Traveling to Cuba isn't like traveling to other countries.

While every country is unique, Cuba has an idiosyncratic culture influenced by decades of US embargo (known locally as El Bloqueo) and rule by the Communist Party.

Tourists have been visiting the country for years, but it is only recently that Americans have joined the fray thanks to the reopening of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba in 2014. 

With Trump threatening to undo the Obama-initiated re-opening of Cuba, I visited the island last year.

By the end of my 10-day stay, I found that a few tips that I picked up both before leaving and while in the country were the difference between an excellent vacation and a travel disaster. 

1. Be prepared to wait for everything

If there's one thing that Cuban culture might best be known for — aside from salsa music and cigars — it's long lines.

There are lines for everything: A line for a customs, a line for the bank, a line to buy internet, a line to use the bathroom, a line for the bus. Most things that you want or need to do in Cuba require waiting, particularly if it involves the government.

Cubans are so used to waiting in lines that they've even devised a clever system to make it more bearable.

When you arrive at the bank or bakery or wherever else you need to wait, first ask, "Who's last in line?" (best to ask in Spanish: quien es el último?) Whoever is last will instantly tell you. You go behind them, call out el último and now you are the last in line.

When a new person arrives and becomes el último, you are now free to wander. So long as you are back before it's your turn in line, everyone will let you take your place. Don't try to cut — everyone knows exactly where they are in the queue.

And rather than get frustrated by the inevitability of long wait times, plan for it. 

If you don't, you might end up like I did one afternoon in Viñales, a small town in western Cuba.

Though I had been warned about Cuba's interminable lines — and experienced a few already — I arrived a little too close to closing time at the state-owned telecom company ETSECA, where you purchase scratch-off internet cards.

The line at the office was so long — and the time so close to closing at 4 p.m. — that I was informed by an office attendant that the person in front of me would be the last to be served. No internet for me that day.

2. Bring cash, lots of it, preferably in euros

Unless you want to end up begging on the streets of Havana, bring cash on your vacation. And lots of it. 

Credit cards and debit cards issued by American banks are not accepted anywhere on the island. Let me repeat that: American credit and debit cards are not accepted anywhere.

If you're coming from Europe or elsewhere, there's a good chance that the ATMs at the airport and major tourist destinations will accept your card, but it's best to doublecheck with your bank before traveling. Beware that ATMs in Cuba have massive fees.

Some hotels, car rental agencies, and instutitutions run by the government accept credit cards (again, non-American), but it's best not to count on it. None of the paladares (small family-run restaurants), casa particulares (home-stays), or small tourism businesses accept credit card.

ATMs and credit card machines are notoriously finicky in Cuba and you don't want to be stuck with $100 for a two-week vacation. 

The best plan is to carefully budget how much money you think you will spend on your trip and add 10% — just in case anything goes wrong.

If you can, bring the cash in euros.

While Cuban currency is pegged to the U.S. dollar, the government charges a 10% penalty when converting dollars to pesos. 

3. Traveling to Cuba is not that cheap

Most travelers heading to Cuba might be expecting a dirt-cheap vacation, given the island nation's long-troubled economy. 

Think again.

Cuba has a two-tiered currency system: the moneda libremente convertible (CUC), and the moneda nacional (MN or CUP).

In general, the CUC, which is pegged to the US dollar, is used to purchase luxury goods. For tourists, that means just about everything, from internet to hotels to meals at restaurants. 

The CUP, which is equivalent to CUC by around 25:1, is used primarily by Cubans for staple goods like rice, beans, and flour. Obtaining a few CUP can be useful for paying for street food and public transportation, which Cubans also pay with CUP.

The system is intended to keep necessities cheap for Cubans, while keeping luxuries expensive.

However, because Cubans working for the government are paid their monthly salary in CUP, the system has pushed a vast percentage of Cubans to shirk their day jobs in favor of working in tourism, where they have the opportunity to be paid in CUC and earn a month's salary in a day.

President Raul Castro has said for years that Cuba will ditch the dual-currency system, but the changeover has yet to take place.

Until then, tourists are stuck paying for everything in essentially US dollars. While some things can still be relatively cheap— a night at a casa particulare runs 25-40 CUC — don't expect to be making it rain. 

And lest you get ripped off by a sleazy taxi driver who tries to give you change in CUP currency when you paid with the more valuable CUC, remember: CUP have faces on the bills, CUC have monuments.

Your smart TV may soon get a little smarter, thanks to artificial intelligence.

At this year's CES trade show, three different television manufacturers announced plans to add AI to some of their sets — albeit for different purposes.

LG and Sony are adding Google Assistant, the search giant's voice computing technology, to some of their TVs. Instead of fumbling to find the right button on a remote, users will be able to change channels, fire up their game consoles, or view photos by just speaking commands to their TVs.

Meanwhile, Samsung is using AI to improve how lower-resolution images look on its new line of high-end 8K televisions.

Check out how AI will fit into TVs of the not-too-distant-future. 

On LG's line of Google Assistant-powered TVs, you'll be able to change the channel or switch to a specific show using your voice.

You'll be able to ask your TV for information about the video you're watching, such as the name of an actor in it.

You'll be able to ask the TV for sports scores and other information without having to launch a separate app.

• Cold weather usually results in blotchy, dry, and irritated skin but these products can help fight off these struggles.
• While there are some high-end products on this list, there are also plenty that are affordable.
• Drunk Elephant's Lala Retro Whipped Cream is made with six different oils that are made to keep your skin hydrated.

Subzero temperatures, heavy snowfall and high winds are the hallmarks of a classic winter. And unfortunately, all three factor into our seasonal skin care struggles, too. Braving a cold and airy day usually results in redness, irritation and dryness, even if you don’t have overly problematic skin.

We’ve all had those annoying flaky spots on the corner of our nose! So, whether we like it or not, now is the time to up our moisture intake with a formula that feels like a warm and hydrating blanket for the skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

Dewy skin goals are instantly achieved with this luxurious secret concoction, created by Tilbury and inspired by her work behind the runway.

$100, at Charlotte Tilbury

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb

Comfrey leaf, a natural detoxifier and moisturizing, make this cream a must for leaving skin more supple and hydrated.

$38, at Sephora

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

This drugstore treatment lays it on thick and works best when applied on damp skin right after a shower or bath.

$15.99, at Ulta

• New rumors suggest Samsung's Galaxy S9 smartphone will go on sale in mid-March. 
• Samsung has already confirmed it will announce the smartphone in late-February. 
• Current rumors about the Galaxy S9 suggest it will have many subtle updates.

If a recent leak is to be believed, we may know exactly when Samsung plans to launch its new Galaxy S9 smartphone.

Tech informant Evan Blass claims to have learned from a C-level executive at a smartphone case maker that the Galaxy S9 and larger Galaxy S9+ will be available for pre-order starting March 1, and will go on sale March 16.

The phones will be announced on February 26, during the Mobile World Congress convention in Barcelona.

Before Samsung confirms all the details next month, here's what we know about the Galaxy S9 so far:  

SEE ALSO: The Samsung Galaxy S9 retail box may have just leaked — and it seems to reveal the phone's key features

Samsung has not confirmed a release date for the Galaxy S9, but it did recently confirm its unveiling in February.

This makes Blass' claim of a March release for the Galaxy S9 quite plausible. The schedule is very similar to how Samsung has released smartphones in the past: The Galaxy S8 was delayed until April 2017 due to safety concerns, but the Galaxy S7 was announced in late-February and released in mid-March of 2016, as were several older devices in the Galaxy-S series. 

If there are any exciting features on the Galaxy S9, news about them may still be under wraps.

So far, most details about the smartphone pretty much suggest the Galaxy S9 is an incremental update.

Samsung has confirmed consumers can expect updates to its Bixby AI assistant feature, particularly making its interface easier for users to navigate. 

Several leaks also suggest Samsung may also make some design tweaks to the device that will make it easier to use. The Galaxy S9 is expected to feature a rear-facing fingerprint scanner placed in a centralized location, which would make it easier for users to find. Currently, the Galaxy S8 fingerprint scanner is located to the right of the camera module. Many users say the placement isn't ideal in terms of natural hand placement. 

Other leaks suggest the Galaxy S9 may include new camera features, such as a super slow-mo video capture function. Samsung may also take a cue from Apple by including a single-lens camera on the standard Galaxy S9 and a dual-lens camera on the Galaxy S9+.

Consumers should also expect other well-known features on the Galaxy S9, such as water- and dust-resistance and wireless charging. 

Many internal hardware specs in the Galaxy S9 remain up in the air.

Recent reports suggest Samsung likely won't make any updates to the battery capacity on the Galaxy S9, though prior rumors indicated there could be a slight power bump. With no changes expected for the display size or display quality of either the Galaxy 9 or Galaxy S9+ models, an increase in battery power may not be necessary. 

Leaks have also suggested that memory and storage capacity on the Galaxy S9 will likely remain similar to what is seen on the Galaxy S8. Samsung is also known for including expandable storage on its devices, which should also be expected for the Galaxy S9. 

For now, it seems likely that the Galaxy S9 will retain the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack at a time when several manufacturers, including Apple and Google, are releasing premium smartphones without a headphone jack. There is evidence, however, that Samsung has considered removing the headphone jack from the Galaxy S9. 

• Some of these destinations might not be your first choice for travel but are worthy of consideration. 
• Instead of Western European countries, opt for places like Serbia and Bosnia.
• While the French Riviera is gorgeous, Corsica is another French region that deserves some love.

Browse most travel-focused Instagram feeds or peruse popular where-to-travel lists, and you’ll likely be presented with the usual suspects: Paris, Iceland, New York City, and the like. Some of these lesser-known, and thus lesser-visited, spots have remained largely under the radar because they lie close to popular bucket-list destinations, while others have earned an unfair reputation for being unsafe or, well, boring. However, if you’re looking for booming art scenes, tasty and eclectic cuisines, and interesting neighborhoods and enclaves, then you might want to consider this list, in which we tapped in-the-know travel experts to share their favorite underrated destination for 2018. 

Corsica, France

Fun-in-the-sun vacations in France tend to come in two flavors: the sleepy charm of Provence, with its lavender fields and vineyards, and the full-on glitz of the French Riviera (aka Côte d’Azur). Corsica tends to be a distant third, if it’s remembered at all. But for its fans, that’s just fine. We’d rather keep this island all to ourselves. That’s not terribly hard to do, considering getting there requires leaving the mainland and setting off for that stretch of sea that’s between France and Italy. (Cruise ships do dock here, though.)

Corsica has some of the most varied geography, so in this one little spot, travelers can find breathtaking beaches, towering mountains, and forests — to the delight of adventure lovers that hike, bike, and swim through these glorious surroundings. But culture-vultures will also find a charming, fiercely independent region with its own rich history spotted in its citadels, towers, ruins, and a lively port scene. — Maria Hart, Senior Editor at Oyster

Houston, Texas

Houston is incredible — a dynamic, under-the-radar city with an equally under-the-radar dining scene. Houston embodies what’s great about America, with a booming art scene and lots of opportunities for talented entrepreneurs looking to turn dreams into reality. Add in incredible museums, diverse food options, and a fun music scene, and you’ll quickly see that H-Town has everything, and every layer you peel off will astound you. — Samantha Brown, TV Host of New PBS Series Places to Love

Germany

When people think of their dream trip to Europe, it’s often London or Paris; Germany is usually further down the list, or not on there at all. But Germany is truly a magical destination — where else can you literally drive down a road called the Castle Road and seek out centuries-old castles? Famous castles include Neuschwanstein, the actual castle that inspired Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World!

There’s also a Fairy Tale Route, where you can see where the Brothers Grimm were inspired to write Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and other classic children’s tales. And the festive Christmas markets with handmade gifts and gluhwein (warm mulled wine) — nobody does Christmas like Germany. — Amanda Geronikos, Features Editor at Family Vacation Critic

1. The cheater knows what they’re doing is wrong.

It's easier to point the finger at the cheater and blame them for betraying your trust. But, believe it or not, you may have set yourself up for heartbreak by not clearly communicating your expectations with your partner from the beginning. "One of the main predictors of cheating has to do with not having the uncomfortable monogamy conversation early on," says Sadie Leder Elder, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at High Point University in North Carolina.

"People are too scared to say, 'I like you and don't want you to be with anyone else.'" It's important to be upfront with your partner about what you want, need, and expect from them. If they can't give you the type of relationship you're looking for, then your best bet is to move on before you get hurt.

Watch out for these 12 signs your partner is cheating on you.

2. Cheaters are narcissistic and manipulative.

Cheaters come in all shape, sizes, and personalities, which means they're not always the relationship villains we portray them to be. "Some cheaters have a more deeply ingrained unconscious, self-sabotaging style," says Anthony Tasso, PhD, ABPP, clinical psychologist in Whippany, New Jersey. "At the core, they don't feel worthy of a healthy relationship so the affair becomes an avenue to undermine and possibly destroy their partnership." (Here are 17 signs you're the toxic one in the relationship.) 

3. Affairs only occur in unhappy relationships.

Perfectly healthy, happy relationships are just as susceptible to infidelity as troubled ones. There are many motives for cheating, but affairs aren't always a symptom of a relationship gone awry. Sometimes, people use affairs as a subconscious device to find their true identity or live a life they've never known. "A relationship can become familiar and mundane so someone may need challenges in life," says Foojan Zeine, PsyD, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Tarzana, California. "They need some kind of impulsivity to create aliveness." (Here's why happy relationships are the key to a fulfilling life.)

She'll put your checked bag to shame.

1. Jet lag medicine

As the most traveled monarch in UK history, Queen Elizabeth II has needed to come up with a system to beat jet lag. Her cure? Homeopathic remedies, including barley sugar candies, according to the Independent. The sweets can supposedly adjust the body clock to a new place by helping the blood sugar match the eating schedule in the destination. Learn more about Queen Elizabeth's unusual jet lag remedies.

2. A black outfit

No, Queen Elizabeth isn't trying to look chic in all black. In fact, there's a reason she wears neon outfits all the time. But among her colorful clothes, she always makes sure to pack a black outfit in case tragedy strikes. Her Majesty was on royal tour in Kenya when her father passed away but hadn't packed a mourning outfit, so she needed to wait onboard in Britain until a black dress was delivered. Now, she and these other royals are always prepared with a black outfit.

3. Toilet paper

Hosts can stop stressing about whether one-ply is fit for a queen — she brings her own. A reporter who spent 20 years covering royal tours reveals Her Majesty always brings her own personal stash, sealed with stickers that only she and Prince Philip are allowed to break. (Check out these 12 times the royal family broke their own protocol.)

"Riverdale" puts a twist on classic Archie Comics characters.

The CW show introduced a series of characters from the comics — including Mr. Svenson and Toni Topaz— during the first half of its second season. As the show returns, fans already know that they'll get to meet Chic Cooper, Betty's brother. But there will be even more opportunities to squeeze in some iconic characters. 

Here are 12 Archie Comics characters who could make an appearance on "Riverdale." 

"Riverdale" returns Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. 

Adam Chisholm

In the comics, Adam competes with Archie for Betty's affections. On "Riverdale," Betty is currently stuck between Archie and Jughead, as well as Archie and Veronica, but what's the addition of another potential love interest? Betty is currently single. 

Forsythia "Jellybean" Jones

We've heard Jellybean's name but we have yet to see Jughead's sister on the show. In the comics, the two siblings are close. Seeing these two have a relationship would add another layer to Jughead's life and story. 

Gladys Jones

On that same note, Jughead's mother Gladys is only mentioned, never seen, on the show. She doesn't have to stick around, but it would be neat to see who could get to play her. 

Yes, you are what you eat, but you are also the odor of what you eat, depending on—ahem—what you eat. Here are the foods to watch for.

1. Red meat

Going meatless isn't just animal-friendly—it may have olfactory benefits as well. In a 2006 study published in Chemical Senses, women rated vegetarian men's perspiration samples as overwhelmingly more attractive, as opposed to those who had recently consumed red meat. Because red meat is harder to digest, it leaves behind residue in the digestive tract that eventually mingles with bacteria, and then is released in your sweat. As you may know, there are plenty of health reasons to cut out red meat. But if the vegetarian lifestyle is out of the question, you could cut back on beef by eating more white meat like chicken and turkey.

2. Alcohol

According to Berkeley Wellness, when you consume alcohol, most of it is metabolized by the liver into acetic acid. However, a bit of that alcohol is released through your sweat and your breath (hence breathalyzers). This smell is worse the more you drink, so if you don't want that distinctive stale bar smell, limit your imbibing. Here are 17 tips on cutting back on alcohol.

3. Fish

As most of us know, fish is seriously great for your health and contains glorious amounts of omega-3s, aka the "good" fat. The downside? A 2007 report in the JAMA Network found that people with an unpleasant body odor tested positive for an inability to break down the food-derived compound (trimethylamine). Folks with this metabolic disorder—called trimethylaminuria—will develop a fishy odor when they eat fish and other high-protein foods.

• Matthieu Ricard is a Tibetan Buddhist monk and Dalai Lama associate who became globally renowned for his bestselling books and popular presentations on happiness.
• He (unwillingly) gained the title of "happiest man in the world" from the Western press due to the level of brain activity registered in a brain scan during his meditation.
• Ricard is also a skilled photographer, and his photos reveal a glimpse of what his life is like in the Himalayas of Nepal.
• His day includes meditation, charity, and time with his fellow monks.

The life of a typical Tibetan Buddhist monk involves detachment from chaotic modernity, spent primarily in monasteries in the mountains. Matthieu Ricard is not a typical monk.

Born in France in 1946 to prominent parents, his father a philosopher and his mother a painter, Ricard received his PhD in molecular genetics at the prestigious Pasteur Institute before dedicating his life to monkhood in the Himalayas. He studied under a series of masters before becoming a monk at age 30, and became the Dalai Lama's French translator in 1989.

Ricard cowrote a book with his father in 1997, "The Monk and the Philosopher," primarily as a bonding experience with his aging parent, but it went on to become a surprise bestseller in France. And once the media took notice of Ricard, he reluctantly became a kind of celebrity.

The Western media also proclaimed him "the happiest man alive,"a title Ricard has unsuccessfully tried to shed, after his brain's gamma waves were recorded as the strongest among fellow monks in a University of Wisconsin study on meditation in 2000.

Following the lead of the Dalai Lama, Ricard decided to use a media spotlight to promote lessons on honing happiness and altruism, and any of his share of the proceeds from his work goes toward his nonprofit, Karuna-Shechen.

Depending on the year, Ricard may spend most of his time abroad either at other monasteries or speaking to an audience at an organization like TED, Google, or the United Nations, but his true home is at the Shechen Monastery in Nepal.

We spoke to Ricard about his life for an episode of Business Insider's podcast "Success! How I Did It," ahead of the release of his latest book, "Beyond the Self." And a representative of Karuna-Shechen sent us a collection of Ricard's photography (he's a sophisticated photographer) that we combined with some other images to give an idea of what a typical spring day in the life in Nepal is like for him. Additional insights are drawn from his books "Happiness" and "Altruism."

SEE ALSO: 3 lessons I learned from the Tibetan monk who works with the Dalai Lama and went viral as 'the happiest man alive'

DON'T MISS: The Buddhist monk who went viral as 'the happiest man in the world' says you can learn to meditate in 5 minutes at a time

Ricard wakes at dawn, watching the sun rise over the mountains.

He has a simple one-room home that contains only a couple robes, a small kitchen, and a patch of lawn in front. "Through simplicity we arrive at inner peace," he wrote.

He told Michael Paterniti for a GQ profile that he has never allowed his home to be photographed because it remains his truest escape from the world.

Ricard watches the people of the villages below, as well as the monks of Shechen Monastery, spring to life with the new day.

If he has a year packed with presentations or events around the world, he may spend as little as a couple months in his home.

But this year, he said, he will be foregoing intensive traveling to spend time in Nepal.

He will venture out to nearby villages to visit schools that he constructed through his charity, Karuna-Shechen. He'll often bring his camera along.

What if Facebook, Google, and other tech giants were going through the same collapse experienced in recent years by retailers such as Sears, Macy's, and Walgreen's?

That was graphic artist Andrei Lacatusu's starting point for a new project. He imagined what it would be like if today's tech titans were actually subject to the same urban decay as defunct retailers with aging storefronts in abandoned towns. In Lacatusu's series "Social Decay," paint fades from the tech companies' signs, and letters fall off some buildings all together. 

Lacatusu is based in Bucharest, Romania, where he works as a computer-generated imagery artist at Carioca Studio. He created the works in "Social Decay" using a mix of Adobe Photoshop and a pair of 3D rendering programs called Autodesk 3ds Max and V-Ray.

The tech companies' signs may be fabricated but they look all-too-real. As such, they offer a new perspective on companies such as Google and Facebook, which given their current dominance, seem immortal. But as Lacatusu's work suggests, as societies change, so do the companies with the most money and power.

Here's what Lacatusu sees when he imagines the end of the titans of tech:

SEE ALSO: Google has hired 30 employees to try and stop locals from stealing its bikes in droves

No lift lines, no expensive lift tickets and miles of un-tracked powder. 

If that sounds like no ski resort you've ever heard of, that's because it's not a ski resort.

It's backcountry "skinning"— a type of skiing that combines the intense physical conditioning of running, the beauty of hiking and the adrenaline of downhill skiing.

As a downhill, or Alpine, skier, I've done almost all of my skiing at resorts and have only visited the backcountry on a few occasions. But I decided to give it a go while I was in Wyoming for the holidays this year. 

It's not an easy activity to do — given the risk of avalanches in the backcountry, going with an experienced guide is highly recommended (you shouldn't even consider going backcountry on your own if you don't know what you're doing). And you need to be in good enough shape to be able to get yourself up the mountain without the benefit of a chairlift. 

I'm not exactly in exemplary shape, so — aside from the fear of an avalanche — my biggest concern was whether I'd be capable of completing the journey.

The climb was even more grueling and exhausting than I expected. But the great thing about backcountry skinning is that the experience is so amazing, you keep pushing yourself. And the payoff is unforgettable.

SEE ALSO: I tried Peloton's new $4,000 treadmill — and now I get why the company has such a cult following

My backcountry journey began in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a gorgeous area located at the base of the Teton mountains.

The Jackson Hole Airport is located inside the Grand Teton National Park. It's the only commercial airport in the U.S. located directly inside a national park, and it's a stunning place to fly into. 

The town of Jackson is a liberal enclave in the heart of heavily Republican Wyoming, and the contrasts are everywhere.

In June 2017, Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon (pictured above) made national news when he removed a portrait of President Donald Trump from town hall, arguing that Trump is a divisive President whose portrait would offend some residents. The city council later reversed his decision. 

Besides its cowboys and politics, Jackson is famous for the nearby Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, considered one of the top ski destinations in the country.

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are to be married in May, but Markle's icon status has already been cemented.
• Markle is following in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who drives $1 billion to the UK fashion industry annually.  
• The "Meghan Effect" has already taken hold and Markle may be poised to overtake Middleton.

Like Kate Middleton before her, Meghan Markle became an instant fashion icon the moment she announced her royal engagement.

The 36-year-old American actress has become an object of fascination by royal fans in Britain and the US.

Everything Markle wears and does is idolized — and that's translating to hundreds of millions of dollars for the British economy.

According to an estimation by Brand Finance, reported by Forbes, Markle's entrée into the royal family is expected to rake in about $677 million (£500 million) this year, but that's only the beginning. If Middleton and Prince William's 2011 nuptials are any indication, the public's obsession with Markle will only deepen over time. Especially when she starts having babies. 

Markle is following in the footsteps of Middleton, whose fashion-icon status is worth about $1 billion annually to the British fashion industry.

But with fan bases in the US, Canada, and now the UK — and a decidedly trendier and less traditional style than Middleton's — it's possible Markle's newly initiated "Meghan Effect" could swiftly dominate the "Kate Effect."

Keep reading to find out how Markle has gained a foothold among the royal family.

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle had a surprisingly relatable life before becoming the world's most famous royal to-be — see her former house, car, and wardrobe

DON'T MISS: Meghan Markle just proved her dominance over Kate Middleton, to the tune of $677 million

Markle's entrée into the royal family as the wife-to-be of Prince Harry — long considered one of the world's most eligible bachelors — is expected to bring a $677 million boost to the British economy this year, according to an estimation by Brand Finance.

Sources: People, Forbes

Markle and Prince Harry's nuptials will drive up tourism and travel, bringing in profits from restaurants, hotels, parties and celebrations, and sales of T-shirts, hats, banners, and other commemorative merchandise related to the wedding.

Around the time of the last royal wedding, the phenomenon was deemed the "Duchess Effect" or the "Kate Effect": Anything worn by Middleton, and now her children, flies off the shelves. Middleton effectively became a trendsetter overnight.

National Geographic Traveler has released its list of the 29 Best Small Cities in the US— and it's giving us some serious travel inspiration.

The travel magazine worked with consultants to produce a Small Cities Index — a ranking that drew from core statistics and social media mentions on the likes of Instagram and Yelp to determine which cities rank highest across 10 categories:

• Most hipster friendly (coffee shops, tattoo parlours, record shops, vintage stores)
• Musically grooviest (music venues, live music, instrument stores)
• Most Instagrammed (hashtags)
• Most artsy (art galleries, art supply stores, art schools)
• Best groomed (barber shops, hair salons, hair removal services, cosmetic dentists)
• Meatiest (butchers, delis, steakhouses)
• Most dog friendly (pet sitting, pet stores, pet groomers, dog friendly restaurants)
• Sudsiest (breweries)
• Most caffeinated (coffee shops)
• Greenest (parks)

The results in each area were then sorted into three categories based on population sizes — 40,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000, and 200,000-600,000. An algorithm then determined which cities ranked highest per capita.

The Traveler editors also included "trending" cities in the list that didn’t make the cut on the ranking this year, compiled by branding advisors Resonance Consultancy, but appear to be on the rise.

The 29 cities included in the list weren't ranked relative to each other, but Business Insider has noted which and how many categories each won. From all-time favourites like Charleston to the beaches of Pensacola, scroll down to see the 29 coolest small cities to visit in the US in 2018.

SEE ALSO: 26 tourist landmarks in Europe that are worth lining up for, according to top travel experts

Albuquerque, New Mexico — "Sudsiest."

Sun, craft beer, and food trucks galore — what more could you ask for?

Anchorage, Alaska — Trending, Most Caffeinated.

There are 5.98 coffee shops for every 10,000 residents in Alaska's largest city and cruise ship port. Need we say more?

Ann Arbor, Michigan — Greenest.

With botanical garden and 159 parks, the city plans to plant more than 1,000 trees every year.

• Energy demand to mine cryptocurrencies "may represent a new business opportunity for renewable energy developers," Morgan Stanley said. 
• Low-cost power regions, including the Southwest or Midwest US, and areas with the potential for wind and solar energy, stand to benefit the most from the rise in demand for energy.

Crypto mania could soon have an impact on the renewable energy business, according to Morgan Stanley.

In a note to clients, the US investment bank said that it costs between $3,000 and $7,000 to mine each bitcoin, making low-cost energy a key focus for bitcoin miners. That, in turn, may present an opportunity for renewable energy firms, according to Morgan Stanley. 

Morgan Stanley said:

"In theory there could be pockets of outsized mining profitability given our projection that renewable energy, and storage, costs are likely to fall substantially. For example, if firm renewable energy could be generated at an all-in cost of 6 cents per kWh in the US, the cost of generating one Bitcoin would fall by $600 relative to a power cost of 8 cents per kWh. In the Southwest US, NextEra Energy recently signed an agreement to provide a customer with a combination of solar power and energy storage at 4.5 cents/kWh. Recent wind power sales contracts in the Midwest US are in the range of 1.5-2.5 cents/kWh, and we project this will continue to drop as wind blade lengths continue to increase."

Here are the companies Morgan Stanley highlighted as the key utilities that could benefit from increased electricity demand due to bitcoin mining, along with some of the bank's comments on why they're well-positioned: 

American Electric Power

Ticker: AEP

Market Cap: $34.4 billion

Comments: "The key utility beneficiaries we would highlight include: American Electric Power (AEP), Xcel Energy (XEL), and Entergy (ETR). These utilities serve the regions with the lowest cost of electricity, and AEP and XEL are taking advantage of low cost wind to drive rates even lower."

Xcel Energy

Ticker: XEL

Market Cap: $23.3 billion

Comments: "The key utility beneficiaries we would highlight include: American Electric Power (AEP), Xcel Energy (XEL), and Entergy (ETR). These utilities serve the regions with the lowest cost of electricity, and AEP and XEL are taking advantage of low cost wind to drive rates even lower."

Entergy

Ticker: ETR

Market Cap: $14.4 billion

Comments: "The key utility beneficiaries we would highlight include: American Electric Power (AEP), Xcel Energy (XEL), and Entergy (ETR). These utilities serve the regions with the lowest cost of electricity, and AEP and XEL are taking advantage of low cost wind to drive rates even lower."

• Publix and Wegmans are tied for first place as the best supermarkets in the US. 
• Publix ranked highest for fast checkouts, item availability, and store cleanliness.
• Trader Joe's scored the highest in cashier courtesy and Aldi got the best score on value.

Publix and Wegmans are the best supermarket in the US, followed by Trader Joe's and H-E-B, according to a survey. 

More than 12,700 consumers were asked to rate their favorite grocery chains on attributes like best value, fastest service, and cleanliness for the survey by Market Force Information, a retail consulting firm.

Publix ranked highest for fast checkouts, item availability, and store cleanliness.

Trader Joe's scored the highest in cashier courtesy, while Wegmans won on its specialty department service. Aldi got the best score on value.

The scoring system is based on customers' satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the store to others.

Here are the rankings.

SEE ALSO: Furious shoppers say Whole Foods' produce has turned 'depressing,' 'barren,' and 'bone-dry' — and they blame Amazon

1. Publix Super Markets

Score: 77%. 

2. Wegmans

Score: 77%. 

3. Trader Joe's

Score: 76%. 

Being a celebrity means everyone knows your name. It's a sense of universal recognition that allows people like Beyonce, Kylie Jenner, and Rihanna to navigate the world with the knowledge that they are literally household names, but unable to do things like go to the grocery store or stay at hotels.

For some stars, this means getting crafty when it comes to checking in for an overnight stay or going out to eat. For others, the exact names that they use on a daily basis and the names that have made them famous aren't the names that they were originally intended to have.

These 10 celebrities' aliases may surprise you for more reasons than one.

Ice Cube sometimes goes by his "real" name.

The 2014 Sony hack revealed more than a few A-list revelations, but one of the biggest shockers from the leak was the list of different celebrity aliases. It’s true: Ice Cube is NOT his real name.

Based on info from the hack, Ice Cube uses either his real name, O’Shea Jackson or the name of his "XXX: State Of The Union" character, Darius Stone, when checking into hotels.

Brie Larson is not her real name.

Though her name doesn't sound out of the ordinary, Brie Larson's actual birth name is very unique. The actress was born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, which she later told Glamour was just "hard to pronounce."

Later, Larson elaborated further on the surprisingly relatable inspiration behind her choice of a new moniker. During an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Larson said that her modified last name actually came from her favorite American Girl doll, Kirsten Larson, who she still memorializes on Instagram.

Fergie was not born "Fergie."

Shockingly enough, Fergie is not the former Black Eyed Pea's birth name, but it's also not her preferred name when she's going undercover.

Fergie shortened her birth name, Stacy Ann Ferguson, when she became famous, but then made Fergie her legal name when she married her now ex-husband Josh Duhamel, dubbing herself Fergie Duhamel in the eyes of the law, according to DailyMail.

As a cover, PopDust reports that Fergie uses the name Penny Lane. This could be due to the name of the character in "Almost Famous," the Beatles' famous song, or the street in Liverpool, England, which would make sense considering her love of the London Bridge.

• It's time for college seniors to start figuring out their plans for next year.

• LinkedIn compiled a list of the companies that grads tend to flock to in 2017.

• Some big name companies like Amazon, Oracle, and EY made the list.

It's that time of year again.

Most college seniors have embarked on their second semester, which means post-grad plans are getting finalized. But if you're still looking for a grad-friendly place to apply, LinkedIn compiled a helpful list of the organizations that hired the most recent graduates in 2017.

The list was compiled by taking into account all LinkedIn users who graduated from a US college with a bachelor's degree in 2017. These members were incorporated in the survey if they added a new company to the experience section of their profile after graduation.

Here's a list of the nine companies who hired the most members of the class of 2017, according to LinkedIn:

SEE ALSO: 9 jobs to take if you want a big cash bonus, according to LinkedIn

Deloitte

Founded in 1845, Deloitte is a London-based professional services network and one of the "Big Four" accounting organizations.

Enterprise Holdings

Based in Clayton, Missouri, Enterprise Holdings is a holding company and the parent company of car rental organizations like Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

Vanguard

The Vanguard Group is an investment management company that was founded in 1975.

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.

I was extremely excited to receive and use my Kindle Paperwhite a few months ago. Of course, just a couple days into using it, an unexpected jolt on the train made me drop it on the ground.

While my Kindle appeared to escape unscathed, I was still nervous about future drops and the resulting scratches, not to mention any internal damage they could cause. 

Just like how every phone feels weirdly bare without a case, you can both protect your Kindle device from physical damage and make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

Here are 10 cases that will do the trick. We've included options for the original Kindle, Paperwhite, Voyage, and Oasis models. 

SEE ALSO: The best e-readers you can buy

A light case with an eye-catching design

I personally own this slim, lightweight case and I couldn't be happier with it. It's made with synthetic leather, has a soft interior to prevent screen scratches, and is available in more than 30 styles. 

Fintie SlimShell Case for Kindle Paperwhite, $16.99, available at Amazon

A sturdy case that matches with anything

This is the official Amazon case for the Paperwhite. It has a magnetic clasp to keep the cover closed, and you can wake or put your device to sleep by opening or closing the cover. 

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Case, $39.99, available at Amazon

A case that your young readers will love

Get your kids excited to read with cases from this fun brand. 

Ayotu Case for Kindle Paperwhite, $15.59, available at Amazon

For better or for worse, American culture — from TV and movies to politics — has spread to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe.

That means that if you're an American traveling abroad, you're going to be confronted with a lot of stereotypes about the United States pretty much anywhere you go. I heard them everywhere I traveled, whether in Paris, Mumbai, Tierra del Fuego, or rural Malaysia.

Some of these stereotypes are way off-base: Not all Americans drink and party around the clock, for example, despite what people in other countries may have heard.

Here are some of the most common stereotypes about Americans I've heard around the world:

SEE ALSO: Forget New York — here are the 10 places in the US everyone will be visiting in 2018, according to travelers

All Americans are rich.

One of the most common misconceptions I encountered abroad is that all Americans are wealthy — and everyone has multiple cars and a big house.

That misconception comes in part from America's powerful global economic standing, I learned. But as plenty of Americans know, not all of that wealth makes its way into the hands of every citizen, and there are millions of Americans living in poverty.

Americans don't do anything but drink, party, and have sex.

For many non-Americans, the only exposure they get to the United States is through Hollywood cinema.

That often leads to a warped perception of American life in which young people are wholly devoted to drinking, partying, and having sex. 

I must have let them down when I told them most young Americans I know are focused on work, paying rent, and getting enough sleep.

Americans are loud, arrogant, and entitled.

We can thank the scores of American tourists who flout local cultural norms for giving us a bad rap in many countries. 

By simply being respectful of other cultures and remembering to follow local customs, you can help defy this stereotype many people hold of Americans.