The movie industry had another banner year as it took in over $11.1 billion in global ticket sales, surpassing last year's record figure. Some reasons for that included Marvel, a guy in red tights, and animated movies.

Disney was the biggest contributor to the record-breaking year, taking in over $7 billion at the worldwide box office thanks to titles like "Captain America: Civil War,""Finding Dory," and "Zootopia," which all earned over $1 billion in worldwide earnings.

Five of the top 10 worldwide box-office earners of 2016 are Disney titles (domestically it gets six out of the top 10).  

Outside of the house that Walt built, 20th Century Fox's "Deadpool" was the biggest shock, taking in huge coin. And though they had lousy reviews, Warner Bros.' DC Comics movies "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" still took in impressive figures. 

Below are the 10 biggest worldwide box-office earners of 2016, and why "Rogue One" will climb up this list daily through the new year.

Note: All figures are from Box Office Mojo. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box office bombs of 2016

10. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"— $675 million worldwide (estimate)*

*"Rogue One" is still a new release in theaters and will climb higher even by the end of the year.

US domestic: $400 million (by end of weekend)

With over $635 million worldwide at the time of this writing, we had to pull out the crystal ball for this one, since the latest "Star Wars" movie is rising up the box-office charts on a daily basis.

Though "Doctor Strange" is currently in 10th place with a $656.4 million worldwide take, "Rogue One" will surpass that within the next day.

As with "The Force Awakens" last year, Disney has masterfully made the last few weeks of the year its time to dominate the movie business with a "Star Wars" release. It should be just under first place at the domestic box office by the time the new year hits.  

9. "Suicide Squad"— $745.6 million

Domestic: $363 million

Despite bad reviews, this DC title from Warner Bros. continued to plug away at the box office. After having the biggest opening weekend of all time for an August release and then sales dropping almost 67.5% in its second weekend domestically, the movie found its groove. And it certainly helped that it took in over $400 million internationally. 

8. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"— $746.1 million

Domestic: $217.3 million *Still in theaters

Though the "Harry Potter" spin-off movie isn't making the enormous figures that Warner Bros. saw with the "Potter" franchise, it still came in as the studio's third-highest earner of the year domestically. 

2016 was a year of change for the retail industry.

Lingerie trends went from heavily-padded to barely-there, leading to explosive growth for some new brands and forcing industry mainstays to reinvent themselves. In sportswear, rivals are nipping at the heels of industry leader Nike.

And, with the rise of social media, digital marketing and celebrity endorsements are offering retailers new ways to connect with customers.

Amid the change, some companies managed to track the trends and stay ahead of the competition. Here are seven brands that you should keep an eye on in the new year. 

SEE ALSO: 9 retailers that bombed in 2016

American Eagle

This fall, American Eagle was chosen as the No. 1 preferred brand among upper-income teen women in Piper Jaffray's survey of American teens. 

"Given their body positivity and inclusion messages while continuing to invest in its core competencies of fabric and style, American Eagle's hard work and focus is clearly paying off in finding more customers than before," Piper Jaffray analyst Neely Tamminga wrote in the report. 

One driving force behind American Eagle's success is the retailer's lingerie line, Aerie. The brand has made headlines for ditching Photoshop in order to showcase more realistic images of women's bodies in marketing — a move that has paid off with explosive sales.

Victoria's Secret

With Aerie on the rise, Victoria's Secret was forced to make some major changes to better combat competition in 2016. 

After seeing Aerie's success in selling bralettes instead of heavily-padded push-up bras, Victoria's Secret added an assortment of new styles and sports bras to its stores.

Now, the brand is going on the offensive, offering steep markdowns on bras in November — the first time in recent company history that the brand has done so outside of its semi-annual sale. 

Lululemon

Leggings are still hot — and Lululemon is thriving because of it.

Piper Jaffray's semiannual report on teen spending found that leggings/Lululemon were still the No. 1 fashion trend among teens. 

The company reported in December that net revenues rose 13% to $544.4 million in the most recent quarter, beating analysts' predictions. 

At $1.3 trillion, student-loan debt in the US exceeds car loans and even credit-card debt. But education is an investment for the future, or so the mantra goes. Students routinely pay hefty costs to come away with the diplomas they desire.

With that in mind, Business Insider rounded up some of the most costly degree programs around the world.

The programs span some of the expected categories, like medical degrees and MBAs, to less likely bachelor of arts programs and music degrees.

The prices listed below reference only tuition costs without room and board and other expenses.

Below are seven of the most expensive programs in the world:

SEE ALSO: The top 15 American cities for young college grads

Wharton School — $192,900 Executive MBA

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has a two-year executive-education program that runs students $192,900.

Known as one of the top business programs in the world, Wharton grads have an average base salary of $127,280 upon graduating.

Sarah Lawrence College — $204,784 Bachelor of Arts

Sarah Lawrence, based in Westchester County, New York, costs students $204,784 for four years. 

The liberal-arts school has a unique and individualized approach to learning where there are no required courses and examinations mostly don't exist.

Harvey Mudd College — $209,532 Bachelor of Science

Harvey Mudd appears to be one of the most expensive undergraduate program in the US. The Claremont, California-based program runs students $209,532 for four years.

It focuses on science, mathematics, and engineering, and graduates earn an early-career average salary of $78,200 and $133,000 mid-career.

HSBC has released a ranking of the best countries for career-driven expats, based on its latest expat explorer report.

The bank had YouGov survey nearly 27,000 expats from 190 countries and territories for the report, asking them about how easy it was for them to live, work, and raise a family where they were.

HSBC has tallied the results based on careers, looking at things like career progression, work-life balance, employment benefits, and other factors. (Pay is also factored in, but is not the deciding factor.)

Check it out which countries made the top 10:

10. Bahrain

Average expat salary: $98,622.

65% of expats receive an annual allowance for trips home in Bahrain as part of their job, according to HSBC. Across the Middle East, 91% of expats report some kind of benefit as part of their contract, compared to a global average of 67%.

9. United Kingdom

Average expat salary: $83,227.

It's the UK's first time in the top 10 for expats (although note that the survey was done prior to the Brexit vote — things may have changed since them.) HSBC says: "Expats in Britain [are] among the most likely in the world to pick up new skills compared to their home country (64%) and progress their career (62%)."

8. Hong Kong

Average expat salary: $169,756.

Hong Kong is a great place for expats looks to further their career but not for those looking for a better quality of life, according to HSBC. 68% of respondents said this was a good place to further their career but 50% said their work-life balance had worsened since moving to Hong Kong.

Right now, if you want an alternative-fuel vehicle, you have to pick from offerings that either require gasoline or an electrical outlet. The gas-electric hybrid and the battery-powered car — your Toyota Priuses, Chevy Volts, and Teslas — are staples in this space. There are drawbacks for drivers of both types.

You still have to buy gas for your hybrid and you have to plug in your Tesla — sometimes under less than favorable conditions — lest you be stranded someplace far away from a suitable plug. Beyond that, automakers have been out to find the next viable energy source. Plug-in vehicles are more or less proven to be the answer, but Toyota and a handful of other carmakers are investigating hydrogen.

That's where the Toyota Mirai comes in. It's an ambitious project for Toyota because the fueling infrastructure for this car is minimal. There are only 33 public hydrogen-filling stations in the US, according to the US Department of Energy. Twenty-six of those stations are in California, and there's one each in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.

If you include public and private hydrogen stations, then the total climbs to 58 — nationwide. Compare that to the more than 15,100 public electric-charging stations and the 168,000 retail gas stations in the US, and you can see the obvious drawback of hydrogen-powered cars. Despite this, the Mirai is an interesting project, if for no other reason than the fact that it's different.

We spent three days with the Mirai in San Francisco. Here's how it went:

SEE ALSO: The other Model 3: BMW's plug-in 3 Series is the hybrid you didn't know about

We took delivery of a nautical blue metallic Mirai at a local gas station that also had a hydrogen pump on site.

Here's a walk-around of the car. The deep blue really pops under the afternoon sun.

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The Mirai looks just like a traditional sedan. It doesn't scream "I'm different!" like the latest Prius.

At MIT Technology Review we try to keep you informed as new technologies and products emerge. But just as important as the new things that are born are the old things that die. And in 2016, we saw several high-profile tech ideas die in Silicon Valley. 

SEE ALSO: 33 startups to watch in 2017, according to VC investors

Vine

Launched in January 2013, Vine’s popularity grew with each new looping  six-second clip it gave the world, like the one of a very angry woman at an Apple Store, the one that originated the term “on fleek,” and “Ketchup Mount Rushmore,” just to name just a few.

Twitter’s app  also created many stars, some of whom were able to parlay their popularity and Vine-making prowess into real fortune by fashioning clips for marketers. But alas, the service peaked in 2014, and competitors like Instagram Snapchat drew away many of Vine’s users—including many of its stars.

By 2016, more than half of those who had been in the top 1 percent of users in 2013 had stopped posting.

In October, Twitter finally said it was turning off the lights. This month, it said it will replace Vine with a new app that will let users continue to make six-second loops and post them directly to Twitter.

Google Fiber

Some are still scratching their heads over why Google ever got into the fiber-optic business, investing heavily in Fiber, its high-speed Internet and cable television service. And it turns out that perhaps Google itself never knew the reason for investing billions in it (according to a recent estimate, it costs at least $1 billion to add a new market). 

In October, the CEO of Access, the Alphabet division in charge of its gigabit broadband initiative, announced that the company would not expand beyond the nine cities in which it is already up and running and four where construction has already begun.

The firm will now likely focus on using newer, less expensive wireless technologies to deliver high-speed Internet.

But maybe it hasn’t been all for naught. As James Surowiecki argued in MIT Technology Review last June, Google’s broadband offerings have pushed private companies to improve their services by “forcing competition when regulators won’t.”

Without Google, the quality of broadband options today might not be as high, he wrote. In that sense, Google provided a public good “whose spillover benefits are likely to be immense, and one that neither the government nor the private sector was doing much to deliver.”

Pebble

The rise and fall of Pebble coincided with the rise and fall of our interest in smart watches.

The Kickstarter darling’s first watch shattered records in 2013 by raising $10 million, gave crowdfunding a much-needed success story, and helped inspire a resurgence in wrist-worn computers, which we called one of the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of that year.

But back then MIT Technology Review’s Rachel Metz also warned that if smart watches didn’t become more versatile, they risked becoming “just another irritating gadget.”

How true. Though Pebble released a few more watches, interest in smart watches waned, and Apple’s entry made it very tough to compete. This month, after being acquired by Fitbit, Pebble announced it would no longer exist and had stopped making or selling watches.

In a “Dear Pebblers” letter, it did offer refunds for any dedicated backers still waiting for their newest watches.

After 40 years, the former stadium of the Detroit Lions will be torn down this spring, according to The Detroit News.

The massive building cost $55.7 million to build when it was first constructed back in 1975. It hosted Super Bowl XVI in 1982, a Michael Jackson Victory Tour concert in 1984, and the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

But by 2002, the Detroit Lions had moved into Ford Field in downtown Detroit and the Silverdome was abandoned.

Since then, it's been used only sporadically and suffered major damage after a 2013 winter storm destroyed its inflatable roof.

Photographer Johnny Joo gained access to the Silverdome back in 2014 and 2015. He toured the stadium with friends and shared his amazing pictures of the now-defunct building with Tech Insider.

The Silverdome will be demolished this spring 2016 after sitting virtually abandoned since 2002.

Source: Detroit Free Press

In its heyday, it could seat more than 80,300 people.

Source: Detroit Free Press

The building was home to the Detroit Lions from 1975 until 2002 and to the Detroit Pistons from 1978 until 1988.

Source: Detroit Free Press

In 2016, the enterprise technology market had a wild ride: From explosive IPOs to mega-mergers to surprise acquisitions, it was rarely boring.

Here's what we think we'll see in 2017 — the continued rise of Amazon, a new day in the White House, and more.

Amazon will keep on winning...

Amazon Web Services, the retail giant's $12 billion cloud computing business, is already the most profitable unit in the company.

And yet, pretty much everyone agrees that AWS has yet to peak, continuing to win over large and small companies alike.

...but Google and Microsoft will continue to be strong rivals as they jockey for position.

In 2016, Microsoft and Google — widely seen as the second- and third-place contenders in the cloud wars with Amazon, respectively — made big hires and masterminded partnerships and acquisitions to bolster out their sales pitch to enterprises.

Amazon may be the undisputed leader in the space, but Microsoft and Google aren't taking it lying down. Watch this space: The cloud computing market is still growing, and so vicious competition will be the order of the day.

Salesforce will hit $10 billion in revenue.

Salesforce, one of the first (and still the biggest) cloud software companies for the enterprise, is on track to hit $10 billion in revenue in 2017.

It's a big milestone for the company, but it also proves that the world is really moving towards cloud computing in general. Salesforce is leading the pack, but it proves a lot for smaller companies, too, even as titans like Microsoft and Oracle rev up their competitive strategies.

Over the last several years, we've seen a rise in private companies valued at over a billion dollars — the so-called "unicorns."

But when too many startups became unicorns, a new class of startups emerged: "decacorns," or companies valued at over $10 billion. 

These are the Ubers and Airbnbs of the world, the startups that steadfastly remain private companies as they seek more millions in funding at higher and higher valuations. 

Below are the US startups valued at more than $10 billion. 

SEE ALSO: The 17 tech companies that lobby the government the most

8. Dropbox

Valuation: $10 billion

CEO Drew Houston

Dropbox reached its $10 billion valuation in 2014 after a $617 million funding round. Since then, the company has shifted its focus to business customers, launching Dropbox Enterprise last year. 

The company began to cut back on lavish spending an employee perks in 2016, something that was costing the company $25,000 per year per employee. While Dropbox doesn't disclose its financials, it's reported to have generated more than $500 million in revenue last year. CEO Drew Houston said in June that the company is free cash flow positive now, which is a milestone for a fast-growth tech company.

Various reports have pegged a Dropbox IPO as taking place sometime in 2017, but as of August, no final decisions had been made. 

7. Pinterest

Valuation: $10.47 billion

CEO Ben Silbermann

In May 2015, Pinterest raised a $533 million Series G from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, First Mark, and Goldman Sachs, bumping the New York-based company's valuation up to $10.47 billion. 

The virtual discovery and pinning platform has more than 100 million monthly active users, over half of whom are international. The company has expanded its focus in recent months to overseas markets like the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, and has doubled down on growing advertising on its platform. In August, Pinterest acquired online bookmarking service Instapaper. 

Rumors have been swirling throughout 2016 that Pinterest is on the brink of going public, and in October, the company named its first chief financial officer, a signal that Pinterest could be inching closer to an IPO. 

6. SpaceX

Valuation:$12 billion

CEO Elon Musk

After raising a $1 billion funding round from Fidelity and Google in January 2015, Elon Musk's SpaceX reached a $12 billion valuation. 

Less than a year later, SpaceX made history when it launched its Falcon 9 rocket into space, dropped off a satellite, then landed back on the ground safely. The success of the launch and landing proved it was possible to reuse expensive rockets, rather than letting them fall into the ocean. 

But 2016 has been a more challenging year for the company. In September, a SpaceX rocket exploded during a launch-pad test, destroying a satellite Facebook intended to lease. SpaceX has since delayed the debut of another, more powerful rocket system — the Falcon Heavy — and delayed launches crewed by NASA astronauts until 2018.

I activated my Amazon Echo for the first time last December. It's quickly become one of my favorite tech gadgets ever.

Amazon's family of Echo speakers were some of the hottest gifts this holiday season — the smaller $50 Echo Dot has been the top-selling item on Amazon.com since November 1— so right now, many people are activating their Echo units for the first time.

Here's what you need to know: These speakers, which can respond to either "Alexa" or "Amazon," are extremely quick to respond and understand your commands way better than any other device I've used.

Thanks to its excellent audio system, with seven microphones for listening and a 360º omni-directional audio grille for speaking, Amazon Echo works exceedingly well wherever I am in my home. I can hear it — and it can hear me — almost perfectly.

Amazon Echo has completely transformed the way I live in my apartment. There's just so much you can do with Echo. Take a look.

SEE ALSO: Apple's 2016 report card: Grading all the new hardware Apple released this year

"Alexa, what time is it?"

Honestly, the best use cases for Amazon Echo are the simplest ones. With the Echo, I don't need to bother searching for my phone just to get the time — you can ask for the time from anywhere in your house and get the answer immediately. It's a small thing, but it totally makes a difference when you're rushing in the morning.

"Alexa, how's the weather outside today?"

Again, it's a simple task, but it's way quicker and better than pulling out your phone and opening your favorite weather app. Amazon Echo will not only tell you the current temperature, but also the expected high and low temperatures throughout the day, and other conditions such as clouds and rain.

"Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes."

Amazon Echo is the perfect cooking or baking companion because it's totally hands-free. When the timer's up, a radar-like ping will sound until you say "Alexa, stop."

The Xbox One is an incredible gaming console with the capability to do all sorts of cool things, but unless you have your finger on the pulse of the latest Xbox news, you might be missing out on a few of its best features.

Here are nine especially great features of the Xbox One that you may not know about.

Tim Mulkerin contributed to an earlier version of this story.

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

Play your saved games on any Xbox One.

Any time you save your progress in a game on the Xbox One, a copy of that save file is automatically saved in cloud storage, too.

This means that if you visit a friend's house or buy a new console, all of your latest saves will be instantly accessible as soon as you sign in to your profile!

See how much data your console is using.

If you're in one of the unfortunate areas of the country currently experiencing caps on home data usage, you're probably trying to keep a closer eye on how much data your gaming habit is eating up.

In order to check your Xbox One's data usage, go to Settings —> Network —> Bandwidth Usage.

Continue your Xbox 360 games on your new Xbox One.

By now, you probably know that there are over 200 Xbox 360 games that are playable on your Xbox One, but did you know that you can start playing a game on your Xbox One right where you left off on your 360?

In order to make your Xbox 360 saves accessible on your Xbox One, you have to enable cloud saving on your Xbox 360. To do so, go to Settings —> System —> Storage —> Cloud Saved Games, and select "Enable."

Next, start the game on your Xbox 360. When you save your progress, select "Cloud Saved Games" as the desired save location. Once the upload is complete, this save file will be accessible when you start the game on your Xbox One!

Also, keep in mind that in order to enable cloud saving on your Xbox 360, you must be an Xbox Live Gold member!

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.    

New year. New you. 

After a holiday season where many of us overindulge, most of us do the same thing: make resolutions.

Whether you want to lose some weight, save some money, or learn something new, tech can help.

How much you get accomplished will ultimately depend on your own self discipline, but nobody improved without a little help.

DON'T MISS: I’ve written about a lot of great tech, but these are the gadgets I use every day

SEE ALSO: I've written about a bunch of great smart-home tech, but these are the gadgets I use every day — here's why

If you want to work out more

January is the month where everyone has fitness on the brain. If you'd like to get more active, buying a fitness tracker can be very helpful.  

FitBit's Charge 2 tracks how many steps you've taken, calories you've burned, how well (and long) you've slept, and your heart rate.

This data can then be synced to your smartphone or computer, so you can keep track of your progress. 

FitBit Charge 2, $149.99, available at Amazon

If you want to read more

Most people (myself included!) wish they read more. 

An ideal time to read is during a commute, but that's not always possible. Audible makes it easier, though. It has the largest selection of audiobooks on the internet, with titles from any era or genre. 

I've subscribed on and off for almost five years, and I've always found something new to check out. A gold subscription grants you one "credit" a month, that can be redeemed on any book.

The best part is, if you end up with a backlog of books, you can cancel your subscription, and keep the books.

Audible Gold Subscription, $14.95 a month, available at Amazon

If you want to learn how to code

If you'd prefer to work on your mind, instead of your body, why not learn how to code?

In our computer-driven world, having a better understanding of how they work can be a huge leg up. 

Udemy, the online course marketplace is having a sale on all of their courses. Learn how to code from a high quality instructor, who will walk you through Python (a popular programming language), step by step.

If you see another course you'd like to try, apply the same discount code below for the same discount.

Infinite Skills The Ultimate Python Programming Tutorial, $15 (originally $50), available at Udemy.[70% off with the promo code "BESTOFU"]

As every prospective homebuyer knows, there's a lot that goes into buying a new home beyond just its listing price. You have to ask yourself: Does this city have a strong education system? Is the neighborhood safe? How much will my property taxes be? Will my home become more valuable in the future when it's time to sell?

To help out those who are house hunting, GOBankingRates.com determined the best city to buy a home in every state, taking into account various factors, including school districts, property tax bills, home prices and incomes.

Whether you're looking to start a family or make money off investment property in the near future, check out our picks of the best places to live.

Methodology: In order to source list, GOBankingRates identified the three cities in each state with the best-ranked school districts, according to Niche. Then, GOBankingRates used the following factors to determine the best city in each state: 1) median property tax bill, sourced from the Tax Foundation; 2) median home listing price, sourced from Zillow; 3) median household income, 2010-2014 (in 2014 dollars) sourced from U.S. Census Bureau. Based on those three factors, the study selected the best city out of three cities for each state. States left out due to insufficient data include: Alaska, Montana and Hawaii.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive housing market in every state

DON'T MISS: 10 of the best American cities to live comfortably on $40,000 a year

Alabama: Madison

Median property tax bill: $763
Median home listing price: $228,775
Median household income: $92,965

Madison is located in the Huntsville Metro Area, which has been experiencing economic prosperity due to its growing research, technology and manufacturing industries, according to Sperling's Best Places. In fact, Alabama as a whole is the best state for your money in 2017, according to another GOBankingRates study.

The median home value in Madison is $196,500, which is about $74,000 higher than the median home value in Alabama. According to Zillow, home values are expected to continue increasing in the Madison area.

Arizona: Tucson

Median property tax bill: $1,701
Median home listing price: $179,000
Median household income: $37,149

The housing bubble hit Arizona particularly hard, but some housing markets have rebounded. Home prices in Tucson are affordable, especially compared to prices in Phoenix ($250,000) and Scottsdale ($564,000). Take note, however, that incomes in Tucson are low. But, if you can find a higher-paying job in this city, your paycheck will likely stretch further.

Arkansas: Jonesboro

Median property tax bill: $698
Median home listing price: $172,500
Median household income: $40,583

Jonesboro has a low median home listing price on top of relatively low property taxes. Memphis, Tenn., is actually located close to Jonesboro and boasts cheaper homes. However, homebuyers — especially families looking to settle in and start a new life — might be turned off by Memphis’ high crime rates.

In April, Bombardier Aerospace announced a mega order with Delta Air Lines for 75 of the company's C Series airliners in a deal worth up to $5.6 billion. Shortly after the deal's announcement, Bombardier flew one of its C Series demonstrators down to Delta's Atlanta headquarters for journalists and the airline's staff to get a closer look.

Although Bombardier has been a global leader in business and regional jets, the C Series is the first product from the Canadian airplane to compete against Boeing and Airbus in the mainline market. The decision to enter the market with the C Series was a major financial gamble for Bombardier, with a program price tag of $5.5 billion. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the aircraft has been beset by a series of development delays and slow sales.

In 2015, the airplane maker was forced to write down $4.4 billion and take a $1 billion bailout from the Quebec government. Even as it struggled to close a sale, Bombardier was credited with building an aircraft that's one of the most capable on the market today — besting rivals Boeing and Airbus in terms of efficiency and ability.

With the Delta order, Bombardier has not only found a US launch customer for the C Series, but it has the blockbuster deal it needed to validate the attractiveness of aircraft to other prospective buyers. The Bombardier C Series entered service in July with Swiss Global Airlines.

Here's a closer look at the airliner:

SEE ALSO: Here's how to avoid the middle seat on a plane

Bombardier offers two version of the C Series: a 130-seat CS300 and a smaller 108-seat CS100.

Delta opted for the smaller CS100, but expect the airline to switch some of its order to the larger jet down the road.

According to Bombardier, the C Series' greatest selling points are its efficiency and cabin comfort.

Whether it's nuclear warfare or a zombie apocalypse that triggers the end of the world, Vivos Group wants you to be prepared. The California-based company builds and maintains massive fortified shelters where high-net-worth families can buy space and live out Armageddon.

Its new development, Vivos xPoint, is billed as the largest private shelter community on Earth. The bunker community houses up to 5,000 people and can withstand a 500,000-pound blast.

Take a look inside this modern-day Noah's Ark.

SEE ALSO: A tech exec just bought the penthouse in San Francisco's sinking skyscraper for $13 million

"This is the place you will want to be when the SHTF," or s--t hits the fan, according to a release from Vivos Group. No one calls xPoint home just yet.

The property contains 575 bunkers made of hardened concrete and steel.

Located in South Dakota, the structures were originally built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1942 as a military fortress that stored explosives and munitions.

The bunkers were built to withstand a 500,000-pound blast from explosives within.

When it comes to your daily hygiene routine — from your flossing habits to your nightly shower — you might think you've got everything down pat.

But we're here to shake things up.

Heeding advice from medical associations and professionals, we compiled the optimal ways to keep yourself clean, healthy. and looking sharp.

SEE ALSO: Why you should never use alcohol to help you fall asleep, according to science

DON'T MISS: Which body part hurts the most when stung by a bee? A scientist put himself through a torturous experiment to find out

1. How often should I wash my hair?

The short answer? Nobody needs to wash their hair everyday. Beyond that, it depends on your skin type: if you have normal or dry skin, once or twice a week should do the trick.

2. How often should I brush my teeth?

The American Dental Association recommends you brush twice a day for two minutes, although they don’t specify what time of day these brushing should happen. So long as you do a good brushing before bed, you should be set. While you sleep, your mouth salivates less, which can lead to cavities.

3. When's the best time to put on antiperspirant or deodorant?

The ideal time is right before you go to sleep. That way, if you’re using an antiperspirant, it has time to close your armpit’s sweat ducts before they have a chance to get sweating in the morning. Most last at least 24 hours, so no worries about not making it to the end of the workday.

2016 saw a dry spell for tech IPOs, but investors are already counting on 2017 to turn the tides.

Already, startups like AppDynamics and Snapchat have filed to go public in the new year. And our sources tell us there are many more in the pipeline. 

Here's a look at which tech startups are IPO candidates to watch in 2017.

SEE ALSO: The 27 best startups that launched this year

AppDynamics

IPO chances: Already filed

OK, this one is a bit of a gimme.

AppDynamics filed on Dec. 28 to go public in the new year. It made a name for itself in a field called "application performance monitoring." It watches extremely large and complicated software apps to give companies feedback on how those apps are behaving. They use AppDynamics to fix problems and to gain insight into what their customers are doing with their apps. The company is seeking to raise $100 million in the deal, and it’s looking to trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol APPD. 

Snap Inc.

IPO chances: Very likely

Snap Inc.'s IPO is already drawing comparisons to Facebook's. Going public is likely, as the company has already chosen Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs as its bankers. In November, Snapchat's parent company also confidentially filed its paperwork. Look for an IPO as early as March for the company.

HotelTonight

IPO chances: Likely

HotelTonight reversed its course in 2016, laying off 20% of its staff after burning millions a month. Now, the company is profitable and its CEO has set his sights on another goal: going public. In an interview with Bloomberg, HotelTonight's CEO Sam Shank said that he wants to take the company public, possibly by late 2017. Sources familiar with the company told Business Insider that they also expect it to go public in the next year. 

The sharp decline in Chinese stock markets on Monday is a reminder of two things. The first is the continued fragility of the Chinese market. The second is that any economic dysfunction has political implications, both in Chinese domestic and foreign policy. This, in turn, will affect Chinese economic performance. It is essential, therefore, to understand Chinese national strategy.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been portrayed as an increasingly aggressive country prepared to challenge the United States. At the same time, aside from relatively minor forays into the South and East China Seas, China has avoided significant involvement in the troubles roiling in the rest of Eurasia. There is a gap between what is generally expected of China and what China actually does. To understand what China’s actual national strategy is, it is helpful to follow the logic inherent in the following five maps. 

Ethnolinguistic groups

Let’s begin by defining what we mean by China. First, there is the China we see on maps. But there is also the China inhabited by the Han Chinese, the main Chinese ethnic group. Maps of the Chinese state and the ethnic group would look very different.

Han China is surrounded within China by regions populated by what are essentially other nations. The four most significant are Tibet in the southwest, Xinjiang in the northwest, Inner Mongolia in the north, and Manchuria in the northeast. The first three are recognized by Beijing as autonomous regions while Manchuria is a larger region made up of three northeastern provinces. Obviously, there are Mongolians who live in Han China and Han Chinese who live in Inner Mongolia. No region is homogeneous, but these four regions, with the limited exception of Manchuria, are not dominated by ethnic Han Chinese. About half the territory of what we consider China actually consists of Han Chinese people.

These four regions are a buffer around China, providing strategic depth to repel invaders. All four, at one time or another, resisted Chinese domination, as Tibet and Xinjiang still do today. Xinjiang is predominantly Muslim, and an insurgency and terrorist movement is particularly active there. Tibet is less active but no less opposed to Chinese domination. Inner Mongolia and Manchuria are generally content at the moment. The mood in these regions varies, but China must always be concerned to maintain control.

15-inch Isoyet and China population density

Not incidentally, a very similar geography emerges when we look at rainfall patterns. Roughly 15 inches of annual rainfall is needed to maintain an agricultural economy. This line, called the 15-inch Isohyet, is shown in the next map along with areas of population density in the People’s Republic of China.

The area east of the 15-inch Isohyet is Han China plus parts of Manchuria. The area to the west and north are the buffers along with some Han Chinese regions that are lightly populated. So one of the reasons Han China can dominate the buffer states is its relative population advantage. But this also means that the population of China, totaling 1.4 billion people, is crowded into a much smaller area than an ordinary map would show and much farther from most neighbors of the PRC. But for now, the rainfall line roughly defines the limits of what we think of as the Chinese.

Income by province

The next map adds to this picture. It is a map of annual per capita income by province. It shows an underlying division in China east of the 15-inch Isohyet. First, the economic difference between Han China and the rest of the PRC is striking. Per capita income in the western buffers is between 30 and 50 percent lower than the median income in the rest of China. And the area in China that is above the median—some more than 100 percent above the median—is a thin strip of provinces along the coast. The interior of Han China is not as bad off as the western buffers, but is still well below conditions along the coast. Economically, only the coast is above the median. Every other area is below it. And this defines a division in Han China itself.

However, per capita income is not a measure of economic well-being since it doesn’t tell us anything about the distribution of wealth. A better measure is household income. According to World Bank data, over 650 million Chinese citizens live in households earning less than $4 a day. Just under half of those live in households earning less than $3.10 a day—or about $1,000 a year.

This alone doesn't capture the true reality. Obviously, the overwhelming majority of these people live outside the coastal region since the coastal region is much wealthier. Put another way, most Chinese wealth is concentrated 200 miles from the coast. The next 500–1,000 miles west is a land of Han Chinese living in Third World poverty. The China that most Westerners think about is the thin strip along the coast. The fact is that China is an overwhelmingly poor country with a thin veneer of prosperity.

We can already see some strategic realities emerging, but before we turn to that, we need to consider the next map—a terrain map of the areas surrounding China.

If you're in your hometown's top 1% of earners, there's no doubt that you're doing well for yourself.

But not all one-percenters are created equal.

The Economic Policy Institute calculated how much money puts a household in the top 1% of income earners in every metropolitan area in the US. For the US overall, the income threshold required to be in the 1% of earners is $389,436 pre-tax, but for populous places like San Francisco and Houston, that number rises to $785,946 and $606,286, respectively.

Below, we've highlighted the annual household income required to be in the top 1% for the 15 largest cities in the US, as determined by the Census Bureau. (But keep in mind that the income thresholds listed apply to the entire metropolitan areas.) We've also included median household income — in 2015 dollars — for comparison purposes.

How do you stack up?

SEE ALSO: The 25 most expensive housing markets in the US

DON'T MISS: Here's how much you need to earn to be in the top 1% of every US state

Columbus, Ohio

Population: 850,106

Income required to be in the top 1%: $379,250

Median household income: $45,659

Indianapolis

Population: 853,173

Income required to be in the top 1%: $405,486

Median household income: $41,987

San Francisco

Population: 864,816

Income required to be in the top 1%: $785,946

Median household income: $81,294

If you pay close attention to Business Insider's Strategy vertical, you'll notice we frequently share productivity tips from an expert we've just interviewed, a book we've just read, or new research we've just scoured.

And we admit it can be a little daunting to keep up with all the advice out there.

So since you're here to learn how to make better use of your time, we thought we'd save you some and round up the best productivity tricks.

To do this, we asked some of the experts we trust to share how they get it all done.

Here's their favorite productivity advice:

SEE ALSO: 18 bad habits you should break in 2017 to be more productive

DON'T MISS: 11 TED talks that can help you become insanely productive

Associate something you love with something you want to accomplish.

"Pick a ritual that you love — for me this ritual is the morning coffee — and connect it to a productivity-related activity. In my case, it has to do with writing.

"So I connect something I love, which is the coffee ritual, to something else that I love in principle, but not every moment of it, which is writing. It's an almost conditioned response, where I start working and I'm enjoying the coffee and the writing at the same time."

— Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke and author of "Payoff"

Be more compassionate.

"My top productivity tip? Compassion. Wait, what? Aren't productivity tips typically about shifting mindset, single tasking, deep focus, working in pulses, and a host of other useful tools? Yes. And all those tools can help us be fantastically productive, effective, and even more creative.

"But what compassion recognizes is that we're human. We're going to have stupid days, when nothing seems to go right. We just will. There will be times when we're going to be distracted, unmotivated, scattered, when some crisis at work or in life kept us up all night, or when we're feeling just plain overwhelmed.

"But rather than beat ourselves up, sink into paralyzing negativity, or ruminate endlessly on what went wrong or how we failed, compassion enables us to forgive ourselves, to learn what we can, to see that it's all about practicing, to let go of perfection, and — lightly and with grace — move forward and try again."

— Brigid Schulte, author of "Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time" and director of the Good Life Initiative/Better Life Lab at New America

Make accomplishing your task a necessity.

"A key to maximizing productivity is to forget about what you already know — or think you know — about motivation. We typically assume that there's a direct correlation between how much we want to achieve a given outcome and how likely we are to actually achieve it.

"However, there's a much more constructive way to think about motivation — that's to think of it as something you must custom manufacture for each and every goal you wish to achieve. By custom manufacture, I mean to deliberately and creatively put yourself in situations that make you urgently feel like it's necessary.

"Here's my favorite example: After failing time and time again to stick with his good intention to exercise daily, Joe custom manufactured a situation that changed everything. He simply agreed to, from now on, own only one stick of underarm deodorant and keep that one stick of deodorant in his locker at the gym. So the only way he could spare himself from the mortifying embarrassment of stinking all day was to go to the gym. Once he was there, he would feel too foolish about just using his deodorant and leaving, so he would stay and exercise. Joe essentially tricked himself into doing what he intended to do, and eventually exercising daily became a self-sustaining habit."

— Steve Levinson, clinical psychologist and author of "The Power to Get Things Done"