• Cruise ships are generally seen as ideal vacation spots, perfect for days of relaxing, sightseeing, and entertainment.
• In reality, depending on the cruise line, passengers must follow a set of rules to get the best experiences out of their trips.
• While some rules are pretty self-explanatory, others, such as not being allowed to wear jeans, can be shocking to passengers.
• Vacationers should also be wary of where they drink alcohol onboard and should avoid getting too friendly with cruise staff members.

Whether you're a cruise-line veteran or have simply always dreamed of vacationing at sea, you probably have some idea of what the average cruise is like. And between the beautiful ocean views and opportunities to see new places, cruises undoubtedly have tons to offer.

But what most people don't realize is that cruise lines often need their guests to follow strict rules and regulations in order for everything to run smoothly. But sometimes, the rules can be surprising, and a few might even seem absurd.

From not being allowed to wear jeans in certain areas onboard to being barred from the swimming pool depending on your age, we've rounded up 17 things that you're not allowed to do on some cruise lines.

Editor's note: These rules depend on the cruise line you travel with. If you're going on a cruise, it's worth reading the company's policies before you travel.

Depending on your age and the cruise company you're traveling with, you might not be allowed in the pool.

Royal Caribbean cruise line, for example, requires guests to be 16 years or older before swimming in the ship's Solarium pool and jacuzzis. Similarly, guests who swim in the Adventure Ocean pool must be between the ages of 3 and 17.

Of course, these rules are in place for a reason. While some age restrictions are set to comply with regulations from the United States Public Health Department, others are followed to ensure that both experienced swimmers and newcomers alike get time to swim.

If you're not old enough, you might not be allowed to go on the cruise at all.

Some vacations are intended solely for adults. Windstar cruises, for example, does not permit children under the age of 8 to board its ships. Similarly, any guest under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a guest who is 25 years or older.

You probably won't be able to fly your drone, even if it's just a toy.

Ships might seem like the perfect place to fly a camera-equipped drone, but most cruise lines actually ban them from being flown while onboard.

However, Carnival Cruise Line does permit drone cameras onboard, but only allows passengers to fly them while off the ship.

• Truck drivers have one of the country's most hazardous jobs.
• In some states, driving an 80,000-pound vehicle can be even more risky.
• Here's where truck drivers are statistically most likely to get into a fatal accident. 

Of all fatalities on the road, 2.4% nationwide are truck drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But in some states, that number is much higher.

At 8.8%, North Dakota has the highest truck-driver fatality rate in the country. That's partially due to the state's oil boom. North Dakota is the worst state overall for workplace fatalities, and the majority of those deaths were "transportation incidents."

Other states' fatality rates are connected more to their inclement weather, as is the case in Oklahoma and Colorado.

We used NHTSA data to find the states with the highest truck-driver fatality rates, and spoke to eight truckers to find out why driving there is so dangerous.

Here's what they had to say:

SEE ALSO: Truck drivers fear for their safety on the road — but the vast majority of them face a much bigger threat

Colorado

Percent of overall vehicle fatalities that are truck drivers:  3.5%

"For Colorado in particular, it's definitely the black ice and winds, and there are a lot of mountains too. It's extremely dangerous to drive there. Many truck drivers use that state as a shortcut to the West, but it gives a lot of stress for a driver and wear and tear for the truck.

"In my opinion, it's better to take I-80 until Utah and then go to Los Angeles through Salt Lake City. It's a lot easier that way. It's a little more miles, but you are a lot more safer that way.

"Also, Colorado has a lot of open space — that's why it's easy for black ice to form on the freeways."— Deymon Lavor

Texas

Percent of overall vehicle fatalities that are truck drivers: 3.6%

"Texas is truck country, both in regular pickups and 18-wheelers. I seem to have a much easier time navigating most roads here because non-CDL (Commercial Driver's License) drivers are more aware of our needs.

"I almost never encounter a 'Texas-bred' pickup truck that is not super on-point about how we maneuver in traffic, and who makes room for us when the specific situation calls for it.

"I don't enjoy the flash flood warnings in rainy months or days, and I've seen enough news footage that I'm glad I have missed that 'dance' every time I drive through Texas when they occur." — Red Viking Trucker 

Alabama

Percent of overall vehicle fatalities that are truck drivers: 3.6%

"I'm wondering if being a central state has anything to do with that, because drivers bringing freight on longer trips would be tired in the middle of the trip. Alabama would follow under that, because you are allowed 11 hours of driving, and Alabama would be a state that you could get to towards the end of that 11 hours from most of the major shipping cities and states.

"I must admit the real dangers I have found (in Alabama) would be the logging trucks. They will pull out in front of you from some dirt road with a load of logs hanging way back.

"There are a lot of logging trucks, especially in the center part of the state. Driving around Birmingham and Montgomery can be challenging."— Terry Wilson

• Rahaf al-Qunun, who locked herself in a hotel room in Bangkok airport in a bid to escape her family, could be offered asylum by Australia.
• She flew to Thailand from Kuwait, where her family lives. She says she has renounced Islam, and that her family will kill her for it.
• After her story went viral, officials from the UN's refugee agency took al-Qunun into their protection. They say they are assessing whether she can be considered a refugee.
• If they say that she is, Australia's government is likely to offer her asylum, according to Australian news sources.

A Saudi teenager who barricaded herself in Bangkok's airport to escape her family could be offered asylum by Australia.

18-year-old Rahaf al-Qunun locked herself in a hotel room at Suvarnabhumi Airport just outside the Thai capital.

She said she was fleeing her family, who she said "consider me as their property" and may kill her for renouncing Islam.

After her story went viral, al-Qunun secured the protection of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which says it will look after her while they assess whether she is a genuine refugee.

According to Australian media, authorities in Australia are likely decided to grant al-Qunun asylum if the UNHCR is satisfied that she is a refugee. The UNHCR says this could take between five and seven days.

al-Qunun left Kuwait on Saturday, by boarding a flight to Bangkok. She has said her intention was to continue to Australia and claim asylum, but that she was stopped by Thai and Saudi authorities.

While waiting in a hotel room at the airport, al-Qunun barricaded herself in her room and started tweeting about her situation. In a series of tweets she has said she fears her family will kill her if she is sent back to Kuwait because she renounced Islam.

Nobody from her family has commented on the claims. Her father flew to the airport to meet Thai officials, but did not say anything to the media.

After her story caught worldwide attention, she was visited by UNHCR staff and placed under their protection.

On Monday, the head of Thailand's immigration police said that al-Qunun would not be deported.

Surachate Hakparn told a press conference: "She is now under the sovereignty of Thailand; no-one and no embassy can force her to go anywhere." He added: "Thailand is a land of smiles. We will not send anyone to die."

Australia's government has said publicly that al-Qunun's claims are "deeply concerning," and that it is monitoring the situation.

Australian news outlet The New Daily reported that officials "would likely grant her a humanitarian visa" if the UNHCR approves. Nine News, and also The Wall Street Journal,  said that officials are merely "weighing" granting the application.

Read more:Q&A: The hurdles and obstacles Saudi women runaways face

al-Qunun has also tweeted to ask for asylum from the UK, US, and Canada. 

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Thailand has denied reports that Riyadh requested her extradition.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• WeWork, the startup operating coworking spaces in more than 25 countries, is rebranding to The We Company.
• The rebrand is part of the company's goal to push beyond providing desk space and into creating residential and educational units as well.
• The announcement comes after news that SoftBank, the company's biggest investor, reneged on plans to invest an additional $16 billion, and would instead invest just $2 billion in 2019.

Coworking startup WeWork is rebranding itself ahead of plans to further expand its business outside of commercial office workspaces.

The company will now be called "The We Company,"Fast Company reported. The new name and rebranded material could be found on the company site as of Tuesday.

The new name is apparently related to the ambitions of CEO Adam Neumann to expand the company "to encompass all aspects of people’s lives, in both physical and digital worlds," according to Fast Company.

As of now, Neumann's company provides commercial spaces, in almost 100 cities in more than 25 countries, for businesses to rent out and employees to use as office space. But under the new brand as The We Company, the startup will be comprised of three business units.

Beyond the existing WeWork entity, the new model comprises the spinoffs WeLive and WeGrow. WeLive runs community-oriented co-living "hacker houses" in New York and Arlington, Virginia. WeGrow is more education-focused. WeGrow opened its first school in fall 2018, an elementary school with a focus on entrepreneurship that operates out of a WeWork space in New York City.

Read more:A $20 billion startup that rents office space to millennials is opening a grade school inside its offices

Fast Company's report of the company rebranding comes a day after reports surfaced that WeWork would not receive an expected $16 billion investment. The wide-reaching Japanese investment firm SoftBank had reportedly planned to invest an additional $16 billion into WeWork, on top of the $8 billion it previously put into the startup.

But the deal fell through in the face of pushback from SoftBank's government-backed investors in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reported. Investors called into question The We Company's money-losing year in 2018.

The $16 billion investment would have given SoftBank a majority stake in the startup. Instead, SoftBank will invest just $2 billion more, which will put The We Company at a $47 billion valuation. 

SEE ALSO: GE is showing a 27-inch voice-activated 'kitchen hub' smart screen for above the stove that can walk you through recipes and make video calls

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NOW WATCH: We put the 7 best smartphones of 2018 head-to-head and there was a clear winner for the best value

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

• There's only a little bit of time left to get the highest-ever public sign-up bonus on the main United Airlines credit card.
• The United Explorer Card offers up to 65,000 miles for new applicants: 40,000 United miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months, and another 25,000 miles after spending a total of $10,000 in the first six months.
• Usually, the card only offers 40,000 miles unless you're specially targeted for something higher.
• The bonus is enough for a round-trip flight to Europe, or even a ticket in United's new Polaris business class.
• The offer is only good through January 8; after that, it drops to a lower amount. If you have a use for United miles, now is the time to apply.

SEE ALSO: The best credit card rewards, bonuses, and perks of 2019

DON'T MISS: Wealthfront has a new financial-planning service that helps people plan sabbaticals to travel the world — here's how it works

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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.

• All nail clippers are not created equal. Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to get that perfect blend of sharpness, comfort, and durability.
• The Green Bell G-1008 Nail Clippers are made of stainless steel to expertly shape even the hardest, thickest nails.

I don't think I've ever intentionally gone shoppingfor nail clippers, I've always simply acquired them. It's like they've kept appearing in my bathroom cabinets by sheer chance. And, to be quite honest, before I started researching the best ones money can buy, I never thought there was much notable difference between nail clipper models. I didn't even know there were “models!”

But it turns out that all nail clippers are not created equal. If you're tired of hacking your fingernails off so that they grow back at weird angles, it might be time for an upgrade. The good news? Even the most refined, elegant nail clippers won't totally break the bank. In fact, you can pick up a great pair of clippers for only a few dollars more than their inferior brethren.

When browsing, pay attention to the material (stainless steel is usually a solid bet), the shapes of the blade and the handle, and any additional features you might find useful, like a nail file or a compartment for catching clippings so they don't end up all over your bathroom floor, where you will forget about them until they embed themselves in your heel like a gross splinter.

Here are the best nail clippers you can buy:

• Best nail clippers overall: Green Bell G-1008 Nail Clippers
• Best nail clippers for travelers: FIXBODY Nail Clipper Set
• Best child-friendly nail clippers: Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers
• Best multi-use nail clippers: Nail Clippers for Fingernails by Clyppi
• Best ergonomic nail clippers: Seki Edge SS-101 Deluxe Fingernail Clippers

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best nail clippers overall

Why you'll love them: The Japanese-designed Green Bell G-1008 Nail Clippers give you a sharp, precise cut with minimal effort.

I never thought I'd be recommending that you spend more than $20 on a pair of nail clippers, but people love the Green Bell G-1008. You can read several love letters to these Japanese-designed clippers on the internet, penned by experts at The Strategist and The Wirecutter.

Shoppers adore Green Bell, too. The clippers have a 4.6 Amazon rating based on 160+ reviews, and they are an Amazon's Choice pick. The stainless steel design is sleek and curved to fit comfortably in your hand. Reviewers like the sharp, precise blades that give you control and crisp cuts that don't require much, if any, shaping or filing.

A few people mentioned the long shipping time for these since they come directly from Japan, and they are not currently available for Amazon Prime free shipping. But 84% of shoppers deemed them worth the extra cost and the prolonged wait.

Once such reviewer writes, "Unlike the small, dull clippers that most of us have gotten used to, and which you have to wrench down on before they deign to chew off a piece of your nail, the amount of pressure you have to exert with these is so minuscule that it's practically effortless."

Pros: Curved for comfort while holding, stainless steel, built-in file

Cons: Long shipping time, pricey

Buy the Green Bell G-1008 Nail Clippers on Amazon for $27 to $30 (click on "Available from these sellers" to access prices)

The best nail clippers for travelers

Why you'll love it: The FIXBODY Nail Clipper Set comes with three nail shaping tools in a leather case, making it the perfect companion for the frequent traveler.

When you're anal about your nails but you're always on the go, life can be tough. What if you break a nail at the airport? Do you let it nag at you until you get to your hotel? Spring for some subpar clippers at the terminal convenience store? No, you pull out your FIXBODY Nail Clipper Set, which you packed using remarkable foresight.

The three-piece set comes in a travel-friendly leather case that snaps closed to keep everything in place in your luggage or your handbag. It contains two clippers, a larger one with straight blades, a smaller, curved one, and a slim nail file. All three pieces are rendered in chic black zinc alloy stainless steel. "Anti-slip" levers on the clippers helps you grip the base for more control as you cut.

FIXBODY nail clippers have been featured in NY Mag's The Strategist and Best Reviews, and this set has a 4.3 Amazon rating based on 1,800+ reviews.

"These are some of the nicest clippers that I have ever used. Unfortunately my husband realized that I had them. In order to save mine from disappearing, I am ordering another set for him. These clippers are that good — people will want them for themselves and you will never see them again!!!" writes Amazon shopper Colorista#1.

Pros: Chic design, stainless steel, comes with three tools and leather case

Cons: Some reviewers found smaller size didn't fit hands

Buy the FIXBODY Nail Clipper Set on Amazon for $7.64

The best child-friendly nail clippers

Why you'll love them: Looking for baby-safe nail clippers? The Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers have a tiny blade and a built-in light to give you a clear view while you work.

I've never attempted to cut a baby's nails, but I can imagine the kind of challenge it would pose. Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers won't lull your infant into stillness so you can get easy access to their nails, but it does make the job about as easy as it possibly can be.

These safety clippers have teeny tiny curved cutting edges housed in a large handle that's easy to grip thanks to the soft-touch material on the outside. The coolest feature is the built-in LED light at the tip that allows you to actually see what you're doing if you're trying to cut your child's nails in low-light.

The clippers also come with an emery board that can be stored in a hidden compartment in the base of the handle.

Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers are an Amazon's Choice pick with a 4-star rating and almost 1,000 reviews. They also come recommended by The Strategist and The Bump.

"These lighted clippers are great for newborns! I used these for my daughter, who hated having her nails cut. There were a few times I waited until she was asleep in the dark to avoid the fight and had no problems doing an adequate job thanks to the bright lights," writes one fan.

Pros: No-slip handle, built-in LED light, comes with emery board

Cons: Bulky

Buy the Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers on Amazon for $4.94

• Fast-food workers in Florida are striking on Tuesday in response to an attack on a McDonald's employee. 
• Earlier in January, a viral video showed a customer reaching across the counter and grabbing a female McDonald's employee by her shirt, dragging her toward him.
• "I'm going on strike because at McDonald's, we're subjected to all types of behavior that has no place at work — from physical attacks and armed robberies, to sexual harassment, to racial discrimination," one McDonald's worker said in a statement. 
• A 2015 survey of almost 1,500 fast-food workers found that 87% said they had been injured at least once while at work in the previous year, including 12% who were injured in assaults on the job. 

Fast-food workers in Florida are striking to draw attention to a problem plaguing the industry.

Employees involved in the Fight for $15 movement in St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando, Florida, are striking during lunchtime on Tuesday. The strike follows a viral video showing a fight in a Florida McDonald's. 

The video, posted online in early January, shows a male customer reaching across the counter and grabbing a female employee by her shirt, dragging her toward him. The employee started to hit the customer, in an apparent attempt to get him to let go of her, until the two were separated by other employees.

Read more:A McDonald's customer attacked an employee in a fight over plastic straws — and it reveals a troubling reality for fast-food workers

Watch the video here:

Striking fast-food workers say that the incident is indicative of larger issues in the industry.

"No one should have to fear for their own safety when they report to work each day, but it's very clear I'm not safe at McDonald's," Gail Rogers, one of the McDonald's workers planning to strike Tuesday, said in a Fight for $15 statement.

"I'm going on strike because at McDonald's, we're subjected to all types of behavior that has no place at work — from physical attacks and armed robberies, to sexual harassment, to racial discrimination," Rogers continued. "We won't back down until McDonald's takes responsibility for protecting all workers on the job." 

A 2015 survey of almost 1,500 fast-food workers found that 87% said they had been injured at least once while at work in the previous year. Some of these injuries were in the kitchen — 79% said they had been burned, and 67% said they had been cut. Additionally, 12% said they had been assaulted on the job in the previous year.

McDonald's did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment about the strike. 

"Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants," a McDonald's representative said in a statement last week. 

Workers striking on Tuesday are asking that chains provide training that helps employees and managers handle violence at work. Additionally, they are calling for new security protocols and protective policies to be established to protect workers. 

SEE ALSO: Lawyers voice concerns about the potential for deleted information as rapper Azealia Banks gets pulled into a lawsuit against Elon Musk

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• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, especially in women, with many sufferers experiencing more than one in their lifetimes.
• But they can also be very uncomfortable and cause a host of painful symptoms — they can even spread to your kidneys if left untreated.
• There are plenty of supplements and at-home "remedies" designed to help with a UTI, but some of them don't work or are flat out dangerous.
• Drinking cranberry juice hasn't been proven to be any more effective than drinking water when it comes to getting rid of a UTI. 

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common, especially in women, with WebMD reporting that about half of all women will experience at least one in their lifetime, with many experiencing recurring infections.

But just because they're common doesn't make them any less uncomfortable — UTIs often cause symptoms like pelvic pain and painful urination and it can spread and worsen when left untreated.

There are many commonly known at-home "remedies" that many believe will help treat or relieve symptoms of a UTI, but many of them aren't actually effective and some are flat-out dangerous for your health. 

Here are eight things that won't actually effectively help you get rid of a UTI. 

Cranberry juice and supplements don't seem to have any substantial impact on a UTI.

One of the most popular at-home tips for curing or preventing UTIs, drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry supplements is often believed to help clear out UTI bacteria from the urinary tract while helping to prevent future infections from developing.

Whether you're currently experiencing symptoms of a UTI or simply trying to prevent one from happening, all three experts told INSIDER that evidence linking cranberry juice to helping with UTIs is limited and conflicting.

"To date, cranberry juice or cranberry tablets have not been shown to reduce or cure UTIs in studies," said Sandra Fleming MD, an OB/GYN at the Women's Wellness Center in Wellesley, MA. "There does not appear to be any harm in taking cranberry pills but [the high sugar content in cranberry juice] can cause gastrointestinal issues and is therefore not recommended for urinary tract infections."

"Drinking fluids in general — whether with water, cranberry juice, etc. — can help to flush out the bladder and as well as excessive bacteria," said Dr. Allison Hill, OB/GYN at Los Angeles Obstetricians & Gynecologists. "Staying hydrated helps, but it doesn't have to be with cranberry juice."

Trying to power through and "let it pass" without going to the doctor can be dangerous and risky.

That said, trying to clear the infection on your own by "flushing" it out with excessive liquid intake isn't a good idea, according to all of our experts.

"It is important to seek treatment by your gynecologist or primary care doctor if you think you have a UTI," Dr. Fleming told INSIDER. Delayed treatment can result in a worse infection, requiring more and/or stronger antibiotics. It can also cause a more serious kidney infection, possibly requiring hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics."

"If symptoms are escalating or have the signs of going into the upper urinary tract and kidney — such as fever and back pain — a patient needs to seek medical attention,"Dr. Yvonne Bohn, OB/GYN at Los Angeles Obstetricians & Gynecologists told INSIDER. "Not everything that burns or causes symptoms of a UTI is a UTI. Vaginal infections, pelvic tumors, and herpes infections can mimic a UTI, so it's best to see a doctor to be sure that your symptoms are really from a UTI and not something else."

Douching won't help you get rid of a UTI and it could mess with your vaginal bacteria.

There is no shortage of vaginal douching products on the market designed with all sorts of claims in mind, from preventing pregnancy to "cleaning" the vagina, but all of our experts agree that douching can cause a host of health issues and it isn't actually helpful for a urinary tract infection.

"Douching removes harmful bacteria but also our good bacteria," said Dr. Hill. " [It] can lead to an overgrowth of anaerobic (bad) bacteria, upsetting the natural balance of your vagina."

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.

Blockchain is seemingly being explored by innovation teams in every corner of every industry. This includes the logistics industry, which, despite continuing on an impressive upward trajectory — the market is expected to reach $15.5 trillion by 2023, up from $8.1 trillion in 2015 — is filled with inefficiencies that the distributed ledger technology (DLT) is potentially well suited to fix.

As a result, the DLT has become one of the most attractive investment opportunities for companies in the logistics space; in fact, the market for blockchain technology in supply chain management is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49% from $41 million in 2017 to $667 million in 2024, according to Zion Market Research.

This is leading some of the largest firms in the logistics industry to explore blockchain and its potential use cases. For example, in 2017, a group of technology, transportation, and supply chain executives formed the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) to create a forum for the development of blockchain standards and education for the freight industry. BiTA now has over 450 members, including global heavyweights UPS, FedEx, SAP, Google, Cisco, and Daimler.

 However, there are still major hurdles to overcome before the technology can become commonplace. Many companies, especially small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), are still unaware of what blockchain is, how it works, or what the benefits of the technology are. 

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence explores how blockchain can provide value to the global logistics industry. We break down some of the inefficiencies in the logistics industry that are leading firms to explore blockchain and explain how the technology can be used to solve these issues. Additionally, we examine some specific use cases along the supply chain and identify some of the hurdles to adoption. And finally, we take a look at what needs to occur in the logistics industry for blockchain to be deployed widely. 

The companies mentioned in this report are: BiTA, FedEx, IBM, Maersk, Modum, SAP, Volt Technology, and Walmart.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

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• Lenovo's latest X1 Carbon laptop announced during CES 2019 is lighter than the MacBook Air, Apple's lightest and most portable laptop.
• The new X1 Carbon also has a number of useful ports, including regular USB ports, USB-C ports, and HDMI. 
• It's one of the best alternatives to Apple's MacBook Air, but it's also estimated to cost around $1,700, which could be a dealbreaker for some. 

Lenovo unveiled its latest X1 Carbon laptop model at CES 2019, and it's absurdly light.

The new 7th-generation X1 Carbon weighs in at 2.4 pounds, which is 0.35 pounds lighter than the 2018 MacBook Air's 2.75 pounds. On paper, the weight difference isn't especially exciting, but that's because you haven't held this thing in your hands yet. 0.35 pounds is almost the weight of three large eggs, which is pretty significant. 

Lenovo's latest X1 Carbon laptop is also thinner at its thickest point (0.58-inches) compared to the MacBook Air's 0.61-inch thickness. To be fair, the MacBook Air does taper down to 0.16 inches at its thinnest point, whereas the X1 Carbon has a more consistent thickness. 

Other than its weight and dimensions, you're getting Lenovo's tried-and-true sleek rubbery matte-black finish that coats a carbon fiber body. Other Lenovo stalwarts like the red mouse nubbin and fantastic keyboard are present.

The 14-inch display is also larger than the MacBook Air's 13-incher. You'll have the choice between full-HD (1080p), quad-HD (1440p), and 4K displays.

Spec-wise, the X1 Carbon will come with an 8th-generation Intel processor, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 2 terabytes of SSD storage, a 15-hour battery life claim, a fingerprint sensor, and all the ports that the MacBook Air should have but doesn't. That includes two regular USB 3.1 ports, two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, and an HDMI port.

Lenovo also added a Dolby Atmos speaker system, but I couldn't tell if it was any good in the noisy room where Lenovo was showing it off. It'll be interesting to see if the X1 can sound as good as the MacBook Air, as Apple graces its laptops with spectacular speakers. The new X1 Carbon is absolutely a device I want to spend some good, quality time with for a review. 

Lenovo estimates a starting price of $1,710 when the 7th-generation X1 Carbon goes on sale in June 2019. That's an oddly high estimated starting price considering the previous X1 Carbon starts at around $1,300. If that price estimation remains the same, it's one area where the $1,200 MacBook Air has the new X1 Carbon beat. 

SEE ALSO: Samsung's latest laptops have a refreshed, modern look that makes them way more appealing

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NOW WATCH: We put the 7 best smartphones of 2018 head-to-head and there was a clear winner for the best value

• Clemson won the 2019 College Football Playoff championship with a stunning annihilation of Alabama, the Tigers' second title in three years.
• A big part of Clemson's greatness is the ability to recruit the best high school players in the country.
• One tool Clemson uses is their new $55 million football facility which comes with an indoor slide, bowling alleys, and even a miniature golf course.

Clemson University won the 2019 College Football Playoff championship with a stunning annihilation of Alabama, the Tigers' second title in three years.

A big chunk of Clemson's success comes from recruiting, and a key piece in the recruiting process is their new $55 million football facility.

The school opened the facility in 2017, and it looks like a swanky playground for college students.

Here are some photos and videos of some of the swankiest features, via HOK.

This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated.

Here is an aerial view of the new facilities.

The "Allen N. Reeves Football Complex" was designed by HOK, the architect firm responsible for many stadiums around the world.

According to Thad Turnipseed, Clemson's director of recruiting and external affairs, he visited 36 football facilities around the country and was told by coach Dabo Swinney to "take the best from each place."

Source: Clemson Tigers

• Sony's PlayStation 4 has now sold over 91 million units.
• The PlayStation 4 is, by far, the most popular console in the world.
• Over 5.6 million PlayStation 4 consoles were sold during the 2018 holiday season.

Sony's PlayStation 4 continues to dominate Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Switch.

As of December 31, the PlayStation 4 surpassed 91.6 million consoles sold. That puts Sony in the lead by a mile.

More specifically, Sony's PlayStation 4 sales are more than double that of the closest competition — the "closest competition," of course, being Microsoft's Xbox One.

Though Microsoft no longer reports sales numbers for its Xbox One console, estimates put the Xbox One somewhere in the realm of 30 - 60 million units sold.

During just the holiday season ending December 31, Sony sold over 5.6 million PlayStation 4 consoles. Doesn't sound like a lot? Even Nintendo's hot new console, the Switch, sold just 4.7 million units in its first four months.

And just one of Sony's big PlayStation 4 exclusives, "Marvel's Spider-Man," sold nearly 10 million copies since it launched in September.

The continued success of the PlayStation 4 is due to several different factors:

• The PlayStation 4 was the less expensive console when it launched in 2013, coming in at $100 less than Microsoft's Xbox One.
• The PlayStation 4 is an attractive box that easily fits into your home, and using it as more than a game console is a snap.
• A lineup of killer blockbuster games, from "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" to "Horizon Zero Dawn" to "Bloodborne," made the PlayStation 4 a must-have console. All three of those games are only playable on PS4.
• The exclusives have gotten even better over time: Both "Spider-Man" and "God of War" arrived in 2018, and they were both excellent.
• Success begets success — the PlayStation 4 has overtaken the zeitgeist as "the" game console to own if you're going to buy a game console.
• There were incredible sales on the PlayStation 4 during the holiday season, with some retailers offering the console and a game for as low as $200.

Though Sony's exclusive game lineup isn't full of bangers in the coming months, an impressive array of major exclusives are currently in the works: "Ghost of Tsushima,""Death Stranding," and "The Last of Us: Part II" are all standouts coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4.

And if you're looking for a way to enjoy more 4K content on your new 4K TV, the PlayStation 4 Pro offers an upgrade path to even prettier games.

All of which is to say one thing: Sony's PlayStation 4 isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best PlayStation 4 games for your new console

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US-based commission free trading app Robinhood has quietly begun recruiting for a new office in London in preparation for an eventual launch in the UK, reports TechCrunch.

The $5.6 billion fintech is hiring for multiple positions in the city, including recruitment, operations, and marketing, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by the outlet. It’s also reportedly seeking to fill compliance and product positions, suggesting the fintech’s strategy is focused on significant localization and product market fit for its UK expansion. Robinhood declined to comment on these plans, according to TechCrunch.

A UK launch would put the startup in competition with a number of local fintechs.Likely in part due to Robinhood’s success in the US, several new entrants in the UK have launched or announced their intention to launch fee-free trading services.

Freetrade, which launched last year and has obtained authorization from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), lets customers invest in UK stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The challenger broker has a similar freemium offering to Robinhood, where it offers investors fee-free services and fee-based offerings for more complex trading options.

Meanwhile, neobank Revolut, which shares a number of backers with Robinhood, announced in June 2018 its intention to add a trading service to its banking app. This means Robinhood will likely face stiff competition for customers when it eventually moves into the country, although the success and reputation it's gained in the US could offset some of these challenges.

Expanding to the UK is a logical next step for Robinhood, especially considering its banking ambitions.At the end of last year, Robinhood attempted to bolster its core offerings with 3% interest-paying accounts in a bid to enter the banking segment.

However, it came under severe scrutiny for potentially misleading customers about the insurance those deposit offerings would be subject to. This misjudgment is likely to have been exacerbated by the fragmented regulatory scheme overseeing fintechs in the US.

In contrast, neobanks in the UK have had a much easier time as financial services regulation is centralized under the FCA, a progressive and innovation-friendly body. Robinhood’s move to the UK will allow it to target a new geography, but it could also help it to more easily obtain authorization to roll out banking services if it wanted to.

However, it would be wise to launch its expansion efforts before the likes of Revolut enter trading and grow their market share. Broadly, geographical expansion by the likes of Robinhood is further evidence of fintechs' growing maturity — a worrying sign for incumbents that fail to take the disruptive threat posed by these tech-savvy startups seriously.

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• Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke to Chinese state media on his trip to Shanghai this week to break ground on a new Gigafactory. 
• He urged consumers to order their vehicle today in order to help fund the construction.
• A cheaper Model 3 won't happen any time soon, either, he said, so people should not wait for a price cut. 

For Chinese drivers hoping to snag a cheaper Tesla Model 3, CEO Elon Musk doesn't want you to wait.

"I also want to encourage Chinese consumers to place an order for our Model 3 right now," Musk told the state-owned Kanka News website on Monday while in Shanghai for the groundbreaking of a new Gigafactory. The interview was first reported by Bloomberg. 

The automaker last week slashed prices on all its cars by $2,000 to help alleviate some headaches brought on by the halving of a federal tax credit by $3,750 on January 1. But when a mass-market versionof the Model 3, which CEO Elon Musk once said could ship by last year, will arrive, is still anybody's guess.

"You don't have to wait until next year to see if these high-end cars will cut prices," he continued. "It will be the same price next year, so you don't have to wait."

Musk also urged consumers in the world's largest vehicle market to order their cars as soon as possible so that Tesla can use the funding for factory construction.

"Consumers don't have to wait," he said. "When they place orders, we can better build our Gigafactory."

The lowest-cost option for a Model 3 on the company's US site is currently $44,000 before tax incentives, and as low as $33,950 after the rebates. It plans to continue producing the premium version in California for now.

"The ones we produce in Shanghai are relatively low-profile models of the Model 3," said Musk. "We hope to bring the more cost-effective Model 3 and Model Y models to Chinese consumers."

Lasy week, Tesla said it plans to begin delivering cars in China as soon as March, confirming the time frame that Musk laid out last year. According to the statement, starting prices for a Model 3 in the country will be 499,000 yuan, or $72,000.

• Read more:
• Tesla is reportedly close to getting approval to sell the Model 3 in Europe
• Elon Musk has started building a Tesla Gigafactory in China, and it could let him dodge Trump's trade war
• I've driven every Tesla model you can buy. Here are my favorite features.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Parenting blogger and television host Kristina Kuzmic is known as the "Truth Bomb Mom" for her no-nonsense videos about motherhood. 
• She posted a photo of her youngest son using her phone at a restaurant, writing that "your sanity is more valuable than other people’s opinions."
• Some people agreed that it's fine to keep kids occupied with screen time, while others remained critical of phone use.
• Scientists still don't really know how using interactive screens influences brain development.

Kristina Kuzmic is known as the "Truth Bomb Mom." Her no-nonsense videos about parenthood calling for empathy and tough love have earned her over 2 million Facebook followers.

She recently posted a photo of her son watching a video on her phone at a restaurant while she was out to dinner with her mother-in-law to make a point about mom shaming. 

Kuzmic wrote:

That's my kid, staring at a screen during our dinner out with my mother-in-law last night. I'm 100% sure there are people who judge this behavior. I'm also 100% sure this behavior won’t turn my kid into a monster or a failure or a convicted criminal.

My older two kids never looked at a screen at a restaurant when they were little, because I didn't own that type of device back then, and yet I'm pretty confident they’re not superior to their little brother because of it.

And when I eventually did get a smart device (but didn’t have my third child yet), I swore I would never allow my kids to stare at a screen at restaurants. (Parenting tip: Don’t bother swearing that you’ll never do such and such. The joke's on us!)

Despite my youngest watching a quiet movie last night, he was able to interact with the restaurant staff, order his own meal, and make eye contact while speaking with our lovely waitress. Shocking, right? Nope.

Most importantly, my mother-in-law and I were able to take our sweet time enjoying our conversation and our meal.

So listen up you parents who are feeling judged for allowing your kids screen time every once in a while during outings: your sanity is more valuable than other people's opinions.

And for those who are choosing to waste their life judging others: mind your own motherhood!

Some commenters felt validated by her message that it's not bad parenting to let kids have screen time if it means they'll stay occupied and quiet during outings.

Read more:  Screen time may not be that damaging to your kids' sleep, despite what you’ve been told

"We do this. Three year olds do not sit still at restaurants," one commenter wrote. "It's one of those 'in case of emergency, break glass' scenarios. Aka bust out the phone!!"

Another user wrote, "Screen time is villainized by so many. Yet, when done right, is perfectly okay. And if it means adults can have a nice dinner out, it's perfectly okay!"

But not everyone agreed.

"No. No. And no," one commenter wrote. "If we go out to dinner it's family time. Period."

"Sorry. But kids are being damaged by things like this," another person wrote.

From a scientific perspective, researchers still don't really know how using interactive screens influences brain development. Business Insider's Dave Mosher reports that experts are beginning to discover some potential benefits for kids from interactive media.

But Kuzmic's post wasn't about the effects of screen time on a child's brain. It was urging parents to give themselves permission to disregard others' opinions in order to have a few minutes of peace.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

• Read more:
• Leading doctors say there is little medical evidence for limiting screen time for kids, even though a major study disagrees
• How much should toddlers use smartphones, tablets, and other screens? This pocket guide could help.
• 5 tech industry moguls who raise their kids nearly tech-free

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I went on Beyoncé's 22-day diet — and I lost 15 pounds

• Adrianne Haslet was struck by a car while crossing the street in Boston's Commonwealth Avenue in the city's Back Bay neighborhood on Saturday.
• The accident happened just blocks from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, where Haslet was injured in 2013 when two bombs went off in an attack that claimed three lives.
• Haslet had her left leg amputated below the knee following the 2013 bombing.
• The driver in Saturday's accident said he didn't see Haslet, and has been cited for failing to stop for a pedestrian at a marked crosswalk, The Associated Press reported.

A professional dancer who lost her leg in the Boston bombing was hospitalized on Saturday after being hit by a car just blocks away from where the 2013 explosion occurred.

Adrianne Haslet said in an Instagram post on Monday that she was hit by the car while crossing Boston's Commonwealth Avenue in the city's Back Bay neighborhood — just blocks away from the marathon finish line, Boston Magazine reported.

She shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace.

"Thrown into the air and landed, crushing the left side of my body," Haslet wrote. "Yesterday. I'm completely broken. More surgery to come."

The driver of the car told police that he had not seen Haslet crossing the street because she was wearing dark clothing and it was dark and rainy outside, The Associated Press reported.

He was issued a citation for failing to stop for a pedestrian at a marked crosswalk, according to the AP.

Haslet was running errands near the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15, 2013, when two bombs went off in an attack that claimed three lives.

She told CNN that the blast blew off part of her left foot and that surgeons had to amputate below the knee.

Despite losing the bottom half of her left leg, Haslet was determined to dance again.

Read more:Three years after losing a leg in the Boston terror attack, Adrianne Haslet-Davis ran the marathon

Less than a year after the bombing, Haslet danced the rumba with a prosthetic lower leg as part of a TED talk held by MIT Media Lab director Hugh Herr, The Huffington Post reported at the time.

Herr is a double amputee who specializes in bionics, and met Haslet while she was recovering after the 2013 bombing.

Though she was not a runner before the bombing, Haslet joined other survivors to complete the 2016 Boston Marathon.

"I wanted to run it for Boston to say a huge, gigantic thank you,"Haslet-Davis told INSIDER in 2016. "And a big screw you to the terrorists."

She was training for this year's race when Saturday’s accident occurred, CNN reported.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Three years after losing a leg in the Boston terror attack, this woman ran the marathon

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Kroger and Microsoft have joined forces to design new technology for brick-and-mortar grocery stores, Bloomberg reports.

The technology is being tested in two Kroger locations:

• Digital shelves. This system — which originally debuted in the fall and is currently present at the ends of aisles in 92 Kroger stores — eschews paper price tags in favor of digital displays, enabling shelves to dynamically update prices and display other information like ads, promotions, and nutritional details. Additionally, if a customer uses Kroger’s self-checkout app, the shelves can recognize when they enter an aisle and display a personalized icon to guide them to products on their shopping list. This functionality also helps Kroger employees pick the items needed for customers’ curbside pickup orders, helping reduce the time needed to compile orders.
• A network of in-store sensors. These include ceiling-mounted sensors that collect data on shoppers’ habits and monitor for out-of-stocks, as well as temperature sensors in refrigerated meat cases that let employees know if the cases aren't maintaining the proper temperature. Compared with the digital shelves, this sensor network is more likely to serve Kroger on the back end by helping associates avert situations that would slow down the shopping experience.

This technology could benefit Kroger by speeding up its services and opening new revenue streams. The digital shelf technology alone could provide customers with a much easier shopping experience and drastically reduce how long it takes employees to put online orders together.

Additionally, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) can estimate data about customers, such as age and gender, enabling Kroger to serve targeted ads to shoppers on digital shelves’ displays while they're in the store. These ads could serve as a new source of supplemental revenue for the grocer.

Furthermore, sensors throughout the store can provide insights on customer behavior and help minimize opportunities for loss. For example, out-of-stocks may be costing retailers as much as $1 trillion, and Kroger’s refrigerated cases can hold as much as $10,000 worth of meat, making it critical that they stay cool enough to avoid spoiling.

Kroger and Microsoft plan to sell this technology to other retailers, potentially giving both companies a boost. The wide variety of benefits offered by the technology can help many retailers, and several are already working on testing it.

If Kroger can successfully commercialize this tech, it could provide the grocer with yet another source of revenue, while also helping Microsoft, whose Azure cloud business provides the backbone of the innovation. Additionally, if this technology gains widespread adoption, it could make shopping in-store easier and more streamlined overall, helping drive traffic to brick-and-mortar stores even as e-commerce grows.

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SEE ALSO: How smart is your fridge? Smart appliances have built-in sensors to tell consumers when to buy more groceries — or even buy them automatically

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• Political opponents and critics have seized on Sen. Elizabeth Warren's claim that she is Native American for years. 
• Even after the released of DNA test results that indicated Native American ancestry, Warren has been targeted by figures like President Donald Trump, who still rejects Warren's claim.
• In her first stop as a likely candidate for 2020, Warren drew a clear line in the sand about the issue, but her claims have been picked apart for years and criticism doesn't seem to be dying down. 

Less than a week after launching an exploratory committee for a presidential run in 2020, Sen. Elizabeth Warren hit the campaign trail, starting with a town hall in Iowa. 

An audience member asked Warren about her decision to release the results of a DNA test after nearly two years of back-and-forth with President Donald Trump over her claims that she has Native American ancestry. 

This is the second campaign that has been tinged with confusion over Warren's claim, the first of which ended as a victorious flip of a Massachusetts Senate seat.

From a DNA test to her law school application, here's everything you need to know about the controversy. 

SEE ALSO: An early look at the 2020 presidential contenders

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The debate over Warren's Native American ancestry began in 2012, during a tense bid to unseat a Republican senator in Massachusetts.

The Boston Herald found a 1996 article in the Harvard student newspaper quoting a spokesman for the Law School boasting that then-professor Warren was Native American. In reviewing diversity among Harvard faculty, The Crimson wrote "Although the conventional wisdom among students and faculty is that the Law School faculty includes no minority women, Chmura said Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren is Native American."

Source: The Crimson, Boston Herald

Records indicate that various points in her career, Warren went between identifying as white and Native American. The year before she was hired at the University of Pennsylvania, 1986, she listed herself as a 'Minority Law Teacher' on the American Association of Law Schools directory, a tip sheet for school administrators. She continued to list herself as such until 1995 and was repeatedly referenced as a minority in Penn's yearly equity report.

Source:The Washington Post

• James Harden made headlines again by breaking point guard Jamal Murray's ankles with a vicious behind-the-back crossover before draining his signature step-back three.
• To add insult to injury, Murray managed to recover just in time to pick up a shooting foul on the Beard's three-pointer.
• Harden recorded 32 points, 14 assists, and 5 rebounds in the Rockets' 125-113 win, adding to an already compelling case he's made over the last few weeks to repeat as NBA MVP.

James Harden has been on an absolute tear, scoring 30 or more points in all 13 games he's played since December 13, elevating his Houston Rockets in the Western Conference standings, and making a compelling case to repeat as MVP.

But last night, the Beard did something he hasn't done in such spectacular fashion since last March: completely disrespecting a defender and sending him to the ground before draining his signature step-back three.

This time, the Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray was the target of Harden's antics. Late in the second quarter of their Monday-night matchup, Harden sent the second-year point guard to the floor with a vicious behind-the-back crossover and stepped back behind the line for a three. As if to double the disrespect, Murray recovered in time to get a hand in front of Harden and was whistled for a foul, allowing the Beard to convert on a four-point play.

Check out the full video below:

Last time around, former Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Wesley Johnson infamously became the victim of one of Harden's devastating crossovers, falling to the ground and looking on helplessly as the NBA's leading scorer stared him down and sank a three.

And here is the latest one side-by-side with the Johnson annihilation:

The highlight-reel play wasn't Harden's only accomplishment of the night. He finished with 32 points, 14 assists, and five rebounds in Houston's 125-113 win, becoming the ninth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 17,000 career points, per StatMuse's Justin Kubatko‏. His six threes also made him the first player in league history to hit five or more 3-pointers in 10 consecutive games.

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If you wear cotton clothes — and since approximately half of all textiles are cotton, odds are you do — you should be opting for organic cotton when and if you can. 

Why? Because organic cotton is an important win-win-win: better for you, better for the environment, and better for the people that make the sheets you sleep on and the T-shirts you wear. It doesn't utilize pesticides or other harmful chemicals, requires far less water to produce, and organic growing systems often help maintain soil fertility and encourage biologically diverse agriculture — replacing systems that typically heavily exhaust and degrade the soil. Ultimately, it helps remove concerns about trace carcinogens in your clothes and supply chain, conserves energy, provides safer and more sustainable livelihoods, and preserves the environment — all without changing the quality of said sheets and T-shirts.

If your roadblock to buying organic cotton is not knowing where to find it, check out eight of the leading options below. Many are GOTS-certified or highlighted by the Textile Exchange — a global non-profit that works to drive sustainable change in the industry — as companies either already at a 100% organic cotton supply chain or making valuable strides towards one. 

Find 8 leading retail companies using organic cotton in their supply chain in 2019:

Colored Organics

Shop Colored Organics

Colored Organics is the one-stop-shop for 100% organic cotton clothes for kids. Colored Organics only uses GOTS-certified organic cotton. Objectively adorable baby onesies and toddler shirts are soft, naturally hypoallergenic, and made safe for kids — with the less tangible feature of not contributing to any environmental damage they may have to contend with in their future.

Plus, every purchase for your child helps a child in need. Colored Organics partners with global and domestic organizations to improve the lives of children. Past partners include a local hospital, Baby2Baby, Every Mother Counts, and Angel House — an Indian orphanage built with a portion of Colored Organics' 2017 sales. 

They're also known for offering 20% off first orders.

Patagonia

Shop Patagonia

Patagonia is highlighted as one of four leading Textile Exchange members in the industry, and rightly so. It's ranked as one of the top performers in two categories: overall and outdoor gear. Patagonia uses 100% organic cotton for many of its styles, and it was noted as the number 10 fastest-moving company in phasing in more sustainable synthetics in other categories (their recycled cashmere comes to mind). 

To ensure the cotton it buys is truly by-the-book USDA, Patagonia requires certificates issued by an accredited third-party certification body. You can shop the company's organic cotton clothing as its own category on the site.

Boll & Branch

Shop Boll & Branch

Recently, luxury bedding company Boll & Branch was named the world's largest consumer of Organic Fair Trade Certified cotton by the Textile Exchange, ahead of longstanding companies like Patagonia and Nike — the latter of which has been working for decades to move to 100% organic cotton by 2020.

Five-year-old Boll & Branch has prioritized an ethical, chemical-free supply chain from its inception; In a 2018 press release, co-founder Scott Tannen said that "Before selling a single product, we spent a year and a half ensuring we built out a transparent and ethical supply chain."

The company makes some of the luxurious sheets we've tested ($200-$295), and they're our number one pick for organic cotton sheets that you can buy online. The combination of high-quality bedding and a responsible supply chain has slingshotted a young husband-and-wife startup from New Jersey into a global spotlight.