FORTUNE's Best Companies to Work for 2011

By AOL Jobs Contributor

by Fortune Magazine: Milton Moskowitz, Robert Levering & Christopher Tkaczyk


Each year Fortune compiles its list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Based largely on employee surveys, this list is significant for all those who are not just looking for a job, but also a great experience at work.
We've listed the top ten of Fortune's 2011 list below. This year eight of the top ten companies from last year were able to maintain there exclusive ranking. The two new additions are companies you've likely heard of before; they're online shoe retailer Zappos.com and outdoor product purveyor Recreational Equipment (REI)
So without further adieu, here are the top ten companies to work for...

01. SAS

Rank: 1 (Previous rank: 1)

What makes it so great?
A 14-year veteran of this list, the software firm takes the top spot for the second year running.
Its perks are epic: on-site healthcare, high quality childcare at $410 per month, summer camp for kids, car cleaning, a beauty salon, and more -- it's all enough to make a state-of-the-art, 66,000-square-foot gym seem like nothing special by comparison.
This year, strong employee feedback sent its numbers even higher. Says one manager: "People stay at SAS in large part because they are happy, but to dig a little deeper, I would argue that people don't leave SAS because they feel regarded -- seen, attended to and cared for. I have stayed for that reason, and love what I do for that reason."
2009 revenue ($ millions): 2,310

• Find jobs at SAS
• Read More on CNN Money
• Find out What It's Like to work for SAS!

02. Boston Consulting Group

Rank: 2 (Previous rank: 8)

What makes it so great?
The consulting giant not only avoided layoffs in the downturn, but hired its largest class of recruits ever in 2010.
They're drawn by the firm's generous pay and a commitment to social work: Its Social Impact Practice Network (SIPN) offers a chance to work with the U.N. World Food Program and Save the Children, while BCG pulled its consultants off client projects to provide on-the-ground support in Haiti following the earthquake.
The company jumps up from no. 8 last year.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 2,750

• Find jobs at Boston Consulting Group
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• Find out What It's Like to work for Boston Consulting Group!

03. Wegmans Food Markets

Rank: 3 (Previous rank: 3)

What makes it so great?
This customer-friendly supermarket chain cares about the well-being of its workers, too. This year, 11,000 employees took part in a challenge to eat five cups of fruit and vegetables a day and walk up to 10,000 steps a day for eight weeks.
Another 8,000 took advantage of health screenings that included a flu shot and H1N1 vaccine -- all covered by Wegmans.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 5,193

• Find jobs at Wegmans Food Markets
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• Find out What It's Like to work for Wegmans!

04. Google

Rank: 4 (Previous rank: 4)

What makes it so great?
The search giant is famous for its laundry list of perks including free food at any of its cafeterias, a climbing wall, and, well, free laundry.
Last year, with revenue up more than 20%, Google sweetened this already rich pot of perks by giving every employee a 10% pay hike. Googlers can also award one another $175 peer spot bonuses -- last year more than two-thirds of them did so.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 23,651

• Find jobs at Google
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• Find out What It's Like to work for Google!

05. NetApp

Rank: 5 (Previous rank: 7)

What makes it so great?
It was a rebound year for the data-storage firm (no. 1 in 2009), as revenues jumped 33% and it hired hundreds of new employees.
Hourly executive assistants make $76,450 a year here, supplemented by a bonus of $21,917.
Employees also enjoy perks like free fruit on Tuesdays, free bagels and cream cheese on Fridays, and free espresso all the time.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 3,931

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• Find out What It's Like to work for NetApp!

06. Zappos.com

Rank: 6 (Previous rank: 15)

What makes it so great?
The online shoe retailer makes a big leap from no. 15 to no. 6 this year.
Now part of the Amazon.com family, the company's quirky, happy culture remains: Employees enjoy free lunches, no-charge vending machines, a full-time life coach on hand, and "create fun and a little weirdness" as one of the company's guiding tenets.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 1,190

• Find jobs at Zappos.com
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07. Camden Property Trust

Rank: 7 (Previous rank: 10)

What makes it so great?
The Houston-based apartment management firm weathered the recession as employees pitched in to trim $6 million in costs, largely by renegotiating contracts and reducing pay.
One team sent a scrapbook to the CEO to show how much they love the company, while another planned and organized a "flash mob" dance routine for leaders' benefit.
One popular perk: Staffers can rent furnished apartments for $20 a night in locations like Orlando, San Diego, Denver and Austin for use on personal vacations.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 624

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08. Nugget Market

Rank: 8 (Previous rank: 5)

What makes it so great?
Rallies are an everyday event at this nine-store Northern California supermarket chain, where management uses a big flat screen computer monitor in each store to deliver important information about products, messages from the leadership team, employee awards, and pump up the troops.
Employees who watch diligently can be rewarded with bonuses that range from $20 to $1,500. Universal perk: everyone receives a 10% discount on store purchases.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 288

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• Find out What It's Like to work for Nugget Market!

09. Recreational Equipment (REI)

Rank: 9 (Previous rank: 14)

What makes it so great?
After 15 years of service, employees at this adventure gear retailer are entitled to a four-week paid sabbatical; after that, they can take one every five years.
Employees also receive 50%-75% discounts on full-price REI branded apparel and equipment, free rental of equipment like skis and kayaks, and an annual gift of REI gear.
A separate Challenge Grant program provides up to $300 worth of gear to employees that participate in a challenging outdoor adventure (one cycled 500 miles across Iowa).
2009 revenue ($ millions): 1,455

• Find jobs at REI
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10. DreamWorks Animation SKG

Rank: 10 (Previous rank: 6)

What makes it so great?
The creators of Shrek and Kung Fu Panda are lavished with free breakfast and lunch, movie screenings, afternoon yoga, on-campus art classes and monthly parties.
CEO Jefferey Katzenberg still takes time to call job candidates to encourage them to join.
Any DreamWorker can pitch a movie idea to company executives -- and can take the company-sponsored "Life's A Pitch" workshop to learn how best to do it.
2009 revenue ($ millions): 725

• Find jobs at DreamWorks Animation SKG
• Read More on CNN Money
• Find out What It's Like to work for DreamWorks!

Continue to CNN Money to see the Complete 2011 List of Best Companies to Work For

Top 10: Hottest Women From The Arab World

From: http://www.askmen.com

Top 10 List

By Ryan Barnett

© Tony Barson/WireImage.com

In our ongoing efforts to catalog the sexiest women on earth, it's been brought to our attention that there is one part of the world AskMen.com has largely ignored: the Arab World. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean eastward across Africa to the Arabian Sea, and south from the Mediterranean Sea to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Arab World encompasses 25 Arabic-speaking countries. The League of Arab States, an association that includes 22 of those countries as members, defines an Arab as "a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic-speaking country, who is the citizen of an Arab country, whose father is an Arab, and who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic-speaking peoples." However, for the purposes of creating the most comprehensive list possible, AM has cast a wider net. We couldn't ignore hotties of Arab descent living abroad.

Here are some of the hottest women to come out of the Arab World. Enjoy. Discuss. Debate.

© John Shearer/WireImage.com

10

Jenna Dewan

Jenna Dewan is just the first of many women of Lebanese descent on this list -- as Neil Patrick Harris’ character, Barney, declared on How I Met Your Mother: "Lebanese is the new half-Asian." Jenna began her career as a dancer touring with Janet Jackson and Ricky Martin, and later appeared in videos for Justin Timberlake and Mandy Moore, among others. A few years ago, her professional credits gained a hyphen with the addition of "actress" to her resume. Most notably, she starred in the 2006 dance drama Step Up alongside her now-husband (and our sworn enemy) Channing Tatum. Jenna is definitely the cutest and most flexible girl from the Arab World that we've seen.

Pub. 11/03/09

9

Karima Adebibe

British model Karima Adebibe hit the world stage in 2006, when she was announced as the new muse for the video game heroine Lara Croft -- the seventh woman to fill this role. Born in London, England, Karima is of Moroccan, Irish and Greek descent. Clearly all of those disparate genetic parts have come together to create a vortex of hotness. Aside from the Tomb Raider fantasy, Karima cuts an intimidating figure. Her facial features are soft and sexy, but have no doubt, she could crush you between her powerful, athletic thighs. At least we'd like to let her try.

Pub. 11/03/09

8

May Hariri

This sexy Lebanese singer's smokey eyes and smokin' hot body has put her at the top of most people's lists as one of the sexiest women in Lebanon. She launched her musical career in 2004, with the release of the hit single "Ha Sahhar Ouyounou." To date, May Hariri has released five albums over the last five years. Though she is most definitely hot, May makes our list with the caveat the she does not cosmetically change how she currently looks -- there are rumors (started by people who have seen her face, we're sure) that she's undergone plastic surgery. If she’s not careful, May could easily go from being one of Lebanon's most beautiful women to a Jocelyn Wildenstein look-a-like

Pub. 11/03/09

© Tony Barson/WireImage.com

7

Haifa Wehbe

Lebanese pop star Haifa is the Madonna of the Middle East -- Madonna Ciccone, not Mary of Nazareth. Mary would, of course, be the Madonna of the Middle East, but Haifa is the other one. An international superstar who is virtually unknown in North America, Haifa Wehbe">Haifa Wehbe began her show business career as a teenage model. At 16 years old, she was crowned Miss South Lebanon. It would be a 12-year-long journey from pageant to concert stage, but with the release of first album in 2002, Haifa became a musical sensation. In 2006, she was the opening act for 50 Cent's first concert in Beirut. That same year, she was listed as one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, and was declared No. 49 of AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women. Her absence from that list in the three years that have followed is simply an unfortunate oversight, we assure you.

Pub. 11/03/09

© Patrick Prather/WireImage.com

6

Nadine Njeim

Miss Lebanon 2007, Nadine Njeim is a cut above other pageant beauties. According to the bio on her official website, Nadine likes extreme sports, reading and singing jazz. But what makes her so dig-able in our eyes is her work as a paramedic for the Lebanese Red Cross. We would happily spend some time in a refugee camp just to have Miss Lebanon toss us a jug of fresh water. OK, that's an inappropriate and wrong-headed statement, but she is just so stupid-hot. Oh, and did we mention she's a patriot?

Pub. 11/03/09

5

Valerie Dominguez

Born in Barranquilla, of Syrian and Lebanese descent, Valerie Dominguez was crowned Miss Colombia in 2005. She went on to represent Colombia at the 2006 Miss Universe competition, where she was a top 10 finalist. Frankly, it's hard to believe that any pageant could have nine women more beautiful than Valerie. Since leaving the pageant world, she has moved into an acting career, most recently playing Barbara Mantilla in the popular Colombian telenovela El Último Matrimonio Feliz.Valerie's cousin is wiggly hipped pop star Shakira.

Pub. 11/03/09

© Mike Marsland/WireImage.com

4

Leila Bekhti

25-year-old French actress Leila Bekhti first caught our eye in the 2006 film Paris, je t'aime. She played the cute Muslim girl, Zarka, in the "Quais de Seine" segment of the film. In that six-minute segment, she's cute, funny, sardonic, and alluring. This actress of Algerian descent is on her way up. Her latest film, Un prophète, recently won the Grand Jury prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has just been selected as France's official entry for the Oscars. When this film is released Stateside this February, there's no doubt that sexy Leila's star will rise, meaning plenty of scantily clad spreads in lad magazines to look forward to.

Pub. 11/03/09

© UPI

3

Yamila Diaz-Rahi

Born in Buenas Aires, Yamila Diaz-Rahi is of Lebanese and Spanish descent. A talent scout discovered Yamila while she was vacationing in Uruguay in 1996. Prior to this unexpected detour into a modeling career, Yamila was studying economics in Argentina. To date, she's appeared on the covers of Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Elle, and was the first Latina spokesmodel for Cover Girl. However, she's probably best known for her work with Victoria's Secret, with the likes of Heidi Klum, and her eight appearances in Sports Illustrated's annual Swimsuit Issue. With her long dark hair, full lips and statuesque physique, Yamila is one of nature's great works of art.

Pub. 11/03/09

2

Hoda Fadel

Lebanese cutie Hoda Fadel does it all: she's a model, entrepreneur and broadcaster. In 2008, Fadel covered the celebrity health and beauty beat as one of the hosts of Ghazl El Banat (aka Candy Girls) for Rotana Music TV. She stood out among the three women hosts as the cute girl you wouldn't mind taking to the club. She cemented her status as a party girl earlier this year when she and her sister Fida danced topless in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada at Burning Man '09. Older sister Fida is also a sought-after model, but it's Hoda's charm and relatability that trumps her sister for our list.

Pub. 11/03/09

© Jemal Countess/WireImage.com

1

Queen Rania Al Abdullah

You may wonder why a 39-year-old mother of four takes the No. 1 spot on our list of the hottest women from the Arab World. Well, Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, is one spectacular lady. Put aside the fact that she's incredibly beautiful -- the woman is a card-carrying MILF, no disrespect intended -- Al Abdullah is intelligent, outspoken and passionate about her philanthropic causes. She has pushed for education reform in her own country and is a vocal supporter for women's rights. And let's reflect once more on her killer royal heinie.

For more hot women, check out our Top 10: Hottest Women In Tech - Part III, Top 10: Hottest Historical Women and the Top 10: Sexy Vampires.

The Classiest McD's Worldwide...You'd Be Surprised

Top 10 List

By Nick Clarke

© McDonald's

We all get that craving for a burger -- or two -- at some point. And choosing the right spot to grab your grub often depends not only on the quality of the food, but also on the quality of the locale. While they haven't exactly been known for being the most stylish of restaurants (that plastic Ronald character sitting on the bench waiting for unsuspecting children always kinda creeped us out), McDonald's remain the burger joints of choice for many Americans thanks to their trademark 100% pure beef hamburgers and other drool-inducing options on the menu.

And as the world looks to designer cars, clothing and even gadgets, McDonald's is entering the world of modern, sophisticated design in ways we never would have associated with "fast food." Collaborating with well-known designers and architects, the McDonald's dining experience has been taken to a whole new level with some uber-chic locales around the world -- and we have the top 10 right here.

© McDonald's

10

New York, USA

Designed by New York-based Studio Gaia, the Big Apple’s signature outlet recently underwent a dramatic makeover with the implementation of the firm’s "Urban Living" theme -- a concept designed specifically for city locations. Outfitted with a range of luxurious custom seating, including loungers, banquettes and bar stools, the new-look McDonald’s encourages diners to come in and relax in the same way they would in, say, a Starbucks. There’s even Wi-Fi internet access so that city workers can crack open their laptops and get to work while they munch on a burger, with no time wasted between mouthfuls. Other features include circular pendants hanging overhead, a wooden feature ceiling, light wood flooring underfoot and dramatic black-and-white streetscape images affixed to the walls. More high-end restaurant than fast-food chain, this outlet really does put the sex in the city.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

9

Porto, Portugal

While turning an architectural marvel such as Porto’s Café Imperial into a McDonald’s outlet may be something of a controversial conversion, it doesn’t take away from its sheer beauty. The former coffee house is classified as a national monument, so the chain has retained some of the building’s original features, such as the logo and stained-glass windows, while adding its own touches, including a rather imperial-looking McDonald’s sign and dazzling chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

8

Holborn, UK

In 2006, McDonald’s enlisted French interior designer Philippe Avanzi to roll out a modern design concept across a number of its European stores; our favorite is London’s Holborn branch, which has truly embraced the "less is more" strategy with cool, contemporary interiors that mix replicated high-end design furniture -- including Arne Jacobsen chairs -- with sumptuous materials such as leather and timber.

Pub. 09/29/09

© Ray Reiss

7

Savannah, USA

Sustainability and McDonald's don't usually go hand-in-hand, what with the chain shipping food across the globe in carbon-producing trucks and planes, but one branch that can't be criticized for its earth-destroying ways is a particularly self-righteous outlet in Savannah, Georgia. Dubbing itself "the chain's first green restaurant," the property features large windows that permit daylight to reach 75% of the interior (reducing the need for both electric lighting and heating), as well as bike racks to encourage customers to cycle to the restaurant, preferred parking for hybrid cars, waterless urinals, a white roof to reflect heat, and a cistern that harvests rainwater for irrigation. With its LEED gold certification, this branch proves that McDonald's can do green as well as its signature red and yellow.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

6

Edinburgh, Scotland

Lounging back on sumptuous leather seating with dark wood coating the walls and trendy neon strips embedded into the paneling, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Edinburgh branch of McDonald’s on Princes Street as a stylish internet café or cool coffee house. But it’s not -- it’s yet another high-end property serving up Big Macs and fries, and we can’t think of a nicer place to pile on the pounds (though there are a number of salads to choose from, for those watching their waistlines). Other features include real-wood veneered solid-core fire doors with bespoke engravings, as well as Corian surfaces, tables, toilet cubicles, and vanity units.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

5

Los Angeles, USA

The Echo Park branch of McDonald’s might easily be L.A.’s most popular restaurant. Yes, they’re calling McDonald’s outlets "restaurants" these days -- at least, specific ones. Not only is this space significantly more stylish than many of its L.A. counterparts -- with light wood, floor-to-ceiling windows and silver arches instead of golden ones -- but the outlet also takes pride in its communal feel. La Mesa Grande (the big table) takes center stage, crowned by a ring of 14 video screens displaying a tailored McDonald’s channel, flanked by 10 bar stools. Glass and stainless steel halogen lamps also hang overhead, while popular tunes blast out of the surround sound system.

Pub. 09/29/09

© André Lapalus

4

Paris, France

Paris prides itself on its fancy fare, but that’s not to say you can’t find a tucked-away McDonald’s outlet on any given street. In fact, Paris has just as many McDonald's as London -- with only a third of the population. Testament to the capital’s forbidden love affair with McDonald’s is the branch on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. With fresh food images throughout the modern, almost futuristic design, this McD's is all about quality and high expectations. From leather curved sofas to bar seating, this McDonald's is as chic as the patrons who strut in on their Louis Vuitton heels and Armani soles. Paris is, after all, a fashion capital, so why wouldn't their McDonald's reflect that?

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

3

Hacienda Heights, L.A.

You can always count on L.A. to bring a bit of a celebrity fad to the table, and that's exactly what the Hacienda Heights branch has done with a feng shui design that incorporates leather seats, earth tones, bamboo plants, and water trickling down shimmering glass panels. Situated close to a Buddhist temple in a predominantly Asian area, the theme couldn’t be more apt, with Zen-hungry customers lingering over long lunches.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

2

Budapest, Hungary

An abandoned train station may not be the most obvious choice when it comes to picking the location for a McDonald’s outlet, but that’s exactly what this branch in Budapest is. With oversize windows, antique lighting and a colonial ceiling painted a soft blue color, you half expect to hear the thundering roar of a train as it approaches its platform. Outside, the building is clad in beautiful red brick and enclosed by wrought iron gates.

Pub. 09/29/09

© McDonald's

1

Oxford Street, UK

Oxford Street is McDonald’s UK flagship location, so it makes sense for the chain to flog its trademark burgers and fries in a super-luxurious setting. Having enlisted the help of London-based SHH Architects & Design Consultants, the outlet boasts a contemporary interior scheme that would put top bars and restaurants in the capital to shame; features include a color palette of white, yellow and red -- all lit with a stark lighting concept -- retro-style seating, saucer-shaped lighting overhead, and patterned mosaics and modern graphics coating the walls. A "bar" dining area also appears, as do TV screens, and wi-fi internet access.

Top 10: Crazy Construction Projects

By Norman Brown

Entertainment Correspondent

Architects and engineers are artists in their own way; they are constantly pushing the limits of construction, defying the odds and laws of gravity in order to create structures that serve more than just a functional purpose. These structures become landmarks and statements of accomplishment to the world. From the pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building, this race to reach the heavens has been going on for centuries and continues today.

This installment of the Top 10 features all sorts of construction projects -- not just skyscrapers -- that are either in the process of being completed or for which the plans have been finalized.

Check out what the future holds for these impressive, colossal and often record-breaking projects.

Note: All amounts of money are in U.S. dollars.

Number 10

The Big Dig – Boston, Massachusetts

One of the most aggressive and intensive urban projects in North America, the Big Dig set out to remedy Boston's infamous congestion problem. The six-lane Central Artery highway had carried commuters since the 1950s, but when traffic became jammed for 10 hours a day in the '80s, city and state governments decided to completely overhaul the downtown infrastructure.

The project built two bridges, a tunnel and, most amazingly of all, it destroyed the Central Artery and built an even wider highway underground. Over 5,000 workers contributed to the Big Dig, laying the 7.5 miles and eight to 10 lanes of highway, pouring the 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete and displacing 16 million cubic yards of soil.

Trivia: The project created more than 300 acres of new parks and open areas in the Boston region.

Number 9

Queen Mary 2

The largest passenger ship ever built, the QM2 is basically a floating city. Replete with a casino, a nightclub, a spa, a wine bar, 15 restaurants and bars, a library, and even a planetarium -- this ship makes the Titanic look like a kayak. The liner, which can carry more than 2,620 passengers, took almost a year and a half to build and made its maiden voyage on January 12, 2004.

A huge ship to say the least, QM2 weighs 151,400 gross tons, generates 157,000 horsepower and cost an astounding $800 million to construct. Those interested in taking a vacation on this hulk should expect to shell out at least $1,499 for a six-day transatlantic trip.

Trivia: At 1,132 feet, the Queen Mary 2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall, and is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower.

Number 8

Beijing Airport - Beijing, China

Part of Beijing's massive infrastructure overhaul for the 2008 Olympics includes the construction of what is to be the world's biggest airport. Englishman Sir Norman Foster, who designed current world-record holder Hong Kong International Airport, submitted plans for this new gateway to China's capital in late 2003, and plans continued to develop throughout 2004.

The Chinese government has toyed with the idea of scaling back the grandiose project, which is set to take three years to complete, in an effort to quell its image as a showboat. But if Lord Foster has anything to say about it, this $2 billion airport will be a real humdinger.

Trivia: The proposed roof of the airport covers an amazing 80 acres.

The world's highest bridge, an amazing construction project in the sea, and more...

Number 7

Millau Viaduct - Millau, France

The same man behind the construction of Beijing's new airport put his mark on France as well, designing what is now the world's tallest bridge. Spanning the Tarn River in southern France, the Millau Viaduct's seven pillars burst from the gorge below. At its highest, the bridge reaches 1,122 feet, which is 53 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge is approximately 1.6 miles long.

The Viaduct took three and a half years to complete, is part of the A75 route that links northern Europe to the Mediterranean, and opened with much fanfare on December 14, 2004. It cost $523 million, used two billion tons of concrete and metal, and thankfully comes with a 120-year guarantee.

Trivia: The Millau Bridge is so large it can be seen from space.

Number 6

Freedom Tower - New York City

After considering several bids, the New York government agreed on a compromise between two world-renowned architects' plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site. Daniel Libeskind and David Childs designed Freedom Tower, a 1,776-foot skyscraper whose height commemorates the year of American independence.

Beginning construction on April 27, 2006, the immense structure will have 73 stories: the first 70 will be used for office space and the top three for restaurants and an observation deck. Estimated to cost $12 billion and to be completed by 2009, Freedom Tower and its 276-foot spire will surpass Taipei Tower, currently the world's tallest building.

Trivia: A cable suspension structure supporting Freedom Tower will hold wind turbines, which will provide 20% of the building's energy needs.

Number 5

The World - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Truly a mind-boggling project, Nakheel Developments thought outside the box for its latest large-scale development in Dubai. Two and a half miles offshore from the booming Middle Eastern city is a slew of manmade islands that don't look like much yet, as construction only started in September 2003.

However, if you look down on the project from the sky when it's completed in 2008, you'll see a replica of the Earth laid out in the sea. Made of 300 islands of various sizes, the $3 billion project recreates the world map and offers business and residential buyers entire islands, which range from $6.85 million to $36 million. Malls, office buildings, mansions, and parks will adorn the islands, which will be 50 meters to 100 meters apart and will cover a total of 5.6 miles.

Trivia: Rod Stewart is apparently looking into purchasing the United Kingdom property for a cool $33.4 million.

Number 4

Hangzhou Bay Bridge - Cixi and Jiaxing, China

Most bridges cross rivers and lakes; there aren't too many that cross a whole sea. Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a 22.5-mile crossing that will connect the cities of Cixi and Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province in eastern China.

Connecting previously remote cities on China's economically-prosperous east coast, the six-lane S-shaped bridge will rank as the world's longest sea-crossing span. The cost of the bridge, set to be completed in 2008, topped $1.42 billion.

Trivia: The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is so long that the contractors built a service island in the middle, where commuters can stop for food and gas.

The world's tallest structure, a project in space, and the most mind-boggling construction feat ever...

Number 3

Burj Dubai - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

As Dubai sets out to become a world-leading business hub, it is building an infrastructure beyond compare. Burj Dubai will smash records as the world's tallest structure: at 2,650 feet, it is 874 feet taller than New York's proposed Freedom Tower and 835 feet taller than Toronto's CN Tower.

Burj Dubai's 160 floors will have office space, residential apartments, hotels, and a huge shopping mall. Its unique three-sided structure serves to negate powerful winds at its near half-mile height and also represents a creative design that will dominate the Dubai landscape once it's completed in 2008, at a cost of $8 billion.

Trivia: To avoid swaying, the three-sided Burj Dubai is built around a core, which gets smaller and smaller as the building ascends.

Number 2

International Space Station (ISS)

Sixteen nations contributed to the decade-long effort to create a humongous floating base above Earth, considered the biggest cooperative science project in history. When the ISS is complete, over 80 flights will have been made to the station, each adding another important element to the incredible construction feat.

More than four times the size of Russia's Mir station, the ISS will weigh more than one million pounds, boast almost an acre of solar panels, and be 356-feet across and 290-feet long. Development, assembly and daily running costs are estimated to be more than $130 billion.

Trivia: The ISS hosted both the first space tourist -- Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million for the visit -- and the first space wedding, between astronaut Yuri Malenchenko and Ekaterina Dmitriev, who was in Texas.

Number 1

Three Gorges Dam - Sandouping, Yichang, China

Try to picture a structure one and a half miles wide, 600 feet tall and capable of creating a water reservoir that is 400 miles long. China's Three Gorges Dam project is a massive, 16-year undertaking that aims to halt the Yangtze River floods, which have claimed more than a million lives in the past century.

Halting the strong waters of the world's third longest river is no easy task, which explains the estimated $24.65 billion bill -- which some say could end up being three times as much -- and the almost two-decade-long effort that began in 1993. When completed, the dam's 26 generators are expected to create the equivalent power of 18 nuclear power plants. For six months of the year, 10,000-ton ships will be able to sail inland to the city of Chongqing, creating a huge business center in China's Sichuan province.

Trivia: The Three Gorges Dam project is expected to displace at least 1.2 million people.

pushing the engineering envelope

Record-holders or not, these 10 structures will make their mark. They serve as boastful statements to the world, defying expectations and possibilities. For now, they are the some of the most impressive construction projects in the world, but in 10 years, there will surely be 10 even more impressive structures underway to replace them.

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http://en.wikipedia.org - Burj Dubai
http://en.wikipedia.org - ISS
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www.cnn.com - Three Gorges Dam
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www.newscientist.com
www.shuttlepresskit.com
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The top 10 things we hate about the BlackBerry

i really enjoyed this list:

Posted by The Boy Genius

We gave you our iPhone list, and while this probably has many more minor annoyances than actual feature omissions, we still thought it would be fun to put a list of our gripes together. Some of these might be device-specific, but you’ll get a general feel for the direction we’re going and why these things piss us off to no end.

1. The ridiculous limit on file sizes when downloading from the browser. Look, if I want to download a friggin’ video file, let me.

2. Attachments are pretty bad and it has to do with RIM’s ever-so-sneaky compression. We’ve heard that when data is sent over their network, it literally can take a 100kb file and compress it to around 7kb. (A carrier’s dream). Just let us get the entire file without having to constantly wait for it to render when we zoom it, etc.

3. Specifically speaking for the Bold, the “R” shortcut key no longer takes you to the Alarm. This pains me.

4. Actually, about shortcuts… for a product that excels on making your life easier and offering up a ton of user-customization, there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to program our own shortcut keys. If I want the letter “B” to take me to the Memo Pad, then let me do it damn it. I’m tired of being stuck at the mercy of RIM’s shortcut key assignment. They make no sense and they are hardly integrated in 3rd party applications.

5. When you get a pop-up menu, there are no boundaries to where you can scroll. Let’s use one of the Application Permissions screens. Why am I allowed to scroll above “Yes” and below “No”? There are only two options yet it seems as if you could scroll to China before selecting one of them.

6. Horrible APIs that developers can’t access. If RIM opened these up, we’d have a much better set of applications on there than we do now. I’m not sure anyone can say 3rd party apps are one of BlackBerry’s strengths.

6 and a 1/2. One of the reasons the OS is so bad at times is because of the nature of the device — security. We know this is why over 50,000 of them are deployed across the U.S. Government for instance, but look, RIM either needs to deploy a consumer brand or find a way to make this work. Security is great and all, but stick to what you know. You’re either the businessman’s savior or the tween’s IM machine. It’s incredibly difficult to be both. Don’t try and conquer the music industry or take on Apple’s App Store. It won’t work and you’re diverting precious resources away from other serious projects.

7. Build quality has been declining. That’s not to say there aren’t some BlackBerrys that will last forever, but from personal experience, every device since the Bold has suffered countless production issues and problems. (Anyone get the screen freak out on their Bolds? I bet you have.) I’d be interested in seeing the average lifespan of a BlackBerry now compared to two years ago. I think it would be shocking.

8. When sending an email with a local file attachment, show me the status! I want to watch it go from 1%-100%! It comforts me.

9. Desktop Manager shouldn’t take forever to update the operating system. I think it’s fair to say RIM has the longest OS update time in the biz.

10. Stop with the “More” crap. Let me get the entire email message when I want it. Also let HTML emails load external images automatically. Yes, yes, we know. It’s for security. But you know what, if I want to venture out on a limb and *gasp* download external .jpgs automatically, let me!