Sitting just off the coast of New York City's East River, the Brooklyn Army Terminal was first commissioned in 1918 to serve as a major military depot, carrying troops and supplies to bases and battles in Europe. More than three million troops passed through the terminal before it was decommissioned in the 1960s. 

In the 1980s, it was purchased by the City of New York and transformed into what it is today: A four-million-square-foot manufacturing hub that is bringing high-paying manufacturing jobs back to NYC.

Andrew Gustafson of Turnstile Tours and members of the NYC Economic Development Corporation recently took us around for a tour of the facility to see the building's storied past and its bright future.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) is located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It is owned by the the city and run by the NYC Economic Development Corporation, which has renovated it to house more than 100 businesses, including light manufacturing, medical labs, warehouse distribution, and artists' studios.

The Terminal is approximately four million square feet. The city has spent $185 million to retrofit 3.2 million square feet of that space with new electric, elevators, plumbing, and other amenities.

The complex was first commissioned in 1918 to help move supplies and soldiers for the US's war effort in Europe. It wasn't finished until ten months after the war ended in 1919. At the time, it was the largest reinforced concrete building in the world. Here's what it looked like then.

Back in September, it was revealed that New York City’s new most expensive condo will be a $130 million triplex penthouse in the yet-to-be-completed 520 Park Avenue building.

And though the city’s real-estate community was all abuzz, there were no renderings available of what the aforementioned penthouse will look like.

Until now. BuzzBuzzHome reports that the 520 Park Avenue website is now live, giving all of us regular people a look at how the world’s billionaires will live.

This mansion in the sky will have over 12,000 square feet, a 1,257-square-foot terrace, and gorgeous views of Central Park. It will go on sale with other units beginning early next year, according to Bloomberg, and will be completed with the rest of the building in 2017.

The 54-story tower is being designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and developed by Zeckendorf Development Co., the same firms behind the celebrity haven 15 Central Park West and 18 Gramercy Park.

It will be nearby other luxury high-rises on the so-called Billionaires' Row, sitting between 60th and 61st Street. That makes it close to all of the things wealthy New Yorkers love to visit, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Barney's.

There will be a total of seven duplexes in 520 Park Avenue, with over 9,000 square feet each and starting at $67 million. Twenty-three single-floor units will make up the rest of the building's condos and will be priced at a more modest $16.2 million with 4,600 square feet, according to the company press release.

Needless to say, the residences will have only the finest marble, wood, and appliances.

And the view will be incredible.

The building itself will also have plenty of amenities, including a swimming pool, bi-level health and fitness center, sauna, children’s playroom, and screening room.

There will also be an airy "salon" for residents to relax in, and a garden area.

Both locations will be perfect for socializing with your wealthy neighbors.

The $130 million triplex will join the Woolworth Building’s $110 million penthouse and the $118 million trio of penthouse apartments at Battery Park City’s Ritz-Carlton Residences as some of the most expensive homes ever listed in New York City.

Looks like 520 Park Avenue will fit right in.

SEE ALSO: The New Billionaires' Row — See The Incredible Transformation Of New York's 57th Street

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Iceland is a place of surreal beauty. 

The incredible landscape of the island is staggering. Most of the country is an uninhabited moonscape of craters, bright green moss, towering glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs, and fields of lava rock. 

It is so other-worldly that it is often the backdrop in sci-fi films. Iceland was the inspiration for Tolkien’s stories and is sometimes even used as practice for moon-landings. 

Plus, the people are really, really nice — and I should know since I'm from there.

Here are just a few reasons why Iceland is the most wonderful country on Earth.

1. Because in the mid-1970s Iceland built a geothermal power plant, and accidentally created one of the most visited places in the world: the Blue Lagoon. 

Spillover water from the geothermal power plant created pools in the surrounding lava fields, and when people began to swim in those waters they found that it would heal skin ailments, so they opened it to the public.

2. Because “The Journey To The Center Of The Earth” begins in Iceland. It might be a fictional Jules Verne novel, but you can go to the actual place — it’s called Snæfellsjökull. 

3. Because Icelandic children save Puffins. 

Every August, millions of newborn puffins leave the cliffs of the Westman Island to fly over the north Atlantic. But many will get distracted by the lights of the town of Heimaey and wind up on the streets, so people of the town will scoop them up and take them to the seashore to put them back on the right track. Over the years, it has become a special activity for children.

4. Because Icelanders believe in “hidden people” that live underneath rocks.

It is said that the often-harsh landscape of Iceland inspired the stories of hidden people. While this may seem like a strange belief, it is actually used most often to halt new construction developments, which helps to conserve the natural landscape of the country (seriously!).

5. Because there are thousands of waterfalls throughout the country. Iceland is home to the most powerful waterfall and the largest waterfall complex in Europe. 

6. Because the most famous restaurant in the country is a small hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik. 

Hot dogs from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur are basically the national dish of Iceland — not fermented shark. 

7. Because it is the land of the midnight sun. 

To celebrate the summer’s midnight sun, Iceland holds a music festival in Reykjavik called Secrete Summer Solstice. The sun doesn’t set during the three day festival. 

8. Because downtown Reykjavik looks like a wonderland of different candy-colored houses. 

9. Because Iceland is ranked as one of “the happiest places on earth,” by the World Happiness Report. It is also ranked as the world's friendliest country. 

10. Because it is so safe that the Icelandic police publicly apologized last year for killing someone for the first time in its history.

11. Because the Icelandic police also have a great sense of humor and a very silly Instagram account.

A photo posted by Lögreglan á höfuðborgarsvæðinu (@logreglan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 1:03pm PDT

12. Because Iceland is a volcanic island that is constantly growing.

13. Because the terrain of Iceland is so different and vast that it also has the largest desert in Europe. 

14. Because they still speak Icelandic, which is a language that has been largely unchanged for over a thousand years. In fact, Icelanders today can still read the ancient Sagas. 

15. Because it is called the best country in the world for women. For six years in a row, Iceland has been rated as the country with the world's smallest gender gap. 

16. Because this is the only traffic you will run into. 

17. Because Iceland is the only place in the world where you can take an elevator directly into a volcano’s magma chamber.

18. Because Iceland has never had a military, or entered into a conflict (expect for a brief conflict that was literally called the “Cod War,” and yes it was about fish). 

19.Because it is one of the best places to catch the Northern Lights. 

20. Because comedian Jon Gnarr ran for Mayor of Reykjavik, the capital city, on a joke campaign called the “Best Party” — and actually won. One of his promises was to put a polar bear in the local zoo. 

Plus, he dresses in drag to support the pride parade in Iceland:

21. Because nearly all of the homes are heated by geothermal energy. 

22. Because Iceland has a higher percentage of writers in its population than any other country in the world. Icelanders also published the most books per capita. In 2011, Reykjavik became a UNESCO City of Literature.

23. Because Icelanders understand that their country is dark and cold for a lot of the year, so they have outdoor geothermal heated pools open all year round, regardless of the weather. 

The custom of bathing in hot springs dates back to the Vikings, but today you can find heated outdoor pools scattered all throughout the cities. Icelanders basically treat the outdoor pools like bars — a place where people meet and gossip after work.

24. Because the landscape of Iceland is so lunar-like that both Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong practiced for the moon landing there. 

(Recognize this place? You may have seen it in Interstellar). 

SEE ALSO: 24 Reasons Sweden Is The Most Delightful Country On Earth

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Though many college students choose their major based on how much money they will be able to earn in the real world, it's important to consider whether your future job will be one you feel good about doing.

The salary information website PayScale.com decided to figure out which majors lead to the most emotionally fulfilling careers.

To do this, PayScale used data people submitted about their jobs, and ranked 207 college majors based on what percentage of degree-holders responded "yes" or "very much so" to the question, "Does your work make the world a better place?"

In several instances where two majors had the same percentage of "meaningful" responses, we gave deference to the major that had a higher starting salary.

Many of them are the "helping professions," as you'll see.

20. Foods & Nutrition

Grads who find their job meaningful: 71%

Average starting salary: $39,100

Average mid-career salary: $59,800

Potential careers: Clinical nutrition manager, supermarket department manager, operations manager for a fast-food chain.

Source: Payscale 2014-2015 College Salary Report

19. Nuclear Engineering

Grads who find their job meaningful: 71%

Average starting salary: $67,000

Average mid-career salary: $118,800

Potential careers: Nuclear engineer, director of engineering, engineering technician.

Source: Payscale 2014-2015 College Salary Report

18. Exercise Science

Grads who find their job meaningful: 72%

Average starting salary: $34,400

Average mid-career salary: $53,400

Potential careers: Computer science professor, biology professor, earth science professor. 

Source: Payscale 2014-2015 College Salary Report

Welcome to the end of 2014!

We're looking back at the biggest failures in tech. What does it take to be on this list? There's nothing set in stone, but for the most part, it's a bad product, or a big stumble from a company during the year.

Flops are not the worst thing in the world. As Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently said, "Companies that don't embrace failure, they get in the desperate position where the only kind of thing they can do is make a hail mary bet at the very end of their corporate existence."

Another way to look at it: If you everything you do is working, then you're not being bold enough. 

With that said... let's see the flops!

15. Microsoft's Band

Microsoft unexpectedly released a fitness tracking gadget. The snap reaction was to applaud Microsoft for quietly releasing a new fitness gadget. It was a very un-Microsoft move to quickly, quietly release a new product. But that only counts for so much. The product itself was thoroughly trashed by critics. CNET said, "It has mediocre battery life; it's not swim-friendly; Bluetooth syncing and pairing can be buggy; the Microsoft Health app isn't that easy to use, and learned insights seem few and far between. Heart-rate accuracy seems to be a little inconsistent, too."

14. Swing Copters

One of the biggest successes this year was Flappy Bird, a primitive, frustrating iPhone game that went viral. The game's developer pulled the game because it was so successful. He was just one guy and the popularity of the app overwhelmed him. The decision to pull the game only enhanced interest and hype. When he returned with Swing Copters as a follow up, people were expecting a second hit. Alas, it wasn't to be. Swing Copters never really caught on like Flappy Bird.

13. Rupert Murdoch buying Time Warner

In the middle of July, Rupert Murdoch dropped a grenade in the media world — He was offering to buy Time Warner for $80 billion. By August, he gave up on the deal, and hasn't turned back. It was a strange, brief episode. 

In a ridiculous way to draw in more customers, a restaurant in China is offering discounted or free meals to customers of a certain weight, according to CRI English News. 

The owners of a restaurant in Chongqing, China are weighing their customers, and then pricing their meals depending on how much they weigh, CRI reports.

For male customers, the heavier they are, the more discounts they will receive. Any male customer that weighs over 308 pounds will get his meal for free.

But things are a bit different for the female customers.

Instead of heavier women eating for free, the restaurant will offer female customers better discounts the less they weigh. A female customer will only receive a free meal if she weighs less than 76 pounds, according to CRI.  

Because that makes sense. 

According to news outlet Shanghaiist, this is not the first discount based on peoples' appearances in China. There is also a restaurant in Shanghai where tall customers eat for less.

SEE ALSO: 17 Royal Offspring Who Will One Day Rule The World

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Necessity isn't always the mother of invention.

Lots of the things we rely on to cure our diseases, cook our meals, and sweeten our days weren't designed — they were accidentally discovered.

Alyson Kreuger contributed additional research to this article. 

Play-Doh

Inventor: Joseph McVicker, head of a Kutol Products Company, a soap manufacturer in Cincinnati, Ohio

What he was trying to make: In the early 1950s, Kutol created a doughy clay to take off soot in coal-burning homes. But as the Christian Science Monitor reports, people soon switched from coal to gas to warm their homes, and company was headed toward bankruptcy. 

How it was created: McVicker learned that his schoolteacher sister was using the "dough" as a modeling clay in her classes. Eureka! It was a toy, not a cleaning product. By 1957, colored Play-Doh was sold at Macy's and hawked on kids' TV shows — turning its creators into millionaires.

Popsicles

Inventor: Frank Epperson, an 11-year-old 

What he was trying to make: In 1905, Epperson was chilling out on the back porch of his family home in San Francisco. In a very fortunate case of playing with his food, Epperson was stirring powdered soda and water in a cup with a stick. He went inside for the night, but left the cup.

How it was created: The next morning, as  Gizmodo writes, Epperson discovered a "sweet icicle on a stick." He named his invention after himself: the Eppsicle! He made them for his friends, and later his kids, who called it Pop's-icicle, or Popsicle. In 1923, he applied for a patent and the Popsicle was properly born — saving overheated Americans for many summers to come.

The Slinky

Inventor: Richard Jones, a naval engineer

What he was trying to make: In 1943, Jones was trying to design a meter to monitor power on battleships.

How it was created: Jones was working with tension springs when one of them fell to the ground. The spring kept bouncing from place to place after it hit the floor — the Slinky was born.

Goodreads rounded up the best nonfiction books 2014 had to offer.

To compile the list, Goodreads editors nominated titles frequently reviewed on the site, and readers voted for their favorites, casting more than 2 million votes total. 

This year's nonfiction book winners cover everything from how our brains work to the history of video games. 

"The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories" by Marina Keegan

When she tragically died in a car accident five days after graduating magna cum laude from Yale in 2012, Marina Keegan's last essay for Yale Daily News, "The Opposite of Loneliness," went viral, racking up over a million views. Though she died young, Keegan left behind a multitude of essays and prose about finding your calling and making a name for yourself in the world.

Buy it here for $17.99

"What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions" by Randall Munroe

Have you ever wondered how fast you can hit a speed bump while driving and live? Or if there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd, set out to find answers — and backed them up through science, of course.

Buy it here for $14.40

"The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan" by Jenny Nordberg

This book explores the phenomenon of bacha posh, a common practice in Afghanistan where girls are temporarily dressed and raised as boys. Divided into four parts, it tells the stories of four different women at distinct stages in life. 

Buy it here for $16.40

Lots of companies have a deeply religious background, even if you don't realize it. 

Forever 21 and George Foreman Cooking are just the start. Read on to see other big companies that are extremely religious.

This is an update of an article written by Kim Bhasin.

Marriott International Hotels

Bill Marriott was CEO of Marriott International Hotels for 40 years, stepping down from the CEO role in 2012.

Throughout that time, he was an active member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. 

Thus the need to balance his beliefs with his guests' desires.

"I've always been concerned about (pornographic) movies in rooms,"he told the Associated Press in 2012. "In the next three or four years, we won't have any more of those. That's something we've had a real problem with because the Church is very, very opposed to pornography, as it should be, and we are for families. But the owners of our hotels were making a lot of money. In fact, the only movies that make any money are pornography."

ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster owns domestic brands like Terminix, American Home Shield, and Merry Maids. 

It was founded in 1929 by Marion E. Wade.

"Wade had a strong personal faith and a desire to honor God in all he did,"the company's website reads. "Translating this into the marketplace, he viewed each individual employee and customer as being made in God's image — worthy of dignity and respect." 

Theodore Malloch, author of "Spiritual Enterprise: Doing Virtuous Business," says that ServiceMaster is an example of "servant leadership." 

What does that mean? "Think of the picture of Christ washing the feet of his disciples,"he tells CNN.

George Foreman Cooking

After leaving behind a successful boxing career, George Foreman gained new-found fame as the boisterous hawker of low-fat cooking grills.

Foreman discussed his own religious reawakening in an interview with Success Magazine, and said that his personal integrity guides his business decisions. For example, he won't invest in products or sellers that promote alcohol consumption. 

Foreman also spent years as a Christian preacher— developing the charisma he'd use to sell grills.

Holiday gifts don't have to fit in a small box.

This holiday season, surprise your loved ones with a new car. It's something that people both need and want. 

Here are our recommendations for the best cars to give to everyone in your life this holiday season.

For the video gamer — The Nissan GTR

The Nissan's all-conquering GTR is a legend on Japan's racetracks as well as the videogame universe. Known simply as "Godzilla" to its fans, the GTR has grown to mythical stature. Not only the does the GTR offer incredible speed, handling, and acceleration, it is also incredibly docile in real life driving.

Price: $101,770

For the outdoorsy person — The Lexus LX570

The LX570 is Lexus' version of Toyota's legendary Land Cruiser SUV. The large sports utility offers the Land Cruiser's battle-tested off-road abilities with all of the luxury accoutrements expected of a Lexus. Power for the LX comes from a massive 5.7 liter 383 horsepower V8 engine shared with the Toyota Tundra truck.

Price: $82,930

For the 2nd Amendment advocate — the Range Rover Autobiography Holland and Holland

The Range Rover Autobiography Holland and Holland edition is the most expensive Range Rover model ever produced. The Holland and Holland edition is an homage to the famous London-based gunmaker and even features a carbon fiber and aluminum gun case perfect for a pair of the company's high price shotguns. This is certainly the perfect car for the second amendment advocate in your life.

Price: $285,000

International Food & Restaurant Consultants, Baum + Whiteman, have sent out their 2015 trend report.

In addition to hating on artisanal toast, Baum + Whiteman dispensed their advice to restaurants and hotels about what the new food trends will be next year. 

High on their list is all things tech — from ordering to apps. They also think Sriracha will be replaced by honey-centric sauces (like hot honey) while hummus will take the place of guacamole.

And apparently, 2015 is about to become the year of the insects.

At the end of the report, Baum + Whiteman lists the top buzzwords customers will see around restaurants in 2015. Check them out below.

1. Pistachios 

2. Pimm's Cup

3. Iced lattes, with and without alcohol

4. Shaved ice desserts

5. 'Nduja

6. Flavored salts

7. Fermented food

8. Savory ice creams and yogurts

9. Bitter everything: bitter greens, bitter chocolate, bitter coffee

10. More craft gin and whiskey producers  

11. Jewish delis and “Jewish mash-ups”

12. Insects inside protein bars

13. Plant-based proteins

14. Savory waffles and waffle sandwiches

15. Matcha

16. Spicy Ramen noodles

You can read the full trend report here.

SEE ALSO: 23 Craft Distilleries Every Liquor Lover Should Know

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If you're looking to make a trip to the Swiss Alps this winter, consider a stay at Richard Branson's ski chalet.

A property in the the Virgin Limited Edition collection, the Lodge is a nine-bedroom mansion that can be rented for between $88,000 and $180,000 a week, depending on the season.

Amazing features include an on-site masseuse, Michelin-trained chef, and indoor and outdoor pools. 

The Lodge is located in Verbier, one of the most iconic villages in the Swiss Alps.

You can ski into the property, and there's a place to store all of your equipment.

This lodge is massive — it can accommodate up to 18 adults and 6 children.

Using three different advanced stats, we came up with a formula to rank all 32 NFL starters.

The formula uses Football Outsiders' DYAR metric, Advanced Football Analytics' "win probability added" metric, and ESPN's total QBR metric. 

In the five weeks since our last quarterback power rankings, Russell Wilson has surged, Alex Smith has slipped, and some familiar faces have moved to the top.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (previously: 3rd)

Team record: 10-3

DYAR rank: 2nd

QBR rank: 1st

WPA rank: 1st

One thing to know: He has only thrown three INTs all year, and all of them were on tipped passes.

2. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (previously: 1st)

Team record: 10-3

DYAR rank: 1st

QBR rank: 2nd

WPA rank: 2nd

One thing to know: He's out of the No. 1 spot after slumping in the last two weeks. He hasn't cracked 200 yards passing in a game since Week 12.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (previously: 5th)

Team record: 10-3

DYAR rank: 4th

QBR rank: 4th

WPA rank: 8th

One thing to know: He's doing everything he can to play as long as possible, including going to bed at 9 p.m.

At the end of every year, Apple releases a list of the best iPad apps.

It's every app developer's dream to be featured in Apple's collection, and this year's list has a nice mixture of everything.

To help you find something you'll like, we've collected all of Apple's top picks in one place so you can check them all out and download your favorites. The games are all toward the end.

Pixelmator is a powerful image editor that won Apple's 'Best iPad App of the Year' award.

Whether you're looking to touch up a photo, design a poster, or paint something from scratch, Pixelmator is more than capable. It even plays nicely with Adobe Photoshop too.

Price:$9.99

Hanx Writer is a text editor created by Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks loves typewriters so much he made an app that lets you type on a virtual one. Hanx Writer has a polished design, satisfying clicks and clacks from the keyboard, and multiple typewriters to choose from.

Price:Free

Yahoo News Digest is one of the best looking news apps out there.

Yahoo News Digest sends you two curated digests of 7 to 10 articles each day: once in the morning and once in the evening. The articles pull from multiple sources, including essential factual nuggets called "atoms" that give you all you need to know in a beautiful format.

Price:Free

Online real estate platform Trulia has unveiled its swanky new headquarters in San Francisco.

Occupying six floors and 80,000 square feet of space in the swanky high rise at 535 Mission Street in SoMa, Trulia's new offices are a sight to behold. 

Some of its best features include a beer and coffee bar, game rooms, and a full kitchen on every floor.

The space was designed by Rapt Studio, who also did offices for Google, Adobe, and Eventbrite.

When you enter the office, a plant wall behind the reception desk might be the first thing you notice.

The plants are meant to give visitors the feeling that they're entering someone's home.

And since Trulia's primary focus is to help users find the perfect house, there are plenty of design details inspired by the home.

Ward's Automotive just released its annual list of the world's 10 best engines — and it's the most diverse selection of powerplants in the 21-year history of the award.

Six of the ten engines on the list use turbocharging technology to boost horsepower, while another uses supercharging to create ridiculous amounts of power.

There's only one naturally aspirated internal combustion engine, one fuel cell, and one electric motor on this year's list. Of the 10 best engines,four are holdovers from last year's list, while six others make their debut.

According to Ward's, only new or significantly re-engineered engines or propulsion systems that are available for sale in the U.S. and are installed in cars having a base price of less than $60,000 are eligible for the top 10 list.

A total of 37 entries — 10 returning winners from last year and 27 new contenders — were evaluated by Ward's team of eight editors. All of the cars were put through their paces under normal daily commutes by the editors over the past two months in Detroit. Ward's Auto editors then scored each engine based on power, torque, technology, fuel economy, and relative competitiveness, while taking noise, vibrations, and refinement into account 

The Subaru WRX is a legend in the world rally racing. One of the big reasons for WRX's success is the company's signature 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine.

The 268-horsepower engine is one of the three turbocharged 4-cylinder power plants to make the list.

Volkswagen's owes its recent sales resurgence to the Golf. Although the car may be new, its 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is a holdover from last year's top 10 list.

Here's a shocking number: The world produces 1.3 billion metric tons of garbage each year.

And that number is expected to double by 2025, according to the World Bank.

As Earth's population continues to increase (along with its trash output), the ability to effectively manage all that waste management is becoming an ever-more-urgent concern.

India, with its population of nearly 1.3 billion people, produces nearly 110,000 metric tons of solid waste every day. It's a colossal amount of garbage — and, surprisingly, it's key to the livelihood of many impoverished families, who spend their days recovering recyclable materials from India's landfills and garbage dumps to repurpose or sell.

Photographers in India captured this collection of images showing these "garbage pickers" salvaging the recyclable materials from trash dumps.

India currently produces about 40 million metric tons of garbage each year.

Much of that garbage ends up in heaps like this one in New Delhi, where two women are searching for recyclable materials.

By 2025, the World Bank estimates this number will rise to more than 137 million metric tons per year.

Coming into 2014, Oppenheimer's John Stoltzfus was one of the most bullish voices on Wall Street, making him one of the most accurate strategists in this surprisingly strong year.

For 2015, strategists are expecting stocks to move even higher, and again, no one is more bullish than Stoltzfus. 

"We have initiated a target for the S&P 500 at the end of 2015 at 2,311,"he wrote.

Courtesy of Oppenheimer, we've included the key slides from Stoltzfus' brand-new monthly presentation. Thumb through them carefully if you want to better understand what's going on in this bull's head.

Thanks to Oppenheimer & Co. for giving us permission to feature this presentation.

Wage growth is not outpacing inflation.

There's still plenty of room for economic growth.

Bond investors expected faster economic growth this year but the 10-year yield fell.

Which brands improved their reputations on social media in 2014? And which companies made them worse?

Those are the questions we asked Sprinklr, a social media management software company, which used its Social Index tool to track 35,000 brands across a range of social networks to find out which companies saw the biggest increases in consumer love, and which lost the most ground from January through December.

SEE ALSO: Business Insider's 10 Worst Ads Of 2014

SEE ALSO: Business Insider’s 10 Best Ads Of 2014

First up, the brands that gained the most love in 2014.

The 5 biggest social media winners of the year→

5. Burton. Brand love score +689

Sprinklr says: The Burton company continues to provide quality snowboards and great to their loyal fanbase. Jake Burton Carpenter, an early visionary in the sport, heads up the company as chairman out of their Burlingon, Vermont offices, and the Burton Team of snowboarding stars promote the products and authentic brand image.

The company stays on the cutting edge of technology, both in the sport and on social, embracing emerging platforms such as Instagram.

4. Yamaha Motor. Brand love score +722

Sprinklr says: Yamaha Motor Co., which sells a variety of power vehicles, benefits from its longstanding reputation as an industry leader. The company emphasizes product stability and consistency, repeatedly winning awards for quality and customer satisfaction.

This year the company premiered a new bike exclusively for the European market, usher in a new "passion and Performance" slogan for its musical instrument business, and underwent a website redesign.

Meet the Works family.

In 2011, Josh, Jessa, and their son Jack left everything they knew behind and chose to purchase an Airstream bus to travel the country.

They saw it all from the comfort of their tiny, mobile home. From the mountains of Colorado to the beaches of Southern California, it seemed that the Works family had managed to experience everything the USA had to offer.

And they captured it all on their incredible Instagram feed.

Now, nearly four years later, they're starting a new chapter in a Kansas farmhouse. Goodbye, Airstream! We've covered the Works clan in the past, now let's take a look at some of the best photos from their travels. 

Say hi to Jessa and Jack Works! Dad Josh is behind the camera.

In 2011, the newlyweds got a little restless.

They wanted to do something different and change up their routine. They also wanted to see the country with their son in tow.