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The 20 best smartphones in the world

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iPhone 7 and iphone 7 plus

This list contains a variety of premium and mid-range smartphones you should seriously consider if you need to make a smartphone purchase right now.

That said, several big tech companies — including Apple, Google, and Samsung — will be releasing new smartphones in the coming months.

Since five of these top phones are about to become last year's models, we've listed their successors, their likely release dates, and their price tags, at the very bottom of the list in case you'd prefer to wait for any of those phones.

Here's our list of the best smartphones you can buy right now.

Note: Prices may vary depending on the retailer.

SEE ALSO: 8 reasons Google's Pixel is better than the iPhone

DON'T MISS: These are the smartphones with the best signal strength

20. BlackBerry Classic

If you were a BlackBerry fan in the company's heyday, you're going to love the BlackBerry Classic. It looks similar to older BlackBerry models but features a sharp touchscreen and an excellent physical keyboard.

Price: $169



19. BlackBerry KeyOne

The BlackBerry KeyOne with Android is the company's successor to the Priv, which also ran Android and had a slide-out physical keyboard. With the KeyOne, BlackBerry returned to basics and kept the keyboard as a permanent exterior feature.

This could be a great device for those who want a physical keyboard but also access to Google's apps and services, which aren't available on other BlackBerry devices.

Price: $550

Read the BlackBerry KeyOne review »



18. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 5 is a killer big-screen phone, and it's still technically the latest Galaxy Note phone you can buy as a result of the Galaxy Note 7's exploding battery issues. Like previous versions of the Note, it has a large vibrant display and a stylus for taking notes. The metal-and-glass design is great, too.

Wait for it: Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23. It'll likely cost more than the Galaxy Note 5, but if the rumors are true, it'll come with an improved camera and overall performance upgrade.

Price: $455

Read the Galaxy Note 5 review »



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A couple who have been traveling the world for 4 years explain how they built a business on the road

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Two Monkeys Antarctica

Kach and Jonathan Howe met in Luang Prabang, Laos, in 2013.

They'd each recently quit their corporate jobs at home, in the Philippines for Kach and the UK for Jonathan, to travel full-time.

Since then, the couple — who wed in the UK in July 2016 — have launched a successful blog and online business while traveling to over 70 countries together.

"Those four years have been a mixture of full-time travel and temporary homes," Jonathan, 32, and Kach, 29, told Business Insider. "We lived together in Hanoi, Vietnam, teaching English for eight months, Ollantaytambo and Arequipa in Peru for a total of about seven months, in Bogota, Colombia for about six months and Costa Rica for three months."

Their travels are funded by income from their websites, Two Monkeys Travel and Mr. & Mrs. Howe, and sponsorships from hotels and brands.

The Howe's next adventure? Living aboard a 37-foot sailboat for a year, starting in the Caribbean and sailing through the Panama Canal and onto the Pacific Ocean. 

Read on to learn about how Kach and Jonathan balance work and full-time travel.

Follow their adventures on their Instagram pages, @2monkeystravel and @mrandmrshowe.

SEE ALSO: Meet the adventurous couple who has spent the past 4 years living in Airbnbs around the world for under $90 a night

DON'T MISS: A 27-year-old who saves 65% of his income shares his 7 best tips for traveling on a budget

Kach and Jonathan started their nomadic lifestyle together in Hanoi, Vietnam, teaching English for about $3,500 a month.

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 In Paris, France.

 

 



"I only knew what I was doing as far as teaching English," Jonathan said. "I didn't have a long-term plan. I didn't know what would happen."

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 In Cancun, Mexico.

 

 



Next, they headed to India to get certified in Ayurveda massage and Tantra Yoga, a process that took about three months.

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In Australia.



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Stunning photos show what it's like inside a Chinese factory that makes American toys

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China makes much of what the world buys. According to The Economist, the country was producing 25% of the globe's manufacturing output by value in 2015.

In 2013, when Cheng Cheng — currently an intern on Business Insider's graphics team — was a photography student in London, she had the idea to produce a body of work that would visualize mass production. Hailing from the Jiangsu province of China, she decided that the place she came from would be the best place to do it. 

Inside a toy factory in the Jiangsu province, she saw workers handcrafting stuffed-animal versions of characters whose faces they do not recognize. 

"It's cliche [to] talk about 'made in China,' but because it's my hometown I have an emotional connection with that," she told Business Insider.

Here's what she saw of the workers' day-to-day routines.

SEE ALSO: We visited Amazon's chaotic jobs fair and found a troubling insight about the American economy

The factory is usually private, and few members of the press have seen the inside.



For a little over a month, Cheng would stay from morning until night, documenting the workers' lives. Their days started at 8 a.m. and usually ended at 8 p.m., with an hour for lunch in the middle of the day.



"The work is simple but intense," she said.



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Here's the difference between baking powder and baking soda — and how to substitute one for another

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Many people think baking powder and baking soda are interchangeable, but they're absolutely not! Although they both help batters and doughs rise, they have different chemical makeups. Baking powder has baking soda in it, but it has additional ingredients that make it react differently when mixed into batters or doughs. 

Baking soda is a base that when mixed with acids bubbles. Baking powder is made of baking soda and a dry acid. It reacts differently depending on what is in your batter or dough. 

It is possible to substitute one for the other. Substitute 2 or 3 tsp of baking powder for 1 tsp baking soda. Substitute 1/2 tsp of baking soda for 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice.

How long do they last? Baking powder has a shelf life of 3-12 months. If you live in a humid climate, it expires more quickly.  To test your baking powder, put a small amount in a bowl and add water. If it bubbles it's still good. Baking soda lasts much longer as long as it's sealed and kept cool. It doesn't have an expiration date. To test your baking soda add a bit of vinegar. If it bubbles, it's still usable. 

Join the conversation about this story »

Marriott's CEO travels 200 days a year — these are his favorite travel hacks

How to look and feel healthier in one week, according to a nutritionist

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Didn't hit your fitness and diet goals in time for summer? Don't fret.

There are still plenty of things you can start doing now to look and feel healthier.

You're probably not going to wake up looking like an underwear model tomorrow — but you can certainly start feeling better and improving your digestion in a week, according to registered dietitian and nutritionist Andy Bellatti.

Here are a few things Bellatti and other nutritionists recommend.

SEE ALSO: The best way to build muscle may not be lifting the heaviest weights

DON'T MISS: 11 surprising things your physical appearance says about you

DO: Drink lots of water.

Water is essential — it regulates the shape of every cell inside our bodies. If we don't get enough, in fact, these cells begin to shrivel up.The CDC recommends choosing water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages to "help with weight management." Swapping a cold glass of H2O for a single 20-ounce soda will save you about 240 calories.

So hydrate, Bellatti told Business Insider, "ideally with water." 



DON'T: Go on a juice cleanse.

If you're considering a "detox" or "juice cleanse," you might want to reconsider. Drinking just water, juice, or any other liquefied concoction for more than a few days can set you up for unhealthy eating behaviors, and can often lead to spikes and drops in blood sugar levels, which can spawn cravings and mood swings.

"This is a recipe for 'hangriness,'" Bellatti said, "that also inaccurately paints all solid food as problematic."



DO: Cut back on sodium.

Most of us — 89% of US adults, according to the CDC— eat too much sodium, and that's not including any salt added at the table. Too much salt in your diet can cause puffiness and bloating, so cutting back can help you avoid that.

"Sodium retains water," Bellatti said, "so lowering sodium intake also reduces puffiness."



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The all-new Rolls-Royce Phantom is a modern private jet for the road

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For nearly 100 years, Rolls-Royce has been the symbol of luxury and exclusivity with their flagship model, Phantom. After launching the seventh-generation Phantom in 2003, Rolls-Royce has returned once again to redefine luxury with the all new Phantom VIII.

Take a closer look at Rolls-Royce's new flagship before its delivery in early 2018.

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The 'coconut vs peach' metaphor explains why Americans find the French standoffish and the French find Americans superficial

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Coconut cutting with knife

• INSEAD professor Erin Meyer moved from the US to France 17 years ago.

• She finds French people are more like coconuts: They take a while to open up, after which they're willing to share a lot.

• Americans are more like peaches: They're friendly right off the bat, but after a certain point, they close up.

In the 17 years since moving from the United States to France, Erin Meyer has heard French people use some … interesting words to describe their American colleagues.

Read: "superficial," "hypocritical," and "fake."

Meanwhile, Meyer's heard many Americans complain about their French colleagues being "standoffish," "hostile," and "unfriendly."

Meyer is a professor at INSEAD and the author of the 2014 book "The Culture Map." As someone who's both studied cultural differences and experienced them firsthand, she knows how easy it is to get frustrated or confused when doing business abroad.

One of the biggest differences between French and American cultures, Meyer told Business Insider, is that French people are more like coconuts while Americans are more like peaches.

Think about a coconut: It's hard on the outside, but gets softer as you drill deeper. That's how French people operate — they take a while to open up, but once they do, they're candid and genuine.

Now think about a peach: It's soft on the outside, but eventually you hit a hard pit. That's how American people operate — they're warm and friendly right off the bat, but then they close up and don't reveal anything more personal.

For example, Meyer said, French people "don't talk about personal information with strangers." They generally don't place family photos on their desk.

She continued on to say that French people are "very formal with people that they haven't built a relationship with, and they're unlikely to smile a lot or do a lot of personal talk with people that they don't know well."

But as you get to know French people, Meyer added, "they become more and more warm, more and more friendly. They open up more about their personal lives and usually, once you've developed that level of closeness, the relationship sticks. You'll probably have that relationship for the rest of your career."

Americans, on the other hand, "tend to be very friendly with strangers and talk very easily about their personal lives with people that they don't have close relationships with. They smile a lot at people that they barely know at all."

Yet "after a point of friendliness, [Americans] don't share more. [They] kind of close up. That's how [they're] experienced by Europeans: They're really friendly, but they don't show you who they really are."

Meyer shared an anecdote that illustrates how this coconut-peach disparity can cause trouble.

She once worked with a French executive who moved to South Carolina for work. That executive had a new baby, but he wasn't comfortable talking about his family with his new coworkers and didn't think it was appropriate.

As a result, Meyer said, "people had difficulty relating to him. His team felt that he wasn't authentic … and that he was shielded, so it was difficult for them to trust him."

Other coconut cultures, Meyer writes in "The Culture Map," include Russia, Poland, and Germany. Another example of a peach culture is Brazil.

Note that there's no universal right or wrong strategy for building relationships. It's more a matter of understanding what different cultures are like, and trying to adapt your own communication style to theirs.

SEE ALSO: 8 things that drive French people nuts about American offices — and vice versa

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How designers around the world Photoshopped this model when they were told to make her beautiful


Where America's 'first kids' went to college

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tiffany trump

Around the US, students are gearing up to head back to school.

"First kid" Tiffany Trump, President Trump's youngest daughter, is set to start her first year at Georgetown Law School.

And former "first kid" Malia Obama, after taking a gap year, is about to start classes at Harvard.

With that in mind, we looked at the college choices of first kids who were teenagers or young adults when their parents lived in the White House, as far back as President John F. Kennedy.

Along with Tiffany Trump, we added Trump's other children — the other current first kids — to this list.

Take a look below to see where everyone went — as well as who dropped out of college, who failed the bar exam, and whose parents didn't go to their graduation.

SEE ALSO: Harvard admitted a majority nonwhite class for the first time in history

Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, University of Texas at Austin, Class of 1966

The oldest daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb attended the all-girls National Cathedral School in Washington, DC, and the University of Texas at Austin for college. She is the last first daughter to be married in the White House. She is the oldest living child of a president, and serves on the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.



Luci Baines Johnson, Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 1966 (did not graduate)

The younger daughter of President Johnson, Luci attended Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, but she was forced to drop out in 1966. She was married that year, and the school prohibited married students. She currently serves on the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation.



Tricia Nixon Cox, Boston College, Class of 1968

The oldest daughter of President Richard Nixon, Tricia attended Boston College and earned a degree in English. Her father served as a guest speaker at her graduation. She currently serves on the board of the Richard Nixon Foundation.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's the difference between ice cream, gelato and sorbet

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It's not summer without an icy treat. But have you ever wondered what the actual difference between a gelato, ice cream and sorbet are? From the ingredients to the way they're made, these three tasty treats share many similarities and differences. 

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Why potato chip bags are always empty at the top

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Don't you hate when you pull open a fresh bag of chips and you find SO much empty space? Who are potato chip companies trying to fool? No one! In fact, that space is there for a very good reason: to make sure that your chips arrive to you fresh and delicious. That empty space is filled with a secret ingredient: Nitrogen!

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How long you need to do cardio to reap the benefits for your body and brain

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woman running jogging exercise

Aerobic exercise, or "cardio," might be the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have.

A growing body of research suggests that when we commit to regular workouts that raise our heart rate and get us moving and sweating for a sustained period of time, magical things happen to our body and brain.

We think more clearly, feel better overall, and protect ourselves against some of the cognitive decline that occurs with age, studiessuggest.

"Aerobic exercise ... has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress," the authors of an article in the Harvard Medical School blog "Mind and Mood" wrote.

But how long should you be cycling, swimming, walking, or running to reap these benefits?

Overall, research suggests that the magic happens somewhere in the window of about 30-45 minutes at minimum.

An elderly man swimsAa recent paper looked at the exercise habits of hundreds of breast cancer survivors who were experiencing symptoms like "chemo brain," which involves memory loss and trouble focusing. The researchers found that as little as 30 minutes of an aerobic exercise like walking was linked with significantly better performance on cognitive quizzes.

Another study published in May provided some additional support for that research — it found that in adults aged 60-88, walking for 30 minutes four days a week for 12 weeks appeared to strengthen connectivity in a region of the brain where weakened connections have been linked to memory loss.

Similarly, a pilot study in people with severe depression found that just 30 minutes of treadmill walking for 10 consecutive days appeared to be "sufficient to produce a clinically relevant and statistically significant reduction in depression."

Other research suggests it might be better to do cardio for longer. A study in the British Medical Journal found that in adults over 50, the best results for the brain appeared to come from a routine that combined aerobic exercises with resistance training (i.e. muscle-building exercises like planks and push-ups) and lasted at least 45 minutes.

Researchers still aren't sure why this type of exercise appears to provide a boost to the brain, but some studies suggest it has to do with increased blood flow, which provides our minds with fresh energy and oxygen. One recent study in older women who displayed potential symptoms of dementia also found that aerobic exercise was linked with an increase in the size of the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory. Another reason might have to do with cardio's ability to help reduce levels of the body's natural stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, according to a recent study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

Joe Northey, the lead author of the British study and an exercise scientist at the University of Canberra, said his research suggests that anyone in good health over age 50 should do 45 minutes to an hour of aerobic exercise "on as many days of the week as feasible."

SEE ALSO: Here are the ages your brain peaks at everything throughout life

DON'T MISS: Meditation has a powerful and surprising effect on your body and brain

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Scientists have a new way to measure health by determining your 'fitness age' — here's how you can calculate it

This explorer is going on an expedition to the North Pole in a way that's never been done — by sailboat

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IMG_11026 ARCTIC MISSION

  • Pen Hadow and a small crew are sailing to the North Pole with two yachts.
  • Past explorers reached the top of the world on dogsleds or skis, but now the ice may be thin enough for small boats to get there.
  • The team hopes to show the world the strange creatures that live in the region as a way to encourage people to protect it.

Picture the North Pole. What does it look like in your mind? Ice as far as the eye can see?

In the past, that is what the area looked like, even in summer. The first explorers that tried to reach the Pole traveled by dogsled in the early 20th century. But the next explorers to reach that iconic point on the globe may arrive in a sailboat.

The sea ice that covers the top of the world is always shifting — it gets carried by currents, cracks apart, and freezes again. There's no land below the ice to anchor it like there is in Antarctica. But satellite ice measurements suggest that since July 1979 — the first year such records were kept — the Arctic has lost an average of 28,000 square miles of ice each year, or 7.4% of the region per decade. And that loss is accelerating.

Until recently, overland treks to the North Pole were possible, though attempts by early adventurers were sometimes foiled when massive islands of ice split apart and they had to wait for passages to refreeze. In 2014, a group of polar explorers skied, floated, and swam their way to the Pole, towing 317-pound floating sleds.

However, the route over the ice is no longer considered traversable.

There are still huge ice floes many kilometers in length, but there's also a lot of open water and large areas where the ice has cracked into small islands. Even parts that appear solid may be nothing but slush. 

PEN HADOW ARCTIC MISSIONTo demonstrate just how dramatic the change has been, polar explorer Pen Hadow is preparing lead a team to the North Pole on two 50-foot sailing yachts.

Hadow became the first person to trek to the Pole solo without being resupplied in 2003. He plans to set off with his fellow expeditioners on the boats, called Bagheera and the Snow Dragon II, within the next few days.

Trying to be the first to reach that same destination in a sailboat is "bittersweet," Hadow told Business Insider.

"I am torn between the challenge of going further north than anyone has in a sailboat before and genuinely hoping that it is not yet possible," he said. "It's a very strange situation — I'm conflicted."

"The whole method of travel would have to change"

Of the 850 hours Hadow spent on his solo journey, he estimates that between 30 and 50 of them were spent in the water.

"That is when I really started to see that the relatively continuous frozen surface previous explorers had reported and experienced was changing, the whole method of travel would have to change," he said.

On that 2003 mission, Hadow brought an immersion suit that would allow him to swim across Arctic waters and an inflatable boat to hold his gear sledge. In September of that year, the month when sea ice hits its minimum, there was an average of more than 6 million square kilometers of ice. Last year, the September average was 4.72 million square kilometers.

ARCTIC MISSION

For this upcoming trip, called Arctic Mission, Hadow's team will leave from their current location in Nome, Alaska. Each boat has two skippers trained in navigating sea ice. The crew also includes a marine scientist, doctor, journalist, photographer, and filmmaker.

They expect to travel between three-and-a-half to four thousand miles over about six weeks. The first half of the voyage will be relatively ice-free, then they'll hit the sea ice insulating the Central Arctic Ocean. Because of the time of year, the sun will shine for 24 hours a day, though the group expects to hit sleet and snow as they get farther north.

The team plans to coordinate with a group that's monitoring satellite footage to plot a route through the ice. When they hit what appears to be solid packs, the boat crews will have to try to determine whether they've encountered an ice floe or simply slush, which can look the same from above.

Hadow and his crew have been preparing and monitoring conditions in the region for two years and expect a particularly low volume of ice this year, making this a good time to try the voyage. The sea ice maximum this winter was a record low. The record low for the ice minimum was set in September 2012, and though this year's level may not hit that mark, it's tracking close so far.

"We just want to show people by taking a small sailing boat through there just how much there has been a physical state change from a solid surface to a liquid," Hadow said.

IMG_10738 2 ARCTIC MISSION

"It's open season"

Most people's knowledge of arctic wildlife doesn't extend past the polar bears that trudge across the ice hunting for seals. But Hadow and crew are hoping to document the extraordinary creatures that exist beneath the water.

That includes narwhals — mammals that weigh hundreds of pounds and have unicorn-like tusks that can protrude 9 feet from their heads — and Greenland sharks that drift blind thousands of feet below the surface. Some of those creatures may have been alive for 500 years.

There are also tiny organisms that have adapted to solid ice cover over thousands of years, like bacteria and viruses, as well as creatures like phytoplankton.

Hadow and his crew want to give the world a closer look at all of these creatures in order to spur international action to protect them.

Many arctic creatures are highly vulnerable, and are slow to develop, mature, and breed because of the freezing dark winters in the Arctic. Countries that border the Arctic have been trying to extend territorial claims in the region so they can fish its waters, extract resources, and take advantage of newly opened shipping lanes.

IMG_6345 2 ARCTIC MISSIONIf the waters around the North Pole are open enough to be traversed by yachts, then "it's open season for commercial exploitation" as well, Hadow said. 

Commercial fishing, for example, could quickly cause wildlife populations to collapse, since so many species grow so slowly. Even noise from commercial shipping vessels could be devastating, since many creatures in the Arctic rely on sound to navigate.

"If someone goes in and starts extracting protein to feed populations, in a short time they could make such an impact that [the region] just wouldn't recover for thousands of years," Hadow said.

Being covered in ice has essentially made the North Pole area a natural wildlife preserve for thousands of years — an environment that couldn't be exploited. Without legal protection, however, the region could start changing even faster as more boats attempt to travel through the area.

"We want to raise awareness of a situation that is upon us now and it's about to get worse," Hadow said. "Whether we reach the Pole itself is ultimately immaterial."

SEE ALSO: Photos show what it's like to trek nearly 500 miles to the North Pole

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Titanic II' is back on track to sail in 2018

40 photos that show how Tom Brady evolved into an NFL and fashion icon

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Tom Brady is now a five-time Super Bowl champion, securing his spot as arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.

But that is just one thing that is going well for Brady. He is also the husband of the world's highest-paid supermodel, Gisele Bündchen, and he is the third-highest-paid NFL player of all time.

Brady turns 40 on Thursday and in addition to being an NFL icon, Brady has become somewhat of a fashion icon off the field. However, Brady's fashion sense had humble beginnings.

Below we take a look at how his style has evolved over the years.

Brady's fashion decisions certainly had humble beginnings.

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Brady's high school yearbook photo reveals a nice, clean look, especially with his hair which will take on many forms over the years.

 



Before he was in the NFL, there was a time when Brady's suits weren't always tailored.

 



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You shouldn't wear the same pair of shoes every day — here's why

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Allen Edmonds men's dress shoes

Give your shoes a rest.

Don't just slip on the same trusty pair of dress shoes day after day.

Why? Because if you let them rest they'll stay alive so much longer.

Here, take it from an expert:

"The best way to extend the life of your shoes is to rotate your shoes and use quality shoe trees after each wear," Allen Edmonds' Jim Kass told Business Insider.

As you wear your shoes, the leather soaks up the perspiration your feet give off. That sounds pretty gross, but it's totally normal — as long as you give the shoe ample time to dry.

"If you wear the same pair everyday, your shoes don't have ample time to dry and they won't maintain their shape," Kass told us.

If you don't give your shoes a day to air out, the sweat-soaked leather will warp, and your shoes will start to lose their shape — not to mention get musty and start to stink. The damper leather is also more prone to damage like scratches.

So, it behooves you to purchase at least one other pair and switch off between the two. Your original pair will last much longer, and you'll have another pair to mix and match with new outfits. It's a win-win.

Plus, variety is the spice of life. Who wants to wear the same pair of shoes every single day?

If you'd like to be extra cautious with your prized shoe collection, invest in some shoe trees. Put them in after you take your shoes off for the day, and they'll not only soak up your foot's sweat quicker, but keep your shoes in perfect shape.

SEE ALSO: The 10 worst style mistakes a man can make, according to women — and how to avoid them

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You've been tying your shoes all wrong — here's the best way to do it


A simple, inexpensive piece of tech is upending the burgeoning marijuana industry

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Behold: The small, cheap device that's disrupting the $7 billion legal cannabis business.

Cannabis vape cartridge

This tiny combination of plastic, glass, and metal is a disposable cannabis oil cartridge. It costs anywhere from $30 to $70 (depending on the oil inside), is easily carried in your pocket, and produces little-to-no smell when consumed. You simply screw it into an inexpensive, rechargeable pen and inhale. That's it.

It's this tiny device that's quickly taking over cannabis consumption in America's largest cannabis market: California. Nearly a quarter of sales from 2016, tracked by marijuana delivery service Eaze, were for cartridges:

Eaze data on cannabis vaping

Similar growth rates are showing up outside of California as well.

States like Colorado, Washington, and Oregon — where cannabis is legal — are showing massive percentage growth for "concentrates" (cannabis oil), according to BDS Analytics.

Cannabis oil growth chart

Notably, this seems to be a growth trend connected to convenience. 

As "flower" (traditional marijuana buds) is messy, complicated, and requires preparation to be smoked, it's no surprise that easier forms of marijuana product are growing so quickly.

marijuana

Though cannabis oil ("concentrates") are making huge gains, the same can be said for pre-rolled and edibles. Edibles are simply eaten, and can be "dosed" out so you don't overdo it; pre-rolled joints are as simple as lighting a cigarette — no rolling skills required. Cannabis oil marries the convenience of both.

On top of those conveniences, oil cartridges are inexpensive and travel easily. Best of all, using a cannabis oil vape produces none of the characteristic smells or clouds of smoke associated with traditional cannabis consumption.

Cannabis Oil use

All that growth has led to tens of millions of dollars in sales thus far, with an even brighter future expected as the market expands — despite huge wins for recreational cannabis sales in November 2016, regulation and implementation doesn't kick in until January 2018 in many states. As commercial sales begin and more of the public tries these easy-to-use, disposable cartridges, expect even more explosive growth.

SEE ALSO: The future of cannabis is vaping — here's how it works

DON'T MISS: 4 states just voted to make marijuana completely legal — here's what we know

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We went inside the grow facility that makes Colorado's number one marijuana strain

Here's why this American highway staple is the most underrated restaurant chain in the nation

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Waffle House 3

Everyone knows Waffle House.

Driving along the interstate in the southern United States, the simple block letters emblazoned on iconic yellow signs tower over the landscape, beckoning to all travelers. However, the shabby and unassuming exteriors do little to instill confidence in the culinary abilities therein. 

Waffle House is often known as the late-night haunt of those who are not of sober minds — the last resort of drunken revelers and bleary-eyed workers searching for a bite before the sun rises. 

It's easy to write off Waffle House. However, on a recent trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, we decided to give it a shot — not drunk, not high, just hungry. 

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like to eat at the Southern fried chicken chain whose diehard fans say is better than KFC and Popeyes

ALSO READ: We visited the regional chain that Southerners say is better than In-N-Out and Shake Shack — here's the verdict

Waffle House was founded in 1955 by Tom Forkner and Joe Rogers in Atlanta, Georgia. Today, the chain has over 1,800 locations in 25 states. As with most Waffle Houses, the outside appearance wasn't much to look at — but we were more interested in what's inside.



Inside, Waffle House has a classic diner feel. Subway tiles, vinyl booths, and the ubiquitous jukebox lend a comforting timelessness. The chain avoids jumping on the latest dining trends — no raw wood or industrial lighting fixtures here.



The walls are dotted with greasy-spoon-style diner decor, with signs hawking the chain's titular menu item.



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These ultra-luxurious underwater homes are being built in Dubai

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floating seahorse

In the clear-blue waters off the coast of Dubai lies a chain of islands known as The Heart of Europe. They're manmade reconstructions of actual European nations, just on a smaller scale — part of an even larger chain of islands known as "The World."

Richard Branson, fittingly, owns the island representing Great Britain.

The Heart of Europe rolled out its first $2.8 million floating home, the aptly named "Floating Seahorse," in early 2016. Since then, development firm Kleindienst has been rolling out even larger homes that will cost roughly $3.3 million.

Keep scrolling to see the gorgeous renderings.

SEE ALSO: 17 stunning photos that show how Dubai has become the 'Manhattan of the Middle East'

The $2.8 million Floating Seahorse is the product of more than 5,000 hours of research and 13,000 hours of design and engineering, according to design firm Kleindienst Group.

The first models went on sale in 2015, before any Seahorses were even completed. Kleindienst told Business Insider it sold approximately 60 Seahorses in 2015.



The underwater portion, composed of a master bedroom and bathroom, will make up approximately 270 square feet on the interior. Just outside the walls is a 500-square-foot coral garden.

From the home, residents will be able to see actual seahorses dance through the Arabian Gulf — the animal's natural habitat.



The floating homes will have a massive floating bed as well as an observation deck above water.

If you want to take a swim, a convenient step-ladder offers a safe entry and exit. Or you could just dive right in.



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Richard Branson tells the story behind his famous kitesurfing photos

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Virgin Group founder Richard Branson recently broke yet another Guinness World Record by upping the ante after an iconic photo of the mogul kitesurfing with a nude woman went viral.

Branson successfully kitesurfed with three women riding along with him, and Guinness World Records officially acknowledged the achievement as the "world record for most people riding a kitesurf board."

He told us the backstory behind the record-setting feat.

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A craft-beer maker has plans for 'world domination'

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If BrewDog has its way, its sudsy offerings will be unavoidable around the globe.

The Scottish craft brewer is planning for "world domination" as it looks to expand into France, Australia, and Asia, according to analysts at Bernstein. That involves tripling or even quadrupling sales in France and identifying China as its top target for untapped growth.

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It's been a quick rise to the heavyweight ranks for BrewDog, which began operations in 2007. The company's revenue expanded at a 44% compound annual growth rate through 2015, helping it become Scotland's largest independent brewery as it expanded to Sweden, Japan, and the US.

BrewDog's swift success caught the eye of the US private-equity firm TSG Consumer Partners, which purchased 22% of the company for $265 million in April, valuing it at more than $1.2 billion. That investment included $124 million to specifically fund BrewDog's global expansion.

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Beer enthusiasts in the US will be pleased to know that BrewDog is building a second brewery in Canal Winchester, Ohio, which will add another 400,000 hectoliters of annual capacity.

While BrewDog is enjoying a robust growth story, the larger craft-beer industry has felt some pressure of late. It's facing stiff competition from both the macrobrewers that have entered the craft market via acquisition as well as from local microbreweries and brewpubs.

Craft-beer industry growth has also been slowing, according to the Brewers Association’s chief economist, Bart Watson.

So while BrewDog hasn't yet been tripped up by the increasingly crowded and competitive industry, it faces its biggest test yet as it scales itself to an unprecedented level.

SEE ALSO: Trump and Yellen could derail the stock market's hottest trade

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