Here are some of the apps that I use on a daily or near-daily basis.

I can't live without them, and most are free.

Enjoy!

SEE ALSO: '4-Hour Workweek' author Tim Ferriss says you should always consider 2 things before taking any advice

Evernote

My external brain, used for all note-taking, decluttering, research, and more. I normally use it 10+ times per day. So does Adam Savage of Mythbusters.

Find it here »

F.lux

Prevents laptop-induced insomnia. Dims/reheats your screen at local sundown.

Find it here »

Boomerang

Get the upgraded extension for Gmail. Allows you to schedule email to be sent in the future, automate follow-up emails, get pinged if someone doesn't reply, etc. In short, it frees up your brain and calendar from all the "Check with [person] on [whatever]" clutter. Clear your mind, clear your inbox.

Find it here »

Running out of storage is one of the worst things that can happen to your iPhone. And if you have a 16GB model, you probably run into the problem all too often.

We've already highlighted severalclever ways to recover storage space on your iPhone. But nothing is quite as easy as a trick that's been getting lotsof attention in recent weeks after first surfacing on Reddit. It requires no purchases or extra apps to download and takes less than five minutes.

If you're running dangerously low on storage, you're going to want to give it a try:

Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone and find a movie to rent.

Don't worry, you won't have to actually pay for the rental.

The catch is that the movie's file size needs to be larger than your available storage.

We tried to download the latest "Avengers" movie rental in HD on an iPhone with 700MB of available storage. The download is 6.51GB, so that obviously wasn't going to work.

Another good movie to try is "War and Peace," which clocks in at a whopping 8.86GB in HD.

You'll see this message that you don't have enough available space to download. Boo!

But the good news is it looks like Apple buried a setting that'll help you out.

Over the next few years, we'll see the most recognizable figures in comics on the big screen. 

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" brought us a whole host of comic legends: Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Lex Luthor. And now, Warner Bros. is ready to debut even more icons.

Following the release of "Batman v Superman," Warner Bros. has recalibrated its superhero schedule to move up the date of "Wonder Woman" and make space for two additional untitled films coming in 2018 and 2019. 

Read on to find see what's next for DC's biggest heroes and villains. 

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," out March 25, is the first DC entry of 2016.

Following "BvS" is "Suicide Squad," about a group of supervillains who team up to take down an even bigger villain.

The film will introduce fan favorite Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) to the big screen.

Snapchat's messaging is way more powerful than sending a text. You can upload photos, make an audio or video call, or send stickers to friends. It's texting, FaceTiming, and a phone all tied up in one.

But all those options, especially when you use them at once, can be confusing at first. 

Here's how to become a pro at messaging on Snapchat:

SEE ALSO: Snapchat just made it a lot faster to catch up on your friends' stories

In early April, Snapchat's messaging center got a whole new look. To start, swipe right on the screen where you normally watch a friend's snaps to find how you can message them.

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Let's start with chatting. Regular text works just fine, but you can also spice it up. If you type in an address, it shows up as a map.

You can also send cash if you've set up Snapcash. Simply type in dollar symbol ($) before an amount and you can send it via the app.

On Friday, researchers announced that they may have found new evidence of a former Viking settlement in North America. 

The Vikings were a seafaring group from Scandinavia that sailed around the world, raiding and pillaging along the way, about 1,000 years ago.

The discovery of this second site, more than 50 years after the first was uncovered, could ultimately lead to a better understanding of Viking activity in North America.

For more details, check out NOVA's "Vikings Unearthed," a two-hour PBS documentary airing at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, or watch it online.

To make her discovery, Sarah Parcak, a space archaeologist who recently won a $1-million TED prize to start a global project, used satellites to get a look at structures buried beneath the ground's surface. Parcak and her research team provided Business Insider with some of the images from the excavation. Take a look: 

RELATED: Scientists may have just uncovered an ancient Viking site in North America using satellites

SEE ALSO: Americans are eating less of one fruit, and it could signal a bigger problem in our diets

The new site is about 300 miles south of the only other known North American Viking site, called L'Anse aux Meadows. The red box around the southwest corner shows the approximate area.

Parcak and her team used satellites to determine possible new sites. "What's amazing about satellites, is that they don't just process the visual part of the light spectrum, but when we process the data, all of a sudden we start seeing really subtle detail — it's just amazing new technology," Parcak said in a NOVA video clip.

Source: NOVA

Here's what the new site, called Point Rosee, looks like from the western end during the summer.

In the early 1980s, Cold War tensions were at their post-Cuban Missile Crisis height, and the US was looking for any strategic advantage it could get against its Soviet adversary.

Although submarine-based missiles were a well-established leg of the nuclear "triad" (along with ballistic missiles and strategic bomber aircraft) the US realized the strategic applicability of stealth for vessels at sea. Specifically, US military researchers wanted to test the viability of making nuclear-armed submarines invisible to sonar.

This effort resulted in Lockheed Martin's experimental stealth ship, a razor-like surface vessel called the Sea Shadow. 

First acquired by the US Navy in 1985, the Sea Shadow remained secret until it was unveiled to the public in 1993. The ship continued to be used for testing purposes until 2006, when it was removed from service. 

Built with help from DARPA and funding from the US government, Sea Shadow was designed to test if it was possible to construct ships that could be invisible to Soviet satellite detection systems and X-band radar.

Additionally, the ship was more highly automated than previous vessels, and the Sea Shadow was partly aimed at testing how well surface ships could perform under the command of a very small crew. 

SEE ALSO: This incredible wave-cutting stealth ship could be the future of naval warfare

First acquired in 1985, the Sea Shadow was never intended to be mission capable.

Instead, the ship was built to test stealth and automation technology. The sharp angles on the ship reflect designs that had previously proven successful for Lockheed's stealth Nighthawk attack aircraft.

The Sea Shadow's raised hull builds upon older technology that is widely used in ferry design for enhancing stability. The Sea Shadow was designed to be able to withstand 18-foot high waves.

“Marcia, what if we won?” It’s a question Darden asks in the finale of "American Crime Story" that lingers on, briefly, in a tender scene just before they learn their fate. It’s also one "American Crime Story" has been asking all season. The suspense of an inspired-by-real-events courtroom drama doesn’t come from the verdict. And it especially doesn’t in a case like O.J.’s. What true crime does, and does well, is build empathy — out of Marcia’s struggles, Johnnie’s frustrations, Fred Goldman’s grief, and O.J.’s turmoil are infinitely better suited to screen-time dramatization than archived transcription. This isn’t to say the facts don’t matter (we’re about to check em!) but that to take the season as a whole, "The People v. O.J." has been successful in one way, and maybe in the most important way. Everyone on the show felt human — on either side. So no, we never wondered if Marcia and Chris would come out on top, but it’s important to remember they once did. 

For this final, reflective, what-might-have-been fact check, we’re honing in on those moments that made “The Verdict.” Where did all those bodyguards come from? Did Darden really break down crying? Does O.J. get a puppy?? That and more below:

SEE ALSO: THEN AND NOW: What happened to the key players in the O.J. Simpson trial

The media

True or False: The verdict was streamed live in Times Square.

True. Here’s a video.

True or False: Darden broke down in tears during his after-verdict press conference.

Also true! Here’s another video. 

True or False:Bill Clinton responded to the verdict on TV, saying we all need to listen to one another. 

Also also true. YouTube is an amazing resource. (Hit up the 0:40 mark to see the clip used on the show).

The Cochran

True or False:Cochran enlisted Nation of Islam bodyguards to protect him after receiving death threats.

Yes yes. Cochran arrived at the courthouse the morning of the verdict with “six beefy bodyguards,” according to the LA Times. And “at least one” of the men had also protected Farrakhan, which was probably why Shapiro brought him up during the show. 

The closing arguments

True or False: Clark called Fuhrman a racist and “the worst the LAPD has to offer” in her closing arguments.

Yes, Clark used these exact words, along with: “do we wish there were no such person on the planet? Yes.” Harsh? Yes. Completely warranted? Yes. Read more excerpts here.

True or False:Darden claimed the case wasn’t about the “N word,” but about the “M word.” 

Transcriptions are so helpful — yes, Darden said this. It’s a catchy line, but not Cochran catchy. Here’s his closing in full.

True or False:Cochran claimed Fuhrman “represents the entire LAPD.” 

Verbatim? No. Cochran’s closing was stretched out over two days, and in neithertranscript is he recorded as giving this exact line. Still, it was the sentiment the defense pushed and one many of O.J.’s supporters believed and had experienced firsthand. We can consider this a kind of tl;dr. Not false, but not true, at least not in so few words. 

People form impressions of your personality in a matter of seconds.

It's not necessarily fair, but it's reality.

Especially in a professional setting, one thing you'll want to immediately appear is competent: knowledgeable, skilled, and capable.

Fortunately, there are ways to make yourself seem competent as soon as you meet an interviewer, coworker, client, or boss (and sometimes even as soon as they see your photograph).

Here are seven easy, sneaky strategies for appearing as competent as possible:

SEE ALSO: 15 science-backed tricks to instantly seem smart

1. Speak quickly

If you've got something to say, say it fast.

In one study, Brigham Young University researchers had 28 university students listen to recordings of six people whose voices had been manipulated to sound slower or faster than normal.

The student volunteers rated the speakers most competent when their voices had been sped up and least competent when their voices had been slowed down.

2. If you’re a woman, consider wearing makeup

Research suggests that wearing makeup can make women seem more competent.

In 2011, Nancy Etcoff at Harvard University led a study in which more than 250 adults looked at photographs of 25 women with different types of makeup. One-quarter of them wore no makeup; one quarter were made to look "natural" (some makeup); one quarter were made to look "professional" (a bit more makeup than the "natural" group); and one quarter were made look "glamorous" (the most makeup).

As it turns out, judges rated the "glamorous" women the most competent and the barefaced women the least competent.

3. Ask for advice

You might fear that asking for help will make you look stupid.

But recent research from Harvard Business School suggests that asking for advice can instead make you seem more competent.

In one experiment, 170 university students worked on a series of computer tasks and were told they'd be matched with a partner who would complete the same tasks. (The partner was really a computer simulation.) When they'd finished the tasks, the "partner" either said, "I hope it went well" or "I hope it went well. Do you have any advice?"

As it turns out, students who'd been asked for advice rated their "partner" more competent than those who hadn't been asked for advice.

The researchers explain that when you ask for advice, you're validating the person's intelligence and experience, so they feel good about you in turn.

When 2020 hits, you can bet it will start the decade of driverless cars.

11 automakers are committed to having driverless car technology ready by 2020, some even declaring their fully autonomous car will be hitting the roads at that time. (Assuming the various necessary regulations are in place, of course.)

There are so many players in the game it can be hard to keep track, so we rounded all of them up. Here's who is in the race to make driverless cars a reality just four years from now.

Tesla is aiming to have its driverless technology ready by 2018.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk committed to the 2018 timeline in September, but it's unlikely we'll see one on the road. Musk himself said that it's unlikely regulators will be ready for driverless cars to hit the roads in 2018, so we'll have to wait to see how that plays out.

If Tesla succeeds in building a fully autonomous car by 2020, Uber has declared it will buy 500,000.

"Travis [Kalanick] recently told me that in 2020, if Teslas are autonomous, he'd want to buy all of them,"said Steve Jurvetson, a board member and early investor in Tesla. "And I was like, 'What?' And he's like 'All 500,000 estimated for 2020 production, I want them all.' But he couldn't get a return call from Elon, so he was like, whatever."

Uber has also made a play for the self-driving car space by poaching staff from Carnegie Mellon University's robotics department. But we have yet to hear specifics about Uber's driverless car plans.

Google has never given a formal deadline, but has suggested it's working on having the technology ready by 2020.

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Chris Urmson, head of Google's self-driving car project, suggested that he and his team are working on a 2020 deadline in a March 2015 TED Talk.

Google is taking a different approach from other automakers in that it isn't looking to roll out semi-autonomous features overtime, but have a fully autonomous car ready.

What's holding Google back? Aside from the need for further technological refinement, Google has called for federal laws that will set regulations for driverless cars and allow them to hit the roads.

"We're going downtown, y'all!" says Nikki Osei, one of the six brides-to-be aboard a bus traveling down Manhattan's Sixth Avenue. "Are we going to Hudson Yards? Soho?"

When the double-decker reaches Houston Street, it turns right. "The High Line?! Are we getting married on the High Line?" 

The bus drives farther west until it arrives at the secret wedding venue. The six couples didn't plan the celebration — they only brought their suits, wedding dresses, and rings.

The rest was up to the PopBliss team, a pop-up wedding service that organizes group ceremonies. The company threw its first pop-up wedding in New York City on March 31; the next wedding will be in Atlanta in 2017.

"The element of surprise is often missing in traditional weddings, and the preparations are often intended to wow guests, not the couples. We want to wow everyone," Racquel Kristi, PopBliss' founder, tells Tech Insider.

Pop-up weddings promise to cut down on the excessive planning and cost of a typical wedding, which costs between $19,800 and $33,100 for the average American couple. 

PopBliss' two-day celebration was $5,000 for an all-inclusive package featuring invitations, hotel accommodations, make-up and hair stylists, bus transportation, a decorated venue, an officiant, photographers, tickets for 14 guests, catering, an open bar, a mini-cake, live singers, a DJ, a brunch before the wedding, and a party the evening before.

I tagged along for the first PopBliss wedding. Here's what ensued.

The six couples were chosen out of about 130 applicants. Kristi, who is a wedding planner by trade, said she looked for "cool, modern, courageous couples." The couples meet at the Trump Soho Hotel for a welcome party the evening before the wedding.

On the big day, the grooms and brides board double-decker tour buses. First, the couples ride to an undisclosed hotel for their "first looks."

Rebecca Taylor, who will renew her vows with Camille Smith, snaps a selfie.

Many folks get excited about tax time for the sole purpose that they know they'll be receiving a big refund check.

But is getting a refund on your taxes really in your best interest, or is it just taking money out of your pocket?

Here are three reasons why it's a bad idea to get a tax refund, and how you can manage your paycheck deductions in a way that better serves your financial needs and wants.

SEE ALSO: There's a way to do your taxes in '5 seconds' — but America refuses to implement it

You're allowing the government to borrow money from you interest-free.

Yes, you heard that right. Every time you situate your tax deductions to where you're receiving a refund in the spring, you are lending your money to the government interest-free. Most banks don't allow such a generous business deal with your mortgage or personal loans, and you shouldn't either.

By lowering your deductions and receiving more money in your paycheck each week, you can put that money to better use and budget it to help increase your personal wealth.

You're missing out on wealth-building profits.

By lowering your deductions so that you come out even at tax time, you are putting more money in your pocket each week that can be used to build wealth. How can you use that extra money to increase your net worth?

• To pay down debt. Every time you pay down debt, you reduce the amount of dollars you're paying in interest each month to lenders, putting more money in your pocket.

• To automate savings. Whether you put it in a retirement account such as a 401(k) or IRA, or into a non-retirement mutual or index fund, by taking the money that was being loaned to Uncle Sam and investing it, you're increasing how much money you have working for you each month.

Instead of setting up your paychecks to get a large tax refund, lower your deductions and use the extra money each month to invest in growing your net worth.

You could be tempted to spend that money frivolously.

When getting a large windfall such as a tax refund check, it's very easy to view those dollars as "extra" money and make plans to spend it on nonnecessities such as a vacation or recreational purchases.

The stress of working all year and the winter blues can coax your mind into believing that the best use for a tax refund is some fun in the sun or a new and shiny something.

Instead of being tempted to blow that money on nonessentials, break up the extra cash by putting it back into your paycheck where it belongs and use it for something that will benefit you for the long term.

Sticker prices on private colleges and universities tend to be steeper than public schools.

The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2015-16 school year was $32,405 at private colleges in the US, while public universities cost an average of $23,893. For state residents at public colleges, average tuition and fees added up to just $9,410, according to the College Board.

Is the prestige of attending a private school worth it in the long run? We looked at a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, which breaks down the median earnings of students from over 1,400 colleges 10 years after starting their studies, using data from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Here, we've highlighted the 25 private colleges in the US where graduates go on to earn the most money, as well as how much students pay annually between tuition, required fees, room, and board.

Read on to see if your alma mater, or current school, made the list:

SEE ALSO: The 50 colleges where students earn the highest salaries

25. Fairfield University

Fairfield, Connecticut

Annual cost: $58,625

Median earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,000

24. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Annual cost: $63,750

Median earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,200

23. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Annual cost: $61,775

Median earnings 10 years after enrolling: $69,400

If you're heading out on a road trip, you're going to want a car that's comfortable, gets decent fuel milage, and — if you're like me — fast. 

If you need those three things, these seven cars will serve you well.

The Range Rover SV Autobiography is disgustingly luxurious.

If you have about $200,000 to drop on an SUV and you really like driving to far away places, get a Range Rover SV Autobiography. 

It can hustle from 0-60 in just 5.5 seconds, it has an estimated travel range of almost 500 miles on one tank, its interior is crazy luxurious, and you still get that go-anywhere confidence that you get with all Range Rovers.

In the second row there are massaging and reclining seats, electronically deployable tables, and a small refrigerated area to keep your drinks cold.

Spoil your kids or pamper your friends. 

SUVs not your thing? The Mercedes-Benz S600 Maybach is another extremely luxurious option for long rides.

With a starting price of about $10,000 less than the SV Autobiography's, you get a twin-turbo V12 powered, 523 horsepower executive German sedan that makes you feel like a king, especially if you're experiencing it from the backseat.

The Maybach even has a system called Magic Body Control which Mercedes says allows the car to scan the road ahead to prepare the suspension for changing road surfaces.

Business Insider recently released its sixth annual list of the best business schools in the world, and this year graduates' starting salaries were a crucial component of our ranking. Among the top-50 schools, there were 22 programs where students went on to earn an average base salary — before any bonuses or benefits — of $110,000 or more after graduation.

Although Stanford placed fourth on the overall list, its graduates earn the highest starting salaries of all the schools we ranked, averaging more than $133,000. Read on to see top-rated business schools where students typically earn salaries of more than $110,000 straight out of the gate, listed here in ascending order.

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best business schools in the world

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges where students earn high starting salaries

University of Washington — Foster School of Business

Location: Seattle, Washington

Average starting salary: $110,000

University of Washington MBA students are mentored by some of Seattle's leading business talent, who foster an out-of-classroom learning experience for the students. Companies that frequently hire students out of the Foster School of Business include Seattle natives Amazon and Starbucks, as well as Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Co., and Northwestern Mutual, among others.

Rice University — Jones Graduate School of Business

Location: Houston, Texas

Average starting salary: $111,400

At the Jones Graduate School of Business, first-year students take core curriculum courses in finance, marketing, and accounting and participate in an Action Learning Project — a 13-week consultative assignment for an established company. Rice MBA students also have the option to earn up to two degree concentrations from 10 areas, including energy, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and real estate. Ninety-one percent of 2015 grads accepted jobs within 90 days.

New York University — Stern School of Business

Location: New York, New York

Average starting salary: $112,100

Stern's MBA program heavily focuses on individuality, and students can choose up to three specializations, with options including everything from banking to real estate to luxury marketing. Post-graduation, students end up at a range of companies, including Boston Consulting Group, NBCUniversal, Morgan Stanley, and Burberry.

The school takes its name from billionaire property mogul Leonard Stern, who earned his MBA from NYU in 1959 and donated $30 million to construct a new building for the business school in 1988.

When it comes to earning more money and growing your wealth, sometimes all it boils down to is establishing key habits and making small lifestyle changes.

"Success is a learnable skill," emphasizes T. Harv Eker in his book "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.""If you want to be a great golfer, you can learn how to do it. If you want to be a great piano player, you can learn how to do it ... If you want to be rich, you can learn how to do it."

If you want to learn how to get rich — how to grow and master your money — consider these eight lifestyle changes:

SEE ALSO: 21 lifestyle changes to make if you want to save more money

Start hanging out with people you admire

Andrew Carnegie, who started with nothing before becoming the richest man in the country, credits all of his riches to one principle: the Master Mind.

The idea is that you surround yourself with talented people who share your vision because the alignment of several smart and creative minds is exponentially more powerful than just one.

Plus, we become like the people we associate with, which is why the rich tend to associate with others who are rich.

"In most cases, your net worth mirrors the level of your closest friends,"explains self-made millionaire and author Steve Siebold. "Exposure to people who are more successful than you are has the potential to expand your thinking and catapult your income. The reality is, millionaires think differently from the middle class about money, and there's much to be gained by being in their presence."

Get a part-time job

If you want to earn more, a simple solution is to work more — and you'll get a lot more out of a second job than extra income.

You'll grow your skill set by working in a different field, put your brain to work in a different context, and expand your network. Plus, it's a great opportunity to monetize a specific interest of yours — such as photography, music, tutoring, or coaching — or turn your passion into a side hustle.

Check out high-paying jobs you can do on the side and read about how to start a side-hustle from a woman who earned up to $4,000 a month on the side.

Bury your head in books

Rich people would rather be educated than entertained— if you want to be like them, cut the cable and dive into books on investing or personal finance, or pick up a successful person's biography.

"Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,"Siebold writes.

Take billionaire Warren Buffett, for example, who estimates that 80% of his working day is dedicated to reading.

While the rich don't necessarily put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education— many of the most successful people have little formal education— they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over.

It's a weird time in PC history.

Laptop and desktop sales have contracted since their last peak in 2011, while people do more and more of their daily computing on their tablets and smartphones. That's led gadget makers to chase the dream of a laptop-replacement tablet: a machine with all the flexible, adaptive perks of a tablet, but the functionality necessary to be your personal computer.

The problem is, designers still deeply disagree about what such a device should look like, and their resulting products scarcely resemble one another. That can make it hard to choose between them on specs alone. We took a look at the four most serious tablet contenders to boot your laptop out of your bag.

Here's what I found.

#4 The 9.7-inch iPad Pro

Apple's latest attempt at the laptop-replacement tablet, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (starting at $599) is a beautiful, amazing, incredibly frustrating machine. It's small enough to stow in a purse and cheaper than its older, bigger sibling while still incredibly zippy and powerful. Plus it comes with features like the True Tone adaptive display that the 12.9-incher doesn't have.

However, using the 9.7-inch iPad Pro just leaves you wondering Why does this exist? It has a serious drawing and photo-editing system with its stylus (or "Pencil") and suite of specialized Photoshop apps. But it's too small to do either of those things comfortably. Apple offers a folding keyboard case, but the cramped, awkward little keys are difficult and uncomfortable to press. My hand hurt after just a few minutes.

And most irritatingly, it runs iOS. If Apple want to build a productivity-minded tablet to replace your laptop, why didn't they build one that can run the software standard that already exists for Apple laptops, OS X? In the end, the inability to run desktop applications like the Adobe Creative Suite, or even full versions of Office, make it hard to imagine most people benefiting from replacing their laptop with either iPad Pro.

#3 The 12.9-inch iPad Pro

The first iOS device to try to replace your laptop, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (starting at $799) shares most of the same challenges as its 9.7-inch sibling, with a few key differences. First, its larger size means a larger, less unwieldy keyboard. It's somewhat less of a pain to type on, but still not that much fun for extended writing sessions.

Second, there are still only really two good reasons to make an iOS device your primary computer: if you only really need a device for web browsing and streaming, or if you're a serious illustrator. If you're a casual internet user, a bigger screen is just going to make the experience better. A comic book artist I spoke with who has used a 12.9-inch iPad Pro instead of a sketchbook for four months, said the 9.7-inch version wasn't even an option for him. He needs all that real estate for his drawing.

If you are going to buy a 12.9-inch iPad Pro though, it might be a good idea to wait until Apple releases one with the extra features like True Tone that now only show up on the 9.7-inch.

#2 The Microsoft Surface Pro 4

The first desktop-replacement laptop I can in good conscience recommend, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a delightful machine to work with. Its type cover is the best on the market, with wide keys, a responsive touchpad, and plenty of breathing room where you can rest your hands. The stylus, called the "Surface Pen," has gotten less attention than the iPad Pro's Pencil, but I found it very useful in making adjustments in the full versions of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

Most importantly, the Surface Pro 4 runs apps like the full versions of Photoshop and Lightroom because it runs a Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10's app store lacks the breadth and variety of tablet-specific apps that the iOS App Store does, but more than makes up for it by running every Windows productivity application wonderfully on its good-sized 12.3-inch touchscreen.

Its cheapest version will cost you $899, has 4 gb of RAM and 128 GB of storage, and runs with a fanless Intel Core M processor. This model should be plenty fast for most word processing or Xbox One game streaming needs. You'll also be able to run Photoshop and other Adobe apps, as long as you don't mind a bit of lag. Serious Adobe Creative Suite users and video game players can spec the processor up to an Intel i7, the RAM up to 16 GB, and the storage up to 1 terabyte, as long as they don't mind shelling out extra cash.

The complaints about the Surface Pro 4 come down to design and cost. Microsoft sells the tablet without its keyboard, as if there's a huge market for powerful productivity tablets among people who never need to type, so you'll have to tack $129 onto the base price of your model. Plus, the Surface Pro 4 is really uncomfortable to use in your lap or on a small table. Its kickstand, device edge, and keyboard combine for three separate, unevenly-weighted points of contact that you have to balance.

Other issues: a high whine from the fans on the i7 version which just sounds weird coming out of a tablet, and the lack of a secure storage slot for the Surface Pen, which is easily lost magnetized to the side of the device.

Still, if you want a tablet that can not only replace your laptop but do some serious video editing or other intensive tasks, the more expensive models of the Surface Pro 4 are your best option.

There will be a lot of discussion about the legacy of "American Idol" after it names its final winner and the stage lights go off on Thursday night.

After 15 seasons, the singing-competition show has inspired countless imitators, both failed and thriving, from "The Voice" to "America's Got Talent." And in its heyday, it reached nearly 40 million live viewers — a feat no TV show will ever reach again in the DVR, delayed-viewing, multi-platform world we've entered.

But possibly the show's biggest draw was its ability to pluck Americans out of obscurity and make them stars. This was proved over and over again with not just its winners, but many of the contestants who found fame even without the guaranteed recording contract.

That is no simple feat. "The Voice" is in its 10th season and has still yet to create a music superstar.

In celebration of "Idol's" legacy, here's a look at the competition's most successful winners and alums:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 worst TV shows of 2016 so far, according to critics

DON'T MISS: The 14 biggest comedy power couples in Hollywood

No. 19. Season 9 winner: Lee DeWyze (2010)

Estimated net worth: $50,000

No. of albums: 6

Grammy awards: N/A

Other projects: DeWyze has actively supported and performed for several charities. In 2012, he offered his song "Fight" for free to anyone who donated to The Heart Foundation benefiting heart-disease awareness.

No. 18. Season 14 winner: Nick Fradiani (2015)

Estimated net worth: $1 million

No. of albums: N/A

Grammy awards: N/A

Other projects: Fradiani's single "Beautiful Life" was the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup's official anthem. His first album is slated to come out this year.

No. 17. Season 12 winner: Candice Glover (2013)

Estimated net worth: $1 million

No. of albums: 1

Grammy awards: N/A

Other projects: Glover was featured on Chadd Black's 2015 single "Love No Fear." Her next album is due out this year. She is also starring in the gospel musical "The Love Shack," which opened in LA in February.

Ah, supercars! The Thoroughbreds of the automotive world — they can cost millions; they go very fast, and they attract plenty of attention in traffic and when pulling up to valet lines.

People dream about owning a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, and McLaren, a Pagani, or a Bugatti all their lives, from a tender young age right up until they experience that third or fourth midlife crisis. And although these storied brands make more domesticated, "practical" machines, it's the super-sexy supercars that capture the imagination.

But ... are they really all that?

Well, they are. But they're also, on many levels, beautiful, exotic, alluring, exciting total pains in the ass. Here's why.

SEE ALSO: I Checked Out An Aston Martin, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini, And Ferrari — All In The Same Day!

1. They're LOWER to the ground than some reptiles

Ground clearance isn't a supercar forte. It can't be — these high-performance machines are supposed to slip though the air, cheat the wind, and their aerodynamics are designed to keep them glued to the road.

This of course means that a modest blemish in the roadway can result in thousands of dollars in damage to the car. America's crumbling infrastructure is an ever present, high-stress foe. 

It kind of sucks the pleasure out of driving your Lamborghini if you have to keep a constantly watchful eye out for potholes and speed bumps and if you can't even really navigate your own driveway.

2. They have WAY too much power.

What do you do with horsepower in excess of 600 ponies? Who knows, because under 99.99% of driving circumstances, you're not going use it.

You will however still incinerate gasoline at an alarming rate. 

If you do try to tap into the power, you run a gamut of risks. You could ... completely lose control of the car and have a very costly accident. You could pay no attention to your actual speed and endure a very costly speeding ticket. 

You could also just get depressed. Nothing is sadder than a supercar stuck in traffic, looking gorgeous but with no hope of unleashing its potential. You paid for that power! But you'll never get to experience it ...

3. It costs a fortune to buy one — and another fortune to FIX one.

The cheapest supercars are still quite expensive — and you always face the question of whether your sub-$100,000 "supercar" is a true supercar. So you feel the pressure to man up for the pricier shiny metal. 

And then you will invariably:

1. Bang into something and need to get your investment repaired.

2. Have to get something fixed that goes wrong with your ride.

In either case, you'll be parting with huge sums of money. Eye-watering, staggering sums, in fact, if you're used to dropping your Lexus off at the dealership for a brake job.

You may also have to wait months to get the car back.

Constant connectivity is both a blessing and a curse for productivity.

On the one hand, the ability to carry out tasks and answer work-related emails on the move, wherever and whenever, is incredibly powerful.

Your 30-minute train ride to the office no longer has to be 30 minutes of staring out the window, and instead you can make headway into the day's work before you've even set foot in the office.

On the other hand, the constant pinging of emails arriving to your laptop, tablet, mobile phone, and even your wristwatch can prove a distraction when you're trying to make your way through specific tasks.

If, as a recent UK study suggests, most aspiring company founders are initially driven by flexibility, then there's no understating the value of getting more done in every single minute you work.

SEE ALSO: I cut my work hours by 17% for 2 weeks and the hardest part had nothing to do with staying productive

One small change for improved productivity

The Pomodoro technique is nothing new, having been first developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It's a time-management method that works on the principle that you focus on a task for 25 minutes and then take a break for five minutes. You repeat this as needed. The approach to this technique is:

• Determine what task you need to complete (write it down if necessary).
• Set a timer for 25 minutes (this can be varied if you find it better to focus in shorter or longer stints).
• Work solely on the task you set out to complete over that time. If something pops into your mind about another task, make a note of it and ignore it until after the time set. Emails should be switched off, and your phone should be silenced.

At the end of each 25-minute stint, take a break of five minutes. After four stints, a longer break is recommended.

What makes it effective?

Studies prove that attempting to multitask slows down progress on all of the tasks we are trying to complete.

The Pomodoro technique forces you to focus on a single task, eradicating the negative effects of attempted multitasking. This focus has an immediate positive impact on your productivity.

But there's a second benefit, too. By focusing in short stints with a break, you do the work equivalent of a sprint rather than a cross-country run. And when you sprint, you aim for speed. The short time stints with brief refreshers in between appear to enhance your work speed.

Use cases

Personally, I use this technique for three key things:

• Writing marketing reports (tasks that should be relatively quick but that with distractions can be drawn out far longer than necessary)
• Writing marketing-strategy documentation
• Copywriting

The third use case in that list has been the one where I've seen the greatest increase in output over these half-hour periods.

For the seven months that I've carried out copywriting tasks in Pomodoro stints, I've been able to cut the time it takes me to produce a typical page of web copy in half.

I write a lot, so this has been huge. Where I formerly set aside 16 hours of my week to write, I'm now setting aside eight and actually delivering more content than I was before.

Your 30s are typically a time for settling down after using your 20s to take risks and find yourself.

Many 30-somethings are busy rising through their work hierarchy, developing a serious romantic relationship, and possibly raising a family.

Those who have already been through that decade say that as their responsibilities accumulated, it became easier to neglect relationships and ignore opportunities that they would never get again.

Quora users discussed lessons they learned in the thread "What is the biggest mistake you made in your 30s and what did you learn from it?"

We've collected some of the most insightful responses below:

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You aren't driven by purpose.

It's common for undergraduate college students lacking specific career goals to pick a relatively safe, well-tread path with the hope that things work out. At some point in their 30s, some of these same people may have multiple degrees and wealth, but realize that they are deriving no meaning from their careers.

This happened to designer Jack Sheu when he was 35. "I learned that if you don't have your purpose, then make it your obsession in life to find it," he writes. "It took me over a year, and I was completely disconnected from the rat race during that time. Don't stop until you've got it. You'll know when you have."

You don't set up a financial foundation for the future.

If you developed a spending habit in your 20s at the expense of saving for your future, it's not too late.

An anonymous poster wrote that when his salary increased dramatically, he started spending excessively on things like expensive cars, a motorcycle, and a boat. Only in retrospect did he realize the danger of burning through money.

"Had I invested the money instead, I could have comfortably retired now (I am 44)," he writes.

You neglect your personal relationships.

You'll likely spend your 30s in a senior position that requires significantly more time and energy than your job did in your 20s. For the sake of your well-being, you should be vigilant about scheduling time specifically for your family and friends. The fulfillment you can gain from keeping loved ones close will keep you happier and more productive.

"Don't just work," writes Microsoft product designer Michael Dorian Bach, now in his late 30s. "Make memories. The older you get, the harder it is to make meaningful relationships. Foster those while you're young."