INSIDER is hiring a paid social video writing intern to join our expanding social video team.

The position involves working closely with video editors to craft amazing stories told through video on our social media platforms. Specifically, this intern will focus on the Art Insidersocial brand, one of many under Insider, Inc.

We're looking to tell engaging stories that are both visually arresting and interesting to an audience that cares and knows about business topics.

Topics include:

• Artists that are masters of their craft 
• Unique art that uses lesser-known techniques 
• Visually engaging or transforming art 
• Art experiences 

Some examples:

A painter who uses bubble wrap as a canvas

A family that makes authentic 'Game of Thrones' coins

Man Has Been Restoring Stained Glass for 41 Years

The position includes pitching story ideas, researching, and writing scripts to accompany the video.

At INSIDER, our motto is "Life is an adventure." We tell stories for, about, and by people who seize life. INSIDER is distributed across social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, as well as on our website.

If this sounds like your dream job, APPLY HERE with a resume and cover letter telling us why you're a fit for INSIDER and detailing your interest in Art Insider content.

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NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro this holiday season

• The Rolls-Royce Phantom is all-new for 2018.
• The eighth-generation Phantom is powered by a new 563-horsepower, 6.75-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 engine.
• The new Rolls-Royce Phantom starts at $450,000 while our decked-out test car left the factory with a price tag of $644,000.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom represents the peak of automotive luxury. It's a car whose plushness is the gold standard to which all others are measured.

For the first time in 15 years, we get a brand-new, from-the-ground-up Phantom. 

"The Phantom is the pinnacle of the Rolls-Royce brand in its truest sense," Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Business Insider in an interview ahead of the car's unveiling last July. "It embodies all of the qualities Rolls-Royce is well known for. It starts with the magic carpet ride, the quality, the precision design, and engineering."

"It embodies what Sir Henry Royce said, 'Take the best that exists and make it even better,' and that is exactly what the Phantom is in every single detail," Müller-Ötvös added.

Read more: We drove a $246,000 Bentley Bentayga SUV to see if it's ready to do battle with Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini. Here's the verdict.

Earlier this year, Business Insider got to take a short drive in a long-wheelbase Phantom through the streets of New York City. Even though we only got to spend about an hour with the car, it was enough for us to get a feel for its luxury and performance. 

We will have a full review of the Phantom at a later date, after a comprehensive road test of the new Rolls flagship. 

The standard wheelbase Phantom starts at about $450,000. But our test car is an extended wheelbase model that is eight inches longer than the standard Phantom and starts at $530,000. With bespoke optional extras, our black-and-emerald-green Roller costs nearly $644,000.

Here's a closer look at the new eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom. 

SEE ALSO: Bugatti boss reveals what kind of people buy its $3 million hypercars

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

The all-new eighth-gen Rolls-Royce Phantom in all its glory on the streets of New York City. In case you're wondering, it's 19.5 feet long.

Our stunning emerald-green test car made a scene everywhere we went.

Tourists and jaded New Yorkers alike gawked at the sight of this magnificent beast.

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.

Whether they have a cookware collection that rivals Martha Stewart's or their most prized kitchen accessory is their drawer of takeout menus, they'll appreciate a nice new kitchen tool to add to their space.

From solving common cooking aggravations to just making mealtime more fun, there's really a kitchen gadget for everyone, and every budget, out there. 

For a solid gift you can bank on them loving, check out our list of 21 kitchen accessories below. It runs the gamut from practical to quirky and everything in between, plus you can find all of it for $50 or less. 

Most of these items are available with two-day shipping if you have Amazon Prime, so don't stress too hard about your last-minute shopping — just remember that the sooner you order, the better your chances of a timely arrival.

SEE ALSO: 35 clever presents for coworkers that they'll actually be happy to receive

DON'T MISS: The 36 best products we discovered in 2018

A stovetop espresso maker

Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Coffee Maker (1-cup), $24.95, available at Amazon

For the coffee-loving types who have already tried just about every way to get their morning brew, give them this moka pot. Bialetti actually invented the first stovetop coffee maker in the early 20th century and, even after all these years, it's original model is our favorite option out there. 

A cheese melt pan

Cuisinart BBQ Cheese Melt Pan, $9.99, available at Amazon

If they're not already melting cheese on all of their favorite foods... they should probably start. Help them out with this pan that makes the ooey, gooey, cheesy topping of their dreams a reality. 

A smoothie set

Chef’n Smoothie Set, $24.99, available at Williams Sonoma

This set has all the little prep tools they never thought they needed. A strawberry huller, citrus juicer, and kale and green stripper will help them quickly turn their favorite fresh produce into a delicious smoothie. 

• Ulta Beauty is opening new stores while many other retailers are closing them. 
• One reason for Ulta's success is that it carries both luxury and drugstore brands, allowing it to appeal to shoppers on a variety of budgets.
• Rival beauty store Sephora, on the other hand, focuses on stocking luxury brands. 
• We went to an Ulta and a Sephora to see how the two stores stacked up against each other. 

While many other retailers close their doors, Ulta Beauty reportedly plans to open at least 100 new stores in 2018. 

According to CNBC, the beauty retailer is entering new markets, adding stores in existing markets, and remodeling old stores to stay relevant. Ulta carries upwards of 500 brands, ranging in price from $3 to more than $100, which is nearly double what luxury beauty rival Sephora carries.

Since its stores offer a full suite of beauty services, Ulta competes not only with other beauty retailers, but with drugstores and salons as well. Recently, a report by research firm Piper Jaffray revealed that Ulta has become the top beauty destination for average-income teens, overtaking Sephora for the first time in a year. 

Another reason Ulta is seeing success is that 90% of its locations are in suburban strip malls instead of enclosed shopping malls, meaning that it isn't heavily affected by the ongoing decrease in shopping mall foot traffic. 

Sephora has more locations in shopping malls than Ulta, though it's taking action to move out of malls and open smaller locations, called Sephora Studios, to supplement decreasing mall traffic. It's also bringing in more exclusive product releases and running programs such as Sephora Accelerate, a beauty startup accelerator. 

To see how Ulta and Sephora stacked up against each other, we visited both stores back to back. This is what we found:

SEE ALSO: We visited American Eagle and Abercrombie to see which resurgent teen store was better to shop at — and the winner was clear

My first stop was Ulta. The only Manhattan location is on the Upper East Side, right next-door to a Sephora.

The inside was bright, and the employees were all very bubbly. A Benefit Cosmetics promotion was advertised in the entryway, with high-end cosmetics to the left and drugstore brands on the right.

Ulta had a few good deals to offer right away, including a bin that offered five products for $10 in the front of the store.

• New episodes of "Riverdale" won't air until January 16, 2019.
• If you're caught up and are looking for something to watch over the holidays, there are plenty of shows to choose from.
• INSIDER worked with TV Time to come up with some shows "Riverdale" fans may also enjoy based on the percentage of "Riverdale" viewers who also mark these shows on their app. 
• Here are 15 shows "Riverdale" fans also watch, 

"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" (Netflix)

Stream it: Netflix

The "Riverdale" spin-off or companion show is based in the neighboring town of Greendale and follows Sabrina Spellman, also a character from Archie Comics, as she tries to juggle her human life and her witch life. A "Riverdale" character even makes a surprising crossover appearance during one episode of the first season. Oh, and Satan plays a pretty big role on the show. 

"Dynasty" (The CW)

Stream it: The CW, Netflix 

This reboot of the popular 1980s soap opera centers on the Carrington family, company owners and billionaires. Between the infidelity, kidnappings, and death, "Dynasty" is never boring. Fashion fans can also appreciate the stunning styles featured on the show. 

"The End of the F***ing World" (Netflix)

Stream it: Netflix 

Dark British comedy "The End of the F***ing World" is seriously bleak but in the best way possible. The premise of two teens deciding to run away together is a simple and basic concept, but the series quickly takes a twist because one of them plans on murdering the other. Watch the series to find out what happens. 

• Joaslin transforms photographs of real people into Disney-like characters.
• She achieves her glossy, computerized style with the assistance of a digital tablet and Photoshop.
• Through her transformations, Joaslin aims for "unique colors" and uses a style that she has been developing for years.

Joaslin is a Madagascar-born, French artist who specializes in Disney-like, computerized transformations of real people. 

She shares her artwork on Instagram, where she has amassed almost 40,000 followers, and often shares snippets of the technique she uses to achieve her style.

Keep scrolling to see some of Joaslin's most amazing works, including a custom-made transformation of me. 

Joaslin is a Madagascar-born, France-based artist who specializes in turning people into cartoon characters.

This Instagram post's captions said, "This painting was made on a single layer! It was challenging to do and thanks to it I found out that there are some tricks to make you paint much faster!" 

Her style is distinctly glossy, and she uses a digital tablet and Photoshop to achieve this look.

To see just how Joaslin does it, check out her how-to videos on Linktree.

Joaslin has been developing her style for years.

This portrait is actually animated. 

In the last few years, there’s been a major shift as to how consumers interact with social media.

Rather than posting content that lives on the platform in perpetuity, users are now posting and viewing more “Stories,” video or images that live for only 24 hours.

Many platforms have introduced some form of Stories format — whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or WhatsApp. Snapchat was the company to introduce it to the world, but Instagram has surpassed it in terms of volume and perhaps usability.

Business Insider Intelligence has compiled a slide deck that looks into how Stories work on Instagram and Snapchat, and how brands and publishers should be using the Stories feature to reach their audiences.

This exclusive deck can be yours for FREE today. As an added bonus, you will gain immediate access to our exclusive BI Intelligence Daily newsletter.

To get your copy of the FREE slide deck, simply click here.

Join the conversation about this story »

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 only the first week of December and some of the hottest tech gifts of the year are already backordered or sold out until early 2019. Other top devices will see their prices marked up by resellers.

To save time and get you the best bang for your buck, we put together a list of stores where you can still buy devices like Apple AirPods and the Nintendo NES Classic at their original retail prices. But don't sit on this information for long before buying since we fully expect the majority of the devices in this slideshow to sell out by Christmas.

Most of these items are available with two-day shipping if you have Amazon Prime, so don't stress too hard about your last-minute shopping — just remember that the sooner you order, the better your chances of a timely arrival.

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

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

Miniature Nintendo and PlayStation consoles

Nintendo NES Classic Edition, $60, available at Best Buy and Walmart

Super NES Classic, $80, available at Best Buy and Walmart

PlayStation Classic, from $74.99, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart

Nintendo's retro game consoles, the $60 NES Classic and $80 Super NES Classic, are awesome gifts for gamers and nostalgists alike, and they have both sold out the last two holiday seasons. Right now, the NES Classic is still in stock at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The Super NES Classic still up for grabs at Best Buy and Walmart.

Sony followed Nintendo's lead and debuted the PlayStation Classic on December 3. The Classic costs $100 and is currently available to buy at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

The Amazon Echo

Echo (2nd Generation), $69.99, available at Amazon

Last year, the Echo was a big hit. The smart speaker comes with Amazon's perennially popular smart assistant, Alexa, built right into the hardware. That means you can call on Alexa to play music, make calls, set alarms, ask questions, control connected devices, and just about anything else. 

It features a speaker powered by Dolby and is currently available in six styles, including fabrics and wood veneers — for the holidays, Amazon partnered with (RED) on a limited-edition red Echo to support the fight against AIDS. 

The Wyze Cam

Wyze Cam, $25.98, available at Amazon

The Wyze Cam is one of those rare devices that costs much less than any of its competition. It records video in 1080P and sends your phone a notification each time its motion sensor is triggered. These video clips are stored in the cloud for two weeks for free; most other home security camera options only keep clips for a day if you don't pay a monthly subscription fee.

Wyze has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews for this camera. Given its low price and great performance, we don't expect it to stay in stock this holiday season.

• Jamal Crawford is 38 years old and on his eighth team in 19 seasons, and has become a key player for the Phoenix Suns.
• Crawford is considered ageless on the court and says he's stayed young by making dietary tweaks like cutting out Capri Suns and treating his body right.
• Crawford says his career motto is loving the game and that if you treat it well, it will treat you well back.

As the NBA regular season began and Jamal Crawford remained unsigned, he could have chosen to wait it out, hoping some contending team would reach out in need and offer him a contract.

But one thing rules Crawford's life, and that is the love of basketball. So, in mid-October, he joined the Phoenix Suns when they offered him a deal.

"It got to a point where, I love basketball so much, to be honest with you, that I didn't wanna just miss the start of the season," Crawford told INSIDER on Monday before playing the New York Knicks. "Like, I could've waited [for an offer from a contender], played that game, see how that worked out, but when the season started, I wanted to be out there."

It turns out the Suns do need him. Before the season, they had ambitions of competing for the playoffs. Instead, they entered Monday night 6-24, last in the NBA.

Crawford is uniquely qualified for this role as team sage. Now on his eighth team in 19 years in the NBA, Crawford has played for every type of outfit, from lottery dwellers to pseudo contenders.

"This isn't the end-all, be-all," Crawford said when asked what he tells younger Suns players as they grind through a dismal season.

"Just work every day. Take it day by day, get better. But there's a bigger picture to this. As long as you can worry about the stuff you can control, that's always best for you."

Crawford has been a breath of fresh air in the locker room, as other players would tell it. No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton told The Athletic's Gina Mizzel on Monday that he continually tells Crawford that it's an "honor" to be around him.

The NBA world jokes about Crawford's agelessness, particularly in his looks.

But behind Crawford's longevity has been hard work and help from others, including some dietary changes made by his wife.

"I switched Capri Suns for water," Crawford said. "My wife made me, actually. She started changing my diet before I noticed she was changing it, to be honest with you. Like, I started eating more whole foods, better stuff. At first, it was like once a week. Then it was like four times a week."

But Crawford also said he made sacrifices to hang around the NBA.

"Staying in love. I think if you're in love, you're willing to do anything that comes with it. Whether that be foam roller or ice tub or Epsom salt bath or stretching, whatever it might be, getting extra shots up. If you wanna actually love the game like that, then you'll sacrifice.

"If you're good to the game, the game is usually good to you."

That youthfulness was on display Monday night against the Knicks, when Crawford racked up a career-high 14 assists (off the bench), helping the Suns beat the Knicks, 128-110.

There is a lot of season left to be played, but even with the Suns winning three in a row, it doesn't appear as if they're heading for meaningful games soon. Crawford could ask for a trade to a contender if he wanted. He could aim for lofty stats, climbing further up on some leaderboards — he ranks 58th all-time in points, sixth all-time in made threes, and 25th all-time games played. 

But those aren't Crawford's goals.

"The love of playing trumps all of that, to be honest with you," Crawford said. "Even the day I retire, I'll still be playing somewhere."

• Read more:
• James Harden had a hilarious answer for reporters after getting called out for a blatant travel on his signature step-back move
• LeBron James roasted a former Cavs teammate who mistakenly threw the ball to a guy on the bench
• Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly used to annoy players by playing his guitar on team flights
• The 40 most incredible plays in sports of 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A Harvard psychologist reveals the secret to curbing your appetite

• Amazon has stopped selling certain designs in its furniture collection, Rivet.
• The apparent change occurred after the designs were named in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Williams-Sonoma, parent company of West Elm.
• The suit alleged that Amazon copied the designs in its own products, like in its Orb chair.
• The product pages for the chairs in question are now returning an error message, as of Tuesday evening.

Amazon has stopped selling some of its private-label Rivet furniture after it was accused of lifting the designs from another brand in a lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday.

West Elm, through its parent company Williams-Sonoma, has accused Amazon of creating "knockoffs" of the designs of three of its patented chairs, including the Orb Dining Chair, the Orb Office Chair, and the Slope Leather Swivel Office Chair.

"It is implausible Amazon could have conceived of a product line with nearly identical product designs which feature product names containing the very same non-descriptive terms WSI uses in connection with these products, other than by intentionally undertaking to copy WSI’s West Elm product line," Williams-Sonoma says in court filings. 

As of this writing, the Amazon product pages for all three Rivet chairs now return error messages, complete with Amazon's famous 404 dog pictures.

An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit, but agreed the products seem to no longer be for sale.

West Elm introduced its Orb and Slope chairs in 2016. Amazon released its Rivet line of furniture in late 2017, and according to the suit, it started selling its Slope and Orb chairs in March.

SEE ALSO: Amazon reportedly wants to curb selling 'CRaP' items it can't profit on, like bottled water and snacks

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought

• Blythe Masters has stepped down from her role as CEO of blockchain company Digital Asset Holdings for personal reasons.
• Masters is a former JPMorgan executive and one of the biggest names in the blockchain industry.

Blythe Masters, one of the biggest names in the blockchain space, has stepped down from her role as CEO of distributed ledger technology provider Digital Asset Holdings. 

The news came in a release from the company on Tuesday, which said Masters, who has served as Digital Asset's CEO since 2015, requested to step down for "personal reasons."

Prior to joining Digital Asset, Masters served as an executive at JPMorgan, helping to create the market for credit default swaps in the 1990s and later heading up its global commodities division. 

After joining Digital Asset, Masters become one of the most recognizable faces and vocal proponents of the benefits of distributed ledger technology. 

AG Gangadhar, who joined the company's board of directors in April, was named Board Chairman and acting CEO while a search commences for a permanent replacement, the release said. Masters will still serve as a company board member, strategic advisor and shareholder. 

"Digital Asset has evolved from an ambitious idea to a truly global software engineering firm. We are fortunate to have a deep bench of accomplished executives on the management team and Board, including AG, who have the requisite experience to take the company to the next level," said Masters in a statement. "Having come to know and trust AG as an advisor and Board member, I am convinced that he brings what's needed to guide the company through its next phase."

We got a hold of the note Masters sent to company staff following a town hall meeting Tuesday night:

All, I want to add a personal note to the announcement which I know will have come as a surprise.

I have three important things to say:

Firstly, my belief in DA, and the potential for DLT is as strong as it has ever been. I remain a shareholder, advisor and board member and will be your eternal advocate.

Second, I am grateful for and will be forever influenced by the experience of working with you over the past four years to build this amazing company. I hope you are as proud as you should be of everything you have achieved and for those just joining I hope you are as excited as you should be about the future opportunity to scale out the company. Third, having got to know AG as an advisor and board member, I am convinced that along with our talented management team, he has exactly the right experience to guide the transition of the company from a startup with an ambitious vision to a global software engineering powerhouse.

Working as part of the DA family means the world to me, but I also work for my family's future and I need to focus on this for a while. My DA email will work until you're notified otherwise, but I will always be reachable on xxx@xxx.com.

Stay in touch.

Blythe 

See also:

• A new crypto company backed by Peter Thiel is launching to solve one of the industry's biggest pain-points, and it 'brings something that others haven’t brought so far'
• Citigroup has created a new, less risky way of investing in crypto — and it may be a game changer for the industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Bernie Madoff was arrested 10 years ago today — here's what his life is like in prison

• Macaroni and cheese is a comforting dish that can also be healthy.
• Make simple swaps for the butter, milk, and pasta to lighten the dish.
• Add items like lean protein and nutrient-rich veggies for a healthier, more flavorful mac 'n' cheese.

There's nothing quite as comforting as diving into a rich, creamy bowl of macaroni and cheese after a long day. Truthfully, we'd probably all love to enjoy this dish several times a week, but as it is laden with butter, milk, cream, and cheese, macaroni and cheese isn't the healthiest meal out there.

By playing with flavor combinations and ingredient swaps, you can add important vitamins and minerals while removing some of the heavier elements for more nutritious macaroni and cheese recipes that will nourish your body and soul.

Here are some tips for making your mac and cheese healthier.

First thing is first — choose homemade over boxed.

The packets of processed, powdered cheese in varieties of boxed mac 'n' cheese, have been found to contain phthalates. Many believe the chemicals can disrupt hormones, but more research is needed, according to the CDC. 

Either way, making your own mac and cheese is usually healthier and more delicious anyway. 

Reap the nutritional benefits of leafy greens.

Leafy greens offer a variety of nutrients. Greens like kale and spinach offer vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. 

Swap pasta for whole wheat options.

Whole wheat or whole grain pasta offers many more vitamins and minerals compared to white pasta. Alicia Romano, RD explained in Time that one cup of whole wheat pasta contains 23% of our daily fiber, while white pasta contains only 9%. Whole wheat pasta also provides 16% of your daily protein.

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

Regtech solutions seemed to offer the solution to financial institutions' (FIs) compliance woes when they first came to prominence around 24 months ago, gaining support from regulators and investors alike. 

However, many of the companies offering these solutions haven't scaled as might have been expected from the initial hype, and have failed to follow the trajectory of firms in other segments of fintech.

This unexpected inertia in the regtech industry is likely to resolve over the next 12-18 months as other factors come into play that shift FIs' approach to regtech solutions, and as the companies offering them evolve. External factors driving this change include regulatory support of regtech solutions, and consultancies offering more help to FIs wanting to sift through solutions. Startups offering regtech solutions will also play a part by partnering with each other, forming industry organizations, and taking advantage of new opportunities.

This report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, provides a brief overview of the current global financial regulatory compliance landscape, and the regtech industry's position within it. It then details the major drivers that will shift the dial on FIs' adoption of regtech over the next 12-18 months, as well as those that will propel startups offering regtech solutions to new heights. Finally, it outlines what impact these drivers will have, and gives insight into what the global regtech industry will look like by 2020.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Regulatory compliance is still a significant issue faced by global FIs. In 2018 alone, EU regulations MiFID II and PSD2 have come into effect, bringing with them huge handbooks and gigantic reporting requirements. 
• Regtech startups boast solutions that can ease FIs' compliance burden — but they are struggling to scale. 
• Some changes expected to drive greater adoption of these solutions in the next 12 to 18 months are: the ongoing evolution of startups' business models, increasing numbers of partnerships, regulators' promotion of regtech, changing attitudes to the segment among FIs, and consultancies helping to facilitate adoption.
• FIs will actively be using solutions from regtech startups by 2020, and startups will be collaborating in an organized fashion with each other and with FIs. Global regulators will have adopted regtech themselves, while continuing to act as advocates for the industry.

In full, the report:

• Reviews the major changes expected to hit the regtech segment in the next 12 to 18 months.
• Examines the drivers behind these changes, and how the proliferation of regtech will improve compliance for FIs.
• Provides our view on what the future of the regtech industry looks like through 2020.
  Get The Regtech Revisited Report
  

   

Join the conversation about this story »

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.

All too often, products that say they're feminist are actually just mass produced goods that don't represent the principles and values that feminists hold dear.

We've done the research to find feminist gifts that give back to women and children around the world, so you can feel good about the gifts you give. Some of the brands we've included donate a portion of the proceeds for every item purchased from their stores, while others have special collections of products that give back.

No matter which gifts you choose from our guide, the feminist in your life will probably love the story behind them just as much as the gifts themselves.

Most of these items are available with expedited shipping, and some should arrive within a few days' time, so don't stress too hard about your last-minute shopping — just remember that the sooner you order, the better your chances of a timely arrival.

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here. Keep scrolling to check out the best feminist gifts that give back to women and children.

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

Clothing and accessories that give 100% of the price to charity

J.Crew Garments for Good Collection

In honor of Giving Tuesday, J.Crew has partnered with Girls Inc., HRC, and charity: water to create special collections of products that give back. From November 27-29, J.Crew will donate 100% of each item's retail price to the corresponding charity.

You can choose from 18 different styles, including sweatshirts, tote bags, T-shirts, and accessories for each charity. We love the Girls Inc. Sweatshirt, which says "girls" in several different languages.

Girls Inc. is a nonprofit that was founded in 1864 to empower girls and young women from age 6 to 18. The charity provides "safe spaces, mentorship and programming to help them build lasting skills to succeed and create systemic change." 

HRC and charity: water are also wonderful organizations to support. HRC works to ensure equal rights for LGBTQ people and charity: water provides fresh drinking water to those who don't have access to it.

Gifts that are handmade by women artisans

Shop all artisan handmade goods at Globe In 

Globe In sells Fair Trade, handmade products that are produced in ethical working conditions by workers who are compensated fairly for their labor. Many of the workers are women who would otherwise have no employment or means of supporting themselves or their families. Each product description says where it was made and who made it. You can also read about the positive impact Globe In's special gift boxes have had on local communities.

Feminist clothing that fights back with every purchase

Shop all Wildfang clothing and accessories

Wild Feminist Pride Edition T-Shirt, $30

Wildfang was founded by a woman and continues to be run by women. The brand's offerings include cool basics, suiting, gender neutral apparel, as well as feminist clothing and accessories. We really love the Wild Feminist line, which includes T-shirts, beanies, button-up shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories. Wildfang makes a donation to select charities with every single purchase.

"We walk the walk, giving back $400,000 and counting this year," Wildfang's website says, "In 2017, we helped raise over $75,000 for charities including Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Joyful Heart, and the Tegan and Sara Foundation ... Additionally, a percentage of all full price goods across our entire site go directly to a rotating monthly charity." You can see all the charities Wildfang has supported here.

• Many countries have unique naming customs that parents must follow when they are naming a child.
• Some countries outlaw symbols and numbers, while others outlaw specific names for their meaning.
• From "Monkey" to "4Real," INSIDER found 20 banned names around the world.
  

Many countries grant parents the freedom to give their kids whatever name they want, but some have pretty rigid restrictions. In fact, there are some names that are considered illegal throughout certain parts of the world and others that are just cautioned against.

Names can be forbidden for a number of reasons. For instance, if they're offensive, difficult to remember, or downright embarrassing, it makes sense why a country would implement the regulation.

INSIDER found out some of the blacklisted names around the world.

In New Zealand, "Queen,""Duke,""Justice," and other rank names like "Princess" are off limits.

Under New Zealand's Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act section 18, you cannot register a baby name if it's an official title or rank, like "Queen" or "Duke." You also can't register a baby under an offensive or unreasonably long (more than 100 characters) name.

In 2013, New Zealand's Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages shared a list of names they've banned in the past and how many times each was rejected — "4real" was one of them.

In the US state of California, "José" needs to be spelled "Jose" with no accent.

In the US, naming laws vary state by state. In the state of California, for example, names cannot include any diacritical marks to distinguish its pronunciation, such as è, ñ, ē, ç. You also cannot use pictographs, emojis, or ideograms. 

Many parents find this law to be restrictive, even unconstitutional, and there have been efforts to update it in recent years. 

In Iceland, the name Cleopatra wasn't allowed because the letter "c" isn't in the Icelandic alphabet.

The country's naming restrictions are governed by a committee who has to approve any new baby name that hasn't ever been used previously.

To make matters even more complicated (or simple, depending on how you look at it) all names must adhere to the Icelandic alphabet. For example, because there is no letter "c" in the alphabet, one couple who attempted to name their child Cleopatra was rejected. (By the way, residents refer to it as "Ísland," in case you were wondering.)

Overall, parents must choose from a list of roughly 1,800 girls' names and 1,700 boys' names, according to the BBC. 

• Tariffs are costing US firms $6 billion a month, a sudden surge because of President Donald Trump's trade war.
• According to data from Bespoke Investment Group, tariff costs as a percentage of the US GDP have doubled in the past few months.
• Tariffs as a percentage of total imports have also soared to historic levels.
• While the costs are still small, the sudden jump is another issue for US companies to handle.

President Donald Trump's trade war is nearing its nine-month mark, and according to new data, US companies are starting to pay the price.

The US Treasury confirmed in recent data that American importers paid about $6 billion in custom duties during the month of October, double the amount during the same month a year ago. The sudden increase in tariff payments is largely a function of the Trump administration's tariffs on Chinese goods, steel, and aluminum.

One chart from Bespoke Investment Group laid out the significance of this sudden increase in tariffs in the context of the broader US economy and historical norms.

Read more:US companies forked over a record amount in tariffs in October — $6.2 billion! — because of Trump's trade war

• "On a 3-month average basis, September to November saw customs duties collected at a pace of 30 basis points (o.3%) of GDP,"Bespoke said.
• "Historically (since this data series begins in 1998) that number typically runs between 15 and 20 basis points (0.15% to 0.2%) of GDP, so relative to the size of the economy import tariffs are nearly twice their historic range."

In addition to tariff costs growing compared to the US economy, the value of tariffs as a percentage of total imports is also on the rise:

• According to Bespoke, tariff costs were equal to 2.3% of the total value of goods imported into the US from September to November.
• That compares with a historical average of 1.5% over the past 20 years.

But while the numbers have risen dramatically in the past few months, it's still a relatively small problem in context for companies at this point.

"In other words, the tax rate on imports has risen very sharply, but it’s still very small relative to, for example, sales taxes in most states," Bespoke said.

Read more:Trump's trade war could cost every middle-class American family $453 and could eliminate 292,000 US jobs

But in a time when cost pressures from rising wages and slowly rising interest rates are already putting a squeeze on US businesses, the added cost of tariffs represents another problem for these firms to manage.

That could get worse if the US and China fail to reach an agreement on a longer-term trade deal by a March 1 deadline. At that point, tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods would increase to 25%, and Trump could start the process to impose tariffs on the rest of Chinese goods not caught up in the trade war.

A possible tariff on imported cars and trucks, another longtime threat of Trump's, also remains in the mix.

SEE ALSO: Trump is losing the trade war with China based on his favorite report card, and it's probably going to keep getting worse

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• This reboot comes 25 years after the original.
• There are some familiar characters in "Mary Poppins Returns."
• Almost all will take on new roles and cameos.

The 1964 movie-musical "Mary Poppins" has captivated viewers for multiple generations. On December 19, a new chapter in the Mary Poppins world will unfold in "Mary Poppins Returns."

The sequel is set 25 years later and has a few familiar faces as well as new actors reprising old roles. We rounded up all the original characters and actors who will appear in the new movie. 

Emily Blunt will play Mary Poppins in the long-awaited sequel.

Famed singer and actress Julie Andrews played the original Mary Poppins in the 1964 classic. Her performance was beloved by many and even won her the Oscar for Best Actress in 1965.

For the sequel Emily Blunt, known for a range of films from "A Quiet Place" to "Into the Woods," will be replacing her in the iconic role.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Mary Poppins Returns" director Rob Marshall recounts how excited Andrews was when he informed her Emily Blunt would be filling her shoes.

"Julie will always be, for me and for everybody, the most astonishing performance as Mary Poppins, winning the Oscar and bursting onto the scene so brilliantly," said Marshall. "But Emily is the perfect person to carry the torch, and I know Julie feels the exact same way. She loves her."

Ben Winshaw will portray Michael Banks as an adult.

In the original, young Michael Banks was played by Michael Garber. The sequel finds Michael as a full-fledged adult, reeling from the loss of his wife as he raises two children of his own: Anabel (Pixie Davies) and Georgie (Joel Dawson).

Ben Winshaw has been a household name in England for years for his roles in films including "Spectre,""The Danish Girl," and "The Lobster."

In an interview with Vulture, Winshaw expressed his excitement for the role. "I have seen ['Mary Poppins Returns'] and I'm really delighted by it. I'm really excited for other people to see it."

Emily Mortimer will play Jane Banks, Michael's sister.

Karen Dotrice played little Jane Banks in the first film, tagging along for adventures with Mary Poppins with her brother Michael. In the sequel Emily Mortimer will play Jane as an adult, helping her brother raise her niece and nephew.

Emily Mortimer is best known for her roles in movies like "Lars and the Real Girl" and "Match Point" as well as the HBO series "The Newsroom."

Mortimer told Hollywood Life that she had a fantastic time filming "Mary Poppins Returns" and has already seen an early version of the movie.

"I saw a little of it and it just lives up to every expectation you could have had," said Mortimer. "It was in the best hands with [director] Rob Marshall who was the perfect puppet master for the revival of Mary Poppins."

• FedEx released its 2019 Q2 earnings report today.
• FedEx won't achieve its operating income goals by fiscal 2020, the company said today. 
• It's also going to start offering buyouts to eligible employees along with other cost-cutting measures.
• Executives attributed the "weakened" business to economic slowdowns in Europe and Asia.

FedEx Express' goal of achieving an operating income of $1.5 billion by fiscal 2020 won't be achieved, the company said in its earnings report on Tuesday.

The Memphis, Tenn.-based company also dropped its 2019 earnings guidance to $15.50 to $16.60 per share. Previously, the company forecasted $17.20 to $17.80 a share. In after-hours trading, FedEx shares dropped by 6%. 

"Global trade has slowed in recent months and leading indicators point to ongoing deceleration in global trade near-term," said Alan Graf, FedEx executive vice president and chief financial officer, in the report. "These trends, coupled with the change in service mix at FedEx Express, are negatively impacting the segment's financial results."

Read more:A fiasco of tariffs, the holiday season, and a truck-driver shortage may make December the most expensive month ever for moving freight

In a call to investors on Tuesday, FedEx executives highlighted economic troubles in Europe as a key reason for the company's lowered expectations. Express package volume has been lower than expected in the region.

Graf said, because of that, FedEx will cut costs and "focus on increasing efficiency across the organization."

While executives underlined FedEx's "record-setting holiday season" in the US, American employees may see some of the effects of that cost-cutting. FedEx will offer "a voluntary buyout program" to its US employees that's expected to save the company $225 million to $275 million. 

Other initiatives include limiting hiring, reducing discretionary spending, and reducing international network capacity. 

These mediocre earnings come after the Dec. 10 resignation of David Cunningham, previously the head of FedEx Express. Cunningham left the role after just two years, while his predecessor led the air freight division for 17 years. The sudden departure concerned investors and analysts, who called it "out of character."

FedEx CEO Fred Smith praised Cunningham's 30-year tenure at UPS in the investor call on Tuesday, calling the departure a retirement.

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• In the last few months, three open source software startups have made big changes to their licensing model — a defensive move against the rising power of major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services and Alibaba Cloud.
• Their gripe: Amazon and other clouds often take free open source software and package it up as a paid service, without contributing what's considered a satisfactory amount of code back to the original project. 
• Developers and activists in the open source community believe this goes against the very meaning of "open source," saying that the code should be free for anyone to use — even major cloud providers.
• Giving away free software and growing a business often contradict each other, so increasingly, more open source startups are attempting to find a middle ground.

It is a time of great unrest in the open source software world. 

Amazon Web Services, Alibaba Cloud, and the other major cloud computing platforms have come under fire for taking free open source software and repackaging it as a paid service. It's a maneuver that's legal, but not always welcome, as Amazon has a reputation for not giving back to the open source projects from which it profits. 

In response, three smaller software companies behind some of the open source software that Amazon and others rely on — Confluent, Redis Labs, and MongoDB — have gone on the defensive. In recent months, they've made changes to their licensing that prevent cloud platforms from profiting from the open source code that they develop. Open source can't be "free and unsustainable R&D" for tech giants, said Confluent CEO Jay Kreps last week.

Read more: After Amazon’s cloud encroaches on its turf, a startup is taking a stand: Open source can’t be ‘free and unsustainable R&D’ for tech giants

The problem, experts now warn, is that these companies' big move against Amazon and others could undermine the very concept of open source itself, which is in turn a pillar of the modern software industry. Restricting how software is used, say the critics, is antithetical to the literal definition of open source, which states that software should be free for anyone to use as they wish, even if that means selling it.

"These proponents think they're out to save open source. We don't think so," Bruce Perens, one of the founders of the open source movement and the creator of that definition, told Business Insider. "You can use whatever license you want as long as you don't call it open source." 

The challenge, several experts and CEOs tell Business Insider, is figuring out how to navigate these issues in a way that preserves the core philosophy of open source, while simultaneously respecting these startups' right to make money from their own code. 

Experts warn of a 'disturbing trend'

The companies that are making this stand against the tech giants all share a similar business model. They all develop an open source project — MongoDB and Redis Labs work on eponymous open source databases, while Confluent is the lead developer on Kafka, an open source streaming data analysis tool.

Amazon Web Services offers the Redis database as a service, and just announced a Kafka-based service, too. It's also expected to launch a service based on MongoDB, according to reports. Competing cloud platforms, including Alibaba Cloud, have launched similar services based on these and other open source projects.

These smaller companies' new licenses don't appear to directly impact AWS or the other big cloud platforms; they only apply to the specialized additions to the open source software that they developed in-house, while Amazon is using the original software. These companies also all sell customized versions of their software for businesses.

This, in and of itself, isn't a problem: It's common for software companies to release some of their labors as open source, and others as proprietary, commercial products. 

"Not all open source is the same, and there's a long, diverse spectrum from completely free, permissive, and open to maximally expensive, restricted, and closed," Kyle Mitchell, independent business law attorney, told Business Insider.  "Companies can dice up the work they do into buckets and make independent choices about each one."

However, Bradley M. Kuhn, the President of the Software Freedom Conservancy, calls the new licensing changes from these startups a "disturbing trend." Sure, these startups are protecting their business interests, but then these startups can't claim to be open source anymore — even if they do still make the source code available for free download. It's a matter of philosophy, he says. 

"You should have equal rights whether you're modifying or sharing the software as a hobby or sharing it as commercial software," Kuhn told Business Insider. "Our community has long held the belief that the issue of software freedom is equal for everyone whether they're a commercial actor or not."

In other words, Kuhn says, with these licensing changes, Redis Labs and Confluent are saying that commercial providers do not deserve software freedom.

For its part, MongoDB has submitted its new license, called the Server Side Public License, for approval from the Open Source Initiative. The license gets sent out on a mailing list, and the community discusses whether the new license meets the criteria for the software to call itself "open source." 

Will MongoDB's new license get approved? Perens personally thinks it's unlikely. According to the email thread, as reviewed by Business Insider, many participants have written that they are strongly opposed.

There has been pushback on Redis Labs and Confluent's licensing changes as well, although both have clarified that they don't intend for their new licenses to qualify their software as open source. 

Some in the community have written blog posts criticizing these changes, and developers protested Redis Labs' announcement by taking its open code, copying it, and beginning work on a new version that will meet the criteria to be called open source.

A "lose:lose scenario"

A major beef held by these startups is that Amazon has a reputation for not contributing very much code to the projects that it's taking and selling. Indeed, in 2017, Amazon employees only contributed code to 158 of the top open source projects on GitHub.

Compare this to Microsoft — which acquired open source hub GitHub this year — where employees contributed to the 825 top projects, and Google, where employees contributed to 1,100 top projects. Despite being the #1 cloud provider, Amazon seems to give only a fraction back to the open source community.

Dor Laor, founder and CEO of open source database company ScyllaDB, says he understands why these startups are upset, but he also has concerns that the new licensing changes hurts smaller companies, which sometimes sell open source software made by others, but actually make major contributions to the code in return.

"It's a lose:lose scenario and goes against the open source spirit," Laor told Business Insider. "Another class of companies who will be hurt by this is smaller as-a service vendors and despite the fact that the may contribute back to OSS, the license will forbid them to run it...So all in all, it's not a positive trend."

'It's part of the game'

Open source startups may be founded on ideals of keeping software free and open. But when reality hits, and cloud providers make considerable profits off of software they didn't create, it can cause an identity crisis for open source companies. Do they stick to their open source ideals, or do they look after their business interests?

Heather Meeker, an open source licensing specialist who helped draft Redis and MongoDB's licensing changes, says this dilemma is becoming more common for open source businesses.

"When you're a lawyer, you do what your clients need you to do," Meeker told Business Insider. "My view is, I'm not morally opposed to proprietary software. I think open source is great and can be a hugely helpful tool in business, but companies have to think very carefully on how to have a revenue model."

And that's the issue: starting a business and creating open source software have two completely separate goals. The goal of starting a business is to make money. The mission of open source is freedom.

"The biggest question I always get is, how do I make money by making open source?" Perens said. "My answer to that is, if that's your major goal, you're probably the wrong person to make the open source. The people who are making open source should have another goal."

Laor also says that when it comes to an open source business, the possibility of others selling your software is definitely a risk, but that's just what happens when you give software away for free. For example, IBM has already been selling ScyllaDB's software for some time.

"It's not as major as the other three leading companies, and it can certainly happen," Laor said. "We believe it's part of the game. It may happen. We may lose some opportunities, but we also gain some because if that happens, the project credibility will rise. It won't necessarily be a bad thing for us."

Laor says he does not plan to pursue any licensing changes for ScyllaDB.

Ultimately, it's up to the individual startup to strike the right balance between idealism and practicality. In the meantime, MongoDB, Redis Labs, Confluent and likely more startups to come have been attempting to find a middle ground.

"For various reasons, some people desperately want to work in a software world where everything is either wide open or slammed shut," Mitchell said. "But self-described 'open core' companies are finding they need and want to experiment with different combinations and gradations, for both technical and business reasons."

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In an increasingly digitized world, brick-and-mortar retailers are facing immense pressure to understand and accommodate their customers’ changing needs, including at the point of sale (POS). 

More than two years after the EMV liability shift in October 2015, most large merchants globally have upgraded their payment systems. And beyond upgrading to meet new standards, many major retailers are adopting full-feature, “smart” devices — and supplementing them with valuable tools and services — to help them better engage customers and build loyalty.

But POS solutions aren’t “one size fits all.” Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) don't usually have the same capabilities as larger merchants, which often have the resources and funds to adopt robust solutions or develop them in-house. That's where app marketplaces come in: POS app marketplaces are platforms, typically deployed by POS providers, where developers can host third-party business apps that offer back-office services, like accounting and inventory, and customer-retention tools, like loyalty programs and coupons.

SMBs' growing needs present a huge opportunity for POS terminal providers, software providers, and resellers. The US counts roughly 8 million SMBs, or 99.7% of all businesses. Until now, constraints such as time and budget have made it difficult for SMBs to implement value-added services that meet their unique needs. But app marketplaces enable providers to cater to SMBs with specialized solutions. 

App marketplaces also alleviate some of the issues associated with the overcrowded payments space. Relatively new players that have effectively leveraged the rise of the digital economy, like mPOS firm Square, are increasingly encroaching on the payments industry, putting pricing pressure on payment hardware and service giants. This has diminished client loyalty as merchants seek out the most affordable solution, and it's resulted in lost revenue for providers. However, app marketplaces can be used as tools not only to build client loyalty, but also as a revenue booster — Verifone, for instance, charges developers 30% of net revenue for each installed app and a distribution fee for each free app.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence looks at the drivers of POS app marketplaces and the legacy and challenger firms that are supplying them. The report also highlights the strategies these providers are employing, and the ways that they can capitalize on the emergence of this new market. Finally, it looks to the future of POS app marketplaces, and how they may evolve moving forward.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• SMBs are a massive force in the US, which makes understanding their needs a necessity for POS terminal providers, software providers, and resellers — the US counts roughly 8 million SMBs, or 99.7% of all businesses.
• The entrance of new challengers into the payment space has put pricing pressure on the entire industry, forcing all of the players in the industry to find new solutions to keep customers loyal while also gaining a new revenue source.
• Major firms in the industry, like Verifone and Ingenico, have turned to value-added services, specifically app marketplaces, to not only build loyalty but also giving them a new revenue source — Verifone charges developers 30% of net revenue for each installed app and a distribution fee for each free app.
• According to a recent survey by Intuit, 68% of SMBs stated that they use an average of four apps to run their businesses. As developers flock to the space to grab a piece of the pie, it's likely that increased competition will lead to robust, revenue-generating marketplaces.
• And there are plenty of opportunities to build out app marketplace capabilities, such as in-person training, to further engage with users — 66% of app users would hire someone to train and educate them on which apps are right for their businesses. 

In full, the report:

• Identifies the factors that have changed how SMBs are choosing payment providers.  
• Discusses why firms in the payments industry have started to introduce app marketplaces over the last four years.
• Analyzes some of the most popular app marketplaces in the industry and identifies the strengths of each.
• Breaks down the concerns merchants have relating to app marketplaces, and discusses how providers can solve these issues.
• Explores what app marketplace providers will have to do going forward in order to avoid being outperformed in an industry that's becoming increasingly saturated. 

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