• Microsoft is more valuable than Apple for the first time since 2010. 
• Here's how Satya Nadella came into the CEO role in 2014 and led the company to its present heights.

When Satya Nadella first took the reins as Microsoft CEO in February 2014, the company was losing steam fast.

Microsoft Windows 8 had been a disaster. Microsoft employees were constantly battling behind the scenes for supremacy. And all the while, consumers and developers alike were losing the faith. 

Times change.

When the market closed on Friday, Microsoft's market cap had exceeded that of Apple's — something that hasn't happened since President Obama was in office and the Zune was still a thing. It's an exclamation point on Nadella's almost five-year reign, in which he refocused the company and led it to new heights. 

Here's how Satya Nadella came to Microsoft and executed a startling turnaround that led it to be worth more than Apple, with details taken from his book "Hit Refresh" and elsewhere:

This is an update to an article from 2016.

SEE ALSO: Learn any of these 16 programming languages and you'll always have a job

Satya Narayana Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India, in 1967. His dad was a civil servant and his mother was a professor of the ancient language Sanskrit.

From a young age, Nadella wanted to be a professional cricket player, and played in school. But he realized that his athletic talent was outmatched by his passion for science and technology.

Nadella received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineer from the Manipal Institute of Technology in 1988. "I always knew I wanted to build things," Nadella once said.

• New York City's new One World Trade Center cost $4 billion and took eight years to build. 
• I took a tour to see what the inside looks like four years after the first tenants moved in.
• In addition to 78 floors of office spaces with jaw-dropping views, the building has an employee amenities floor with a café, game room with video game consoles and shuffleboard and billiards tables.
• About 8,000 people work in the building, mainly for media and tech companies.

New York City's new One World Trade Center, nicknamed the "Freedom Tower," cost $4 billion and took eight years to build between the start of construction in 2006 and the first tenants moving in 2014.

Four years after opening its doors to the first tenants, about 8,000 people now work in the building for companies that include Condé Nast, streaming service DAZN, and workout app Aaptiv.

The building is 1,776 feet and 104 stories tall, with office space on floors 20 through 98. It includes 3 million square feet of rentable office space, according to the World Trade Center's official website.

I found the inside to be much more casual than I expected— and my tour guide, Jordan Barowitz, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Durst Organization, which oversees leasing in the building, backed up this observation.

He told me when they first started marketing the building's office spaces in 2010, they thought it would be a "formal office building" with lots of "guys in suits." Instead, they got mainly smaller companies in media, technology, and other creative industries. While I certainly noticed some guys in suits, the majority of employees I saw were dressed casually, many with beards and sneakers.

Here's what the inside of One World Trade Center looks like, four years after the first tenants moved in.

SEE ALSO: NYC's new World Trade Center expected its offices to be full of 'guys in suits' — but I took a tour of the building and quickly saw that many of the actual tenants are very different

DON'T MISS: Photos show how New York City built the Freedom Tower in the wake of 9/11

I arrived for my tour of One World Trade Center on a sunny but chilly morning toward the end of October, ready to meet Jordan Barowitz, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Durst Organization, which oversees leasing in the building.

The building is only a few minutes from my office so I walked there, but One World Trade Center is connected underground to the Oculus, a shopping center and transport hub.

Source: Business Insider

Through the Oculus, you can access 12 subway lines and get to Jersey City, New Jersey, on the PATH train in about 13 minutes.

Source: Google Maps, WTC

The German sprint across Poland in September 1939 introduced the Nazi Blitzkrieg to the world, which then watched as Hitler's forces swept over Europe and bombarded Britain.

Farther north, another battle raged in the unprecedentedly cold winter of 1939-1940, as outnumbered Finnish forces took on the Soviet Union.

The two countries signed a nonaggression treaty in the early 1930s, but that did not allay Finnish concerns about its neighbor. Those fears were justified. The Soviet Union surged across the Karelian Isthmus on November 30, 1939.

About a million Soviet troops crossed into the dense forests and frozen expanses that connected the two countries, but determined Finnish troops turned the bucolic landscape into a charnel house for underprepared, underfed, and overwhelmed Soviet troops.

Finland is thought to have lost about 25,000 soldiers during the 105-day conflict, while the Soviets lost nearly 200,000 troops, with hundreds more stricken by frostbite.

Helsinki eventually succumbed, however, signing a peace pact on Moscow's terms on March 12, 1940— though Finland did not completely capitulate and would later partner with Germany to fight the USSR.

As the photos below show, the Finnish troops made deft and deadly use of a vicious winter and unforgiving landscape to exact the maximum toll from Russian invaders.

SEE ALSO: 75 years ago, US Marines waded into 'the toughest battle in Marine Corps history' — here are 25 photos of the brutal fight for Tarawa

The war between Finland and the Soviet Union started at 10:45 p.m. local time on November 30, 1939. Here are trenches that were dug in Helsinki, seen on December 1, 1939.

A house hit by a Russian aerial bomb in Helsinki, seen on December 11, 1939. It was still on fire after several days. Heavy Soviet artillery barrages could reportedly be heard in the Finnish capital — more than a hundred miles from the front.

Source: War is Boring

Some of the 50 volunteers for the Finnish army preparing to sail from New York to their native country on December 9, 1939, on the Swedish-American liner Gripsholm.

While every American president and first lady has reached the same heights of political office and public service, not all reached the White House at the same physical height.

The average height of US presidents was 5-foot-10-inches, and the typical height difference between presidents and first ladies was 6.5 inches.

Scientific studies suggest that men have it better when it comes to success in the workplace, and that women are more likely to choose taller men than shorter men.

John Adams and Abigail Adams were only separated in height by an inch, while Thomas Jefferson was over a foot taller than his wife Martha Jefferson.

We found the heights through online research and speaking with presidential historical sites and libraries. But a few first ladies' heights have been lost to history.

Here is the height difference of every US president and first lady we could find:

SEE ALSO: Here's what every president's signature looks like

DON'T MISS: All of the US presidents, ranked from tallest to shortest in one animation

George and Martha Washington: 1-foot-2-inches (36 cm)

John and Abigail Adams: 1 inch (2 cm)

Thomas and Martha Jefferson: 1-foot-2.5-inches (37 cm)

Jefferson was a widower when his presidency began, and his daughter, Martha, acted as first lady, along with wives of the Cabinet secretaries.

As anyone who has drunk a cup of coffee knows, not all drugs are equally harmful. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug on earth, is not a danger to human health.

To give people an idea of the most dangerous substances, a team of psychiatrists, chemists, and pharmacologists at the UK's Royal College of Psychiatrists systematically ranked them based on three factors: how much physical harm they cause, how addictive they are, and how much damage they do to society as a whole, judging by things like costs spent on healthcare. They published their findings in the medical journal The Lancet.

Here are the drugs that rank highest for dependency:

SEE ALSO: A vape pen created by Stanford graduates is taking over US high schools — and doctors are frightened

To assess the danger of each drug, the scientists looked at three types of effects.

The following ranking focuses on dependency. The researchers further broke this category down into three factors that determine how addictive something is.

1. Pleasure, the euphoria a user feels on the drug; psychological dependence

2. The cravings a user experiences when the drug is withdrawn

3. Physical dependence, the headaches or other physical symptoms a user experiences when the drug is withdrawn

1. Heroin ranked the highest on the list in terms of dependency.

The drug received a full three out of three in terms of pleasure, cravings, and physical dependence. 

2. Cocaine received a three out of three in terms of pleasure.

However, it was deemed to be slightly less psychologically addictive than heroin and about half as physically addictive.

• To find the best places to visit in December 2018, Business Insider looked at climate data, cultural calendars, and peak travel times.
• December offers all kinds of travel experiences, from unforgettable Christmas and New Year's celebrations to relaxing getaways on tropical islands.
• The best places to visit in December include the "Hamptons of South America," a European capital filled to the brim with Christmas markets, and the rugged wilderness of Australia's southernmost state.

As December nears and the year draws to close, travelers are looking for the site of their last big vacation.

Thanks to the popularity of Christmas and New Year's Eve vacations, December is often one of the most expensive months of the year to travel to the world's tourism hotspots. 

Whether you want to indulge in the holiday festivities or escape to a sunny island paradise, there are endless options for travelers in December. 

SEE ALSO: 13 places to visit in November for every type of traveler

DON'T MISS: The 13 best places to visit in October for every type of traveler

Miami, Florida

No city knows how to party quite like Miami, and on New Year's Eve, the city takes it to another level. You'll have your pick of parties, from sparkling rooftop soirees to thumping ragers on South Beach.

There are plenty of other non-party activities to keep you busy, too. It's always beach weather in Miami, with December highs typically reaching the mid-70s Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, tourist favorites like the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and Zoo Miami host special holiday-themed events in December. 

Note that December is a huge month for traveling in Miami, so book airfare and hotels early for the best rates.

Atlanta, Georgia

Another Southeastern city that should be on your radar for December is Atlanta, Georgia.

Only Chicago and New York City see more visitors than Atlanta each year, and for good reason. Must-sees for first-time visitors include the World of Coca-Cola and a studio tour at the CNN Center— both companies are headquartered there — the Georgia Aquarium, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, which includes the civil rights leader's childhood home and church.

If you can tolerate temperatures in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit, Piedmont Park and Centennial Olympic Park are always good for a daytime stroll, and nearby Stone Mountain offers an epic lights-filled Christmas celebration each night. 

San Antonio, Texas

The end of the year is the perfect time to visit San Antonio, as hotel rates plummet but the temperature stays mostly warm.

The Alamo is San Antonio's biggest claim to fame, and there are plenty of other activities that make the city worth an extended stay. Locals love the quickly growing Pearl District for its eclectic mix of food, shopping, and art, as well as the 15-mile River Walk and its unique canals, pathways, and architecture. First-time visitors should hop on a cruise for a guided tour.

• Whole Foods has revealed the top 10 trends that will shape how we eat and drink in 2019. 
• Trends include Pacific Rim-inspired flavors, new types of icy treats, and fat-filled ingredients. 
• Here are the top 10 food-trend predictions for next year. 

As 2018 comes to a close, the food and beverage industry is wondering what comes next. 

On Wednesday, Whole Foods released its list of the trends it expects to dominate in 2019. More than a dozen buyers and experts collaborated to predict what new trends will dictate what we eat.

This year, new flavors are on the horizon, drawing inspiration from things as disparate as the Pacific Rim and the blossoming legal marijuana industry. 

Here are the top 10 food-trend predictions for 2019: 

SEE ALSO: Millennials are killing countless industries — but the Fed says it's mostly just because they're poor

Pacific Rim-inspired flavors

The grocer says that flavors from Asia, Oceania, and the western coasts of South America are on the rise. Whole Foods name checks guava, dragon fruit, Filipino sausage longganisa, dried shrimp, cuttlefish, and shrimp paste as a few ingredients to keep an eye out for. 

Shelf-stable probiotics

Probiotics have been on the rise for a while, in the form of fermented kimchi and various pickled foods. Now, wellness-focused brands, cleaning products, and beauty brands are trying to cash in on the trend. 

Phat fats

Whole Foods cites "keto, paleo, grain-free, and even 'pegan' (paleo + vegan) diets" as helping to get people to add more fat to their diets. 

"New integrations of fat sources — like keto-friendly nutrition bars crafted with MCT oil powder, coconut butter-filled chocolates, snacks affectionately called 'fat bombs' and a new wave of ready-to-drink vegan coffee beverages inspired by butter coffees — are busting on the scene allowing consumers to get their fat fill with convenient treats," the grocer says. 

Read more:10 of the best keto meal options at popular chain restaurants

• You might be wondering how to write an effective email subject line.
• There are several ways to take a subject line from so-so to excellent.
• Experts told Business Insider that getting specific, like including a deadline or how you know the person you're emailing, is important. 

A boring email subject line might mean that your email will never be read. 

"You do have to grab enough attention with the subject line to make it worth your reader's time," Marc Cenedella, CEO of Ladders, told Business Insider.

You might already know to avoid writing your emails in all caps or otherwise sounding like spam. But, what should you include instead?

Business Insider asked experts to understand the key components of any email subject line — whether you're emailing a coworker or a potential mentor. Here's what they told us to include: 

SEE ALSO: 7 common mistakes people make when writing email subject lines

A verb

If you're getting a request from a potential connection to get lunch, you're more likely to be interested in "Let's grab Thai food" than "Networking lunch request." Begin your subject lines with a verb rather than a bland summary of your request.

"Subject lines that begin with action verbs tend to be a lot more enticing, and your emails could be drastically more clickable by adding a vibrant verb at the beginning,"suggests HubSpot. 

"Your subject line should always state exactly what you want as a way to grab attention," career coach Judge Graham told Business Insider. 

Tags

Dmitri Leonov, cofounder of email assistant tool SaneBox, suggested adding tags like [Time Sensitive], [Urgent], or [Action Item] at the beginning of your subject so your recipient knows just what the message entails — and how urgent it is to reply.

As a caveat, don't tag all your emails with these, especially if you don't know the person you're messaging. The 13th "urgent" email that week about, say, the office's new dishwasher brand is going to be ignored.

NNTO or EOM

NNTO means "no need to open," while EOM means "end of message."

If you just need to send a quick, casual update to your team or a connection, Leonov said this tag is a great addition to a email subject line. Just write what's important in the subject and leave it at that.

Some workplaces might prefer to send this sort of note over a messaging app, like Slack, instead of fill up people's inboxes. But if your workplace is email-reliant, this might be a useful tip for you. 

• The Subaru Forester is all-new for 2019.
• The Forester is one of the best-selling compact crossover SUVs in the world and competes against the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and the Nissan Rogue. 
• The new fifth generation Forester is powered by a 2.5-liter, 182 horsepower, boxer-four-cylinder engine. 
• The base Forester starts at $24,295, while the top-of-the-line Touring starts at $34,295. Our mid-grade Sport trim test car starts at $28,795. With options and fees, our Forester came to an as-tested price of $31,815. 
• We were impressed with the Forester's solid feel, great cabin ergonomics, standard all-wheel-drive, and an impressive suite of safety technology.
• We were underwhelmed by the Forester's naturally aspirated powertrain and rough-around-the-edges demeanor.  

The compact crossover SUV is a force to be reckoned with. The Subaru Forester has long been a leader in the segment. 

Launched in 1998, the Subaru Forester was part of the initial wave of modern compact crossovers to reach the US market. Since then, the segment and SUVs, in general, have absolutely exploded in popularity. So much so that major automakers like Ford and General Motors have announced plans to ax the bulk of their passenger models.

According to data from Kelley Blue Book, nearly 3.1 million compact SUVs rolled off US dealership lots over the first ten months of 2018, equating to roughly one in every five vehicles sold. 

And the public's demand for these cars seems to be nothing less than insatiable with sales up more than 12% during that same period.

Read more: We drove a $46,000 Subaru Ascent SUV to see if it's ready to challenge Honda, Toyota, and Ford — here's the verdict.

The Forester is a lynchpin in Subaru's lineup. The crossover has consistently been its second best-selling model behind only the Japanese brand's signature Outback off-road wagon. 

For 2019, Subaru is back with a new fifth-generation Forester and it already seems to be a hit. In its first full month on the market, the 2019 model pushed Forester sales up 19% over the previous year. 

Recently, Business Insider was able to spend a week with a 2019 Subaru Forester Sport in Crystal Black Silica. The base Forester starts at $24,295 while the top-of-the-line Touring starts at $34,295. Our mid-grade Sport trim test car starts at $28,795. With options and fees, our Forester came to an as-tested price of $31,815. 

Here's a closer look at the 2019 Subaru Forester Sport. 

SEE ALSO: The Kia Stinger is Business Insider's 2018 Car of the Year

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

The original Subaru Forester launched in 1998 and joined the first wave of modern compact crossover SUVs that also included...

... The first generation Toyota RAV4 and...

....The first generation Honda CR-V.

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.

It's not too difficult to identify a foodie in the wild. Do they plan their next meal as they eat their current one? Are their travel itineraries made up entirely of restaurants and bars? Have they exhausted every cooking show and food documentary offered by Netflix? If so, congratulations — you have a foodie on your hands. 

This holiday, you can fuel their appetite and never-ending quest to enjoy good food with these unique gifts. Treat them to one of the best meals they've ever had, then top it all off with a food or cooking-related gift. 

The way to a foodie's heart is through their stomachs — and one of these 21 gifts:

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

A Dutch oven from a new startup

Dutch Oven, $95, available at Milo

For a fraction of the price, you can gift a quality Dutch oven that's just as nice as Le Creuset or Staub. Milo may not be a legacy name, but it performs like one — and it comes with a lifetime guarantee. 

Bowls that look like lettuce leaves

Tory Burch Lettuce Ware Soup Bowls (Set of 4), $148, available at Nordstrom

These hand-painted soup bowls are an unexpected and colorful addition to the dinner table. The fact that they resemble lettuce counts as one's daily vegetable intake, right? 

A book that shows them how to create the ultimate appetizer spread

Platters and Boards: Beautiful, Casual Spreads for Every Occasion, $16.96, available at Amazon

The beautiful arrangements in this book will have dinner and party guests eating with their eyes first. It contains 40 appetizer boards of spreads, dips, and drinks for all times of the day. 

• Botox, the pharmaceutical drug best known for smoothing out wrinkles, took more than a decade to reach its potential.
• Initially found to be a treatment for a tight eyelid condition, doctors started realizing that after treatment with botulinum toxin A, patients came out with "lovely, untroubled expressions."  
• Here's the history of how Botox went from an understudied toxin to a blockbuster drug used by millions. 
• To hear the full story of Botox, subscribe to Business Insider's podcast "Household Name." 

Mitchell Brin has a license plate that says "Botox."  

Brin's been researching Botox since 1984 and is currently the chief scientific officer of Botox at the drug company Allergan. It's one of many Botox-related license plates he owns, including some more scientific nods like one that says "Snap-25." That's a reference to a protein affected by botulinum toxin A, leading to smoother foreheads when used in the right doses.

"Botox is a big component of my life," Brin told Business Insider.

Brin is one of the scientists who saw Botox through from its early days as a potential treatment for muscle disorders to what it is today — a blockbuster pharmaceutical drug best known for cosmetic uses like smoothing out wrinkles on patients' faces.

Here's the story of how a poisonous toxin became a blockbuster treatment for everything from wrinkles to migraines.

SUBSCRIBE TO: Business Insider's "Household Name" podcast

Researchers had been looking into whether botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin that works by paralyzing parts of the body, could be used as a treatment for muscle-related conditions starting around the 1970s.

Yes, it's a toxin — the deadliest on Earth even. Botulinum toxin is a byproduct of the bacteria clostridium botulinum, the same one implicated in canned food gone bad.

Source: The Conversation

In the 1980s, Vancouver-based ophthalmologist Jean Carruthers was treating people with a tight eyelid condition with Botox injections when one patient got angry with her. She wanted to know why Carruthers hadn't given her an injection near her inner brow. Carruthers explained it was because she wasn't spasming there, but the patient was insistent. "Every time you treat me there, I get this beautiful, untroubled expression," she told Carruthers.

• Abercrombie & Fitch's shares soared 25% early Thursday morning after the retailer reported its fifth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth.
• The company, which also owns Hollister and Abercrombie Kids, has been working hard to execute a turnaround by investing in its stores, closing unprofitable locations, improving its product assortment, and working on its marketing strategy.
• These photos reveal how it has changed. 

Abercrombie & Fitch is back. 

The clothing retailer, which also owns Hollister and Abercrombie Kids, saw its shares soar as much as 25% early Thursday morning after reporting its fifth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth. 

Same-store sales were up 3% overall at the company with a 1% and 4% increase at the Abercrombie and Hollister brand, respectively. 

While sales growth had slowed somewhat during the quarter, the company has remained on an upward trend over the past year, proving that it is on the mend. 

"The recovery at Abercrombie& Fitch is still a work in progress. However, turning around a once very troubled brand is far from easy," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients on Thursday.

He continued: "Progress and advancement do not all come at once; this is a step-by-step process that will build over time. We are satisfied that management is on the right road to recovery."

The photos below reveal how the brand has changed over the past few years in order to execute this turnaround:

SEE ALSO: Abercrombie & Fitch has spent millions on making over its image — and it looks like it's finally paying off

It has changed the nightclub aesthetic of its stores by turning up the lights, turning down the music, and putting an end to incessant cologne spraying.

These store changes were announced in 2014, when the company said it would remove the dark shutters from its windows to let in more light. 

Today, all of the stores are brighter, and there is not a whiff of cologne. 

Shirtless models are a thing of the past ...

Abercrombie was famous for its scantily clad models who greeted customers are the entrance of the store. 

In 2015, the company put a stop to this and announced that it would no longer hire sales associates based on their looks. 

... as are the racy shopping bags.

Today, Abercrombie opts for a simpler bag to appeal to the more sophisticated shopper. 

• Black Friday has come and gone, and now the holiday-shopping season is in full swing. 
• Black Friday as a singular shopping day is becoming less important thanks to online shopping and frequent discounting.
• Still, holiday spending is expected to top $717 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
• These photos show how much holiday shopping has changed over the years. 

The holiday-shopping season is here.

Though Black Friday itself is becoming less and less important thanks to the rise of online shopping and frequent discounting year-round, many retailers have been prepping for the shopping season for months. In some cases, stores set their Christmas displays up as early as October. 

This year, holiday spending is expected to top over $717 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. And the holiday shopping craze isn't new — long lines and hectic crowds have always accompanied holiday shopping, long before the term "Black Friday" was coined.

The photos below show how holiday shopping has changed — and stayed the same — since the early 1900s:

SEE ALSO: Here are the most over-the-top gifts on Neiman Marcus' guide for the ultra-wealthy

Macy's has long been a destination for holiday shoppers.

This 1933 photo shows shoppers in New York City, admiring the window displays of a department store.

Men dressed as Santa stood in the streets, collecting charity donations ...

• Morgan Stanley's equity analysts expect 2019 to be a year of consolidation for the stock market.
• They compiled a list of 25 stocks that should be able to grow their earnings independently of broader market weakness or an economic slowdown.

The stock market has reached a critical juncture that changes the game for investors, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.

They expect the growth companies that have led gains for most of this bull market run to give way to value stocks. Also, they expect valuation metrics like price-to-earnings ratios to matter more than earnings growth in stock selection.

But don't take this viewpoint as the death knell for companies with outsize growth. Morgan Stanley expects select stocks to continue growing their earnings — and, subsequently, their stock prices — even as the market consolidates. Additionally, these companies offer competitive advantages like market-share gains and pricing power that should help them continue growing even if there is a slowdown in the global economy.

In a client note, the analysts listed 25 of these North American companies that have been classified as growth companies for 48 straight months and have generated positive revenue growth in each of the past 12 quarters.

What's more, only stocks they rated overweight or equal weight made the cut.

That's where Morgan Stanley's work ends, however. The analysts cautioned that investors would still need to study the specific risks and opportunities attached to each company so they know the range of outcomes to expect. But the analysts have high conviction that these 25 names will stand tall in the face of market adversity.

Here are the stocks:

SEE ALSO: MORGAN STANLEY: The best group of stocks to own has shifted for the first time in years — here's why it will be more permanent than most investors expect

1. Adobe

Ticker:ADBE

12-month performance: 41%

Comment:"Adobe is participating in a ~$108B total addressable market (TAM) with strong secular tailwinds around digital content creation, digital marketing,and eCommerce," Keith Weiss said. 

"As Adobe integrates recent acquisitions of Marketo and Magento into an already rich product portfolio, we see the possibility for the company to widen its competitive moat. Together, we see these secular forces supporting both revenue and above-market EPS growth."

Source: Morgan Stanley

2. Alphabet

Ticker:GOOGL

12-month performance: 5.5%

Comment:"As the dominant player in paid search, Google continues to benefit from secular growth as advertising dollars shift into digital," Brian Nowak said. 

"Google also owns YouTube, the leader in online video advertising, an industry we believe will grow by nearly 25% from 2017 to 2020 to ~$22bn in the US alone."

Source: Morgan Stanley

3. Amazon

Ticker:AMZN

12-month performance: 44%

Comment:"As the dominant player in US eCommerce, Amazon continues to experience secular growth as retail dollars shift online," Nowak said.

"As Amazon scales its logistics network and expands its Prime membership program globally, we see a significant opportunity to capture a larger piece of the ~$1tn worldwide eCommerce market (ex China)."

Source: Morgan Stanley

• Twitter collects a lot of data on you, including a compiled list of "inferred interests" it uses to personalize your experience.
• This interests list was initially rolled out to Twitter users a while back, but the feature was rediscovered this week and users have been tweeting their own lists, some of which include topics are weirdly specific and seemingly inaccurate.
• Find out below how to find your own list of what Twitter thinks you're interested in.

If you've ever wondered what Twitter knows about you (or thinks it knows about you) based on your online activities, there's an easy way to find out. 

There's a special "inferred interests" dossier that Twitter creates for every user of the social network. These personalized lists are Twitter's best guesses about your predilections, from favorite TV shows to sports, and even some seemingly random stuff. 

The "inferred interests" data was made available to users more than a year ago, but the existence of this feature has for some reason resurfaced this week on Twitter. Users have been tweeting out their lists of personalized interests, which include topics such as news, science, and soccer. 

"These are some of the interests matched to you based on your profile and activity that are used to personalize your experience, including ads," Twitter says about your inferred interests. "You can adjust them if something doesn't look right."

The random and sometimes weirdly specific nature of some of these inferred interests are raising chuckles among some users:

I checked mine, and Twitter seems to think I'm incredibly interested in the Shrek reboot— so much that it's listed twice.

Here's how to check out what Twitter thinks your interests are:

SEE ALSO: 'Shrek' is getting rebooted and people don't understand why it's happening

You can find out your interests, according to Twitter, under your "Settings and privacy" tab.

Select "Your Twitter data," which is found all the way toward the bottom of your settings list.

Scroll down to the section titled "Interests and ads data." Not only can you find your "inferred interests" collected by Twitter (the first section), but you can also discover what data Twitter has collected — and shared— so it can personalize the advertisements it shows you on its platform.

• Lots of people buy video games, try them briefly, and forget about them for one reason or another.
• There are plenty of games that deserve a second chance, or a revisit if you gave up on them the first time.

Not every video game makes an excellent impression the first time around. But many games, especially in recent years, tend to improve greatly after their initial public launch. Updates, expansions, and even remasters can give an old video game new life.

While there are dozens of video games worth revisiting, we highlighted the three that we think should be at the top of your "second chance" list. 

SEE ALSO: 'Red Dead Online,' the online multiplayer mode for 'Red Dead Redemption 2' will launch tomorrow as a beta test

"Destiny 2"— Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

"Destiny 2" was rough at launch, to say the least. I was a big "Destiny" player even before the sequel came out, but was extremely disappointed in all of the ways "Destiny 2" had regressed: Fun systems were made less fun, the all-too-rare "exotic" items were suddenly way too easy to obtain, and the game was generally more boring than the first outing.

Like the first "Destiny" game, though, "Destiny 2" experienced a massive overhaul in the form of an expansion, which arrived in September, exactly one year after the launch of the base game. The new expansion, "Forsaken," drastically changes the way players experience "Destiny" for the better. I would even call it the best "Destiny" expansion to date.

Unfortunately, many people are missing out on all of the new goodies in "Destiny 2 Forsaken" because the 2017 launch of "Destiny 2" was so bad. But if you give "Destiny 2" a chance, you'll enjoy a really fun and addicting sci-fi shooter that feels way more rewarding than it was a year ago. If you've ever wanted to know what it would feel like to be a superhero in space, "Destiny 2" is your opportunity — but you need to get it with the "Forsaken" expansion to really enjoy everything the game has to offer.

Price: "Forsaken Legendary Collection," which includes the base game and all three expansions, costs $35 on Amazon

"The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt"— Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

I'll admit it: The first time I tried playing "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," I found it overwhelming. There were too many quests to do, and too many large areas to explore. I had other games I wanted to play at the time, so I put it down and moved on.

This summer, though, I found myself looking for a new game to play, so I decided to give "The Witcher 3" another chance. I started a new game, and I was immediately enthralled. 

By the time I played "The Witcher 3," the game's developers CD Projekt Red had vastly improved the game's stability, fixing numerous bugs and issues that hampered the game's performance. And the game also had two massive new expansions available for me to play, including the gorgeous "Blood and Wine" expansion, which features my favorite locale and storyline in the entire game.

"The Witcher 3" can be a magical experience. It presents you a massive, immersive fantasy world filled with monsters, magic, and memorable quests and characters. The game's looks and performance have significantly improved since launch, and if you pick it up now, you can enjoy all of the excellent expansions as soon as you're ready for them. With so much to do, "The Witcher 3" is one of the best values you can get right now in a video game.

Price: Game of the Year Edition, which includes base game and all expansions, costs $36 on Amazon

"Dark Souls Remastered"— Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

This year, fans were treated to a remastered version of the original "Dark Souls" game, which first came out in 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. "Dark Souls" was notorious for being an extremely difficult game, but it also featured incredible design elements like interconnected environments and a surprisingly deep combat system. 

"Dark Souls Remastered" features the original base game and all of its expansions, fully remastered for current-generation game consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game also launched for the Nintendo Switch in October, so you can play "Dark Souls" on the go.

Many people may have missed "Dark Souls Remastered" because it came out around the same time as other popular games like "God of War," which was one of the most talked-about games of 2018, but with the holiday season approaching, now is the best time to revisit this challenging game.

Price:$27 to $32 (depending on platform) on Amazon

• Google has started to roll out its artificial intelligence-powered reservation booking service, called Google Duplex, to some Pixel users.
• The feature debuted over the summer at Google's I/O conference, where it stunned the audience with its eerily human-sounding voice, including its usage of "um" and "ah."
• Critics first questioned the ethics of AI software making phone calls without first identifying itself to the person on the line, but Google Duplex did in fact identify itself, according to multiple businesses where Business Insider made reservations.
• The service is beneficial for those who are shy about placing phone calls, but it's just as simple (if not quicker) to make a reservation with OpenTable or Google Maps.

Google is bringing Pixel users one step closer to never having to make another phone call again thanks to a new voice-enabled tool that can schedule appointments and book dinner reservations for you.

Duplex, the newest artificial intelligence tool for Google Assistant, has started rolling out to Pixel phone owners, a Google spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. The technology can perform actual phone calls for you in order to make you a haircut appointment, or book a restaurant reservation. 

Google debuted the technology back in May at its annual I/O conference, but never provided a clear timeline of when Duplex would be available for customer use. With the rollout, not all Pixel users will have access to the technology right away, but our device did have Duplex software enabled. 

Take a look at how you can use Google Duplex to make a reservation:

SEE ALSO: The 25 most valuable US startups that failed this year

To get started, all you have to do is ask your Google Assistant to make a restaurant reservation.

You only get three options off the bat that are (by default) near your location, so to get different results, you can ask more pointed questions — such as type of food, price range, or neighborhood.

When Google presented the technology earlier this year, it showed Duplex making a reservation at a salon. However, in our tests, we could only get the technology to work with restaurant reservations.

Once you've identified the restaurant you want to book, ask Google Assistant to make a reservation there in order to engage the Duplex feature.

Your Assistant will ask a series of questions: how many people the reservation is for, what time you want to book, and even if your reservation time is flexible in case the restaurant is booked up already.

For some restaurants, Duplex won't be able to make reservations. It could be because the restaurant doesn't take phone reservations, or the business has disabled the use of Duplex there for booking appointments. Google Assistant doesn't specify.

• The Fitbit Versa is a $200 smartwatch aimed at the everyday consumer. 
• While the Apple Watch has long been the leader in the smartwatch category, there are plenty to reasons to choose Fitbit's Versa instead. 
• Fitbit is offering the watch for $150 right now — $50 off — for Cyber Monday. 

Buying a smartwatch these days is anything but a simple process.

On one side, you have the Apple Watch, the undisputed queen of the smartwatch category and the best-selling watch in the world.

On the other side, you have a wide array of smartwatches that work with various platforms and at all price points. There's the vast lineup of watches running Google's Wear OS, as well as heavy-duty devices from companies like Garmin and Samsung.

But in recent months, a new competitor has arrived on the scene: the Fitbit Versa, a $200 smartwatch — $150 right now!— aimed at the everyday consumer. The Fitbit Versa is the closest thing the Apple Watch has to a real competitor, and it's an excellent watch in its own right.

So while there are plenty of reasons to love the Apple Watch, here are eight reasons to choose the Fitbit Versa instead:

SEE ALSO: The Echo Spot is one of Amazon's most innovative Alexa devices — and it's on sale for $90 for Black Friday

1. The Fitbit Versa is significantly cheaper than the Apple Watch.

The Fitbit Versa costs $200, while the Apple Watch Series 4 starts at $399.

That said, both devices are on sale for Cyber Monday. You can get as much as $80 off an Apple Watch (although most deals are on the last generation watch, the Series 3) and $50 off the Versa right now. 

2. The Fitbit Versa is smaller than the Apple Watch.

The Fitbit Versa is 24 mm wide and 24 mm tall, making it slightly smaller than the smallest available Apple Watch, which is 38.6 mm wide and 33.3 mm tall.

A smaller watch may not be important for everyone, but the Fitbit Versa does fit better on women's wrists.

3. The Fitbit Versa has better battery life than the Apple Watch.

Fitbit says the Versa can get up to four days of battery life. In my tests, I got almost five full days on a 90% charge.

The Apple Watch, on the other hand, gets only about 18 hours of battery life.

• The Lighthouse security camera is a $300 internet-connected device that can identify you and your family members.
• The camera can do things like alert you when there are intruders in your home, or tell you if the dog walker came. 
• Lighthouse is backed by tech execs like Sebastian Thrun, and is part of tech incubator Playground Global. 

Hardware startup Lighthouse had a straightforward goal with its first-ever product: make a home security camera that's smarter than anything else on the market.  

The result is the Lighthouse camera, which costs $300 and is available to buy online and on Amazon. It's an artificially intelligent, internet-connected security camera. It can identify you and your family members, alert you when there are intruders in your home, and understand commands like, "Did the dog walker come today?"

Lighthouse is entering an already-crowded field of smart security cameras. But its built-in AI, along with the backing of prominent tech execs like Sebastian Thrun, make the Lighthouse camera an exciting entry. 

Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: A complete guide to the Amazon Echo family, the smart speakers that will change your home forever

Lighthouse was founded in 2014 by Hendrik Dahlkamp and Alex Teichman, who met while working in Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun's lab at Stanford University. Lighthouse later joined Playground Global, an incubator run by Android creator Andy Rubin.

The Lighthouse camera is the startup's first product. When building it, Lighthouse wanted to "take a traditional camera and give it the eyes of a self-driving car, and give it the natural language understanding of a Google Assistant," Teichman told Business Insider.

Teichman described traditional security cameras versus the Lighthouse camera as "going from VCR to TiVo."

• The NFL has been full of fantastic touchdown celebrations ever since the league chose to relax the rules surrounding excessive and group performances. 
• The Pittsburgh Steelers' hide-and-seek celebration, the Minnesota Vikings' post-touchdown game of duck, duck, goose, and the Philadelphia Eagles' Electric Slide all stood out as memorable celebrations from 2017, but this year's crop far exceeded its predecessor.
• Check out whether or not your favorite team made the list.

After the 2016 season came to an end, the NFL decided to relax league rules surrounding excessive and group celebrations, allowing teams and players to get creative with their post-touchdown performances.

As a result, 2017 was full of memorable touchdown celebrations, like the Pittsburgh Steelers' hide-and-seek celebration between wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back LeVeon Bell, the Minnesota Vikings' post-touchdown game of duck, duck, goose, and the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles' group rendition of the Electric Slide.

Still, it feels as though it took the league a year to get comfortable testing the new rules and going big on touchdown celebrations. Once 2018 came along, players began taking turning touchdown celebrations into a full-blown performance.

Without further ado, here are the best touchdown celebrations of 2018.

Dallas Cowboys — Amari Cooper impersonates Markelle Fultz's free throw

Tweet Embed:
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Amari Cooper really did Markelle Fultz's latest FT routine as a TD celebration.

📺: FOX #WASvsDALpic.twitter.com/09RdV8iXRA

Newly-minted Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper poked fun at Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz, who has struggled with his shooting form since he was drafted first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.

To his credit, Fultz took the joke in stride and said "Good shot boy" in response on Snapchat.

Seattle Seahawks — Tyler Lockett reenacts the Allen Iverson step-over

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//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1066788743942615040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Lockett hit em with the Iverson stepover 😱😱😱 @TDLockett12pic.twitter.com/JhvxIHTvCk

In yet another homage to the NBA, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett did a near-perfect impersonation of Allen Iverson's famous step-over of Tyronn Lue.

Kansas City Chiefs — Tyreek Hills operates the CBS TV camera

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//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1061698513854128131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Another one!@PatrickMahomes5 to the @Cheetah... SIX!

📺: CBS #ChiefsKingdompic.twitter.com/9E81WaWpLp

After scoring his second touchdown of the game, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek "Cheetah" Hill jumped into the stands and took over operations of the CBS TV camera just in time to record the referree throwing his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty flag.