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How To Make Your Own Twinkies

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twinkies

When news broke today that beloved treat-maker Hostess would not be forced to shutdown after all, Americans breathed a joint sigh of relief. 

The Twinkie was saved!

But given the fact that Hostess' future is still pretty much swaying in the balance, it's probably in our best interest to buck up and be prepared for the worst.  

It's easy enough to make Twinkies yourself in a few simple steps. Nicko of the popular YouTube channel Nicko's Kitchen has posted a complete video demo online.

Click here to see >

All you need is a Twinkie pan, a few ingredients and you're good to go. 

We've posted the full recipe with Nicko's permission below.

Nicko's Twinkies:  

BATTER:

1/2 cup Self Raising flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar

FILLING:
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

THE BATTER: Mix 1/2 cup self-rising flour, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl.



In a separate bowl, mix 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Then nuke it until the butter melts (15-20 seconds). Let it cool.



While the butter mix cools, add the whites of five eggs (save the yolks for later) into a mixing bowl.



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The 25 Most Dangerous Colleges In America

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university of south alabama

Between academics, extracurriculars, and lack of parental supervision, college is already pretty crazy. Serious crime should not come into the picture.

Yet crime is a reality on some college campuses, often involving locals with no affiliation to the school.

The FBI's Unified Crime Report identified 2,696 violent crime incidents and 87,160 property crime incidents on college campuses in 2011.

Although the FBI discourages rankings, we have taken care to provide a statistically valid ranking of the most dangerous schools. We averaged crime data from 2008 to 2011 for schools with enrollment over 10,000. Schools were ranked based on a combination of the violent crime rank and property crime rank (weighted 4:1).

The most dangerous school was the University of California — Los Angeles. The school has 38,157 students and saw 12 forcible rapes, 11 robberies, 17 aggravated assaults, 195 burglaries, 625 larcenies, 18 motor vehicle thefts, and three incidents of arson in 2011.

UCLA was one of many urban schools with a crime problem. It was also one of a surprising number of elite schools with crime problems, joining University of California — Berkeley, Duke, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

#25 Florida State University — Tallahassee

Student population:
40,416

Violent crimes per year:
26

Property crimes per year:
551

2011 was a particularly violent year, with three forcible rapes, 10 robberies, and 18 aggravated assaults.

We averaged FBI data from 2008 to 2011 for schools with enrollment over 10,000. Schools were ranked based on a combination of the violent crime rank and property crime rank (weighted 4:1). Violent crimes include murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.



#24 University of California — Riverside

Student population:
20,692

Violent crimes per year:
11

Property crimes per year:
360

2011 was a relatively non-violent year, with only one forcible rape, four robberies, and two aggravated assaults in 2011.

We averaged FBI data from 2008 to 2011 for schools with enrollment over 10,000. Schools were ranked based on a combination of the violent crime rank and property crime rank (weighted 4:1). Violent crimes include murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.



#23 Arkansas State University — Jonesboro

Student population:
13,415

Violent crimes per year:
9

Property crimes per year:
183

Jonesboro saw an alarming 42 burglaries in 2011, among other violent crimes.

We averaged FBI data from 2008 to 2011 for schools with enrollment over 10,000. Schools were ranked based on a combination of the violent crime rank and property crime rank (weighted 4:1). Violent crimes include murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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8 Big Ways China's Policies Screw Normal Chinese Citizens

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China communist party flag

China is said to have 500 riots, collective protests, and strikes a day.  According to Minxin Pei, this has quadrupled from a decade ago.

Much of this discontent stems from Chinese policies that restrict individual freedoms. Some of these are unique to China, and some are more draconian than others.

As China's 'fifth generation' of Communist Party leaders takes the helm, we put together a few extremely restrictive policies that policymakers should consider reforming. Some of these are believed to be on top of Beijing's reform agenda.

The household registration system limits property ownership and benefits to Chinese citizens

China's Hukou system, a household registration system that comes with benefits like health care, pension, and free education among others, has been a source of tremendous frustration among the Chinese.

That's because the Hukou benefits are only available to people if they continue to live in the city or village in which they were born. About 240 million people reportedly do not live in their place of birth.

Earlier this year, the government encouraged rural residents to apply for Hukou in small cities if they had held a job in that city for a few years and rented an apartment there. Applying for Hukou in big cities like Beijing is much harder.

But these reforms are moving at a very slow pace, and the Hukou system ends up limiting consumption and property ownership. Its ability to control the movement of people from one place to another has also helped create a two-tier urban-rural divide.



Land laws have made farming inefficient and are hurting the urbanization rate

Farmland was collectivized in China under chairman Mao. In the post-Mao era, policymakers pushed reforms that returned land to a family oriented management structure, but the land continued to be owned at the village level by collectives.

China has faced massive protests whenever land has been illegally seized from farmers and sold to raise revenue.

Moreover, the inability to own and mortgage land acts as a disincentive to farmers to invest in their land, while simultaneously limiting their ability to do so.




Controversial labor camps allow for the imprisonment for up to four years without trial

People in China can be imprisoned without trial for up to four years through a system called 'laoding jiaoyang' or re-education through labor.

These labor camps have been around since the 1950s when the communist party would imprison dissenters. But they are now used to imprison everyone from petty thieves, prostitutes, and drug users.

The demand for reforms to this system gained some traction when a mother was sentenced to 18 months without trial for demanding a harsher punishment for men who had abducted her 7-year old daughter was raped her, and forced her into prostitution.

The government agreed to reform these labor camps last month but has yet to clarify what that means.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The 25 Coolest New Businesses In Philadelphia

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Pizza Brain, Philly

Philadelphia is not just a historical stopover anymore. It's a growing hub for startups, an emerging culinary center, and a great place to open a business.

Click here to go straight to the businesses >

We recently spent some time trekking around Philadelphia to find the coolest additions to the city that have opened or expanded in the last year (one of us is a Philly native).

Within the last year, the city has seen the opening of several new gastropubs, artisanal cocktail bars, and gourmet food trucks—all at very affordable prices. More startups are calling Philadelphia home too, attracted by the low cost of living and the city's low-key vibe.

The top 25 businesses that blew us away are listed here in alphabetical order.

Alla Spina

1410 Mt. Vernon Street

What it is: Italian gastropub

Why it's cool: Alla Spina is the latest restaurant from Mark Vetri, one of Philadelphia's most successful restaurateurs and arguably one of the best Italian chefs in the country. 

The North Broad gastropub has a selection of Italian beer on tap, including Negroni. It serves dishes like fried pig tails with fennel agrodolce and poutine with guinea hen leg bolognese and mozzarella curd. 



American Sardine Bar

1800 Federal Street

What it is: Neighborhood gastropub

Why it's cool: This Point Breeze gastropub, which has been open for about a year, features an authoritative list of beers and a constantly changing menu of casual, affordable food. Creative dishes, like the Pittsburgh cheesesteak sandwich, the local apples and ricotta sandwich, and the $2 sardine sandwich, take advantage of local produce.



Brideside

Online only

What it is: An online wedding catalog that exclusively features bridesmaid dresses and accessories.

Why it's cool: A product of the fall 2012 Philadelphia DreamIt Ventures accelerator program, Brideside allows brides and wedding parties to peruse through wedding photos for inspiration, connect with other brides on forums, and shop for styles that they like. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Buildings Like This Helped Keep Soviet Citizens In Fear For Almost 50 Years

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Soviet CenterWhen the cold hard reality of Soviet communism filtered to the masses, Kremlin officials needed more than words to hold their ideals together, and their people in line. Aside from imposing a generally draconian way of life, the Communist Party erected great temples to itself — declarations of power and authority.

Tour the Soviet past >

Combining grand religiosity and pared down government efficiency, the propoganda centers and monuments of the day perhaps capture the essence of Soviet Communism better than any other buildings in the world.

Though the principles that built the structures have proven hollow, these buildings represented genuine power and strength that affected the lives of millions. The presence left behind all these years later is something that must be experienced to be understood.

Our friend and urban explorer Darmon Richter couldn't resist getting a feel for that presence himself, and takes us on a tour of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship monument that towers over the Bulgarian coastline, looking out across the Black Sea. 

Join him as he explains what he found.

As I made my way up the long approach to Bulgaria's 'Park-Monument to the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship', I had no idea that I would soon find a way inside the monument itself.



The old entrance was bricked up, but a small gap in the brickwork led onto a narrow flight of stairs.



One wing of the trapezoid structure was hollow, with dim lighting filtering down through gaps placed high in the walls.



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The 10 College Majors With The Biggest Paychecks

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College students, petroleum engineer

With college tuitions reaching record highs and the task of finding employment as challenging as ever, selecting the right major can mean the difference between making a good living and staying stuck in student debt.

PayScale compiled a list of the college majors that can lead to the highest potential salaries.

They asked full-time employees in the United States who possess a bachelor's degree (and no higher degrees) about their college majors and salaries. PayScale ranked majors by median starting salary and median mid-career salary.

Unsurprisingly, majors in math, engineering, and science led to the highest earning potential, while majors in the arts and education led to lower salaries. So which majors will make you rich?

This is part of our series on The Best Colleges In America.

#10 Statistics

Median Starting Salary: $49,300

Median Mid-career Salary: $99,500

What you can do with this major: Statistics majors make great investment bankers. If you work well under pressure and can make quick decisions, a career on Wall Street might be for you.



#9 Computer Science

Median Starting Salary: $58,400

Median Mid-career Salary: $100,000

What you can do with this major: Computer Science majors make good use of their technical backgrounds with careers in computer programming, web coding and design, or video game programming.



#8 Applied Mathematics

Median Starting Salary: $50,800

Median Mid-career Salary: $102,000

What you can do with this major: Applied Mathematics majors are well-suited for teaching positions, in particular calculus, trigonometry, algebra, and other advanced math courses.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The Most Outrageously Expensive Apartments For Rent In New York City

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most expensive rentals nyc

Living in New York City can be ridiculously expensive.

While the average New York apartment goes for $3,400 a month, there are some penthouses and townhouses asking staggering amounts rents equal to some New Yorkers' annual salaries, if not more.

We rounded up the most expensive luxury real estate rentals we could find in Manhattan.

For $40,000 a month, rent an East 80th Street townhouse. The five-story home has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Click here to see more photos of the apartment >



For $40,000 a month, rent this furnished townhouse on Grove Street. The four-story home has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms, and a garden off the kitchen,

Click here to see more photos of the apartment >



For $45,000 a month, live in four-bedroom Upper East Side apartment. It's in a historic building that dates back to 1907.

Click here to see more photos of the apartment >



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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10 Truly Embarrassing Celebrity Bankruptcies

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donald trump macy's

Actor and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Gary Busey filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in early 2012. His liabilities were somewhere in the $500,000-to-$1 million range, according to a Reuters report.

Busey joins a long line of celebrities who have gone bust at some point or another.

Click here to see >

Here’s a rather amusing take on the whole affair from Busey’s agent, as given to celeb site TheWrap:

“As with many great American institutions, i.e., General Motors, American Airlines, and many others who have utilized the strategic business tool called bankruptcy, Gary Busey’s filing is the final chapter in a process that began a few years ago of jettisoning the litter of past unfortunate choices, associations, events and circumstances that visited themselves upon this great American icon, to enable the start of a new and clear path to peace, happiness and success with his career and his wonderful new soulmate, Steffanie, and their son, Luke.”

Randy Quaid (Bankrupt in 2000)

Oh the irony. After making a film called The Debtors, starring himself and directed by his rather talent-deprived wife Evi, Quaid went broke. The decade ended with Randy Quaid banned from stage acting and the Quaids arrested for allegedly defrauding an innkeeper.



Toni Braxton (Bankrupt in 1993 and again in 2010)

After her album Secrets went platinum with No. 1 hits “You’re Makin’ Me High” and “Un-Break My Heart,” Braxton shortly declared bankruptcy thanks to free-spending ways beyond her success. So much for learning her lesson, though — by 2010, the R&B singer was bust a second time. If that’s not enough public embarrassment for you, tune into the sordid affairs and finances of Toni and her kin in the Braxton Family Values reality show on WE.



Stan Lee (Bankrupt in 2001)

Despite the massive success of comic book heroes like Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and The X-Men, Stan Lee was a dot-com disaster. His web-based comic book venture of the era, the eponymous Stan Lee Media, quickly burned through its capital like so many other firms inflated by the tech bubble. Adding insult to injury was that Lee’s partner, Peter Paul, was accused of securities fraud, too.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SocGen: Here's What The World Will Look Like In 2013 And Beyond

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earth world map

As we prepare for the holidays, Societe Generale's Michala Marcussen and her team are out with their latest update on the global economy.

Policy uncertainty was a big factor in dragging down growth this year.

This is expected to ease in early 2013 in the U.S. and at a more gradual pace in Europe. But austerity will still weigh on Europe.

Further east, China will see a cyclical bounce, though structurally, growth is slowing.

We drew on the report to highlight growth rate for each country from 2013 through 2017. We also highlighted the biggest growth drivers and risks to each economy.

Australia's economy faces risks from a decline in commodity prices and a slowdown in the global economy

Real GDP growth

2013: 2.7 percent
2014: 3.1 percent
2015: 3.1 percent
2016: 3.0 percent
2017: 2.9 percent

2013 inflation

3.0 percent

Forecast highlights

The resource investment boom is likely to peak in 2013, buy exports are expected to recover and housing investment is expected to stop declining.

The biggest risks to the Australian economy are the euro crisis, the U.S. fiscal cliff and a hard landing in China. A decline in commodity prices would hurt consumption and investment.

Source: Societe Generale



China still faces a bumpy landing in 2013 as policymakers take a more cautious approach to easing

Real GDP growth

2013: 7.4 percent
2014: 7.2 percent
2015: 6.9 percent
2016: 6.9 percent
2017: 6.5 percent

2013 inflation

3.0 percent

Forecast highlights

 As the global economy is unstable hopes of external demand supporting Chinese economic growth are fading. Policymakers have taken a cautious approach toward easing which shows they are serious about change. 

There's a 30 percent chance of a hard landing and a 10 percent chance of over stimulation. A bumpy landing is most likely.

"We think Beijing is well aware that the sensible goal is to achieve a relatively less painful deceleration, rather than a re-acceleration of the kind seen in 2009/10."

Source: Societe Generale



Japan's economy will be impacted by its dispute with China in the near term

Real GDP growth

2013: 0.7 percent
2014: 1.4 percent
2015: 0.7 percent
2016: 0.9 percent
2017: 1.3 percent

2013 inflation

0.1 percent

Forecast highlights

Weak exports, production, and retail sales all led to a contraction in the third quarter. The economy should improve next year as the global economy improves.

In the near term political tensions with China will impact GDP. In the long run Japan needs to improve its debt situation.

Source: Societe Generale



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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John Deere Explains What's Happening To The Global Agriculture Market (DE)

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John Deere

South America will solidify itself as the world's global farming powerhouse in 2013, according to John Deere's latest presentation on global agriculture.

The company forecasts a jump in agriculture sales for the continent of up to 10 percent, thanks to favorable weather and strong prices.

The picture for rest of the world remains fairly muddled.

Crop prices will remain high into 2013.



In part, because of a large supply and demand imbalance.



This has also caused farmland prices to spike.



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The Biggest Tech Flops Of 2012 (RIMM, AAPL, AMZN, GOOG, FB, YHOO, ZNGA)

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Mark Zuckerberg

This year saw surprisingly few big, fat failures from tech companies.

Normally when we put together a list of the biggest tech flops of the year it's not all that hard to come up with a list. This year was a bit harder than in the past.

Perhaps tech companies —we're looking at you, Google— are getting smarter about launching products?

But, just because some companies are better at not screwing up, it doesn't mean there weren't plenty of flops. Here's our list of the biggest flops in tech for 2012.

In general, we try to keep our list focused on companies or products that launched and failed in the last twelve months.

#15 Oprah's love of the Microsoft Surface

Oprah was telling everyone to buy a Surface, because it's a "Mercedes Benz." Only problem with that? She seems to actually use an iPad. This is a bad sign for Microsoft. Even its paid endorsers prefer the iPad.



#14 Facebook's Reach Generator

On March 1, Facebook held a big fancy event in New York City to roll out a new ad product called a Reach Generator, which would increase the frequency with which brands posts would hit users' news feeds. Then, six months later, Facebook killed the product because it was too complicated.



#13 BlackBerry 10

RIM's attempt to catch up with Apple and Google in the smartphone wars was supposed to be out in the Spring. It was then pushed to the fall. We're allegedly going to get it in first quarter of next year. Uh huh...



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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The 10 Worst States To Retire In 2012

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ann arbor

It's no secret that retirees generally don't like the cold, so it should come as no surprise that there is an abundance of northern states on this year's list of 10 Worst States to Retire from MoneyRates.com.

However, the weather is far from the only problem these states have.

Check out the worst states to retire in  >

If you love one of the states below, don't take its inclusion personally. This list only reports what an objective look at retirement-related factors dictates.

Naturally, individual preferences can greatly affect your choice of retirement destinations. However, as a guide to some possible warning signs for retirees, MoneyRates.com has sought to identify the states that may have the most significant issues on quantifiable measures.

Key factors for retirement

The following measures formed the basis of this year's analysis:

  • Senior population growth. Based on census data, some states have just been more attractive to retirees than others in recent years, so the growth in each state's senior population factored into these rankings.
  • Economic conditions. Even if you don't intend to work at all in retirement, chances are you wouldn't find living in an area of high unemployment very pleasant. Cost of living and property taxes were also taken into consideration, since these greatly affect seniors.
  • Crime rate. Seniors can be especially vulnerable to both violent and property crimes, so both were factored into the list.
  • Climate. Not everyone wants a warm-weather retirement, but seniors tend not to enjoy extremes, so the climate factor in this list was based on monthly deviations from a moderate 68 degrees.
  • Life expectancy. Looking at each state's average life expectancy for people at age 65 can provide clues on factors ranging from quality and availability of health care to the purity of the environment.

10 worst states for retirement in 2012

When rankings for all these factors were considered, the following states achieved the 10 lowest scores.

10. Rhode Island

The U.S. population overall is both growing and aging, yet Rhode Island was the only state to see its senior population shrink between the 2000 and 2010 census surveys.

Having a cost of living and average property tax that are among the highest in the nation might be one reason. Seniors have a pretty long life expectancy in this state, but that's not enough to offset the negative factors.



9. Maryland

Like Rhode Island, Maryland suffers from relatively high property taxes and cost of living.

Crime and life expectancy are also well below par, which are enough to more than cancel out an above-average climate.



8. Maine

One of the harshest climates in the nation, along with a low life expectancy for seniors, were leading factors in putting Maine on this list, despite the fact that the state does have a very low overall crime rate.



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All The Best Black Friday Deals For Gadgets And Apps

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black friday target television

Black Friday starts early this year.

Some retailers, including Amazon, are starting Black Friday sales as early as today. Meanwhile, some physical stores like Walmart will start their special offers Thursday evening.

We're picking out our favorite Black Friday deals in tech. We'll be updating this list throughout the week, so be sure to check back here for the latest.

Sprint is selling the Galaxy S III for $49.99

What it is: Samsung's flagship Android phone and one of the best smartphones you can buy today.

Black Friday Price: $49.99 with a two-year contract from Sprint.

Normal Price: $199.99 with a two-year contract.

Timing: Begins Thursday November 22.

Where to buy: Sprint's online store.



Dell has a great deal on its Ultrabook

What it is: Dell's 13-inch Ultrabook, the XPS 13.

Black Friday Price: $799

Normal Price: $950

Timing: Begins 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Friday

Where to buy: Available on Dell's website.



You can get one of Motorola's best phones for a penny

What it is: Motorola's Droid Razr M is one of the company's newest Android phones. It has a nice (nearly) edge-to-edge screen.

Black Friday Price: $0.01 with a new two-year agreement

Normal Price: $99.99 with a two-year contract

Timing: Available now

Where to buy: Amazon Wireless



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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13 Must-Have Apps For Black Friday

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texting

If you've waited till Black Friday to get your holiday shopping squared away, you're going to need a lot more than trail mix and an economy-sized bottle of Advil to get through it.

The most important tool in your pocket or purse will be your mobile phone

In fact, more than half of holiday shoppers plan on tapping their smartphones for support this year, according to the National Retail Federation. 

We've rounded up a list of the apps that should be front and center on your phone before you even think about hitting the mall.

The best part? They're all free.

BFAds. This app is perfectly simple. It loads all Black Friday ads onto an easy-to-browse mobile platform. Download here. 

ShopSavvy. ShopSavvy's mobile shopping app lets Android and iPhone users scan QR and barcodes to unlock pricing information on countless products. The people have spoken: This app has been downloaded 20 million times. Download here

FatWallet. FatWallet has mastered the Black Friday app. Use their smartphone app to keep track of all your favorite sales ads, filter by category and compare deals. Once you've got your picks "favorited" you can share your list with friends or family via text and coordinate your shopping plans. Download here.

GasBuddy. Gas prices are are about as predictable as snowstorms on Thanksgiving day. Take the guesswork out with GasBuddy's handy app. All it needs is your location and it'll pop out the cheapest gas rates in your area. Download here.

DealsDroid. Droid users will love this one. With DealsDroid, you can track all your deals from sites like Slickdeals and Fatwallet from your phone. Keep track of your coupons, rebates and set up keywords to filter out deals. Download here.

CouponSherpa. If you've got your eye on holiday deals, don't leave home without loading CouponSherpa's handy app to your smartphone. The app lets you locate in-store coupons in your area, which you can download in seconds and have ready at the cashier. Download here.

Sit or Squat. Not all shops are equipped to handle the millions of questionable bladders that will walk through their doors this season. Find a toilet on the go with this fun app from Sit or Squat. Download here.

FastMall. FastMall is a game-changer for you mall rats out there. The app maps out the largest shopping malls in the U.S., U.K., Canada and France. It lets you track your parked car and find the nearest bathroom and food court. And if you're lugging your stroller-bound tots around, it also points you in the direction of elevators. Download here.

Google Shopper. This app made Mint.com's list of favorites this holiday season. You'll find online prices, barcode scanning, deals around your town and a full directory of stores at your fingertips. Download here.

CardStar. Get rid of the dozen store rewards cards dangling from your keychain with the CardStar app. Once you've got your cards loaded onto the app, you can access them right from your phone. Just show the cashier your barcode at the check-out and they'll scan them like the real thing. Good for Droids, iPhones and Blackberrys. Download here.

Goodzer. Goodzer's free app is like a personal shopper in your pocket. If you've got your eye on a certain product, just punch it into the app (the database contains info on more than 2 million items) and it'll spit out a list of nearby stores that carry it. You'll get the price, availability and directions to the shop as well. Download here.

Retailmenot. RetailMeNot just rolled out an update to their already fantastic app. In addition to loading discount codes directly onto your phone, you'll be able to get alerts whenever you get close to a store offering deals. They call it "geo-fencing," which enables consumers to receive local coupon notifications for thousands of nearby retail stores at hundreds of shopping malls across the United States. Download here.

Happy Hours. After hours battling mobs at the outlet mall, you're probably going to need a pick-me-up at some point. Hit up the Happy Hours app to plot your after-shopping plans. It will use your location to pop out a list of nearby watering holes along with their food menus and drink specials. User ratings clue you into which ones are your best bet. Download here.

See Also: 10 things no one should buy on Black Friday >

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17 Incredibly Expressive Photos Of Dogs

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Gerrard Charles Gethings, adorable dogs

Photographer Gerrard Gethings captures personalities of dogs in earnest portrait-style photos set against minimal background in his book 'Dogonomics.'

Photography of this kind is a stylized art, and Gethings has shared some tips on getting the perfect picture of a pet:

"Capturing the personalities of the animals is always the goal. They are all different so creating an environment within which you have total control of the light is the first thing. It needn’t be huge, maybe a few square feet. The owner should always be there to calm and control things. Putting up a backdrop is a good idea, as this will reduce distractions in the final image."

We are featuring a selection of photos from Dogonomics here, courtesy of Gerrard Gethings.







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15 Tech Geniuses Living Fabulous, Enviable Lives

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Tesla Elon Musk Driving

Some people know how to live well.

They work hard. They play hard. They have fabulous adventures and pursue exotic dreams.

It's enough to make any normal human a little jealous.

It's also enough to make anyone think a little more about their own passions and dreams.

After all, if these folks can do it, why can't any of us push the boundaries of what we can achieve?

Bill Mai: Creating waves of wealth

Charles River Ventures partner Bill Tai has combined his two favorite things in the world: funding startups and kiteboarding.

His MaiTai Kite Camp in Maui aims to teach entrepreneurs how to do the sport, which involves riding a contraption that combines a surfboard with a kite-like sail—through ocean waves.

Through the end of 2011, graduates of Tai's camp had generated $7 billion in wealth by going public or selling their companies, reports Kym McNicholas on Forbes.

Tai is also a sailor, windsurfer, and Olympic Ambassador for the International Kiteboarding Society.



Jeremy Bloom: From mogul skier to tech mogul

Before founding a tech startup, Jeremy Bloom was an Olympic mogul skier. He also almost became a football player for the Philadelphia Eagles. An injury during training camp kept him from playing.

Today he's the CEO of online-advertising startup Integrate, backed by $15 million of venture capital from Foundry Group, Comcast Ventures, and Liberty Global.

Bloom also created a cool nonprofit called Wish of a Lifetime which grants wishes to people 65 years old or older across the country.



Osman Kent: The rock-and-roll life

Osman Kent made his money by cofounding 3Dlabs and selling it to Creative Labs in 2002 for about $170 million.

He retired and became an aspiring music mogul with his own record label, Songphonic Records. He even bought an English mansion formerly owned by Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera, with its own recording studio.

He came out of retirement earlier this year when he found some irresistible new tech. He used it to found Numecent, which could change how the software industry makes and sells its products.



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10 Gifts For The Adventurous Traveler In Your Life

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Avid travelers know that packing carefully is crucial. But even the most prolific travelers don't have everything.

From comfortable shoes and warm jackets to language translators and waterproof digital cameras, we've found the best gifts for the adventurous traveler in your life. 

The Self-Set Digital Alarm Clock With Temp will keep you on schedule.

This travel alarm clock automatically sets the time for the time zone you're in (even taking into account Daylight Saving Time) and it includes a snooze feature and a soothing orange backlight. It also tells you the interior temperature.

Price:$20



CitySlips fold-up ballet flats and carrying case will save your feet.

These flats conveniently roll up into a small and stylish pouch, which can easily fit into a purse.

These shoes are a lifesaver after a long day of wearing uncomfortable high heels.

Price:$22



The Samsonite Luggage Universal Power Adapter will allow you to charge all of your electronics.

It may not be the most exciting gift, but this is undoubtedly one of the most useful things for travelers.

With this power adapter, travelers can charge their electronics in outlets in 150 countries; the adapter also has two USB ports for charging small electronics. It's sleek and small so it can easily fit in luggage.

Price:$27



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10 Gifts For The Aspiring Chef In Your Life

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CookingFrom cookbooks and knives to pasta-makers and slow cookers, aspiring chefs needs lots of tools to create their culinary masterpieces.

We've found the ultimate gifts for cooks.

This Joseph Joseph Worktop Saver doubles as a cutting board and a trivet.

This multi-colored cutting board is a great accessory for any kitchen.

It's heat resistant up to 500 degrees and easy to clean.

Price: $24.99



Everyone wants to look fashionable while cooking. This Vera Bradley apron will do the trick.

Vera Bradley's fashionable apron will make your chef feel pretty even when she has her hands dirty.

Shown here is the Portobello Road print.

Price: $28



Decorate cupcakes and cakes like a pro with this Nordic Ware pen.

This Nordic Ware detailed pen helps the baker make beautiful designs on cupcakes and cakes. It's great for both kids and adults.

Price: $14.95



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These Are The 9 Most Unnecessarily Offensive Thanksgiving Ads

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offensive thanksgiving ad

Thanksgiving ads are generally pretty basic: there's food, family, football, and some quirky Black Friday spots.

But some brands have missed mark with their holiday advertisements and stepped into the realm of unnecessarily, and sometimes flagrantly, offensive.

A popular example this year was various bars' ridiculous decision to market their Thanksgiving events: "Party like a pilgrim, drink like an Indian."

Considering that many activists find Thanksgiving as a whole to be offensive —since 1970 many gather on a hill overlooking Plymouth Rock for an annual day of mourning for the Native Americans who were oppressed and killed at the hands of early American settlers— the negative stereotype of "drinking like an Indian" certainly ruffled a few feathers.

McFadden's, a D.C. bar, pulled its "Party like a pilgrim, Drink like an Indian" Thanksgiving event after offending most people in the Beltway. It ended up throwing a complimentary happy hour "to say thank you to our loyal customers" to smooth things over.

Read more here.



While McFadden's got the most press attention, it's not the only bar to use this offensive and unoriginal catch phrase.



And this Minnesota bar used far more offensive art.



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10 Presents For The Fitness Buff In Your Life

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Do you have a friend who just committed to dropping 15 pounds or a cousin who is training for his first 10K?

From wireless headphones to the perfect outdoor running gear, we've rounded up the best gifts for the fitness buff in your life.

Avoid tangled headphones while running with a pair of wireless earbuds

The BackseatGo Bluetooth headset by Plantronics are super-light, and can be used for phone calls as well as listening to music.

They come with several sets of earbud tips, each in a different size, so they'll be snug in any pair of ears.

Price:$99.99



Keep track of heart rate and distance with the ultimate sports watch.

Garmin's 310XT is one of the most powerful sports watches on the market.

Not only is this model waterproof, making it a great gift for a swimmer, it also calculates calories burned and has a built-in GPS to measure distance and navigate a running route.

Price: $299.95



Stay warm on outdoor jogs with trendy Lululemon gear.

For her, Lululemon's Bundle Up jacket has soft fleece, water-resistant panels, and a removable hood, making it ideal for winter runs.

For him, try the lightweight Training Jacket with a special opening for headphones in the front pocket.

Price:$198 (hers) and $128 (his)



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