Highest-Paid Actresses 2011

1 - Ashton Kutcher

He is better known for his acting career. But he has invested in tech companies including Skype, Airbnb, Likealittle and Milk. He recently started a tech investing fund called A Grade with Ron Burkle and Gary Oseary. Kutcher recently attended a Demo Day for incubator Y Combinator in Mountain View, Calif., drawing a crowd of wide-eyed entrepreneurs eager to talk to him.

2 - MC Hammer

MC Hammer, a.k.a. rapper Stanley Kirk Burrell has been a frequent guest at tech events in Silicon Valley with the likes of Ron Conway. Hammer also was an advisor to start-up DanceJam.com. Hammer here is seated with Conway in the audience during a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama, Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

3 - Chamillionaire

He has become a regular at Silicon Valley tech conferences, where he says he wants to learn more about how new technology can affect the music industry. Most recently he attended the July 29 TechCrunch Crunchup at AOL in Palo Alto, Calif. He also has been a judge at a TechCrunch start-up conference.

4 - Tim Ferris

Bestselling author Tim Ferris (The 4-Hour Workweek) has also been an active angel investor in tech start-ups. His investments include Twitter, Reputation.com, DailyBurn and SimpleGeo. He's also an advisor for companies including Evernote, StumbleUpon and Uber.

5 - Kim Kardashian

She is a co-founder of online subscription shoe company ShoeDazzle.com, which has reportedly raised $60 million in total venture financing. The founder of the company is Brian Lee, a serial entrepreneur whose first company, LegalZoom is expected to go public soon.

6 - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake is an investor in companies including Stipple, a photo advertising start-up, and Miso Media, a music education start-up.

7 - Curt Schilling

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is a founder of gaming start-up 38 Studios.

8 - Will.i.am

Will. i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in January was named director of creative innovation at chip giant Intel. (What that means exactly is unclear.) His geek cred was solidified in December 2010 when he wrote and performed a song about cloud computing for Salesforce.com at CEO Marc Benioff's keynote.

9 - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga invested in Backplane, a social networking start-up, along with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's Tomorrow Ventures.

10 - Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal joined Twitter in November 2008 and helped draw mainstream users to the service. He also used web video service 12seconds.tv, drawing massive traffic to that website. He still records spots regularly on video iPhone app Tout.

• Reference/Source: Forbes.com by Tomio Geron (Social Markets) [08/05/2011]

About

Forbes.com



Forbes.com Inc. is a leading Internet media company providing business information services and lifestyle editorial content designed to serve the needs of business leaders, professionals, investors and affluent consumers. The Forbes.com Web site, located at http://www.forbes.com, is focused on the theme of wealth -- how it is created, how it is managed and how it can be enjoyed. The site includes daily original reporting on the business of technology; real- time business information news updates; the complete online editions of Forbes magazine, Forbes Global, Forbes ASAP and Forbes FYI; a powerful search engine with access to all current and archived Forbes content; stock and mutual fund stock quotes, and comprehensive company profiles; an expanded online version of the Forbes.com Best of The Web guide; and a wide array of interactive tools, calculators and databases, including the annual Forbes Lists.

About Tomio Geron, Author



He cover the social web/social networking, start-ups and various other Silicon Valley topics from San Francisco. He was previously a reporter for Dow Jones VentureWire, where he covered venture capital and Internet start-up companies, from search engines to seed investing to special purpose vehicles. He also previously worked for Red Herring, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and other outlets. In a previous life he was a web developer. Follow Tomio on Twitter: @tomiogeron.

1 - Choice of Printer and Ink.

A good-quality printer with genuine ink supply is the most influential factor you need to consider. It’s better to use a printer that allows you to replace individual ink cartridges because it will save you more money if you print a lot of photos compared to a single colour cartridge printer.

2 - Quality of the Photo Paper.

A premium acid-free photo paper is essential. It has been specifically made to control ink absorption and produce a moisture barrier to preserve your photos. The most realistic photo reproduction is accomplished with photo glossy paper, which reflects the most light and interacts very well with the inkjet process. Matte photo paper comes close to glossy paper in producing colour photos. Furthermore, the soft, flat (non-reflective) surface often lends realism to a photo.

3 - No Dust or Humidity on Stack of Paper.

Fan your stack of photo paper before placing it in your printer to ensure there is no dust or humidity on its surface. High humidity is connected with higher temperature most of the time which has a negative impact on prints. That includes moisture in the air as well.

4 - Ink Should Be Completely Dry.

Wait for the ink to completely dry before stacking the digital print or moving them to the next step like mounting, framing, storing, or shipping.

5 - Keep It In Acid-Free Storage.

Store your images and photo paper in a cool, humid-free environment. Keep your prints in an acid-free storage box or print sleeve to prolong their life and minimize fading.

6 - Coating Protection.

Coating your digital print for protection is dependent on how it was made and what problems need solving. Coating protects it against moisture, UV light damage, and the usual fingerprints due to print handling. Rapid yellowing of photo paper is due to polyethylene or plasticisers content so avoid using those.

7 - Avoid Direct Sunlight.

Heat and UV radiation will greatly accelerate fade and damage your image in photo paper. You can reduce this fading and improve the longevity of your digital photo prints by protecting them from direct light. Avoid displaying or storing it outdoors nor hang prints in bathrooms or kitchens unless sealed properly.

8 - Mounting And Framing It.

Framing helps protect and present your digital print in a professional way. Framing photos behind glass or Plexiglas helps protect them as well. Use anti-UV coated glass if you want to display and place your image inside a frame. Aluminium frames are least affected by moisture in the air if you live in a humid environment. Avoid rubber cement or masking tape. Use only acid-free mounting, matting, backing, and framing materials.

9 - Use Interleaving Sheets.

It’s okay to stack prints but separate them with interleaving sheet. It’s a protective sheet of tissue or blank paper pasted or inserted loose to prevent rubbing. It is highly recommended for print storage if you are using matte or fine-art papers with pigment ink.

10 - Avoid Touching.

Poor handling like folding, creasing, smudging, scraping, fingerprinting reduce the permanence of prints. It is always a good idea to avoid touching your prints with your fingers.
Most studies show that what degrades first is not the photo paper but the ink. It depends to a number of factors as to how long your prints may last. Manufacturers’ claims will only give you a generalized guesstimate of what’s going to happen to your prints. Too many factors to consider. What is the atmospheric pollution level where the print will be displayed or stored? What is the UV component of the light coming in from the windows? What’s the temperature? What’s the humidity? These are just some of the influencing factors that will significantly affect the permanence of the print.

• Reference/Source: Weddingphotography.com.ph

Nothing beats a good dose of myth busting – it is one of our favorite pastimes here at the Always10. This top10 list is no exception. Following on from the very popular 10 of the Most Famous/Known Facts That Are Actually Wrong, we are presenting varied list of “facts” that most people believe which are, in fact, insincere talk. By the end of this list you should be ten facts smarter!

10 - The United States Lost the Vietnam War

While it is a fact that the country known as the Republic of South Vietnam no longer exists (having been absorbed by its Communist neighbor to its north) the truth is that its demise was not because the United States lost its seven-year long war there. In fact, by the time the country was overrun by the North Vietnamese in the spring of 1975, the United States had been out of Vietnam for nearly two years, its active involvement having concluded with the signing of the Paris Peace Accord in January, 1973. The only reason the war is considered a “loss” for America was because of its great cost (57,000 Americans killed) and its general unpopularity at home. It could be considered a political defeat, however, in that America was essentially so worn down by the conflict that it lost the will to come to South Vietnam’s defense when the North Vietnamese launched their invasion, thereby effectively surrendering that nation’s sovereignty to its Communist neighbor and giving the U.S. a black eye that took literally decades to recover from. However, it did not “lose” the war in the traditional respect in that it was defeated militarily by a superior foe. In fact, the Paris Accord gave the U.S. everything it wanted from North Vietnam, bringing the war to what could be considered a positive close. Who could have guessed the North Vietnamese would renege on the treaty just two years later?

9 - Charles Lindbergh was the First Man to Cross the Atlantic Ocean by Air

While “Lucky Lindy” became quite the hero when he made the first solo crossing of the Atlantic by air—a grueling 34 hour, 3,600 mile flight—he was not the first man to make the crossing by air. In fact, he was something like the 85th man to do so. The feat was actually first accomplished by a pair of British aviators, John Alcock and Arthur Brown, eight years earlier when they flew a British Vimy bomber from Newfoundland, Canada, to Ireland in June of 1919. It was also accomplished by the entire crew of the German-built and manned zeppelin, the U.S.S. Los Angeles in 1924, when they flew the monster ship to America as war reparations. And, of course, this doesn’t include the men who may have made it but didn’t survive, such as the French aviators Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli, who attempted the flight a mere three weeks before Lindbergh only to vanish somewhere between Paris and New York. (Many suggest, however, that they may have actually made it across, only to crash land in the uncharted forests of Newfoundland.) Lindbergh was, however, the first to make the flight solo, which is what made it such an accomplishment—especially considering that as there was no autopilot in that day, he was forced to remain awake the entire 34 hours of the flight. Talk about a bad flight!

8 - Columbus Was the First European to Discover North America

Though the idea that Columbus was the first European to discover America was held as sacrosanct for most of this countries’ history, it is becoming more commonly acknowledged today that he was probably not the first European to make the crossing. That honor generally goes to some Viking named Leif Erickson, who is believed by historians to have made his way from Scandinavia to Newfoundland a good five hundred years before ‘ol Chris was even born. In fact, the Vikings established villages in Greenland and on the Canadian coast, making them the first Europeans to colonize the New World as well. There is even evidence that the ancient Phoenicians—an eastern Mediterranean sea-going people who lived between 1550 and 300 BCE—might have accomplished the deed centuries earlier than that! Columbus was the first European to discover it in “modern” times, however, and the first to make the fact that a continent existed between Europe and Asia known to the “civilized” world. Another “fact” that needs revising is the one that imagines that Columbus set out on his quest in an effort to prove that the world was not flat. In fact, no one in 1492 believed the Earth was flat. What he wanted to prove is that it was possible to get from Europe to China by sailing west rather than east. In effect, he was looking for a shortcut and found a whole continent in the process.

7 - The Wright Brothers Were the First to Fly an Airplane

While the accomplishments of the gifted brothers from Dayton, Ohio cannot be diminished, the fact is there are a number of people who may have accomplished the feat of being the first to fly a manned, heavier-than-air craft in powered flight (as opposed to unpowered gliders, which had been flown for years before the Wright Brother’s first flight). Probably the best claim to having been the first is attributed to a German immigrant named Gustav Whitehead, who may have made one and possibly two flights in a small monoplane of his own design (and powered by a tiny motor also of his own design) as early as 1901—two full years before the Wright Brother’s tried it. Unfortunately, ol’ Gustav was a better mechanic and aviator than an archivist and he neglected to get any photos of the flight or document it (although there was a reporter from a local paper supposedly present—along with a handful of witnesses—who allegedly saw a second flight in 1902). Had he done so, he might have changed aviation history rather than remaining just a footnote. Whitehead wasn’t alone in the claim of being the first, however, as some maintain that Frenchman Clement Ader may have accomplished the task in 1897 in a frail-looking plane named the Avion III and another Frenchman, Felix du Temple, might have done it as early as 1874. Even a Russian Army Officer, Alexander Mozhaiski, supposedly accomplished the feat in a monster steam powered aircraft in 1884, so the list of candidates who may have beat the Wrights into the air is considerable. The Wrights, however, did come up with the first truly controllable aircraft, making the previous claims fairly moot in that none of those earlier attempts flew very far (usually a couple hundred of feet) or were controllable—with the possible exception of Whitehead. If only the man had thought to buy a camera.

6 - Alexander Graham Bell Invented the Telephone

Not to take anything away from the prolific Mr. Bell, but he didn’t come up with this modern little irritant on his own, but was one of several men who were working the idea at the same time. What he did do was be quicker on the draw than his competitors by getting to the patent office first. In fact, some historians maintain that another fellow named Elisha Gray was the first to create a working telephone, only to see Bell get all the credit for it. (And Gray has a pretty good claim according to many, with over 70 other patents—many communications oriented—to his credit. In fact, he may have missed out beating Bell to the Patent Office by a few hours!) Other names frequently mentioned for their work on early communication devices are Antonio Meucci, who was experimenting—quite successfully—with the electromagnetic telephone in 1857; Innocenzo Manzetti—who may have invented a “speaking telegraph” as early as 1865; and the German inventor Johann Philipp Reis, who was working on the idea during the 1860s. However, it was a Hungarian inventor named Tivadar Puskas who made the telephone useful by inventing the switchboard and with it something known as the “party line”, thereby making it possible for people to use Meucci’s/Manzetti’s/ Reis’/Gray’s/Bell’s invention in a practical way.

5 - Charles Darwin Was the First to Conceive of the Theory of Evolution

Like the telephone, no timely idea is birthed by a single mother. There is almost always more than one person working on a good idea at the same time, with one of them inevitably getting most of the credit in the end. This was not only true of inventions, but of scientific theories as well—in this case the (at the time) controversial theory of evolution. British naturalist Charles Darwin is usually credited with coming up with the concept, but the fact is there were any number of scientists and naturalists working on the thorny issue of how human beings got here (in a non-Biblical way). The foundation for the idea may have been laid down by the Greek philosopher and scientist Anaximander (610 BCE-546 BCE), who was the first to suggest that physical forces, rather than supernatural forces, create order in the universe. However, the basics for the modern theory of evolution were first articulated in 1745 by the French mathematician and philosopher Pierre Louis Maupertius. Additionally, Charles Darwin’s own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, wrote of the idea as early as 1796. However, few men did as much for the theory as did the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who came up with the first truly cohesive theory of evolution, in which he argued that there was a natural force that drove organisms up a ladder of complexity, and a second environmental force that adapted them to local environments through use and disuse of characteristics, differentiating them from other organisms—which was very close to Darwin’s concept of natural selection. Darwin’s greatest competitor, however, was the Englishman Alfred Wallace, who presented a very similar theory to Darwin’s to the prestigious Linnean Society in 1858 at the same time Darwin presented his. It was Darwin’s book, the Origin of the Species, however that made him world famous and is why to this very day it is Charles Darwin who gets all the credit (and, from some people’s perspective, all the blame) for the modern theory of evolution.

4 - JFK’s Assassination was Part of a Larger Conspiracy

Though the idea that President Kennedy’s assassination was part of a larger conspiracy is actually an urban legend, the fact that it is believed by such a large percentage of the population—by some estimates, as much as 70%–makes it to many people’s way of thinking, a cold and hard fact. The idea that a lone nut job like Lee Harvey Oswald could have pulled off what was effectively the murder of the century without help is too much for some to accept, leading to nearly fifty years of all manner of conspiracy theories. These theories are generally divided into two groups: one which believes that Oswald was “set up” by someone—the CIA and the Mafia being the main suspects—and the other being that while he was in on the killing, he had help (and, in fact, may have been just one of several gunmen that day). Oswald’s death at the hands of a Dallas nightclub owner named Jack Ruby a couple of days later—in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters no less—seals the deal for most people, making the JFK conspiracy one of the most successful and lucrative cottage industries in America to this very day. Of course, no amount of evidence demonstrating that Oswald indeed possessed the means, motive, and opportunity to carry out the most heinous crime of the twentieth century all by himself or the lack of even a shred of solid evidence to suggest otherwise does little to dissuade the truly convinced, meaning that the idea that JFK’s death was the product of some massive CIA/Cuban/Russian/Mafia/Vice President Johnson plot a “fact” for millions that is unlikely to ever die.

3 - We Only Use 10% of Our Brain

This “fact” has been so often repeated that most people don’t even question it anymore (thereby demonstrating that it may be true). However, even a moment’s consideration should demonstrate what a fallacy this idea is. The brain is a magnificent organ that does everything from making sure you don’t forget to blink once in a while to helping you remember where you put the car keys. To use only 10% of it, then, would render it little more than vestigial organ which, while making getting shot in the head more an annoyance than a catastrophe, is obviously nonsense. The fact is that despite evidence to the contrary, everyone uses 100% of their brain all the time; it’s just that different parts of it do different things. While it is possible that only 10% of the brain is used for the higher brain functions such as cognitive thought, reasoning, and memory, that doesn’t mean the rest of it is sitting idle. It’s just that those other parts are busy doing all sorts of other things like keeping your heart pumping and making sense of the millions of bits of data being sent to it by the bodies’ sensing organs. In reality, science is only just beginning to understand the complexities of the human brain and its capacity for doing all the stuff it does on a daily basis, making it more of a mystery than ever. The prospect that many of us don’t use our brain to its fullest capacity, however, may be worth considering, but that is a subject for another day.

2 - Roosevelt’s New Deal Ended the Depression

It has been taught for over seventy years that FDR was responsible for ending the Great Depression of the thirties by enacting a dearth of government spending programs collectively known as the “New Deal”. In fact, the success of FDR’s massive spending programs is often pointed to by advocates of big government today as evidence that massive infusions of federal spending is the best hope for the poor, and has been the impetus behind some of the largest federal entitlement programs in history, from Medicare and Medicaid to welfare and food stamps. The only problem is that the New Deal was, in many ways, the Big Bust in that it did little to help the country recover from the Great Depression and, in fact, may have even delayed the recovery by years by raising corporate tax rates to such a level that it flat-lined business hiring for years. It was the Second World War that finally put most Americans to work which, combined with a reduction in tax rates in 1946, led to one of this countries’ greatest boom periods. Don’t believe it? Then just compare how long it took the United States to recover from the Depression compared to the countries of Europe which also saw a huge downturn in the early 1930s; England, France, and even Germany had put the worst of the depression behind them by 1935 while America continued to lumber on for years with high unemployment rates and a sluggish GNP. While no one can fault FDR for his noble intentions in wanting to ease the suffering of many people in this country, the New Deal actually demonstrated that the government that does the least to “fix” the problem actually does the most good by simply letting economic and financial forces heal themselves.

1 - Thomas Edison Invented the Light Bulb

Like so many great inventions in history, this one too must fall into the “I wonder who really invented it first” category. Though Edison is given the credit, work on an incandescent light bulb had been going on long before ‘ol Tom wrapped his prodigious brain around the problem. As far back as 1802 a guy named Humphrey Davy passed an electrical current through a thin strip of platinum to create the first short-lived but impressive light show and after that the race was on to see who could be the first to find a filament that could last more than, say, five minutes. It wouldn’t be until 1841 when another Englishman, Frederick de Moleyns, would patent the first incandescent lamp using platinum wires in a vacuum as a filament. (However, the setup proved to be too expensive to be commercially viable, which is why no one speaks reverently today of de Moleyn’s remarkable invention.) After that, it was just a matter of time until someone stumbled upon a material that would be both economical and long-lasting, both of which would be required to make the light bulb useful. While Edison’s team did come up with a carbonized bamboo filament that could last over 1200 hours, thereby making the light bulb practical, another British physicist (clever folks, those Brits) by the name of Joseph Swan actually beat Edison when he came up with something that pretty closely resembled Edison’s later bulb by a couple of years. He had even begun installing the things in pubs around London while ‘ol Tom was still seeing if human hair would work as a filament. However, for some reason, history has not been kind to Mr. Swan and he remains largely forgotten (which probably explains why he could be frequently found afterwards drinking away his sorrows in one of London’s many well-lit pubs).
Honorable Mentions: General Custer (was not a General at Little Big Horn but a lowly Lieutenant Colonel. He had been a General during the Civil War but was reduced in rank afterwards, which is the reason for the confusion); George Washington’s Wooden Teeth (they were not wooden at all but made from gold, ivory, lead, and human and animal teeth!); George Washington and the Cherry Tree (Never happened); and The Emancipation Proclamation Ending Slavery (which did not end slavery in the North but applied only to those slaves living in Confederate States. There were thousands of slaves still residing in northern states at the time, though most were domestic servants or slaves by choice—usually for personal or economic reasons—at the time.)

• Reference/Source: Ourcuriousworld.com by Jeff Danelek
• Reference/Source: Toptenz.net by Jeff Danelek

With its detailed satellite photos, Google's interactive map lets everyone be a virtual globetrotter. And some of the things we've found in our travels are downright bizarre. Columbus and Magellan had it rough. Exploration these days is quite literally an armchair activity, as high-resolution satellite images and tools like Google Earth make it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to pore over the globe with a fine-toothed comb.

There are entire online communities devoted to finding and cataloging the most unusual locales worldwide, creating 21st century atlases of minutiae. It isn't just for hobbyists, either — Google Earth has helped scientists find previously unknown ruins and police locate clandestine marijuana fields. Here are Top10 of the most unusual discoveries.

1 - Atlantis Found?

Might these be the ruins of the lost continent of Atlantis? Eager explorers certainly thought so, trumpeting this grid off the coast of Africa as streets in the mythical sunken city. Observers noted the area appeared to be the size of Wales, making such a large grid an impressive feat of ancient urban planning. The real explanation is far less fun: Google Earth engineers soon announced that the grid pattern was merely a digital artifact created by the sonar boats collecting mapping data. Whispers still linger, but it doesn't look like anyone will be dredging up a forgotten civilization anytime soon.

2 - Firefox Crop Circles

Maybe alien technology isn't so foreign after all. This Firefox crop circle sprouted up in a cornfield in Oregon, but its origins are no mystery. In 2006, the Oregon State University Linux Users group created the giant logo — spanning more than 45,000 sq. ft. — to celebrate the Web browser's 50 millionth download.

3 - UFO Landing Pads, Maybe?

Here's a true Google Earth mystery. These odd formations can be found on air bases in the U.S. and Britain — this one comes from a base outside Norwich, England. The U.K. Ministry of Defense called it a motorcycle range, but other speculate it may be some sort of calibration tool for satellites. No one really knows — and the military isn't saying anything more.

4 - Oprah Maze

She's got a massive syndicated show and a magazine called O, and she was dubbed the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes. Why shouldn't Oprah get her own corn maze? An Arizona farmer created this 2004 tribute to the TV talk-show host.

5 - Secret Swastika

When builders of the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in San Diego planned this complex in 1967, satellite imagery was probably the furthest thing from their minds. But in 2007, Google Earth sleuths found that four unconnected buildings on the base formed an unfortunate shape when viewed from above: a swastika. The Navy says it's spending more than $600,000 to mask the shape. "We don't want to be associated with something as symbolic and hateful as a swastika," a spokesman said.

6 - Lost (and Found) at Sea

The S.S. Jassim, a Bolivian cargo ferry, ran aground and sunk on the Wingate Reef off the coast of Sudan in 2003. Now it's one of the largest shipwrecks visible on Google Earth.

7 - A Face in the Clay

It looks disconcertingly like a face from above, but this formation in Alberta, Canada, is entirely natural. Dubbed the Badlands Guardian, the "face" is actually a valley eroded into the clay. Some say the person appears to be wearing earphones; that's merely a road and an oil well. Even the Badlands Guardian, it seems, isn't immune to exploratory drilling.

8 - Iraq's Bloody Lake

This blood-red lake outside Iraq's Sadr City garnered a fair share of macabre speculation when it was noticed in 2007. One tipster told the tech blog Boing Boing that he was "told by a friend" that slaughterhouses in Iraq sometimes dump blood into canals. No one has offered an official explanation, but it's more likely that the color comes from sewage, pollution or a water-treatment process.

9 - Airplane Graveyard

The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base outside Tuscon, Ariz., is where old planes go to die. More than 4,000 military aircraft are parked on the base, from B-52s to stealth bombers, where they are salvaged for parts and broken down for scrap. It's one of the most popular satellite pictures online, making guided tours of the area a hot ticket.

10 - Missile Test?

Google Earth has plenty of examples of planes, helicopters — even hot air balloons — caught in flight, but this cruise missile, thought to have been fired during military training exercises in the Utah mountains, might be the most unlikely capture yet. If it is, in fact, a cruise missile. Many dispute the image and say it's merely an airplane. You be the judge, but if you look closely, the "missile" appears to have wings.

• Reference/Source: Google Earth
• Reference/Source: Time.com by Dan Fletcher

In 2009, one in every 6.4 Americans — from New York to Honolulu — lived in the top 50 major incorporated cities, according to U.S. census data. And if you're among them, chances are you know all too well what it's like to shoehorn yourself into a tight parallel-parking spot, squeeze between dumpsters and delivery trucks, or witness your bumpers accrue a patchwork of dimples.

It's no wonder that State Farm Insurance reports that a driver living in central Illinois would pay 30 percent lower premiums than if the driver lived in downtown Chicago. Compare upstate New York and Manhattan, and the premium difference climbs to 70 percent.

Some cars ease the urban burden better than others. Our editors set out to find just those few. We surveyed vehicle lengths, turning circles, driving visibility and parking aids. We considered our own driving impressions, looked at EPA city mileage ratings and called out cars that don't have folding side mirrors. From an initial list of 58 models — all 2011s — here are our top 10:

1 - 2011 Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper refuses to release its grip on the title of Ultimate Urban Car. Yes, it's short — just over 12 feet long — and it turns a fairly tight circle and offers rear parking sensors. But being the ultimate urban car isn't just about parking. The Cooper's wee size and nimble handling make it good for scooting around delivery vehicles or slowpokes, especially if you opt for the turbocharged S trim level. All Coopers have excellent brakes, too, so you're well-protected against the indiscretions of others, such as cellphone-obsessed pedestrians who don't know street from sidewalk. Consider the convertible if you live in a warm climate, but if you're in a wintry city, think twice about the S trim level, which rides too firmly for pothole-ridden streets.

Length: 146.8 inches
Turning circle: 35.1 feet
Seats: 4
City MPG: 28-29 (premium gas)

2 - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

It's not flashy — OK, it's really not flashy — but the Cruze satisfies the basic transportation needs of any driver extremely well. Chevy also delivers one of its highest-quality interiors along with good fuel economy and, most importantly in the city, a suspension that eats up potholes. Unlike many other small cars, the Cruze also has a sizable backseat for taking friends out to dinner, and the trunk is as big as those you find in some midsize sedans. Plus, if it gets a ding, you're really not going to be too heartbroken.

Length: 181.0 inches
Turning circle: 35.8-36.4 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 22-28

3 - 2011 Ford Fiesta

Ford's cosmopolitan-looking Fiesta is all the rage in city-flocked Europe, and it should suit urban America equally well. The manual transmission's light clutch and smooth throws suit the city better than the optional automatic, whose twin-clutch setup has the Fiesta lurching around a bit at low speeds. Either way, the car's near-30 mpg city mileage should minimize trips to the pump. The suspension ticks off manhole covers and alley ruts without lingering aftershocks, and the car's nimble steering will have you maneuvering around stopped taxicabs without breaking a sweat. Ford's available Sync system should appeal to tech enthusiasts, with app integration for a number of smartphones.

Length: 160.1 inches
Turning circle: 34.4 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 28-29

4 - 2011 Honda Fit

Like an efficiency apartment, the Honda Fit is a packaging marvel, and it can hold a lot more stuff than its small exterior size would suggest. A tall roofline and low load floor help the hatchback achieve a cavernous 57.3 cubic feet of cargo room with the backseat down. The backseat also flips up, giving it versatility not normally seen in its class. When you take into account gas mileage as high as 28/35 mpg city/highway with an automatic transmission and the Fit's light-on-its-feet nature, this is one hatchback that's made for tackling — and moving things in — cities.

Length: 161.6 inches
Turning circle: 34.4 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 27-28

5 - 2011 Hyundai Elantra

We've been impressed with the new cars coming from Hyundai lately, like the Sonata family sedan, and the redesigned Elantra compact car impresses, too. The 2011 model's all-new design brings a heavy dose of style to the small-car segment, but Hyundai delivered on the practical front, too, as all versions of the Elantra get an EPA-estimated 29/40 mpg. The emphasis on design carries over to the cabin, which is distinctive and functional. All in all, the Elantra drives, looks and feels like a more expensive car than it actually is, and it's hard to put a price on that.

Length: 178.3 inches
Turning circle: 34.8 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 29

6 - 2011 Kia Forte

Kia's Forte debuted as a compact sedan, with a coupe and four-door hatchback following in quick succession. While the two-door is fun and the four-door is sensible, the hatchback may be the best option for city dwellers. You get the same well-designed interior and a capable engine, along with the numerous standard features and the low price of the sedan. And don't forget the extra cargo room. It may not drive as sportingly as the Mazda3 or even the Toyota Matrix, but the Forte costs significantly less and delivers better gas mileage. Those are two convincing reasons to go with the Kia.

Length: 170.9 inches
Turning circle: 33.8 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 22-25

7 - 2011 Kia Soul

The Soul's boxy lines liken a sort of Mini-Me version of the delivery trucks crawling any city street. Get one in brown, and the UPS driver might give you a friendly honk. (Not that you'd be able to distinguish it from the other honks.) The Soul's four-cylinder engine — most trims have a 2.0-liter — gets the job done, if unremarkably, and the highly assisted steering comes in handy at urban speeds. The trendy interior will appeal to a certain type of city dweller, with available features that include speakers that illuminate in sync with your music. Not surprisingly, they tend to work better with Lady Gaga than Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Length: 161.6 inches
Turning circle: 34.4 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 24-26

8 - 2011 Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is perfect for the city, and vice versa. With a range as high as 100 miles, the battery-electric Leaf is great for the average commute. It's more efficient at moderate speeds than on the highway, so trips around downtown areas are where it's most capable. Unlike gas-powered cars, which waste fuel in traffic jams, the Leaf's battery isn't depleted as it crawls along, barring excessive use of the heat or air conditioner. City centers are where public charging is proliferating, which should diminish range anxiety. An optional backup camera is a coup for parking purposes.

Length: 175.0 inches
Turning circle: 34.2 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 106 MPGe

9 - 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI

With the diesel-powered Golf TDI, fuel economy and driving fun happily coexist. The Golf TDI is rated at 30/42 mpg in all its forms, and the diesel four-cylinder's robust torque — combined with a nimble chassis — will have you slicing through urban traffic in no time. This is an entertaining driver's car. Inside, the Golf TDI features a level of quality that not many competitors can match, and whether you get the two- or four-door hatchback model, the cabin is versatile, capable of swallowing loads of cargo for that crosstown move. It's a car that will turn diesel skeptics into believers.

Length: 165.4 inches
Turning circle: 35.8 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 30 (diesel)

10 - 2011 Toyota Yaris

Not many cars can turn a full circle in under 35 feet. The fact that the Yaris does it in under 31 feet is extraordinary — and handy in tight corners and parallel parking. The car's basic exterior leaves no fog lights or chrome trim at risk for curb encounters, and in hatchback form, its stubby dimensions should make it easy to wedge into tight spaces. Inside, the cabin's three glove compartments allows space to stash valuables away from prying eyes, and the car's four-cylinder is peppier than its 106 horsepower might suggest. The car also starts under $13,000 — which gives at least one cheap aspect to city living.

Length: 150.6 inches
Turning circle: 30.8 feet
Seats: 5
City MPG: 29

• Reference/Source: yahoo.com by Kelsey Mays of Cars.com [Tue, May 31, 2011]

10. Venezuela

Facebook: 86.2%
Twitter: 21.0%
LinkedIn: 3.2%
Internet Use: 37.7%

Venezuela has the third highest rate of Twitter use among Internet users. According to research firm comScore, 21% of Venezuela’s Internet users have Twitter accounts. The only countries with higher percentages are Indonesia and Brazil. America, by comparison, has a usage rate of 12%, the eleventh highest. Social media also plays a large role in Venezuelan politics. Hugo Chavez, the country’s president, has 1.5 million Twitter followers. He is the second-most followed political figure, behind only Barack Obama.

9. Colombia

Facebook: 86.9%
Twitter: 14.6%
LinkedIn: 3.3%
Internet Use: 48.7%

More than 86% of Colombians visited a social networking site in September, with Facebook leading the category. Visitors averaged 4.6 hours on the site during the month. Nearly 7 out of 10 Colombians visited a photo sharing site in September 2010 led by Facebook.com. Colombia is the fastest-growing Internet market in Latin America, growing 31% in the past year to reach 11.8 million unique visitors in September 2010, according to comScore. Facebook is by far the most popular social networking site in the country, with visitors having spent an average of 4.6 hours on the site during one month, of a total 20.4 hours spent online.

8. Peru

Facebook: 87.2%
Twitter: 12.5%
LinkedIn: 4.6%
Internet Use: 27%

Although a large portion of Peru’s Internet users are involved with social networking websites, it has a relatively small minority of people who use the Internet at all. As of January 2011, only 27% of Peruvians were online, one of the lowest rates among the Latin American countries. Peru also had the second slowest growth among Latin American countries of Internet users in 2010, according to Inside Facebook. The only country to have slower growth was Brazil.

7. Indonesia

Facebook: 87.5%
Twitter: 22.0%
LinkedIn: 1.3%
Internet Use: 12.3%

Social network penetration in Indonesia is the third greatest in Southeast Asia as of the beginning of 2011, at 90% of those people online. According to comScore, the country’s high adoption rates are due “almost exclusively” to Facebook. In January 2011, 22% of Indonesian Internet users visited Twitter, the fourth-greatest share among all countries. Indonesia, however, has the smallest percentage of Internet users among the countries on this list — 12.3%.

6. Malaysia

Facebook: 88.4%
Twitter: 10.8%
LinkedIn: 2.9%
Internet Use: 64.6%

Malaysia has the second-highest social network penetration in Southeast Asia, with 91%. One of the most increasingly popular social-networking activities in the country is photo-sharing on sites such as Facebook. From 2009 to 2010, the popularity of online photo-sharing increased by 57% in Malaysia. This is the second greatest percentage among Southeast Asian countries.

5. Argentina

Facebook: 89.2%
Twitter: 18.0%
LinkedIn: 6.4%
Internet Use: 64.4%

Facebook has become extremely popular in Argentina recently. As of May 2011, Argentina’s penetration rate was 89.2%. 27.8% of minutes spent online in Argentina are spent on social networks, making the category the second most popular online destination. The first is portals.

4. Chile

Facebook: 90.2%
Twitter: 14.3%
LinkedIn: 5.9%
Internet Use: 50%

Chile has among the highest rates of Internet use among Latin American countries, with 50% of Chileans online. According to comScore, 28.5% of all minutes spent online in Chile are spent on social networking sites, up 8.9 percentage points from the previous year. This makes it the most popular activity online based on “minutes used.”

3.Turkey

Facebook: 90.9%
Twitter: 16.6%
LinkedIn: 3.4%
Internet Use: 45%

Turkey has the highest Facebook penetration among all the Eurasian countries, with a rate of 90.9%. The second highest is the UK, with 81.7%. Internet users in Turkey also spend the third greatest amount of time on social networking sites among all nations, behind only Russia and Israel. The average Turkish social network visitor spends 7.6 hours a month on social networking sites.

2. Israel

Facebook: 91.0%
Twitter: 5.0%
LinkedIn: 6.4%
Internet Use: 71.6%

Israel has the highest rate of Internet use among the countries on this list, with 71.6% of the country’s population being “plugged in.” It is also very involved with Facebook. Besides having the second highest rate of Facebook usage among Internet users, Israelis spend the second most amount of time on social networking sites, behind only Russia. Israel’s social network users spend an average of 9.2 hours on social network sites a month.

1. Philippines

Facebook: 93.9%
Twitter: 16.1%
LinkedIn: 1.9%
Internet Use: 29.7%

Social network penetration is incredibly high in the Philippines, reaching 95%. Facebook is the country’s most popular website, more so than Google, and has a penetration rate of 93.9%. The Philippines is also the eighth most popular country for Twitter use on a global scale, with a penetration rate of 16.1%. The popularity of photo sharing has increased by 46% in the country in one year, largely due to Facebook. Social networking is so popular among Filipinos, the country has been nicknamed “The Social Networking Capital of the World.”

• Reference/Source: 247wallst.com by Charles Stockdale and Douglas A. McIntyre [Posted: May 9, 2011 at 5:20 am]
• Reference/Source: AzraelsMerryland[MAY 16, 2011]

What is the most expensive car in the world? The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987. However, that car and many alike will not be included in this list because it is not available on the market today. It is hard to imagine someone would actually spend 8 million dollars on a car instead of using it for something more productive. However, if you have the money and the opportunity, you will definitely spend a small fraction of it to place a few of these supercars in your garage.

I've just read this list from thesupercars.org and it seems reasonable to add this to our collection of top 10 list.

Here are the 10 most expensive production cars on the market.

1. Bugatti Veyron - $1,700,000

This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It is also the fastest street legal car when tested again on July 10, 2010 with the 2010 Super Sport Version reaching a top speed of 267 mph. When competing against the Bugatti Veyron, you better be prepared!

2. Lamborghini Reventon - $1,600,000

The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built is the second on the list. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

3. McLaren F1 - $970,000

In 1994, the McLaren F1 was the fastest and most expensive car. Even though it was built 15 years ago, it has an unbelievable top speed of 240 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Even as of today, the McLaren F1 is still top on the list and it outperformed many other supercars.

4. Ferrari Enzo - $670,000

The most known supercar ever built. The Enzo has a top speed of 217 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Only 400 units were produced and it is currently being sold for over $1,000,000 at auctions.

5. Pagani Zonda C12 F - $667,321

Produced by a small independent company in Italy, the Pagani Zonda C12 F is the 5th fastest car in the world. It promises to delivery a top speed of 215 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

6. SSC Ultimate Aero - $654,400

Don't let the price tag fool you, the 6th most expensive car is actually the 2nd fastest street legal car in the world with a top speed of 257 mph+ and reaching 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. This baby cost nearly half as much as the Bugatti Veyron, yet has enough power to compete against the most expensive car. It is estimated that only 25 of this exact model will ever be produced.

7. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo - $555,000

The first true American production certified supercar, this cowboy is also rank 3rd for the fastest car in the world. It has a top speed of 248 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. If you are a true American patriot, you can be proud to show off this car.

8. Koenigsegg CCX - $545,568

Swedish made, the Koenigsegg is fighting hard to become the fastest car in the world. Currently, it is the 4th fastest car in the world with a top speed of 245 mph+, the car manufacture Koenigsegg is not giving up and will continue to try and produce the fastest car. Good luck with that!

9. Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Roadster - $495,000

A GT supercar, the SLR McLaren is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world with a top speed of 206 mph+ and reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. It is a luxurious convertible with a really powerful engine, which results in outstanding performances and style.

10. Porsche Carrera GT - $440,000

A supercar with dynamic stability control and a top speed of 205 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. The Porsche Carrera GT applies the absolute calibers of a true racing car to offer an unprecedented driving feeling on the road.

HUMOR Me...

A hip young man goes out and buys a 1997 McLaren F1. It is the best and most expensive car available in the world, costing about $2,500,000. He takes it out for a spin and while stopping for a red light, an old man on a moped (both looking about 90 years old) pulls up next to him. The old man looks over the sleek, shiny surface of the car and asks, "What kind of car ya' got there, sonny?" The young man replies, "A 1997 McLaren F1. They cost about two and a half million dollars!" "That's a lot of money," says the old man, shocked. "Why does it cost so much?" "Because this car can do up to 230 miles an hour!" states the cool dude proudly. The moped driver asks, "Can I take a look inside?" "Sure," replies the owner. So the old man pokes his head in the window and looks around. Leaning back on his moped, the old man says, "That's a pretty nice car, all right!" Just then the light changes so the guy decides to show the old man what his car can do. He floors it, and within 30 seconds the speedometer reads 230 mph. Suddenly, he notices a dot in his rear view mirror. It seems to be getting closer! He slows down to see what it could be and suddenly, whhhoooossshhh! Something whips by him, going much faster! "What on earth could be going faster than my McLaren F1?!" the young man asks himself. Then, ahead of him, he sees a dot coming toward him. Whoooooosh! It goes by again, heading the opposite direction! And it almost looked like the old man on the moped! "Couldn't be," thinks the guy. "How could a moped outrun a McLaren F1?!" Again, he sees a dot in his rear view mirror! Whooooosh Ka-BbblaMMM! It plows into the back of his car, demolishing the rear end. The young man jumps out, and it IS the old man! Of course, the moped and the old man are hurting for certain. He runs up to the dying old man and says, "You're badly hurt! Is there anything I can do for you?" The old man moans and replies, "Yes, could you please unhook my suspenders from your side mirror?!"

• Reference/Source: thesupercars.org