You probably know "Pacific Rim" is about giant-sized monsters and robots battling over Earth.

But do you know who's in the film?

This is a serious question.

While the many trailers we've seen tell us the movie is about robots and monsters going head to head, they fail to introduce actors and their roles in the Guillermo del Toro flick.

Sure you may have caught snippets of Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam, but do you know who they are and what they're from? 

The film is out today in theaters and is already doing well in theaters, earning $3.6 million in Thursday night sales, now see who's in the film.

Do you recognize the actor who plays pilot Raleigh Becket?

"Sons of Anarchy" fans should. Charlie Hunnam is known for his role on the FX series.

He's slightly unrecognizable without his long locks and signature facial hair.

You probably don't recognize the Japanese actress playing Mako Mari.

It feels like Linux doesn't get enough love.

Apple's OS X and Microsoft's Windows operating systems are always in the spotlight, but the free and open-source Linux quietly churns away to power a surprising number of everyday or unusual items.

Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, told us, "You use Linux every day but you don't know it. It's such a fundamental part of our lives.

"It runs air traffic control, it runs your bank, and it runs nuclear submarines. Your life, money, and death is in Linux's hands, so we can keep you alive, clean you out, or kill you. It's incredible how important it is.

"The world without Linux might be a very different place. It's one where computing is kind of crappy and homogeneous. You're still using Windows CE on your crappy Windows cell phone. That world is grim and dark and Linux is a reason why that world doesn't exist."

We've gathered 12 examples that prove Zemlin's statements are no exaggeration – for such an oft-forgotten operating system, you rely on Linux far more than you realize.

Android phones and tablets got their start in Linux.

The hugely popular mobile operating system is uses Linux as its foundation, and with hundreds of thousands of Android devices activated each day, it stays relevant.

Your TiVo is powered by Linux!

Linux powers a majority of the world's supercomputers.

While "Back to the Future: Part 2" slightly overestimated where we'd be in 2015 — flying cars and hover boards aren't readily available after all — there's a surprising number of things that the film predicted that either already exist or are close enough that in two years it wouldn't be surprising to see them be reality.

From automated servers at restaurants to video games that don't require controllers, here's the technology that the creators of "Back to the Future" correctly guessed would be around nowadays about 24 years ago.

Not only did the movie get wearable computing right, they even made the devices similar to Google Glass.

It's fair to say that when most people think of '80s computers, the Macintosh is the first thing that comes to mind.

Computers that take orders via voice controls. Siri, anyone?

The NBA Summer League is a glorified basketball camp.

It is exclusively for young, talented players.

While most of the participants will never step foot on any NBA court, some of the NBA's biggest stars played in the Summer League at one time.

A Reddit user had the great idea to make a gallery of some of these stars, and we followed suit.

LeBron James in the 2003 Summer League

Lebron today

James Harden in the 2009 Summer League

Tufts University has received some attention recently for its #YOLO-based application essay prompt, but this was far from the first time a college has asked students to think outside the box.

While Tufts and the University of Chicago may be the two schools most well known for their unorthodox essays, many colleges have slipped in quirky questions to shake up potential applicants. Topics have ranged from autobiographical to flat out insane, but all the prompts — in theory — should tell a school something about yourself.

We've compiled some of our favorites for you to ponder. Try not to think too hard.

University of Chicago

"Have you ever walked through the aisles of a warehouse store like Costco or Sam's Club and wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a half tall? We've bought it, but it didn't stop us from wondering about other things, like absurd eating contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness…and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard."

Brandeis University

"If you could choose to be raised by robots, dinosaurs, or aliens, who would you pick? Why?"

University of Virginia

"Make a bold prediction about something in the year 2020 that no one else has made a bold prediction about."

The Edison-Ford Winter Estates in Fort Meyers, Fla., is the the combined winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Edison purchased the property, located on the beautiful Caloosahatchee river, in 1885. The brilliant inventor's good friend, Henry Ford, bought the land next door several decades later.

Edison and Ford enjoyed fishing, boating, and planting exotic trees and plants during their leisurely winter stays.

The Edison family continued to visit the Florida retreat, dubbed Seminole Lodge, even after Edison's death in 1931. In 1947, Edison's wife, Mina Edison, deeded the property to the City of Fort Myers for $1. The Ford estate was acquired in 1988. Both properties are now open for public tours, also featuring Edison's botanical gardens, rubber laboratory, and a museum. 

A pier overlooking Caloosahatchee river was constructed soon after Edison bought the property in 1885.

Edison's pier became a popular spot for fishing, boat watching, and riverfront picnics.

We can see why — the views are breathtaking.

A great film can change national sentiment and give a human face to an intangible problem. Or, in one take, a well-crafted scene can make watchers rethink their entire closet. Sometimes, a piece of clothing or an accessory comes to define a film, redefining perceptions long after the credits have rolled. 

From Lolita's sunglasses (we obviously had to pay homage to those heart-shaped icons) to Margot Tenenbaum's thrift-inspired coat, these aren't mere costumes: They are some of our favorite fashion movie moments of all time.

SEE ALSO: Amazing Before And After Images Of The Visual Effects In 'The Great Gatsby'

"Lolita," Heart-Shaped Glasses: While these shades were never actually featured in the film, their marketing use embodied the knowing innocence Lolita exuded.

FredFlare Heart-Shaped Sunglasses, $12, available at FredFlare.

"Atonement," Green Gown: This one dress showed it's possible to capture a film's whole story in one article of clothing. Both Cecilia's power and temptation, and Briony's envy are embodied in the emerald green. It's one of — if not the most influential pieces of movie fashion in the past decade.

Courtesan Boutique Miss Desire Dress, $257, available at Courtesan Boutique. 

"Basic Instinct," White Sheath Dress: Yes, this is that dress from that scene. Sharon Stone shattered the whole white-symbolizing-purity thing with one crossing of the legs, and this dress is to blame. Underwear optional with this one.

Lucas Nascimento Chevron-dart sleeveless dress, $784, available at Matches. 

Apple and Samsung are the two biggest rivals in the hottest space in tech: smartphones in tablets. 

In fact, they're the only two companies that make any real profit in mobile. 

While Apple kicked off the modern smartphone revolution, Samsung was the one company that was the quickest to catch on and adapt. And a lot of that is because, in part, it borrowed many of Apple's ideas for its own products and services.

The voice recorder app on Samsung's Galaxy S II phone looked just like the one on the iPhone.

Samsung's charger port on its first Galaxy Tab looked just like the one on the iPad. Samsung has since switched to regular USB chargers on its tablets.

Speaking of chargers, Samsung's old USB charging brick looks nearly identical to Apple's.

Nightlife-driven souls looking for Floridian action point their convertibles toward the likes of Fort Lauderdale and Key West. But a certain quieter, off-the-radar destination on the state’s Gulf Coast holds a different kind of allure.

See the best little beach town in the US >

The cult-fave town of Boca Grande is a throwback, an Old Florida time warp with such whimsically named streets as Damnificare and no chain stores or ye-olde theme restaurants. This idyllic escape features a much-photographed lighthouse watching over Gasparilla Island State Park and long, quiet beaches touched by gentle surf. Boca Grande is a wonderland, a place that defies the clichés of Florida beach towns—all the sloppy, party-hearty aspects—while embodying the best of what the state has to offer.

In the free and easy days of summer, the quest for a great American beach town like Boca Grande is a national passion. Beach towns are a mainstay of the hot months, a beacon for countless citizens looking for a reprieve from the daily grind. The Great American beach town, apart from being idle as all get out, is also resolutely democratic, conscious that the sand belongs to all. These spots serve as emblems of our God-given right to get too much sun and to eat tasty—if nutritionally unfortunate—fried food.

Take the island of Chincoteague, VA, the gateway to the not-to-be-missed seven-mile-long Assateague National Seashore, a wondrous backdrop for beach strolls rich with herons, bald eagles, foxes, and the famed wild ponies. Visit in July, when the Pony Round-up and Swim engulfs the island, with ocean-going cowboys herding the ponies across the channel between Assateague and Chincoteague, where the colts are auctioned off to keep the herd at a manageable level.

Of course, the West Coast has no shortage of sandy attractions. In Santa Cruz, CA , the Giant Dipper roller coaster at the Beach Boardwalk amusement park keeps visitors screaming for more cheap thrills. Check into the Casablanca Inn, where most rooms have ocean views, and order some fresh seafood at the restaurant, which also overlooks the mighty Pacific.

And salt water isn’t needed for a great beach town. On Lake Michigan, the Silver Lakes Sand Dunes Area draws a faithful midwestern crowd seeking downtime and summer fun.

So get that beach chair and cooler ready—and prepare for the simple pleasures of summer at one of these classic retreats.

More from Travel + Leisure:

• The Best Secret Beaches On Earth
• The 10 Best Beaches For Shelling In The US
• The Best Affordable Beach Resorts
• Europe's Secret Beaches
• The Best Beaches In The World

Boca Grande, FL

This Edenic escape on the Gulf of Mexico is a real slice of Old Florida, with a much-photographed lighthouse watching over Gasparilla Island State Park, tree-lined streets without traffic lights, and long, quiet beaches touched by gentle surf.

Stay: The Gasparilla Inn, a member of the Historic Hotels of America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is the classic resort and comes complete with a golf course. It’s closed during the hottest months, though; the best alternative is its sister property, the Innlet, which features a waterside restaurant and a relaxed vibe.

Eat: A funky Florida spot with character, Temptation—think murals of leaping tarpon and a neon martini sign—serves local grouper, pompano, and soft-shell crabs.

Chincoteague, VA

This small, serene island just off the Virginia coast is the gateway to the 37-mile-long Assateague Island National Seashore—a nature refuge that’s home to wild ponies, herons, woodpeckers, and foxes. It’s accessible to boaters and via car over the Route 175 bridge.

Stay: A Victorian-era home has been turned into Miss Molly’s Inn, a seven-room B&B that offers high tea in the afternoons.

Eat: The Chincoteague Diner is a welcome destination after a long day on the beach. Fill up on baskets of fried seafood (flounder, scallops, shrimp) or barbecued baby back ribs.

Lubec, Maine

Lubec is all the way Down East, right near the border with New Brunswick, Canada. Its assets include an elegant Victorian/Greek Revival–style downtown, 97 miles of shoreline, two lighthouses, and easy access to the former Roosevelt summer home on Campobello Island, which is now an international park.

Stay: The Peacock House Bed & Breakfast, installed in an 1860 Federal-style residence, has ocean views, an eclectic library, and manicured gardens.

Eat: Stop by the Water Street Tavern for hearty bowls of haddock chowder, lobster “mac n cheese,” and views of the bay islands.

As we've discussed, Wolfram Alpha is a fantastic website that knows basically everything. 

But one way that people don't use it enough is when it comes to money. 

If you work in finance, play in stocks, invest, have a mortgage, or pay taxes, Wolfram Alpha is here to make your life better. 

It's got incredibly detailed data for thousands of companies and if you work in finance it better be a bookmark if you want to make those back of the napkin calculations cake. 

1. Wolfram Alpha is full of comprehensive information about companies and stocks.

Here, we can see Boeing's (NYSE:BA) fundamentals.

We can also check out details on the stock ratios.

Facebook's Graph Search feature is rolling out to everyone today.

The new search tool lets you to search Facebook's huge amount of data to get consolidated results.

Mark Zuckerberg stressed Graph Search's privacy awareness at the big reveal months ago.

"Every piece of content has its own audience, most content is not public, and you can only search for content that has been shared with you," Zuckerberg said at the time.

Despite this reassurance, you still should take some time to look at your Facebook privacy settings to make sure things you share don't inadvertently show up in search.

The first thing you should tweak is who can see the information about you that's in your profile. Start by heading to your timeline and click into your "About" section.

Next, you'll see an edit button next to each different section. Click that edit button and then choose the type of audience you want to view this information.

Once you're done adjusting your about section, scroll down the page and you can view the different types of things that you like. If you click the pencil next to any section and select "Edit Privacy" you can change the audience.

No matter how bad Adam Sandler movies get, they will always make money. Look no further than his latest movie, "Grown Ups 2."

Despite the film receiving terrible reviews from critics — it stands at 7% on Rotten Tomatoes— audiences gave it a "B" CinemaScore. 

So far the film has earned a healthy $42.5 million at theaters opening weekend. 

Despite the film's box-office debut, there's something to be said for the increasingly bland quality of Sandler flicks.

However, for some reason, it doesn't seem to affect his film's performances. 

The more ridiculous the premise, the better the film appears to do in theaters. 

Sandler can play both himself and an obnoxious, over-the-top sister, a fashion forward hair dresser, and an irresponsible father performing the same gags over and over again and audiences will still throw money his way.

Instead, it's when Sandler attempts to deviate and be serious on set, that it's a disservice to his box-office total.

Fans are so used to the gimmicky brand of Sandler folly, that we kind of just go with it.

1995: Adam Sandler's first classic "Billy Madison" is now considered one of the comedian's iconic films.

Opening Weekend: $6.6 million
Budget: $10 million
Worldwide Gross: $26.5 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 45%/79%

Though critics didn't give it great ratings, the "Billy Madison" went on to be Sandler's first box-office success.

(BoxOfficeMojo)

*Note: Percentages represent critic and audience review scores respectively.

1996: Sandler's next film, golf flick "Happy Gilmore" did even better at theaters.

Opening Weekend: $8.5 million
Budget: $12 million
Worldwide Gross: $41.2 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 59%/83%

Better reviews from critics and fans led to nearly double the box-office intake of "Billy Madison."

(BoxOfficeMojo)

1998: Two years later, "The Wedding Singer," featuring the first of his many successful ventures with Drew Barrymore, received the highest praise from critics and largest haul at theaters yet.

Opening Weekend: $18.9 million
Budget: $18 million
Worldwide Gross: $123.3 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%/76%

Barrymore helped bring Sandler to one of best critiqued films at theaters.

(BoxOfficeMojo)

Economists and investors around the world are finally getting used to the idea that China's years of blazing hot growth are a thing of the past.

While GDP will continue to be above average for years to come, China's policymakers are pushing reforms to cool its housing market, legitimize its financial system, reduce corruption, and rebalance its economy as one driven consumption, not exports.

However, the cost of all of these efforts is slower growth. And with public and private financial liabilities sky-high, more and more experts are worried that China will experience a hard landing, a scenario where the economy decelerates to roughly less than 5% causing unemployment to spike and social unrest to sweep the cities.

As you can see from the chart above, GDP expectations are coming down quickly. And behind those numbers are disturbing trends in demographics, credit, housing, and other fundamental factors that are supposed to fuel the Chinese economy.

Private sector leverage is at a level that puts China at risk of a credit crisis.

"Private sector leverage is 17% above trend and on BIS analysis when its gets 10% above trends, there is a risk of a credit crisis."

-Credit Suisse

China's state-owned enterprises have uglier balance sheets than junk-rated US companies.

"China is not unique in having experienced rising corporate leverage in recent years – the same can be seen in other parts of Asia as well as both the US and EM – but the pace and magnitude makes China stand out (see Leveraged China, May 3, 2013). Bottom-up corporate data – less controversial perhaps than the official macro data – suggests that leverage increase has been driven by the SOE sector which on average has tripled leverage in the past five years and which, at 4.6x gross has higher balance sheet leverage than, for instance, US sub-investment grade companies."

"Leverage in the private sector is higher as well, although not as aggressively, and with some dispersion which often relates to the demand trend of the industry. For instance, the property sector which has seen strong sales volumes has maintained more stable credit metrics than, say, the capital goods sector which is suffering from severe excess capacity."

-Morgan Stanley

China has the most levered companies in all of Asia.

"China's corporate sector is the most leveraged and solvency-challenged."

-Stephen Green, Standard Chartered

Anyone who plays football professionally knows that they won't be able to play forever. That means they need to have post-football career plans in mind.

For some, Wall Street is the perfect fit.  It's cut-throat, super competitive and it takes a lot of discipline to put in all those long hours.

So it should come as no surprise that there are a bunch of former football stars working in trading, investment banking and wealth management.

We've compiled a list of some of the best football players in finance. (Note: These names are not in any particular order). 

Many of these guys played professionally before heading to Wall Street. Others were standouts in college.  Some have even done internships at investment banks during the off-season while still playing in the NFL.

If we're missing any big names, feel free to send an email to jlaroche@businessinsider.com to add to the list. A photo would also be greatly appreciated. 

Former NFL wide-receiver Wayne Chrebet now works at Barclays.

Finance Job: He an assistant vice president in the wealth and investment management division of Barclays. 

School: Hofstra University (c/o 1995)

Position: Wide-receiver

Pro Team: New York Jets

Highlights: Chrebet played 11 seasons for the Jets.  He set the NFL record for hte most receptions by a wide receiver during his first two seasons.  During his NFL career, he had 580 receptions and 41 touchdowns. 

Cade McNown, who previously worked at JPMorgan, played four seasons in the NFL as a quarterback.

Finance Job: He recently joined Beverly Hills-based Lourd Capital Management, FINRA records show.  McNown previously worked at JPMorgan Securities and UBS.

School: UCLA

Position: Quarterback

Pro Teams: Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.

Highlights: While in the NFL, he had 515 pass attempts with 281 pass completions. He made 16 touchdowns while playing professionally. 

Thomas 'Touchdown Tommy' Vardell now runs a private equity firm.

Finance Job: He's a managing director/co-founder of private equity firm Northgate Capital.

School: Stanford (c/o 1992)

Position: Fullback 

Pro Teams: Cleveland Browns (1992-1995), San Francisco 49ers (1996, 1999) and Detroit Lions (1997-1998)

Highlights: While at Stanford, he earned the nickname "Touchdown Tommy." During his nine NFL seasons, he scored 87 points.

Kobe Bryant made headlines recently by laughing at a reporter's suggestion that he take a pay cut following the $32 million he will make this season.

And why should he?

It is perplexing when athletes take pay cuts and ironic when fans get angry at the choice. Many fans long for idealized athletes who only care about winning. The theory goes that nothing brings money like winning.

The only thing fans leave out of that equation is they will only be happy when it is their athletes taking pay cuts to stay with their teams. 

As sports writer Dave Zirin is famous for noting, sports can turn the most ardent capitalists into socialists. 

LeBron James left $15 million on the table by signing with Miami.

So did Chris Bosh.

Tim Duncan cut his salary from $21 million to $10 million last offseason.

Mention the ever-widening wealth gap in America and chances are most of the focus will be on the grown-ups. 

Their 401(k)s were pummeled during the recession, their earnings plummeted, and even a college degree couldn't guarantee them a job in shaky economic times. 

But what about the children?

Under the radar, study after study has shown just how the growing wealth gap could stymie upward mobility for America's youth. In a telling report  by Washington, D.C.-based think tank, The Hamilton Project, a team of researchers uncover economic data that show exactly how income inequality can impact social mobility in America. 

"It is too early to say for certain whether the rise in income inequality over the past few decades has caused a fall in social mobility of the poor and those in the middle class," the authors write. "The first generation of Americans to grow up under this inequality is, on average, in high school—but the early signs are troubling." 

Family incomes have declined for a third of American children over the past few decades.

And forget what you heard about the American Dream. "In fact, in terms of both income inequality and social mobility, the United States is in the middle of the pack when compared to other nations, most of which are democratic countries with market economies," the authors write.

The reality is that it's even tougher for poor children to make up for their parents' lost ground. A child born to parents with income in the lowest quintile is more than 10 times likelier to end up in the lowest quintile than the highest as an adult (43% vs. 4%).

Much of Hollywood took to Twitter this weekend to mourn the tragic loss of 31-year-old "Glee" star, Cory Monteith, who died in a Vancouver hotel room Saturday.

But probably no one will feel the loss as much as the young actor's 26-year-old girlfriend of two years and "Glee" co-star, Lea Michele.

After being best buds on the "Glee" set since the show's premiere in 2009, the pair finally started dating two years later and never looked back.

The couple were never shy with PDA, gushed about each other in interviews, took extravagant beach vacations and ruled the red carpet the same way they rocked the hallways of William McKinley High School on their hit show: together.

Cory Monteith and Lea Michele met on the set of the hit Fox show "Glee" in 2009.

Despite being in other relationships at the time, there was always a flirtation between the two.

Cory has admitted he was "very nervous” when he first met Lea because he thought she was very talented.

The feeling was mutual, as Lea later told People magazine, "He really, really inspires me and he motivates me and I think he's just so talented." She added, "I love working with Cory, I always have."

They were just friends for years before finally starting to date in 2012.

Lindsey Vonn doesn't have to be schlepping around to golf tournaments.

She's arguably the best female skier in the world, and she only has a few more months to get ready for the 2014 Olympics.

But since she started dating Tiger Woods, she has been in the crowd at all his major tournaments. Today at the British Open, Tiger invited Lindsey inside the ropes to walk nine holes with him— the first time anyone can remember Tiger doing that.

She has trudged through mud at the US Open, walked on a bum knee, and done much more to be there for Tiger.

They *officially* started dating before the start of the PGA season.

She has been a fixture at his events ever since.

She's currently recovering from a torn ACL.

DOMA (the Defense Of Marriage Act) is dead, and that means that gay couples around the U.S. will be getting married in spades. And more weddings means more honeymoons.

We asked travel experts to weigh in on what they think will be the hottest honeymoon destinations for newly married gay couples.

And while honeymooners may want to avoid places like Russia, which recently passed severe anti-gay laws that will even impact gay foreign tourists, there are plenty of awesome destinations that are just waiting to welcome gay newlywed couples with open arms.

Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Located at at the very tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is a charming resort town that has been drawing in gay travelers for years.

"This is a gay Mecca, which makes it an obvious choice for gay honeymooners," Pauline Frommer, the publisher of Frommers.com, said. "It's famous for drag shows, restaurants, and a vibrant gay community that's been there for decades."

The town is chock-full of quaint guest houses, elegant restaurants, and has access to the incredible beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

"Massachusetts was one of the first states to allow same-sex marriage in the U.S., and right away wedding bells were ringing in Provincetown," Ed Salvato, the editor in chief of gay travel magazine ManAboutWorld, said. "It has all the tourism infrastructure and the tolerance—no, the celebration of diversity."

There are dozens of charming gay-friendly guesthouses and inns, but the Crown Point Historic Inn & Spa and Surfside Hotel & Suites offer exclusive romance and honeymoon packages.

Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv has been billing itself as a gay-friendly destination for a while now, doing its best to lure in gay tourists from around the world.

But it really cemented its reputation as a gay travel destination last month, when France's first married gay couple chose to honeymoon in the Israeli beach city—an event which was documented by multiple news publications. France's first married gay couple stayed at the Diaghilev Live Art Hotel, a sleek design boutique hotel.

"Israel has a very open and large gay community," Pauline Frommer said. "If you've ever wanted to travel to the Middle East, it's a cosmopolitan, fascinating city. It has fascinating museums, extraordinary restaurants, gay clubs and gay bars. It's very warm and welcoming to gay couples."

Frommer added that gay couples may want to take a side trip to Jerusalem, but may have to keep their relationships under wraps there since the ancient city is so religious.

Napa and Sonoma, California

Between the miles of pristine vineyards and the great food and wine that often accompanies it, there's something incredibly romantic about wine country.

And California's wine country has plenty to celebrate this year, with the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Proposition 8 and made same-sex marriage legal within the state.

"With its abundance of wine, winery tours, and unique bed and breakfast getaways,  this area is quickly becoming a popular destination,"Mark Novak,  president of HotelCoupons.com, said. "It is also very close to San Francisco which has long been a very friendly city to the LGBT community. The area recently celebrated the DOMA decision at its annual Gay Days celebration with an expected 40% increase in attendance."

Honeymooners will want to sip the region's delicious wines, explore quaint towns like St. Helena and Yountville, stay at a charming bed and breakfast like The Inn on First in downtown Napa Valley, take the wine train, and just relax with their new husbands or wives. 

College is expensive. Beyond tuition, chances are your child will also have to buy books, new clothes, kegs of beer, and even some housewares to furnish a dorm room or apartment.

With all this spending going on, the line between need and want might get a little blurred.

Though ultimately a lot of these expenditures are up to the parental unit, we've put together a list of things that you might think a college student needs, but that you really should avoid buying for back to school all together.

1. A Printer

Most schools offer printing facilities that are either free or cheap to use. If this notion sounds like an inconvenience to your teen, remember this: Ink is expensive, not to mention annoying to replace.

Sure, your kid could be popular being the only one with a printer, but once the ink runs out, these so-called friends will seek free printing elsewhere. And though it might be a valuable lesson for a young adult to learn, you're the one who is going to get a call to replace the black and color ink every other week — and that adds up.

2. A Tablet

In a college setting, even a budget laptop can better handle school-based tasks than an iPad. Writing and editing a term paper on a touchscreen is so difficult, it could easily be a torture worthy of inclusion in Dante's Inferno. (As a punishment for plagiarists, possibly?)

Function-for-function, laptops are cheaper, too. For the same $500 spent on a 16GB Apple iPad with Retina Display (bundled with a $50 Target Gift Card; with $6.99 s&h, a low by $44), you could get a really speedy, lightweight Windows laptop like the ASUS VivoBook Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3 1.8GHz 11.6" Touchscreen Laptop which comes bundled with a 4-year subcription to Microsoft Office 365 University for a puny $359 (with free shipping, a low by $139). All in all, if the back-to-school computing decision boils down to a laptop and a tablet, opt for the laptop... and definitely don't waste your money on also buying a new tablet.

3. Expensive Bedding

Even if your teen's college isn't one that stocks its dorm rooms with extra long mattresses (which are more common than you think), you shouldn't invest in any particularly special bedding; Bobby and his friends are probably going to destroy the whole setup by eating and drinking recklessly on his bed with great frequency, so grab the bargain bin bedding deals instead of the 600-thread count sheets.

Your kid is going to have to buy all new bedding after he graduates, anyway, so why spend a lot on something that is, for all intents and purposes, disposable?