The Galaxy Note 9 is here — but is it an upgrade from last year's Galaxy Note 8?

In several ways, yes. The Galaxy Note 9 has a bigger battery, some advanced camera features, and more starting storage. It also comes with a more advanced S Pen that can be used as a remote (which, if you buy the blue version of the Galaxy Note 9, comes in bright yellow).

The Galaxy Note 9 is also bigger, heavier, and costs at least $70 more than last year's model, putting it on par with the iPhone X as one of the most expensive smartphones you can buy.

But the Galaxy Note 9 also has a very similar overall design to the Galaxy Note 8, the same camera from a hardware standpoint as last year's model, and identical features like wireless fast charging and a nearly edge-to-edge display.

So whether you're considering upgrading from the Galaxy Note 8 or trying to decide between the two phones — after all, the Galaxy Note 8 is still an excellent phone and now has a reduced price tag — here are all the ways the Galaxy Note 9 differs from the Galaxy Note 8.

SEE ALSO: Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Watch, its $330 answer to the Apple Watch — here's everything we know about it

The Galaxy Note 9 is more expensive than the Galaxy Note 8.

The Galaxy Note 9 got a bit of a price bump compared with last year's model.

The new phone starts at $1,000, the same as the iPhone X. The Galaxy Note 8 started at $930, though you can get it today for $750.

The Galaxy Note 9 has more storage space than the Galaxy Note 8.

The Galaxy Note 8 comes with three storage options: 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB.

The Galaxy Note 9 has only two storage options, but they're significantly higher: either 128 GB or 512 GB.

The expandable storage is higher on the Galaxy Note 9 too.

The Galaxy Note 9 has room for a 512 GB microSD card, meaning you could potentially bring your phone's total storage to 1 terabyte.

The Galaxy Note 8 has a microSD slot too but can hold only a 256 GB card.

It may not feel like it if you’ve booked a trip recently, but Travel + Leisure reports flying is actually as cheap as it’s ever been. On top of already-reduced flight costs, there is also an endless number of hacks you can use to find even cheaper flights. And lucky for us, the prices are likely to keep falling.

Some of the biggest airlines and even small startups are working on innovations that will reduce the cost of flying for passengers, with most of the savings hitting the airlines first. Some of the savings will come from reducing the cost of flying a plane in the first place, and others will bring in automation that cuts down on staffing costs and human errors.

In all cases, the benefit will eventually reach the consumer in the form of cheaper airfare. Read on for some of the inventions that could make flying cheaper in the near and distant future.

High fuel costs might be slashed by electric planes.

Jet fuel costs have continued to rise over the years, so an obvious cost-saver would be to reduce our dependence on it. Some of the biggest planemakers, including Boeing and JetBlue, are investing in electric jet startups. We're likely a long way from high-capacity electric planes, and so far the test planes have traveled a limited number of miles, but it's definitely a step towards more eco-friendly planes and likely lower fuel costs.

Self-flying planes are a real possibility.

Automating certain jobs is a way for companies to save money, and this is especially true when you’re considering cutting out high-salary positions like those of pilots. Glassdoor reports that the average salary of a commercial pilot is $113,709. Autonomous planes could save airlines upwards of $30 billion over the next 20 years, which includes their salaries, insurance, and training costs.

Of course, this would also result in a loss of jobs. 

You could be checking in to your flight with facial recognition.

Some airlines are already testing facial recognition for the check-in process, as well as an automated baggage system. In addition to reducing staffing costs, it would also improve the amount of time passengers wait in line.

• The Physician on FIRE is a part-time anesthesiologist and blogger who plans to retire next year at age 43.
• He abides by the "Live on Half" strategy: Spending 50% or less of take-home pay and investing in passive index funds.
• For Business Insider's "Real Money" series, he shares how he and his wife spent their money during a week in July.
• Want to share a week of your spending? Email your money@businessinsider.com.

A few years ago, I discovered the concept of financial independence. I was 39 years old and planning to work at least another 15 years in my chosen field of anesthesiology. However, I experienced inception of an idea — the idea that I could retire early, and it was an idea I couldn't shake.

I also realized that my wife and I were in a position to pull that trigger at any time. Mine was an unintentional path to financial independence, but a path that got us there in about 10 years, nonetheless. I had been saving, often more than half of my take-home pay, but I never knew what I was saving for. It occurred to me that I had been saving for my freedom; I just didn't know it.

Financially, I could have afforded to give 90 days' notice right then and there, but mentally, I was not at all prepared to do so. I had not even worked a decade since finishing residency, and I had a family and a lot to think about.

After spending some time browsing a growing number of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) blogs and forums, I began to feel more comfortable with the idea of retiring early eventually, but I did not find any sites discussing FIRE from the perspective of a high-income professional.

I decided to start a website of my own to both fill that void and give myself a platform to continue sorting out what an early retirement might look like for my family and me, and how eager I was to pursue this path less chosen.

In January of 2016, I started Physician on FIRE and pledged to donate half of my website profits. By the definition of financial independence, I don't really need the money, and it feels great to pursue a charitable mission while spreading this message.

Today, I'm 42 years old, and I'm still working part-time, but I plan to retire from medicine in 2019 when my replacement, a final-year resident finishing his training in the same program that trained me, arrives and is ready to work on his own.

I started tracking our spending about the same time I started my blog. I had to prove it to myself and to my readers that we were indeed financially independent!

My wife, a registered dietitian by training, has mostly stayed home to raise our boys, who are now in third and fourth grade. When I do retire next year, we plan to do some extended travel and "roadschooling" while hopping from one family adventure to the next. I can't wait.

Here's a detailed look at our expenditures from a recent week in July.

SEE ALSO: My wife and I retired in our 30s and now travel full-time in an Airstream trailer — here's what we spend in a week

DON'T MISS: I retired at 52 with a $3 million net worth — here's what a week of my spending looks like

We live in northern Minnesota and spend around $5,000 a month, or $60,000 a year. Here's how our spending breaks down:

My wife and I both had student loans, totaling about $75,000. I paid off the remainder in 2012, ten years after graduating from medical school, with the signing bonus from a job.

My employer currently provides healthcare for me and my family, but when responsible for all of our own healthcare costs, I anticipate our annual budget to be closer to $80,000 or $90,000. I consider our spending to be on the low end for a fatFIRE budget, but certainly higher than that of most early retirees you'll encounter online.

We're in the process of building a home on a 7-acre parcel of lakefront property we purchased last year. Eventually, it will be our primary home. Since we have no mortgage (we purchased our primary home with cash) or other debt, and our charitable giving comes from our donor-advised fund, I feel we live quite well at this level of spending. 

I'll be working full-time in the last two months of this year, earning more than I currently do. I expect our total income to be around $400,000 for 2018, which includes income from my blog as well.

Altogether, we spent just under $1,300 this week.

There were some atypical expenses related to an upcoming family wedding (about half of the weekly output), but that's the thing about atypical expenses — they're pretty typical.

If we spent this amount every week, our annual spending would be about $67,000. In the first six months of 2018, we spent $33,000, further proving that the week was typical in some ways, after all.

As a part-time anesthesiologist, I enjoy a schedule with quite a bit of time off and we like to travel.

On Monday, we took a long drive to our cabin in Michigan, spending just over $100, mostly on gas and groceries.

We woke up bright and early Monday morning to get started on the 550-mile drive from our home in Northern Minnesota to our cabin in northern Michigan.

It may seem odd to leave cabin country to stay at a cabin 10 hours away, but we used to live in northern Michigan, and we have quite a few friends and much of my wife's family nearby.

We also got the place for a steal, spending all of $15,400 for the place at an auction in 2011. It's a long drive, but one we've made many times through the beautiful terrain of northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

We had lunches, snacks, and drinks packed, and we made two stops for gasoline, spending $39.61 and $42.11 on fuel.

We reached Cheboygan, Michigan, at 6 p.m. (almost there!) and had dinner at Mulligan's Bar and Grill which set us back 5.3% of a Room & Board sectional sofa and a $5 tip.

That sofa bit deserves an explanation. Three years ago, when we were selling our house on the river, the owner of Mulligan's was moving into a home just upriver. I had him swing by to see if he wanted any of our furniture. He liked the sofa set and I suggested a barter for a $500 gift certificate to his restaurant. We've been enjoying that sofa one family meal at a time ever since.

Before heading to the cabin, we stopped in at the Cheboygan Brewing Company, a tasty microbrewery in which I happen to have a 4% ownership stake. As investors, we're entitled to a couple beers on the house any time we stop in, which we do fairly often in the summer. The beer was free, as was the popcorn, and we left another $5 tip.

Once we were unpacked and settled in, my wife realized she had no charger for the Garmin Forerunner watches that she and our boys wear. We spent $15.80 on a charging cable from Amazon.com before heading out to join our friends at the campfire.

• This native Bostonian is a worker on an assembly line in China.
• Mike Gecawicz assembles 3.5 mm headphone cables in Dongguan, a city in Southern China. 
• He chose to become a factory worker to gain a better perspective on the products we use everyday.

Mike Gecawicz is a student at the University of Maine, where he studies new media.

He spent his summer break in a headphones factory in Dongguan, China — a city of eight million sometimes called "the factory of the world."

Gecawicz's father works in headphones and headsets, and helped connect him with a factory owner in Dongguan. He spent a previous summer in the same factory as a camp counselor for the workers' kids.

"I'm not entirely sure why they wanted me to come and do this," Gecawicz said in an interview with Business Insider.

"Part of it for me was that most people will go through their entire life and never really know where their product comes from," Gecawicz said. "I wanted to do this as a way to get better exposure to things I don't know so well, and that most people in my position would never get to see."

He's found his summer of dealing with smog, trying solidified blood, and developing headphone models to be "enlightening and rewarding."

"I could recommend it to anybody," said Gecawicz, who is originally from Boston. "It's a great way to get perspective."

Keeping reading for a look into what it was like to work in a Chinese factory.

SEE ALSO: A British truck driver who's worked in the US for a decade says the biggest problem with trucking in America comes down to how drivers are paid

Gecawicz works at a headphone factory in Dongguan, an industrial city about 55 miles north of Hong Kong.

Source:City Population

Dongguan is in the Pearl River Delta, a highly important trade and economic zone in Southern China. That region alone, with nearly 110 million residents, has a GDP of more than $1.2 trillion.

Source:Forbes

With eight million residents, Dongguan is one of the most important cities in the Pearl River Delta. One in five of the world's smartphones are made there.

Source:The Guardian

LONDON — Eccentric British billionaire Mike Ashley is in the headlines again after purchasing iconic department chain House of Fraser in a £90 million deal.

The iconic department store, which employs 17,5000 people across the UK, had been at risk of toppling for several months and was rescued hours after falling into administration by Sports Direct, the company Ashley owns.

So who is he? The media regularly depicts him as a beer-swilling party animal. In recent years, he has been accused in court of reneging on a pub bet that would have cost him £15 million, cleaning out a restaurant of its entire supply of £3,000-a-bottle red wine, and getting so drunk at a business meeting that he vomited into a fireplace.

Although his companies are the subject of daily headlines, Ashley the person is still something of an enigma. He rarely gives interviews and despises the limelight.

He can also down a pint in less than 10 seconds, loves to gamble, and isn't afraid of taking his shirt off. He sometimes uses a plastic shopping bag as a briefcase. Scroll down for the life of Mike Ashley.

SEE ALSO: One of the UK's biggest department stores collapsed — but was almost immediately rescued by billionaire sports tycoon Mike Ashley

Ashley grew up in a modest bungalow in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, like this one.

For comparison, this where Ashley allegedly lives today. He's come a long way.

One eagle-eyed local called Jules has taken photos of what is believed to be Ashley's home in Tottering, and published them on Flickr. Apparently, Ashley has a penchant for epic Christmas lighting at his North London village home.

He was described as a 'dedicated but average' student by his peers at Burnham Grammar School.

• Europe has some of the best beaches in the world, but during the summer they're more likely be packed with people.
• To avoid the crowds and oppressive heat, plan your European beach vacation for September or October. 
• From Cyprus to England, you can find quieter coasts for sunbathing and swimming in the fall.
• These 12 spots offer expansive views and nearby activities like hiking and sightseeing. 

Europe's vast and varied coastline offers beaches for all, whether you're into all-out resorts or quiet little coves. But summer can be an oppressive time to visit this continent, with crowds flocking to the sparkling waters of the Med to get their sun fix and temperatures edging into almost triple digits.

Thankfully, September through October brings cooler days and quieter coasts, and it's all still as gorgeous. If you're booking a coast trip, these are Europe's best beaches in the fall.

SEE ALSO: I visited the luxurious wilderness resort in British Columbia with a 2-year waitlist that's like a summer camp for the world's most elite travelers

El Charco Verde, La Palma, Canary Islands (Spain)

Off the coast of Africa but part of Spain, the most striking thing about La Palma is the black-sand beaches peppering its coastline. El Charco Verde is a calm little cove with just a small bar selling snacks and a wooden boardwalk connecting the footpath at either side of the beach. It's a blissful place to spend a sunny day, and there's ample opportunity for exceptional hiking nearby.

San Ciprianu, Corsica (France)

A long crescent-shaped stretch of golden sand makes this one of Corsica's best beaches. The azure Tyrrhenian Sea — averaging around 70ºF in October — makes for a pleasant swim, but if you're after something more thrilling, rent a small catamaran or kayak to take to the water. San Ciprianu faces southeast, meaning early risers will be rewarded with stunning sunrises over the sea.

Ksamil (Albania)

Few Europeans know that Albania is a spectacular beach destination, and those that do arrive in high summer, so fall is pleasingly quiet. Rather than just one beach, Ksamil has a collection of pretty coves and bays, all with white sand and crystalline waters. For maximum seclusion, swim out to one of the tiny, uninhabited islands between Ksamil and the Greek island of Corfu directly opposite. Don't miss the well-preserved Roman ruins of Butrint nearby.

Samsung made a slew of announcements this week at Unpacked 2018, its biggest conference of the year, which took place in Brooklyn, New York.

As expected, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 9, the large-phone successor to last year's Galaxy Note 8. But the Korean company also had a few surprises up its sleeve.

Here's everything Samsung announced at Unpacked 2018 this week:

First, of course: Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 9.

The Galaxy Note 9 basically one-ups everything in the Galaxy Note 8.

Compared to last year's Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy Note 9 features:

— A larger display

— Better battery life

— A slightly bigger screen

— Way more storage

— A better camera

— More colors to choose from

— A better S Pen stylus

Unsurprisingly, Galaxy Note 9 is also more expensive than the Galaxy Note 8. It has a starting price of $999, the same as Apple's iPhone X.

Learn more about the Galaxy Note 9 here, and see how it stacks up to last year's Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung introduced a new smartwatch, its first one without the "Gear" branding, called the Galaxy Watch.

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch is aimed squarely at the same people who might buy an Apple Watch.

The Galaxy Watch features "military-grade durability," an AMOLED display, and 39 different exercises built-in, as well as sleep-tracking. The Galaxy Watch is also waterproof and can be worn while swimming.

You can buy the Galaxy Watch in three colors — silver, black, or rose gold — and in two sizes. The 42 mm version costs $330, and the larger 46 mm Galaxy Watch will cost $350. Samsung will start selling the Galaxy Watch on August 24, although an LTE-enabled version won't be available until later this year.

You can learn more about the Galaxy Watch here.

Samsung also gave a sneak peek of a new smart-home speaker designed to compete with Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod, called the Galaxy Home.

The Samsung Galaxy Home looks like an Apple HomePod from the top, but like a Google Home from the side — if a Google Home were standing on three metal stilts.

Like all those other speakers, the Galaxy Home features 360-degree sound, a soft fabric exterior, and a built-in personal assistant that can answer voice commands. Samsung's Bixby AI will power the Galaxy Home, so you can use it to turn on your smart lights, or lock your smart doors.

Samsung didn't give much more information about the Galaxy Home, like its price or release date, but Samsung says it will share more details at its developer conference in November.

You can learn more about the Galaxy Home here.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' announcement this week of a new award for "popular films" at the Oscars was met with eye-rolling and vitriol from critics and celebrities alike. 

It was a vague announcement, only saying that a "new category is being designed around achievement in popular film." We don't exactly know what that means yet, what qualifies as a "popular" film, and what the criteria will be. Will it honor movies that made big bucks at the box office compared to their budgets? Is it an award for achievement in marketing to audiences?

We only know that a movie can compete for both the "popular film" Oscar and the traditional, coveted "best picture" award, and that it will be introduced at the next Oscars in early 2019 that honors films of this year.

At any rate, the mere thought of such a category has spawned outrage, with people arguing that a "popular" movie can be held to same standards as a best-picture contender, and that the award is offensive to the Oscars as a celebration of film achievement. 

But as long as it's actually happening, we'll have to get used to this new award, and as more details surface, maybe it will make more sense. In a perfect world, these movies would be recognized more by the Academy without an additional award. But we don't live in a perfect world, and as much as "Black Panther" deserves a best-picture nomination, there's no guaranteeing that it would have gotten one.

We've thought about the movies so far in 2018 that could compete for such a prize, based on a traditional definition of what a "popular" movie might be — one that is a box-office success and a hit with audiences and critics alike.

Below are five movies in 2018, so far, that could be considered for the "popular film" Oscar:

SEE ALSO: The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to save the 'X-Men' franchise and start it from scratch

"A Quiet Place"

John Krasinski's hit horror movie, "A Quiet Place," about a family fighting to survive in a world populated by creatures that hunt by sound, was met with critical praise, earning a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also took in an impressive $332 million worldwide off of a $17 million budget. 

"Avengers: Infinity War"

No other film so far this year embodies the notion of a "popular movie" than "Avengers: Infinity War." It broke the record for biggest opening-weekend box office in the US with $258 million, and has since grossed over $2 billion worldwide. It is one of the biggest, most popular movies ever made, and not only did fans love it, but critics did, as well. "Infinity War" would never be recognized as a best-picture contender, but it's the best representation of the new Hollywood: franchises reign supreme, but they can still deliver great movies.

"Black Panther"

Before "Infinity War,""Black Panther" proved Marvel's dominance in the franchise wars, and is a cultural sensation on its own terms. The movie is the first superhero movie with a predominantly black cast, set in Africa. It broke box-office records, and has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It was also a favorite among many critics in the best-picture race, which would make it the first superhero movie to be nominated for the award. And now that we know that it can compete in both the best picture and best popular film categories, there's still hope.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg celebrates 25 years in the Supreme Court today — and while she has vowed to stay on in the role, people have been left wondering when she might retire, and when other seats on the court might become vacant.

The retirement of one judge in July has given Trump a chance to nominate the conservative Brett Kavanaugh and has left people wondering if he might get the chance to model the court in his image by replacing Ginsburg or another judge.

Business Insider has calculated an average retirement age and tenure length for the last 11 justices to retire, going back to Justice Warren E. Burger, who quit in 1986.

The average age of retirement for the past 11 justices was 80. These justices spent an average of 27 years in the court (according to the Supreme Court website, the all-time average is shorter, at 16 years).

We have averaged the two metrics to reach a ballpark year that the justices could retire based on precedent. It is worth remembering this is a rough prediction and a justice can leave the Supreme Court at any time for any reason.

Scroll down to see where each Supreme Court justice stands — and when the figures suggest their term could end.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Predicted departure: Two years ago

Age: 85 (5 years past average retirement)

Tenure: 25 years (2 years less than average)

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of Ginsburg's confirmation to the US Supreme Court.

Born in 1933, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is now 85 years old — four years than older Kennedy, and five years past the average retirement age.

She took her seat on the Supreme Court in 1993 after a nomination from Bill Clinton. Her tenure is currently two years shorter than the average. 

In July, Ginsburg signaled that she hopes to stay in the Supreme Court for at least another five years.

She also told PBS in January that she would adopt the plan of former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired at the age of 90.

She further suggested that would be sticking to these plans and that she would not retire before the end of Trump's term as president by hiring four full-time law clerks through to 2020 – a move that is not typical for justices who plan on stepping down.

Ginsburg, who has become something of a liberal icon, said in February: “As long as I can do the job full steam, I will be here."

Stephen Breyer. Predicted departure: 2021

Age: 79 (1 year before average retirement)

Tenure: 24 years (3 years less than average)

At 79, Breyer has not made any suggestion that he will retire soon. He is a year younger than the average retirement age, and his tenure is currently three years shorter than the average.

Breyer has been a Supreme Court Justice since August 1994, following a nomination from President Bill Clinton.

As a liberal justice, Breyer may want to continue in office to prevent a conservative pick gaining his seat.

Clarence Thomas. Predicted departure: 2024

Age: 70 (10 years before average retirement)

Tenure: 26 years (1 year less than average)

Highly conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 70, having served on the court since October 1991 after a nomination from George Bush. He is 10 years younger than the average retirement age, but he started relatively young, so his tenure is now just one year shorter than the average.

When rumors that a Supreme Court justice was to retire emerged, some wondered if Thomas would go instead of Kennedy.

Thomas made no public comment about this. A 2016 report that said he would retire was rejected by his wife, Ginni, on Facebook. She wrote: "IT. IS. BOGUS!"

• Harley-Davidson is making significant changes to its global strategy, but it's remaining committed to its core business.
• The company has been attacked by Donald Trump after shifting production to avoid European tariffs.
• Harley is moving toward a multi-market strategy that will involve partnerships and new motorcycle designs.

Recently, Harley-Davidson announced a new global strategy.

The company affirmed its commitment to the large and profitable motorcycles that have made it a worldwide icon. But it also revealed that it will expand its business in Asia and roll out a new platform for smaller motorcycles.

Contrary to the performance of its stock, Harley's business is actually pretty good. It's cruiser bikes and other big cycles aren't cheap, which means that they can be quite profitable and enjoy a loyal customer base.

But the motorcycle market in the US has been declining for years. Young people aren't riding, and new bikers aren't showing up as they did in the past.

Harley has been dealing with this downturn, but also casting an eye toward growth markets. India looks particularly attractive. But although motorcycles are a favored form of transportation there, people prefer small displacement bikes. Massive Harley v-twins aren't practical.

It will be up to CEO Matt Levatich to oversee the difficult new strategy.

Here's how it will shake down:

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Harley-Davidson has long been known for its iconic cruiser bikes — large, powerful motorcycles that are designed to take on sprawling American highways.

Harley isn't giving up on big bikes — not by a long shot, given that these expensive machines are highly profitable. But over the past decade, it has been diversifying its lineup.

The company is under pressure these days, despite its core business performing well. So CEO Matt Levatich will oversee a new strategy.

Over a multi-year period, Harley has held its own with the business, but Wall Street has penalized the stock. Despite the motorcycles generating good profits — the gross margin is above 30% — investors are nervous about the customer base getting older and requiring serious money to buy the bikes. 

Younger people aren't taking up motorcycles like they used to, and that's led to a long slide in the size of the market in the US, which is already quite competitive. The Harley image of open-road freedom doesn't necessarily dovetail with the enthusiasm of millennials for city living. 

Harley doesn't want to get stuck in the past, so it's taking steps now to revamp its business without betraying the loyalist, who after all haven't stopped buying bikes.

When people are unexpectedly caught cheating, they can come up with some unique excuses for their actions, and some are so unbelievable and cringey that Reddit users just had to share.

Here are some of the most confusing and infuriating excuses for cheating that people have given their partners. Of course, these are just for fun, as INSIDER can't independently authenticate the stories.

"... the overpowering emotion intimidated him ..."

"He said he was so in love with me that the overpowering emotion intimidated him so he had to cheat in order to regain control of his love for me."— Redditor Bavmorda

"She was never going to see him again."

"She told me she was drunk and since was a national hockey player she was never going to see him again."— Redditor Nine-Foot-Banana

"You can only eat so many red candies …"

"The day after I had a C-section he told me, ‘You can only eat so many red candies before you just want a green one.’ Mind you, the woman he slept with had just left my hospital room and held our baby."— Redditor Lilly_Monster

• Because some of the traditional tech hubs are clustered in the cities with the highest cost of living, like New York or San Francisco, tech salaries no longer go as far as they used to.
• In response to the high cost of living in these locations, plenty of nontraditional tech cities have begun to sprout up.
• SmartAsset compiled a list of the 10 most affordable tech hubs based on the percentage of the population employed in tech, the average tech salary, the ratio of that salary to others across all fields, the unemployment rate, and the cost of living. 

Tech jobs are some of the hottest in the country. And the increasingly available opportunities to work in tech deliver high salaries, to boot. But because some of the traditional tech hubs are clustered in the cities with the highest cost of living, like New York or San Francisco, that tech pay may not always go so far. There are, however, plenty of nontraditional tech cities where pay is still high and where workers don't need to worry about whether or not they can afford their mortgage.

Below we look at five different factors to rank the best cities to work in tech in America. Specifically, we look at data for 190 cities and compare them across metrics like average salary, average cost of living, tech employment concentration, unemployment rate and ratio of average pay-to-tech pay. Check out our data and methodology below to see where we got our data and how we put it together to create our final rankings.

This is SmartAsset's fourth annual study of the best cities to work in tech. Check out the 2017 version of the study here.

Key findings

• San Francisco is overrated — For tech workers who want to have the most financially secure future, it is probably best to avoid San Francisco. The cost of living in San Francisco is about twice the national average and the unemployment rate for bachelor's degree-holders is fairly high. However if you are just trying to land a job in tech, and aren't worried about saving, San Francisco is a good place to look. More than 8% of all workers in San Francisco are employed in tech.
• Avoid the Northeast — Cities in the Northeast tend to have slightly high unemployment rates and elevated costs of living. The only Northeast city in our top 30 is Wilmington, Delaware.

Data and methodology

In order to find the best cities to work in tech, SmartAsset looked at data on 190 cities. Specifically, we looked at the following five factors:

• Percent employed in tech. This is the percent of all workers who work in computer and mathematical occupations. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor and is for 2017
• Average tech salary. This is the mean annual income for workers in computer and occupational occupations. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor and is for 2017
• Ratio of the average tech salary to the average salary across all fields. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2017 Occupation Employment Statistics tables.
• Unemployment rate. This is the unemployment rate for holders of bachelor's degrees. Data comes from the Census Bureau's 2016 5-Year American Community Survey.
• Cost of living. Data comes from the Council for Community and Economic Research and is for 2017.

To create our final ranking we first found each city's average ranking, giving an equal weight to each metric. Using this average metric, we assigned a score to each city. The city with the best average ranking received a 100. The city with the lowest average ranking received a 0.

Tips for finding a home you can afford

• Consider renting first — When you first move to a place take your time before you buy a home. Renting may feel like a waste of money, but it gives you flexibility that buying doesn't. If you are not sure how long you will be in a city it can actually make financial sense to be a renter. Buying a saddling a house over a short time span means paying a bunch of upfront costs like closing costs that can wipe out any gains in home value between buying and selling data. SmartAsset's rent vs. buy calculator can help you with the math to see what makes sense for you.
• Don't go overboard on the mortgage — If you are a first-time homebuyer doing the math on how much house you can afford, you may be overestimating if you ignore some of the extra costs that come with owning a home. For example, don't forget about property taxes. Homeowners pay property taxes which vary in size form state to state. Average property taxes in New Jersey and average property taxes in Illinois are some of the most expensive in the country, for instance. So if you do live in those states, make sure you are factoring property taxes so you know how much home you can afford.
• Get an expert's opinion — Your home is likely the biggest purchase you will make in your life, so why take any risks. By getting the opinion of a financial expert you can be sure that when you buy your home it is for the right reasons. If you are not sure where to find one, check out SmartAsset's financial advisor matching tool. It will match you with up to three local financial advisors who fit your specific needs.

SEE ALSO: The 23 best cities to move to if you're a broke millennial

SEE ALSO: The 17 best places in Europe to visit this summer that don't cost a fortune

SEE ALSO: The 17 best places to go this summer that don't cost a fortune

1. Columbus, OH

Ohio's capital takes the top spot as the best city to work in tech. You may see Columbus, Ohio and not think of it as a tech worker's paradise but the data suggests otherwise. Columbus has plenty of tech jobs, over 4% of all workers are employed in tech here, and the average tech worker takes home a salary of over $91,100 per year. In both of those metrics Columbus ranks in the top 25.

Columbus is also more affordable than many cities as well. Columbus is about 10% cheaper than the rest of the country on average. Another plus to living in Columbus and working in tech is that you will likely be at the top of the local income ladder. The average tech worker earns more than 1.8 times what the average worker earns.

2. Des Moines, IA

For tech workers looking for stable, secure job opportunities, Des Moines, Iowa is a fantastic city. More than 4% of workers in Des Moines work in tech. Another plus for tech workers is the low unemployment rate. Holders of bachelor's degrees have an unemployment rate of 2.3% here, according to Census Bureau estimates. Perhaps the only major concern for tech workers here is that their pay is not that high compared to the metro wide average. The average tech worker makes only 64% more than the average worker, an average score.

3. Dallas, TX

Dallas is the place to be in this top 10 for high-paying tech jobs. BLS data reveals that nearly 1 in 20 workers in Dallas is employed in the tech industry. On average they earn nearly $93,000 per year, the second most in our top 10. So why isn't Dallas any higher? Unemployment for college graduates is slightly high by the standards of this study. Dallas ranks 92nd in unemployment rate for bachelor's degree holders.

Taking care of your health may seem like a normal part of any daily routine, as drinking enough water, eating fruits and vegetables regularly, and taking your multivitamin are all habitual tasks we all seem to follow regularly. However, it’s important to note that there are lots of seemingly harmless health hacks out there that can actually be quite detrimental to our health, as nutrition experts suggest that habits, like drinking diet soda, consuming too many supplements, and skipping meals, may seem innocent, but can actually have negative implications on our health if you aren’t careful.

To determine which other health hacks you’ll want to keep a close eye on, we spoke to dietitians and nutritionists on the topic to make sure you quit any harmful health habits before they wreak havoc on your body. Below are some of the things they recommend keeping tabs on.

You are using apple cider vinegar when you really have stomach issues.

"Apple cider vinegar was really hot back in the ‘80s, and I am seeing a huge resurgence in it again today with unreasonable health claims," said nutritionist Dr. Elizabeth Trattner.  If you are suffering from gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn's and IBS, Dr. Trattner recommended steering clear of vinegar, as she explained that it’s not FODMAP-friendly for gastrointestinal issues, and can cause more sugar in the lumen of the intestine, which can, therefore, aggravate lower bowel disorders.

You are taking too many supplements instead of eating real food.

"There is a major trend towards doctors creating supplement lines to promote wellness and health via supplementation and powders in place of real food," said Sharon Brown, a clinical nutritionist, certified GAPS practitioner, and CEO of Bonafide Provisions. You cannot supplement your way to wellness, she suggested, as our body was designed to be fueled and nourished from real food.

You are drinking green tea or coffee right after a meal.

"Green tea is potent antioxidant and is a great warming beverage to enjoy with many health benefits," said Jenni Bourque and Mirna Sharafeddine, registered holistic nutritionists behind Naughty Nutrition. However, they suggest that drinking green tea (black tea and coffee too) right after a meal may affect iron absorption, meaning if you have an iron deficiency, you may want to space out your warm caffeinated beverage and have it two hours after a meal.

It's worth noting that more research is needed in this area.

Dumplings are a magical, ubiquitous food that can be found almost anywhere in the world. From Germany’s potato dumpling, kartoffelknoedel, to China’s black sesame paste-filled dessert, tangyuan, most cuisines offer up their own unique version of the deliciously stuffed dough pocket. Whether sweet or savory, meat or vegetarian, filled with broth or bean paste, the options of what can be wrapped up in dough are endless.

We’ve rounded up 25 different types of dumplings from across the globe to give you a sampling of how this type of food has managed to become an integral part of so many countries’ cuisines.

Modak is a traditional Indian dessert dumpling shaped like a teardrop.

Modak is filled with coconut, nutmeg, saffron and jaggery, a type of cane sugar. This treat has a wrap made of rice flour and is most often eaten during the Ganesh festival in August. According to IndiaToday, Hindu diety Lord Ganesha loves modak so much, he is often called is called "modapriya"or the lover of modaks.

Banh bot loc is a popular Vietnamese snack food.

Banh bot loc hails from Central Vietnam.Banh bot loc are small pork and shrimp dumplings made with translucent wrappers made from tapioca flour, which gets chewy once cooked. Banh bot loc can be found either steamed and wrapped in banana leaves or boiled, and are served with a sweet chili dipping sauce.

Kartoffelknoedel is a perfect pairing for meat dishes.

Kartoffelknoedel, or potato dumplings, can be found throughout Germany most often as an accompaniment to hearty, meat dishes. They can be boiled, steamed, stuffed with both sweet or savory fillings, like sauerkraut and bacon, or eaten plain.

Even though some shows have been off the air for years, they're still some of the most popular TV series viewers are watching at home. Streaming platforms including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have made it easier for fans to access older sitcoms and anime series like "Roseanne" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" that would otherwise be difficult to access. 

What are people in each state binge-watching the most? 

TV Time, a social app which tracks shows fans and allows them to share their reactions in real time, provided INSIDER with data on the most-binged TV shows in every state.

TV Time defines a binged show as any four episodes of a same show that have been watched in a 24-hour period.  The data includes shows viewers have watched since January 1, 2018. A viewer does not need to watch an entire show for it to be included in the measurement.

A few of the shows are popular among several states, including "The Office,""13 Reasons Why," and "Grey's Anatomy." TV Time says this may speak to the power of over-the-top platforms which have easily accessible libraries at their fingertips for viewers to search through. There also may be more 30-minute series on the list because it's easier to earn a "binge session" by watching a half-hour show.

From reality shows to old '90s sitcoms, keep reading to see if you watch the show listed in your home state. 

Alabama: "The Simpsons"

The animated TV show follows the Simpsons' family and antics of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie in their hometown of Springfield.

While it's never been revealed what Springfield the show takes place in, for what it's worth, there is a Springfield, Alabama.

Hulu has the latest two seasons of the show.

Alaska: "Boy Meets World"

The series followed Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) as he went from grade school to college to married life. 

"Boy Meets World" is available to stream on Hulu.

Arizona: "The Office"

The US adaptation of the British series follows Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) and his office employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

"The Office" is available to stream on Netflix.

• Many began to speculate when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would step down from the bench after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement on Wednesday.
• But Ginsburg is not defined by her 85 years of age. She works out with her personal trainer, Bryant Johnson, twice a week for an hour.
• Her workout is a series of full body strength exercises that target arms, chest, legs, back, shoulders, glutes, and abs.
• I decided to give Ginsburg's workout a try for two weeks — here's what happened.

If you are looking for evidence that 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg isn't retiring anytime soon, just try her workout.

After Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, people began speculating when the liberal bastion might step down from the bench. But Ginsburg works out with her personal trainer, Bryant Johnson, twice a week. She has called him "the most important person in her life."

Johnson and Ginsburg have been doing the one-hour workout that he details in his book, "The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong and You Can Too" for 18 years, aside from the three years he was deployed in Kuwait.

The workout starts with a five-minute warm-up and light stretching followed by a strength training session that includes push-ups, planks, chest presses, squats, and hip abductor exercises, then another round of stretches to cool down.

Here's what happened when I tried the workout for two weeks.

SEE ALSO: I tried intermittent fasting for 10 days — and I understand why people in Silicon Valley love it

DON'T MISS: Justice Kennedy announces retirement, setting Trump up to reshape the Supreme Court for years to come

I am no stranger to working out.

I have completed four half-marathons and go to fitness classes frequently, but I haven’t done much strength-training recently because I was training for my races. I was expecting to be sore after the RBG workout.

I was up for the challenge of working out like Ginsburg, especially if it came with an honorary JD from Columbia University, a seat on the Supreme Court, or just great biceps.

But I didn't realize that I would want to recuse myself when I saw that pushups were followed by medicine ball pushups and two different types of planks.

If you work out from home, you'll need dumbbells, resistance bands or tubes, a door anchor, a medicine ball, a Swiss ball, and a stool or ottoman.

I worked out at my local gym, because I didn't think I'd be able to get into the Supreme Court gym where Justice Elena Kagan and Ginsburg work out.

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

Regardless of being told over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us make a habit of skipping it. 

Why? Because we (right or wrong) believe it takes too long. In a 2015 study, Mintel surveyed millennials to figure out why they weren't eating cereal anymore, since it's one of the all-time simplest breakfast choices. The answer — for a whopping 40% — was that it meant clean-up time. 

We'd all like the kind of massive breakfasts families in movies set in the 1950s eat off checkered tablecloths, but no one wants to get up 45 minutes early to make them. Instead, we all rush out the door in the morning and sit at our desks hungry and potentially more irritable than normal by 11 a.m. 

When you're thinking about lunch for an hour before you leave to eat it (and the hour in which you actually are eating it), you're not as productive at work as you could be, and that can mean staying at the office later that night than you might have needed to.

You're likely not going to get any less busy (or wake up tomorrow wanting to spend those 45 minutes cooking), so we rounded up some easy — and pretty inexpensive — options for a breakfast that'll fill you up but won't take more than a few minutes to make. Check them out below:

SEE ALSO: 11 innovative egg gadgets that will cut down on the time it takes to make breakfast

A smoothie maker with a take-away bottle

Smoothies can be one of the healthiest and most satisfying early morning meals, and an easy way to get an early serving of veggies and fruits in, too. Plus, they're relatively inexpensive and can keep you full until it's time for lunch, depending on what ingredients you use.

If you want the most convenient and quick process possible, grab one of these best-selling take-away bottle blender. It'll help you portion out the right amount for a single smoothie (since leftover smoothie sounds way better than it tastes) and make cleanup time as easy as possible. Throw in the ingredients the night before, store it in the fridge, add milk/water in the morning and throw it on the blender before heading out the door. 

Epica Personal Blender with Take-Along Bottle, $104.32

Frozen fruit packs for an inexpensive and easy fresh smoothie

A cheap (and fast) way to make smoothies is to grab a bunch of frozen fruit, which is affordable and keeps the nutrients in your fruit intact until you're ready to thaw and eat, so you don't have to work off the timetable of how long your new strawberries will last on their own.

Birds Eye Ultimate Berry Medley, $3.83

A microwavable omelet pan

Mix up your favorite mix of ingredients and eggs in the morning (or the night before) and pop it in here for an omelet within minutes. Then, before you head out the door, just throw it in the dishwasher so you can use it again when the craving hits.

Nordic Ware Microwave Omelet Pan, 2-Pack, $12.99

As writing by hand fades out of style, autocorrect capabilities on phones, tablets, and computers take the guesswork out of spelling words correctly.

How well can you fare without it, relying purely on your mastery of the English language?

Keep reading to test your knowledge of these 30 simple words that are often misspelled.

"Embarrass" or "embarass"?

Answer: "Embarrass"

"Wierd" or "weird"?

Answer: "Weird"

"Bizzare" or "bizarre"?

Answer: bizarre 

There’s no way around it: a trip to Disney World is likely going to be an expensive vacation. But there are ways to keep your costs down as much as possible, even while doing and seeing (and eating) everything you want to. Going to Disney can easily break the bank, but you can also do it on a budget and still have a great time.

Here are ways you can save money at Disney World while still making the most of your trip. 

Book a vacation package.

If you know you want to stay on Disney property, one of the best ways to save money is by booking a vacation package, which bundles your park tickets and hotel all in one, according to Travel and Leisure. The parks run different specials depending on what time of the year it is, and if your family is big on eating and visiting sit down restaurants, you may also want to consider adding the Disney Dining Plan. It only saves you money if you know that you want to eat at the more expensive restaurants and that your family is going to seriously chow down.

Bring your own food into the park.

If you’re on a super tight budget, one of the ways you can cut costs is by bringing your own food. Depending on how much cash you have to work with, this could mean bringing cereal or fruit to have for breakfast in the room and then tucking a couple of granola bars in your backpack for a snack later on, or you could even bring lunch into the parks if you wanted to. Disney allows you to bring food and drinks right into the park — minus alcohol and anything in a glass bottle — so feel free to save money this way.

Stay outside of Disney property.

As tempting as a Disney resort (and all the perks that come with it) can be, you can have just as much fun and save money by staying off property. If you’d like to stay in the Disney bubble, the Disney Springs resorts are in the middle of the magic for a much lower cost and come with the benefit of Extra Magic Hours in the parks. Outside of the Disney bubble, there are major savings to be had, between hotel chains and Airbnb rentals everywhere.

Ruby Rose is making her mark.

The 32-year-old Australian actress currently stars in the "The Meg," a sci-fi action film about a giant prehistoric shark called a Megalodon, and was just announced as Batwoman in DC's Arrowverse on The CW. 

But before she was taking on various TV and movie roles, she was a model, DJ, and TV presenter. 

Here are five facts to know about the star. 

1. Ruby Rose began her career as a model.

Ruby Rose Langenheim was 16 when she participated in Girlfriend magazine's model search in Australia. Though she didn't win, the finalist continued to model and eventually became an MTV VJ and TV presenter for various shows in her native country. 

She also DJs and released a single with Gary Go.

2. She credits her acting career to short films she produced.

Ruby Rose broke out in Hollywood thanks to her part on season three of "Orange is the New Black," but she credits the role with a short film she starred in, wrote, and produced called "Break Free." 

"I couldn't get a manager when I got here, I couldn't get an agent, I couldn't get an audition," she told Variety. "I started making my own short films as a way of being able to give myself something to do and to study my craft. Then the film went viral and getting millions of hits ... I just can't imagine how I could have gone under the radar in America for two years and then I release the short and I get this audition for a character that I think has quite a few similarities to the character I'm portraying in the short."

She has gone on to star in movies including "xXx: Return of Xander Cage,""Pitch Perfect 3" and "John Wick: Chapter 2." She's returning for the third "John Wick" movie and will be joining The CW's DC TV universe as Batwoman, with a potential for her own series. 

3. She has 109 tattoos.

She told Marie Claire Malaysia that each one means something.

"If you count on them individually, then there's an astronomical amount. But because they are joined together, it becomes a sleeve, or it becomes a back piece," she said. "They all have personal meanings or stories — they are there to create a memory. Some of them are more meaningful than others, but I love them all."