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iReport: Old meets new in our Instagram geishas
Malaysia's 10 best islands
Insider Guide: Best of Istanbul
Boeing unveils futuristic 'swallowtail' wingtip for 737 MAX
App Watch: Best new apps for travelers

iReport: Old meets new in our Instagram geishas

Posted: 06 May 2012 02:55 PM PDT

In a recent CNNGo iReport assignment, we asked readers to share their photos of their favorite Japanese destinations.

Angi Brzycki, a 31-year-old American living in Okinawa, submitted a gallery of shots from ancient Kyoto taken using the rather-more-modern Instagram app on her iPhone 4.

Brzycki told us how she ended up in Kyoto taking shots of tourists dressed as Japanese Maiko, or apprentice Geisha, entertainers in traditional dress.

"I have been living in Okinawa for the past year on the JET Program as an assistant language teacher," she says.

"Before living in Okinawa I lived in Otsu City. Otsu is in Shiga Prefecture but is only two train stops away from Kyoto, where I used to go sightseeing often.

Malaysia's 10 best islands

Posted: 06 May 2012 09:32 AM PDT

by Simon Ostheimer

From the cosmopolitan charm of Penang to the hippie getaway of the Perhentians, Malaysia embraces a diverse array of islands.

Here, in no particular order, we present our top 10. Disagree? Share your favorite Malaysian island in the comments box below.

Perhentians: Hippie hideaway

While many backpacker haunts have become gentrified over time, the Perhentians have managed to retain their low-key vibe.

They might not be easy to get to, but the Perhentian islands off the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia have achieved iconic status on the backpacker trail.

And for good reason -- the waters are so clean that you can snorkel right off the beach and still see a diverse array of aquatic life.

Insider Guide: Best of Istanbul

Posted: 06 May 2012 09:23 AM PDT

by Feride Yalav

best of istanbul Istanbul -- half Europe, half Asia, completely stunning.

Nowhere does fusion like the best of Istanbul, a metropolis that owes as much to its centuries of history as it does to its emergence as one of the most dynamic cities in Asia or Europe.

It's strikingly beautiful. The Bosphorus -- aka the Istanbul Strait, the stretch of water that divides two continents -- stretches calmly before you under the warmth of the sun while the city soars above the shore.

But, mostly, the best of Istanbul is a jumble of activity, 13 million citizens strong, from celebrants staggering out of bars at 4 a.m. to imams calling the faithful out to prayer at dawn.

You can hear the hustle just as surely as you can see it. The horns of impatient taxi drivers. The lilting melodies of street musicians. The laughter of children. The clinking of raki glasses. And always, the whining cries of seagulls overhead.

Boeing unveils futuristic 'swallowtail' wingtip for 737 MAX

Posted: 05 May 2012 12:59 AM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Innovation in wing design has long been a hot topic for aircraft manufacturers and plane-spotters.

Only a week after Airbus completed its first A320 with the "Sharklet" point-up wingtips (named after its likeness to shark's fin), Boeing announced an even more futuristic wing silhouette for its new aircraft family, the 737 MAX.

Named -- a touch prosaically -- as the Advanced Technology winglet, Boeing's new wingtip will divide in two -- with the upper tip slightly longer than the lower one -- to resemble a swallow's tail.

Airbus A320 Sharklet Airbus designed the Sharklet wingtip especially for the A320 and A320neo."The concept is more efficient than any other wingtip device in the single-aisle market," said Michael Teal, chief project engineer for Boeing 737 MAX.