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These are the 25 most reliable new cars of 2016

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Porsche Macan Turbo

J.D. Power released the latest edition of its "Initial Quality Study." In its 30th year, the study examines the number of problems a new car experiences over the first 90 days of ownership. For the first time in 27 years, a non-premium brand finished atop the ranking with Kia leading the way. Porsche finished second in the study followed by Hyundai, Toyota, and BMW.

Chrysler and Jeep made the biggest improvement over 2015, but both brands still finished below industry average. According to the study, overall quality across the industry is up 6%, with 21 of the 33 brands featured in the study showing improved quality in 2016.

Renee Stephens, J.D. Power's vice president of US automotive quality, said in a statement:

"Manufacturers are currently making some of the highest quality products we've ever seen. Tracking our data over the past several years, it has become clear that automakers are listening to the customer, identifying pain points and are focused on continuous improvement. Even as they add more content, including advanced technologies that have had a reputation for causing problems, overall quality continues to improve."

J.D. Power also broke down the study in terms of each segment of the market.

Here are the 25 cars that finished on top of their category for the 2016 model year:

SEE ALSO: This is a provocative vision of what Rolls-Royce will become over the next 100 years

Midsize pickup: Nissan Frontier



Midsize SUV: Toyota Highlander



Midsize premium SUV: BMW X5



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 17 cheapest cities to live in the world

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Cape Town South Africa

The 17 cheapest cities in the world have been announced by investment consultancy group Mercer.

Its annual Cost of Living survey examines currency fluctuations and the general inflation of basic goods — including the price of accommodation for new residents.

Eastern Europe and Africa feature heavily on the list, and despite their low costs many cities featured are developing economies which may not be cheap for long.

Keep scrolling to see the 17 cities with the lowest cost of living in the world:

17. Belgrade, Serbia — Belgrade is a beautiful place, as long as you can handle the extreme weather: the highest temperature ever recorded was +43.6 °C (110.5 °F) while the lowest was −26.2 °C (−15 °F).



16. Kolkata, India — Kolkata sits on the Hooghly River, and the larger metro area is home to almost 15 million people. Although India has cemented its status a developing economic powerhouse, swathes​ of extreme poverty still means most of it is cheap to live in — because it has to be.



15. Sarajevo, Herzegovina — The capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo has a tough time adapting to a post-communist world, and its slumbering economy makes cost of living here cheap.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 science-backed ways to appear more attractive

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kit harington 2015

What makes people attractive? And sometimes really, really attractive?

Hotness is devilishly hard to generalize. A person's mood, cultural upbringing, and ability to get along with someone, for example, add up to radically different ideas about who's sexy and who's not.

That said, researchers have found some commonalities that seem to make people more attractive than others, and they can be helpful in thinking about how we present ourselves to the world.

We've rounded up some of the more compelling science here. Before you dig in, though, keep in mind that a lot of psychological research is heterosexually biased, and we live in a world where people seek mates based first on their farmer status— so don't fret if you don't see yourself described in this list.

Drake Baer contributed to a previous version of this article.

Be funny.

Humor is huge, especially if you're a man who wants to date women. Multiplestudiesindicate that ladies are more attracted to guys who can make them laugh. 

It makes sense — laughing feels good! — but the advantage seems weirdly uneven. Women who make men laugh, for example, don't gain anywhere near the same kind of advantage. In other words, men aren't paying enough attention to whether their female mates can give them a giggle. What gives, men?

There's some speculation as to what the cause of this disparity might be.

"The effect of a great sense of humor on women's attractions might be partially explained by the fact that funny people are considered to be more social and more intelligent, things that women seek in a mate," anthropologist Gil Greengross writes at Psychology Today.

But, as far as we're concerned, if you're a funny person — no matter your anatomical sex — keeping is unlikely to hurt your chances.



Surround yourself with friends.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes bands are sexy, but their individual members aren't?

Well, you can stop wondering why. A 2014 study from the University of California at San Diego found that people almost always look more attractive when they're in a group.

Writer James Hamblin does a pretty good job of exploring this funny effect for The Atlantic. It most likely happens because our brains process the faces of a group of people in aggregate, making each face look more "average"— and thus more attractive— as a result.

"Having a few wingmen or wingwomen may indeed be a good dating strategy, particularly if their facial features complement and average out one's unattractive idiosyncrasies," authors Drew Walker and Edward Vul write in their original study.

I wouldn't spend too much time worrying if your bar mates' faces average out your unattractive idiosyncrasies. The go out with friends bit is probably good advice.



Skip the small talk.

An interesting way to kick off your first date is not, "How many siblings do you have?" So consider saving those basic questions for later.

In a 1997 study, State University of New York psychologist Arthur Aron separated two groups of people and paired them off, giving each duo 45 minutes to answer a set of questions.

One question set was small talk, and the other was immediately probing. The people who asked deeper questions felt more connected — and one couple even fell in love.

According to Harvard research, talking about yourself stimulates the same brain regions as sex or a good meal. Which isn't to say it's literally the same thing for you as sex or a good meal. But it does make you happy, and letting someone you like talk about themselves in a deep way will make them happy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THEN & NOW: The cast of 'Independence Day' 20 years later

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When "Independence Day" was released in the summer of 1996, anticipation was high. And the movie still managed to smash expectations.

The film grossed $817.4 million worldwide. It was lauded for its groundbreaking visual effects and paved the way for more disaster movies. It also turned Will Smith into an international star. While Smith didn't sign on for the sequel, "Independence Day: Resurgence," many members of the original cast did.

To celebrate "Resurgence," which will be out in theaters on June 24, take a look at what the cast of "Independence Day" has been up to since the original was released 20 years ago:

THEN: Bill Pullman played the President of the United States.

He is perhaps best known for giving an epic speech.



NOW: Pullman has consistently acted since the first movie, but never had a role as iconic. He returns as a much more grizzled version of Whitmore in "Independence Day: Resurgence."



THEN: Mae Whitman played the president's daughter, Patricia Whitmore.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

BARCLAYS: Here's what 6 central banks will do if Britain votes to leave the EU

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The UK's referendum on European Union membership is finally here.

The polls up until Thursday have shown that the balance has swung from the Remain vote to Leave, and then back again.

All this means it's really too close to call.

Leading up to the vote, more attention has been given to apocalyptic market scenarios in the event of a Brexit than to what would happen if the UK votes to stay in the EU.

Some of the forecasts have been grim. HSBC estimated this week that if Britain votes to leave the EU, the pound could fall by 15% against the dollar and gross-domestic-product growth could be 1 to 1.5 percentage points lower in 2017 than it would have been otherwise.

It's likely central banks around the world would be forced to intervene and calm the markets. Here's how analysts at Barclays sees the major ones acting:

The Bank of England – rate cut to 0%

"We would expect the BoE to cut the Bank Rate to zero (currently 50bp) and to deploy a new quantitative easing program. This would likely occur during the summer, most probably at the August meeting alongside the Inflation Report, in our view. The future path of interest rates from that point would then be heavily dependent on ongoing levels of uncertainty, data responses, and the immediate policy decision following the referendum. As Governor Carney has suggested, monetary policy could, for instance, lean against FX depreciation in case of an excessive overshoot."



The European Central Bank – emergency liquidity

"We would expect the ECB to stand ready to announce liquidity measures if required, including through swap agreements with other central banks. We would not expect the announcement of additional monetary policy easing on 21 July, as the ECB would first want to obtain clearer evidence of the impact a UK exit on the euro area’s real economy. Possible measures could include the early announcement of a time and/or scope extension of the asset purchase programme (currently scheduled to end in March 2017) and changes in its parameters (yield floor, capital key, issue share limit, maturities)."



The US Federal Reserve – delays to rate hikes

"This week’s dovish Fed statement --- with a further significant shift lower in the ‘dot plot’ --- seemed mainly driven by the deterioration in the May jobs report. An improvement in forthcoming labor market data could thus put the Fed back on track for a hike (which we currently still expect for September). However, while not explicitly mentioning the UK referendum, the Fed would be unlikely, in our view, to ignore potential financial market volatility amid the US economy’s emerging fragilities. We believe this would likely delay any rate hikes."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This little-known Google app will pay you to do simple surveys on your smartphone (GOOG)

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Google has grown into a huge global empire off the back of its free apps and services.

Rather than charging you to use things like Google Search or its mobile operating system Android, it provides them free of charge, then makes most of its money off the back of advertising revenues.

But one of Google's apps goes one step further — and actually pays you to use it.

Google Opinion Rewards is a little-known app that asks you simple surveys, and rewards you with free credit for the Google Play Store.

Here's how it works ...

Anyone with a compatible Android smartphone can download the app for free.

Here's a link to its Google Play Store page »



It's very easy to set up.



It starts by giving you a short test to make sure you will pay attention and answer questions honestly.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We went to San Francisco’s secret pot brunch, where guests eat gourmet food while getting high

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On an early Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, guests mill about a sunlit warehouse and nibble on à la carte treats. Chef Coreen Carroll has prepared a buffet of lemon curd tarts with edible flowers, crudite and beet hummus, curry chicken salad cups, and more. 

A gong sounds, and the group shuffles outside onto the patio. Marijuana joints wrapped in cigar paper have magically appeared in the ash trays, and the guests don't hesitate to pick up and start puff-puff-passing.

In May 2015, chef and cannabis enthusiast Coreen Carroll and her partner, Ryan Bush, hosted the first ever Cannaisseur Series event in the Bay Area. The underground pop-up restaurant invites medical marijuana patients to share intimate, gourmet meals with like-minded individuals. Every event has sold out.

Tech Insider recently attended the Cannaisseur Series' aptly named High Tea, which promised an afternoon of fantastic food (both pot-infused and unmedicated), locally sourced cannabis, and a sense of community. Here's what it was like.

Chef Coreen Carroll doesn't mince words when it comes to her obsession with pot. "I'm always high," she says.



She and partner Ryan Bush came to the Bay Area from Jacksonville, Florida in 2012 with their sights set on breaking into the cannabis industry.



Shortly after their arrival, a federal raid on Oaksterdam, the country’s first trade school dedicated to the weed industry, sent ripples of fear through the community.

Source: Oakland North



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

After spenting 11 days exploring the dreamy Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, I'd tell anyone to use my favorite money-saving trick

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I've written before about how my favorite money-saving travel tip isn't poring over flight websites or negotiating with hotels: It's traveling in shoulder season.

By choosing to travel six to eight weeks before or after high season ("shoulder season"), I save money on flights, accommodations, car rentals, and most everything else by making one decision and never thinking about it again.

It seems obvious, but a lot of people don't do it. There's a good reason why: Traveling in shoulder season means things are more likely to be imperfect. The weather could be less reliable, the transport could be less consistent, and the scene could be less vibrant. If imperfection stresses you out unduly, this probably isn't the strategy for you.

It is the strategy for me.

At the end of May, a college friend and I spent 11 days traveling through Sardinia and Corsica, Italian and French islands (respectively) off the western coast of Italy. Admittedly, we ran into a few shoulder-season logistical snags, but nothing we couldn't handle. Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: My favorite trick to save money on travel is a single decision that saves hundreds of dollars

Sardinia and Corsica are located off the western coast of Italy. It takes about an hour to fly from Rome into Cagliari, the southernmost city in Sardinia.



We planned to work our way up the eastern coast of Sardinia by car, stopping along the way to see the ritzy Costa Smeralda, and then jump to Corsica via ferry.

With this plan, we hit a shoulder-season snag: The high season in the area is July and August, so in late May and early June, there are extremely limited and expensive flights in and out of Corsica.

Instead, we chose the less-efficient method of spending just a few days in Bonifacio, Corsica, and looping back around to fly out of Sardinia.



We booked a mixture of Airbnb apartments and hotel rooms for our trip. Our first was a lovely room in the historic center of Cagliari, where we'd planned to spend about 24 hours. Thanks to some flight delays, it ended up being a little less than that, but ultimately it was enough.

Book our Airbnb in Cagliari.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 photos that give a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Supreme Court

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A series of photos captured by a Reuters photographer this month provides a glimpse into perhaps America's least-known branch of government: the Supreme Court.

From inside the chambers of Justice Clarence Thomas to the spaces reserved for the families of each justice, the photos show a side of the court you may never have seen.

SEE ALSO: HILLARY CLINTON: The Supreme Court just raised the stakes for this election

Here's the courtroom of the US Supreme Court.



Red velvet drapes hang at the back.



A clock hangs above the bench in the courtroom.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This woman quit her corporate job at 35 and saved $16,000 to travel the world 'indefinitely'

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Clelia Mattana - philippines view

In November of 2012, Clelia Mattana handed in her letter of resignation.

She had an established career as a sourcing coordinator at luxury fashion brand Burberry, a good salary, and her own apartment in London. But something was missing.

"I was unhappy because I wasn't following my true nature. All I could think of was visiting remote places, traveling to my favorite destinations, and exploring my passion for photography and writing," Mattana told Business Insider in an email.

The decision was made when she was on holiday in her native Sardinia in August of 2012. "After years of doubts and fears I decided that in six months I would quit my job and start traveling indefinitely," she said.

Less than half a year later, she had saved over $16,000 (~ £11,200) and set out for her first destination: Southeast Asia. Four years later, Mattana is still on the road, documenting her adventures on her blog, Keep Calm and Travel, and her Instagram.

Mattana spoke to Business Insider about what her nontraditional life looks like, the reality of working on the road, and how she affords it.

SEE ALSO: 18 countries where you don't have to leave a tip

"When I imagined how my life would have looked in 10 years, working in a field that didn't represent me at all, something broke inside me and I knew that I had to do something radical to change my situation," Mattana said.



"So I decided to take the riskiest decision of my life, quitting a secure, prestigious job for the big unknown."

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 Myanmar.



"I had never been to Asia before and being born in a beautiful Italian island, Sardinia, I thought that starting with Thailand, with its totally different culture, cheap prices, and wonderful beaches, was the obvious choice for me."

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In Thailand.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 useful gadgets you can buy for around $10

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fly swatter

A good gadget is hard to find. Even harder is finding a cheap one that isn't junk.

In a thread titled "What is the coolest gadget you can buy for under 10$?,"Reddit users rounded up, you guessed it, great gadgets under $10, and some slightly more than $10.

One intrepid Redditor even made a site Tech Under 10, which has some gadgets worth checking out.

Here are some of the Reddit thread's highlights (some are slightly more than $10):

Infrared thermometer

My college roommate had one of these. It's surprisingly fun to check the temperature of various objects in the room. And it's really useful for cooking or checking the temperature of water when making tea.

Etekcity Lasergrip Temperature Gun, $13.88



Bluetooth audio receiver

One of these can turn any speaker into a wireless sound system.

"Put it in your car and never worry about auxiliary cords. Plug it into the aux jack of your speakers at home and you and your guests can easily stream music,"writes DistortionTaco.

Mpow Bluetooth Receiver, $11.99



Resqme escape tool

Resqme is a tool that can be used to escape a car. Hopefully, you'll never have to use it. But in an emergency, you can break a car door window relatively safely and cut through a seatbelt.

It was originally developed for first responders, and resqme claims that 3 million people carry one on their keychains worldwide.

resqme The Original Keychain Car Escape Tool, $6.95



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 lessons from LeBron James about big goals and proving the doubters wrong

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LeBron James

The NBA Finals is over, and we have a new champion. Living in the San Francisco Bay area, my loyalties were firmly behind the Golden State Warriors, but the Cleveland Caveliers earned this title and deserve our full appreciation.

In the midst of the Finals, I praised Warriors coach Steve Kerr's leadership style, and it seems only fair now to give LeBron his due and see what lessons we can take away from his feats.

If Kerr exemplifies one flavor of low-key coaching, LeBron shows how to harness the raw materials of a bold, brash and talented youth and develop them into powerful leadership qualities that command respect.

We all know LeBron's story. A native son of Cleveland, he turned his back on his hometown in 2010 and declared his intention to join the Miami Heat in a much-criticized announcement on ESPN. He won two championships in Miami and could have ruled there as long as he wanted. Instead, King James returned to Cleveland in 2014 with a promise to bring the beleaguered city its own NBA trophy.

LeBron could have marched into town with a conqueror's bravado, but something had happened while he was away. He grew up. The braggadocio of the "man-child" had been replaced with a more focused intensity and determination to do things differently this time. In this way, LeBron reminds me a lot of tennis pro Andre Agassi, another flashy hotshot who soared early on, outgrew his immature ways, and subsequently took his talents to even greater heights later in his career.

At 31, LeBron's been in the NBA for 13 seasons. He's an elder statesmen among 20-somethings, using the hard lessons he's learned to shape his younger teammates into a winning unit. And this is where we can take cues from LeBron and apply them to our careers.

 

SEE ALSO: LEBRON JAMES: How the king of the NBA spends his millions

1. It's not over 'til it's over

After Cleveland lost Game 1 and failed to regain their form in Game 2, sports analysts told us to stick a fork in the Cavs. So, imagine the baggage they carried into Game 7: Cleveland's drought of pro sports championships, the assumption the Warriors would cap their record-breaking season with a win and the steep climb of coming back from 1-3 that had never been done before.

It would've been easy for LeBron to let those thoughts infect his resolve. But nothing silences critics better than success, and LeBron used what the doubters said to push harder to prove them wrong.

If your business is attracting critiques and commentary, it means you've achieved a certain stature. Instead of wasting energy on them, shut down the critics by sticking to your principles and following through on your plans.



2. Tap into a personal passion

Being a Cleveland native son infused LeBron's return to the city and quest for a Cavs title with extra meaning. LeBron had tasted championship victory in Miami, but you can tell this win is extra-special.

LeBron felt real empathy for poor Cleveland fans and their city's "curse" of having no professional sports champs since 1964.

He invited all of the attention and pressure on himself by promising Cleveland he'd bring the trophy home. In business, it's also important to have a mission that gives your work purpose and reminds you who's counting on you to deliver.

 



3. Recognize when to change your game plan

Cleveland's Game 7 win has been called the "most unlikely comeback the NBA has ever seen." but they reviewed their playbook and came up with a Game 7 strategy that righted the ship.

As CEO of a startup, I know first-hand how important it is to be able to solve problems, act quickly, and shift your company's direction in response to changing conditions. Past performance is no guarantee of future success, as the Warriors found out.

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are 9 ways to de-stress at work in 2 minutes or less

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One of the common misconceptions about the nonprofit sector is that feelings of burnout will magically be pushed in the background simply because you're doing meaningful work.

But the reality is, no matter what job you have, exhaustion is very real.

Building a career that creates lasting social impact is great, but not if you forget to take care of yourself, too.

Worried there isn't enough time for self-care while you're busy changing lives? You can alleviate stress without leaving your desk!

Here are nine tips to get started today:

SEE ALSO: A psychologist shares 10 tips for dealing with anxiety at work

Breathe deeply

Sounds too simple to be true, right? Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly is a great way to calm your nerves, regain focus, and de-stress. When we breathe deeply, we decrease our heart rate, reduce muscle tension, increase oxygen in the brain, and lower blood pressure.



Strike a power pose

A Harvard University research team found a link between the poses we make and how we feel. In their study, participants who did "power poses" (i.e. positions that are open and relaxed) had higher levels of testosterone — the hormone responsible for confidence – than those who had closed poses.

The next time you need a quick pick-me-up, just strike a pose!



Look away from your computer

Staring at electronics all day isn't just bad for your eyesight — it can stress you out. If you cannot get up and walk around at your workplace, try looking out your office window or at a far away object, preferably something green. Then blink several times and repeat as necessary!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everyone is talking about this model turned chef who's opening a new restaurant in NYC

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Chef Franco Norhal

Chef Franco Noriega is about to open Baby Brasa, a buzzed about restaurant in New York City's Lower East Side that will serve authentic Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

Why is this restaurant getting so much attention?

Because Chef Noriega is a former model, and to say that he's attractive would be an understatement.

Keep scrolling to see how Noriega went from model to chef — and to see more photos of his chiseled abs.

Originally from Peru, Noriega grew up swimming competitively. He even swam in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.

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He moved to NYC in 2007, in hopes of pursuing a career in acting. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

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Two years after the move he was discovered by famed photographer Mario Testino.

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17 email-etiquette rules every professional should know

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US employees spend, on average, about a quarter of the workweek combing through hundreds of emails.

Despite the fact that we're glued to our reply buttons, career coach Barbara Pachter says that plenty of professionals still don't know how to use email appropriately.

Because of the sheer volume of messages we're reading and writing, we may be more prone to making embarrassing errors, and those mistakes can have serious consequences.

Pachter outlines the basics of modern email etiquette in her book "The Essentials of Business Etiquette."

We spoke to her and pulled out the most essential rules you need to know.

Vivian Giang and Rachel Sugar contributed to earlier versions of this article.

SEE ALSO: 17 business-etiquette rules every professional needs to know

1. Include a clear, direct subject line

Examples of a good subject line include "Meeting date changed,""Quick question about your presentation," or "Suggestions for the proposal."

"People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line," Pachter says. "Choose one that lets readers know you are addressing their concerns or business issues."



2. Use a professional email address

If you work for a company, you should use your company email address. But if you use a personal email account — whether you are self-employed or just like using it occasionally for work-related correspondences — then you should be careful when choosing that address, Pachter says.

You should always have an email address that conveys your name so that the recipient knows exactly who is sending the email. Never use email addresses — perhaps remnants of your grade-school days — that are not appropriate for use in the workplace, such as "babygirl@..." or "beerlover@...," no matter how much you love a cold brew.



3. Think twice before hitting "reply all"

No one wants to read emails from 20 people that have nothing to do with them. Ignoring the emails can be difficult, with many people getting notifications of new messages on their smartphones or distracting pop-up messages on their computer screens.

Refrain from hitting "reply all" unless you really think everyone on the list needs to receive the email, Pachter says.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 coolest technologies that startups are pitching to NASA right now

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Turning a big idea into reality often comes down to convincing the right people to throw money at it.

The Starburst Accelerator Global Summit, happening Thursday, gives 10 inventors a chance to pitch their ideas in front of agencies like NASA, venture capitalists, and aerospace companies, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

And, even more excitingly, it offers us a first glimpse at the best ideas coming down the pike in aviation, space travel, and related fields.

These aren't just pie-in-the-sky proposals. Each one, selected in partnership with President Obama's Global Entrepreneurship Summit, is a detailed plan to change the way a corner of our world works.

Some of them still look straight out of sci-fi movies, though — take a look.

SEE ALSO: This NASA propaganda will make you want to go to Mars

DON'T MISS: NASA reveals a brand new look at how humans will thrive on Mars

Rocket Lab wants to deliver satellites to space using its Electron rocket, which it says can achieve faster, cheaper, and more frequent launches than any other brand in the world.

The key to the Electron's success, the company says, is their new "Rutherford" engine, which is unlike any other in the world. Given that this is the brand behind the revolutionary "cubesat," we're excited to see what this new engine can achieve.



These "side-slipping" seats could change the way we get on and off airplanes.

Right now, one of the worst parts of air travel is getting on and off the planes. The aisle is too narrow, and our boarding orders are mathematically absurd. The side slip seat, which would allow planes to temporarily widen aisles during boarding, might make a big difference for passengers and airlines alike. Also, the company claims that they would offer more room in your seat during flight.



Qelzal wants to give airplanes brains.

Do you remember that awful 2005 film "Stealth"? About the self-guiding fighter plane that becomes self-aware and attacks major landmarks? This was before we all got used to the idea of Predator drones buzzing overhead and blowing up parts of Southwest Asia.

Well, DARPA-funded Qelzal wants to bring us another few steps closer to the "Stealth" world, with "brain inspired" computer vision and guidance systems for planes and drones.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKED: The 20 best Nintendo 64 games of all time

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One of the world's best video game consoles just turned 20 years old.

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On June 23, 1996, a little console called the Nintendo 64 was released in Japan, forever altering the way we think about video games. Whether you loved it for your first glimpses at 3D gaming in "Super Mario 64" or your first experience with four-player competitive gaming in "GoldenEye 007," almost everyone has a fond memory of playing this iconic console.

Here are the top 20 games that graced the Nintendo 64:

SEE ALSO: Here's how your iPhone will change when iOS 10 comes out

20. "Pilotwings 64"

"Pilotwings 64" was a surprisingly robust flight simulator that re-defined the way we thought about navigating 3D space in a video game.

Throughout the game, you could unlock different vehicles, including a hang-glider and a jet pack, offering different ways for you to navigate the game's different environments.

Release date: September 29, 1996



19. "Blast Corps"

"Blast Corps" is a Nintendo 64 classic developed by game developer "Rare" in the late '90s. This action-puzzle game gave you control over a wide variety of vehicles, allowing you to dramatically crash through buildings, bridging gaps, and wreaking havoc.

Whether or not you hate its twangy country music-inspired soundtrack, "Blast Corps" stands as one of the best Nintendo 64 games ever.

Release date: March 24, 1997



18. "Jet Force Gemini"

"Jet Force Gemini" was one of the pioneers of the third-person shooter genre, and for its time, it's really quite impressive! This stylish sci-fi game developed by Rare looks chunky and silly, but the sound of bullets whizzing by as you run-and-gun still sound incredible.

Release date: October 11, 1999



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKED: The 10 best Super Mario games of all time

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A mustachioed Italian plumber with a penchant for jumping on the heads of his enemies is, unbelievably, one of the most popular video game characters in the world. Hell, he's one of the most popular characters in the world period

I'm of course talking about your friend and mine, Super Mario:

super mario nintendo

In the nearly 40 years since Mario first appeared in 1981 arcade classic "Donkey Kong," he's been in, like, a lot of games (the Mario Wiki estimates somewhere in the neighborhood of 170). These range from classics like "Super Mario World" on the Super Nintendo, to more esoteric fare like "Hotel Mario" and "Mario's Time Machine." 

But which ones should you play? That's a ton of history to dig through! That's where this list comes in: We put together a list of the 10 best Mario games ever made, excluding spin-offs like the "Mario Tennis" franchise, "Mario Kart," and even "Mario Party" and "Paper Mario." Let's begin.

10. "Super Mario Bros. 2"

It may seem like an unlikely place to start, given that it's not a "real" Mario game, but "Super Mario Bros. 2" is fantastic. Notoriously, it's a re-branded, slightly altered version of a game that already existed at the time: "Doki Doki Panic." Whatever.

"Super Mario Bros. 2" is an excellent Mario game.

It's the first to allow you to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad or the Princess. Each of them has their own special attributes — Princess can float mid-jump for a moment or two, for instance, while Luigi has a slightly higher jump than anyone else. More importantly, it's a surrealist adventure full of crazy landscapes, crazier enemies, and a bird that shoots eggs out of its mouth. There's actually a bizarre avian strain that runs throughout "Super Mario Bros. 2." It may not be the first Mario game you should start with, but it's one that you absolutely should not miss.



9. "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars"

Mario's evolution beyond the confines of the original genre of games he pioneered — so-called "platformers"— was swift. After Nintendo released its second major video game console, the Super Nintendo, Mario was suddenly everywhere. He was teaching you how to paint, and operating go-karts, and educating kids in human history. But his most interesting spin-off was a collaboration between Nintendo and acclaimed role playing game company Square (half of modern-day Square Enix, the makers of the "Final Fantasy" series). 

In "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars," Mario and a crew of friends team up to take on enemies in a more classic RPG sense. Fights are turn-based, meaning you don't simply jump on an enemy's head but have to tactically take them down. It's such a winning formula that it became a long-running side series (the "Mario & Luigi" games, as well as the "Paper Mario" series are spiritual successors). 



8. "Super Mario Land"

The first mobile version of "Super Mario" came with "Super Mario Land," an excellent standalone Mario game that took the concept of the original NES game and created something entirely new. It's still a standard "platformer" game — you start on the left side of a level and traverse it by moving to the right, killing enemies and avoid your own death along the way — but "Super Mario Land" is full of delightful additions, like an underwater vehicle you get to pilot. It's a bizarre, thrilling Mario game that, admittedly, was especially impactful on my very young brain at the time.



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16 movies that changed our lives

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groundhog day

A great movie has images that stick in your mind long after you've seen them. They have unforgettable characters and tell moving stories. And they can even change your life.

We asked the staff at INSIDER, Business Insider, and Tech Insider to tell us the one movie that changed their lives.

For some of our writers and producers, some movies inspired a deep, lifelong yearning for adventure or a newfound love of literature. Others inspire small but important life lessons that still resonate years later. And for others yet, the experience of watching a particular movie was so powerful that they've never revisited it.

Here are the movies that changed our lives:

"Empire of the Sun"

"Steven Spielberg's 1987 World War II epic may be one of the most unfairly underrated movies of the director's prolific career. I was 15 when I saw it for the first time and it's stayed with me ever since. It's an epic odyssey about a spoiled young British boy (played by a 12 year-old Christian Bale) who is separated from his family at the outbreak of World War Two. The scene where the POW camp is liberated by an American fighter squadron is, in my opinion, the greatest single scene ever committed to film. Spielberg's action choreography, combined with John Williams' score and Bale's frighteningly intense acting result in a truly transcendent movie moment that has yet to be surpassed."— Graham Flanagan, senior video producer at Business Insider



"Fruitvale Station"

"'Fruitvale Station' tells the true story of the death of Oscar Grant, a young black man killed in an act of police brutality in 2009 in the Bay Area. I saw it a couple of weeks after the Trayvon Martin case closed and George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murdering the black teen. I was so shocked by that case, that when I saw 'Fruitvale Station' I just sobbed in my seat for minutes when the credits began to roll because my belief in justice was totally shaken. The movie felt rough around the edges as it was Ryan Coogler's first feature film and Michael B. Jordan's breakout performance, but more than anything, I could sense the anger and sadness those two men felt because I felt it too. I learned just how cathartic films could be that day."— A.C. Fowler, producer at INSIDER



"Goodfellas"

"I stumbled on 'Goodfellas' while it was on TV when I was in middle school. My dad told me I needed to shut it off and watch the non-edited version to fully appreciate it. He was right. It taught me the power of storytelling, showed me how beautiful film could be, and established my love for Scorsese films. I still watch it at least five times a year."— Anjelica Oswald, pop culture reporter at INSIDER



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How to control your computer from anywhere in the world with your phone (GOOG)

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If you use the Chrome web browser, you can control your computer with your smartphone or tablet with Google's Chrome Remote Desktop app from anywhere in the world. 

Not only that, you can control your mouse by swiping on the screen, and it's incredibly easy to use.

Watch here how I'm putting my work computer to sleep from this Galaxy S7 Active:

In fact, I'm writing this sentence right here on my iPhone using the Chrome Remote Desktop app. Check it out!

It works over WiFi, as well as LTE, and I was surprised by how responsive it was. There wasn't that much lag between the input on my iPhone and mouse movements/typing on my computer.

Unfortunately, it can't wake your computer when it's in sleep mode, and the Remote Desktop function can be temperamental at times and suddenly decide that it doesn't want to work anymore. Still, it's pretty cool and amazing that it's as responsive as it is. 

Why would you want to do this? The real question is: Why wouldn't you want to? There have been numerous times when I wish I could access my computer at home while I'm at work to download something so it's ready when I get home.

It's incredibly easy to set this up, see how:

SEE ALSO: 5 useful things you can do with your Android phone and Chrome on your computer

First, use Chrome to search for "Chrome Remote Desktop app" in Google.



Then click "Add to Chrome."



Then just click "Add app" in the next popup window to confirm you do, indeed, want to add the app.



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