• Google provided data about the most-searched movies of 2018.
• Horror films, dramas, and superhero flicks dominated the list.
• "Black Panther" was the most-searched title this year.

Some movies generate more buzz than others. Using data provided by Google Trends, INSIDER compiled a list of the most-searched titles of 2018.

Here are 10 films that got people talking online this year, from chilling horror flicks to epic superhero blockbusters.

"The Nun" is part of "The Conjuring" series, so it got people talking.

"The Nun," the latest installment in the "Conjuring" horror series, was a big hit at the box office this year. Set in the 1950s, the film tells the story of a Catholic priest and his novitiate who travel to Romania to investigate a nun's mysterious suicide.

The chilling premise (and the hype) made it one of the most-searched movies of the year.

"Hereditary" is another highly Googled horror movie.

Horror flicks clearly get people talking — and Googling.

"Hereditary," one of 2018's highest-grossing independent films was also one of the year's most terrifying releases. Marking filmmaker Ari Aster's directorial debut, the movie stars Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne as parents whose family becomes haunted by supernatural forces and buried ancestral secrets.

"Venom" was certainly talked about online.

Superhero movies tend to get the internet buzzing, and "Venom" was no exception.

The "Spider-Man" spin-off centers on the titular parasitic alien, or symbiote, that merges with journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy). "Venom" received poor critical reception but divided fans. Some found that Hardy's goofy performance made up for the clunky plot.

You can read our review here.

Hailee Steinfeld's roles as Charlie Watson in "Bumblebee" and Gwen Stacy in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" have gained her lots of attention lately — but she's not a new face in Hollywood.

The 22-year-old first gained traction when she starred alongside Jeff Bridges in the 2010 movie "True Grit," which she received an Oscar nomination for at just age 14.

Since then, she's shared the big screen with Hollywood's A-list, including Harrison Ford and Viola Davis in "Ender's Game," Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in "Begin Again," Anna Kendrick in two "Pitch Perfect" movies, and Woody Harrelson in "The Edge of Seventeen." 

Aside from appearing in Taylor Swift's star-studded music video for "Bad Blood," Steinfeld is also a singer. So far, she's released an EP and has collaborated with other artists, and hopes to drop new music in 2019. 

Here are seven more things to know about the actress and singer. 

She was inspired to act at 8 years old after seeing her cousin in a commercial.

Her cousin was doing commercials at the time, and Steinfeld recalled watching the ad on TV, then running to her parents and telling them she wanted to do the same thing. As a compromise, Steinfeld was told that if she took acting classes for a year and stuck with it, she would be allowed to pursue it. 

"It was the quickest year of my life," she said. 

She was a cheerleader for six years.

Steinfeld's older brother played football for six years, and the actress was a cheerleader for his team during that time. 

Steinfeld beat out more than 15,000 girls for her Oscar-nominated role in "True Grit."

The filmmakers searched for the ideal actress through open casting calls in several cities across the US, in addition to online video submissions. They discovered Steinfeld at the California audition. 

"Just the thought of it was kind of intimidating,"Steinfeld told The Hollywood Reporter about her audition. "But the minute I met [co-star Jeff Bridges], I realized that he was just there to do a job — and I'm there for the same reason, and I kind of clicked with him and the Coen brothers [Joel and Ethan Cohen, who directed the film and wrote the screenplay]."

Steinfeld auditioned three times and ended up on set filming the movie within a week. 

Her performance as the sassy young girl Mattie Ross delighted viewers and she earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. 

• In 2018, several medical discoveries were made and health myths were debunked.  
• There were also several health horror stories that shook people to their core. 
• Some of these stories were stranger than fiction, like leaky brains and hairy tongues. 
• Others were more serious, like fewer people opting for vaccinations and more women being killed by people they knew. 
• Warning: This post contains graphic images. 

This year marked many milestones in the health world. The Food and Drug Administration approved a drug that could treat migraines. Researchers made advancements in finding an effective form of male birth control. And some people were finally convinced that gluten isn't as bad as they thought. But not all of the health headlines were hopeful. In fact, there were a number of health stories that were downright terrifying in 2018. 

Some of the stories were "stranger than fiction" scary, like a woman developing a hairy black tongue and a man blowing a hole in his throat after sneezing. Other headlines offered a horrifying look at the state of the country, like US life expectancy dropping due to drug overdoses and a polio-like illness spreading throughout the US and England. 

Here are 23 health headlines that sparked a bit of fear in readers. 

People found tapeworms in their bodies.

In January, emergency room physician Dr. Kenny Banh appeared on the podcast "This Won't Hurt a Bit" to tell a horrifying story: A man pulled a 5-foot tapeworm out of his body during a trip to the bathroom, put it inside a plastic shopping bag, then toted it with him to the emergency room.

Though the cause of the infection wasn't clear, his daily sushi habit may have been to blame. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have detected tapeworms in raw salmon before.

It wasn't the only tapeworm saga to generate attention in 2018. In May, reports said a young hockey player passed a 25-inch tapeworm that's also known to infect humans via undercooked fish. And in July, the New England Journal of Medicine reported a case of a woman with a tapeworm lodged in her spine that caused "electric shock" feelings in her legs.

A man blew a hole in his throat after stifling a powerful sneeze.

A man who "tried to halt a sneeze by pinching the nose and holding his mouth closed"ended up with a hole in his throat, according to the authors of a January paper published in BMJ Case reports. After the man experienced symptoms like painful swallowing and a change in his voice, he sought medical attention. X-rays revealed the small rupture, which later healed without surgical intervention.

The story offered a reminder that sneezes shouldn't be stifled. They're a powerful reflex used to expel germs and particles out of your nose, and holding them in could result in damage to your sinuses or eardrums or an ear infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Some parents aren't vaccinating their kids.

Some parents opted to skip vaccines for their children in 2018. One survey conducted by a hospital in November found a third of parents don't plan to get their kids a flu shot.

In some places, low vaccination rates have led to outbreaks of preventable disease. In November, 17 New York City kids came down with measles after it spread among unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children. (A World Health Organization report found that measles cases surged 30% worldwide last year, threatening decades of progress against the disease.)

Just weeks later, a school in North Carolina with a high rate of religious exemptions for vaccines saw an outbreak of chicken pox.

In light of these outbreaks, it's important to remember that staying up to date on vaccines doesn't just protect you; It also helps others by contributing to herd immunity. When more people in a population are vaccinated against a disease, it can't spread as easily and the entire population is less likely to get it. This protects those who can't get certain shots.

In two years as president, President Donald Trump hasn't hesitated to speak out when he thinks he's getting a bad deal.

NATO has been a frequent target of those attacks, which often revolve around Trump's belief that alliance members' lack of defense spending comes at US expense.

It's not new for a US president to push NATO members to spend more on defense, but the harshness and frequency of Trump's attacks are without precedent for a US president. 

These attacks were, in part, what led Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign in protest, saying that the president was undermining alliances that were crucial to US power.

"My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held," Mattis wrote in the stinging rebuke delivered Thursday.

Here how Trump took aim at the US's transatlantic partners in 2018.

SEE ALSO: H.R. McMaster reportedly called Trump out for asking about taking Iraq's oil

"All this bluster and blasting."

US-NATO ties got off to a rocky start in 2018, when reports emerged in the first days of the year of Trump's contentious dealings with alliance partners at a summit in May 2017.

Trump had given a speech that was criticized widely for appearing to undercut the Article 5 collective-defense provision that undergirds NATO. 

According to a Politico report in January, he left diplomats from the European Union dumbstruck after a meeting that same day.

"He was very tough and very outspoken in his intervention," said a European diplomat who was present.  Trump's comments at the dinner were "unlike anything they’ve ever heard" in such a setting, another European said. "All this bluster and blasting. He walks in and starts talking, breaking china all over the place."

"Few allies want that."

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is seen as a stalwart supporter of NATO, but even he has been at odds with the defense alliance.

In January, he sent a letter to NATO headquarters calling for a formal NATO mission to Iraq with a semi-permanent or permanent command to train Iraqi forces, senior NATO diplomats told Reuters.

While NATO had some trainers in Iraq at the time, there were less than 20 of them, and the alliance was wary of the request.

"The United States is pushing hard for a NATO role in Iraq, not in a combat role, but for a long-term assignment," a senior NATO diplomat told Reuters.

"This looks suspiciously like another Afghanistan," where NATO is funding and training Afghan forces, the diplomat added. "Few allies want that."

Just a joke.

According to a late-June report by The Washington Post, Trump poked fun at the ongoing tension between the US and the rest of NATO during a March meeting with Sweden's prime minister.

The US is far and away NATO's largest member. After the prime minister explained to Trump that his country was not a NATO member but worked closely with the alliance, Trump reportedly responded by saying that was the kind of relationship with NATO that the US should consider.

A senior administration official told The Post that the remark was a joke.

• When troops are deployed or stationed overseas during the holidays, they do everything they can to bring the Christmas spirit to their duty stations.
• Commands host special meals, decorate their bases, and conduct concerts or ceremonies to boost troop morale. 
• Many bases around the world have already started decorating and preparing for the holiday.
• From Japan to Afghanistan, see how US troops stationed overseas are bringing Christmas cheer to their bases.

In Germany, the military community at Ramstein Air Base gathered in late November to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.

In Romania, international troops celebrated together with a candle lighting ceremony.

At Grafenwoehr, Germany, the US Army's band in Europe performed a holiday concert for troops and their families.

• Original Disney movies are iconic, but a lot of their sequels are forgettable.
• The first direct-to-video sequel was "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True."
• "Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World" finds Pocahontas paying a visit to London, England in hopes to save John Smith.
• Some Disney "sequels" are actually prequels, or mid-quels and show their main character's at a young age.

Disney produces so many feature films that it's almost impossible to keep up with them all. Sequels especially tend to get lost in the shuffle, so in order to jog your memory, here are a few Disney movies with sequels you probably forgot about.

"Cinderella II: Dreams Come True" shows Cinderella's happily ever after life.

"Cinderella II: Dreams Come True" is a peek at what happens after the princess supposedly lives happily ever after. You might've overlooked this title, since the sequel to Disney's 1950's classic "Cinderella" was the first direct-to-video sequel in Walt's franchise.

"Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World" brings Pocahontas to London, England.

"Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World" finds Pocahontas paying a visit to London, England in hopes to save John Smith, who's been captured by soldiers under the command of the original movie's villain, Governor Ratcliffe.

There's a semi-romantic connection between Pocahontas and her Englishmen guide, John Rolfe, and it's basically just a really similar storyline to the original film.

"Return to Never Land" features Wendy's daughter.

Peter Pan has his work cut out for him in this 2002 animated adventure when Captain Hook brings Wendy's daughter, Jane, to Neverland. Unlike her starstruck mother, Jane doesn't believe in magic, and the only way she can return home is if she can fly.

With a little trust and pixie dust, Peter, Tink, and the lost boys must make a believer out of her. 

• There are different diet fads from around the world. 
• The Nordic diet puts an emphasis on fresh food.
• Plant-based diets are popular in India.

Every day in practically every corner of the globe, people are searching the best way to maintain a healthy weight. And they're spending a lot of money to in the process. In the United States alone, people spend over $60 billion each year to lose weight, including gym memberships and diet programs.

But no matter how much time you spend on the treadmill, one of the key components of weight loss is diet. And depending on where you live, there are lots of different ideas about the best things to eat to stay slim.

The foods you choose, the way you prepare them, and the portions you consume, all play a role in whether or not you'll pack on the pounds. If you're looking for a new way to get fit, check out some of the most popular diet plans from around the world.

A variation on intermittent fasting lets you eat what you want ... sometimes.

The 5:2 diet, a popular weight loss program in the United Kingdom and the US, encourages participants to consume a normal amount of calories five days per week . On the plan, the remaining two days of the week are meant to be "fast days," cutting calorie consumption down to 25% of the normal amount – approximately 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.

Although the diet doesn't restrict any specific foods, lean meat, soup, and herbal teas are among the recommended foods for "fast days."

People who swear by the diet claim that it has benefits on the body and mind, including clearer mind, reduced inflammation, and more, though of course, more research is needed. 

The Mediterranean Diet is a heart-healthy alternative to processed foods.

If you're looking for a heart-healthy diet, take a page from the countries near the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece and Croatia. Although the diet isn't designed to induce weight loss, the Mediterranean Diet has been proven to help lower bad cholesterol and improve heart health.

The diet consists mainly of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, with an average of nine servings of fruits and vegetables consumed each day. Lean protein like fish is favored over red meat, and nuts are the preferred snack food.  

Those on the Mediterranean Diet don't have to worry about giving up bread altogether, although it is typically eaten with olive oil instead of butter. But one of the best parts about this diet is that you can still enjoy red wine – in moderation, of course.

The Nordic Diet puts an emphasis on fresh food.

Denmark and Sweden are known as some of the happiest places on Earth, but many people in the country have also made healthy eating a way of life. Like the Mediterranean Diet, the Nordic Diet promotes eating local fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fatty fish like salmon and herring, root vegetables, and low-fat dairy products are at the core of the diet.

The Nordic favors organic, seasonal produce, and wild foods, when available. Another major difference between the two diets is that the Nordic Diet favors using canola oil rather than olive oil, as the Mediterranean Diet suggests.

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.

Car enthusiasts are naturally meticulous and picky about their preferences, so shopping for them during the holiday season can be a challenge. I know from experience because I'm one of those people.

If you don't have the know-how or the funds to gift them the rare and expensive cars or parts they dream of, there are still a ton of cool and useful gifts any car lover will appreciate. To make shopping for the car enthusiasts on your list easier, I rounded up 32 clever gift ideas they'll be happy to receive. 

Most of these items are available with two-day shipping, so don't stress too hard about your last-minute shopping — just remember that the sooner you order, the better your chances of a timely arrival.

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.


A wooden gift crate filled with auto-care products

Man Crates Auto Care Crate, available at Man Crates, $99.99

Man Crates has a huge selection of gifts for men, and the Auto Car Crate is the perfect choice for the car-loving guy on your list. Instead of giving him a delicately wrapped gift with a bow on top, he'll need to use the included crowbar to pry open the crate. Inside, you'll find Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam Auto Wash, a Chemical Guys Ultimate Fire Hose Car Wash Nozzle, a scratch-free chenille wash mitt, three professional grade microfiber towels, and a collapsible bucket.

An Alexa-enabled car charger

Roav Viva by Anker with Amazon Alexa, available at Amazon, $49.99

Most people enjoy using Alexa in their homes, but the Roav Viva by Anker now makes it possible to bring it on the road. Simply plug it in the 12-volt adapter and gain voice-controlled access to music, directions, audiobooks, and more. It also provides two USB high speed charging ports for your devices.

A smartphone mount

iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Phone Mount, available at Amazon $24.95

Car lovers would much rather spend their money on cool parts and accessories than pay a hefty fine for using a phone while driving. Giving them the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 is like giving the gift of safety. It can be mounted to the dash or windshield, and is compatible with all smartphones.

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.

Holiday shopping for men — whether it be your dad, sibling, or significant other — can sometimes feel futile. His list is short, and so is your patience when it comes to gift hunting.

Instead of buying him another tie or a pair of socks that he doesn't need, we recommend going with a quality grooming gift instead.

Since every man does some form of grooming on a regular basis, these are gifts he'll get to appreciate year-round. Shaving kits, razors, body washes, facial cleansers, and colognes are just some of the many products guys use to stay looking, feeling, and smelling their best — and these are the best ones to gift this holiday season.

Most of these items are available with expedited shipping, and some should arrive within a few days' time, so don't stress too hard about your last-minute shopping — just remember that the sooner you order, the better your chances of a timely arrival.

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.


SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

A high-end electric shaver

Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver and Trimmer, $169.94 (Originally $289.99) [You save $120.05]

The Braun Series 7 uses Sonic and AutoSense Technology to read their beard's thickness and adjust the power of the shaver's motor to deliver a close shave with just one stroke. By figuring out the optimal shave settings on its own, they'll never experience another bad shave again. In addition to being a highly effective and precise shaver, it's self-cleaning and lubricating.

Check out my full review of the Braun Series 7 Shaver here.

A durable Dopp kit from Patagonia

Patagonia Black Hole Small Cube, $29, available in eight colors

Although it can be used to store a number of small items, the Patagonia Black Hole Cube is the ideal size for a traveling Dopp Kit — and it's super durable. 

An electric toothbrush

Goby Brush Kit, $50, available at Goby

Most people don't swap out their toothbrush as often as they should simply because they forget to do so. With the Goby Brush Kit, they'll never have to worry about using an old toothbrush. For just $50, the kit includes a state-of-the-art of the art oscillating toothbrush, a hygienic stand, USB charger and a monthly subscription for brush heads. 

Order by December 26, 2018 for guaranteed delivery before Christmas.

Read our full review of the Goby toothbrush here.

• Android smartphones are incredibly dominant in the worldwide market.
• As 2018 comes to a close, Sensor Tower has compiled data on which Android apps generated the most revenue from user downloads this year.
• Check out the list below of the 10 highest-grossing apps from the Google Play store in 2018.

Social networking apps had some of the highest revenue numbers on Android phones this year, but the apps topping the charts may not be from the big American tech names you're expecting.

That's according to new data from Sensor Tower, which ranked the Android apps that had the highest revenue numbers in 2018. The data covers a period ending on November 30th.

Between Android and iOS devices, there are three apps that appeared on both devices' top 10 lists of highest-grossing apps, and they're all produced by US-based companies.

Here are the highest grossing Android apps in 2018, and how much revenue each app brought in:

SEE ALSO: The 10 highest-grossing iPhone apps in the world in 2018

10. HBO Now — $38.5 billion

What the app does: On-demand video service

Owned by: HBO

9. LINE Manga — $49.4 million

What the app does: Manga comics ereader

Owned by: Line Corporation

8. KakaoTalk — $57.4 million

What the app does: Instant messaging platform

Owned by: Kakao Corporation

• The holidays are here, which means it's time for Business Insider's tech team wish list.
• Members of the team in New York, Toronto, and California provided the items that top their lists this year, like the iPhone XR and Bose's QuietComfort headphones.
• Here are all the products we're wishing for this season and beyond. 

The holidays are officially upon us, and it's gotten Business Insider's tech team thinking about what's on our wish lists this year.

For some, it's products that are already on the market, products we've all been wishing for for months — hello, iPhone XR!

For others, it's products we expect to see in the coming year. (Where is AirPower, anyway?)

Below, we've compiled the holiday wish lists of Business Insider's tech teams in San Francisco, Toronto, and New York.

Here's what we're asking for this holiday season.

SEE ALSO: From Meghan Markle to the World Cup: Here are the top 10 searches on Google in 2018

Becky Peterson, senior reporter: Dyson V8 vacuum, Bose QuietComfort headphones, a wireless charger, and a smartphone sanitizer.

1. Dyson V8 vacuum — $330 from Amazon
2. Bose QuietComfort headphones — $300 from Amazon
3. Wireless iPhone charger— $22 from Amazon
4. UV phone sanitizer — "I already own it, but it's my wish that everyone else starts using it." $99 from Amazon

Kif Leswing, senior reporter: "All I want for Christmas is AirPower."

Apple previewed AirPower last year, showing a flat pad the company said could wirelessly charge devices such as an Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods case all at once. Apple said the device would arrive in 2018. 

But it's been more than a year since we got our first look at AirPower, and Apple hasn't mentioned it since. Bloomberg reported in June that engineers were struggling to stop the mats from overheating. 

Ben Gilbert, senior correspondent: The "absurdly yellow" iPhone XR.

"Since I gave in earlier this year and bought the new MacBook Air, there's only one other piece of shiny new tech from Apple that I've got my eye on this holiday: the yellow iPhone XR, in all its stunning gaudiness.

That it can't plug into my new Apple laptop without an adapter is mind-boggling, but I'm a sucker for outrageous-looking tech. A bright yellow iPhone is about as outrageous as it gets."

$750 from Apple

Eating the best food in the world doesn't have to be reserved for special occasions.

As it turns out, there are plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world that are surprisingly affordable. Did you know that the cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world, in Singapore, costs just $2.20?

For those who don't plan to travel that far, Business Insider teamed up with the discount website Vouchercloud to find out where the best deals are in New York City.

To produce the list, Vouchercloud looked at the price of a set lunch menu at every New York City restaurant included in this year's Michelin Guide, or if there was no prix fixe lunch, the cheapest individual lunch item. Business Insider also conducted some research of our own to add to the ranking.

As it turns out, there are 19 Michelin-starred restaurants where you can eat lunch for $50 or less — and eight where it'll cost $30 or less.

Here are the 19 cheapest Michelin-starred lunches in New York City, ranked from most to least expensive by the price of the cheapest à la carte lunch dish or prix fixe menu.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 50 cheapest Michelin-starred meals in the world

DON'T MISS: 23 London restaurants where you can get a Michelin-starred lunch for £30 or less

Ai Fiori, Manhattan — $49

Cuisine: The restaurant says it "showcases the modern interpretations of French and Italian Riviera cuisine."

Courses: Set menu of two courses, or three for $68.

Time: Monday through Friday, noon to 2:30 p.m.

Find out more »

Gotham Bar and Grill, Manhattan — $48

Cuisine: Gotham Bar and Grill aims to be "reminiscent of the energy, feel and beauty of a Parisian brasserie."

Courses: Set menu of three courses.

Time: Monday through Friday, noon to 2:15 p.m.

Find out more »

Gramercy Tavern, Manhattan — $48

Cuisine: Contemporary American cuisine.

Courses: Set menu of three courses.

Time: Every day, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Find out more »

• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released on Wednesday its picks for the safest cars from model year 2019.
• The organization gave 20 SUVs its "top safety pick" designation.
• Hyundai had four SUVs on the list, more than any other automaker.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released on Wednesday its picks for the safest cars from model year 2019. The organization gave 20 SUVs its "top safety pick" designation. Of those vehicles, nine were included in the organization's highest tier, "top safety pick+." 

To earn "top safety pick+," a vehicle must perform well in a variety of crash tests. The vehicle must receive a "good" rating in tests related to its front, side, roof, and head restraints, an "advanced" or "superior" rating for front crash prevention and a "good" rating for its headlights. (The requirements to earn "top safety pick" are similar, though the vehicle can receive an "acceptable" rating for a test involving its front passenger-side small overlap and an "acceptable" rating for its headlights.)

Hyundai had four SUVs on the list, more than any other automaker. Honda and Mazda each landed three SUVs on the list.

These are the 20 safest SUVs for model year 2019, according to the IIHS.

SEE ALSO: These are the safest cars for 2019

BMW X2 — Top Safety Pick

Honda CR-V — Top Safety Pick

Hyundai Kona — Top Safety Pick+

Business Insider's photo coverage has spanned far and wide this year — from North Carolina to San Francisco, startup CEOs, livid protesters, family sedans, and chocolate bars.  

We've documented the outcries of people and movements in the streets. We've shadowed those who serve and protect. We've toured businesses that could disrupt entire industries and clinics that can change the future. We've tasted new foods, tried new gadgets, and viewed new art. 

It's been quite a year, and we've seen it all — here's some of the best work we've done in 2018.

All photos are by Daniel Brown, Katie Canales, Sarah Jacobs, Hollis Johnson, and Jessica Tyler. 

SEE MORE: US gun laws, Thai cave divers, and the price of beer around the world: What 2018 looked like in maps

'NRA sashay away': 175,000 people took to the streets for New York City's 'March for Our Lives' rally.

See more photos here.

I tried electric shock therapy —and it was one of the wildest experiences I've ever had in a workout.

See more photos here.

People have mocked Silicon Valley's favorite meal replacement as being out of touch — now its new CEO is determined to win over skeptics who shop at Walmart.

See more photos here.

• A "tiny house" typically ranges from 100 to 400 square feet, less than a sixth of the size of an average house.
• Canadian photographer Mackenzie Duncan lives in a tiny house on Vancouver Island.
• He lives by a zero-waste philosophy, owns four plates, and doesn't have a TV.

As real estate prices continue to rise, many people are opting for smaller spaces and, ultimately, simpler lives. Tiny living isn't just an Instagram trend, but rather a way into a more budget-conscious, eco-friendly lifestyle.

Typically ranging from 100 to 400 square feet, compared to the average of 2,598 square feet for new US houses built in 2013, tiny homes not only require less resources to build, but produce only about 7% of the carbon-dioxide emissions of a full-size house, according to the American Institute of Architects.

Living in a space as small as your typical two-car garage isn't all that difficult, at least for someone like Canada-based photographer Mackenzie Duncan, who will tell you it's certainly more glamorous than living in a van, which he has also done.

Although tiny house living isn't without its challenges, Duncan told Business Insider that the little bit of extra work he's had to put in is well worth it in the end.

SEE ALSO: The tallest building in every US state

Duncan started building his rustic cabin on Vancouver Island a year and a half ago, after getting a taste of tiny living in a converted van.

"I just pretty much learned that you can house-hack your way into living for free," he said.

Because Canada doesn't require a builder's permit for any detached building that is less than 107 square feet, he capped his little abode at 104, which technically classifies it as an accessory.

The cabin is in the backyard of a bigger house Duncan co-owns and rents out to several tenants. It's about a 12-minute bike ride to downtown Victoria on a third-of-an-acre plot of land.

Duncan is still in the process of hooking up solar energy, setting up a self-contained composting toilet, and finishing up construction on his outdoor shower. For now, he borrows electricity and hot water from the big house.

Duncan is a self-proclaimed morning person and wakes up around 6 a.m. each day. He squeezes in a 15-minute meditation session and some stretching before heading downstairs for his "tiny house workout routine," which includes chin-ups on the rafters and sit-ups with feet tucked under the kitchen counter.

"There's just enough room to put a yoga mat down and do some poses, but no twists and turns," he said.

• Condé Nast Traveller recently released its 2019 Gold List ranking of the best hotels in the world.
• The editors selected the 78 best hotels around the world, which included the top 13 hotels in the US.
• Only three American cities had more than one hotel on the list: New York City, LA, and Chicago. 

From waterfront resorts in Miami and Hawaii to an oasis in the middle of the Utah desert, the best 13 hotels in America represent a wide range of luxury experiences.

Condé Nast Traveller recently released its 2019 Gold List, in which the editors select the top hotels around the world. The list features 78 hotels, 13 of which are in the US.

The hotels cover a wide range of prices, starting in the mid-$100s for a night at The Robey in Chicago and all the way past $1,000 for a night at Amangiri in Utah.

Read more: 31 incredible hotels everyone should stay at in their lifetime, ranked by price

Notably, several of these top-ranked hotels are repeatedly mentioned on lists of top hotels across the world; The Peninsula in Chicago and Four Seasons in Hualalai, for example, both also appeared on the US News & World Report's 2018 hotel ranking, as Business Insider previously reported.

If you're more interested in personalized experiences at smaller hotels, consider taking a look at the top 14 boutique hotels in the world, from a romantic retreat in South Africa to a private villa in Thailand.

Keep reading for a look at the best hotels in America. We also took a look at prices for rooms booked out one month in advance, and noted the starting rates.

SEE ALSO: A 7-bedroom Swiss cabin has been named the world's best ski chalet for 2 years in a row — and an inside tour quickly proves why

READ MORE: The 50 best restaurants in the world in 2018

The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel, New York

Rates starting at: $299/night

The St. Regis New York

Rates starting at: $779/night

The Carlyle, New York

Rates starting at: $1,000/night

• PropertyShark just released its rankings of the 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City in 2018.
• Manhattan neighborhoods dominated the list, with eight of the top 10 spots.
• The median sale price among the 10 most expensive neighborhoods ranges from $1.31 million to $3.85 million.

PropertyShark just released its rankings of the 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City, and, unsurprisingly, Manhattan dominates the list.

All but two of the 10 most expensive New York City neighborhoods are in Manhattan; the two outliers are in Brooklyn.

According to PropertyShark's analysis, the only two new entries to break into the top 10 are West Village and Greenwich Village.

Read more: A $20 million penthouse may be about to shatter the record for the most expensive home sold in Brooklyn — here's a look inside

TriBeCa topped the list with a median sale price that's nearly $1 million more than that of the second most expensive NYC neighborhood. Notably, this is the second consecutive year TriBeCa has taken the top spot.

Some NYC neighborhoods are also among the most expensive zip codes in America: A previous PropertyShark analysis ranked three Manhattan zip codes (10013, 10007, 10282, respectively) in the top 25 most expensive US zips.

Here are the 10 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City in ascending order, along with the median sale price in each. You can see the full ranking of the 50 most expensive neighborhoods on PropertyShark.

SEE ALSO: Here's what the most expensive house for sale in every US state looks like

10. Little Italy (Manhattan)

Median sale price: $1.32 million

9. Greenwich Village (Manhattan)

Median sale price: 1.35 million

8. Flatiron (Manhattan)

Median sale price: $1.57 million

• The past 12 months saw some of the usual suspects, like LeBron James, Alex Ovechkin, and Simone Biles, continue their dominance in their respective sport.
• But several new faces showed up on the world stage, with athletes like Patrick Mahomes, Kylian Mbappe, and Chloe Kim soon to become household names, if they're not already.
• We ranked the most dominant athletes of 2018 and ultimately found that nobody can touch Simone Biles for the top spot.

The last 12 months were an interesting sports year for the way the old-guard in sports kept its place, and several newcomers emerged with a peek at the future.

LeBron James, Alexander Ovechkin, Simone Biles, and Novak Djokovic, for instance, all had strong years that only added to their resumes.

But 2018 also featured breakout stars like Patrick Mahomes, Kylian Mbappe, and Chloe Kim, who all look the stars of the next generation, soon-to-be household names.

There's no easy way to define dominance, but we tried our best, taking into account personal success and accomplishments, team success, and, well, straight-up superiority.

Read our 40 most dominant athletes of 2018 below:

Cork Gaines contributed to this report.

40. Neymar

Paris Saint-Germaine, Brazilian forward

Age: 26

One thing to know:While Neymar didn't earn the distinction of "best footballer on the planet" this year, his dominance presents itself in other ways — he's one of the highest-paid, most-followed athletes on the planet, and still playing at an extremely high level as one of the top scorers in Ligue 1 for PSG. With his club already sleepwalking to another league title, the coming Champions League knockout phase could prove decisive for his legacy.

39. Naomi Osaka

Tennis player

Age: 21

One thing to know: At just 21 years old, Naomi Osaka's 2018 season felt like a declaration — the age of Osaka is upon us. Between her brilliant play on the court and her delightful press conferences, she's as captivating an athlete as tennis could hope for the coming generation. Her breakthrough came at the US Open, where she defeated Serena Williams in the final to win the first major of her career. There are many more to come.

38. Zion Williamson

Duke Blue Devils forward

Age: 18

One thing to know: A freshman for the Duke Blue Devils, Zion Williamson has quickly taken over the world of college basketball thanks to his high-flying dunks and his efficient play. Williamson is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA Draft, but not before he looks to wreak havoc on the ACC and bring a sixth national championship back to Durham.

• Google released its Year in Search report for 2018.
• Fashion Nova was the most searched-for fashion brand this year, beating out more established brands like Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Givenchy. 
• These were the other most searched-for fashion brands, according to Google's Year in Search. 

2018 was all about luxury fashion.

On Wednesday, Google released its 2018 Year in Search report, and Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Gucci all ranked highly on the list.

Well-established luxury brands have been successful at staying relevant and reaching younger shoppers by partnering with more accessible streetwear brands and taking advantage of the "star factor" that they have. Young people often see celebrities like Lil Pump and Harry Styles wearing designer brands like Gucci and want to emulate them.

But the top spot on Google's list went to Fashion Nova, a brand that has quickly shot to fame thanks to endorsements on Instagram from influencers and celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B.

In 2017, Fashion Nova was ranked in fourth place on Google's list, beating out Chanel and Dior. In October, the brand ranked as the No. 6 preferred website for young people in Piper Jaffray's semi-annual survey of teen spending habits.

These were the most searched-for fashion brands in 2018, according to Google's Year in Search:

SEE ALSO: We shopped at American Eagle and Abercrombie to see which was a better store — and the winner was clear

10. Moschino

9. Dior

8. Fashionphile

• Atlassian, the $19 billion Australian software giant, has new offices in San Francisco. 
• The new digs take up six floors, but Atlassian is currently only using four.
• Atlassian invested heavily in making this office represent the company's ideals around teamwork — the desks are on wheels, there are tons of nooks and crannies for quiet conversations, and even the artwork on the wall was created by teams of artists working together. 
• We visited the space, take a look around.

Atlassian, the $19 billion Aussie software giant behind the popular Jira bug-tracking tool, takes the concept of teamwork seriously— so much so that it literally trades on the stock market under the ticker symbol "TEAM."

So when Atlassian moved into new San Francisco offices this year, the company took the opportunity to rethink how its own employees work together. In the same way that the new Apple Park campus reflects designer Jony Ive's attention to detail, Atlassian wanted its headquarters to be at the cutting edge of design that encourages people to work together. 

"Companies are realizing that physical spaces are a reflection of the culture," said Helen Russell, Atlassian's chief people officer, in a recent interview. 

We swung by Atlassian's new digs to see how it put that concept into action.

SEE ALSO: Google Cloud is acquiring a research startup founded by some of the top names in DevOps

This is Atlassian's old San Francisco office, circa 2012. A converted warehouse, it was plenty spacious — but also, located deep in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, a far walk from public transit hubs. That wasn't a fun trek after dark, says Russell.

So for the new space, Atlassian opted to go right into the heart of San Francisco's financial district, not terribly far from a Microsoft office, and a short walk away from the San Francisco Bay Area's BART train system.

Atlassian technically controls six floors of the building, but currently occupies four.

Stepping inside the office, you can see that it was designed with lots of open spaces, with tons of seating for people to meet — a reflection of the fact that Atlassian makes some of the most popular tools for software developers to work together.