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The 50 best video games of all time, according to critics

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There are dozens of ways you could put together a list of the best video games ever made. You could look to classics, like "Super Mario Bros." here.

You could look at impact on the medium, or highest sales. You could write down your personal favorites on pieces of paper, then throw them into the air. Where the pieces land? That's your list!

But what we've got here is something slightly more scientific. Reviews aggregation site Metacritic compiles all reviews of games, then it averages those scores into an overall average. What you'll find below is the top 50 highest-rated games of all time, based on the averages obtained by Metacritic. We made one small change: Since there are a handful of duplicates on the list (multiple versions of the same game, released on multiple platforms), we've just taken the highest-ranked version of the game to make room for a handful of games that wouldn't have otherwise made the list.

Without further ado, these are the 50 best video games of all time:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics on Metacritic

50. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Build your skills, earn respect, and show that you've got what it takes to Go Pro. 190 progressively harder goals. No time clock, no constraints. Pro-specific challenges. Evolving levels. Interact with other skaters. Multi-player modes. Customize your game...Your career is what you make of it."

Platforms: GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Tapwave Zodiac, OS X, PC



49. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 6.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Modern Warfare 2' continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. An entirely new gameplay mode which supports 2-player co-operative play online that is unique from the single player story campaign. Special Ops pits players into a gauntlet of time-trial and objective-based missions. Rank-up as players unlock new Special Ops missions, each more difficult. Missions include highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' and all new, exclusive missions. Setting a new bar for online multiplayer, 'Modern Warfare 2' multiplayer delivers new capabilities, customization, game states and modes, including: Create-a-Class Evolved. Secondary Weapons - Machine Pistols, Shotguns, Handguns, Launchers. Riot Shields. Equipment - Throwing Knives, Blast Shield, Tactical Insertion. Perk Upgrades. Bling (Dual Attachments). Customizable Killstreaks - AC130, Sentry Gun, Predator Missile, Counter-UAV, Care Package. Accolades (Post match reports)."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, OS X



48. "Final Fantasy IX"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.9/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The last 'Final Fantasy' for the PlayStation, 'Final Fantasy IX' returns to the pure fantasy roots that spawned the series. This latest installment features highly detailed characters, vehicles, and environments, and breathtaking cinema-graphics. The addition of brand new features such as the story-enhancing Active Time Event system and the return of mini-games that grant additional gameplay make 'Final Fantasy IX' not only a memorable gaming experience, but also a significant step forward in the series."

Platforms:  PlayStation, iOS, Android, PC, PlayStation 4



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We spent 6 hours eating more than 300 shrimp at Red Lobster. Here's why Endless Shrimp 2018 convinced us we needed to quit.

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Red Lobster Endless Shrimp 2018

  • We spent six hours at Red Lobster, eating as many shrimp as we possibly could to celebrate Shrimpsgiving 2018.
  • We consumed 350 shrimp as part of the chain's Endless Shrimp deal, our thirdyear in a row stuffing ourselves with shrimp for hours.   
  • But, as the hours rolled on, we realized — we'll never shrimp again. Here's why. 

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

It was Endless Shrimp. 

For three years, we have consumed the pink jewels of the ocean. For three years, we have spent one long day gorging ourselves, striving to meet new goals and best our shrimpy limits. And, for three years, we have succeeded. 

Read more:We went to Red Lobster's $21.99 Endless Shrimp to see if it's really unlimited

But this year, it wasn't easy. 

We ventured to Red Lobster for our annual Endless Shrimp outing two months ago. This year, unlike years past, we struggled to keep the holiday spirit in our hearts at Shrimpsgiving and in the weeks that followed. Against the backdrop of our familiar booth and all-too-familiar Mumford & Sons soundtrack, we craved... change. 

Let us take you on a journey that we have gone on before. But this time, it is the same, yet so different:

SEE ALSO: This popular Southern taco chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but on a recent visit, we were thoroughly impressed by the restaurant. Here's what it was like.

The familiar intersection: the corner of 7th Avenue and 41st Street, a spot we rarely visit except to pay tribute on Shrimpsgiving.



The red lobster himself loomed above, seemingly saying, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."



And for another year, Endless Shrimp was resurrected, a shrimpy Lazarus.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The widest room in this New York City townhouse measures 10 feet across — and it's selling for $5 million

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  • The widest room in a narrow New York City townhouse is just 10 feet wide — and it's selling for $5 million.
  • The exterior of the Lower Manhattan home measures just under 13 feet, a Douglas Elliman agent told Business Insider.
  • Real estate developers are building more super-narrow townhouses in leftover space from larger projects, The Wall Street Journal reported.

 

A Lower Manhattan townhouse that measures 10 feet wide inside is about to go on sale for $5 million.

The exterior of the newly-built industrial-looking house in Manhattan's historic South Street Seaport district is just under 13 feet wide. But listing agent Gordon von Broock of Douglas Elliman said the home was designed with its size constraints in mind.

"There's high ceilings, very low profile, there's no moldings or anything that sticks out," he told Business Insider. "Everything's very clean. I think it just feels — I wouldn't say spacious — but it feels like a normal room."

Real estate developers in New York City are starting to build more and more ultra-narrow townhouses, often to use up leftover space from larger projects, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"There's only so much land that can be sold and developed and, at some point, people are finding unique ways to build — and more creative ways," von Broock told Business Insider.

The Seaport townhouse was built on leftover land from a five-unit condo building on the same lot developed by Andreas Giacoumis, according to the Journal. Once the city building department gives the townhouse its own official address of 267 ½ Water Street, it will be ready to close a sale, von Broock said — although they've already been showing the home.

The developer, Giacoumis, told the Journal that "small spaces are the way of the future."

Here's a look inside the narrow, ultra-modern home. 

SEE ALSO: New York City has more penthouses available than it can fill — and it suggests a change in the way wealthy people are looking at luxury real estate

DON'T MISS: An $82 million penthouse apartment in NYC's tallest residential building offers 360-degree views of Central Park and the city — but nobody wants to buy it

The Manhattan townhouse measures 10 feet wide on the inside and just under 13 feet on the exterior. It's about to go on the market for $5 million.

Source: Douglas Elliman



The townhouse looks particularly narrow when viewed head-on: It's sandwiched between two wider buildings. Its facade is made up of glass and steel columns.

Source: Douglas Elliman, The Wall Street Journal



The home is in New York's Seaport District, which listing agent Gordon von Broock says is an up-and-coming neighborhood that reminds him of the early days of Tribeca or the Meatpacking District's popularity. "The biggest thing that would be attractive to buyers is living in that area," he told Business Insider.

Source: Douglas Elliman



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Disappointing photos show what 9 top luxury destinations look like in real life

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  • Some luxury destinations aren't quite what they seem on Instagram.
  • Many of these hotspots are overcrowded, overpriced, or simply lacking in authenticity. 
  • From the Champs Elysées in Paris to ultra-modern Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, here are nine luxury hotspots that might not be worth the hype.

 

Some places around the world are known as go-to spots for luxury travel, shopping, or experiences.

The Champs Elysées in Paris, for example, with its Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Longchamp boutiques, is consistently ranked one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Dubai boasts of having the most luxurious hotel in the world. 

But many find that these and other luxury destinations don't quite live up to the hype. Take a look below for some disappointing photos of what nine luxury hotspots look like in real life.

SEE ALSO: What it's like to be a millionaire in America today

The Avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris is one of the most iconic streets in the world, lined with museums, high-end restaurants, and five-star hotels.

Source: Paris Info, Business Insider



Shopping opportunities range from retailers such as Zara and H&M to luxury boutiques that include Louis Vuitton, Mont-Blanc, Guerlain, and Ferrari. It's consistently ranked as one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.



But most of the time, you'll hardly be able to move through the throngs of tourists.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 US colleges that give the most financial aid, ranked

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  • College is expensive, so it's important to pick a school that offers a good financial aid package.
  • Student Loan Hero recently found the top US colleges that give the most financial aid.
  • It found that US colleges offer an average of $20,494 in financial aid, but the colleges on this list of the top 25 offer at least twice that amount.

College doesn't come cheap.

The average cost of tuition and room and board at a four-year public college is $20,770; at a four-year private institution, that number jumps to $26,950, according to the College Board's "Trends in College Pricing 2017" report

That's why it's important to pick a college that offers a good financial aid package. 

Student Loan Hero recently rounded up the top US colleges that give the most financial aid to students in need using data from Peterson's. It looked at 1,244 US colleges.

It found that an average of $20,494 is offered in financial aid to students, but the colleges we highlight below — the top 25 from Student Loan Hero's ranking — offer at least twice that. In most cases, the average financial aid package at each of these schools is just short of the total cost of tuition.

Wellesley College offers an average financial aid package of $47,527 — and that ranks lowest on this list, with the numbers only going up from there.

Below, see the top 25 colleges for financial aid. 

SEE ALSO: College is more expensive than it's ever been, and the 5 reasons why suggest it's only going to get worse

DON'T MISS: 25 cities where a college degree makes all the difference in getting a good job, earning enough money, and becoming a homeowner

25. Wellesley College

Average financial aid package: $47,527

Annual tuition and fees: $48,802

Students receiving need-based aid: 1,361



24. Trinity College

Average financial aid package: $47,679

Annual tuition and fees: $52,760

Students receiving need-based aid: 976



23. University of Notre Dame

Average financial aid package: $47,884

Annual tuition and fees: $49,685

Students receiving need-based aid: 3,997



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Spotify is giving away free Google Home speakers to subscribers — here's how to get yours

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Google Home Mini

Who doesn't like free tech? 

That's the question at the heart of Spotify's new promotion: The music streaming company is offering free Google Home Mini smart speakers to anyone paying for a Spotify Family subscription ($15/month).

But the free offer is limited — you've gotta act fast! So, how do you get one? Follow these simple steps:

SEE ALSO: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: How the 2 families stack up

First things first, two limitations:

1. The free Google Home Mini offer applies to both new and existing Spotify Premium for Family customers in the United States.

2. The offer is only available through the end of December, so get in while you can.

Okay, let's get to the directions!



1. Log in to your Spotify account on the Spotify website.

The Spotify website is right here.



2. Make sure your subscription is a Family Plan.

There are a few different types of Spotify paid accounts. To get the free Google Home Mini, you have to be a subscriber to the Spotify Premium for Family plan.

The Premium for Family plan costs $14.99/month, but it allows up to five people to access Spotify Premium (no ads, offline listening, etc.) using individual accounts. That's just $5 more than the usual price of a single Spotify Premium account — it's a no-brainer if even just two people are using the service, let alone five.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are the 16 biggest video games launching this holiday, from an all-new ‘Fallout’ to the hotly-anticipated ‘Red Dead Redemption 2'

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Red Dead Redemption 2

Can you smell it in the air? That potent stench of gun smoke and manure is a sure sign that you've been playing too much "Red Dead Redemption 2." We're waist deep in blockbuster video game season, folks.

Huge new entries from already massively popular franchises are the standouts this year, and "Red Dead Redemption 2" (seen above) is the heaviest heavy of them all. The long-awaited sequel to Rockstar Games' brilliant original "Red Dead Redemption" is a kind of like "Grand Theft Auto" meets "The Magnificent Seven"— a fitting game from the folks behind the "Grand Theft Auto" series. 

But this fall isn't all cowboys and train robberies.

super smash bros ultimate

Below, we've put together the 16 biggest games of the biggest game release season of the year:

SEE ALSO: A $100 mini version of the original PlayStation is on the way with 20 games packed in — here are the games included

1. "Madden NFL 19"

New year, new "Madden" game. 2018 is no different, and the latest entry in the football simulation series is available to buy now.

A handful of changes are being made this time around, like every year, but let's be honest: You're not buying "Madden" because of changes. Is anyone? "Madden NFL 19" is simply the latest iteration of a formula that's been working for over 25 years, which is exactly what it's supposed to be.

Release Date: August 10

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC



2. "Marvel's Spider-Man"

The new "Spider-Man" game — a PlayStation 4 exclusive game — features a massive New York City that you can swing around, with plenty of enemies to pummel along the way. It's focused on re-creating the Spider-Man experience as closely as possible.

This is the classic Peter Parker/Spider-Man you already know and love.

"Our Spider-Man features a 23-year-old Peter Parker who has become a masterful Spider-Man," the game's creative director, Bryan Intihar, said of the game. "While he may be more experienced, Peter and Spider-Man's worlds continue to collide as he tries to juggle them."

Read our review of "Spider-Man" right here.

Release Date: September 7

Platforms: PlayStation 4



3. "NBA 2K19"

For the 2oth anniversary of the NBA 2K series, newly minted Los Angeles Laker LeBron James is gracing the cover.

As per usual, "NBA 2K19" is a gorgeous basketball simulation — the basketball equivalent of "Madden" for football. It sets the standard for sim basketball games. Also like "Madden," it doesn't change too much from year to year. The focus is on updating the game to be a strong reflection of the current NBA, and it consistently delivers on that. Expect "NBA 2K19" to continue that tradition.

Read more about "NBA 2K19" right here.

Release Date: September 11

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

2018 has been one of the wildest years in M&A since the financial crisis — here are the 40 biggest investment-banker moves

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  • 2018 has been one of the most active years in senior investment-banking hires and exits since the financial crisis, according to top Wall Street headhunters.
  • Business Insider reviewed executive-search reports detailing nearly 300 investment-banking moves at the managing-director level or higher this year.
  • We spoke with top investment-banking headhunters to determine the 40 biggest moves of the year.

According to top Wall Street headhunters, 2018 has been the most active year of hires and departures by senior investment bankers in recent memory.

We reviewed reports and spoke with executives at several premier investment-banking search firms and found nearly 300 moves at the managing-director level or higher in the US this year.

Julie Choi, the CEO of CBK Partners, formerly known as Choi & Burns, said 2018 had been the most robust year of hiring among the senior ranks — in terms of both quality and quantity — she had seen since the meltdown in 2008.

Albert Laverge, the head of the corporate- and investment-banking practice for Egon Zehnder, told Business Insider the same.

What's changed in 2018? A few dynamics are at work:

  • An unprecedented number of shakeups at the highest ranks of bulge-bracket investment banks — Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and UBS have all seen their power structures revamped.
  • It's not just boutiques and independents picking off talent from global investment banks anymore. "In past years, bulge-bracket firms were filling roles as departures occurred, which created a musical chairs between one firm and another. That doesn't really reflect growth," Choi said. "What's really different this year is that every firm is looking to take the hill — both independent and bulge-bracket."
  • The record level of dealmaking we've seen in 2018 is most likely spurring moves as well — the hottest sectors for deals mirror the hottest sectors for investment-banker moves (technology, media, and telecom, or TMT, and healthcare). Firms may not feel they can wait to hire when the market is as hot as it is.

"What I do find notable is how active the landscape is," Laverge said. "It's November, and announcements are still coming."

Given the inordinate amount of churn this year, Business Insider put together a list of the most notable moves of 2018. We worked with a handful of senior headhunters who live and breathe this industry to winnow that list of nearly 300 moves down to the 40 biggest.

Some caveats: While seniority and title matter, it's not the only thing that matters. Well-respected dealmakers at an MD level may earn a spot ahead of a group head who's past their prime. Also, this is a US-focused list, so no bankers based in Europe or Asia. Lastly, we included only people who oversee or work directly in investment banking.

Read on for Business Insider's list of the 40 most significant and noteworthy hires and departures in investment banking in 2018.

Have thoughts? Think we missed somebody obvious or important? Shoot us a message at amorrell@businessinsider.com. We'll revisit our ranking at year's end and expand it if necessary.

Gregory Berube: Goldman Sachs to Evercore

Old role: Head of Americas restructuring finance and advisory

New role: Senior managing director, restructuring and debt advisory group

Month: May

After a 14-year run at Goldman, Berube left to help build out Evercore's restructuring business. Among his notable past mandates: Caesars Entertainment, Chesapeake Energy, GNC, Six Flags, and Toys R Us.



Chris Blake: Citigroup to Perella Weinberg

Old role: Cohead of global automotive

New role: Partner in industrials, focused on automotive

Month: July

Blake, an automotive specialist, decamped from Citigroup after 19 years, joining fellow top-40 mover Brennan Smith in the firm's burgeoning Chicago bureau, which it opened earlier this year.



Jordan Bliss: Credit Suisse to Guggenheim

Old role: Head of West Coast life-sciences investment banking

New role: Senior managing director in healthcare investment banking

Month: July

A 12-year healthcare-investment-banking vet, Bliss started his career in M&A at Lehman Brothers and subsequently Barclays before his nearly three-year run at Credit Suisse. He'll continue to focus on life-sciences deals — along with fellow Credit Suisse recruit Punit Mehta — in his new post with Guggenheim in San Francisco.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I went to one of Bill Clinton's favorite restaurants in Arkansas, which was once described as a 'vegetarian's hell,' to see if the food lived up to the hype — here's the verdict

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doe's eat place

  • Former President Bill Clinton has had a reputation for unhealthy eating habits, particularly before and during the early years of his presidency.
  • Doe's Eat Place, a regional restaurant chain with a location in Little Rock, Arkansas, is perhaps the most famous of the dining establishments Clinton frequented before becoming president.
  • During a trip to Little Rock in October, I stopped at Doe's for lunch to see if it lived up to the hype.
  • The food tasted great but left me feeling sluggish for hours afterward, so much so that I didn't eat for around 18 hours after my meal.

 

Former President Bill Clinton has had a reputation for unhealthy eating habits, particularly before and during the early years of his presidency. In 1992, The New York Times dedicated a story to Clinton's diet before he took office, listing cinnamon rolls, barbecue, cheeseburgers, enchiladas, and pies among his favorite foods.

Doe's Eat Place, a regional restaurant chain with a location in Little Rock, Arkansas — where Clinton served as governor from 1979-1981 and 1983-1992 — is perhaps the most famous of the dining establishments Clinton frequented before becoming president. Clinton held campaign events there, according to CBS affiliate THV-11, and was interviewed by Rolling Stone at the restaurant in 1992.

Doe's specializes in simple, greasy food like steaks, burgers, and tamales. One of the restaurant's waiters described it as "vegetarian hell" to The Times in 1992. 

During a trip to Little Rock in October, I stopped at Doe's for lunch to see if it lived up to the hype. The food tasted great but left me feeling sluggish for hours afterward, so much so that I didn't eat for around 18 hours after my meal.

Clinton has adopted a healthier, vegan diet since the end of his presidency, and I can see why.

Here's what it was like to eat at one of Bill Clinton's favorite restaurants.

SEE ALSO: I stayed at a DoubleTree for 3 nights to see if the mid-priced hotel is a better value than pricier options — here's the verdict

I arrived at Doe's on a Thursday afternoon in October.



The interior was bigger than I expected, given the restaurant's narrow exterior.



The walls were covered in framed photos.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'We're shooting for thousands of clinics': A Silicon Valley startup has been quietly laying plans to take on heavyweight One Medical. We got the first look inside.

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carbon health founders

  • A Silicon Valley startup called Carbon Health has been quietly rolling out medical clinics across the Bay Area after merging with a Berkeley-based urgent care provider over the summer.
  • Carbon Health offers same-day appointments, easy-to-read lab results, travel vaccines and even some in-house medications.
  • The new network is quickly shaping up to be a competitor to larger health startups like One Medical and Forward— only it doesn't charge a yearly fee.
  • Eren Bali, one of Carbon's co-founders, also created online education platform Udemy and previously made Business Insider’s list of Top 100 Innovators.

When entrepreneur Eren Bali would tell his friends about his dream of building a physical healthcare clinic to complement the medical software app he'd created, they'd always brush it off as a joke.

But starting last year, 34-year-old Bali began making his dream a reality. He began working with Caesar Djavaherian, an emergency medicine doctor who founded a network of urgent care clinics.

This week, he's lifting the curtain on the project they created together: a network of seven medical clinics across California's Bay Area where patients can get checkups as well as treatments for everything from broken bones to colds and UTIs.

Called Carbon Health, the new company was born from the merger of Bali's tech startup — a comprehensive medical app called Carbon that lets you do everything from text with your clinician to order prescriptions and view lab results — and Djavaherian's clinics, formerly known as Direct Urgent Care.

Carbon isn't the only clinic startup on the block. One Medical, Forward, and several urgent care chains are all competing for similar patients. The private equity firm Carlyle Group invested $350 million in One Medical this summer, in a bet that consumers and companies will gravitate toward friendlier and more convenient ways of seeing a doctor.

Unlike its competitors, Carbon doesn't charge subscription fees and accepts most forms of insurance — meaning that it's often cheaper.

Since Bali and Djavaherian began collaborating last year, more than 100,000 patients have walked through their doors, they told Business Insider.

They're currently working with NorthBay Healthcare and El Camino Hospital, as well as three other health systems they're not yet ready to name. One of them is outside the state, the founders say.

"We want to become the preeminent health care provider in the country,"Bali, who previously founded the online education platform Udemy, said.

SEE ALSO: A controversial startup that charges $8,000 to fill your veins with young blood is opening its first clinic

DON'T MISS: 'This test is garbage': Experts and former employees allege that a Silicon Valley startup gives bogus 'cellular ages' based on a flawed blood test

With Carbon, you can do everything from booking a doctor's appointment to viewing your lab results to scheduling a live video session with a provider — all via a single app.

Carbon Health has $9.5 million in venture funding from backers including Javelin Venture Partners, Two Sigma Ventures, and Elad Gil, the co-founder of personal DNA-testing startup Color Genomics and the former vice president of corporate strategy at Twitter.



But Carbon isn't the only tech-savvy medical startup on the block. Two other Silicon Valley firms — One Medical and Forward — offer a similar range of services and apps to complement them.

Yet they differ in some key ways: both charge a yearly subscription fee of $150-$200 (Carbon charges no fees), and Forward doesn't accept insurance (Carbon accepts almost all the major providers except Kaiser).



When I tried out Carbon's app and visited one of its clinics in Oakland and another in San Francisco's FiDi neighborhood, I was blown away by how seamless the experience felt.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We compared what it was like to shop at Home Depot in the city and in the suburbs — and the winner was clear (HD)

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  • Home Depot is one of the biggest stores for all things home improvement.
  • Home Depot reported in August that same-store sales were up 8% in its most recent fiscal quarter.
  • We compared shopping at Home Depot stores in the city and the suburbs, and it was clear which version was better. 

Home Depot is one of the biggest stores for all things home improvement.

It stocks everything you might need to fix up your home, including kitchen and bath fixtures, screws and bolts, paint, and tools. It also offers services like do-it-yourself tips and online order pickup. 

Home Depot reported in August that same-store sales were up 8% in its most recent fiscal quarter. It has 2,284 stores in North America.

The home-improvement giant also appears to be the store of choice for millennials. In a Bank of America survey of 1,000 millennials, reported by US News in May, 64% said Home Depot was their top choice for home-improvement shopping.

For city dwellers, it's convenient to have a Home Depot nearby for tools, paint, and remodeling projects. But when we compared it to a massive suburban Home Depot, we found some major advantages in making the trek to one of the bigger stores. 

Here's how the two types of Home Depot stores compare: 

SEE ALSO: Target stores are opening earlier than ever this Thanksgiving in a clear signal it's not giving up on Black Friday

First we went to a suburban Home Depot in Westchester, New York.



In the parking lot was a big white tent where a rug sale was going on. Hundreds of rugs were for sale.



Outside of the store were seasonal plants and products like pumpkins and scarecrows.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We compared Amazon's lockers and Walmart's pickup towers to see which one was easier to use — and there was a clear winner (WMT, AMZN)

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  • Walmart and Amazon's pickup lockers allow shoppers to place orders online and pick them up in stores, rather than having their packages shipped home. 
  • Walmart has pickup towers in 700 stores. Amazon has more than 2,000 locker locations. 
  • We compared the two online-order pickup systems and found there was a clear winner. 

Walmart and Amazon's pickup lockers allow shoppers to place orders online and pick them up in stores, rather than having them shipped home. 

In April, Walmart announced it would be adding pickup towers to 700 of its stores, making the option to pick up orders available to 40% of the United States. 

Likewise, Amazon has installed lockers in thousands of locations in more than 70 cities across the US. Shoppers are able to ship orders directly to the nearest locker location instead of their homes. Prime members can still get free two-day or same-day shipping to lockers, depending on their location. 

In-store pickup is supposed to make shopping easier by allowing customers to skip lines and get their items right away, without having to pay higher rates for shipping. The service is also meant to help prevent package theft. 

Amazon Lockers offer the additional perk of allowing shoppers to make returns. Regardless of where the product was delivered, you can drop it off in a locker to return it. Walmart's pickup towers do not offer a similar feature. 

Both the Walmart pickup towers and Amazon Lockers have their limits — larger products can't be delivered to either one. However, Walmart is working to change this with its own pickup lockers, which can hold larger items like TVs. The pickup lockers are currently being tested at 10 Walmart stores in the Washington, DC, area. 

We tested out both pickup systems for online orders and found one was much easier to use than the other: 

SEE ALSO: We walked around Long Island City, the New York neighborhood where Amazon is reportedly planning to bring HQ2, and saw why it'd be appealing to the e-commerce giant

I used Walmart's pickup towers first.



I ordered two small products on Walmart's website and then selected "pickup" at checkout. Choosing pickup saved me $5.99 in shipping fees.



I chose my location and filled out the fields as prompted.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The new Apple Watch Series 4 isn't for everyone — but if you're looking for an Apple Watch, it's the one to get (AAPL)

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The Apple Watch is likely to be a hot holiday present this year. 

And the Apple Watch Series 4, which was released in September, is the first major redesign since the device was first released. It's got a bigger screen, a thinner body, and new health features like an ECG app that can take basic heart readings that can tell you you need to see a doctor.

These tweaks seem to have driven a higher level of interest in the Apple Watch Series 4. Of course, the watches also got a slight price increase, to $399 for the smaller aluminum 42 mm watch, or $429 for the larger, 44 mm watch. 

So is it the right gift this year to get for your friends or family? Or do you want one for yourself?

I've been wearing the Apple Watch Series 4 since it came out in September, and my conclusion is that it really depends on who you are.

If you use Android, you don't want it — it only works with iPhones. If you're a workout warrior or concerned about your health, it's a great buy. If you're worried about digital distractions, however, I suspect the Apple Watch may only make your issues worse. 

But the Apple Watch is still a marvel of engineering, and the latest version is a big step forward in terms of hardware.

Let's dive in: 

The Apple Watch basically does three things: It tracks your heart and your health through a variety of sensors, it displays iPhone notifications and messages on your wrist, and it tells the time and other metrics on its watch face.



Let's start with telling the time, because even though it's an advanced computer, it's still a watch, after all.

The Apple Watch Series 4 comes with two faces that you can't get on other Apple Watches, and they're packed with "complications," or little widgets that can provide information at a glance.

I have these set up with my activity rings, the time in California, when the sunset and sunrise is, and sometimes I put on a weather complication, too.



There are also a bunch of other new, more simple faces that any Apple Watch gets with the latest software update. I usually prefer these faces, just because I don't have that much data I need at a glance.

I've been digging the left-most face recently. 



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These 8 iconic images tell the story of every US conflict from World War I to Afghanistan

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World War I ended 100 years ago on Sunday. 

It was a brutal war that lasted more than four years and killed an estimated 8.5 million soldiers and 13 million civilians. 

It was also a war that cemented the US as a world power, rising to the level of the colonial European powers from which so many Americans and their ancestors had fled. 

But the US has been embroiled in war or conflict for much of the century since the Great War ended. 

And the following iconic war photos show that path. 

World War I (1914-1918).

This photo was taken by Paul Popper for Getty Images. It shows British troops running out of their trenches to charge the enemy lines during the bloody Battle of the Somme. Spaces between trenches were branded "no man's land." 

When Americans got to Europe, this is what the fighting looked like. Life in the trenches involved sharing damp, diseased quarters with dead bodies and making slow, if any progress. 

The Great War between the Allied and Central Powers involved more than 30 countries. It's estimated that 8.5 million soldiers and 13 million civilians were killed during the war. 



World War II (1939-1945).

This photo was taken by Jose Rosenthal for the Associated Press. It shows US troops raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, one of the first pieces of Imperial Japanese territory to fall to US hands.

Fifty years after the picture was taken, the Associated Press wrote that it may be the world's most widely reproduced.

But half of the six soldiers depicted died — among 6,821 Americans — on the very same island they claimed: Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, and Harlon Block.

The Second World War between the Allied and Axis Powers killed approximately 40 to 50 million people, making it the deadliest war in history. 

 



Korean War (1950-1953).

This photo was taken by R.V. Spencer for Getty Images. It shows a Korean girl carrying her brother past a stalled M-26 tank in 1951. 

The Korean War began in June 1950 when North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, which was backed by the US.

The fighting lasted until 1953, and was devastating to the local population, with approximately 1.6 million civilian casualties on both sides. The war, however, is still technically ongoing, as there was never a peace treaty. 

 



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The 44 best movies to watch on a 4K TV, according to Fandango users

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4K entertainment was once a thing of luxury — few could afford it or justify dishing out a large sum of cash for the necessary equipment. Now, 4K TV's have gotten much more affordable, 4K streaming devices are easy to find and are relatively cheap as well, and plenty of entrainment is offered in the high-resolution format. 

Once you've made the jump to 4K, though, you're going to want to put your setup to the test to see what you've been missing. 

Fandango, a movie-ticketing company which operates the FandangoNOW streaming service, conducted a survey with FandangoNOW users to determine the best movies to watch in 4K. So if you're looking to get the most out of your fancy high-resolution setup, here are 44 titles that come highly recommended.

44.  Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle



43. Atomic Blonde



42. Arrival



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ANALYST: These are the next 4 states to legalize marijuana

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california cannabis dispensary

Tuesday's 2018 midterm elections was a big success for cannabis advocates.

Michigan legalized recreational marijuana, and while North Dakota rejected a similar measure, both Missouri and Utah voted in favor of medical marijuana.

So far, 10 states and Washington, DC, have legalized the full use of marijuana, and 33 states and Washington, DC, have legalized medical marijuana.

With the Democrats winning key Governor races, and securing more seats in their state Houses/Senates, a few more states are likely to soon legalize marijuana. 

According to Cowen Research Group, four states in particular look to have ample runway to legalize cannabis as they now have a Democratic Governor and support from either the state's House and/or Senate.

US demand for cannabis is strong, according to Cowen analyst Vivien Azer. By her calculation, after factoring in Michigan, the total addressable market for adult, medical, and illicit use of marijuana will be $24.5 billion by 2030. That number will likely approach $34 billion if these next four states legalize the drug.

Here is a snapshot of the four states that are next to legalize the drug, according to Azer:

New York

  • Democrat governor: Andrew M. Cuomo 
  • Democrat House control: 81.5%
  • Total addressable market by 2030: $5.216 billion
  • State population out of US population: 6.1%

Source: Cowen Research Group



Illinois

  • Democrat governor: J.B.Pritzker 
  • Democrat House control: 72.2%
  • Total addressable market by 2030: $2.682 billion
  • State population out of US population: 3.9%

Source: Cowen Research Group



Connecticut

  • Democrat governor: Ned Lamont
  • Democrat House control: 100%
  • Total addressable market by 2030: $919 million
  • State population out of US population: 1.1% 

Source: Cowen Research Group



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Wall Street weighs in on the midterm elections

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Democrats took control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections Tuesday, while Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate. Here's what analysts on Wall Street said that could mean for the economy and financial markets.

SEE ALSO: The Dow jumps more than 250 points after Democrats take House and Republicans strengthen Senate majority

On trade

“Congress over the years has ceded a great deal of authority on trade to the Executive.  Because of this, the President will be free to pursue a more aggressive strategy on trade with China, if he wants to do so. The crucial question is whether he will want to make a deal with Xi Jinping or not. While continuing tough rhetoric on trade would not directly hurt the President politically, it would damage both the global economy and U.S. economy, which could leave him more vulnerable in 2020.” - David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds

“Congress has limited power to restrain the President on trade regardless of which party is in control. But even if investors are right and the legislative gridlock provides a check on the Trump administration, we still think that European equities will come under pressure next year. This is because we expect the US economy to slow sharply then. If history is any guide, European stocks would probably perform just as badly as their US peers in this scenario.” -Simona Gambarini, markets economist at Capital Economics



On infrastructure

“Democrats might be willing to support more money for infrastructure if it included improvements to the electrical and internet grids.  However, a lack of money and a lack of available construction workers suggests that a moderate rather than large infrastructure bill is the most that could occur.” - David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds

“It is possible that President Donald Trump and the Democrats could agree a deal to boost infrastructure spending, but there is probably more chance of an extended government shutdown. Overall, though, the midterms are unlikely to have a significant impact on the economy.” - Nikhil Sanghani, assistant economist at Capital Economics

“While Democrats in Congress might favor increased infrastructure spending, they could seek to finance it by reducing defense spending. That would limit the boost to the industrial sector overall. We are cautious on the sector, which is being constrained by concerns that the industrial economic cycle has already peaked and by rising trade protectionism.” - Justin Waring, investment strategist at UBS Financial Services



On health care

“Our Health Care analysts have viewed a split Congress as the most positive outcome for their sector, since no major legislation would likely be enacted. Though with more Democrats in Congress, our Health Care Facilities team seems some possibility Democrats may pursue a moderate policy agenda based on stabilizing the exchanges/encouraging more states to expand Medicaid, which they see as positive for facilities and mixed for managed care organizations.” -Bank of America Merrill Lynch



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The 17 most prestigious internships anyone would be lucky to get

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  • Internships are increasingly important for college and graduate students.
  • In a survey of 13,000 former and current interns, Google, Apple, and Facebook were ranked as the most prestigious internships.
  • Some of those internships pay up to $8,000 per month. 

 

If you're looking for a prestigious internship, you'll want to consider working at Google, Apple, or Facebook — at least, that is, according to the 2019 Vault Internship Rankings.

Career-intelligence platform Vault asked more than 120 companies with internship programs to distribute their internship survey to past and present interns. More than 13,000 interns responded.

One of the survey questions asked interns to rate how prestigious other employers were. They received a list of top companies and were asked to rate them on a scale of one to 10. A score of ten meant "It's a dream job!" while a score of one meant "No one wants to work there."

Vault then averaged the ratings and ranked companies from 1 to 50. The full ranking is available here.

We listed the top 17 internships and got their pay information from Glassdoor. (Some pay hourly, others pay monthly.)

We also found some of these internships' most enviable perks, including great mentorship programs and free housing.

See if your dream internship is on the list below:

SEE ALSO: College Greeks are known for high GPAs and making more money after graduating — but new research says it's not as straightforward as it seems

DON'T MISS: 29 awesome career choices most college kids would never think of

SEE ALSO: Here are the 50 smartest colleges in America

17. ESPN

Median pay: $11 an hour

Why it stands out: ESPN frequently hires interns for full-time roles, Kristen McKenna, ESPN senior director of talent acquisition, told Cosmopolitan



16. Intel

Median pay$28 an hour

Why it stands out: Depending on the location, offices are stocked with gyms, basketball courts, tennis courts, and other amenities, former interns wrote on Quora. Interns also benefit from the option of having a six-month-long internship — a step up from the norm of 10 weeks. 



15. Berkshire Hathaway

Median pay: $13 per hour

Why it stands out: One doesn't just have to work in investment or finance to work for Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway seeks interns in accounting, claim operations, programming, and other fields



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A day in the life of a Deutsche Bank managing director, who wakes up at 5:00 a.m., spends 10 days of the month traveling, and works out twice a day even while on business trips

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  • A New York-based managing director at Deutsche Bank spends up to 10 days out of the month traveling for work.
  • Piers Constable described his daily routine to Business Insider — and exercise is a huge part of it.
  • On a recent trip to Cote d'Ivoire, he woke up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise, met with clients all day, ate lunch while on an international conference call, and squeezed in another workout before heading back to the airport at 10:00 p.m. for his flight home. 

 

Piers Constable, a managing director at Deutsche Bank, wakes up at 5:00 a.m. every day and spends eight to 10 days of the month traveling for work.

Constable, based in New York City, has traveled to more than 60 countries while working for Deutsche Bank and has also lived in London and Dubai. His team arranges finance for infrastructure projects in emerging markets.

He wakes up at 5:00 a.m. every day to work out — and often fits in a second workout later in the day.

"I find getting up in the morning to go for a swim or sit on the bike is basically an hour less sleep than I'd have, but that gives me sort of more energy than I'd have had if I'd have stayed in bed," he told Business Insider. "I think nobody likes waking up at 5 o'clock, but if it becomes a habit, it's much easier to do."

Here's what a typical day looks like for Constable when he's traveling for business.

SEE ALSO: A Deutsche Bank exec who's traveled to more than 60 countries for business meetings says he always does the same thing when he gets to a new city

DON'T MISS: A Deutsche Bank exec says he travels up to 10 days every month — and he's been able to keep doing it for over 20 years because of a 'magic combination'

Piers Constable, a managing director at Deutsche Bank, is based in New York City but travels all over the world to meet clients for up to 10 days out of the month.



Constable wakes up at about 5:00 a.m. every morning, whether he's traveling or home in New York City. He said that he travels so much that sometimes it takes him a moment to remember where he's waking up. He recently woke up in a hotel in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where he arrived on a Sunday evening after a 15-hour flight.



The first thing Constable does on any given day is exercise. A competitive triathlete, he likes to get a workout in before anyone else is awake. The hotel lobby in Abidjan was empty as he went to the pool at 6:00 a.m. He woke up slightly later than usual, at 5:30, because he wasn't allowed to swim in the pool before 6:00.



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19 of the coolest things your Google Home can do (GOOG, GOOGL)

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Google Home Mini

The Google Home is in millions of households. 

Earlier this year, Google revealed that it had sold more than one Home smart speaker device every second since last October. According to our own calculations, that means Google sold at least 6.8 million Home devices during the last holiday season — and they seem to have been selling at a steady clip since.

Google sells four Home devices right now: the $50 Google Home Mini, the $130 Google Home, the $400 Google Home Max, and the new $150 Google Home Hub, all of which have Google's artificially-intelligent Assistant built in. 

So now that the Google Home has spread, it helps to know what you can actually do with them. Some features are obvious — like asking for the weather — but others aren't so obvious.

Here are 19 of the coolest things you can do with your Google Home. 

SEE ALSO: Your Amazon Echo can now send text messages for you — here's how to do it

1. Play white noise while you fall asleep.

I prefer rain sounds to standard white noise, so I usually say "Hey Google, play the sound of rain." The device obliges with a steady downpour. 

The sound usually lasts until I fall asleep, but if you want to be sure it turns off at a certain point, you can also set a sleep timer. 



2. Broadcast something to every Google Home device in your house at once.

If you have more than one Google Home device in your home, you can broadcast to every single one simultaneously, sort of like an intercom. 

If you say, "OK Google, broadcast that it's dinner time," each device will ring a dinner bell. You can also say, "OK Google, broadcast that it's time for school."

The broadcast feature even works when you're not in the house. Saying, "OK Google, broadcast I'm on my way home" will trigger the devices inside your house.



3. Control your smart home.

At this point, Google Assistant can control more than 1,500 smart-home products from more than 100 brands like LG, Whirlpool, GE, and Nest. You can ask your Google Home to dim the lights, change the temperature, turn on a kettle or microwave, or even start your Roomba. 

And now with Google Home Hub, you can set up a hub for all your smart home products and control them on the screen. 

You can check out a full list of compatible products here



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