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.

Though an Amazon Prime membership includes a long list of benefits, nearly everyone is initially drawn to it for its convenient two-day shipping policy. If you're like me, you often fall behind on gift shopping and by the time you figure out the perfect gift, you've already missed the shipping deadline and your gift won't arrive in time.

Instead of biting your nails as you shop for Mother's Day this year, consider Amazon a solid backup plan — because chances are your gift is going to be one of the millions of products that's Prime-eligible. 

From simple and affordable treats and accessories to fancy home and kitchen gadgets, we found 17 thoughtful Mother's Day gifts that also just happen to be Prime-eligible, so you have the peace of mind that they'll arrive in time for the special day. 

If you're looking for more Mother's Day gift ideas, we have you covered: 

• 50 Mother's Day gifts for every budget
• 20 Mother's Day gifts under $25
• 30 Mother's Day gifts under $50
• 30 Mother's Day gifts under $100
• 22 Mother's Day gifts for new moms
• 21 customizable Mother's Day gifts
• 15 funny Mother's Day gifts
• The best online flower delivery services

A pair of stylish sunglasses

Gift the Privé Revaux Warhol Sunglasses, $29.95

Privé Revaux's sunglasses are trendy, polarized, and affordable. A new pair of sunglasses is the perfect accessory to gift Mom for upcoming sunny days. 

A Kindle e-reader

Gift the Kindle Paperwhite, $119

Amazon's most popular e-reader makes reading much more convenient and enjoyable — it's light and portable, lets you download books wherever you have Wi-Fi, has an adjustable light, and boasts a long battery life. 

A portable photo printer

Gift the HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer, $129.95

This top-rated printer is only the size of a smartphone, but can print out small photos to paste in scrapbooks or share with friends and family in seconds. The accompanying app lets her customize and add flair to her phone and social media photos before printing them out. 

Going on a diet is a losing game. Some research suggests more than nine out of every 10 people who try to diet will fail.

Even people who are able to diet successfully often fight a tough battle against the body's evolutionarily savvy attempts to store up extra energy. In fact, scientists have found that the bodies of severely overweight people who lose weight can actively work against them: as they slim down, their metabolism drops, making it harder to lose more weight. 

Experts agree that extreme diets and juice cleanses aren't a long-term strategy for maintaining a healthy weight. To that end, the US News & World Report's 2018 ranking of the best diets put the trendy ketogenic diet dead last. 

But there are a few simple things you can do to stay trim and satisfied for the long run. 

We asked dietitian Jason Ewoldt from the nation's #1-rated hospital, the Mayo Clinic, for his simplest, sanest ideas for staying lean this summer without going insane. Here's his advice:

SEE ALSO: The most surprising foods Weight Watchers considers zero points — and why

Stay hydrated. If you hate drinking water, zest it up with citrus or drink it carbonated (ideally without adding empty calories into your diet).

Ewoldt says patients often end up "misinterpreting" thirst for hunger.

"A lot of times people just seem to be a little dehydrated," he said. 

They'd probably all do better if they drank a little more H2O. One 2016 study of more than 18,000 people in the US found that those who drank more water were consistently more satisfied and ate fewer calories on a daily basis. They also consumed lower amounts of sugar, fat, salt, and cholesterol than more dehydrated participants. 

Whatever you drink, it's probably best to steer clear of artificial sweeteners.

Scientists are starting to discover that slurping fake sugar doesn't give people a free pass when it comes to obesity and diabetes.

Scientists studying the blood vessels of rats have discovered that while sugar and artificial sweeteners act in very different ways inside the animals' bodies, they can both up the odds of developing obesity and diabetes.

The researchers think that artificial sweeteners may mess with the way our bodies process fat. 

Aim for 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per night.

Most of us like to think we can operate well without a full night's sleep. But neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker says that's wrong. According to Walker, lack of sleep is literally killing us.

And it makes us eat more bad food, too. 

Research published in 2013 in the journal Nature Communications revealed that sleep-deprived eaters are more likely to reach for high-calorie foods and gain weight than well-rested people are. That's because being sleepy also snoozes the region of the brain that helps tell us when we're full.

As some TV shows get the axe, others get picked up for more seasons.

Series including "Veep" and "Game of Thrones" are coming back for their final seasons, while "Grey's Anatomy" was picked up for its 15th. 

Here are your favorite shows that are returning to TV from summer 2018 to 2019. 

"NCIS" season 16 (CBS) returns fall 2018.

Mark Harmon has been the star since season one. 

"NCIS: Los Angeles" season 10 (CBS) returns fall 2018.

This was the first "NCIS" spin-off. 

"NCIS: New Orleans" season five (CBS) returns fall 2018.

It's the third series in the "NCIS" franchise. 

• The 34th annual Space Symposium recently took place in Colorado.
• It was full of excitement, ranging from a visit from Vice President Pence to the rockets being built by tech billionaires like SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

There were four themes that were obvious at this year's Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1) The rising influence of tech billionaires like Bezos, SpaceX's Elon Musk and Virgin Group's Richard Branson;

2) The fact that between trade shows and the space industry, augmented reality and virtual reality have found their business use case — especially both, together.

3) Everyone is working on putting humans on Mars;

4) Space-based businesses are booming, with billions of dollars of venture funding pouring in annually.

Here's a look at my trip to the Space Symposium, and what I learned:

SEE ALSO: Jeff Bezos says a secretive company in the Texas desert is his 'most important work' — and it has nothing to do with Amazon

The annual Space Symposium took place earlier this month in Colorado Springs, CO,

Colorado Springs is the home of the Air Force Academy and the Cheyenne Mountain NORAD Complex, an underground nuclear bunker.

While Colorado is famous for its high country (in more ways than one), it has also become the nation's second largest space economy after California. Colorado is home to more than 400 aerospace companies who employ 25,000 private aerospace workers, according to the Colorado Space Coalition.

The industry group the Colorado Space Coalition has the cute tagline: one mile closer to space. 

In fact, a small airport in Colorado is expected to achieve FAA approval in August to become a space launch port. There are only 10 other space ports in the nation.

Virgin Galactic, the space company owned by billionaire Richard Branson, is expected to use it as a launch point. 

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday, the first such meeting between the two countries in 11 years, set forth a new era on inter-Korean relations, and fixed the stage for an upcoming summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

The talks culminated after weeks of warmed relations between the two countries. And the language from the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula — the joint declaration signed by Kim and Moon on Friday — suggests that the conciliatory mood on the Korean Peninsula will continue for the time being.

"I am confident a new era of peace will unfold on the Korean peninsula," Moon said to his aides.

Much of the meeting's fanfare and focus centered around the two leaders' apparently optimistic outlook for the future, and many South Koreans mimicked those feelings.

Here's how some Koreans viewed the 2018 inter-Korean summit:

SEE ALSO: North and South Korea agree to work toward a 'complete' denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and end the Korean War

Pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are displayed on the wall during the farewell ceremony at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone of South Korea, April 27, 2018.

Visitors from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, use binoculars to peek into North Korea, April 28, 2018.

A visitor looks at a banner that says "We are one" at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, April 28, 2018.

The biggest problem with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is its villains.

"Black Panther" was praised  back in February for having one of the best villains in the universe (and in movie history). Loki, who fluctuates loyalty so often it's hard to keep up, is another great example. 

And with the release of "Avengers: Infinity War," Thanos — who many people were unsure about — is getting praised for being a well-written, menacing villain. He's played excellently by Josh Brolin despite motion capture limitations that made villains like Ultron underwhelming and cheesy. 

But most of the other villains aren't as compelling.

There's not much there in terms of the motives, goals, and overall, a lot of them don't feel like a genuine threat to our heroes. But that doesn't mean that all of these MCU villains are bad: they're just forgettable, even in some of the best movies to date including "Iron Man 3,""Ant-Man," and "Captain America: Civil War."

Still, there are a few gems in there, and we took a look at the top 20 to give you a sense of which were the best.

This list doesn't include all villains in the MCU: just major ones with some very special exceptions (Jeff Goldblum). It also excludes Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes and Nebula, who are good now and it was kind of obvious they would be eventually. 

Here's our ranking of the MCU villains, from worst to best:

SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' had one of the best opening weekends in movie history — here's how it stacks up against the biggest blockbusters of all time

20. Emil Blonsky/Abomination, “The Incredible Hulk”

Remember when Ed Norton was the Hulk? Tim Roth played the Abomination, and it wasn’t bad, but he was pretty much only there to help Hulk destroy as many buildings as possible.

19. Whiplash, "Iron Man 2"

Mickey Rourke was having quite the moment when “Iron Man 2” came out, being nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in "The Wrestler." In the marketing and trailers, his character, Whiplash, seemed menacing, creepy, and a major threat. But he was just kind of there. The movie is bad, his character is lame, and Rourke’s lack of enthusiasm didn’t help — especially compared to Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer.

18. Malekith, “Thor: The Dark World”

Who is Malekith? Good question. He was the leader of the Dark Elves and the central villain in the second “Thor” movie. His whole thing was bringing “eternal darkness” to the world, so that’s why the movie was called “The Dark World.” Malekith’s backstory and motivation is pretty much that he likes night? Thanks to Thor, the world never actually went dark. Honestly, the entire movie - which is fine, but forgettable - could have been avoided if somebody suggested Malekith just move to Alaska.

• Some movies and TV shows portray struggles with infertility and the process of trying to conceive as simpler processes than many couples experience off-screen.
• Some movies avoid the subject altogether because it's considered taboo.
• Hollywood also has a tendency to only want to portray sex as sexy and romantic.
• Movies can make it seem like all couples get pregnant the first time they try to conceive.

Movies and TV shows tell stories. And while people are increasingly looking to tell more stories, in all their complexities and in more relatable ways, the ways that pop culture looks at things like infertility aren't always the most realistic.

Sometimes it's difficult to see your perspective and your experiences in the way the stories are told in pop culture. And while they definitely don't get everything wrong, they don't get everything right either.

We spoke to a few experts about the ways in which Hollywood often gets infertility wrong.

Infertility isn’t portrayed as the serious, emotionally-taxing condition that it really is.

"Probably the single biggest misconception about how infertility is handled in movies is it's treatment as a casual condition and not the real-life, mind-bending and life-upsetting disease that it really is,"Dr. Paul Turek, MD, FACS, FRSM, a board-certified urologist and men's fertility and sexual health expert, told INSIDER.

Infertility is extremely difficult on the couple experiencing it, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, FACOG, a board-certified OB-GYN, told INSIDER. Desperately wanting a baby, but not being able to conceive, and therefore feeling let down, disappointed, and in some cases guilty or ashamed, month after month, is emotionally exhausting enough. So seeing that represented in a way that seems so far away from your own experience can be frustrating.

"Like everything else, you can't trust everything you see on TV,"Kara Manglani, CNM, a nurse-midwife and fertility specialist, told INSIDER. "The best way to broaden the conversation is to remove the stigma surrounding infertility. Women feel like they shouldn't mention their journey to conceive, and when they don't quickly become pregnant they become isolated and alone."

Sometimes, movies avoid the subject altogether because it's considered taboo.

As Turek noted, it also makes sense, in a way, that pop culture doesn't seem to deep-dive into the experience of infertility, because it's long been treated as a taboo subject that people don't want to discuss openly. That's changing, somewhat, with more people discussing their own struggles with infertility and their experiences around trying to conceive.

Hollywood only wants to portray sex as being sexy and romantic.

Another thing to take into consideration is that the process of trying to conceive isn't very romantic, as both Minkin and Turek noted. "Often the practical aspects and pitfalls of sex are emphasized as it is an 'on demand' [act] rather than a sexier, recreational experience," Turek said. "Hollywood wants sexy, and trying to conceive is not the sexiest of sex: rarely steamy, almost rote in nature, and finishing as quickly as possible."

When people who are struggling to conceive see these kinds of depictions of infertility, it can make them feel more alone because they can't always relate.

• Running can significantly improve physical and mental health.
• As a form of aerobic exercise, running can reduce stress, improve heart health, and even help alleviate symptoms of depression.
• Some researchers think running may be so good for us because it's something we evolved to do.

People are built to run — literally.

Many experts think that human bodies are shaped the way that they are because we evolved to be extremely effective endurance runners. The shapes of our hips and feet, the length of our legs, our shock-absorbing spinal discs, and our skin (and ability to sweat) make it possible for us to run mile after mile.

So it's perhaps no surprise that running is strongly associated with a number of benefits for our bodies and brains.

Many experts consider exercise to be the closest thing to a miracle drug in existence. As a form of cardio exercise that's easily accessible, running is one of the easiest ways to get some of the most important benefits of exercise.

Since it improves aerobic fitness, running is a great way to help improve cardiovascular health. Plus, it burns calories and can build strength, among other things. There's also a long list of psychological benefits runners can get from their sport.

Getting used to running if you haven't done it in a while — or ever — can be brutal.

But once your body and mind start to acclimate, running can be blissful and provide a sense of freedom.

These are some of the physical and mental health benefits of running.

SEE ALSO: Shorter, high-intensity workouts offer the same benefits as longer, moderate ones — here's how to get started and how it could transform your body

Even a 30-minute run can lift symptoms of depression and improve mood.

Spending 30 minutes on a treadmill is enough to lift the mood of someone suffering from major depressive disorder, according to one study in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. Even better for those who are still trying to get started with running, participants could go at a walking pace to receive the same mood-lifting benefit.

This shows that no matter what pace you're going at, moving has positive effects, and adds to the already-significant body of research showing that running and other forms of exercise can improve mood and help fight depression.

Contrary to what many people think, running actually seems to improve knee health.

Knee pain can quickly sideline a runner and is often a sign of overtraining or a need to improve form or flexibility. But even though people stop running because of knee pain, it's probably not causing knee osteoarthritis.

In one eight-year study of 2,637 participants, researchers found that the more people ran, the less likely they were to suffer from knee pain or osteoarthritis. While it's hard to say that running caused less knee pain, researchers think it could do so by helping people keep their BMI in check and their leg muscles strong. Running also strengthens bones.

Running helps young people sleep better and improves their mood and ability to focus.

In one study of 51 young people with an average age of 18, those assigned to run were found to sleep better, show signs of improved psychological functioning, and focus better during the day when compared to peers who continued without adding running to their routines. These peers were not totally sedentary and did get some exercise, but didn't add a regular running regimen. 

To get the benefits associated with running, the group ran at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for three weeks. The same benefits are likely to apply to runners of any age.

Every year the movie industry goes to Las Vegas for CinemaCon, a convention where the studios show off their upcoming slate to the theater chains.

But it’s also where bold new innovations in the business are born.

Business Insider had a chance to look at a handful of them. From an interactive movie magazine to a company that’s looking to redefine the preshow experience at the multiplex, there could be a lot of changes coming soon to a theater near you.

Here are four things that grabbed our attention:

SEE ALSO: Thanks to Thanos, "Avengers: Infinity War" is Marvel's "The Empire Strikes Back"

4DX with Screen X

You may have seen a movie in 4DX (where the seats in the movie theater move with the action on screen) or a movie in Screen X (panoramic, 270-degree screen), but you’ve never done it at the same time!

That’s because both features have not been combined in any theaters yet. Business Insider got to experience a demo of a 4DX/Screen X viewing at CinemaCon and it’s certainly a different way to go to the movies. As your seat moves and rumbles with the action of, say, “Rampage,” you are immersed in the viewing as the movie picture expands to the sides of the theater.

There are over 80 4DX screens in existence and 142 that are Screen X. It’s unclear when theaters will have the combined version (one is opening in South Korea), but it’s almost inevitable that it's coming.

myCinema

Though box-office numbers are high, there are fewer and fewer people coming to the movie theater. So myCinema thinks offering more alternative content to theaters could get more butts in the seats — especially during down times at the theaters.

Beginning in the coming months, myCinema will be offering thousands of shows, movies, and specials to movie theaters that can stream the content directly into their digital projectors. This will make the content easier (and quicker) for theaters to get compared to digital prints by services like Fathom.

With a library that will feature everything from kids content to faith-based titles to live concerts, you could see myCinema soon at independent arthouses that are always struggling to find audiences to come through the turnstile on a regular basis.

Noovie ARcade

Ever get to the movies early and have to sit through a bunch of boring commercials before the trailers start? National CineMedia hopes it has a better alternative.

NCM’s Noovie ARcade preshow lets you combine your phone with the big screen in front of you. Through downloading the ARcade app you are prompted to point your phone at the theater screen and play a variety of shooting, catching, and tossing games through your phone.

You are playing with everyone else in the theater who also has the app, so at the end of each game a leader board ranks everyone’s score.

Noovie ARcade has launched at 1,650 theaters nationwide through AMC, Cinemark, and Regal, as well as 50 regional and local exhibitors.

Check out if it’s available at your local theater next time you’re there.

• One of the biggest differences between beauty retailers Sephora and Ulta is the rewards program offered by each store.
• Sephora Beauty Insiders earn one point for every dollar spent and earn free gifts as points accumulate.
• On the other hand, Ulta's Ultamate Rewards members earn one point for every dollar spent and receive discounts based on how many points they've earned.

As two of the top beauty retailers around, Sephora and Ulta are competitors. One of the biggest differences between them is the rewards program that's offered by each store.  

Through Sephora's Beauty Insider program, shoppers earn free gifts after they've gained a certain amount of points, which can be earned through shopping in store or online. The program grants access to free makeup classes and an online community. Sephora customers who spend $350 in a calender year are upgraded to the VIB program and receive extra benefits such as custom makeovers and free monthly gifts. The most loyal customers, who spend $1,000 in a calender year, are upgraded to VIB Rouge and receive a private beauty advisor hotline, free 2-day shipping, and invites to exclusive events. 

Ulta has a slightly different rewards program. Points are still earned for every dollar spent, but rather than earning free gifts, shoppers can get discounts on anything in the store. While there aren't perks like free makeup classes or an online community, members have more opportunities to earn double or triple points through store promotions. Platinum members, who spend $450 or more in a year, earn 25% more points per purchase and are eligible for exclusive coupons and deals. Diamond members, who spend $1,200 in a year, earn 50% more points per purchase, free shipping on orders over $25, a $25 beauty service reward card, and invites to exclusive events. 

With both programs, the benefits are more impressive as you accumulate more points. Sephora shoppers can earn gift packages of high-end products, while Ulta shoppers can get hundreds of dollars off a purchase — sometimes getting prestige brand products for free. 

 To see which rewards program has more to offer, we put both to the test. Here's what we found: 

SEE ALSO: Take a look inside the most luxurious mall in New York City, where Wall Streeters shop designer brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci

I signed up for both rewards programs online.

Sephora was first.

After signing up, I was taken to my new Beauty Insider profile.

I was prompted to create a nickname, upload a profile photo, and explore the online community.

The community allows rewards members to join groups, browse makeup looks, and view a Beauty Insider event calendar.

You can also chat with other Beauty Insiders as you shop.

• The Ferrari 488 GTB is the Italian carmaker's top-dog supercar.
• The Corvette Z06, with its mighty engine and bold design, is a supercar in the eyes of many.
• The 'Vette costs more than $100,000 less, but the Ferrari remains king of the hill.

The Ferrari 488 GTB against the Corvette Z06. Italy versus the USA. Maranello versus Bowling Green, Kentucky.

On its face, this is a preposterous comparison: the dashing red mid-engine Ferrari, tipping the price scales at $250,000 to start, against the stonking front-engine 'Vette, with a base of about $80,000.

But we like to look closer. The competition versions of the 488 and the 'Vette face each other down on the world's racetracks. The 488's twin-turbocharged V8 cranks out 661 horsepower, while the Z06 uses a supercharged V8 to achieve 650.

The racing stuff and the motors alone give us a basis for this showdown. Read on to see who came out on top.

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

Behold the Ferrari 488 GTB, the successor to the much-loved 458 and the latest in the line of mid-engine supercars from Maranello.

Read the review »

Voila! The Corvette Z06. Until the new ZR1 was revealed in late 2017, the Z06 was the most powerful of the seventh-generation 'Vettes. Our "Watkins Glen Gray Metallic" tester had a targa top, but the 488 can also be an open-air spider.

Read the review »

We'll start with the Prancing Horse. Though some fans prefer the finer-boned lines of the 458, the 488's looks are stunning. Our test car arrived in a "Rosso Corsa Metallizzato" paint job — $12,500 extra.

Let's just get to the pricing right up front. To own the 458, you need to have the $250,000 and a willingness to accept that anything additional will cost a lot more. Also, you might not be able to buy the car.

Ferrari produces fewer than 10,000 total vehicles every year and sells them all. So even if you have the means, you could end up waiting for the privilege of ownership.

You accept this to be part of the Ferrari mystique.

Reddit.com, to most people, might look totally alien and drab. But if you're familiar with Reddit, you know what an incredible tool it can be.

At first glance, Reddit just looks like a list of seemingly random links. But Reddit's front page is actually comprised of posts that thousands of people recently voted to the top of their respective communities, or "subreddits," which are areas of Reddit dedicated to a topic or idea.

There are subreddits for just about everything. If you have a particular hobby or interest, there's a good chance there's a subreddit for it. Just type www.reddit.com/r/____ , and fill in that blank. No, really. It works most of the time.

You'll find subreddits for advice (like r/AskReddit, or r/PersonalFinance), for movie-lovers (r/Movies and r/MovieDetails), and even subreddits for your favorite TV shows (like r/TheBachelor, or r/FreeFolk for "Game of Thrones" fans).

But if you're new to Reddit — where should you start?

Here are the 41 essential subreddits everyone should follow:

1. r/EyeBleach

For when you need to get a terrifying or disgusting image out of your mind.

2. r/ShowerThoughts

Because the best and funniest ideas always happen in the shower.

3. r/NeverTellMeTheOdds

For proof that nothing is impossible.

• Sam's Club is known for its bulk products and huge savings, but it's a members-only store that costs at least $45 a year to join.
• You don't need to have a membership to make use of some of Sam's Club's services, like the optical center or food court.
• Sam's Club's online store and guest pass policy have also made it easier to shop at Sam's Club without a membership.

SEE ALSO: We shopped at Costco and Sam's Club to see which is better — and there's a clear reason why you should join one over the other

Print out a single day guest pass from Sam's Club's website.

The guest pass allows you to shop at Sam's Club without a membership, but you'll be charged a 10% service fee. California, South Carolina, and Elmsford, NY are exempt from the fee.

(Source: Sam's Club)

Become a complimentary add-on member on a friend or family member's account.

(Source: Reader's Digest)

Shop at Sam's Club's online store.

Non-members can shop online at samsclub.com, but a 10% service fee is applied unless you live in California, South Carolina, and Elmsford, NY.

(Source: Sam's Club)

In the startup world, the odds of a company achieving a valuation of $1 billion or more is considered so slim, it's named after a mythical beast — the unicorn.

In the entire US, there are just 135 private companies that are valued at over a billion dollars or more. Of those, only ten became so-called unicorns in less than three years, setting the speed record for all the rest.

This list, based on data from Pitchbook, rounds up all of the companies in the US that hit the $1 billion valuation mark in record time. 

SEE ALSO: Jeff Bezos says his advice to Amazon interns and execs is to stop aiming for work-life 'balance' — here's what you should strive for instead

Desktop Metal is a 3D metal printing company that is hoping to make metal printing more accessible for manufacturers and engineers.

Year founded: 2015

How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year, 9 months

Total raised: $277 million

Currently valued at: $1 billion

Cancer detection startup Grail has received investments from Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.

Year founded: 2016

How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year, 9 months

Total raised: $1.38 billion

Estimated current value: $2.5 billion

Smartphone maker Essential was founded by Android creator Andy Rubin.

Year founded: 2015

How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year,  11 months

Total raised: $330 million

Estimated current value: $1 billion

Amazon is narrowing down the search for the home of its $5 billion second headquarters, called HQ2. In January, the company selected 20 metros across North America as finalists.

One of the biggest underdogs is Newark, New Jersey, a city with an economy that has struggled to recover from the 2008 recession.

At first glance, Newark’s HQ2 bid, released by the state on April 25, doesn’t offer too many surprises. It boasts about Newark’s available workforce, vacant space, transit options, and economic incentives — all requirements that Amazon highlighted in its original request for HQ2 proposals from cities.

New Jersey also hints at other projects that are not directly related to HQ2, but that Amazon could be involved in. These projects include a fleet of driverless cars, a massive online library, and the development of entire housing communities.

Since Amazon chose Newark as a top contender, the bid suggests these kinds of civic projects — which go beyond its core retail business — are attractive to the tech giant.

Take a look at Newark’s bid below.

SEE ALSO: 11 books that forever transformed America as we know it

Newark, New Jersey is one of 20 cities that Amazon’s second headquarters could land in.

The HQ2 campus promises 50,000 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years.

The city is proposing eight sites in its Broad Street Station District, Penn Station District, and downtown.

These sites include specific buildings, as well as general neighborhoods that have ample vacant space: SoMa, Mulberry Commons, Gateway Center, Matrix Riverfront, Lotus Riverfront, Military Park, NJPAC, 520 Broad Street, and 33 Washington Street.

Newark has at least 15 million square feet of existing office space, which would allow Amazon to move in as early as this year.

Get ready for a feed full of updates and announcements from Facebook.

The social network' annual developer conference, F8, kicks off on Tuesday in San Jose, California. There's likely to be lots of talk about virtual reality, augmented reality, video games, and, of course, data security — an issue that Facebook has been tangled up in since news broke of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Here's what to expect at this year's big event.

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg revealed one of his 'great regrets' — and the timing doesn't seem like an accident

The conference is geared toward software developers — many whose work relies on data collected by Facebook — so the elephant in the room will inevitably be how the company plans to move forward in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

It has been only a few weeks since Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent two days on Capitol Hill answering questions about data security, and the social network still has a lot to answer for.

Zuckerberg's keynote will be closely watched, though he's likely to repeat many of the talking points we've already heard.

Facebook's chief security officer, Alex Stamos, is scheduled to give a presentation titled "Security at Facebook Scale" on the first day of the conference.

Facebook is likely to release the Oculus Go, a standalone VR headset.

The headset is expected to cost about $200, a steep drop from Facebook's $400 Oculus Rift. But unlike the Rift, which supports room-scale location tracking, the Oculus Go is designed for stationary or seated use.

The Oculus Go headset is expected to be similar to the Gear VR by Samsung, according to Variety. Facebook announced the Oculus Go in October for release early this year.

But there may be a lot of other big VR and AR announcements as well.

There are at least nine VR- or AR-related events scheduled over the two-day conference, including "Lessons from the Frontier of Social VR" and "Creating Flagship AR Experiences."

In February, Facebook's vice president of consumer hardware, Andrew Bosworth, suggested on Twitter that 2018 could be Facebook's biggest year for VR yet.

We can also expect an update and roadmap from the team behind Facebook Spaces, the company's first official VR app that it announced at last year's F8 conference. It's expected to be supported by the Oculus Go.

• Smaller vehicles have dominated the first generation of electrified cars.
• But a wave of upcoming electric SUVs could help bring battery-powered cars further into the mainstream.
• In the coming years, both established auto companies and startups plan to release a range of electric SUVs to compete with Tesla's Model X.

If electric cars are the auto industry's future, SUVs represent its present. SUVs continue to take an increasingly large share of the global auto market, worrying those who support a movement toward higher fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

But the popularity of SUVs has presented an opportunity to ease the transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles. While smaller vehicles have dominated the first generation of electrified cars, an upcoming wave of electric SUVs could help bring battery-powered cars further into the mainstream.

In the coming years, both established auto companies and startups plan to release a range of electric SUVs to compete with Tesla's Model X. 

Here's what they have planned:

SEE ALSO: These 6 electric cars will pose the biggest threat to Tesla's Model 3

The Jaguar I-Pace will be released in the second half of this year.

Designed as a competitor to Tesla's Model X, the I-Pace will feature 400 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque, and the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in about four seconds.

We haven't heard much about Tesla's planned Model Y recently, but there are rumors that Elon Musk will release more details this year.

Warning: This post is filled with major spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War.” Read at your own risk.

"Avengers: Infinity War" changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe for good.

There were so many characters who played a major role in the events of the movie, and the ones that didn't still had major impact, good or bad. 

Some heroes provided comic relief, like Peter Parker. And some saved the day, or at least tried desperately to do so. And one ruined everything.  

We rounded up and detailed which characters were the smartest, dumbest, luckiest, and more in our power rankings.

Here's the "Avengers: Infinity War" power rankings. Spoilers lie ahead.

SEE ALSO: The top 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe villains, ranked from worst to best

The MVP: Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange might seem like he ruins everything, but keep in mind that he knows more than anyone else. In "Infinity War" he looks into the future and sees millions of possible scenarios. He knows which one is the only one where the Avengers defeat Thanos, which gives new meaning to his sacrifice of the Time Stone for Tony Stark's life. There is definitely much more going on here than meets the eye, and all of the tricks he pulls off are awesome. 

The luckiest: Tony Stark

Stark avoids death several times in this film. He gets trapped on a ship in space occupied by one of the most powerful beings in the universe and he gets stabbed in the gut after getting hit in the head repeatedly by Thanos. And Doctor Strange, who has not gotten along well with Stark throughout their time together in space, saves him.

Most inspiring response to trauma: Thor

Thor loses everything within the first ten minutes of "Infinity War." He loses his people, his friends, his complicated brother, and his means of transportation. But he turns his pain into something in his mission to get a new weapon that can defeat Thanos, and he brings Rocket Raccoon and Teen Groot along for the ride. Thor coming down onto Wakanda with thunder is a personal best. 

Over the course of five years, Brad Stevens has helped transform the Boston Celtics from a lottery team to a title contender.

Stevens' rise, along with the Celtics, has been stunning. He began his career as a volunteer at Butler University, became an assistant coach, then head coach, and teams from around the world tried to poach with him million-dollar offers.

Stevens eventually took an offer from the Celtics. He has installed a motion offense and stingy defense that's helped make them one of the best teams in the NBA.

The NBA world has taken notice, as a former college assistant is beating NBA coaches at a level nobody expected.

Here's how Stevens has risen from an assistant making $18,000 a year collecting film to one of the best coaches in the pros.

Stevens was a high-school basketball star in Indiana, but received only one Division I offer after high school. He chose instead to play DIII basketball at DePauw University.

Source: ESPN

Stevens was hardly a star in college. He averaged just five points per game his senior year and struggled to accept a role off the bench, playing behind underclassmen.

Source: ESPN

When Stevens graduated, he had accepted a high-paying job at pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.

Source: New York 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 top-quality baking sheet is easy to handle, cleans up effortlessly, and bakes food without warping or buckling. The Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet is our top pick because it is cost-effective, won’t warp, and produces evenly baked goods.

A baking sheet is just one of those tools that you need in your kitchen. Whether you are baking cookies, roasting vegetables, reviving frozen foods, or making a fancy jelly roll, you need a baking sheet (also known as a cookie sheet). That's why we've done the research to find the best baking sheets you can buy.

All of the baking sheets in our guide are made of aluminum or aluminized steel. Aluminum is a popular material for cookware because it is durable, resistant to corrosion, inexpensive, and, most importantly, distributes heat evenly. When aluminum is paired with steel to make aluminized steel, you get an even more heavy duty pan, which also tends to cost slightly more. Stainless steel is another popular material, but it does not conduct heat as well and requires more finesse when cleaning.

Pay special attention to the size of the baking sheet you are looking to buy. Though the standard half-sheet size is 18 by 13 inches, companies try to save on materials by shaving fractions of an inch off of this measurement. For most purposes, that's fine, but it’s still important to be aware of a pans’ dimensions.

You'll have to consider whether you want a rimmed or rimless baking sheet. There are benefits to each style. With a rimmed baking sheet, you can cook items that might release juices or roll around without making a mess in your oven. On the other hand, rimless sheets take up less storage space and baked goods slide off easily.

We also recommend buying a cooling rack that fits inside of your baking sheet. This will allow air to circulate around your food, which lends itself to more even baking and roasting.

While researching the best cookie sheets, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert reviews as well as the ratings of dozens of pans. The baking sheets included in our guide have a sturdy construction, bake foods evenly, and are simple to clean.

Read on in the slides below to find out why the Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet is our pick and why you might prefer the Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set, the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet, the OXO Good Grips Pro Nonstick Cookie Sheet, and the Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Cookie/Jelly-Roll Pan.

SEE ALSO: The best cooling rack you can buy

The best baking sheet overall

Why you'll love it: The Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet is not only sturdy and cooks your goodies evenly, it is also very affordable.

The Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet is made of aluminum, which allows for excellent heat conductivity and makes the pan resistant to rust. The one-inch rim around the pan is reinforced with encapsulated steel to keep the pan from warping due to quick temperature changes or just normal wear and tear.

The overall interior dimensions of the pan are 16.5 by 11.4 inches, and the exterior is 17.9 by 12.9 inches. The sheet is made in the United States and is hand wash only, which may seem inconvenient, but your cookie sheet will last longer if you don't subject it to the dishwasher.

Just about every expert site lists the Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet as the best baking sheet available. Cook’s Illustrated prepared a number of foods on this pan, and the reviewer noted that they all came out evenly and appropriately cooked. It received top marks for cooling rack compatibility, roasting, handling, and baking.

The Wirecutter has been using the Nordic Ware baking sheet heavily for about five years, and the reviewer has found that it has maintained its shape and still produces golden brown cookies. However, the writer did note that it scratches easily, but that's purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect performance. Food & Wine also liked this cookie sheet because cookies baked on it are evenly browned and well-baked on the inside.

More than 3,500 Amazon buyers have left positive reviews of the Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet. One buyer put the Baker’s Half Sheet in a head-to-head test against another popular baking sheet and noted that the Nordic Ware sheet did a better job of evenly baking her cookies.

Pros: Produces evenly baked goodies, resistant to warping, affordable

Cons: Susceptible to scratching, hand wash only

Buy the Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet on Amazon for $9.97 (originally $12.99)

The best baking sheet set

Why you'll love it: The Wilton 3-Piece Cookie Pan Set includes baking sheets for a variety of jobs at a low price point.

What sets the Wilton Cookie Pan Set apart from the other baking sheets in our guide is that you get three rimmed sheets for around $20. The largest pan is slightly smaller than the standard half-sheet at 17.25 by 11.5 by 1 inches. The other sheets are 10.25 by 15.25 by 0.75 inches and 13.25 by 9.25 by 0.63 inches (fairly close to a quarter-size sheet.)

The pans are made of aluminum and covered with a non-stick coating for effortless cookie removal. Each of the sheets has wide reinforced rims on the ends for a good grip. Becuase you get three pans in different sizes, you'll have a baking sheet for every job.

Foodal recommends the Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set because the reviewer found that the heavyweight material was warp-resistant even at high heats. The writer also noted that the different pans stacked well for easy storage.

A writer at Reviewed appreciated that the shiny sheets were easy to clean and impressively nonstick. The reviewer did note that the pan warped at high temperatures, but the warping dissipated as the pan cooled. Happy Baker Nation, Reasons to Skip the Housework, and Savant Magazine all recommend these pans, too.

About 77% of the people who reviewed the Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set on Amazon gave it four or five stars. Buyer JoeTaxpayer has used and abused his Wilton sheets for eight months. He even used his to make a caramelized sugar dessert. Despite its harsh treatment, he says the pans still look like new without any warping or buckling. He has since purchased more.

Others say they like the thick, heavy-duty design. One buyer said that she regularly washes hers in the dishwasher and hasn’t had any problems yet.

Pros: Affordable, store easily, durable, set of three

Cons: Some complaints of warping

Buy the Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set on Amazon for $20.91

The best rimless baking sheet

Why you'll love it: If you are looking for a rimless baking sheet so your cookies slide right off when they're done, get the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet.

The AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet is unique because it has two heavy-duty aluminum layers with air between them. T-fal calls this insulated effect “micro-dome technology.” Basically, with this design, the temperature of the metal that comes in contact with the food is reduced, which leads to moister baked goods, no burning, and better browning.

The pan measures 16 by 14 inches, and though it doesn’t have a rim, there is a lip on one side that makes it easy to remove from the oven. Before using the sheet for the first time, spread a teaspoon of cooking oil over the interior to condition it. This cookie sheet is backed by a 10-year warranty.

The reviewer at Kitchn admits that she regularly burns cookies. However, when she used the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet, her cookies turned out golden-brown even though she left them in the oven for too long. She did note that the sheet is a pain to clean since you can’t put it in the dishwasher or let it soak due to the air pockets.

Though Serious Eats didn’t like that the bottom insulation protrusion caused the pan to sit unevenly on the oven rack, the reviewer still recommended this baking sheet because the cookies browned evenly and slid off easily.

Approximately 87% of the reviews of the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet on Amazon are positive. Buyers mention that silicone baking mats and parchment paper are unnecessary with this pan. Stefanie Hudson is a “soft cookie person,” and she found this cookie sheet was perfect for her needs.

Even when making firmer cookies, they still turned out evenly firm throughout. Several people stressed the importance of hand washing the sheet and not letting it soak. If you do get water inside the air pockets, put it upside down in the oven at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Pros: Bakes cookies evenly and burning is unlikely, 10-year warranty, nonstick

Cons: Have to clean it carefully

Buy the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet on Amazon for $9.57 (originally $16.99)