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Traders work under monitors displaying Aflac Inc. signage on the floor of the New York Stock ... More Exchange in New York 2018 Bloomberg Finance LPAflac, Inc. is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States to the tune of $19 billion in annual revenues. The company is famous for its iconic duck and celebrity-driven ad campaigns. Behind the scenes, however, the company has been on a transformative journey. A primary driver of that evolution has been Sheila Anderson, who is the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of the company. Anderson joined Aflac more than two and a half years ago, and since then, she has played a pivotal role in advancing the companys technology, people and processes."Aflac's vision is to create a world where people are better prepared for the unexpected," Anderson shared with a note of pride. "Our supplemental benefits help with expenses primary health insurance doesn't cover."Building a Unified Tech OrganizationWhen Anderson joined the company, she inherited a technology ecosystem shaped by years of acquisitions. Like other acquisitive companies, the integration of technology was sub-optimal. She quickly moved to centralize technology operations, bringing together systems that had previously operated independently across various business units.Aflac CIO Shelia AndersonAflac"We created a one-stop shop for all technology at Aflac," she said. "That included unifying platforms across Individual, Group, Dental, Vision and other business areas, while also integrating shared services and infrastructure." By reducing the overall technology footprint, Anderson and team has reduced complexity and risk while enhancing value to the company.Clarifying Governance and Financial TransparencyOne of Andersons earliest insights was the need for a clearer governance model and financial visibility across Aflac's sprawling tech investments. She noticed a lack of centralized oversight, which created inefficiencies and duplicated efforts. "It was difficult to see how much we were spending on technology across the ecosystem," she said. "We needed to better understand where we were investing, why and what outcomes we expected."To address this, she implemented technology business management practices to track spending and align investments with business priorities.Reassessing the Cloud StrategyAflac had previously adopted a lift-and-shift strategy to move its distributed capabilities to the cloud. Anderson, however, saw a need to pause and recalibrate. "I wasn't sure that was the right strategy," she underscored. "We needed a more intentional approach. The company had not been fully prepared for such a large change to take place, and Anderson was concerned about the ability to absorb so much change.Instead of rushing to the cloud, Anderson focused on building internal readiness, educating teams and creating a centralized cloud center of excellence. The company now follows what she refers to as a measured "three-R" approach: right solution, right place, right price.Delivering a Unified Group Customer ExperienceAs Aflac expands its group benefits offerings, Anderson is helping drive a unified strategy that simplifies the customer experience. Previously, the companys various group businesses presented themselves independently. "We're focused on integrating across all of those businesses," she said. "The goal is a seamless, One-Aflac experience for our customers."Rather than replace all back-end systems, Anderson's team is developing integration layers and modern front ends to streamline services and offer a unified interface.Talent Optimization for the FutureRecognizing that technology transformation is also about people, Anderson led a comprehensive talent strategy. She reduced overreliance on third-party vendors and evaluated internal roles based on current and future needs. "We mapped out our three-year roadmap, then defined what labor needed to look like," she highlighted. "Were ensuring we have the right mix of talent and skillsets to support where were going."Her team also introduced updated job codes, compensation models and career paths to retain and attract talent. This comprehensive approach has led to a stronger core of internal talent at Aflac.Data and AI as Business DriversAflac has long been a pioneer in artificial intelligence, implementing solutions to improve claims quality and auto-adjudicate lower-risk claims. The companys Code-Based Processing system has delivered strong ROI and continues to expand into new areas. "Its the gift that keeps giving," said Anderson. "That investment has more than paid for itself."She has since aligned data, AI and innovation under one organizational umbrella. With its Hatch innovation lab, Aflac is pursuing a host of generative AI proof-of-concepts mapped to the insurance value chain, from Sales to Claims. The key in determining where to focus this innovation is a guiding principle for Anderson that she refers to as "know your why.""Everything we invest in must tie back to a business need," she said. "We prioritize based on business value and expected outcomes." That philosophy informs every technology decision, from AI investments to platform upgrades.Looking AheadAnderson is particularly excited about the rise of agentic AI: intelligent systems that proactively act on behalf of users. She sees it as the next evolution in automation and customer experience. "These technologies are becoming more mature every day," she said. "Agentic AI could shape many of our future experiences."With a clear focus on modernization, integration and innovation, Anderson is steering Aflac toward a future that combines the companys mission-driven heritage with cutting-edge technology.Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.

If you are drinking supposedly decaffeinated coffee and are feeling jittery as a result, you may ... More want to check the coffee package. (Photo: Getty)gettyWhen you get decaffeinated coffee, you kind of want it to be, you know, without caffeine. But apparently this wasnt the case with certain batches of Our Family Traverse City Ground Coffee, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They were mislabeled as decaffeinated when they actually had caffeine. As a result, the parent company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, has issued a voluntary coffee recall of the product starting March 13.Coffee Recall Encompasses 692 Cases Of The ProductThe full name of the product being recalled is Our Familys Traverse City Cherry-Flavored Decaf Light Roast Ground Coffee. The batches affected come in 12-ounce bags and bear best-buy dates of Aug. 8, 2025. The recall has encompassed 692 cases of the product that went to the following 15 states: Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. So if you bought this coffee in any of these states and are feeling a little or a lot jittery, you may want to check the package.Our Family, meaning the company, has issued a statement that said, We are committed to your health and safety, and we follow best practices to ensure the quality and safety of the products we sell." The statement continued with, "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.Coffee Recall Is Considered Class II By The FDAThis is Category II recall, according to the FDA, because it is a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences. Thats because getting caffeine in something that was supposed to be decaffeinated is not like finding a curly fry in your order of regular fries. It is typically not a pleasant welcome surprise.Anyone who uses coffee to help them stay awake should realize that caffeine is a stimulant. It is a chemical that naturally exists in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans, guarana berries and yerba mate leaves. One can synthesize caffeine artificially as well.Naturally, doctors will rarely say, Have as much stimulants as you want. Typically, you want to keep your daily caffeine intake below 400 milligrams a day, as I have detailed previously in Forbes. That limit is not too difficult to reach because one cup of regular coffee typically will have between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine.Coffee Recall Is Due To The Potential Effects Of CaffeineOne risk of caffeine is the aforementioned jitters, nervousness or anxiety. By blocking the effects of adenosine, a chemical in your body that makes you feel sleepy, caffeine will do the opposite. This may be helpful in some situations, like when you are falling asleep during a job interview or trying to sit through the 2017 movie The Snowman. But it can problematic when you are trying to relax.One such situation is when you are trying to fall asleep. Caffeine can also reduce the levels of melatonin in your body, further altering your sleep patterns. This is why you dont typically say, Ill be in bed as soon as I drink this mug of caffeinated coffee.Another risk is dehydration, which, in turn, can lead to all sorts of issues ranging from headaches to dizziness to lightheadedness to losing consciousness. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning that it can make you pee and pee and pee. thats one of the reasons why you dont see marathon runners being served cups of coffee. Even though its a fluid, the caffeine will prompt you to urinate more. Therefore, when you ingest a lot of caffeine, its a good idea to drink more water to compensate.Caffeine can also affect your gastrointestinal tract in different ways. For example, it can increase the amount of acid that your stomach secretes. This can lead to or worsen gastroesophageal reflux or GERD, which is the medical term for heartburn. It can also increase the motility of your intestines. This doesnt mean that you should try coffee enemas. Yes, thats right, some folks have been pushing putting coffee where the sun dont shine. I have questioned whether this is a bright idea previously in Forbes.Additionally, caffeine can increase your heart rate. This could be problematic if you have some kind of pre-existing heart condition. It also can temporarily raise your blood pressure, which may be OK if you are otherwise healthy but could be a problem if you already have other medical conditions that require your blood pressure to be in a certain range.Finally, caffeine can be addictive. You may be addicted to caffeine if you not getting it leads to headaches, fatigue, irritability, drowsiness and other withdrawal symptoms. So if you are trying to quit consuming caffeine, you may not appreciate it if supposed decaf coffee actually has caffeine.So, if you want to make sure that you are drinking decaf coffee, again check your package, meaning the package in which the coffee came. Make sure that it is not part of this coffee recall. Otherwise, you may have some trouble brewing.

Something to look forward to: Lip-Bu Tan has joined Intel as CEO at a pivotal moment, as the semiconductor giant faces significant challenges in regaining its competitive edge. In his first letter to shareholders, Tan laid out a clear vision for Intel's future, emphasizing a dual focus on product innovation and operational efficiency. His message was unflinching: Intel must simplify its operations, reduce costs, and deliver on its promises to regain its competitive edge in the tech industry. At the core of Tan's strategy is Intel's product roadmap, particularly the upcoming Panther Lake and Nova Lake processors, both of which rely on the company's 18A process node. The 18A node represents a major technological leap for Intel, incorporating innovations such as RibbonFET transistor architecture and PowerVia backside power delivery.These advancements promise up to 15% better performance per watt and 30% higher chip density compared to earlier nodes. Intel's Arizona facility is gearing up to manufacture the 18A process at high volume, with production expected to ramp up later this year, according to Tan.However, challenges remain. Reports of low yield rates estimated between 20% and 30% have raised concerns about Intel's ability to meet production targets.Automated final packaging systems select options for test validation at an Intel factory in Chandler, Arizona.Despite these hurdles, Tan has expressed confidence in the technology's readiness, stating that it will enhance Intel's competitiveness. He noted that early customer projects using the 18A process are nearing completion, with tape-outs anticipated by mid-2025. // Related StoriesPanther Lake will be the first major product to leverage the 18A process and is scheduled for release in late 2025. These processors will feature a hybrid architecture combining performance cores (P-cores), efficiency cores (E-cores), and potentially low-power efficiency cores (LPE cores), delivering a total of 16 cores and 16 threads. Panther Lake will also include integrated GPU cores to boost AI capabilities, although specific performance metrics have yet to be disclosed.Following Panther Lake, Intel plans to launch Nova Lake CPUs in 2026. Nova Lake is expected to push the envelope even further, with early reports suggesting it could feature up to 52 cores using the Coyote Cove and Arctic Wolf architectures. The product will likely leverage a mix of Intel's internal manufacturing and TSMC's advanced nodes to improve yield and ensure supply chain resilience.Intel is also preparing to make waves in the data center market with its next-generation Xeon processors. The Clearwater Forest series, slated for release in the first half of 2026, will rely exclusively on E-cores and will be the first server product built on the 18A process node. These processors are expected to showcase advancements in compute chiplets and packaging technologies, including Foveros Direct.While Intel's CPU roadmap appears strong, its GPU division faces more uncertainty. The company has reportedly canceled its high-end Arc Battlemage BMG-G31 GPUs, leaving only mid-range models like the Arc B580 in its lineup. This move raises questions about Intel's long-term commitment to competing with AMD and Nvidia in the discrete GPU market.Additionally, recent updates have made little mention of Intel's next-generation Xe3 "Celestial" GPUs, fueling speculation about their future as standalone products.

In context: The constant improvements AI companies have been making to their models might lead you to think we've finally figured out how large language models (LLMs) work. But nope LLMs continue to be one of the least understood mass-market technologies ever. But Anthropic is attempting to change that with a new technique called circuit tracing, which has helped the company map out some of the inner workings of its Claude 3.5 Haiku model. Circuit tracing is a relatively new technique that lets researchers track how an AI model builds its answers step by step like following the wiring in a brain. It works by chaining together different components of a model. Anthropic used it to spy on Claude's inner workings. This revealed some truly odd, sometimes inhuman ways of arriving at an answer that the bot wouldn't even admit to using when asked.All in all, the team inspected 10 different behaviors in Claude. Three stood out.One was pretty simple and involved answering the question "What's the opposite of small?" in different languages. You'd think Claude might have separate components for English, French, or Chinese. But no, it first figures out the answer (something related to "bigness") using language-neutral circuits first, then picks the right words to match the question's language.This means Claude isn't just regurgitating memorized translations it's applying abstract concepts across languages, almost like a human would.Then there's math. Ask Claude to add 36 and 59, and instead of following the standard method (adding the ones place, carrying the ten, etc.), it does something way weirder. It starts approximating by adding "40ish and 60ish" or "57ish and 36ish" and eventually lands on "92ish." Meanwhile, another part of the model focuses on the digits 6 and 9, realizing the answer must end in a 5. Combine those two weird steps, and it arrives at 95. // Related StoriesHowever, if you ask Claude how it solved the problem, it'll confidently describe the standard grade-school method, concealing its actual, bizarre reasoning process.Poetry is even stranger. The researchers tasked Claude with writing a rhyming couplet, giving it the prompt "A rhyming couplet: He saw a carrot and had to grab it." Here, the model settled on the word "rabbit" as the word to rhyme with while it was processing "grab it." Then, it appeared to construct the next line with that ending already decided, eventually spitting out the line "His hunger was like a starving rabbit."This suggests LLMs might have more foresight than we assumed and that they don't always just predict one word after another to form a coherent answer.All in all, these findings are a big deal they prove we can finally see how these models operate, at least in part.Still, Joshua Batson, a research scientist at the company, admitted to MIT that this is just "tip-of-the-iceberg" stuff. Tracing even a single response takes hours and there's still a lot of figuring out left to do.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsFortnite Mode Mayhem explained and how to get rewardsAll Fortnite Mode Mayhem free itemsHow to claim Twitch Drops in FortniteFortnite players have long enjoyed a plethora of free cosmetics and Twitch Drops, a tradition that keeps the community engaged. Epic Games has a history of providing fans with exclusive in-game itemssuch as the popular Boogie Down Emote or vivid spraysjust for watching Twitch streams.In previous campaigns, gamers have claimed items such as FNCS-themed back bling or sleek wraps by watching streams for specific durations. These giveaways, which are frequently linked to significant events like as the Fortnite Champion Series, have become a mainstay, combining passive entertainment with actual rewards while keeping Fortnites thriving player base interested.As the Battle Royale titan evolves, Epic has released a new Mode Mayhem campaign, which is currently live. Building on the success of previous Twitch Drops, this new campaign promises a radical tweak to Fortnites gameplay that will grant players free items staggered across different days. Here are all the items you can get via Fortnite Mode Mayhem Twitch Drops for free and how to get them.RelatedOG 50v50 coming out of nowhere? A new OG Season? Klassic Kombat gameplay in Battle Royale with more to come? Its Mode Mayhem in Fortnite!Rivalries are sure to be reinforced and new ones formed. Fortnite streamers will settle their differences in Zero Build and other modes duringTwitch Rivals! Starting April 6 at 5 PM ET, 32 streamer duos will be seeded into a bracket and battle it out in multiple rounds. Which duo will come out on top?To celebrate the mayhem, Epic is giving out Twitch Dropsjust for watching Fortnite on Twitch fromMarch 28 to April 8! Choose your favorite streamer under theFortnite categoryand watch what theyre playing in Fortnite for the durations noted below.Epic GamesCommand Executor PickaxeGet the Command Executor Pickaxe for watching Fortnite on Twitch for 1 hour cumulative from March 28 at 1 PM UTC until March 31, 2025, at 4 AM UTC.In Eastern Time, this is March 28 at 9 AM until March 31, 2025, at 12 AM.Klassic Kombat WrapsGet three Klassic Kombat Set Wraps for watching Fortnite on Twitch from March 31 at 4 AM UTC until April 4, 2025, at 4 AM UTC.In Eastern Time, this is March 31 at 12 AM until April 4, 2025, at 12 AM.Raiden Lightning Bolt Wrap: Watch for 30 minutes cumulative.Scorpion Flame Aura Wrap: Watch for 1 hour cumulative.Kitana Fan Swipe Wrap: Watch for 1 hour and 30 minutes cumulative.Lil Armored Truck EmotePerfect for BRs LAWLESS Season! Get the Lil Armored Truck Emote for watching Fortnite on Twitch for2 hours cumulative from April 4 at 4 AM UTC until April 8, 2025, at 4 AM UTC.In Eastern Time, this is April 4 at 12 AM ET until April 8, 2025, at 12 AM ET.To be able to earn the Twitch Drops, make sure yourEpic account is connected to your Twitch account. You must be 13 or older to sign up for a Twitch account.First, log into your Epic Games account on their official website. Navigate to the Connections section under account settings. Select the Apps tab, then find Twitch and click Connect. Youll be prompted to sign into your Twitch accountfollow the on-screen instructions to authorize the link. Once approved, your accounts are connected! To confirm, check your Twitch settings under Connections for Epic Games. Now, watch eligible Fortnite streams to claim rewards, ensuring both accounts remain linked for future drops.After meeting the requirement to claim a Drop, you can claim it from the Drops Inventory page on Twitch. Each Drop should be in your Fortnite Locker right after claiming it, though it may take up to 14 days in specific cases.The Mode Mayhem will continue after the final Twitch Drop Reload gets a new map on April 15! Also, the Twitch Drops are not exclusive to Mode Mayhem, as they may be purchasable in the Fortnite Shop at a later date.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsDeepSeekAlibaba QwenBaidu Ernie botThe next leg of the AI race is on, and has expanded beyond the usual players, such as OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. In addition to the dominance of the tech giants, more open-source options have now taken to the spotlight with a new focus in the AI arena.Various brands, such as DeepSeek, Alibaba, and Baidu, have demonstrated that AI functions can be developed and executed at a fraction of the cost. They have also navigated securing solid business partnerships and deciding or continuing to provide AI products to consumers as free or low-cost, open source models, while larger companies double down on a proprietary, for-profit trajectory, hiding their best features behind a paywall.Recommended VideosThe latest models, such as DeepSeeks R1, Alibabas Qwen2.5-VL, and Baidus Ernie 4.5 have been compared to the top models such as OpenAIs 4o or GPT-4.5 models. Meanwhile, their codes are easily accessible at repositories, such as GitHub or Huggingface for developers to use on unique applications. Learn more about these open source AI products and consider if youd be interested in making a switch from a more traditional app.DeepSeek, short for Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd., is a Chinese AI startup that gained international attention after its AI models proved to be formidable in quality to those of well-established brands in the industry, including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and others. The company showcased AI models developed in a fraction of the time and operating cost of competitors models.Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsThe young company has been around since April 2023, an offshoot of the parent company High-Flyer, but has developed several AI models. These include the original DeepSeek-LLM, DeepSeek-Math, DeepSeek V2, and DeepSeek V3 the last of which was announced in November 2024 and was already gaining industry attention. The brand announced its DeepSeek-R1 and DeepSeek-R1-Zero reasoning models in January 2025, which took the AI industry by storm with comparisons to OpenAIs GPT-4 and o1 models. The infamous introduction affected stock prices, made competitors rethink business strategies, and caused security concerns among government entities.DeepSeek was released under the MIT License, which indicates it is as open as it can be without being 100% open source. The company calls its AI models open weight. Still, they are available on the GitHub repositoryfor users to download and develop.DeepSeek is a chatbot-style AI tool that is available in web-based format as well as through iOS and Android mobile applications. Since gaining notoriety, the company has partneredwith several companies, including Lenovo, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu, among others, to use its AI models.Alibaba Qwen, short for Tongyi Qianwen, a large language model family, is among the top 10 open-source models in the world. Alibaba itself is a notable Chinese e-commerce brand. The company announced its first model as a beta in April 2023, which quickly became popular in the AI space as it officially released models as open source throughout the year.Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsSubsequent models have been released as either partially or fully open source, including Qwen 2, Qwen-VL2, Qwen-vl-max, Qwen-Audio, and Qwen2-Math. The companys most recent models include Qwen 2.5-Max, which was announced in January 2025, and Qwen2.5-VL, which was announced in March, marketing them as more powerful than rival models such as OpenAIs GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3, and Metas Llama-3.1-405 B LLMs.The original Qwen model was based on Metas Llama LLM another open-source model, modified to suit Alibabas processes. Future models have been released under the Apache 2.0 License and can be found at the GitHub and Huggingfacerepositories.Qwen is a chatbot-style AI tool that is available in web-based format as well as through iOS and Android mobile applications. Since its inception, over 90,000 independent models have been developed based on Qwens open-source code.The Ernie Bot, short for Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration, is a chatbot developed by Baidu, a well-known Chinese internet brand. While Baidu has been developing its ERNIE model since 2019, it first released the Ernie 3.0 LLM in March 2023.BaiduSince then, it released Ernie 3.5 in June 2023 and Ernie 4.0 in October 2023. The 4.0 model was reserved for Baidus subscription-based products, while the 3.5 model was used for the brands free chatbot.Currently, the Ernie model is not open source; however, the brand plans to soon make it more available to the public in response to increasing competition in the AI industry, as well as due to rapidly reducing production costs.Baidu released its Ernie 4.5 LLM, and Ernie X1 reasoning model in mid-March, which has been compared to OpenAIs GPT-4.5 and DeepSeek R1, respectively. The brand has plans to make its models open source on June 30. Additionally, the company announced that its chatbot will be free to all users as of April 1. A future model, Ernie 5is expected to be released during the second half of 2025, similarly being open source and free to use.Ernie is a chatbot-style AI tool that is available in web-based format as well as through iOS and Android mobile applications. Since its inception, Ernie has been used as the model for the AI integration on an international version of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.Editors Recommendations

A clandestine operationtucked away on an upper floor of Rockefeller Centerwas vital to Britains struggle for survival in World War II.

I didn't realize I'd need a visa to leave the airport in Istanbul during my layover. prmustafa/Getty Images 2025-03-30T14:58:01Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? As an American, I didn't realize I needed a visa to leave Istanbul's airport during my long layover.The oversight cost me more time, money, and stress than anticipated.Now I know that researching country-specific entry and visa rules can prevent costly mistakes.My fianc and I have a knack for piecing together budget-friendly flights, and last August, we put our skills to the test to attend a wedding in Crete.To save a few hundred bucks on our trip out of New York, we booked a flight that included a 13-hour layover in Istanbul and a brief stop in Athens. Many people in our lives thought stopping for over half a day in one place sounded miserable, but we had a plan: We'd maximize our layover and use it as a chance to explore a new city and visit an old friend. However, shortly after we arrived in Istanbul, things took an unexpected turn.Unfortunately, our layover didn't go as plannedMy friend wasn't feeling well, so we scratched our plans to meet her in the city center. We weren't worried because we could still explore Istanbul on our own and we decided to take advantage of Turkish Airlines' free city tour for layovers.When we arrived at the tour desk, though, we learned that Americans need a transit visa if they want to exit the airport in Turkey. We had no idea and hadn't made any arrangements in advance. We're usually very careful about checking travel guidelines and regulations and I couldn't believe such a seemingly small oversight would change our plans entirely.Although we could've tried applying for emergency visas, doing so would've cost us a lot more than we'd budgeted for our brief layover.So, we now had 13 hours to kill without leaving the airport. We made the most of being stuck, and I learned a valuable travel lesson We weren't able to leave the Istanbul Airport during our trip. Mina Lisanin We tried to make the most of spending hours upon hours walking around the Istanbul Airport, which is actually quite beautiful.As an interior designer, I genuinely enjoyed taking in the architecture and design details of the modern and elegant space. We also ended up shopping and buying overpriced airport food.Between meals, drinks, souvenirs, and my fianc's spontaneous purchase of a drone, our layover costs quickly added up. Unfortunately, in a few hours, we'd basically spent the amount of money we'd saved by booking a flight with layovers instead of a nonstop one.The next leg of the journey wasn't without its own set of hurdles either. When we finally reached Athens, my luggage broke as we stepped off the plane.After 24 hours of no sleep, multiple layovers, and unexpected expenses, we were exhausted when we got to Crete. However, even with these mishaps, our Istanbul layover was a unique experience that I wouldn't write off completely though we'd definitely be better prepared next time.The biggest lesson we learned is that it's crucial to double-check each country's entry requirements before assuming we can explore a new place during a layover.And, if you need a visa to exit an airport, apply for it online before the trip to save both time and money.Recommended video