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The 25 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made

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The Hobbit

"The Hobbit" has a lot to live up to when it comes out later this month.

The near $250 million budget of Peter Jackson's prequel to the famed "Lord of the Rings" trilogy will set the precedent for the next two sequels for both MGM and Warner Brothers.

However, it's not just Jackson's films that are breaking the bank.

The price at which it costs to produce some of Hollywood's biggest box office blockbusters – and flops – has risen drastically in the last few years. 

Next year, "Iron Man 3,""Oz the Great and Powerful," and "The Lone Ranger" are among the films with budgets north of $200 million. 

We turned to IMDB to find some of the priciest films to ever produce and then formed our own list after adjusting for inflation.

We've also included the original reported and estimated budgets for comparison. A few franchises make it on the list twice.

[TIE] 25. "2012" (2009): $216 million*

Original estimated budget:$200 million

Worldwide Gross: $769.7 million

*All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.



[TIE] 25. "Terminator Salvation" (2009): $216 million

Original estimated budget:$200 million

Worldwide gross: $371.5 million



[TIE] 25. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009): $216 million

Original estimated budget:$200 million

Worldwide gross:$836.3 million



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Photos From The Outrageous Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

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victoria's secret fashion show 2012

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show airs tonight at 10 p.m. on CBS.

This year's event, which had a circus theme, was one of the most elaborate ever. We were there when they taped the show last month and have exclusive images 

The show started with a full-on circus, complete with acrobats, a sword-swallower and a man on stilts. Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars performed.

Despite the huge production, the focus was on the 40 gorgeous models who walked the runway.

Adriana Lima sizzled in red, while Alessandra Ambrosio looked amazing just months after giving birth.

Other favorites like Erin Heatherton, Doutzen Kroes and Karlie Kloss also walked.

Victoria's Secret's Fashion Show program for 2012.



At the Armory on Lexington between 26th St. and 24th St. a Nor'easter struck Manhattan earlier on the day of show time. But that didn't stop people from showing up.



Security was tight.



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Welcome To Maricopa City, AZ, Where People Are Flipping Houses Like It's 2005

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sun devil cheerleaders

According to Case-Shiller, home prices are going crazy in Phoenix — +20.4 percent YOY.

We wanted to take a look at what exactly is going on down there.

But on our (virtual) way southwest, we ran into Maricopa, AZ, population 45,000.

According to Zillow, Maricopa's home value index leads all Phoenix-area towns (it's a 40-minute drive from the city).

Now, Zillow's data is not entirely scientific — they rely on a propietary calculation to determine home values.

Still, looking closely at what's going on in Maricopa reveals a home market that is practically indistinguishable from your average bubble town of six or seven years ago.

Maricopa has seen a 38-percent year-over-year increase in its Zillow Home Value Index — Zillow's proprietary market value calculation



From this bird's eye view map of 2012 sales in the city, you can already tell something strange is going on



Zoom in closer and you see an explosion of sales



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Check Out Some Awesome Art From The Woman Who Met Jay-Z On The Train

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Ellen Grossman Art

Everyone wants to know more about Ellen Grossman, the woman Jay-Z spoke with during his subway adventure in October.

In the video that's going viral, Grossman asked Jay-Z what he did for a living, but he never asked her occupation in return.

Well, it turns out Grossman's an artist and sculptor. 

We tracked down her art portfolio online and found Grossman discussing her work in depth on YouTube. She works primarily with aluminum screening and metallic gel on paper to create her drawings and sculptures. 

We're in awe by the complexity of her work.

Grossman's drawings and sculptures are based on topography. This piece called "Subsequent Hills" is based on the geological formations of the Rocky Mountains.



It's made with metallic gel on blue paper. Grossman notated the dates on each end of this piece to show when she started and ended a line.



Here's another drawing in the same style called "Whatever Can Go Wrong" that took Grossman more than a year to complete.



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The 10 Cities That Offer The Best Quality Of Life

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Lake geneva

If you want to have a great quality of life, move to Europe.

The continent is home to 15 of the 25 cities with the best quality of life on consulting company Mercer's annual ranking. Vienna took the top spot, followed by Zurich.

Mercer's survey is intended to help multinational companies determine expatriate compensation packages.

But the data, which assesses local living conditions based on factors such as political and social environment, housing, and education, provides a fascinating insight into what life is like in cities around the globe.

10. Sydney, Australia (tie)

Sydney boasts beautiful parks and beaches, great weather, and one of the world's most famous and exquisite opera houses.



10. Bern, Switzerland (tie)

Scenic Bern is consistently ranked as a city with a high quality of life.

The city's lovely historic old town is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it has a wide range of sport and culture for a city of just 125,000 people.



9. Copenhagen, Denmark

The Danish capital offers great quality of life, and it's residents are the happiest in the world according to a UN survey.

Perhaps that's partly because of the beloved amusement park located at the city's center.



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Here's What The Women Of Business Insider Really Want For The Holidays

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opening christmas gift present

It's not easy to pick out the perfect gift for a girlfriend or wife, and some presents can seriously bomb.

We asked the ladies of Business Insider what their ideal present from a significant other would be this holiday season, and we came up with some great places to buy those gifts.

Guys, we hope you'll take inspiration from this list.

"We could go out to eat at a nice restaurant — the memory matters more than something material"

A nice dinner is a sweet thought, but you can amp up that evening out by signing up for a cooking lesson or wine tasting class.

Sur La Table offers cooking classes at dozens of locations around the U.S., ranging from $59 to $85 per person.

Take a lesson and prepare a romantic meal together — the kitchen retailer's holiday class offerings include holiday cookies, "perfect" prime rib, and "date night" surf and turf.



"A Nespresso machine"

This is an easy wish to satisfy.

Nespresso released its one-touch single cup "U" espresso machine this fall, and the device is cool looking and compact enough for tiny kitchens. Pick one up at Williams-Sonoma for $199.95.



"Cute shoes"

One of our editors would flip for these leather booties from DV by Dolce Vita.

They're great for day or night, and look adorable with a dress or pants. Pick them up for $129 at Bloomingdale's; if you order them in the wrong size, the company will ship an exchanged pair for free.

 



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The 10 Easiest Foreign Languages For English Speakers To Learn

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tourist guide book travel

More and more Brits are finding their first job abroad.

But how difficult is it to pick up the language?

Anne Merritt reveals the 10 easiest to learn from scratch.

Afrikaans

Like English, Afrikaans is in the West Germanic language family.

Unlike English, its structure won’t make your head spin. A great feature of Afrikaans, especially for grammar-phobes, is its logical and non-inflective structure.

Unlike English, there is no verb conjugation (swim, swam, swum). Unlike Romance languages, there is no gender (un homme, une femme in French).

Another feature of Afrikaans is its vocabulary, which shares many Germanic-derived root words that are familiar to English speakers.

Vocabulary-building is as easy as pointing to an object and asking, “Wat is dit in Afrikaans?”



French

We can thank William the Conqueror for excellent, colour, identity, and about 8000 other French-derived English words left over from the Norman occupation.

Linguists estimate that French has influenced up to a third of the modern English language, from the language of the courts in the 11th century to modern terms like je ne sais quoi, après-ski, and bourgeois.

For language learners, English has more in common lexically with French than any other Romance language.

This means that French vocabulary is more familiar, recognisable, and easy to comprehend.

Advanced French learners may struggle with its gendered nouns and 17 verb forms, but for conversational learning, it’s relatively facile.



Spanish

For language learners, a great feature of Spanish is its shallow orthographicdepth – that is, in most cases, words are written as pronounced.

This means that reading and writing in Spanish is a straightforward task.

Pronunciation is also fairly easy for native English speakers, with only ten vowel and diphthong sounds (English has 20), and no unfamiliar phonemes except for the fun-to-pronounce letter ñ.

Grammatically speaking, Spanish has fewer irregularities that other Romance languages.

Spanish is also an attractive second language for English speakers because of its international status.

Spanish is an official language on three continents, and with growing economies in Latin and South America, it’s a valuable professional skill.

In a Telegraph survey,37 per cent of employers rated Spanish as a useful language to know.



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10 Unique Holiday Gifts That Cost $10 Or Less

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iplunge iphone

Are you one of the millions of Americans who are taking a conservative approach to gift giving this holiday season?

Me too! And you know what? We aren’t alone.

Check out these great gift ideas >

The National Retail Federation’s holiday spending survey found that over 52% of holiday shoppers are scaling back on their holiday shopping for 2012, with most citing the economy as the main factor.

According to NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay, “More than half of Americans this holiday season will feel the impact of the economy and will compensate by doing what they’ve been doing for several years – looking for ways to cut any corners, comparative shop online and in stores more often, and even planning to travel less or not at all,” stated Shay.

Despite the recent shift towards better spending habits, consumers still plan on spending a good chunk of change on the holidays. According to NRF’s holiday consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, the average consumer will spend $749.51 this holiday season, with gifts accounting for the largest portion of that figure.

That’s a lot of candy canes!

To all my dear family, friends, colleagues, and Secret Santa/White Elephant gift exchange recipients: I am not spending $750 on the holidays this year. In fact, I’m shooting for a figure more like $150.

I know how hard it is to stay on budget, especially during this time of year. It’s even harder to find holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful, and inexpensive.

But, just because you are on a tight budget, doesn’t mean you have to go the predictable gift card route or risk cutting your fingertip off making a felt flower brooch for your sister-in-law (true story).

I’ve scoured the earth (ok, the Internet) high and low, and here are ten awesome holiday gifts that are $10 and under.

Theo Caramels by Theo Chocolate in Seattle, WA – $9

These fair trade, organic specialty caramels come in holiday flavors like gingersnap with milk chocolate (a peppery molasses caramel) and apple cider in dark chocolate (a fresh apple cider reduction and mulling spices).



Illustrated Stateside Tote by Madewell – $5

These totes feature fun state facts that have been translated into illustrations. State bird? Local delicacies? World-record-breaking pie eaters? Yup, they’re all here—on a sturdy canvas designed to be taken everywhere (12 state designs available).



5 Life Playbook by Dan Zadra — $10

(retails for $14.95 – use the code “Buy5″ for a $4.95 discount – expires 12/26/12)

Where will you be 5 years from today? This “playbook for life” features thought-provoking quotations and real-life examples to serve as both a spark and a road map for your life. It encourages you to celebrate and embrace the “want to’s,” the “choose to’s” and the “I can’t wait to’s” in your life.



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We Had A Ton Of Fun Driving The Oddball 2013 Ford Fiesta Around Los Angeles

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2013 ford fiesta 1.0 liter los angeles

Last week, we traveled to California for the Los Angeles Auto Show and to drive the 2013 1.0-Liter Ford Fiesta, which is making its entry into the North American market.

With the Fiesta, Ford is going after young, first-time car buyers. It is the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid car sold in North America, thanks to the EcoBoost engine Ford has already put under more than 500,000 hoods.

The 1.0-liter Fiesta, set to hit the US market in the second half of 2013, is made to target young buyers who love to drive. In a nearly unheard of move in the American car market, Ford is not offering an automatic transmission. It is a risky move that limits sales to buyers who can drive a stick shift.

(Of course, the other Fiestas will come as automatics. "We haven't gone completely crazy," one Ford rep told us.)

To prove how much fun driving the Fiesta 1.0-Liter can be, Ford set up a route through the mountains and canyons outside Los Angeles, with a stop at a track to do some competitive driving.

Because we drove European models, we cannot speak to the car's interior or various features. But we can definitely say we had a lot of fun.

Disclosure: Ford paid for our travel and lodging expenses to drive the Fiesta and attend the Los Angeles Auto Show.

About 15 Fiestas were waiting for us at the airport where Ford presented the new 1.0-liter.



It's a bit odd-looking, but we do not find it ugly. The color, by the way, is 'hot mustard.'



We drove European spec cars, so there are little differences from what the American version will look like.



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10 Things You Still Can't Buy With A Credit Card

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slot machine jacpot

Apparently, money can't buy happiness, and if you are using a credit card, that's not the only thing your money won't be able to buy.

Despite the belief credit cards can take you 'everywhere you want to be' — as the old Visa slogan went — the reality is there some places where your plastic won't be gladly accepted.

Here are ten items for which you might need to pocket the card and pull out the cash or checkbook.

1. Lottery tickets

If you dream of winning millions through your state's lottery program, you'll probably have to have some cash ready when you reach the register.

Most states prohibit the use of the credit cards for lottery purchases.

Even in the handful of states that accept credit cards, your card issuer may put the kibosh on lottery sales.

For example, even though Massachusetts allows credit card sales, American Express won't authorize payments for the state's Season Ticket program.



2. Gaming chips and slot machines

Like lottery tickets, many states and card issuers have made it difficult to use credit cards for casino gaming.

Many casinos are dedicated to responsible gaming practices that work to prevent behaviors that will fuel compulsive gambling.

Therefore, credit cards are off-limits for some forms of gaming while issuers may tack on additional fees for other usages.

For example, Nevada law prohibits the transfer of money directly from a credit card to many games or gaming devices such as slot machines.

Even when credit cards can be used, issuers often treat gaming purchases as a cash-equivalent purchase which can mean interest rates of up to 30 percent on your gambling habit.



3. Cars

If your limit is high enough, your credit card company would probably be thrilled to have you pay for your next vehicle with plastic.

Your dealer may not be quite so enthusiastic.

Since merchants pay a fee — typically between 1.5 and 3 percent of the purchase price — every time they process a transaction, some dealers just say no to credit card purchases.

In addition, private sellers are often not equipped to accept credit cards.

Of course, you could get a cash advance, but then you are the one stuck paying an extra fee of up to 5 percent, and you most likely get hit with an exorbitant interest rate to boot.



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Hollywood's 10 Most Overpaid Actors

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The Big Year movie posterActors notoriously make millions per film, but there are a few who are paid more than their work deserves.

Forbes compiled this year's list of the most overpaid stars by looking at the actors' salaries compared to how much their three most recent films grossed (only the ones shown in over 2,000 theaters) and how much the movies cost to make.

According to Forbes, in order for a film to earn money, it has to make twice its production budget in ticket sales, plus the millions spent on marketing. A majority of the films on these actors' résumés didn't meet this criteria.

The biggest movie flop on the list is Jack Black's "The Big Year," which cost $41 million to produce, but only brought in $7 million in ticket sales.

*Production budgets and worldwide gross figures are from Box Office Mojo.

10. Sarah Jessica Parker

This "Sex and the City" star returns $7 for every $1 she's paid. Since her stint as Carrie Bradshaw, Parker has not been incredibly successful at the box office. Two of her recent films, "I Don't Know How She Does It" and "Sex and the City 2," barely made enough to cover their estimated budgets.

Last three films:

"New Year's Eve": $56 million budget, $142 million worldwide gross

"I Don't Know How She Does It": $24 million budget, $31 million worldwide gross

"Sex and the City 2": $100 million budget, $95 million worldwide gross



9. Ben Stiller

The "Meet the Parents" actor brings in $6.50 for every $1 he makes. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" was a major hit of Stiller's, but he makes the list because of flops like "The Watch" and a less-than-stellar grossing from "Tower Heist."

Last three films:

"The Watch": $68 million budget, $68 million worldwide gross

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted": $145 million budget, $742 million worldwide gross

"Tower Heist": $75 million budget, $153 million worldwide gross



8. Denzel Washington

Washington returns $6.30 for every $1 he's paid. His movies haven't done terribly, but he commands too high a paycheck, making it hard for his films to break their budgets.

Last three films:

"Flight": $31 million budget, $85 million worldwide gross

"Safe House": $85 million budget, $208 million worldwide gross

"Unstoppable": $100 million budget, $168 million worldwide gross



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How A Company Targeting Grandparents Became The Most Popular Thing On Facebook You've Never Heard Of

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Kardashian Grandmas

When you think of the brands that dominate on Facebook, companies like Coca-Cola, Red Bull, and Disney spring to mind. Grandparents.com, not so much.

But according to Track Social, Grandparents.com was actually the 8th most shared brand on Facebook in the last month and a half — beating out BMW pre-Christmas and NPR during an election season.

Click here to see the most shared grandparent posts>

"Grandparents kind of love being grandparents, and they want other people to know it," explained SVP and editor-in-chief Ellen Breslau. Which perhaps explains why posts on the company's Facebook page are getting shared an average of 3,432 times a day.

The belief that grandparents and social media are incompatible is a stereotype of the past. My grandma might sometimes call Facebook FaceSpace, but she's poked me on it more in the last year than everyone else combined.

Furthermore, as more boomers make the shift into grandparenthood, the soon to be 120 million population (in the U.S., says Grandparents.com) is getting a lot younger and more internet savvy.

"This is the era of Woodstock and rock and roll," Breslau said.

It's a younger demographic that isn't being marketed to by other outlets, particularly in the social media space.

"There's a lot of competition out there for a lot of different audiences," said Breslau, who came from the highly saturated world of women's magazines. "I think there might be something to this idea that no one else is talking about or to grandparents."

So they're sharing on Grandparents.com's Facebook page. A lot.

"One of my staff said it's become a time when we don't send cards anymore" Breslau said. "Grandparents always sent Hallmark cards, but maybe [sharing our Facebook posts] is that kind of sentiment."

The most shared posts are usually the Quotes of the Day — which Breslau admits is "kind of sappy, but very sweet." That's followed by comics/cartoons, crafts, photographs, and grandparent news (like of impressive grandparents who do gymnastics and other unconventional activities).

While there are no photo contests yet, that sharable content is on the way.

"I don't know if they're on Instagram at the moment," she said.

History

Grandparents.com started in 2007 as a website offering grandparents activities to do with their grandchildren. It was sold in 2010 and after going public in 2012, transformed into a full service community site with recipe exchanges, lifestyle articles, and money saving tips.

A necessary part of community building on the site, which now serves 700k users a month, was building a Facebook presence as well. Although the Grandparents.com Facebook page launched in 2009, it only had about 6,000 fans at the end of April 2011.

Then came targeted Facebook ads and a build to its current 55k fanbase, which isn't jaw dropping, but is more engaged than much larger communities.

"The Facebook ads we have running all play on the individual grandparent," social media coordinator LaToya Monah said. "'Are you g-ma or mewaw, grampy or grandpa?  Like our page and share your grandparent name!' 'Who's the little rock star in your life? Like our page & share pics of your grandkids.' If you look at our wall you'll see tons of people sharing their grandparent names, silly things their grandkids have said or done, and photographs of their grandkids."

Interestingly, Grandparents.com's actual website doesn't rely on advertisers as its primary revenue stream. "We are starting to sell insurance, house insurance, and other insurance to this audience," Breslau said. "No one is able to monetize advertising on the web."

Grandparents.com loves sharing noteworthy grandparent news.



But the most sharable posts by far are the quotes of the day.



Even if it's sappy, this was shared 23.5K times.



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7 Things That Are Bound To Cost More This Holiday Season

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girls, travel, on top of the world, happy, alive, free

It's hard enough to scrimp up enough discretionary cash to pay for holiday gifts. But for Ben Tischler of New York City, getting ready for the holidays also means preparing to wed his fiancee, Alicia.

It has been especially taxing since he learned that jewelry prices would be higher this season.

Click here to see what else will cost more > 

"Everything was more expensive than I expected. The jeweler told me the price of gold has skyrocketed," Tischler says. "This clearly isn't the kind of thing I can wait to buy to see if prices come back down, so I bit the bullet."

This holiday season could be a mixed bag for consumers, retail experts say. Electronics such as big-screen televisions keep going down, but if you want that laptop that turns into a tablet — Microsoft Surface, anyone? — or that fancy new camera, expect to pay a bit more than last year.

And some traditional gift items could also take more of a bite out of your wallet as stores tap into the growing trend of using well-known designers or celebrities to hawk their goods.

All in all, prices are about 2 percent higher than last holiday season, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Travel

We've taken into account gifts and food, but let's not forget how you're going to get to your destination for the holidays.

If you are flying, expect a full plane and higher ticket prices.

Domestic ticket prices are up 4 percent from 2011, according to industry trade group Airlines for America.

For those thinking of traveling by car, gas has dipped some, giving a bit of relief.

But "we are still looking at historically high prices," says Heather Hunter, spokeswoman for AAA in Orlando, Fla.

She says about 300,000 more people will travel by car than last holiday season — and they are scouting for savvy ways to save money.

"They are looking for hotels that offer free Wi-Fi or a free breakfast," Hunter says.

When traveling by car, it might also mean more than just paying for fuel. It's not unusual for families to tune up the car and replace tires for the holiday trek, Cohen says.

And tires are much pricier than in the past. Cohen says tire companies are trying to make up for backroom costs, such as paying for all those lawsuits for faulty products in the last decade.

"You used to be able to buy four tires for $280, and they would mount them and balance them for free," he says. Look for these services to all cost something now.



Shoes

Looking to impress that runner in the family with a new pair of top-of-the-line sneakers? Nothing will impress the marathoner like a pair of Volts from Nike.

The running shoes look otherworldly — and so does the price: $150.

But these aren't the only pricey soles. Cohen says high-end athletic shoes across the board are more expensive.

On the opposite end of the shoe spectrum sits the women's discount dress shoe.

But don't take the word "discount" to heart. Vazquez says giving the woman in your life new shoes from the likes of Payless or DSW won't be as light on the wallet as in years past.

The reason again is the use of celebrities and the push to hike up the price point consumers are willing to pay.

As a result, even the discount brands now have a catch. They will make nice gifts, but they are not necessarily cheaper than last year.

"A lot of these budget-friendly brands have become more marketable and are using faces people know to sell their products," she says. "It's cool to wear them now."

And cool, she says, always translates into more expensive.



Digital cameras

A stalwart gift under the tree for any shutterbug is the single-lens reflex, or SLR, camera.

This is the perfect time of year to get new gear for them.

However, manufacturers such as Nikon and Canon are in a conundrum because every smartphone has a camera.

So that means digital SLR cameras this season are for a more niche crowd. These consumers are serious about their hobby.

"Since so many phones have cameras, they are manufacturing better digital cameras to compete with that to offer consumers better quality," Vazquez says.

"Many of these cameras also offer top-notch video capabilities. Camera phones can only do so much."

So, if you are going to indulge the shutterbug in your family, be ready to put down some serious bucks.

Stores such as Best Buy will package a camera with a set of lenses, a bag and other items, which also drives up the price, she says.

Prices for these high-tech SLRs can range anywhere from $500 for a Canon Rebel to more than $1,000 for a Nikon D700.



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See What It's Like To Take The 190 MPH Bullet Train From Beijing To Shanghai

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beijing shanghai bullet train trip jaunted

During a trip to China earlier this year, we had to make our way from Beijing to Shanghai.

Always keen to try out new modes of transport, we opted to forego our usual choice of flying and took the bullet train instead.

Jump to photos of the trip >

Since this Jaunted writer lives in Europe, rail travel—even the high-speed kind—is something we’ve done many times, but we were still pretty excited to try this and would definitely recommend it as one of the best ways to travel between these two cities.

Running between Beijing South Railway Station and Shanghai HongQiao, the fastest service takes roughly 4 hours and 45 minutes, with a top speed of 190 miles per hour (300+ km/h). China is a land of contrasts, and you see this clearly as the landscape zips by outside your window. Before we tell you more about the journey itself, a few words on booking a ticket.

Booking Tickets

While the bullet-train itself is sufficiently futuristic, getting yourself a seat has not quite made it into the 21st century of online booking. The concierge at our hotel in Beijing provided us with the train times a few months before our trip, but needed a scan of our passport and a scan of our credit card (a requirement of the ticketing office, not the hotel) in order to make a booking.

As we weren’t too keen to send these two pieces of information via email, we waited until we were safely in Beijing ourselves to sort everything out. Train tickets only go on sale a limited amount of time before departure, so availability wasn’t an issue, and a travel agency outpost inside our hotel got us the tickets within a few hours. Cash payment was the only option.

Travel Classes And Cost

Two main cabins are available on each train: First and Second Class. Second Class tickets were CNY555 ($90), First Class tickets CNY935 ($150). We traveled in First Class, which you can see pictured in the gallery above. The red seats sit in a 2-2 configuration on each side of the aisle. Exploring the train when we boarded, there was also a Super VIP” cabin, with only a handful of fancy leather recliner seats, which remained empty. The First Class carriage was at the end of the train, and it was fully occupied with a mix of mostly Chinese and Western business people on our trip.

The Journey

We arrived at Beijing South Railway Station by taxi from our hotel and were directed to the doors outside platform 16 by the information desk at the entrance. There are a number of trains between Beijing and Shanghai every hour, and many more to other destinations, so we double-checked with one of the security guards at the platform entrance that we were in the right spot. English won’t get you very far, so this was pretty much limited to us holding the ticket in front of us, pointing to it and the sign above the platform door and waiting for an affirmative response, but it did the trick.

You can only make your way down to the actual platform once boarding begins, and you need to go through turn-style entry gates, so the chances of getting it wrong are fairly limited.

One of the main benefits of taking the train is that you get to see something as you travel. Like we said, China is a land of contrasts, and this is pretty evident during the journey. While not particularly scenic, the Beijing to Shanghai route offers a fascinating look at the country. Crazy construction and monstrous apartment blocks interchange with traditional hutong-style housing and farmers laboring away on rice fields. There’s a certain frenetic pace to the construction you see everywhere, and the scale of the housing developments is truly mind-boggling.

Above the compartment door is a speedometer to tell you exactly how fast you’re hurtling through the landscape. Doing 190 mph explains the blurriness of some of the pictures; our camera couldn’t quite keep up with it.

Leaving Beijing at 2pm, we arrived at Shanghai HongQiao just before 7pm. We were picked up by a driver from our hotel, but there are a number of public transport options to make your way into town. HongQiao is also the location of Shanghai’s second airport, the other being Pudong International.

Bottom Line

A fast, efficient, and interesting way to get from Beijing to Shanghai; we had no complaints at all. Add to that a ticket price in First Class which was not much more expensive than a one-way ticket on a full-service airline, the avoidance of airport security, and we’d do this again should we need to in the future.

The trip starts at the Beijing South Railway Station.



Here's train G3's track boarding gate.



See the bullet train across the tracks at Beijing South Station.



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The Incredible Modernist Architecture Of Oscar Niemeyer

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Oscar Niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer, the Brazilian architect who is considered by many to be the father of modern architecture, died today.

After 76 years of continuous work, Niemeyer died at the age of 104.

Niemeyer was a prolific and innovative architect and designer. He designed hundreds of buildings, including the Cathedral of Brasília, the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum in Rio, and contributions to the United Nations Building in New York.

He is best known for his works in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, which are defined by their curves and abstract forms. His buildings in Brasilia were controversial when they were unveiled in the early 1960s, but Niemeyer proudly stood by them.

“When someone goes to Brasilia, I warn them: 'You may like it or you may not, but you’ll not be able to say you’ve ever seen something like it before,’ ” he said.

Niemeyer, who was born in 1907 to a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro, was a communist and served as the president of the Brazilian Communist Party from 1992 to 1996. After a coup in 1964, his political beliefs sent him into exile, but he continued to work until the very end.

Niemeyer collaborated with Le Corbusier and others to design the United Nations in New York City. Construction began in 1947, but was completed in 1952. This was one of his earlier works, but still stands as a symbol of modern architecture.



Niemeyer built his own modern home in Canoas, Rio de Janeiro, in 1952. It's called the Casa das Canoas.




Niemeyer is most famous for his works in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Throughout the late 1950s into the early 1960s, he designed and constructed the National Congress of Brazil, the Palácio da Alvorada (the president's home), the Cathedral of Brasilia, and more. He worked with his friend, Lúcio Costa, to plan and design the entire city.



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The Only Smartphones Worth Buying Right Now [RANKED] (VZ, T, DT, S)

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Phew!

We finally made it past the holiday release schedule for this year's smartphones. And there are a bunch of great ones to check out.

We ranked the best smartphones out there in the order you should consider them.

Note: We update this list approximately once a month. You can see last month's smartphone rankings here.

#11 Nokia Lumia 920

The Lumia 920 is Nokia's second attempt at a flagship Windows Phone, after its Lumia 900 phone failed to sell very well.

This is one of the first devices to run Microsoft's new mobile operating system Windows Phone 8. It has some advanced hardware features like a super sensitive screen that responds to touch if you're wearing gloves and wireless charging. 

Click here for our full review of the Lumia 920 >

Price: $99.99 with a two-year contract from AT&T



#10 HTC Windows Phone 8x

HTC's Windows Phone 8x is the best Windows Phone you can buy today. If you're looking for a unique alternative to Apple's iPhone or Google's Android, then this is the only phone you should consider.

Our favorite part of the Windows Phone 8x is its incredibly thin and light design. It's made from a solid piece of polycarbonate plastic and comes in a variety of cool color.

Click here for our full review of the Windows Phone 8x >

Price: Starts at $99.99 on AT&T or $199.99 on Verizon



#9 iPhone 4S

Even though it's a year old, the iPhone 4S is still a great device because you still get access to Apple's excellent ecosystem of movies, music, and apps. 

The only downside is that the iPhone 4S is still stuck on 3G networks, meaning you won't get super fast data speeds like you can on the other phones listed here. 

Price: Starts at $99 with a two-year contract (Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T)



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The Biggest Sports Stories In 2012

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Another year in the competitive sports world has come and gone. The year 2012 was ripe with new accomplishments, controversies and moments we'll never forget.

We've compiled a list of what we've deemed to be the biggest sports stories from 2012.

Jan. 9- Alabama wins its second BCS Championship in three seasons, and becomes the sixth straight winner from the SEC



Jan. 22- Legendary Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno dies at age 85



Feb. 5- New York Giants win the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title



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GOLDMAN: These Are The 12 Cheapest Stocks In America

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Goldman Sachs sees a strong year ahead for U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500 closing 2013 at 1,575.

The team led by David Kostin isn't alarmed by market's recent increased volatility, stating that "the market has traded in a wide range reflecting investor uncertainty," which they expect will dissipate once a solution to the Fiscal Cliff is reached.

In his new US Monthly Chartbook, Kostin identifies the stocks with the "most upside to Goldman Sachs target price."

We pulled the top 12 stocks on the list, which offer 33 percent to 50 percent upside relative to their current prices.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Ticker: GT

Rating: Buy

Current Price$12.77

Price Target: $17.00

Upside to Target: 33.1 percent

Goodyear manufactures and distributes tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, and more.

Source: Goldman Sachs



Devon Energy Corp.

Ticker: DVN

Rating: Buy

Current Price$53.12

Price Target: $73.00

Upside to Target: 37.4 percent

 Devon Energy engages in oil & gas exploration, production, and property acquisition.

Source: Goldman Sachs



National Oilwell Varco Inc.

Ticker: NOV

Rating: Buy

Current Price$68.14

Price Target: $95.00

Upside to Target: 39.4 percent

 National Oilwell Varco manufactures mechanical components an assortment of drilling rigs.

Source: Goldman Sachs



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These 10 Old-School Gadgets Have Been Reborn In New Tech

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Nostalgia comes from the Greek: Its literal meaning is an ache for the past.

Today's gadgets are streamlined and simplified—pure touchscreens stripped of ornament—which spurs our longing for bygone hardware.

There's a wave of new technology that scratches that old itch. From the iTypewriter's retro blend of the 20th and 21st centuries to the Atari Arcade that brings old-school style arcade gaming to the iPad, the comeback now looks like the ultimate innovation. 

Some are purely concepts at this point, but the majority are currently available for sale. 

Sony put CD and cassette players on the back burner for MP3 players

Product: Sony Walkman MP3 Players

Cost: Sony has three models of MP3 players ranging from $49 to $299.

About: Sony Walkman devices used to be all the rage before MP3 players made their way onto the market. The first Walkman devices in the 1980s only played cassette tapes but eventually evolved to play CDs, MiniDiscs, and more recently, MP3s and other digital audio files. These days, the main appeal is the Walkman name, for those who remember the pre-iPod era.



iTypewriter lets you type on your tablet like a modern-day Ernest Hemingway

Product: iTypewriter

Cost: To be determined

About: Typewriters have been around since the 1860s and became standard in offices, newsrooms, and government agencies for all correspondence. But with the emergence of personal computers and word processors in the 1980s, typewriters grew obsolete. Yet they linger in one way: The layout of virtual keyboards on touchscreens still uses the old QWERTY typewriter layout, designed to slow typists' fingers down so the mechanical keys wouldn't jam against each other.



The iCade brings traditional arcade gaming to your home

Product: iCade iPad arcade cabinet

Cost: The iCade ranges from $69 to $99 on ThinkGeek

About: Before personal video gaming devices became a staple in US households, kids actually had to go local businesses or arcades in their neighborhood to play games.

The iCade actually stared off as an April Fool's joke but it turned into a real product because customer demand ended up to be incredibly high. 



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A Day In The Life Of Jane Wells — CNBC's Reporter With A Massive Cult Following

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Jane Wells

There's no doubt about it.

CNBC's Jane Wells is the funniest business reporter on financial television. And because she's so incredibly funny, she has a ton of fans and basically a cult following.

She currently has more than 10,000 Twitter followers. At one point, many of her followers urged her to run for President.

The Los Angeles-based reporter took us behind the scenes with her on one of her recent assignments for CNBC.  Her CNBC coverage includes retail, agriculture and defense, California's economy, West Coast real estate and Las Vegas.

For this particular assignment, Wells visited the town of Fernley, Nevada where there are RV parks filled with temporary Amazon workers ("workampers") for the holiday season. 

She documented her day for us from the moment she woke up and until she went to bed.  She even showed us her amazing "pig butts" pajamas.  

Here's our guide for the day, Jane Wells.



My 25-year old alarm clock is the only clock I trust.



I go to the Midwest a lot to cover agriculture, especially the drought's impact in corn prices and livestock. I got this nightshirt in Des Moines: "I like pig butts & I cannot lie". #bacon



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