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Newlyweds Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas brought their families together for Christmas — see the photo

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priyanka chopra and nick jonas

  • Priyanka Chopra shared a photo of her and husband Nick Jonas, marking their first holiday together as a married couple.
  • The "Quantico" star captioned the image: "Love you family #famjam#christmaseve."
  • Here are all the family members, from left to right: Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner (who's engaged to him), Frankie Jonas (the youngest sibling), Chopra, Nick, Denise Jonas, Mahdu Chopra (Priyanka's mom), and Paul Kevin Jonas, Sr. 
  • Missing from the photo is Kevin Jonas, his wife, Danielle Jonas, and their daughters, Alena and Valentina. 
  • The pair got married in late November in a pair of elaborate ceremonies in India, months after confirming their engagement. One ceremony encompassed Christian traditions, while the other was Hindu. 

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


27 stunning photos of the neighborhood that puts on the best Christmas-light displays in America

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Dyker Heights Christmas Lights 8

  • The neighborhood of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, New York, puts on a Christmas light display every year.
  • It has become a tourist attraction, with guided tours and buses.

The suburban Brooklyn neighborhood of Dyker Heights is a quiet and friendly area year-round — that is, until the holidays start.

That's when the neighborhood is flooded with thousands of Christmas-light peepers anxious to see the area's famed displays. Countless homes in the neighborhood take part, putting up dazzling and awe-inspiring feats of festivity, and likely producing similarly awe-inspiring electric bills.

In 2015, I took a trip to Dyker Heights to see the hyped "Dyker Lights" for myself. Keep scrolling to see some lights that would make Clark Griswold die from envy.

SEE ALSO: Inside New York City's most festive bar, where they spend more than $60,000 a year getting ready for Christmas

Dyker Heights is a good half-hour drive from downtown Manhattan, and about an hour away on the subway. Luckily, there are Dyker Lights tour buses that will take you there hassle-free — for a price.



You can see most of the best displays between 11th and 13th avenues around 81st through 86th streets.



Some of the homes put up stately, elegant arrangements.



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Justin Bieber posted then deleted what appeared to be his phone number, and people are freaking out

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Justin Bieber and Haley Baldwin

  • Justin Bieber appeared to tweet out a phone number on Monday before quickly deleting it. 
  • Fans picked up the number, however, and soon started calling and texting it in hopes of getting a response. 
  • It's unclear if the phone number is real or where it is from, but the code +505 is used to make international calls to Nicaragua from the United States. 

Justin Bieber appeared to accidentally tweet out his phone number before quickly deleting it on Monday — but fans still had a chance to screenshot the number and give it a call.

The post, which said, "Had to change it. Hit me at +505 5853 1341," read more like a text than a tweet and was sent to Bieber's millions of followers.

Another tweet said it was Bieber's number on Whatsapp, a free text and voice messaging app used by people around the world. 

Fans quickly took the opportunity to try the number and circulated it after Bieber took it down.

Read more:Meet the Biebers: Here's a complete timeline of Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin's relationship and apparent marriage

It's unclear where the number is from, or if it's actually real. 

The code +505 is used to make international calls to Nicaragua from the United States. The area code 505 is for regions of New Mexico.

The tweet was sent from Los Angeles.

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

5 new movies are coming to theaters on Christmas Day. Here's what you should see.

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christmas day movie releases

  • Christmas Day is a popular time to go see movies, and there are five new releases this year.
  • "If Beale Street Could Talk" is getting critical acclaim.
  • There are standout performances in "Vice,""On the Basis of Sex," and "Destroyer."
  • "Holmes & Watson" could go either way.

While Christmas Day for some is about unwrapping presents, it's also a popular time to go to theaters with family and friends.

This year, there are five new movies coming out on Christmas Day, all of which are heavily anticipated, from "Vice" to "If Beale Street Could Talk."

If you or your family are looking for something to go see, check out what's new and what critics are saying before heading to theaters.

1. Everyone should see the movie adaptation of "If Beale Street Could Talk."

If Beale Street could talk movie

What it's about: Directed by "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins, the movie is based on the novel by James Baldwin. It follows Tish Rivers who tries to prove her fiancé Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt is innocent of a crime while she's pregnant with their first child in Harlem. Jenkins' film flits back and forth between Fonny's present-day incarceration and how the pair fell in love.

The movie is based on the book by James Baldwin and set in the early 1970s.

Rating: R

Who's in it: KiKi Layne (Tish Rivers), Stephan James (Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt), Regina King (Sharon Rivers)

What critics are saying: With a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics appear to be loving "If Beale Street Could Talk." People are saying not only does the movie look gorgeous, but it also does a great job of adapting the 1974 James Baldwin literary classic. 

"Even at its most grim and precarious, an indestructible core anchors ‘If Beale Street Could Talk,' lending it gravitas and hard-won hope,"writes Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post

 

2. If you're a Ruth Bader Ginsburg superfan, see "On the Basis of Sex."

on the basis of sex movie ruth bader ginsburg

What it's about: Felicity Jones plays Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this movie about Ginsburg's life on the way to becoming a US Supreme Court Justice. It specifically focuses on her groundbreaking case on gender discrimination that she argued as a young lawyer.

Rating: PG-13

Who's in it: Felicity Jones (Ruth Bader Ginsburg), Armie Hammer (Martin Ginsburg), Justin Theroux (Mel Wulf), Sam Waterston (Erwin Griswold), Kathy Bates (Dorothy Kenyon)

What critics are saying: While many might know how the movie will end because of its real-life subject matter, early reviews say the performances are stellar and that it's an enjoyable movie even if it's a bit conventional. 

"The final sequence is like 'Rocky Goes to Court' […] but that's not a bad way to frame this story,"writes David Edelstein at Vulture.

 

3. Nicole Kidman gives a knockout performance in "Destroyer."

Nicole Kidman Destroyer

What it's about:Police detective Erin Bell reconnects with gang members from a past undercover assignment in order to take down the gang's leader, who has re-emerged on the scene.

Rating: R

Who's in it: Nicole Kidman (Erin Bell)

What critics are saying: You will barely recognize Nicole Kidman as the embattled detective and star of this movie. Many are saying this is one of her best performances in years, even if the plot gets a little confusing.

"While 'Destroyer' can be overwrought and mechanical, it's an often gripping, well-crafted crime drama with distinction of its own in the genre, an almost always male-dominated one,"writes Jake Coyle for the Associated Press

 

4. There's no telling how good (or bad) "Holmes & Watson" will be.

holmes and watson movie

What it's about: A comedy based on the classic  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries,  Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson must solve a murder at Buckingham Palace or else Queen Victoria will die.

Rating: PG-13

Who's in it: Will Ferrell (Sherlock Holmes), John C. Reilly (John Watson), Ralph Fiennes (Professor James Moriarty)

What critics are saying: No early reviews are available as of yet. Time will tell of Ferrell has another "Anchorman" success on his hands or if it will be a flop like "Daddy's Home."

 

5. The performances in "Vice" are staggering, but the plot leaves something to be desired.

vice dick cheney

What it's about: The movie is based on the story of how Dick Cheney became Vice President to George W. Bush and how he was given unprecedented power and control.

Rating: R

Who's in it: Christian Bale (Dick Cheney) Amy Adams (Lynne Cheney, Steve Carell (Donald Rumsfeld) Sam Rockwell (George W. Bush)

What critics are saying: If you've watched the trailer, you know how eerily these top stars transform into their Washington, DC, characters. Unfortunately, some critics believe the movie misses its mark narratively.

"Though the erratic nature of the film will test each viewer's mileage, it is the outstanding performances of Christian Bale and Amy Adams as the Cheneys that are more than worth the price of admission,"writes Courtney Small of Cinema Axis.

 

BONUS: If you're looking for movies for the whole family, "Mary Poppins Returns" and "Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse" are two PG-rated films that are getting great reviews. They're both in theaters now.

 

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NOW WATCH: The world's largest cruise ship just landed in Miami — here's what it's like on board

These are the top five trends shaping the future of digital health

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The healthcare industry is in a state of disruption. Digital solutions are becoming a necessary part of the new global standard of care for patients and regulation is being fast-tracked to catch up to digital health innovation.

Digital Health

These rapid changes will have ripple effects across the entire healthcare system, impacting incumbents and new entrants alike.

Based on our ongoing analysis, understanding of industry trends, and conversations with industry executives, Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has put together The Top Five Trends Shaping The Future of Digital Health.

To get your copy of this free report, click here.

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We’re hiring a VP of Subscription Marketing

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boss employee work computer

We’re hiring a VP of Subscription Marketing to aggressively grow subscriptions and lead our marketing team from our New York office. Insider Inc.’s subscriptions team is passionate about producing research products that help industry leaders transform their organizations using emerging digital technologies, along with premium business news in finance, markets, enterprise, and tech.

 

Job overview

Insider Inc. is an organization of doers from the top on down. We’re looking for someone who is a fountain of good ideas, moves fast, and loves to experiment, build, and iterate. It’s a role for someone with at least 7 years of email marketing experience, who is deeply curious about what compels people to take action and who has the technical and data chops to test their theories, build a strategy, and drive results.

As a team leader you’ll be responsible for our developing our marketing strategy, driving subscriptions, optimization, and engagement through email campaigns, maintaining relationships with technology vendors, forming new partnerships, and managing our marketing team. The VP of Subscription Marketing will also collaborate with stakeholders responsible for email across Insider.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Build the vision and growth strategy of digital subscription marketing at Insider. Meet aggressive free and paid subscription signup goals to support individual / consumer business, as well as qualification and lead generation for enterprise business. Iterate quickly, generate new ideas, and double-down on winners.
     

  • Optimize and execute on email. Develop and execute email campaigns to meet engagement, lead generation, and conversion goals. Optimize email campaigns and engagement. Delight our readers and subscribers.
     

  • Develop a friction-free marketing funnel. From emails to landing pages to sign-ups to product/content delivery, make it a frictionless experience for our readers. Dive into audience data to make campaigns even better and remove sources of friction from our conversion process to create hassle-free sign ups across channels.
     

  • Lead and train a high-performing team of digitally-savvy marketers to support the strategic goals of the business.
     

  • Stay up to date on the newest digital tools and tactics in digital marketing. Review, recommend, and manage tools, services, and vendors. Evaluate, hire, and develop relationships with existing and new platforms, partners and vendors.

 

Qualifications:

  • 7+ years in marketing with an exceptional digital and email marketing background

  • Top-notch organizational skills and attention to detail

  • Goal-oriented, data-driven, and errs on the side of action

  • Technical expertise in digital analytics tools (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, ComScore etc.)

  • Ability to closely manage timelines on concurrent campaigns supporting diverse business goals

  • Up-to-date on industry developments and competitors and active in the media community

  • Excellent technical implementation skills in HTML, email CRM platforms, etc.

  • Solid experience managing a team of dedicated marketing professionals

  • Hands on experience with paid digital campaigns (PPC, display, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and managing budgets, overseeing vendors, platforms

 

If this sounds like a great job for you, please apply online and include a cover letter highlighting why you’d be a good fit for the role

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

I asked more than a dozen people what a 'good' job looks like, and noticed a curious pattern among the worst jobs they've had

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young woman stressed

  • Many people who took "bad"jobs, or jobs that proved unfulfilling, ultimately ended up learning what kind of role would suit them better.
  • Some people say they needed the money and experience on their résumé before they could pursue their dreams.
  • Even if you just need a paycheck right now, you can leverage the skills and references you get into something better.

Over the course of reporting a story on what a "good job" means today, I noticed a curious pattern among the people I interviewed. Several told me they would never have landed in their current, fulfilling role if not for a "bad" job in their past.

Sometimes that's because the so-called bad job paid enough — in money and prestige — to allow them to think about personal fulfillment in their next role.

Annafi Wahed, for example, worked at a consulting firm for almost two years before quitting to work on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Today, she's the founder of The Flip Side, a daily news digest that summarizes political analysis from conservative and liberal media.

Wahed, 28, told me explicitly that having the consulting experience on her résumé (plus the CFA degree she'd earned) "gave me the confidence to do something crazy." She was certain that after the campaign, she'd be able to find another job — plus, recruiters thought her stint in politics was "really cool."

"It was definitely having that safety net that allowed me to take this huge risk," Wahed said.

For others, a bad job offered the opportunity to clarify what was important to them — and start pursuing it.

Alysa Ain, 31, worked at a top law firm in New York City before realizing the work wasn't for her. Now she's applying to graduate programs in clinical social work; she's ultimately hoping to open a private psychotherapy practice focusing on helping professionals who are "stressed and unhappy."

This goal "helps me not regret the few years I spent on corporate law," Ain told me. She has insight into how "deadening" it can be to work in that kind of environment. "I can really relate to that in a way that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to."

A bonus just for you: Click here to claim 30 days of access to Business Insider PRIME

Something similar happened to Bernadette Bielitz, who held management positions at organizations including General Electric Healthcare. A few years ago, Bielitz was simultaneously holding down a full-time job while caring for her aging parents, a situation that proved exceedingly challenging.

Now, Bielitz told me, whenever she talks to people about that period in her life, she gets "great feedback," in the sense that they can often relate. Bielitz is currently volunteering for AARP and looking for full-time work; she's hoping to do something to help employers address issues around caregiving. "I've discovered that what I've done personally … I've never really addressed in my professional life," she said.

Take a job that suits your current needs and see where it leads you

Perhaps the broader takeaway here is that people change — a job and a lifestyle that seem appealing now may not seem that way a few years down the road.

Knowing this, the smart move isn't to take no job until you establish a stable set of personal and professional values (you'd be unemployed and waiting forever). Instead, it's to take a job that suits your current needs — whether financial or otherwise — and see where it leads you. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself; or you might just hit a point where you're secure enough to pursue the dreams you've always had.

Take Nick Heller, the CEO of Fractal Labs. His brief stint in banking proved to be the launching ground for his entrepreneurial career. Heller spent nearly five years as a fixed-income trader in Canada in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he started to think about "how technology was impacting every aspect of the business." He left the job to start his first tech company, Degrees of Separation.

Read more: Graduates who flock to Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and big law in search of prestige might be in for a harsh wake-up call only a few years later

For Wahed, Ain, Bielitz, and Heller, the utility of a less-than-fulfilling job only appeared in retrospect. But often it's necessary to be more proactive, and to accept a seemingly bad job with the goal of snagging a better one.

I spoke to Fred Goff, the CEO of Jobcase, or "LinkedIn for blue-collar workers," and he told me that many people in the US just need a paycheck. It's not that they don't want the same things out of work as their higher-skilled peers, like friendly coworkers and interesting work; it's more that they don't have the luxury to wait for those things to materialize.

In those cases, "any job can be a good job," Goff said. "You can still leverage that to move up," for example by getting a reference from your current employer or gaining new skills. Instead of wallowing in misery, Goff said, "the important part is to understand it's what you make of the job."

SEE ALSO: Your grandparents' idea of a 'good job' was probably based on a salary and benefits — and 50 years later, things haven't changed all that much

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NOW WATCH: Barbara Corcoran on Donald Trump: 'He is the best salesman I've ever met in my life'

5 reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a powerhouse within the increasingly competitive credit card space

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.

NY City Cards chase sapphire preferred 9

  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the most popular rewards cards available — and it's easy to see why.
  • With a fantastic sign-up bonus, generous rewards, and a low annual fee (which is waived the first year), the card offers significant on-going value.
  • Read on for the five ways you can get top value from the Sapphire Preferred.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the all-around best rewards credit cards available, when taking everything into account — annual fee, sign-up bonus, rewards earning, ways to redeem rewards, travel perks and protections, and more.

The Sapphire Preferred was the singular must-have card before the Chase Sapphire Reserve launched in 2016, and is still a powerful contender for those who don't want to front the $450 annual fee for the "CSR."

While the credit card rewards space has gotten more and more competitive over the past few years, here's why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still a powerhouse.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make this card a great option, not things like interest rates and late fees, which can far outweigh the value of any rewards.

When you're working to earn credit card rewards, it's important to practice financial discipline, like paying your balances off in full each month, making payments on time, and not spending more than you can afford to pay back. Basically, treat your credit card like a debit card.

1. You can get 50,000 points when you sign up

When you open a new Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. 

The value of the sign-up bonus depends on how you choose to use those points, but based on subjective valuations by travel website The Points Guy (a Business Insider e-commerce partner), 50,000 points is worth about $1,000. While they can be redeemed for $500 of cash or $625 of travel booked through Chase, you can get a significantly higher value when you transfer them to an airline frequent flyer partner.

2. You'll earn double points on every travel and dining purchase

The Sapphire Preferred offers 2x points on all travel and all dining, and both categories are defined incredibly broadly. "Travel" includes everything from subways, taxis, parking, and tolls to hotels and airfare, and dining including bars, restaurants, delivery services like Seamless and Grubhub, and more.

The card has no foreign transaction fees, and unlike competitor cards from AmEx, the card offers the travel and dining bonus on purchases made outside of the US, too.

You'll earn even more points with the Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3x points in the same categories, which brings us to the next benefit...

3. You won't pay an annual fee for the first year — and it's fairly low every year after that

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95, but it's waived for the first year. That puts it right in the "mid-tier" range. While it has an annual fee, it's under $100, and the card still offers lucrative rewards and premium benefits.

For comparison, the Sapphire Reserve's fee is $450, and you'll have to pay it on your first statement when you get the card. While the rewards and benefits more than make up for that, you'd still need to have the liquid cash available to pay the fee upfront, then get the value back later.

4. There are a ton of redemption options when it's time to use your points

Chase offers a few valuable ways to use your points — you can read our full guide here.

One option is to redeem them for cash or gift cards at a rate of 1¢ per point. That means that your 50,000 point sign-up bonus would be worth $500.

The next option is to use points to book travel through Chase. When you do that, you'll get a 25% bonus in value — points will be worth 1.25¢ each, so that 50,000 points would be worth $625.

The best option — the one that gets the most value— is to transfer them to one of Chase's 13 frequent flyer and hotel loyalty partners.

While that last method can get complicated, it can easily be worth it; that's how I've booked flights in first class for as few as 62,500 points.

5. The card comes with a suite of useful travel benefits and protections.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a handful of excellent travel benefits, including primary rental car insurance, trip and baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation/interruption coverage, and more. These benefits can save you hundreds of dollars when something goes wrong on a trip — or every time you rent a car, since you can decline the rental company's collision damage waiver.

Bottom line

Combine normal points earning with a sign-up bonus of 50,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months, and you'll be able to build a hefty balance of points quickly — especially if you and a partner use "two-player mode."

For example, to earn the points we needed for our first classJapan flights, I opened a Sapphire Preferred, then earned a few bonus points for referring my wife (and a few friends).  Between those sign-up bonuses, our normal spending, and a few reimbursable travel expenses for work trips — plus a handful of frequent flyer miles we already had — we had enough miles for the flights. We even saw our credit scores increase, since the new accounts added to our credit history.

There are a few different ways to use your Chase points — and tricks to get the most value — but no matter how you plan to redeem them, there's no doubt that the Sapphire Preferred offers a great value.

Click here to learn more about the Sapphire Preferred from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: I book all my trips with a Chase Sapphire card that covers costly flight delays — doing this has saved me hundreds of dollars

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20 photos that show how the White House and the royal family decorate for the holidays

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white house royals christmas

The holiday season is a festive time for both ordinary people and public figures, when historic buildings where world leaders live and work are decked out in lights, tinsel, and enormous Christmas trees.

In Windsor Castle, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding outfits are on display along with a 20-foot Christmas tree covered in 7,000 lights. For the Trumps' second Christmas in the White House, first lady Melania Trump drew upon the theme of "American Treasures" to design the decorations.

Here's how the first family of the United States and the British royal family decorated their respective residences for the holidays this year.

Queen Elizabeth usually spends her weekends at Windsor Castle, but the royal family goes to her Sandringham estate in Norfolk for Christmas.

Royals have a black-tie dinner on Christmas Eve, then exchange gifts at teatime and attend church on Christmas Day.



Christmas decorations at Windsor Castle went up in November.

Staff members of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead installed the lights.



In the castle's Crimson Drawing Room, a 15-foot tree is fittingly decorated with crimson ornaments.

The Crimson Drawing Room is only open to visitors during the winter months.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The future of artificial intelligence in retail

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Hype around artificial intelligence has never been higher — and one industry where it has a chance to make a major impact on profits is retail.The Future of Retail 2018: Artificial Intelligence

Business Insider Intelligence projects that AI will boost profitability in retail and wholesale by nearly 60% by 2035, setting off a wave of excitement and investment among companies.

The areas where AI will have its biggest impact are personalization, search and chatbots.

But as hype and misunderstanding continue to build, it’s become harder than ever to keep sight of the true disruptive potential of AI.

Find out how AI is being implemented in these three areas and how each one can impact revenue in this new FREE slide deck from Business Insider Intelligence.

In this third and final installment of the three-part Future of Retail 2018 series, Business Insider Intelligence takes a hard look at the retail use cases where AI can make an impact, explores noteworthy examples of retailers implementing the technology, and weighs the benefits of investing in AI today.

As an added bonus, you will gain immediate access to our exclusive Business Insider Intelligence Daily newsletter.

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

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An Audible gift subscription is a thoughtful present for people who love to read — and it starts at $15

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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.

Audible 3

  • If you're struggling to find the perfect holiday gift for a lapsed reader in your life, one of the best options is a gift subscription to Audible.
  • The service has over 425,000 titles available, and subscriptions start at just $15 per month. The person you gift this to will receive one credit per month to use on the audiobook of their choice, plus two free "Audible Originals," which are exclusive, short-form books and stories. 
  • They'll be able to listen to their audiobooks on their phone, tablet, or computer, and Audible will automatically sync their place so they'll never lose track of their spot. 
  • The best part is that they'll still have access to their library of Audible books after their gift subscription ends, whether they decide to subscribe on their own or not, so there's no pressure.

Holiday shopping used to mean going to a store, fighting for a parking spot, hoping what you wanted was in stock, waiting in line, then getting home. Online shopping has turned that nightmare into a couple of clicks you can make in your pajamas from bed.

To make things even easier, we've even done the work of finding the perfect gifts for you.

If you're shopping for someone who wished they read more but "doesn't have the time," a gift subscription to Audible is a very thoughtful choice. Audible's audiobook library has over 425,000 titles from every era and genre, so it's likely that many of the titles on their "to read" list are available.

Gift memberships start at $15 for one month, $45 for three months, $90 for six months, and $150 for 12 months. Your giftee will receive one "credit" per month, which they can spend on the book of their choice, plus two free "Audible Originals," which are shorter books and stories exclusive to the service. They'll also get a couple of additional Audible member benefits for the duration of their membership: a 30% discount on all audiobooks, and free audiobook exchanges. 

Audible

Once they've made a book selection, it's extremely easy to start listening whenever and wherever, without losing their spot.

They can use the Audible app, which is available on iOS and Android, a built-in Audible player on Amazon's Fire Tablets, or the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis. They'll also have the ability to import Audible books into iTunes, and there's a cloud player on Audible's website. They can even ask an Amazon Echo to play it.

Audible will automatically remember and sync their place between devices, so if your giftee listens to part of a book on their phone during a morning commute, they can pick up exactly where they left off on their office computer.

One of the best features of an Audible subscription is that you don't lose access to your audiobook library when your subscription ends. If the person you gift a subscription to really loves Audible, they can continue their subscription immediately after the gift period is over. If not, they can continue to listen to the audiobooks as many times as they'd like.

This lack of pressure is part of what makes an Audible subscription such a great gift. The person you gift it to will never feel the pressure of having to continue their subscription, and there are no penalties if they don't.

Whether the lapsed reader in your life is worried about not having enough time read, or doesn't have the space to carry around books all the time, an Audible subscription is a wonderful gift that fixes both of their problems. They'll have it  with them at all times, and it'll help them turn their downtime into an opportunity to hear an interesting story or learn something new.

Gift an Audible subscription from $15 here >>

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

SEE ALSO: The 29 best books we read in 2018

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Online dating has had a side effect no one saw coming

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texting back

  • Dating apps haven't ruined happy marriages or our ability to commit, according to The Atlantic.
  • But experts say online dating has a perhaps unexpected side effect: It may make it easier to leave an unfulfilling relationship.
  • Instead of deliberately going to a bar and looking for someone else, you can convince yourself that you're just playing around on the app.

I recently read an article in The Atlantic, about the way dating apps have (and haven't) revolutionized love in the last half-decade.

Author Ashley Fetters cites two expert opinions on a hotly contested topic: whether online dating has ruined long-term love. Both suspect it has not. That's because, once you're in a happy relationship, you tend to become less interested in other potential partners, even if they're only a swipe away in your pocket.

But online dating has, one expert suggested, made it easier to leave unhappy relationships. According to Eli Finkel, a psychologist at Northwestern University and a professor at the Kellogg School of Management and the author of "The All-or-Nothing Marriage," there was a time when, if you wanted to meet someone else, you'd have to get dressed up and go to a bar.

Now, Finkel said, "you can just tinker around, just for a sort of a goof; swipe a little just 'cause it's fun and playful. And then it's like, oh — [suddenly] you're on a date."

Presumably, Finkel is referring to more neutral apps like Tinder and OKCupid, and not services like Ashley Madison, which is designed explicitly to facilitate affairs.

Read more: The relationship expert at one of the most popular affair websites says there are 2 distinct types of cheating among modern couples

A few years ago, psychotherapist and relationship expert David Kavanagh was quoted saying something similar in The Independent: Infidelity is hardly new, but dating apps have made it easier for people who are unhappy in their relationships to find someone else.

That is to say, instead of digging in and trying to work on the relationship, they allow their gaze to wander.

Meanwhile, other relationship experts have noted that technological advances make "emotional affairs"— or feelings of attraction without physical intimacy — more tempting to fall into.

So is online dating (and technology in general) ruining our chances of getting into a happy relationship in the first place? Probably not.

Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and the chief scientific adviser to dating site Match, has told The Atlantic that, contrary to popular opinion, "the vast majority of people on the internet, even on Tinder, are looking for a long-term, committed relationship." They're just being cautious about choosing a partner.

Thanks to online dating, Fisher said, "I think we're going to see more stable partnerships and marriages."

SEE ALSO: A psychologist says apps like Tinder and Bumble have become the only dating services worth your time

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NOW WATCH: Barbara Corcoran on Donald Trump: 'He is the best salesman I've ever met in my life'

The Air Force targeted its own personnel to see if they could 'recognize and thwart' cyberattacks

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cyber command

  • The Air Force targeted its own personnel in Europe with spear-phishing attacks in November.
  • The exercise was a test of the network's users' awareness of potential threats.
  • Spear-phishing, which targets specific users, has already been used in the real world with profound effects.

In November, the Air Force targeted its personnel at bases in Europe with spear-phishing attacks to test their awareness of online threats.

The tests were coordinated with Air Force leaders in Europe and employed tactics known to be used by adversaries targeting the US and its partners, the Air Force said in a release.

Spear-phishing differs from normal phishing attempts in that it targets specific accounts and attempts to mimic trusted sources.

Read more: Here's why the Navy's newest littoral combat ship just tumbled into the water sideways

Spear-phishing is a "persistent threat" to network integrity, Col. Anthony Thomas, head of Air Force Cyber Operations, said in the release.

"Even one user falling for a spear-phishing attempt creates an opening for our adversaries," Thomas said. "Part of mission resiliency is ensuring our airmen have the proficiency to recognize and thwart adversary actions."

US Navy Cyber Command

The technique has already been put into real-world use.

Just before Christmas in 2015, Russian hackers allegedly used spear-phishing emails and Microsoft Word documents embedded with malicious code to hit Ukraine with a cyberattack that caused power outages — the first publicly known attack to have such an effect.

This month, the US Department of Justice charged two Chinese nationals with involvement in a decade-long, government-backed effort to hack and steal information from US tech firms and government agencies.

Read more: The Air Force just hit a major milestone with the US military's upgraded, highly precise nuclear bomb

Their group relied on spear-phishing, using an email address that looked legitimate to send messages with documents laden with malicious code.

For their test in November, Air Force cyber-operations officials sent emails from non-Department of Defense addresses to users on the Air Force network, including content in them that looked legitimate.

The emails told recipients to do several different things, according to the release.

US Air Force cyber security

One appeared to be sent by an Airman and Family Readiness Center, asking the addressee to update a spreadsheet by clicking a hyperlink. Another email said it was from a legal office and asked the recipient to add information to a hyperlinked document for a jury panel in a court-martial.

"If users followed the hyperlink, then downloaded and enabled macros in the documents, embedded code would be activated," the release said. "This allowed the threat emulation team access to their computer."

Read more: 'We're getting a lot better': The head of the US Navy's newest fleet says it can counter one of Russia's favorite tactics

Results from the test — which was meant to improve the defenses of the network as a whole and did not gather information on individuals — showed most recipients were not fooled.

"We chose to conduct this threat emulation (test) to gain a deeper understanding of our collective cyber discipline and readiness,"said Maj. Ken Malloy, Air Force Cyber Operations' primary planning coordinator for the test.

The lessons "will inform data-driven decisions for improving policy, streamlining processes and enhancing threat-based user training to achieve mission assurance and promote the delivery of decisive air power," Malloy said.

United State Cyber Command security attacks

While fending off spear-phishing attacks requires users to be cognizant of untrustworthy links and other suspicious content, other assessments have found US military networks themselves do not have adequate defenses.

A Defense Department Inspector General report released this month found that the Army, the Navy, and the Missile Defense Agency "did not protect networks and systems that process, store, and transmit (missile defense) technical information from unauthorized access and use."

That could allow attackers to go around US missile-defense capabilities, the report said.

In one case, officials had failed to patch flaws in their system after getting alerts about vulnerabilities — one of which was first found in 1990 and remained unresolved in April this year.

SEE ALSO: The Navy's top officer in Europe says the US' new strategy has already duped the Russians

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NOW WATCH: How to protect yourself from the biggest threat to safety and security online

These are the top 15 US banks ranked by the mobile banking features consumers value most

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. This report is exclusively available to enterprise subscribers. To learn more about getting access to this report, email Senior Account Executive Chris Roth at croth@businessinsider.com, or check to see if your company already has access


New data shows that mobile features have become a key factor that customers weigh when choosing a bank. 

Screen Shot 2018 11 30 at 4.34.28 PMIn Business Insider Intelligence's second annual Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study, 64% of mobile banking users said that they would research a bank's mobile banking capabilities before opening an account with them. And 61% said that they would switch banks if their bank offered a poor mobile banking experience.

For channel strategists, the challenge in attracting mobile-minded customers is knowing when to bet budgets and political capital on developing emerging features. It's complicated by most flashy features — such as voice assistants, smartwatch banking, and bank-offered mobile wallets — being deemed a "must" by analysts, media, and rival banking executives. 

4by3catThe Mobile Banking Competitive Edge Report uses data to inform channel investment decisions by highlighting which mobile banking features are most valuable to customers. Our study has data on consumer demand for 33 in-demand mobile capabilities across six key categories. 

Using that consumer data, the study benchmarks the largest 20 banks and credit unions in the US by whether they offer the cutting-edge mobile features that customers say they care about most. What sets our benchmark apart is that it weights every feature according to customer demand data — not subjective analyst opinion.  

Channel strategists within financial institutions use our report to see which innovative features they should prioritize in development pipelines and to find out how they compare with rival banks and credit unions in offering those features.

Business Insider Intelligence fielded the Mobile Banking Competitive Edge Study to members of its proprietary panel in August 2018, reaching over 1,200 US consumers — primarily handpicked digital professionals and early-adopters, making our sample a sensitive indicator of emerging features. 

Here are a few key takeaways from the report:

  • Citi snagged first overall. The bank led the account access section, tied for first in account management, and ranked highly in all the other categories of the study. Wells Fargo took second place, leading in security and control and transfers. USAA came in third, NFCU was fourth, and Bank of America rounded out the top five.
  • Demand for security features is sizzling. Following a year of huge breaches being announced at companies like Facebook and Google, consumers' security concerns jumped to become the most important category. The category included the No. 1 feature overall: the ability to turn a payment card on or off. 
  • Digital money management features are also highly demanded. Chase and Wells Fargo may be onto something with their millennial-focused banking apps, Finn and Greenhouse, as the generation had sky-high demand for the six features in the category. The most popular feature in the category was the ability to separate recurring payments, such as Netflix and gym memberships.

 In full, the report:

  • Shows how 33 mobile features stack up according to how valuable customers say they are.
  • Ranks the top 20 US banks and credit unions on whether they offer each of those features.
  • Analyzes how demographics effect demand for different mobile features.
  • Provides strategies for banks to best attract and retain customers with mobile features.
  • Contains 63 pages and 30 figures.

The full report is available to Business Insider Intelligence enterprise clients. To learn more about this report, email Senior Account Executive Chris Roth (croth@businessinsider.com).  

Business Insider Intelligence's Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study includes: Ally, Bank of America, BB&T, BBVA Compass, BMO Harris, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, Fifth Third, HSBC, KeyBank, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions, SunTrust, TD, Union Bank, US Bank, USAA, and Wells Fargo.

SEE ALSO: These are the trends creating new winners and losers in the card-processing ecosystem

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North Polian, German, or Klingon?: Americans really don't agree on Santa Claus' nationality

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santa claus

  • Americans can't agree on Santa Claus' nationality.
  • According to an INSIDER poll, just over 15% of people think Santa Claus is from all countries, while just over 9% think Santa is from no country.
  • Popular responses also included White, German, American, and Fictional.

Americans can't seem to agree where exactly Santa Claus was born.

According to an INSIDER poll of 1,136 people, the most popular answer when asked what nation Santa Claus is from was "all," with 15.1% of the responses, or "none," with 9.1% of the answers.

In order to leave the question as open-ended as possible, we allowed respondents to write in their answer. The format of the survey led to a wide array of responses, with many people not even citing a country.

Coming in third was some variation of the North Pole, with 7.9%, of respondents identifying Santa's base of operations as his birthplace.

Following the top of the world in popularity was white or Caucasian, which — despite not technically being a nation — garnered 83 responses, or 7.3% of the total.

St. Nicholas, the Catholic saint who became the basis for many of the Santa Claus myths, was born in what is now Turkey but was at the time controlled by Greeks. Nicholas became the bishop of Myra, a city on the Southern coast of the country, and became known as the patron saint of gifts and children.

Of the respondents to our poll just 20, or 1.8%, identified Turkey as Santa Claus' birthplace while 33, or 2.9%, identified a Hellenic state such as Greece or Turkey. One person did respond Myra, the name of the town where St. Nicholas was bishop.

More than 10% of people thought that Santa was from some country in Europe, with the Nordic countries garnering 8.9% as well. Sixty-eight people, or 6%, thought Santa was from the United States, while 17, or 1.5%, gave some iteration of the British Isles.

Here's a rundown of the responses received 10 times or more:

  • All: 172 respondents (15.1%)
  • None: 103 (9.1%)
  • North Polian/North Polish/North Polean: 90 (7.9%)
  • White/Caucasian 83 (7.3%)
  • German: 67 (5.9%)
  • American: 66 (5.8%)
  • Fictional: 49 (4.3%)
  • Norwegian: 32 (2.8%)
  • Turkish: 20 (1.8%)
  • Swedish: 18 (1.6%)
  • Canadian: 16 (1.4%)
  • Finnish: 16 (1.4%)
  • Supernatural: 15 (1.3%)
  • Dutch: 15 (1.3%)
  • European: 15 (1.3%)
  • Arctic: 12 (1.1%)
  • Greek: 11 (1.0%)
  • Black: 10 (0.9%)

There were also a few interesting responses that did not garner much support. More colorful responses included three votes for Martian; two votes for Klingon, the fictional species from the Star Trek series, conservative, and Clausian; and single votes for Coca Cola, alien, satanic, "Holidayese," hippie, and Amazon.

SurveyMonkey Audience polls from a national sample balanced by census data of age and gender. Respondents are incentivized to complete surveys through charitable contributions. Generally speaking, digital polling tends to skew toward people with access to the internet. SurveyMonkey Audience doesn't try to weight its sample based on race or income. Total 1,136 respondents, margin of error plus or minus 2.97 percentage points with 95% confidence level.

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Here's an early glimpse into the autonomous trucking market — and how self-driving technology is disrupting the way goods are delivered

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autonomous trucking graphic

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. Current subscribers can read the report here.

Trucking is set to transform radically in the coming years, with innovative technologies enabling trucks to take over more and more driving responsibilities, saving time and money for operators and businesses that rely on shipping.

Autonomous trucks are being tested on roads around the world, and systems from startups like Peloton and Embark could make their way into commercial trucks as soon as next year. Fleets will be able to leverage autonomous technologies to cut costs and gain a critical edge over competitors.

But to start planning for, and to eventually implement, those technologies, companies need to know what sorts of systems will be ready and when, and what regulatory hurdles will need to be overcome to get autonomous trucks on the road. 

In The Autonomous Trucking Report, Business Insider Intelligence provides an early glimpse into the emerging autonomous trucking market. First, we look at the trucking market as it stands today, offering a basic profile of the industry and highlighting a number of the challenges and issues it faces. Then, we go through the three waves of autonomous technology that are set to upend the industry — platooning, semi-autonomous systems, and fully autonomous trucks — looking at who is making strides in each of these areas, when the technology can be expected to start making an impact, and what companies can do to get ahead of the curve.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

  • Advanced and autonomous technology will enable operators and shipping firms to eradicate some of the challenges that have long plagued them. Trucks will take over more and more driving responsibilities, saving time and money for operators and businesses that rely on shipping.
  • The impact of autonomous technologies on the trucking industry will come in three major waves: platooning or fuel-saving vehicle convoys, semi-autonomous highway control systems, and fully autonomous trucks.
  • Change to the trucking industry will be gradual but inexorable. Companies with foresight can start to make long-term plans to account for the ways that autonomous technologies will change how goods and products move from place to place.

In full, the report:

  • Analyzes the development of autonomous trucking technology.
  • Explains the waves in which advanced and autonomous technologies will start to impact the trucking industry, providing detailed explanations of how a company can take advantage of the disruptive technology transforming logistics at each stage.
  • Profiles the efforts of the companies that are at the forefront of new technology in trucking, looking at what they're working on and when their efforts could start to impact the market.

To get this report, subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

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Every traveler should get this $9 luggage scale before their next international flight

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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.

Luggage Scale

  • International overweight bag fees range from $50 to $200 depending on airline carriers and how much your bag is over the predetermined limit.
  • This $9 digital luggage scale can save you hours of frustration and hundreds of dollars even if you don't consider yourself an overpacker.
  • It can weigh bags and suitcases up to 100 pounds. It also weighs less than five ounces itself, so it won't add much to your overall bag weight.

There's no bigger rush than finding an international flight deal. There's also no bigger buzzkill than finding out that there are unreasonably low bag weights.

So, before I went on a two-week, three-city vacation to Australia, I bought this $9 digital luggage scale from Etekcity. It saved me from having to pay $80 in overweight baggage fees on that trip alone.

After booking my tickets to Australia, when I read that passengers could only bring one carry-on and one personal item that totaled to 15 pounds and check-in bags couldn't be more than 40 pounds, I knew I was going to have a hard time packing. Even though I was traveling for two weeks, you can bet that I was packing three weeks' worth of clothes, accessories, shoes, and makeup. Not to mention I had to save space for all the souvenirs I'd bring home.

The digital scale proved to be a lifesaver. I was able to weigh my bags throughout my packing process so I packed more thoughtfully (I guess I didn't need five pairs of jeans after all) and avoided paying overweight baggage fees on all the legs of my trip.

Etekcity Luggage Scale

The scale is super small and weighs under five ounces so it'll barely register in your suitcase, and using it is fool-proof.

Once you've packed your bag or suitcase, loop the scale around any handle. Then lift the scale up for a few seconds, and the digital display will show how much your bag weighs. From there, you can repack as needed in the comfort of your own home — not at the airport in front of 12 annoyed passengers and future seatmates. Even if you aren't an overpacker like me, you'll have total peace of mind just in case check-in agents try to scam you and say your bag is over the weight limit.

Since I bought this scale, I've used it on trips to Iceland, Hong Kong, Turks and Caicos, Greece, and more, and have never had an issue with overweight baggage. In fact, it's helped me discover that I had more room in my suitcase for shoes.

Buy the Etekcity Digital Luggage Scale from Amazon for $9

SEE ALSO: 26 packing essentials we never travel without — from a $150 mobile WiFi hotspot to a $6 pack of face wipes

DON'T MISS: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

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The number of global esports fans is expected to climb 59% over the next five years — but there’s still significant room for growth

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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. Current subscribers can read the report here.

esports audience 2 1

Esports, which is short for electronic sports, refers to competitive video gaming watched by spectators. Esports are not as mainstream as traditional sports in the US, but the number of esports fans globally is still sizable. The worldwide esports audience reached 335 million in 2017, according to Newzoo. 

And there’s still significant room for growth beyond that — we predict that 600 million consumers globally will watch esports in 2023, up 79% from 2017. 

A growing number of brands are acting to capitalize on the growth of esports as the majority of professional gaming fans are millennials and open to brand sponsors. Sixty-two percent of US esports viewers are aged 18-34, according to Activate, while 58% have a positive attitude towards brand involvement in esports, per Nielsen.

Meanwhile, Newzoo anticipates global esports sponsorship revenue to reach $359 million in 2018, up 53% year-over-year. The growing esports audience and brand activity helps explains why high-profile public figures are jumping in to capitalize on the action: In late October, basketball legend Michael Jordan and platinum-selling artist Drake both made investments into separate esports ventures, for example. 

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence will explain the growth of the esports audience and why it presents an attractive advertising opportunity for brands. We'll begin by exploring the key drivers and barriers affecting esports audience growth. Finally, we'll detail the benefits of advertising to esports fans and outline the best practices for implementing a successful esports ad campaign.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Alibaba, Arby's, Audi, Bud Light, Hyundai, Intel, Mastercard, McDonald's, Red Bull, Skillz, and Turner.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • The number of esports fans globally is anticipated to climb 59% over the next five years, but there’s still significant room for growth.
  • This expansion will be driven by many factors, including investment from traditional sports leagues, a higher number of broadcast deals, and the expansion of the mobile-based esports scene.
  • The majority of esports fans are millennials, while data suggests that Gen Zers are more receptive to nontraditional sports, like esports, than traditional sports.
  • Brands can sponsor esports leagues, competitions, and players as well as advertise on digital platforms like Twitch to reach the eyeballs of esports fans.
  • Whatever shape a brand's esports ad campaign eventually takes, displaying an authentic commitment to the gaming world is paramount.

 In full, the report:

  • Outlines the drivers and potential barriers to esports audience growth.
  • Details the various reasons esports fans are a compelling advertising opportunity for brands.
  • Discusses the different ways brands can invest spend to reach the eyeballs of esports fans.
  • Explains best practices brands advertising to esports fans should adopt in order to make inroads with the gaming community. 

 

SEE ALSO: The eSports competitive video gaming market continues to grow revenues & attract investors

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A longtime investor shares his 3 picks for tech stocks to bet on in these tough times for the market (AMZN, MSFT, CRM, WDAY)

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Dan Morgan, a senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust, in an appearance on

  • The stock markets have tanked lately, and tech stocks have been hit particularly hard.
  • Not long ago, betting on the biggest tech companies was a winning strategy, but no more.
  • Going into next year, investors are going to have to be more selective about their tech bets, said Dan Morgan, a longtime tech backer.
  • Morgan's advice: Bet on the cloud.

With the markets in turmoil, shedding loads of value seemingly by the day across the board, it's no longer a sure thing to bet on the tech sector or even its most prominent companies.

It used to be that investors could put some money in the famous FAANGs — Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google parent company Alphabet — and be assured of doing well. But Apple's and Google's stocks are down for the year, and Facebook's has fallen off a cliff. While both Amazon's and Netflix's shares are still up for the year, they're way off their highs.

Read this:Dow drops 640 points for the worst Christmas Eve trading day on record

What's more, Wall Street analysts are forecasting that the technology sector's profit growth rate will slow dramatically next year after being boosted by President Donald Trump's tax cut this year, said Dan Morgan, a longtime tech investor with Synovus.

Going into 2019 "you just have to be very discerning in the tech sector," said Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust. He continued: "You have to do your homework and zero in on some of [the] trends."

So what's an investor to do? What are the big trends to watch?

Many tech sectors are looking uncertain right now, Morgan said. Although he's not predicting a recession next year, he does think economic growth will slow, and that will hit some areas harder than others.

The consumer sector in particular looks shaky right now, because many of the big companies face other obstacles in addition to a potential economic slowdown, he said.

Apple's stock, for example, is highly dependent on its ability to sell iPhones, and those sales have begun to decline, he said. Google's and Facebook's business models, built around collecting highly personal information from consumers, have come under increasing scrutiny amid a series of privacy and other scandals.

Netflix's and Amazon's stocks and businesses have held up, but both look to be the exceptions in the consumer technology sector that prove the rule, he said.

So Morgan's advice is to look to the cloud.

Spending on cloud services is growing at a rapid rate as businesses of all sizes increasingly shift their technology spending to them and away from their own data centers, Morgan said. The industry will soon see a $10 billion windfall from the US Defense Department, which is planning to move some of its own computing infrastructure to the cloud as part of its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program, he noted.

"That's an area that's still very strong," he said.

In fact, he thinks the prospects for the area are so good, his theme or 2019 is "roll into the cloud."

With that in mind, here are Morgan's top picks in tech going into 2019:

SEE ALSO: An Amazon bull says the company's stock is his 'best idea' for 2019. Here's why.

Salesforce

Salesforce is the leading company in the software as a service (SaaS) sector, which is not only the one of the fastest-growing areas in tech but one of the fastest-growing even in the rapidly advancing area of cloud services, Morgan said. The SaaS industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 33% a year from 2017 to 2022, he said. The overall cloud market is expected to grow by 17% a year over that period.

Marc Benioff's company should be the big beneficiary of that growth as businesses shift their customer-relationship management operations to the cloud, and away from traditional server-based software, Morgan said. The company's share of the SAAS market — 34% — is almost six times as large as that of its nearest competitor, Microsoft, he said. And it's successfully fended off bigger rivals, including Benioff's former employers at Oracle, over the last 20 years since it helped launch the SaaS market.

Salesforce's "pioneering position has helped make it a key platform provider attracting considerable enterprise interest and activity," Morgan said. The company, he continued, "continues to reap the early-mover advantage in the cloud customer-relationship management ... market."



Microsoft

The fact that Microsoft now has a higher market value than either Apple or Amazon, both of which were worth more than $1 trillion a few months ago, says a lot about the shifting fortunes in the tech industry away from consumer companies and toward cloud-based ones, Morgan said.

While all three companies are now trading well below that magical number, Microsoft "seems to be the one best capable of getting [back] to $1 trillion, at least in near future," he said.

That's because under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has made a remarkable transition, going from a traditional software company to a cloud-focused one, Morgan said. Its Azure offering is the number-2 player in the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) portion of the cloud market behind Amazon Web Services. And it's the leader in the platform as a service market (PaaS). 

Microsoft provides a nice contrast to Oracle, Morgan said. Both companies thrived in the old enterprise software industry, selling companies licenses to run applications in their data centers. But while Microsoft has since established itself as one of the biggest players in the cloud market, Oracle is still trying to get traction for its cloud services, he said.

"To me, they're bipolar opposites of each other," he said. He continued: "It seems to me that Microsoft has beaten them to the mark in terms of making this maneuver to the cloud."



Workday

joLike Salesforce, Workday, the leader in cloud-based human resources applications, is benefitting as enterprise corporations shift their applications away from those that they run in their own data centers, Morgan said. The company counts more than a third of the Fortune 500 corporations among its customers, and has about a 9% share of the cloud human capital management (HCM) market, he said.

Workday is seeing booming business. In its most recent quarter, its sales were up 34% on a year-over-year basis, blowing through Wall Street's expectations.

In addition to the ongoing move to the cloud, Workday is benefitting from competing in an area with no real leader, Morgan said. In the traditional HCM software market, SAP, Oracle, and ADP have all battled for share. Workday is gaining ground by offering a simpler user experience, he said.

"As late adopters to the cloud shun their on-premise applications, we believe Workday will gain even more market share," he said.



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The best credit cards to open in 2018, according to The Points Guy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.

TPG Awards

  • Travel and rewards website The Points Guy held its inaugural awards gala, awarding the best airline, hotel, rewards, and credit card products of 2018.
  • The credit card winners were all nominated and chosen by TPG readers.
  • Here are the credit card winners — these are some of the best credit cards you can get as 2018 draws to a close.

Last night, travel and points/miles/credit card website The Points Guy (an Insider Picks e-commerce partner) held its first annual TPG Awards at the USS Intrepid museum in New York.

The awards show featured a number of presentations and honors — including an award to "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III.

Award categories featured credit cards, loyalty programs, hotels, and airlines, and — except for a few awards for the best airline cabins — all the nominees and winners were chosen by TPG readers. 

The winners for the various credit card categories were mostly unsurprising, as TPG readers are a savvy bunch who know how to find great value, but there were a few categories in which the winner was likely a tough choice.

Read on to see the best credit cards of 2018, in a few different categories, as picked by The Points Guy's readers.

You can read more about the airline winners here.

Premium Card of the Year: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Insider Picks' take: The Sapphire Reserve is one of our all-around favorites, and our pick for best overall credit card. TPG readers were — unsurprisingly — on the ball with this one.

Mid-Tier Card of the Year: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Insider Picks' take: The Sapphire Preferred is definitely worthy of best mid-tier card, with rewards and benefits that easily outweigh the card's $95 annual fee (which is waived the first year). However, another nominee on the list — the recently refreshedAmerican Express® Gold Card— is also worthy of a nod.

No-Fee Card of the Year: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Insider Picks' take: Capping off Chase's sweep of the personal cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is another favorite. It offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, but that cash technically comes in the form of points (meaning 1.5 points earned per dollar spent). If you have a card like the Sapphire Reserve or Preferred, you can pool your points and potentially get a better redemption value for them.

Best Credit Card Perk of the Year: Sapphire Reserve's $300 travel benefit

Insider Picks' take: The annual, no-hassle $300 travel credit is fantastic. It automatically applies to the first $300 of travel purchases you make each card membership year, and "travel" is defined broadly to include things like taxis, parking, and subway tickets, as well as airfare and hotels. The perk brings the card's effective annual fee down from $450 to $150.

However, another nominated perk — Centurion Lounge access with the Platinum Card® from American Express— shouldn't be overlooked, especially with several new locations opening next year. In fact, the Platinum Card's overall lounge access shines above the Sapphire Reserve, so if that's important to you, you might be better off with the AmEx card.

Best New/Refreshed Card of the Year: The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Insider Picks' take: We feel this is the all-around best hotel card you can get right now, and several members of our team carry it. The card offers airline fee credits, resort credits, free nights, automatic top-tier elite status, and more.

The award category was open to cards that launched in the 12-month period ending September 14. Had it extended through October, we suspect that the American Express Gold Card would have taken home this prize, since it offers 4x points at US restaurants and supermarkets (for the latter, that's on up to $25,000 per year — you get 1x point per dollar after that).

Best Business Card of the Year: The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

Insider Picks' take: For a while, this has been among the best business cards around, offering some incredible perks to outweigh it's $450 annual fee.

The day before the TPG Awards, AmEx Business announced a few changes to the Business Platinum Card — including a few new perks but an increased annual fee of $595 — that make the card potentially less useful for sole proprieters and very small businesses, but better for bigger small and mid-size businesses.

Had these changes been announced earlier, when the TPG Awards voting was open, we wonder if the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card from Chase might have won instead.

Best Airline Cobranded Card of the Year: Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

Insider Picks' take: This has been a good year for cobranded airline cards, as positive changes have come to both the American and United Airlines mid-tier cards. However, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is a favorite thanks to its annual companion certificate, which can be an incredibly lucrative benefit.

Best Hotel Cobranded Card of the Year: The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Insider Picks' take: There's no question here, as the Aspire Card offers such an absurdly high value proposition that there's little reason not to get it — even with its high annual fee, you'll get way more value back over the course of each year.

SEE ALSO: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and perks in 2018

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