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The 14 best American cars on the market

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Buick Regal Premium I (turbo) There are many ways to view the Consumer Reports Ratings to find the highest-rated vehicle in a given category or price range.

But we get many questions from journalists and our readers regarding the best current American-branded vehicles.

To answer that popular query, we sorted vehicles into 14 key categories.

We found that Ford Motor Company has five slots. General Motors captures five entries, Chrysler has three, and Tesla has one.

Reviewing the scores, we find that most of these American models are quite competitive, scoring well in most cases. Unfortunately, some models are not recommended due to below average or unknown reliability.

Check our Ratings (available to online subscribers) to see which ones are top scoring and reliable.

SEE ALSO: The 10 most comfortable cars on the market

Compact car: Ford Focus SE SFE sedan

Overall test score: 76

Read the full review of the Ford Focus SE SFE sedan > 



Midsized car: Chevrolet Malibu 2LTZ

Overall test score: 85

Read the full review of the Chevrolet Malibu 2LTZ > 

 



Large car: Chevrolet Impala 2LTZ

Overall test score: 91

Read the full review of the Chevrolet Impala 2LTZ > 



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12 unbelievable ways people eat ice cream around the world

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Morelli's Ice Cream, Georgia

There is more to ice cream than just chocolate and vanilla.

People around the world prepare the beloved frozen treat with sesame seeds, noodles, and even cheese. 

If you're lucky enough to be taking an international vacation this summer, The Travel Channel has some recommendations for must-try ice creams.

If traveling the globe isn't in the cards, Instagram makes it easy to find out what the frozen treat looks like from Japan to Germany.

As for taste, you'll just have to use your imagination. 

Read on to see 12 ways ice cream is served around the world. 

SEE ALSO: 20 unusual ways hot dogs are served around the world

Sweet rice paste is wrapped around ice cream to make Japanese mochi.

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In Germany, a bowl of ice cream looks more like a bowl of spaghetti.

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These Australian "Freakshakes" are extremely popular subjects on Instagram because of their massive size and amazing ingredients.

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The world's first 3D-printed office building — and its furniture — will only take a few weeks to build

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Dubai OfficeDubai’s newest office building will not be a traditional construction project.

The United Arab Emirates has partnered with WinSun Global — a joint venture between Chinese 3-D printing tech company WinSun and architecture and engineering firms Gensler, Thornton Tomasetti, and Syska Hennessy — to 3-D print the structure.

The office will stand in front of the ring-shaped Museum of the Future, now under construction, and will serve as temporary headquarters for its staff.

Made with a combination of reinforced concrete, glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum, and fiber-reinforced plastic, the office building’s parts will be printed in thin layers by a 20-foot-tall industrial printer and then assembled on-site.

The entire structure, including the furniture, will be printed, making it one of the most intricate and advanced 3-D–printed buildings to date. It will take only a few weeks to construct, and is set to open in October.

cn_image_3.size.worlds first 3d printed office dubai 02

The Museum of the Future will be dedicated to all things cutting-edge, 3-D printing included. Sheikh Mohammed confirmed his country’s commitment to new technologies: “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. Here in the UAE, we think differently. While others try to predict the future, we create it.”

More from Architectural Digest: 

Read the original article on Architectural Digest. Copyright 2015. Follow Architectural Digest on Twitter.

SEE ALSO: 33 ridiculously cool buildings of the future

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Here's how men and women respond to email differently

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woman on computer

The next time you're waiting too long for someone's email reply, a new study says you might want to consider their gender.

 

After scanning 16 billion emails by 2 million users, Yahoo Labs and the University of Southern California's Information Sciences department found that men take longer to respond than women.

Aside from the median response time difference between men and women — men take 28 minutes while women take 24 minutes — emails sent by women had a median length of 30 words and those sent by men had a median length of 28 words.

 

The study also analyzed email response time and length among young people and found that teens responded the fastest, within 13 minutes. Meanwhile, young adults take 16 minutes and older adults take up to 47 minutes to respond to an email.

Dovetailing off that, the study also found that older folks send longer replies with a median of 40 words, young adults use 31 words, and teens barely say anything at all, with a median of 17 words.

But all age groups responded faster to emails on Monday through Friday during work hours, and replies across the board were shorter when the email was sent later in the day or on the weekend. 

SEE ALSO: Science has figured out the simple reason why Indian food tastes so good

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We conducted an investigation to see how accurate Chipotle's calorie counts really are

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Chipotle portions

Chipotle posts its nutritional data online, so it seems fairly safe to assume that you can guess how many calories are in your burrito bowl.

But someone on Reddit who claimed to work at Chipotle said the actual servings contained far more calories than people realized.

"One serving of rice is supposed to be 4 oz, which should fit perfectly into those clear containers used for getting something on the side," the alleged worker wrote. "If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

We were curious to find out whether this was true, so we went to a nearby Chipotle to see what the deal was for a typical burrito bowl with black beans, white rice, sour cream, cheese, chicken, corn salsa, and regular salsa.

If you use Chipotle's nutritional calculator, the burrito bowl should have 800 calories. If the portion sizes are accurate, then the calorie counts will be too.

We first acquired a food scale to weigh the containers.

Chipotle portions

Chipotle portions

Then we checked the rice.

Chipotle portions

It's true — you get more rice than you may have anticipated.

Chipotle says a serving size of rice should be 4 ounces. But even after subtracting the weight of the bowl (.038 ounces) from this, our serving was still bigger than what Chipotle describes.

The rice weighed roughly 6.59 ounces, suggesting a serving of white rice could easily be well above the advertised 185 calories.

Here's how much rice you should really be getting.

Chipotle portions

Yes, just a small cup.

For comparison, here's the cup of rice plus the extra rice Chipotle gave us.

Chipotle portions

Beans, on the other hand, were stingy.

According to Chipotle's nutritional data, a serving of beans should be 4 ounces.

Chipotle portions

But even with the carton, our serving was just 3.2 ounces. 

Chicken was also paltry. 

A serving of chicken is also supposed to be 4 ounces. We checked to see how much chicken we got.

Chipotle portionsWithout the carton, that's about 2.9 ounces.

So while we got a generous serving of white rice, protein was more sparse. 

As for sides, Chipotle stays pretty on the nose to what it says its serving sizes are.

We asked for these condiments on the side, which probably helped our server stay close to the serving-size guidelines.

The cheese, sour cream, and corn salsa didn't fill up the containers completely, which seemed suspicious at first.

Chipotle portions

Chipotle's nutrition data says a serving of salsa should be 3 1/2 ounces. Here's what we got:

Chipotle portionsSubtract .08 for the cup, and you get 4 ounces, which is slightly over what Chipotle says it serves.

A serving of corn salsa is also supposed to be 3 1/2 ounces.

Chipotle portions

Subtract the .008 for the cup, and you get 2.9 ounces. Pretty close, Chipotle!

A serving of sour cream is supposed to be 2 ounces.

Chipotle portions

After subtracting the cup, this comes out to roughly 2.3 ounces — just slightly over what Chipotle says it serves.

Cheese is supposed to be just one ounce.

Chipotle portionsAfter subtracting the cup, this comes out to around 1.02 ounces. 

In general, Chipotle's portion sizes were fairly true to our real-life experience. 

The general rule for eyeballing portion sizes seemed apparent: If you're watching your waistline, everything should be able to fit in the little plastic cups.

But if you're not counting calories, we've highlighted an outline on how to get bigger portions at Chipotle.

That said, it may be wise to ask for "light rice" next time if you're counting your carbs.

SEE ALSO: How to get bigger portions at Chipotle

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34 vintage photos of Disneyland that will make you want to be a kid again

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fantasyland, disneyland, 1955

The "Happiest Place on Earth" turns 60 on July 17.

In 1955, Walt Disney and President Richard Nixon led the opening ceremonies in Anaheim, California. The park held just 18 attractions, and Sleeping Beauty's Castle wasn't even open to the public yet.

Today, the park hosts more than 16 million visitors annually.

To celebrate its diamond anniversary, we're taking a look back at how Disneyland came to be.

 

SEE ALSO: 14 hacks that will make your visit to Disney World way better

Walt Disney, pictured in 1950, wanted to build a family-friendly theme park across from his studios in Burbank, California, but local officials turned it down for fear that the carnival atmosphere would bring crime to the area.

Source: USA Today



Disney settled for 160 acres of orange groves in beautiful Anaheim, California. Construction began in 1954, just 12 months before the park's official opening.

Source: USA Today



The park cost $17.5 million to build. In order to finance the project, Disney partnered with ABC to produce a weekly one-hour program, titled "Disneyland." It featured classic characters and fairy tales, documentary shorts on science and technology, and progress reports on the park's construction.

Source: The Walt Disney Family Museum



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Most travelers have never heard of this gorgeous US island in the Caribbean

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We're constantly expanding our coverage of hotels all over the world—and sometimes that means sending our expert hotel investigators to destinations we only just realized existed.

For example, Oyster investigator Mary just discovered Water Island, a beautiful little Caribbean locale just off the coast of St. Thomas. And fortunately, when she's not busy shooting hotels, Mary chronicles her trips on her blog, A Wandering Reader. Explore this hidden gem through her lens.

Water IslandA gorgeous, remote island just off of St. Thomas, Water Island is known for its rugged beauty and spectacular views. With a population of barely 200, the island has no hotels, taxis, gas stations, shops, or a main town.

There are only a handful of restaurants, so it’s a good idea to buy groceries in St. Thomas before coming over. Most visitors get around by renting a golf cart and driving it around the island. 

Water Island houseAt almost 500 acres, Water Island is the smallest island in the main USVI chain, which also comprises St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The island is accessible by a short, eight-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas’s Crown Bay Marina, a five-minute drive from the airport.

The ferry is six bucks if you have a suitcase, and folks are plenty happy to help you into and out of the ferry. You can easily do a day trip from St. Thomas, but if you have the opportunity to spend a few days here, do it. 

The Vibe

Water Island was special and unique because of the lovely folks I met (both locals and travelers) who had a deep appreciation for the island, its remote nature, and natural beauty.

The island is laid-back and friendly—everyone knows each other and routinely participates in community events such as potlucks, movie nights, and cookouts on the beach. Water Island is also very safe; most folks don’t lock their doors.

Where to Stay 

Water Island campgroundI visited the island to review the Virgin Islands Campground, which I loved. It’s more “glamping” than actual camping—there are bungalows, a large shared kitchen, and even an apartment if you want to be fancy (I stayed in the apartment). There are also vacation homes and eco-cabins around the island that are available for rent.

What to Do

Water Island Honeymoon BeachAlthough it’s a small island, there is still plenty to do! As one person told me, you can do everything or nothing at all – it lacks the pressure you might feel at a larger destination or resort. The island has all the outdoor water sports you’d find in any tropical area including great snorkeling, diving, sailing, and kayaking. 

The main attraction of Water Island, Honeymoon Beach is set in a gorgeous cove with plenty of shade, two beach bars/grills, and views of sailboats. On the east side of the island, Limestone Bay is a rugged and secluded beach where you can dive and snorkel.

Built as part of the US’s defense strategy during World War II, Fort Segarra is an uncompleted underground fort. You can still explore the tunnels and the area offers beautiful island views.

Water Island Fort SegarraAlso, ruins from plantations from the post-colonization era are considered of great historical value to Water Island. Note that both Fort Segarra and the plantation ruins aren’t organized, operating museums, rather, visitors are welcome to explore these sites on their own.

More from Oyster.com: 

SEE ALSO: The 10 best islands in the world, according to travelers

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We stopped by all of Ernest Hemingway's favorite bars in Havana, and they haven't changed a bit

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Business Insider recently sent three reporters to Havana, Cuba to experience the city as tourists. One of the city's most famous American residents was legendary author Ernest Hemingway, who lived there off and on for almost twenty years. Hemingway's house, known as Finca Vigía, is located about 15 miles outside of Havana and is currently preserved as a museum that is open to the public.

Many Havana bars claim to have been destinations for Hemingway during his Cuban hey-day. We visited three establishments where the author imbibed his favorite cocktails.

We'll have lots of stories about our adventures on the island, which you'll be able to find here.

Produced by Graham Flanagan. Additional camera by Amanda Macias and Tyler Greenfield.

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5 brothers from Connecticut came up with a brilliant fix for the grossest part of beer pong

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Slip Cup

Chase Treibt and his four brothers are changing beer pong for the better. 

After his friend swallowed a hair that had been wrapped around a ping-pong ball, Chase and his bros invented Slip Cup, a product that cleans up beer pong and widens its appeal beyond college frat parties. 

A Slip Cup is a mini-cup with a thin rim that catches the ping-pong ball and keeps it from contaminating your brewskie. They're made from recycled plastic and they fit into both 16- and 18-ounce disposable cups. 

Flaps inside the cup prevent it from popping out — and since Slip Cups are center-weighted, you can say goodbye to spilled beer. 

The brothers, who hail from Brookfield, Connecticut, launched the product on Kickstarter, where they've already exceeded their fundraising goal. We got on the phone with Chase to learn more about Slip Cup and why beer pong isn't just a college game. 

Slip Cup

BUSINESS INSIDER: Were you surprised that you surpassed your $70,000 Kickstarter goal in just 10 days?

CHASE TREIBT: Oh it's amazing. I have to be honest, it's really cool because we didn't think it was going to be this big this quickly. We thought we had a good idea, but everyone seems to just really like it — even adults, and that's why we've been able to get so much press and so many people to share it. 

BI: So who exactly is the target demographic?

CT: It’s definitely college students, but we believe it’s like video games. Our parents played video games ... and they’re not going to stop playing video games. Our generation grew up on drinking games and we’re not going to stop playing drinking games.

Slip Cup

BI: What's the story behind the name Slip Cup?

CT: [My brothers] Chad and Trevor said it at the exact same time. I know they’re twins and that’s weird, but I swear to God they said it at the exact same time, Slip Cup. We think it’s catchy! Slip Cup is like Solo cup, flip cup, Slip Cup.

BI: Where can we expect to find these bad boys?

CT: When we did our market research, I was pretty surprised to find Walmart is the by far the number one place kids said they would expect to see this product. I’m hoping Walmart, Exxon, 7-Eleven, but I dream big.

Slip Cup

BI: What's been your biggest success so far?

CT: Oh it has to be the viralness. We made a lot of money pretty quickly with Kickstarter, which was cool, but it’s just, like, how everyone shares ... and more people seem to like it than not.

When we did the market research it was something like 91% liked the product and the other 9% said they didn’t drink. It’s just cool to create a product that other people like and say they need.

 BI: We know Slip Cup keeps your beer clean, but are there any other unique features?

CT: The cool thing about the product is the games. It’s the games that are really going to take this product to the next level. You add strategy, you add memory, you add all types of different stuff to the original game, and it just makes it a lot more fun.

Slip Cup

BI: Where do you see this product in five years?

CT: I dream big, so I really believe it’s going to be on store shelves everywhere. You’re going to go to your friend’s party and you’re going to say, 'Let’s get solo cups, Slip Cups, ping pong balls and beer.' We made everyone’s favorite game better by making it clean, but now we’ve added 15 new games that you’re not going to get bored of.

BI: Any future goals?

CT: For long term goals, I’m working on getting a bar code now and we’re going to start contacting retailers because kids don’t buy stuff online. They’re on their way to a party and someone texts them and says, 'Hey, we need cups for beer pong. Can you grab them at a gas station?' That’s how I played when I was growing up, and that’s how I see this product — it has to be cheap and it has to be available all the time, otherwise it’s not going to be a success.

Slip Cup

BI: OK, now tell us the truth, who is the best beer pong player out of you and your brothers?

CT: Oh it’s definitely me. I am good, I’m not kidding.

Watch the Treibt brothers' Kickstart video to learn more. 

SEE ALSO: The top 10 beers chosen by beer enthusiasts across the country

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9 incredible natural landmarks that were inadvertently made by man

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Derweze – the Door to Hell

Some of the most fascinating natural landscapes around the world are actually the result of human activity.

Mining has led to the accidental creation of stunning geysers in destinations like Nevada and Madagascar and the building of dams has led to lakes in unexpected places like the Egyptian desert and in the remote corners of the United Arab Emirates.

From the Door to Hell, whose continuous burning is actually the result of Soviet geologists who accidentally drilled and tried to burn off fuels in the hole, to Providence Canyon, which was formed through poor farming practices in the 1800s, here are 9 natural landmarks that are actually man-made.

SEE ALSO: 20 gorgeous natural wonders around the world

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Nevada’s Fly Geyser, located in Washoe County, was created through accidental well drilling in 1916. In the 1960s, the water began escaping from the drilled location, creating the geyser which is known for its stunning changing colors.

Source: Daily Mail



The Door to Hell, located in Derweze, Turkmenistan in the Karakul Desert, is a giant hole of fire that was created when geologists drilled the site in 1971, accidentally tapping into a cavern teeming with natural gas. They burned off the hole, hoping that the fire would use all of the fuel that leaked and inevitably burn out, but it has continued burning to this day.

Source: Daily Mail



Lake Zahker, located in a remote corner of the United Arab Emirates near the border with Oman, was the result of waste water that was released onto the land before pushing up groundwater levels to eventually result in the creation of a lake.

Source: CNN



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The one strategy couples should use to survive tough times in a relationship

A Tibetan monk is communicating with the world through his stunning Instagram feed

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Tibetan Monks

The life of a Buddhist monk is filled with study, meditation, and... Instagram?

That's the case for @gdax, or Gedun Wangchuk. He's a Buddhist monk living and Instagramming in Tibet, Huffington Post reports.

His account, first spotted by the blog Redbubble, depicts the beauty and peace of his daily life. Instagram itself appears to be the only outlet that's been able to get in contact with the hard-to-track-down Wangchuk. They interviewed him for their blog.

Wangchuk's account features shots of the Tibetan countryside, wildlife, his fellow monks, and places of worship. He even posts the occasional video.

Here are some of his most spectacular Instagrams. Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the most charming accounts on Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Meet the Instagram celebrity who wrestles sharks with his bare hands

Wangchuk's Instagram documents both the religious and administrative responsibilities of a monk.

 



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“Mankind shares and lives on planet Earth as one family with each continent having its own different nationalities, religions, faith, customs, unique culture and languages,” Wangchuk told the Instagram blog.

 



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"But aside from such differences, we all have the same common desire for happiness," he continued. “That’s why Instagram, as a window to this global family, is a joy." 



The spiritual leader of Tibet is the Dalai Lama.

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Source.



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What it's like to fly on EVA's Hello Kitty airplane

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EVA Air's Hello Kitty plane, a Boeing 777-300ER, is the brainchild of K.W. Chang, the airline's chairman.

Chang, who started his career as an airport check-in agent, captained the jet during its inaugural flight into Houston on June 19, 2015. He's a happy-go-lucky guy who insists that flying should be fun, so he partnered with Japan's Sanrio company to outfit a few of EVA's planes with the cheery Hello Kitty characters from cockpit to tail.

EVA's first Hello Kitty jet launched in 2005, shuttling between Taipei and Tokyo.

Six more followed, departing from Asian cities as well as Paris and Los Angeles (the Los Angeles route is no longer offered). This newest plane, called the "Shining Star," makes nonstop jaunts from Houston to Taipei, and then continues to Singapore.

Here's an exclusive look inside the plane, which I had the opportunity to tour first-hand when it arrived in Houston on its inaugural flight.

The Experience

Hello Kitty airplane two flight attendantsBuy a ticket for an EVA Hello Kitty flight and you'll see the theme extend from check-in to baggage claim. Nearly every in-flight service item has at least one Sanrio character on it, starting with your boarding pass and baggage tag. Hello Kitty is on the safety cards, the barf bags, and the toilet paper in the lavatory.

There are Hello Kitty headrest covers, pillows, tissues, cups, and soap. And, yes, there's Hello Kitty food. Flight attendants wear Hello Kitty aprons, and Hello Kitty art hangs on the cabin walls. At Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport, there's an explosively pink Hello Kitty check-in zone.

The Service

Hello Kitty airplane ticket boothsThe "Shining Star" makes its Houston-Taipei flights three times a week; an economy-class round-trip ticket hovers around $2,000. The outbound flight (Houston-Taipei) is the airline's longest, at nearly 16 hours, though the 333-seat aircraft provides passengers with Wi-Fi and full entertainment systems.

EVA, a privately owned airline that's a member of the Star Alliance (read: your miles will transfer), claims that it connects to more Asian cities than any other airline. So even if Taiwan isn't your final destination, you can still take this Hello Kitty flight to get wherever you're going.

The airline, which wins awards for its safety record, runs both passenger and freight flights, and is owned by the same company that runs the shipping giant Evergreen.

The Food

Hello Kitty airplane foodThis is no ordinary airplane food. Each ingredient gets the Sanrio treatment with cut-out stars, Hello Kitty-shaped butter pats, and edible imprints of Little Twin Stars.

Not much ends up on your tray that doesn't have a cutesy character on it, from the utensils to the place mat to the napkins to the garnishes. The bento-style presentation rivals anything you'd find on the most whimsical of the "cute food" Pinterest boards.

The Merchandise

Hello Kitty airplane merchandiseSkyMall catalogs are known for their quirkiness, but you haven't seen quirky until you've browsed the selection of merchandise manufactured solely for EVA's Hello Kitty passengers.

Your boarding pass gives you access not only to the plane, but also to buy Hello Kitty playing cards, Hello Kitty three-dimensional airplane puzzles, Hello Kitty neck pillows, and a baffling array of other travel-themed Sanrio collectors' items.

At the launch event for the Houston flight, a Sanrio spokesperson said, "Hello Kitty, as we all know, is everyone's friend around the world." She sure is: Sanrio does $6.5 billion in retail sales per year, thanks, in part, to savvy customer targeting efforts like this one.

Tip: To save 20 percent on EVA's Hello Kitty merchandise, order online before boarding and then collect your loot on the plane.

Click here for the full list >

More from SmarterTravel: 

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India's millionaire population is growing like crazy — and so is its luxury market

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India

Russia and China are having their day, but we may now be entering "India's decade," according to a new report by wealth intelligence agency Wealth-X. 

Following India's election of a new reformist government, there are three main factors propelling its rapidly growing luxury market. 

1. Its millionaire population is growing like crazy. 

The number of millionaires in the country has risen from 196,000 to 250,000, an increase of 27%, in the past year. Wealth-X predicts 437,000 India-based millionaires by 2018, and double that amount by 2023.

The key indicators for India's future economic growth are its new reformist government, well-defined legal system, and entrepreneurial spirit, according to Wealth-X. 

The report also notes that luxury consumption and economic inequality is more acceptable in India than in China or Brazil, on account of the country's long-standing but now-defunct caste system.

2. High-end retail space will double and luxury imports are already on the rise. 

Recent years have seen an increase in luxury consumption in India. Notably, Champagne imports have risen by 6%, while general imports into the country have remained relatively flat.

Retail space for luxury brands is set to double in the next three to four years, according to a a report by CBRE Group, the world's largest commercial real estate firm. Developments in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru will add an expected 16 million square feet of commercial space, with luxury retailers taking an estimated one to two million square feet.

3. Luxury car sales are predicted to triple. 

Luxury automakers are also projected to pounce on India's burgeoning upper middle class. Car sales are set to triple from 33,000 a year to over 100,000 by 2020, according to a report by credit agency ICRA.

The report says it finds "a strong correlation between incremental affluent households and luxury car sales," and as India generates more affluent households, luxury cars sales will also climb. 

SEE ALSO: You wouldn't know Macau is tanking from the looks of its glitzy new $3 billion casino

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The world's most expensive paintings, mapped

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but paintings by big-name artists always lead the pack when it comes to record-breaking art sales. Case in point: Pablo Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)" recently became the most expensive painting ever to sell at auction, with a whopping $179.4 million purchase price.

For a global glimpse of the world's priciest paintings, Howmuch.net created these artful maps.  

 

 North America

north america

Andy Warhol is the artist behind North America's highest-priced painting. The Pittsburgh-born visionary who fathered the Pop Art movement painted a piece entitled "Silver Car Crash," which was last sold for $105.4 million. 

Behind Warhol, Canadian artist Lawren Stewart Harris' "The Old Tree Stump, Lake Superior" is valued at $3.3 million; Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo's "Trovador" is worth $7.2 million; and Cuban artist Wilfredo Lam's "ídolo (Oya/Divinité de l’air et de la mort)" was last sold for $4.5 million. 

Europe 

europe

Europe has bragging rights for the world's most expensive painting ever sold at auction, Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)." Second to Picasso, Renaissance artist Francis Bacon's "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" sold for a then-world record $142.4 million in 2013. The rest of Europe's top five priciest paintings belong to Norwegian artist Edward Munch's haunting "The Scream," Austrian artist Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II," and Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh's "Portrait du Dr. Gachet."

Other notable works include France’s Claude Monet's "Le Bassin aux Nymphéas," Peter Paul Rubens' "Massacre of the Innocents" and Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani’s "Nu assis sur un divan (La belle romaine)."  

Asia

 rusia asia

Although technically not in Asia, Russian artist Kasimir Severinovich Malevich’s "Suprematist Composition" is valued at $60 million. Chinese painter Zhanf Daqian painted "Lotus and Mandarin Ducks," now worth about $24.5 million. "Deer Hunt," by Indonesian painter Raden Saleh, is worth about $7.5 million today.

Australia

 australia

The painting titled "Armchair" by Australian artist Brett Whiteley sold for $3.9 million in 2013, a record for an Australian piece of art. 

South America south america

Chilean artist Roberto Matta painted the most expensive piece of South American art with "La Révolte des Contraires," now worth $5 million; Colombian artist Fernando Botero's "The Musicians" is worth roughly $2.6 million; and Brazil's Lygia Clark painted a $2.2 million piece of art called "Contra Relevo (Objeto N. 7)." Elsewhere in South America, Uruguay's Joaquín Torres García’s "Constructif Mysterieux," is valued at $1.7 million.

Africa

africa

In 2011, South African painter Irma Stern's "Arab Priest" sold at auction for nearly $5 million, making it the most valuable known piece of African art. In Egypt, painter Mahmoud Said's "The Whirling Dervishes" sold at auction in 2010 for more than $2.5 million.

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This 'sinkhole of the 21st century' will be our biggest challenge when everyone lives for 100 years

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Elderly woman

Scientific breakthroughs have allowed humans to live longer than ever, and it's not impossible to imagine a point at which most people live to be over 100.

There are lots of things to like about a world where everyone lives a century or longer: having the opportunity to meet great-great-grandparents, keeping people around to remind us of the silly mistakes that we keep repeating throughout human history, giving people a chance to try out new careers and relationships late in life.

But when people live longer, they also tend to get more age-related diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. As gerontologist Ken Dychtwald explains in this XPRIZE video on the future of growing old, the latter problem needs to be solved quickly — or we'll all suffer.

He says: "The rate for people with Alzheimer's and related dementia over the age of 85 is one in two. And so, as more and more of us live very long lives, unless we have a breakthrough to eliminate Alzheimer's disease, it will be the sinkhole of the 21st century.

 That's just one of the quandaries we'll face, according to Dychtwald. Among his other questions: How can we create a better and more efficient medical system for the elderly? And how will they find purpose in those decades of extra life?

"How do [the elderly]...essentially give birth to the next version of themselves? Which is going to be necessary if we're going to live these very long lives, because one dream for life doesn't go the distance," says Dychtwald. "You'll need to continually reboot yourself and reimagine yourself along the way."

There's one thing that he doesn't mention about a scenario where everyone lives extraordinarily long lives: the added population pressure at a time when the world is already overpopulated. That could one day prove to be a bigger problem even than Alzheimer's. 

SEE ALSO: This futuristic presidential candidate is about to drive a giant coffin across America for one unusual reason

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We asked an exercise scientist which supplements actually work

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Woman working out

Many people swear by the practice of supplementing their workouts with certain products.

There are all sorts of supplements out there, but people don't know which ones make a difference and which ones are unnecessary or even harmful.

We wanted to get down to the science of it and find out what actually works to improve your performance during exercise. So we we spoke recently with Shawn Arent, an exercise scientist at Rutgers University, we asked him to fill us in.

Here's what he told us:

"I think there's some really good ones. I think creatine benefits a lot of people, it's actually also been shown to improve cognitive effects. Fish oils, I think are fantastic. I think there's really strong research evidence for the effects on fish oils on health as well as performance."*

"Caffeine - big fan of caffeine. Especially if you're looking for that little extra something with your workouts, we know it reduces fatigue and stuff like that. And then protein. Protein's a strong one because honestly more people could stand to have more protein in their diet, especially from lean protein sources. But we also know it helps with adaptation. So a protein and carb supplement, or even just a protein supplement after you work out — there's nothing wrong with that."

"But I think one of the things I see that can be a bad trend ... people will get on the treadmill, they'll do that half hour, they'll burn 250 calories, and then they'll go downstairs to the shake bar and get a 500 calorie shake. You didn't work that hard, you don't need 500 calories. So I think calorie awareness is an important thing."

"I'm a fan of supplements if they're used right ... And they're supplements for a reason. First and foremost it's about your diet. Supplements are a supplement to your diet. They're something you add in, that gives you added benefit. That's a good thing from a brain health standpoint, from a heart health standpoint, and from a muscular strength standpoint. There's real positives that go with that. And those are some of the things we should think about as part of a well-rounded fitness program."

*[Ed. note: some recent research has questioned the benefits of fish oils].

SEE ALSO: We asked an exercise scientist what the best basic exercise routine is to see results

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