Food pilgrimage: Buffalo wings in Buffalo

The scene: No other food has grown so far so fast as the humble Buffalo-style hot wing (in Buffalo they are simply called “wings”). Within a couple of years after it was introduced in a single Buffalo restaurant, the dish had become the city’s obsession. In less than two decades it was nationally ubiquitous, an appetizer menu and bar food staple across the country, and one major international chain had launched. Hooters built its success and several hundred outlets worldwide (plus a Vegas casino, defunct airline and former pro golf tour) on the back of the humble wing, at least from a menu perspective. Today there are several large...

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OpenTable names top 100 restaurants for foodies 2015

New York is for food lovers, according to a new survey by digital reservations system OpenTable. The site audited more than 5 million user reviews of 20,000 restaurants nationwide to determine the top 100 restaurants for foodies. The Empire State has the highest number of restaurants on the list, with 12 spots spanning Manhattan hot spot Rebelle, Brooklyn boites Luksus and Maison Premiere, and southern-accented Toutant in Buffalo, N.Y. California's 11 top-reviewed eateries include Al's Place in San Francisco and Michael Voltaggio's perennially hip ink. in Los Angeles. Texas has nine contenders on the list, and buzzing...

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Cuba reopened: An island tour in photographs

put together a gallery of their users' best Cuba photos to show U.S. citizens the bright tropical colors and breezy beaches they've been missing.  Americans may be surprised to hear that tourism in Cuba generates over 3 million visitors per year, and is a major source of revenue for the island. Tourism travel to the island from the United States has been banned since the 1960s, but relations have recently improved, with President Obama even reopening a U.S. Embassy in Havana, so let these photos prepare you for your upcoming trip...

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Coocoo for coconuts: Delicious Caribbean recipes

After sandy beaches and sunny skies, stately coconut palm trees are about as iconic as it gets in the Caribbean. With less fat than whole milk, fewer calories than orange juice and no cholesterol, coconut water from the prized nuts is a healthy refresher. Coconut milk is a flavorful add-on in cocktails, rums, desserts and stews. As it’s full of natural sugars, salts and vitamins, savvy marketers are jumping on the coconut energy drink bandwagon. The oil is divine in massages, the cream replenishes the skin softening wrinkles in the process and the long roots of the tree weave their way through the ground to offset erosion along the shorelines. Locals...

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Los Angeles' best ethnic dining destinations

Many cities throughout the USA have an exciting selection of ethnic restaurants, enough to keep adventurous eaters happily occupied for months, if not years. But few cities can compete with LA's selection of compact ethnic neighborhoods. In addition to great dining, these neighborhoods — from Thai Town to Little Tokyo — offer a quick destination getaway in the midst of Los Angeles, complete with colorful gift shops, bars, bakeries and food markets — all reflecting the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood. Koreatown You'll know you're in Koreatown when you see a bewildering array of store signs in Korean, along with...

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50 state houses: Capitol buildings of the USA

We all know the state capitals, but what about the state capitols? Capitol buildings are some of the most beautiful examples of architecture in each state capital, yet most of us won't have the chance to visit (and marvel) at each one without taking a very long road trip. To save some time, scroll through the gallery above for a look at the seats of state government, and the beauty of their state houses. Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this gallery included a photo of the Old State Capitol of Illinois instead of the current one. ...

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Cruise smackdown: Disney Magic vs. Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas

Which cruise line has the best ship for families? Readers, we want to hear what you have to say! In this, the fifth of our new series of Cruise Ship Smackdowns, we're pitting Disney Cruise Line'srecently revamped Disney Magic against Royal Caribbean's new Anthem of the Seas. Click through the photo tours of the two ships in the carousels above and below, then go the comment area to tell us: Which one would you book for a family trip -- and why? Unveiled in July 1998 and April 2015, respectively, the two vessels boast all the trappings of a major family resort, from deck-top fun zones with pools and water...

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Poll shows people want obese passengers to pay more to fly

A majority of people would like airlines to begin weighing passengers before assigning them seats on a plane, and charging obese passengers more, according to a new poll in the UK. The poll comes just a month after Uzbekistan Airways introduced “preflight weighing”, and it hints at a future in which the price of a ticket may be tied to the amount of space you take up. While Uzbekistan Airways calls weighing passengers a safety procedure, the airline did admit that obese passengers may be prevented from boarding smaller, crowded flights. Samoa Air likewise expanded its own controversial weighing system in 2013,...

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Twitter experimenting with highlights

SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter is experimenting with new features on the Web that highlight recent activity such as mentions from prominent people, part of an ongoing effort to make the social media service more user friendly and increase engagement. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the changes are part of a new experiment. "We’re experimenting with highlighting notable Tweets and activity in some verified users’ notifications timelines," Twitter spokesman Aly Pavela said in an emailed statement. Twitter is now informing some verified users in notifications about their most popular tweets, "noteworthy" mentions...

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Envivio shares double after a deal to be bought by Ericsson

Shares of Envivio more than doubled Thursday after Ericsson agreed to buy the telecom software company for $125 million. Envivio shareholders will receive $4.10 a share in cash. Shares were up 114%, or $2.16, to $4.06 in Thursday afternoon trading. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. Envivio, based in San Francisco, develops video processing and delivery software. And its products will be rolled into Ericsson’s TV and media business, a unit that develops “cloud” technology for TV-anywhere video providers...

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What’s a Smart Fridge Worth? About $60

It makes sense that smart appliances aren't selling as well as retailers and manufacturers originally hoped. When you get down to it, who wants to spend a significant premium over a traditional product, only to end up with a technology that will soon be out of date? Well, German refrigerator manufacturer Liebherr has a novel solution: a plug-and-play device that turns almost any of the company's fridges into a smart fridge. The Liebherr SmartDevice is about twice the size of a large USB drive, and plugs directly into a port on most of the brand's newest fridges. When connected, it will provide the user with remote alerts if the fridge...

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Code.org trains 15,000 teachers in computer science

SAN FRANCISCO — More kids than ever are going back to school this fall to learn something that just a few years ago they would never have been taught: computer science. Code.org says it's gaining momentum in its mission to get every U.S. school to add computer science to its curriculum. Founder Hadi Partovi told USA TODAY that Code.org and its partners this year trained more than 15,000 teachers who will bring computer science instruction into their classrooms. Code.org estimates those teachers will reach more than 600,000 students from kindergarten to 12th grade, many of whom are frequently overlooked...

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