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I almost always default to Amazon when I need last-minute, well, anything. Because I love procrastinating, I use it most frantically to buy gifts.

Once you're on Amazon, you can breathe a little and remind yourself to calm down — it's impossible not to find a good gift that will arrive in time.

Armed with a Prime membership and lightning-fast typing and scrolling skills, you can browse the huge collection of Prime-eligible products and emerge triumphant, having crossed off gifts for everyone on your list. 

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.

If time is catching up to you, we've created a cheat sheet to the best 32 gifts on Amazon that will also reliably arrive before Christmas. 

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

DON'T MISS: 55 creative and unexpected gifts for her that are all under $50

A tribute to the illustrator behind the iconic worlds and characters of 'Star Wars'

Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie, $156.78, available at Amazon

Dive into the fascinating artistic process of creating the "Star Wars" universe. The never-before-seen-or-published illustrations and interviews paint a picture of the hard work of the designer Ralph McQuarrie.

A cool home-decor piece for transit enthusiasts

Best-selling noise-cancelling headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, $299, available at Amazon

These comfortable headphones cut out surrounding noises so they can enjoy the crisp and clear listening experience with no distractions. It also has Alexa built right in for hands-free music control and information access. 

Consumers having been “cutting the cord,” or canceling their pay-TV subscriptions in favor of internet-delivered alternatives, for years now, but the trend reached new heights in 2017. 

There’s little reason to believe that this phenomenon will slow down any time soon either, so pay-tv providers will have to find new ways to generate revenue as their primary source continues to erode. 

One of the most prominent ways media companies are recuperating cord-cutting losses is by launching their own direct-to-consumer streaming services. 

But what makes for a successful streaming video service? 

The Business Insider Intelligence Digital Media research team has written a note breaking down the evolving landscape of streaming video on-demand (SVOD). The note looks at which characteristics consumers care about most in a streaming service and which are just "nice to have." 

To get your FREE copy, click here.

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• Facebook suspended five accounts for spreading misleading information during the special election in Alabama last year.
• This includes the account of Jonathon Morgan, CEO of social media research firm New Knowledge, which helped the government discover how Russian agents used social media to share fake news during the 2016 election.
• Morgan said he created a misleading Facebook page and purchased retweets as part of an experiment with misleading online tactics, but didn't intend to affect the election's outcome.

Facebook has suspended five accounts for spreading misleading information during the special election in Alabama in 2017, including that of Jonathon Morgan, CEO of social media research firm New Knowledge.

"We've recently removed five accounts run by multiple individuals for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior on Facebook around the Alabama special election, and our investigation is ongoing," a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider. "We take a strong stand against people or organizations that create networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are or what they’re doing." 

The news was first reported by The Washington Post.

Morgan previously told The Washington Post that he created a misleading Facebook page for conservatives and bought Twitter retweets "to measure the potential 'lift' of political messages" as part of an experiment with misleading online tactics during the election, which involved Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones.

He said his intent was not to affect the election's results, but to better understand online disinformation.

Morgan's efforts, however, were made alongside another campaign that attempted to use social media to destabilize Moore's campaign. According to The New York Times, a Democratically supported social media campaign promoted a Republican write-in candidate and created false evidence that Twitter bots were backing Moore.

Read more:Facebook endured a staggering number of scandals and controversies in 2018 — here they all are

In a statement released on Twitter earlier this week, Morgan said:

"My involvement in the project described in The New York Times was as a cyber-security researcher and expert with the intention to better understand and report on the tactics and effects of social media disinformation. I did not participate in any campaign to influence the public and any characterization on the contrary misrepresents the research goals, methods and outcome of the project."

New Knowledge helped the government discover how Russian agents used social media to share fake news during the 2016 election and after Trump was elected, the Post reported.

SEE ALSO: Facebook has been on an advertising blitz to fix its reputation, and some publishers have raked in cash from its nightmare PR year

DON'T MISS: Facebook could be building a cryptocurrency for WhatsApp

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

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. 

If we're living through a “retail apocalypse” that spells doom for brick-and-mortar retail, as many have suggested, why are e-commerce leaders like Amazon, Alibaba, and JD.com so focused on building their own brick-and-mortar networks?

It's because they want to revitalize physical stores by introducing features associated with online shopping like personalization — and a whopping 65% of consumers said personalization and promotions are most important to their shopping experiences, according to a report from Oracle cited by Chain Store Age.

Brick-and-mortar retailers have the opportunity to reap the same benefits of personalization that e-tailers do, like repeat visits and impulse purchases, but they need to invest in the right technologies and techniques to do so because they currently don’t meet shoppers’ expectations. For example, 41% of consumers expect sales associates to know about their previous purchases, but just 19% have experienced this, according to a report from Segment.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence analyzes how physical retail’s personalization is being outperformed by e-commerce’s, and examines the value personalization holds for brick-and-mortar in particular. We also look at what techniques and technologies are available to help retailers identify and track consumers in-store, and how they can be used to bolster their personalization capabilities. Finally, we examine the different channels through which retailers can reach consumers with their personalized offerings in-store.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Amazon, Alibaba, JD.com, Intel, Mastercard, Target, Velocity Worldwide, RetailMeNot, b8ta, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sitecore, Oak Labs, Calabrio, and Alegion.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Consumers say that a personalized shopping experience can inspire loyalty and increases in spending.
• But brick-and-mortar retailers aren't meeting consumers’ in-store personalization expectations.
• The nature of online shopping gives e-commerce the upper hand when it comes to personalization.
• Physical retailers can close the gap in personalization by identifying consumers when they enter, tracking them throughout their journey, and then using that information to inform individualized offerings.
• To make the most of personalized offerings, retailers must consider how content is being presented to consumers in-store, and what the strengths of each channel are.
• If physical retailers fail to improve their in-store personalization, they risk losing sales and market share to e-commerce companies, both online and in-store.

In full, the report:

• Identifies the values of personalization to physical retailers.
• Details the reasons e-tailers currently offer better personalization than brick-and-mortar stores.
• Outlines the technologies and processes that can bolster in-store personalization.
• Discusses how retailers can best present personalized offerings in-store.

Join the conversation about this story »

SEE ALSO: 25 creative and unexpected gifts for 'Star Wars' fans of all ages

DON'T MISS: 75 unique gift ideas from startups that are worth having on your radar

A hook system more reliable than the MTA

Umbra Subway Wall Hook, $30, available at Amazon

Part art piece and part functional organizer, the subway-inspired wall hook reminds them of the joys (and terrors) of riding public transportation. 

A programmable R2-D2

A garden aquarium that wastes no resources

Back to the Roots Water Garden, $73.99, available at Amazon

The two-in-one ecosystem is self-sustaining: the fish waste fertilizes the micro greens on top while the plants clean the fish's water. It requires less work and the greens should be ready in 10 days, plus it simply looks cool on their countertop. 

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.

In the US, the in-store mobile wallet space is becoming increasingly crowded. Most customers have an option provided by their smartphone vendor, like Apple, Android, or Samsung Pay. But those are often supplemented by a myriad of options from other players, ranging from tech firms like PayPal, to banks and card issuers, to major retailers and restaurants.

With that proliferation of options, one would expect to see a surge in adoption. But that’s not the case — though Business Insider Intelligence projects that US in-store mobile payments volume will quintuple in the next five years, usage is consistently lagging below expectations, with estimates for 2019 falling far below what we expected just two years ago. 

As such, despite promising factors driving gains, including the normalization of NFC technology and improved incentive programs to encourage adoption and engagement, it’s important for wallet providers and groups trying to break into the space to address the problems still holding mobile wallets back. These issues include customer satisfaction with current payment methods, limited repeat purchasing, and consumer confusion stemming from fragmentation. But several wallets, like Apple Pay, Starbucks’ app, and Samsung Pay, are outperforming their peers, and by delving into why, firms can begin to develop best practices and see better results.

A new report from Business Insider Intelligence addresses how in-store mobile payments volume will grow through 2021, why that’s below past expectations, and what successful cases can teach other players in the space. It also issues actionable recommendations that various providers can take to improve their performance and better compete.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• US in-store mobile payments will advance steadily at a 40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to hit $128 billion in 2021. That’s suppressed by major headwinds, though — this is the second year running that Business Insider Intelligence has halved its projected growth rate.
• To power ahead, US wallets should look at pockets of success. Banks, merchants, and tech providers could each benefit from implementing strategies that have worked for early leaders, including eliminating fragmentation, improving the purchase journey, and building repeat purchasing.
• Building multiple layers of value is key to getting ahead. Adding value to the user experience and making wallets as simple and frictionless as possible are critical to encouraging adoption and keeping consumers engaged. 

In full, the report:

• Sizes the US in-store mobile payments market and examines growth drivers.
• Analyzes headwinds that have suppressed adoption.
• Identifies three strategic changes providers can make to improve their results.
• Evaluates pockets of success in the market.
• Provides actionable insights that providers can implement to improve results.

Subscribe to an All-Access membership to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

	This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
	Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
	Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
	And more!

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• Sen. Lindsey Graham praised President Donald Trump for his decision to shut down the government rather than compromise on his demand for billions in funding for his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border. 
• The South Carolina Republican appeared unconcerned about a government shutdown, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of government employees, and encouraged the president to "dig in." 
• Other Republican lawmakers have expressed disappointment or even outrage over the president's inability to compromise with Democrats and keep the government open. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham praised President Donald Trump for refusing to walk back his demand for billions in funding for his long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border, forcing the government to shut down for the third time in two years of a Republican-controlled Washington. 

Aligning himself with the GOP's right-wing which has pushed for absolutism, the South Carolina Republican argued that the president is justified in taking a hard line on the issue, encouraging him to "break" Democratic lawmakers. 

Montana Sen. Steve Daines on Friday echoed Trump's far-fetched call for Republicans to eliminate the filibuster on legislation, the rule that requires a supermajority of 60 votes to pass bills, including those that fund the government.

Trump has repeatedly called on McConnell to employ the so-called "nuclear option" in the past, but the majority leader has resisted and shot down the suggestion every time. Lawmakers have argued that getting rid of the filibuster would result in a more volatile chamber and destroy the last concrete rule that forces bipartisan agreement.

But other Republican senators voiced a contrary sentiment, slamming both parties for failing to come to an agreement to keep the government open. 

Read more: Chuck Schumer just poked a huge hole in Trump's logic in the government-shutdown fight

"I was not elected to shut down the government, I was elected to make it work for taxpayers. This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one," Sen. Lamar Alexander, who recently announced he will retire in 2020, tweeted on Friday night. "Shutting down the government should be as off limits to budget negotiations as chemical weapons are to warfare." 

This comes after Trump proclaimed last week that he would be "proud" to shut the government down over the border wall fight, and insisted that he would shoulder the political fallout and take blame for the government closure. Instead, he's pivoted to blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

"We are going to be working very hard to get something passed in the Senate. There's a very good chance it won't get passed," Trump said. "It's up to the Democrats. So it's really the Democrat shutdown. Because we've done our thing."

Bob Bryan contributed to this report. 

SEE ALSO: 'We MUST end these unauthorized wars': the anti-war left hesitantly celebrates Trump's troop pullout

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• Americans vary in how they pronounce the words "merry,""marry," and "Mary."
• A majority, 57%, of Americans pronounce all three words the same.
• The divide highlights something fascinating about American English.

You're probably going to hear the phrase "merry Christmas" a lot over the next few days.

But depending on who you talk to, it might not sound the same every time.

That's because how people pronounce the word "merry" is at the heart of one of the most interesting divides in American English. And diving into the data reveals a fascinating quirk about our language.

How do you pronounce 'merry,' 'marry,' and 'Mary'?

Think of how you pronounce "merry,""marry," and "Mary." 

Do you pronounce all those words the same? Do you pronounce two of them the same, and one different? Or do they all sound different when you say them?

If you chose option 1, you're in the majority — 57% of the country pronounces all three words the same. That's according to the Harvard Dialect Study, a legendary 2003 survey of more than 30,000 Americans by linguist Bert Vaux and data scientist Scott Golder.

Related:'Soda,' 'pop,' or 'coke': More than 400,000 Americans weighed in, and a map of their answers is exactly what you'd expect

If you're one of that 57%, odds are that all three words rhyme with "hairy" when you say them. It's a phenomenon known as "vowel merging," in which distinct vowel sounds in a dialect slowly converge into the same sound over time.

Meanwhile, 17% of the country pronounces all three words differently. These are the people whose dialects have resisted vowel merging. If you're in that group, you most likely say "merry" with a "meh" sound at the beginning, rhyme Mary with "hairy," and pronounce "marry" with the same vowel sound in "trap."

The final 26% of respondents pronounce two of the three words the same, in most cases "marry" and "Mary," with "merry" being the odd one out. You can see the whole results here.

Interestingly, pronouncing all three words the same can reveal where you come from: It's mostly associated with the Northeast, especially Philadelphia, the New York City area, and Boston. 

The explanation hinges on the letter R

For New Yorkers and Bostonians, the reason for the distinction likely has to do with their famous tendency of dropping the R sound at the ends of syllables — "pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd" is an example.

The presence of an R shapes the way we articulate the vowel before it, San Diego State University linguistics professor Aaron Dinkin told Business Insider. So speakers who treat their R's differently are going to wind up with two different pronunciations of the same word.

Depending on where you're from, you might consider the R sound in "merry" to be at the end of the first syllable rather than the start of the second. But if your dialect shies away from placing R's at the end of syllables, you'll place the sound at the start of the second syllable, allowing for less influence on the vowel before it. The rules don't just apply to merry and marry, but any similarly-structured words too, like "very,""fairy," or "Harry."

Over in Philadelphia, speakers have something entirely different going on: they tend to pronounce "merry" the same as "Murray," another example of how sounds in English are constantly shifting.

"People learn the dialect features of the community they grow up in, for the most part, and every dialect is suitable for the communicative needs of the people that speak it," Dinkin told Business Insider.

"But changes are always taking place as one generation learns the dialect ever-so-slightly differently than the previous generation did."

SEE ALSO: 27 fascinating maps that show how Americans speak English differently across the US

DON'T MISS: 9 common words you probably didn't know came from movies

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NOW WATCH: Why 'moist' is one of the most hated words in the English language

• The Philadelphia Eagles are 7-7 and currently on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture.
• There are ways for the defending champs to make it back to the postseason, as long as they can get a little help from around the league.
• The easiest path is to win out, but they may still be alive even if they lose on Sunday.

It's been a tough season for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Just months removed from their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, the reigning champions have dealt with a series of devastating injuries and ill-timed collapses. They stand at 7-7 heading into the final two weeks of the season.

But thanks to Nick Foles and an impressive upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, Philadelphia is still alive in their hunt to repeat as champions.

Below, we break down the four easiest ways the Eagles can earn a playoff spot.

Here's how the NFL playoff bracket would look if the season ended today:

The Minnesota Vikings hold the final playoff spot in the NFC. At 7-6-1, a half-game up on the Eagles in the standings. The 8-6 Seattle Seahawks hold claim to the first wild-card spot. The Eagles also trail the 8-6 Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East race. 

For the Eagles to earn a shot at defending their Super Bowl title, they'll need a bit of help from at least one of those three teams.

After their win over the Rams, the Eagles chances of making the playoffs jumped from 18% to 39% according to FiveThirtyEight. According to Philly.com's Jeff McLane, there are 10 scenarios through which the Eagles can still make the playoffs, but some of those get into the precarious details of tiebreakers.

1. If the Eagles win both remaining games, and the Vikings lose at least once

The most important step to the Eagles getting into the postseason is to win their remaining games. While there are scenarios that can see Philadelphia into the playoffs should they split their final two, things would get a bit more complicated.

The easiest way the Eagles can get back to the playoffs is to beat the Texans at home in Week 16, beat the Redskins in Washington in Week 17, and hope that the Vikings lose one of their final two.

Minnesota finishes the season at Detroit, and then home for the Bears, who at that point, might have little to gain from a win. If the Vikings drop one more game and the Eagles win out, Philadelphia would be through with a 9-7 record.

2. The Eagles win both remaining games, and the Seahawks lose both remaining games

If Seattle lost its final two games — home against the Chiefs and the Cardinals — and the Eagles won out, Philadelphia could jump them in the wild-card race and snag the fifth seed in the NFC.

The future of retail is looking bright.

So bright that Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, expects the industry to top $5.5 trillion by 2020!

While in-store and desktop purchases are certainly helping the retail industry boom, the biggest factor for this incredible growth is in your pocket.

Find out why the smartphone will be crucial for retailers in 2018 and beyond with the first part of a brand new slide deck from Business Insider Intelligence called The Future of Retail: Mobile Commerce.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• US retail is growing $200 billion year-over-year
• In-store retail is still dwarfing e-commerce
• But e-commerce is growing almost 4x faster than in-store
• Mobile commerce is driving most of that growth
• And much more

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

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• Brett McGurk, the top US official leading a 79-nation coalition fighting ISIS, resigned from his post on Friday in protest of the president's sudden decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria. 
• McGurk said in an email to staff that President Donald Trump's decision on Syria came as a "shock," was a "complete reversal" of US policy, and "left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered." 
• "I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout but — as many of you heard in my meetings and phone calls — I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity," he wrote.

Brett McGurk, the top US official leading a 79-nation coalition fighting ISIS, resigned from his post on Friday in protest of President Donald Trump's sudden decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria, telling staff in an email that Trump's move came as a "shock" and a "complete reversal" of US policy. 

"It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered," McGurk wrote in the email, which the New York Times' Rukmini Callimachi reported brought some staffers to tears. 

McGurk, the special presidential envoy in the long-fought battle, was planning to retire in February, but sped up his departure as a result of the president's controversial and unexpected decision to pull all 2,000 US troops out of the war-torn Middle Eastern nation, CBS News reported on Saturday. 

Just days ago, McGurk, a rare Obama administration holdover who has served three presidential administrations, said US forces would remain in Syria until "we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring."

"It would be reckless if we were just to say, well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now," he said at the State Department podium. "I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that."

On Saturday, Trump called news reports concerning Syria "mostly FAKE" and insisted that the terrorist group is "largely defeated" and can be contained by neighboring countries, including Turkey, despite the fact that the group retains as many as 30,000 loyal fighters. 

"When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains," Trump wrote. "We're coming home!"

SEE ALSO: 'We MUST end these unauthorized wars': the anti-war left hesitantly celebrates Trump's troop pullout

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• Asking your boss for help can be a sign of strength at many companies.
• But too many young professionals try to pretend everything is perfect.
• That's according to Sarah Wagener, chief people officer at DoorDash and a former recruiting leader at Facebook.
• If you don't seek your manager's guidance, they likely won't be aware that you're running into a stumbling block.

Over the course of her career as an HR exec, Sarah Wagener has noticed a mindset that leads many young professionals to sabotage their own success.

"We want to prove ourselves," Wagener said. "And we think that proving ourselves is doing everything perfectly."

The problem is that "in reality, no one's perfect and nothing is perfect. So this perfection early in [your] career actually can create blindspots and barriers for your growth and development."

Wagener is the chief people officer at DoorDash; she's also been the vice president of human resources at Pandora and a recruiting leader at Facebook. She said that, even though people early in their career (and people in general) tend to fear soliciting their boss' help, it can often work to their benefit.

"If you're trying to put on a facade that everything is perfect to your manager," Wagener said, "they're not going to be in a position to, A, help you or, B, keep an eye out for things that could be a barrier for you."

Read more: A former Google HR exec says too many people make the same mistake when trying to impress their boss

Wagener recommended being candid when you approach your boss about the problem, telling them, "I'm very vulnerable right now," but "if I don't ask for your help and you're not aware that I'm hitting this barrier, then I can't expect for you to help me."

Wagener's advice recalls an anecdote from Beth Comstock, former vice chair of General Electric and the author, with Tahl Raz, of "Imagine It Forward." Early in her career, Comstock was told by GE's then-CEO, Jeff Immelt, that she needed to be more confident.

Comstock previously told Business Insider that, once the feedback had sunk in, she asked Immelt to help. Going forward, whenever Immelt saw Comstock withdrawing or hesitating to speak, he would say, "Beth what do you think?" or, "Beth, I've heard you express an idea about this in the past. Could you share that with us?"

That way, Comstock said, she felt accountable to Immelt. Plus, he knew she was working on the issue.

To be sure, Wagener acknowledged that not every organization has a culture where asking your manager for help is encouraged — so you'll have to figure out what the protocol is at your company.

But at organizations that see people managers as "there to help their employees," Wagener said, asking for some guidance is "a sign of strength. It's a sign of somebody who wants to grow and develop."

SEE ALSO: An HR exec who's worked at Starbucks and Coach shares the best way to impress your boss

Join the conversation about this story »

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

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

Social media is becoming increasingly influential in shoppers' purchasing decisions. In fact, the top 500 retailers earned an estimated $6.5 billion from social shopping in 2017, up 24% from 2016, according to BI Intelligence estimates.

In addition to influencing purchase decisions, social media is a large part of the product discovery and research phase of the shopping journey. And with more and more retailers offering quick access to their sites via social media pages, and shoppable content becoming more popular, it's likely that social media will play an even larger role in e-commerce. 

In this report, BI Intelligence examines the advantages and disadvantages of each platform, and reviews case studies of successful campaigns that helped boost conversion and increase brand awareness. Additionally, we explore how retailers can bring social aspects into their own sites and apps to capitalize on consumers' desire for social shopping experiences.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Social media is becoming more influential in all aspects of the purchasing journey.
• Facebook is the clear winner in social commerce, with its huge user base and wide-ranging demographics.
• However, retailers should have a presence on every platform their target market is on. Each platform will require a different strategy for retailers to resonate with its users.
• Retailers can also benefit from bringing social aspects in-house. They can do this by building their own in-house social networks, or by embedding social media posts into their sites.

In full, the report: 

• Provides an overview of the top social media platforms — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram — that retailers should be using, the demographics of each platform, as well as their individual advantages and disadvantages. 
• Reviews tools recently developed by these platforms that help retailers create engaging content.
• Outlines case studies and specific strategies to use on each platform.
• Examines how retailers like Sephora, Amazon, and Poshmark are capitalizing on consumers' affinity for social shopping by creating their own in-house social networks.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now
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Fintech hubs — cities where startups, talent, and funding congregate — are proliferating globally in tandem with ongoing disruption in financial services. 

These hubs are all vying to become established fintech centers in their own right, and want to contribute to the broader financial services ecosystem of the future. Their success depends on a variety of factors, including access to funding and talent, as well as the approach of relevant regulators.

This report compiles various fintech snapshots, which together highlight the global spread of fintech, and show where governments and regulatory bodies are shaping the development of national fintech industries. Each provides an overview of the fintech industry in a particular country or state in Asia or Europe, and details what is contributing to, or hindering its further development. We also include notable fintechs in each geography, and discuss what the opportunities or challenges are for that particular domestic industry.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Most countries in Europe have made some formal attempt to foster the development of domestic fintech industries, with Germany and Ireland seeing the best results so far. France, meanwhile, got off to a slow start, but that's starting to change. 
• The Asian fintech scene took off later than in the US or Europe, but it's seen rapid growth lately, particularly in India, China, and Singapore.
• The increasing importance of technology-enabled products and services within the financial services ecosystem means the global fintech industry isn't going anywhere. 
• Fintech hubs will continue to proliferate, with leaders emerging in each region.
• The future fintech landscape will be molded by regulatory bodies — national and international — as they seek to mitigate the risks, and leverage the opportunities, presented by fintech. 

 In full, the report:

• Explores the fintech industry in six countries or states, and identifies individual fintech hubs.
• Highlights successful fintechs in each region.
• Outlines the challenges and opportunities each country or state faces. 
• Gives insight into the future of the global fintech industry. 

Subscribe to an All-Access pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

	This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
	Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
	Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
	And more!

Learn More

Purchase & download the full report from our research store

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• A new report from the Michigan Attorney General's Office says disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar believes the decades of abuse he perpetrated was not criminal.
• Independent special counsel Bill Forsyth wrote in the report that Nassar was "defiant" and "unrepentant" in interviews with investigators, insisting his treatments were medical, not for his own pleasure.
• Forsyth also wrote that Michigan State University, Nassar's former employer, had "stonewalled" the investigation, denying access to documents and drowning investigators in "irrelevant" material to hamper the investigation and protect its reputation.
• Nassar's defiant attitude echoes an assertion made by the judge in his January sentencing that he was "manipulative" and that his seemingly shallow apology to his victims showed that he did not "get it."

A new report from the Michigan Attorney General's Office says disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar believes the decades of abuse he perpetrated was not criminal and should be handled as medical malpractice.

The report was an update on an investigation into Michigan State University's handling of allegations against Nassar by independent special counsel Bill Forsyth, which describes Nassar as "defiant" and "unrepentant."

"It immediately became clear that his statements of remorse in the courtroom were a farce," the report says, referring to an apology statement Nassar read in court.

In an interview with an investigator after his sentencing, Nassar said he pleaded guilty to multiple sexual assault charges only "because he lost his support from the medical community and his patients after the police discovered reams of child pornography in his possession."

The report also says Nassar remained adamant that all of his "treatment" was "done for a medical purpose, not for his own pleasure."

Read more: The US Olympic Committee and 3 FBI bureaus did not step in quickly enough to prevent Larry Nassar from molesting young gymnasts, report finds

Nassar was sentenced in January to up to 175 years in prison for the sexual-assault charges.

More than 100 women gave victim-impact statements in January about the assault and molestation they said Nassar committed. Nassar was previously sentenced to 60 years in prison for child-pornography charges in December 2017.

A letter presented by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina at Nassar's sentencing in which he insisted his treatments on girls were medical, not sexual. He also criticized the attorney general in the case and Aquilina, writing "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," over the case.

Aquilina said the letter proved that Nassar did not "get it." Aquilina called Nassar "manipulative," saying he knew he had a problem and did not distance himself from the situation.

"Sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again," Aquilina said.

The university is stonewalling investigators

Forsyth also said in the report that Michigan State University, Nassar's former employer, fought the release of certain relevant documents and instead drowned investigators in "irrelevant" documents, hampering the investigation.

Instead of providing relevant materials to determine who knew about Nassar's abuse, the school supplied the "Bed Bug Management-Infection Control Policy," various restaurant coupons, and "seemingly endless" duplicates of emails with news articles.

The report says the university continues to foster "a culture of indifference toward sexual assault, motivated by its desire to protect its reputation."

MSU released a statement in response to the report.

"We are extraordinarily sorry that Larry Nassar was on our campus and has hurt so many people," the statement reads. "The university is engaged in -- and investing in -- an intense reform and cultural change effort to ensure that Michigan State University is a safe campus for students, faculty, staff and our community."

The statement also pointed out that no new charges were announced in the report, saying "We appreciate the attorney general's investigation and the hard work of the many people involved."

The report concludes the failures at the school are of "people, not policy," as employees that heard of allegations against Nassar "downplayed its seriousness or affirmatively discouraged the survivors from proceeding with their allegation."

The investigation has already led to criminal charges against three additional former MSU employees. Former MSU gymnastics coach Kathie Klages, former MSU Dean of Osteopathic Medicine William Strampel, and former MSU President Lou Anna Simon.

The investigation is ongoing.

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• NBA teams are in a race to get Anthony Davis, the next big superstar who could be available.
• Davis can become a free agent in 2020 and is eligible for a five-year, $235 million "supermax contract" from the New Orleans Pelicans.
• If Davis turns it down, the Pelicans may have to consider trading him.
• The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are both considered strong suitors for Davis, but there are obstacles in the way, including an obscure NBA rule and the Pelicans themselves.
• The saga is just beginning and could play out for a long time.

The entire NBA has long been waiting for the Anthony Davis race to begin, and LeBron James may have unofficially kicked it off on Tuesday.

Before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Brooklyn Nets, James said it would be "amazing" if the Lakers landed Davis.

With Davis eligible to become a free agent in 2020, the league is circling, waiting to see if the New Orleans Pelicans will move their star big man if they feel they can't re-sign him. The Lakers are just one of several teams to be linked to Davis, either by trade or in free agency in 2020. The Boston Celtics are another.

Read more: Anthony Davis' free agency is going to rock the NBA, and chatter has already started about where he could land

But the pursuit of Davis is a complex one, and it may become a waiting game — one much of the league hinges on.

The Pelicans haven't given up on Anthony Davis

Davis won't hit the trade block right away for a simple reason: the Pelicans don't want to just get rid of their franchise player.

Davis is one of the true superstars in the league — a two-way force averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks per game who's just hitting his prime.

This summer, Davis will be eligible for the "supermax" contract. The five-year extension worth $235 million would be $80 million more than any other team could offer in free agency. The Pelicans will hope the money is too much to turn down.

The Pelicans are also hoping they can go on another second-half surge like they did last year, win a playoff series or two, and convince Davis that they're close to contending for a championship. The idea of joining a better team (and perhaps a bigger market than New Orleans) are the two most-cited reasons why Davis would leave the Pelicans.

So, the Pelicans won't just give him up.

But what if Davis turns down that extension? It would signal to the rest of the league that Davis is eyeing an exit, and the Pelicans would likely be forced to consider trade scenarios.

The Celtics can't trade for Davis — yet

If the Pelicans wait to listen to trade offers until the summer, it could benefit the Celtics and hurt the Lakers.

A little-known NBA rule prevents the Celtics from trading for Davis this season. NBA teams are prohibited from trading for two "designated" players (a reference to their contracts). The Celtics already have one in Kyrie Irving, and Davis is on a "designated" contract now. Irving is eligible to become a free agent this summer and assuming he opts out, his "designated" contract will have expired. Only then could the Celtics trade for Davis.

That could hurt the Lakers. Right now, the Lakers have several intriguing young players, all of their draft picks, and the salaries to make a deal for Davis. But their offer could be trumped by the Celtics who have better young players and a surplus of future draft picks.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Pelicans will wait until the Celtics can get involved in a deal, which makes sense on two levels. First, the Celtics can arguably offer the best package. Second, if the Celtics get involved, it could force other teams to propose better packages.

There are two sides to that, however. If the Pelicans wait until this summer to engage in trade talks, the offers may still not be what they would want in return.

Davis can become a free agent in 2020. If the Pelicans don't explore trades for him until the summer of 2019, Davis will only have one year left on his deal. How much will teams give up for a player who could potentially leave after one season?

A player of Davis' caliber has not hit the trade block in recent years. But between Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler, we've seen four superstar players who fetched good-but-not-great returns, because, in large part, they were headed toward free agency (Irving had two years left on his deal).

It's worked out in some cases — George re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Irving seems destined to stay with the Celtics. Rumors indicate Butler will re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Nobody knows what Kawhi Leonard will do.

If the Pelicans were to shop Davis now, the return would be higher, as teams would give up significant assets for a year-and-a-half with one of the true difference-making players in the league.

What would the Pelicans want in return?

The Lakers and Celtics are two common trade destinations for Davis because the situations make sense for all parties. 

Take a potential trade with the Celtics, for example. Boston could offer a package including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Semi Ojeleye, and future draft picks.

New Orleans would get a fresh start with young, talented players and draft picks with which to rebuild.

It's unclear if that would interest the Pelicans. When the Spurs, Pacers, and Wolves traded their star players, they did not land particularly high draft picks in return. Instead, those teams got established players like DeMar DeRozan (Spurs), Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), or Robert Covington and Dario Saric (Wolves).

Those deals can be questioned, but some teams don't want to start from scratch. Small-market teams that like the Pelicans — who struggle for fan enthusiasm, even when they're good — may not have the stomach to sit through a full rebuild. Tatum looks like a future star in the league, but it's not guaranteed. Of course, there is also no guarantee the Pelicans could get him.

That leaves an open space where other teams could jump in the race for Davis. What if a team stocked with solid, rotation-worthy players jumps in the mix — like the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets? Again, whether such trades would be in the Pelicans' long-term interest is debatable, but it could be the route the Pelicans go.

James' remarks on Tuesday may have been one of the first times an opponent has made it clear that Davis is a target for other teams. Now the race should only get bigger and louder in the coming months.

• Read more:
• Nets center Jarrett Allen pulled off a huge block on LeBron James that had only ever happened 8 times before
• Suns veteran Jamal Crawford cut out Capri Suns and followed a simple edict to stick around the NBA to play on his 8th team in 19 years
• The 25 highest-paid NBA players of all time

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

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.

• For those who are always on the road, the right gift can help make life easier, more comfortable, or more efficient.
• From luggage and backpacks to plane-friendly workwear and headphones, this gift guide has the perfect travel gifts for any road warrior.

People who travel often, whether for business or leisure, tend to be one of two kinds of packers: light, or organized (of course, they can also be both).

If you have friends or family on your shopping list who spend a lot of time on the road or in the air, this guide has the perfect gift for them, no matter what kind of packer or traveler they are.

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.

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.


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

DON'T MISS: 25 creative and unexpected gifts for 'Star Wars' fans of all ages

The most comfortable travel shoes you can buy

Wool Runners, available at Allbirds, $95

Allbirds wool runners come in all colors and sizes and are comfortable enough to wear on the plane, in the city, or even in the hotel gym.

The latest and greatest e-reader

Kindle Paperwhite, available at Amazon, $99

The Kindle Paperwhite is thin, light, waterproof, and has an absurdly crisp screen.

Note: Expected to arrive after Christmas 

A collared shirt made from performance material

Performance Shirts, available at Ministry of Supply, starts at $115

The right kind of shirt can take you straight from a red-eye to a meeting.

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.

The virtual reality (VR) market is expected to rally in 2018 after seeing slow growth from 2016 to 2017. The uptick will be largely catalyzed by the emergence of the newest headset form factor, stand-alone VR headsets, which address some of the biggest pain points that have prohibited mainstream consumers from adopting VR.

This new form factor is more affordable than cost-prohibitive high-end headsets and more capable than its smartphone-powered counterparts. Additionally, it features in-unit processing that frees the VR headset from wires. The first major stand-alone headset, the Vive Focus from HTC, was launched in January of this year, and more from other major companies like Oculus and Google are expected to follow over the next six months. 

In a new report, Business Insider Intelligence lays out where the VR market is and forecasts how it will grow over the next five years. We dissect the various hardware categories and the unique strengths and opportunities of each, and identify how they will gain traction at different points of the market’s evolution. Finally, we examine various components impacting consumer adoption.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Business Insider Intelligence forecasts shipments of all VR headsets to grow 69% year-over-year (YoY) to reach 13.5 million in 2018. Powering that growth is the stand-alone VR headset category, which is expected to account for 30% of total headsets shipped in the year ahead. 
• The VR hardware market is volatile because getting a device right is a balancing act. On one hand, the price point needs to be affordable for most consumers, and on the other, the experience has to be distinctive and immersive enough to convince a consumer to strap a visor to their face on a regular basis. 
• While only a handful of stand-alone VR headsets will hit the market in 2018, they mark the biggest step toward mainstream adoption of consumer-oriented VR headsets by making the technology more accessible for the average consumer. 
• Declining price points, coupled with high-quality headsets and the introduction of a game-changing app, are crucial for the VR industry to achieve before VR can really gain traction on a global scale.

In full, the report:

• Forecasts the growth projections and shipment expectations of the global VR headset market, and breaks it up by the major headset categories.
• Explores the four major segments in the current VR hardware market, defined by the hardware needed to power the experience — stand-alone, smartphone-powered, PC-powered, and game console-powered VR.
• Identifies the key players shaping the burgeoning stand-alone VR headset segment.
• Discusses the biggest challenges to VR development and adoption.

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• A late stat correction from the NFL had major fantasy football implications.
• The NFL ruled Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot did not lose a fumble against the TennesseeTitans on Sunday.
• For fantasy players, this gave Elliott two extra points, in some cases swinging playoff matches is heartbreaking fashion.

Fantasy football can be a brutal game.

On Sunday, most leagues were holding their semifinals, with four teams hoping to win whatever grand prize was at stake. Sometimes this is money — quite a large sum in some leagues — while for others it is merely pride, but whatever the reward, the players want to win.

For most fantasy players, whether or not they made the championship was decided between Sunday afternoon and Monday night. But on Thursday, a stat correction traded the fates of some players.

Ezekiel Elliott had initially been credited with a fumble during a fourth-down run against the Titans on Sunday. Since Elliott was stopped short of the first-down marker, there was no need to slow down play to figure out who recovered the ball, as the outcome was the same either way.

On Thursday, the NFL ruled that Elliott did not lose the fumble since there was not an obvious and immediate recovery by the Colts. Instead, they determined he had been stopped short of the line to gain.

For even the most ardent football observer, such a change would likely hardly register.

However, the one group which this play made an extreme difference for was fantasy players — those who started Elliott lost two points due to his fumble if using standard scoring. Sure enough, some contests came down to the wire and were swung by the NFL's fateful stat correction.

Making the play even more heartbreaking for those who got stat-corrected out of a spot in the championship is the fact that from some angles, the initial ruling of a fumble and recovery by the Colts appears to be the correct one.

Fantasy football can bring a lot of fun to the NFL season, but moments like this make you question why you'd ever submitted yourself to such a cruel, cruel game.

SEE ALSO: Top 14 waiver-wire pickups for Week 16 of fantasy football

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NOW WATCH: The reason some men can't grow full beards, according to a dermatologist

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.

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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