment.

The show opened with a large white tiger being followed by a group of children out of cave.

Since President Donald Trump officially authorized the release of House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes's controversial memo on the Russia investigation on February 2, a host of other memos have seized Washington's and the public's attention.

In response to the Nunes memo, which alleges misconduct on the part of the Justice Department and FBI, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee put forward a memo of their own, which is expected to be released Friday. Nunes has also said he plans to release five more as part of an independent investigation he's been conducting since last year into alleged corruption within the government. 

It can be difficult to make sense of the complex array of narratives and events presented in these memos. Here's a rundown of all the Russia investigation memos that we know about so far and what they might contain:

SEE ALSO: The Nunes memo fails to answer the key question it is supposed to address

DON'T MISS: 'Politics of hysteria': The much-anticipated Nunes memo left experts underwhelmed

The Nunes memo claims investigators improperly used the unverified Trump-Russia dossier to get a surveillance warrant against Carter Page.

The Nunes memo states that the FBI and DOJ used the infamous Trump-Russia dossier as the basis for seeking an initial surveillance warrant targeting former Trump campaign foreign-policy adviser Carter Page. 

Though much of the information in the dossier remains uncorroborated, both the FBI and the Senate Intelligence Committee are using it as a "roadmap" in their Russia investigations.

Its production was funded mainly by the Democratic Party and a law firm tied to former 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The memo claims investigators never made this connection clear to the court granting the so-called FISA warrant.  

Additionally, the memo states that a September 2016 Yahoo News article was used as corroborating evidence for the Trump-Russia dossier in the FBI and DOJ's warrant application. Nunes writes that this was improper because the article had used the dossier's author as a source and thus did not amount to an independent corroboration. 

Finally, the memo acknowledges that the FBI's Russia investigation was not triggered by the dossier, but by a conversation former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos had with an Australian diplomat in 2016.

While Republicans say the document is clear evidence of partisan bias at the DOJ and the FBI, Democrats say it contains significant omissions and inaccuracies that mischaracterize the intelligence community's work.

Here's the full memo:

House Democrats' response to Nunes likely fills gaps and adds context to the initial memo.

The House Intelligence Committee voted on February 5 to unanimously to approve the release of a Democratic rebuttal memo authored by ranking member Adam Schiff.

The Democratic memo focuses mainly on pushing back against the Nunes memo's characterization of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe's testimony before the committee last year, and its claim that the dossier was the sole basis for the Page FISA application, two sources on the House Intelligence Committee told Business Insider.

It will also dispute Republican claims that the DOJ and FBI concealed critical information about the dossier's funding from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) when submitting the Page FISA application. Moreover, it will shed light on the FBI's "pre-existing focus" on Page that was underway long before the DOJ applied for the warrant, a source told Business Insider. 

A new memo by Sen. Chuck Grassley backs up some of Nunes's claims and tries to discredit the author of the Trump-Russia dossier.

On February 6, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the declassified version of a January letter in which he and fellow committee member, Sen. Lindsey Graham, referred Steele to the DOJ for criminal charges stemming from his contacts with the media.

While the letter seems to confirm some of the claims made in Nunes's memo about the centrality of the Trump-Russia dossier to the FISC warrant application, it undercuts two key allegations made in it as well.

Whereas the Nunes memo states that the court was unaware that the memo was politically produced, Grassley's letter says investigators did inform the court of that fact, although they did not specifically disclose the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign's involvement.

In addition, Grassley's letter contradicts Nunes's allegation that a September 2016 Yahoo News article was wrongfully presented as corroborating evidence for the Trump-Russia dossier, and writes that the FBI did not argue the article could be used as supporting evidence for the dossier. The revelations implies the court approved the Page warrant based on information outside of what was in the dossier.

Here's the full memo:

Although the Winter Olympics officially began Wednesday, the three week event kicked off Friday morning (Friday evening in Pyeongchang, South Korea) with the Olympic opening ceremony. 

During the Parade of Nations, some countries walked with a huge crew consisting of of athletes, coaches, and supporters — otherwise known as delegations. While some delegations ran in the triple digits, others had a smaller showing, which often means a small team. 

Here are the countries with the smallest teams at the Winter Games. 

Greece: 4

Source: Olympics

Ghana: 1

Source: Olympics

Nigeria: 3

Akuoma Omeoga and Moriam Seun Adigun will compete in bobsleigh, while Simidele Adeagbo will take part in the skeleton. 

Source: Olympics

This year's flu season is not messing around.

As the virus has swept the US in recent months, people have turned to some strange habits to keep illness at bay, like chugging orange juice, "starving" their fevers, and taking antibiotics. (Spoiler: None of these will help.)

Orange juice is high in sugar and there's little to no evidence that the vitamin C it contains helps beat viruses. Depriving yourself of nutrients while you're sick may also backfire; your weakened immune system needs nutrients to fight off illness. And antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses — which characterize both the flu and the common cold.

Instead, there are several research-backed steps you can take to fight off illness.

Keep in mind, too, that the symptoms of the flu and the common cold can be very similar, but these preventive and defensive tips should help in most cases.

SEE ALSO: 9 at-home remedies that actually work

Gargle with plain water.

If you're just starting to feel a cold coming on, try gargling with plain water. A study of close to 400 healthy volunteers published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that those who gargled with plain water were significantly less likely to come down with upper-respiratory-tract infections (URTIs) — a type of infection often linked with colds and the flu — during the study period. The researchers concluded that "simple water gargling was effective to prevent URTIs among healthy people."

Have some chicken soup.

Strangely enough, several recent studies have suggested that chicken soup may actually reduce the symptoms of a cold. The jury's still out on precisely why this old-school remedy appears to help, but the available evidence suggests that some component of the soup helps calm down the inflammation that triggers many cold symptoms.

For a study published in the journal Chest, the official publication of the American College of Chest Physicians, researchers found that chicken soup appeared to slow the movement of neutrophils, the white blood cells that are the hallmark of acute infection. In an attempt to decipher precisely which part of the soup was beneficial, they also tested some of the components individually, and concluded that both the vegetables and the chicken appeared to have "inhibitory activity."

Get plenty of rest.

Getting enough sleep — somewhere between seven and nine hours a night — is key to a properly functioning immune system, which plays a critical role in both helping fight off an existing cold and defending you against a new one.

For a 2009 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers tracked the sleep habits of 153 healthy men and women for two weeks to get a sense of their sleep patterns. Then, they gave them nasal drops containing rhinovirus, also known as the common cold, and monitored them for five more days. 

Volunteers who regularly got less than seven hours of sleep were nearly three times more likely to come down with the cold than those who slept eight hours or more each night.

The 2018 Winter Olympics has now officially begun, after the opening ceremony concluded in Pyeongchang in South Korea on Friday.

The ceremony itself involved an elaborate fireworks display that lit up the night sky, a dance routine emphasizing the Olympic theme of peace, and the Parade of Nations showcasing all participants.

Lookalikes of US President Donald Trump and North Korea supreme leader Kim Jong Un threatened to steal the spotlight, but the impersonators were booted out of the stadium by security.

Keep scrolling to re-live the opening ceremony with 22 of the most incredible photographs from the event here.

SEE ALSO: This is the full schedule for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

DON'T MISS: The Olympic Village will be stocked with 37 condoms per athlete — and it could be because of Tinder

UP NEXT: The Norwegian Winter Olympics team ordered 15,000 eggs by mistake thanks to a Google Translate error

An elaborate fireworks display got the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony going.

At one point it looked like sinister red flames had surrounded the stadium in Pyeongchang, which is more or less frozen solid this time of year.

A part of the initial pageantry involved martial arts. One performer, pictured here, looked like he was pulling off moves that could have been at home in "The Matrix."

Everyone should have a food bucket list, and a new year is the perfect opportunity to refresh it.

Last year, The Waitrose Good Food Guide selected the 50 best UK restaurants to try in 2018.

The guide reviews the best restaurants, pubs, and cafés across the UK based on feedback from readers and expert inspections. However, while each eatery makes our mouths water, making it through the best restaurants in one city can be hard enough, let alone an entire country.

In order to help you wade through the culinary options in the capital, we've compiled the 15 best restaurants in London, according to Waitrose.

The restaurants are awarded a score between 1 and 10, with 1 being "capable cooking with simple food combinations and clear flavours, but some inconsistencies" and 10 being "an extremely rare accolade" with "perfect dishes showing faultless technique at every service."

Scroll down to see the 15 best restaurants in London to try in 2018, ranked in ascending order along with their score.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best restaurants in the UK to try in 2018

15. Murano, Mayfair — 7 points. Coming in 48th in the UK, the Michelin-starred restaurant offers up melt-in-your mouth pasta dishes and Italian wines in a setting that feels like home.

14. Le Gavroche, Mayfair — 7 points. Known as "the last bastion in London of classically rich French haute cuisine," Le Gavroche has become a London institution partly thanks to its Chef Patron Michel Roux Jr. Expect dishes like Black Pudding, Fried Egg, Raw Asparagus Salad, and Spicy Tomato Chutney.

13. Restaurant Story, Bermondsey — 7 points. Tom Sellers tells his story and the story of British food through an ever-evolving tasting menu of seasonal dishes at this south London hotspot, which gained its Michelin star only five months after opening in 2013 and has retained it ever since.

• Tim Ferriss follows a strict — and elaborate — morning routine.
• I tried the routine for a single work week and found that it was energizing, though it was somewhat challenging to start the work day after 11 a.m.
• I also learned the importance of taking care of yourself, whether you do it before or after work.

Tim Ferriss' morning routine is long. If you're the kind of person who needs to ease into the day (my hand is raised), his schedule is probably for you.

Ferriss is the bestselling author of "The 4-Hour Workweek," a podcast host, an entrepreneur, and an investor.

I followed Ferriss' routine for a single work week and found that, while pushing back my schedule several hours so I could drink tea and meditate was a challenge, I felt pretty great. Plus, it beats waking up at 5:30 a.m. a la Donald Trump, whose daily routine I'd tried two weeks prior.

Throughout this experiment, I kept a running log of what I loved — and loathed — about the routine. Here's what I learned:

SEE ALSO: Tim Ferriss follows the same routine every morning to maximize his productivity

Ferriss' routine

Ferriss has written before about how he wakes up and goes to bed later than most people. He confirmed in an email that generally, he wakes up around 9 or 10 a.m.

My colleague Richard Feloni had already reported on Ferriss' morning routine, which I've summarized briefly below:

• He makes his bed.
• He meditates for 20 minutes.
• He drinks strong tea.
• He journals for five to 10 minutes.
• He eats a small breakfast.
• He exercises for 20-90 minutes.

My new routine

I made some tweaks to the steps above, so my new, Ferriss-inspired morning routine looked like this:

• I woke up naturally, which typically ended up being between 7:30 and 8 a.m.
• I made my bed.
• I meditated for 5-10 minutes.
• I drank strong tea.
• I journaled for 10 minutes.
• I practiced yoga for 20 minutes.
• I ate breakfast.

For the purposes of getting to the office before everyone else had left for the day, I curtailed some of the morning activities, like meditating and exercising. (Also, to be quiet honest, 20 minutes of meditation sounded like torture.)

I also switched the order of eating breakfast and exercising, so as not to down-dog on a full stomach.

Day 1: Wednesday

In a moment of absentmindedness, I'd set my alarm for 7 a.m. the night before. When I woke up and remembered I was on Ferriss time (nice!), I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep for another hour or so.

After wake-up round two, I promptly made my bed and tidied up the bedroom. The next step — the one I was dreading — was meditation. It had been years since I'd had a regular meditation practice, and even then, I'd found it frustrating and surprisingly exhausting.

Ferriss uses the Headspace app, which offers guided meditations, and I'd used the same app years ago. This time around, I simply set my iPhone timer for five minutes, plopped down on the couch, closed my eyes, and breathed.

Five minutes flew by. Perhaps I was feeling especially calm that morning, but I found it easier than I remembered to concentrate on my breath and to resist the tugging of thoughts and worries.

I prepared some green tea and pulled out a notebook to journal. Here again, I diverged slightly from Ferriss' routine. He uses either the 5-Minute Journal or Morning Pages— I stuck with free-form writing, which proved surprisingly cathartic.

At this point, I looked up and realized it was almost 9 a.m. I frantically messaged my editor letting her know I'd be in late, around 10:30 a.m. — an estimate that turned out to be off by almost an hour because I'd forgotten to take into account the time it took to shower and dress.

• Eligible taxpayers can file their tax return online for free using many different services.
• Tax season officially began January 29, with a final deadline of April 17 this year.
• The IRS recommends e-filing your taxes and requesting your refund via direct deposit.
• Business Insider decided to try the free file version of several online tax services.

Tax day is just around the corner.

Americans have until April 17 to file their 2017 taxes. You won't have to worry about changes brought about by the new GOP tax bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law. It won't affect your tax return this year, and the new tax brackets will only affect income earned starting January 1, 2018. 

Still, you should start tackling your taxes as soon as possible. According to Business Insider's Lauren Lyons Cole, filing early is the best way to protect against tax scams — especially potential identity theft.

Many online tax services offer the option to file for your federal taxes — and sometimes state taxes — for free, as long as you meet certain age and salary requirements. You can check your options using the IRS free file lookup tool — and you can find all of the free online sites here.

The IRS also says the fastest way to get your tax refund is the method already used by most taxpayers: filing electronically and selecting direct deposit as the method for receiving your refund. Your refund should hit your bank account within three weeks of filing online. Often, you'll get your money even faster.

I previously compared two online filing giants, TurboTax and H&R Block, head to head. Then I checked out a number of sites that provide free — or mostly free — tax-filing services.

Here's what I thought of all of the sites, which are listed in no particular order:

SEE ALSO: How to use TurboTax to file your taxes for free in 2018

DON'T MISS: How to use H&R Block to file your taxes for free in 2018

DON'T FORGET: We compared H&R Block and TurboTax for filing your taxes this year — and the winner is clear

FreeTaxUSA

After my comparison of H&R Block and TurboTax came out, a reader reached out to tell me that FreeTaxUSA was another good option for people who want to file their taxes without having their intelligence insulted (his words, not mine).

That's a pretty good way of describing this site. It's straightforward and plainspoken, in terms of its layout and content. You can file your federal taxes for free, but filing your state taxes will cost you $12.95.

According to the IRS, to file your taxes for free at Free Tax USA you must:

• Have adjusted gross income of $51,000 or less
• Be between 17 and 61 years of age

You're required to sign up for an account right off the bat. The site is streamlined — you go through tabs dedicated to your personal information, income, deductions and credits, and, ultimately, state taxes. At the same time, you're able to hop between sections.

The formatting is basic, but easy-to-use. That works for me. Overall, I found this to be a good option, especially for experienced tax filers who know what they're doing and don't want a lot of hand-holding.

TaxSlayer

I found TaxSlayer to be a more minimalist experience. It also requires you to start a new profile before embarking on your tax quest. Right off the bat, they try to get you to upgrade, but many taxpayers won't need to do so.

According to the IRS, to file your taxes for free at TaxSlayer you must:

• Have adjusted gross income of $66,000 or less
• Be 52 years old or younger

Apparently, there's a free state option for folks in Georgia too, according to the IRS.

My one issue with TaxSlayer was the site made it pretty difficult to jump around. It's definitely a good choice for more linear-minded people who prefer to do things in order.

TaxAct

Like many of these sites, TaxAct allows you to import your old returns, which is nice. This site takes you through several tabs. One quibble: when you click out of a tab, your info is saved, but it forces you to click through the whole section again when you return.

Despite the limited mobility, TaxAct's site isn't confusing to use. It's just more linear. It also doesn't try to pressure you to upgrade as much as some of the other sites.

According to the IRS, to file your taxes for free at TaxAct you must:

• Have adjusted gross income of $53,000 or less
• Be 56 years old or younger

Anyone eligible for the earned income tax credit can also receive a free federal return.

• Flashy logos are back in vogue.
• Designer brands have made logos cool again, and mass-market retailers are wising up. 
• The trend has suddenly become a favorite with millennials. 

Logos are back with a vengeance.

At one time, visible logos were about the biggest faux pas a brand could commit, and now they're back in vogue. 

Designer brands such as Gucci and Calvin Klein have made flashy logos cool again, and suddenly millennials love them. Now, mass-market retailers want in. 

In 2015, brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Coach, and Michael Kors started to reduce the number of logos on products to appeal to millennials. But the tide has turned. 

In their most recent earnings calls, Ralph Lauren, Guess, and Abercrombie & Fitch all highlighted the move towards logos, CNBC reported. 

"The focus on our icons was evident in our fall and Holiday assortment. Our Polo Bear sweaters and novelty items embellished with our iconic symbols like our Crest Logo and Downhill Ski Racer graphic were among our best sellers for the season," Ralph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet said in the company's most recent earnings call. 

The revival of logos is partly due to a move by brands to hearken back to previous collections. Calvin Klein, for example, relaunched its "American Classics" collection in 2017. In January, its ad campaign featuring the Kardashian-Jenner sisters showed the logo and label name prominently. 

Gap has been doing the same. In January, the company said it would be launching "Archive Reissue – Logo Remix," a collection of clothing and accessories to celebrate its logo.

Take a look at the brands that are cashing in on the logo trend:

SEE ALSO: The retail apocalypse has claimed a new victim — and it could be great news for Kohl's

Gucci T-shirt, $590.

Buy online here.

Adidas T-shirt at ASOS, $30.

Buy online here.

Gap logo jacket, $49.97 (in the sale).

Buy online here.

Fisher Island, Florida, is a paragon of exclusivity.

The 216-acre, man-made island sitting pretty off the coast of Miami Beach is reachable only by boat — most often yacht. It's considered America's most millionaire-dense ZIP code, but less than 20% of the island's residents permanently reside there.

With its mix of condos, private homes, and hotel rooms, the lush island exists as a retreat for the ultra wealthy, who spend their days golfing, playing tennis, lounging on the beach, boating, and simply relaxing.

The illustrious Vanderbilt family were the original stewards of Fisher Island, and their penchant for opulence remains.

Below, find out how Fisher Island became one of America's most affluent enclaves.

SEE ALSO: Owning a $1 million home is no longer considered a luxury in America

DON'T MISS: Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates live less than 1 mile from each other — here's where the rest of Seattle's billionaires live

In 1906, the Florida government created the small island off the southern coast of Miami Beach near Biscayne Bay. The island was briefly owned by Dana Dorsey, one of Florida's first black billionaires, but he sold the land to Carl Fisher, an auto entrepreneur and real estate developer, in 1919.

Source: Fisher Island Club

The island took on Fisher's namesake, but he didn't hold on to it for long. In the mid-1920s, Fisher met William K. Vanderbilt II, one of America's wealthiest residents, and proposed a trade: seven acres of Fisher Island for Vanderbilt's 250-foot yacht.

Source: Fisher Island Club

The railroad baron obliged and drew up plans for Fisher Island's first residence, "Alva Base," a Mediterranean-style compound with guest houses, tennis courts, and pools.

Source: Fisher Island Club

Another year means another set of new emojis. 

After months of deliberation, Unicode — the consortium responsible for choosing the new emojis across all platforms — has approved 157 new emojis, which will arrive on phones sometime later this year.

While there are 157 individual emojis total — including skin tone and gender variations — there are 69 unique symbols.

Jeremy Burge of Emojipedia has rendered the new emojis in an "Apple-like style" so we can see what they'll eventually look like in iMessage.

Here's every new emoji arriving on smartphones in 2018:

SEE ALSO: 17 of the coolest things your Google Home can do

Abacus

Badger

Bagel

• The Macan compact crossover SUV is the hottest selling model in Porsche's lineup.
• Last year, it accounted for 39% of Porsche's US sales.
• The Turbo with Performance Package is the most expensive version of the Macan on sale.
• Our test car started at $86,445 but cost $96,295 with options.
• The Macan is the best driving crossover SUV we've ever tested.

Porsche. There is no substitute. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Tom Cruise's driving in the movie "Risky Business", you've probably heard this tagline. 

Fortunately for Porsche, it's got the cars to back it up. After all, the iconic Porsche 911 and its two dozen variants remain the gold standard to which all sports cars are measured.

But what if you need room for five passengers, some extra space for cargo, and additional ground clearance for those snowy days? What if you need the Porsche flavor with a bit of extra practicality?

That's where vehicles like the Macan crossover SUV and its big brother, the Cayenne step into the picture. Together, the dynamic duo accounted for nearly 2/3 of all Porsches sold in the US last year. Even more incredible is the fact that these sales figures were only limited by the pace of Porsche's production and not consumer demand. 

Sadly, the all-new second-generation Cayenne won't be around until later this year. But Porsche was able to deliver this stunning sapphire blue metallic Macan Turbo with Performance Package test car for Business Insider to check out.

While the 911 may be Porsche's soul, it can be argued that no car is as important to the company's financial survival right now than the Macan. Last year, the Macan accounted for a whopping 39% of Porsche's sales in the US.

To say the compact crossover has been wildly successful would be an understatement.

The base Macan starts at $47,800 in the US while our Macan Turbo with Performance Package started at $86,445.

With additional options, it left the showroom at $96,295.

Here's a closer look at the Porsche Macan Turbo with Performance Package:

SEE ALSO: Porsche fixed the biggest problem with the Panamera sedan and now it's simply amazing

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The Macan, which derives its name from the Indonesian word for tiger, debuted in the US for the 2015 model year.

Source: Porsche. 

Aesthetically, the Macan is undeniably a Porsche.

And that's both a blessing and a curse.

• Booking airline tickets can be straightforward, but there might be an even better way to get what you’re looking for.
• You might be making some mistakes when booking tickets that you don’t even realize you’re making.
• Think carefully about trip insurance, and consider alternate airlines and airports.

Although buying an airline ticket seems pretty straightforward, if you're only taking a few minutes to do so, you're probably missing out on some killer deals. .

Airfare is an expense, no matter how much the ticket actually costs, so you don’t want to make any unnecessary mistakes when booking your ticket.

These mistakes are ones that anyone could make, so knowing what you might be doing without realizing it can be just what you need to ensure you have the least stressful trip — and the best ticket —  that you can.

1. Not considering trip insurance.

Travel insurance can seem like an unnecessary expense, but it might not be as silly as you might initially think. While sometimes you don’t need it and likely won’t get anything out of it, in other cases, it can save you a lot of time, money, and heartache.

Travel and risk experts at Aon Affinity Travel told INSIDER that the purpose of travel insurance is to protect you in case your plans change or something unpredictable happens. Looking into the fee associated with the insurance, what it will and won’t cover, how long you have between when you book and when you’ll travel, and other details will help you better determine whether or not you might benefit from purchasing travel insurance.

2. Thinking you can just add trip insurance anytime.

Experts also noted that though some people assume that you can add travel insurance at any time, but that’s not always the case. Some travel insurance programs only allow you to book or add insurance within a certain time frame after booking your ticket and if you decide you need insurance, you won’t want to miss out.

3. Booking too early or too late.

If you usually try to book your flights as early as you possibly can, thinking that it’ll save you money, you might not actually be doing yourself as much of a favor as you think. In a post on LinkedIn, Peter Greenberg, the travel editor at CBS News, wrote that if you’re not planning to travel over a holiday or other high-traffic days, 45 days ahead of time is when you’ll likely find the best prices on domestic airfare, with international destinations requiring a little more advanced notice. Booking way too early might mean that you’re paying more than you need to and that the prices will go down when the date gets a bit closer.

Same goes for booking too late, though. If you’re hoping that booking last minute will mean that you’ll be able to take advantage of any deals the airline is offering in an effort to fill the flight, you’ll likely be disappointed.

”Travelers are always looking for the best deal, but most discount airfares usually require a 21-day advance purchase,” Stan Sandberg, travel expert, travel insurance expert, and co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, told INSIDER. “Even if you're feeling lucky, it's unlikely you'll be able to score a last-minute deal. You'll end up having to pay a lot more, and that increases the cost of other things, like travel insurance.”

It's early in the year, but the list of canceled TV shows is already piling up.

Networks haven't announced many cancellations yet with the exception of ABC, which canceled freshman sitcom "The Mayor" and "Once Upon a Time" (which was once a ratings hit). 

On the streaming side, things are a bit different. Amazon kicked off 2018 with a slew of cancellations, announcing the end of three quirky comedies. It axed Golden Globe nominee "I Love Dick" and comedian Tig Notaro's semi-autobiographical show, "One Mississippi." 

There are many more cancellations to come, especially since networks haven't announced the fates of their fall shows. We'll update this list as more cancellations are announced. 

Here are all the shows that were canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

"The Mayor"— ABC, one season

"Chance"— Hulu, two seasons

"Lady Dynamite"— Netflix, two seasons