If you got a new Android phone for the holidays, I'm sure you're wondering how to personalize it. There are just so many apps to choose from in the Google Play Store.

We rounded up the 15 best apps you absolutely need to download right now to get your new Android started.

Zombies, Run! will be a great app to help you keep your New Year's resolution.

Zombies, Run! is actually a fitness app disguised as a game. Hook your headphones into your phone while you run and be whisked away into a bone chilling adventure. Runners become responsible for protecting their group of survivors. By keeping track of your miles, players will earn new achievements and bring supplies to their group. If you hear zombies on behind you, that means you'll have to pick up the pace!

Price: $3.99

Pandora Internet Radio is perfect for music buffs.

Pandora Internet Radio is an awesome streaming service to use for your new phone. All you have to do is create a free account and you'll be listening to a massive library of music in no time. In order to listen to an artist, type the name into the search bar and Pandora will immediately deliver a playlist for your listening pleasure. 

Price: Free

Use ESPN ScoreCenter to track your teams if you miss the big game.

Sports fans need to have the ESPN ScoreCenter app. Once the app is downloaded, customize it to notify you with updates regarding all your favorite teams. ScoreCenter will send you live scores, video highlights and more. This is a must have app especially during the busy holiday season.

Price: Free

Congratulations! You got a new iPhone for the holidays. I'm sure you're wondering how to personalize it. There are just so many apps to choose from.

We rounded up the 15 best apps you absolutely need to download for your iPhone.

Angry Birds Go! is one of the best new iPhone games.

Angry Birds Go! is a new racing game from the guys that brought us Angry Birds. The game is a variation of Mario Kart. Play as one of the birds or pigs to compete on numerous racetracks. Avoid obstacles and other hazardous roadblocks as you try and escape the island.

Price: Free

Instapaper, to save everything you want to read.

Instapaper is a useful news app that saves web pages for viewing at any time. If you come across a story that interests you, add a bookmark and stash it in your archive. Collect as many stories as you want. 

Price: Free

You need to have the Facebook app to keep track of your friends.

Facebook is one of the most important apps you have to download for your new iPhone. The world's largest social network works the same way as an app. You'll be able to watch videos, chat with friends, get notifications and play multiple games.

Price: Free

Space flicks, superheroes, and sequels made it a big year at the box office.

We've compiled the 15 highest-grossing movies of the year worldwide, which made a combined $9.7 billion at theaters.

We're aware there are still a few films coming out Christmas day, but we'll be surprised if "The Wolf of Wall Street" takes in $400 million+ by the end of the year.

"The Hobbit" sequel "The Desolation of Smaug" will definitely make more money before the year's end, so we'll adjust accordingly.

We know "Iron Man" tops the list. Let's see who else joins Robert Downey Jr.'s Marvel man.

15. "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug": $403.8 million

Studio: Warner Bros.
Release date: December 13
Estimated budget:  $225 million
Domestic gross: $127.5 million

The sequel to last year's "An Unexpected Journey" may be bringing in plenty of box-office dollars, but it's off to a slower than the first film in the three-part trilogy ($127.5 million vs. $150 million domestically).

(Source: Box Office Mojo)

14. "Pacific Rim": $407.6 million

Studio: Warner Bros.
Release date: July 12
Estimated budget: $190 million
Domestic gross: $101.8 million 

The monsters vs. robots movie from Guillermo del Toro may have underperformed in the states, but it made up for that overseas. A sequel is already in works for the film which ended up being the costliest sci-fi flick of the year.

(Source: Box Office Mojo)

13. "The Wolverine": $414.8 million

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release date: July 26
Estimated budget: $120 million
Domestic gross: $132.6 million 

Forget Iron Man. Collective reviews even went so far as to call it the best superhero film of the summer. Still, Hugh Jackman's return as the Marvel slasher didn't perform nearly as well as the Wolverine Origins film from 2009 opening weekend. Instead, "The Wolverine" became another example of a film that took off abroad at theaters.

(Source: Box Office Mojo)

Peyton Manning is one of the most likable athletes in professional sports so it is easy to overlook how insanely competitive he is both on and off the field.

It's that competitiveness that led to him being named Sports Illustrated's"Sportsman of the Year" despite being 37 years old.

The intense anecdotes include cursing out opposing coaches, his sneaky first quarterbacks meeting in college, and picking the brain of his biggest rival.

Even when he gets a day off from practice to rest his ankle he still wears a helmet to listen to play calls and watches game film in the ice tub.

via DenverBroncos.com

He once showed up to the Colts practice facility at 4:00 am after a night game because he wanted to get work in before an 8:30 am charity engagement.

via ESPN.com

Outside of missing the 2011 season, Manning never misses a game.

Data via Pro-Football-Reference.com

Powder has already started falling in the Northern Hemisphere, which means its time to wax up those snowboards, strap on your skis, and break out the bobsleds.

There are a variety of fresh charms waiting on the slopes this season, from brand-new and newly renovated hotels to just-opened lifts, and virgin trails.

See where to ski >

From Park City's 50th anniversary to the new W Resort in Verbier, Switzerland, these are the year's must-visit ski destinations. 

More from Fodor's:

• 15 Best Places to Drink Hot Chocolate in America
• World's 10 Best Holiday Markets
• 10 Things to Do in Orlando besides Theme Parks
• 12 Reasons to Go to Rwanda

Verbier, Switzerland

Verbier has long been known for its sunny slopes and stylish skiers. The area becomes even more fashionable on December 1, when W Hotels opens its first alpine ski resort, W Verbier.

It’s also the brand’s first foray into Switzerland, and with 123 rooms conveniently adjacent to the mountain’s main gondola, it is sure to draw a crowd. Foodies will flock to Michelin-starred chef Sergei Arola’s Pica Pica restaurant on site.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Verbier Guide

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

Nordic skiers have a new, high-altitude option this season at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire when it adds to its 60-mile network of trails.

Forty new snow guns and 20 upgraded snow guns will keep the trails of the new Nordic Circle on Mount Stickney well-packed for early and late season terrain.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Bretton Woods Guide

Breckenridge, Colorado

Zoom up to the peak this season on a new high-speed six-person chairlift, courtesy of the resort’s new Peak 6 project.

High speed means less waiting and more time in the powder on 543 acres of new terrain. Get your snowshoes out too—the new area includes 143 acres of hike-to territory.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Breckenridge Guide

While he's not the most bullish on the Street, Deutsche Bank's David Bianco believes that 2014 will indeed see some growth.

"The US economy should sustain a long lasting expansionary cycle of moderate growth, which will make it worthwhile to stay constructive on the S&P 500 for the next couple of years absent a sharp climb in PEs, inflation or interest rates," Bianco writes in his 2014 outlook.

"At this time, we assign a 75% chance to the S&P reaching 1850 or higher at 2014 end."

Bianco suggests a "very selective" investment strategy including technology, aerospace, insurance, chemical, and biotechnology stocks.

Here are Deutsche Bank's favorite big cap stocks (market cap great than $10 billion, PE on 2014 EPS greater than 20, 2014 EPS growth greater than 5%, and net debt/market cap less than 30% for the non-financial companies).

Delphi Automotive

Ticker: DLPH

Target Price: $75

Net debt/market cap: 8%

2014 EPS growth: 16%

Shares of Delphi Automotive are up 50% year to date.

Source: Deutsche Bank

General Motors

Ticker: GM

Target Price: $55

Net debt/market cap: 5%

2014 EPS growth: 36%

Automaker General Motors has had a terrific 2013 as the U.S. auto recovery chugs along.

Source: Deutsche Bank

CBS

Ticker: CBS

Target Price: $67

Net debt/market cap: 19%

2014 EPS growth: 17%

Shares of CBS are up about 48% year to date, and Bianco writes that he favors some media stocks in 2014. 

Source: Deutsche Bank

The housing recovery has been going strong and home prices have been up for the twentieth straight month.

But the pace of home price growth is expected to moderate in 2014.

Zillow expects home prices will increase 3% in 2014.

But drawing on the projected increases in home prices between October 2013-2014, currently low local unemployment rates, and healthy population growth rates, Zillow has identified what are expected to be the 10 hottest housing markets in 2014.

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts

Home price forecast:
2.3%

Two-year population growth:
1.94%

Unemployment:
6.2%

Source: Zillow

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon-Washington

Home price forecast:
2.5%

Two-year population growth:
2.87%

Unemployment:
7.1%

Source: Zillow

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California

Home price forecast:
6.3%

Two-year population growth:
2.64%

Unemployment:
7.4%

Source: Zillow

Maybe you woke up this morning with a shiny new smartphone under the tree.

Maybe you love the phone you've got, but are looking for a few new good apps.

Maybe you're just curious as to what other people have on their phones.

The editors at Business Insider are here to help. We've got our annual lists of the first apps to download for your new iPhone, and your new Android.

But we're also sharing the apps we couldn't live without in 2013.

OpenTable for easy reservations

Julie Zeveloff, Lifestyle Deputy Editor

App I can't live without: OpenTable

Why I love it: It's an oldie but one I use all the time – makes it so easy to make and find (and cancel) restaurant reservations. The locator is great for finding availability in any neighborhood at any time. Plus you earn points that go towards gift certificates to OT restaurants.

Free. iPhone, Android, Windows, BlackBerry

Fantastical for a great calendar

Paul Szoldra, West Coast Editor

App I can't live without: Fantastical

Why I love it: Great calendar app, super intuitive, and works seamlessly with Google calendar.

For iPhone/iOS. $1.99 on iTunes.

Venmo to manage money and split checks

Steve Kovach, BI Tech Senior Editor

App I can't live without: Venmo

Why I love it: It makes it easy to send money to friends. I like using it when I need to split a check at dinners.

Free. iPhone and Android.

Humans have remarkable control over their own happiness.

In her book, "The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want," psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky says a person's happiness is 50% due to genetics, 10% due to circumstances, and the remaining 40% is "within our power to change."

Happiness is different for each person, which is why we've compiled dozens of different methods to help you find your inner sunshine.

Draw pictures of unhealthy food.

Studies have shown that eating high-calorie comfort foods can make your happier. The downside is this will also make you fat.

As an alternative, a study published in the Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science in May 2013 found that simply drawing pictures of foods high in fat, like cupcakes or pizza, and foods that taste sweet, like strawberries, can also boost your mood. The positive reactions were independent of subjects' weight and hunger level.

"These results extend a growing body of biobehavioral research on the positive impact of food images on mood by showing that this impact can be applied to enhance mood when expressing food images through art," the researchers concluded.

Be both an optimist and a realist.

People who have the positive attitude of optimists paired with the rational outlook of realists tend to be more successful and happy, according to psychology researcher Sophia Chou.

That's because so-called "realistic optimists" have the perfect blend of personality types to succeed. Unlike idealists, they are willing to face challenging situations with a clear view of reality, but will use creativity and a positive outlook to try to work their way out of the problem.

Get your hands dirty.

Breathing in the smell of dirt may lift your spirits, according to a study which found that a bacteria commonly found in soil produces effects similar to antidepressant drugs.

The harmless bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulated the release of serotonin in the brain after it was injected into mice. Having low levels of serotonin is what causes depression in people.

In a human test, cancer patients reported increases in their quality of life when they were treated with the bacteria.

“The findings "leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt,” lead author Chris Lowry of the University of Bristol in England said in a statement.

If you could ask job candidates only one question, what would be most telling?

As it turns out, many CEOs have one go-to interview question that they believe reveals everything they need to know about a candidate. Some swear by serious questions about a candidate's best accomplishment. Others believe that silly queries about holiday costumes and the zombie apocalypse best reveal a candidate's creativity.

From Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh to Warby Parker CEO David Gilboa, we've collected top interview questions from the following nine company leaders.

On a scale of one to 10, how weird are you?

One of Zappos' core values is to "create fun and a little weirdness,"Tony Hsieh, CEO of the company, tells Business Insider.

To make sure he hires candidates with the right fit, Hsieh typically asks the question: "On a scale of one to 10, how weird are you?" He says the number isn't too important, but it's more about how people answer the question. Nonetheless, if "you're a one, you probably are a little bit too straight-laced for the Zappos culture," he says. "If you're a 10, you might be too psychotic for us."

Another question Zappos usually asks candidates is: "On a scale of one to 10, how lucky are you in life?" Again, the number doesn't matter too much, but if you're a one, you don't know why bad things happen to you (and probably blame others a lot). And if you're a 10, you don't understand why good things always seem to happen to you (and probably lack confidence).

Tell me about the time you realized you had the power to do something meaningful.

Simon Anderson, CEO of DreamHost, a web hosting provider and domain name registrar, says he asks one question to determine what motivates candidates: "Tell me about the first experience in your life when you realized that you had the power of change or the power to do something meaningful."

"It’s open-ended. Some people might tell the story of when they were five and there was some incident and they had to take more responsibility for their baby brother or sister," he tells The New York Times."Maybe it was from their teenage years: 'Something bad was going to happen at school and I stood up for this friend of mine and all of a sudden I felt self-empowered to do things.' I think that’s really important. If someone sits there and they’re stumped, I think that tells you something."

How would you describe yourself in one word?

The best candidates are the ones who know exactly who they are. That's why Dara Richardson-Heron, CEO of women's organization YWCA, always asks her candidates this question.

Richardson-Heron says she doesn't judge people on the word they choose, but it does give her insight into how people package themselves. She tells Adam Bryant at The New York Times that she likes when people take time to ponder the question and answer thoughtfully.

On Christmas day, it's the perfect time to see what an old-fashioned American holiday season looked like.

The Boston Public Library has a collection of photos by Leslie Jones, a photographer who documented daily life in the city for The Boston Herald-Traveler for 39 years.

"In those 39 years, Jones left a comprehensive visual portrait of Boston’s people, events and built environment," curators at the Boston Public Library's print department wrote in an email to Business Insider. "He had an eye for whimsy as well as an ability to capture the pathos of the human condition."

A handful of the 37,000 Jones negatives owned by the BPL chronicled Christmastime in Beantown. Jones was born in 1886 and his Christmas photos of Boston largely come from the 1950s with a few from the '30s and one very early shot from 1915.  

Allen & Co. Fruit and Produce selling Christmas Trees, 1930.

Selling wreaths at Quincy Market in downtown Boston, 1954.

Boston City Hall decked for the holidays, 1954.

The sign on another entrance to Boston City Hall called for "A Happy, A Holy, A Joyous Christmas To All," 1954.

Trinity Church in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, 1954.

St. Francis Seminary in Boston, taken somewhere between 1936 and 1954.

The Mural Lounge in Kenmore Square had a display complete with Santa and his sleigh, 1939.

Houghton & Dutton department store on Washington Street in downtown Boston, 1915. Gilchrist's flagship store in downtown Boston, 1950.

Filene's department store in the Downtown Crossing shopping district in Boston, 1954.

Jordan Marsh department store in downtown Boston went with a nativity scene, 1954.

Secular decorations on another entrance of the Jordan Marsh department store, 1954.

RH White department store in downtown Boston, 1952.

SEE ALSO: 15 Unusual Christmas Rituals From Around The World

Join the conversation about this story »

The first iPhone was a miracle. 

Before the iPhone came out, smart phones were clunky devices, half keyboard and half screen. 

Full websites didn't run on mobile phones, so companies were forced to build weak, mobile versions of their sites. 

The iPhone changed everything.

And yet, the iPhone experience we all enjoy today didn't happen overnight. It took years of Apple adding feature upon feature. By today's standards, the original iPhone was a useless brick. 

As a reminder of how far the iPhone has come, we've put together this slideshow on how the first iPhone was pretty crappy.

There's an important lesson here: People tend to quickly judge products on what they can and cannot do, while failing to account for how the product improves over time. As the iPhone shows, it's okay to start with limitations and gradually expand the product over the years. 

When Apple releases its next major product, be it iWatch, or a television, keep this in mind.

Yes, the original iPhone was a miracle. As a reminder, here's what the competition looked like at the time.

Now, that said, it's fun to look back and see how much really basic stuff was missing from the first iPhone.

It ran on EDGE, or 2G wireless, which is painfully slow. It's basically dial-up speed.

Did you get a new iPhone for Christmas?

If it's your first time with an iPhone, things might be a bit confusing. Here are a few tips to get you started. 

Note: A lot of these tips work on iPad too!

You can organize apps into separate folders. Tap and hold an app until it starts to wiggle. Then tap and drag the app on top of another app you'd like to keep in the same folder. Name the folder whatever you want. Tap the home button on your iPhone when you're finished.

Download Google Maps for iPhone and use it instead of Apple's mapping app that comes with your device. It's much better. Just open the App Store and search for "Google Maps."

Sometimes apps will keep running in the background. But that can drain your battery. You can tell apps not to run in the background by tapping Settings > General > Background App Refresh.

Chris Brown has listed his three-bedroom, four-story Hollywood Hills home for $1.92 million, according to Zillow.

It's a fairly typical bachelor pad, with black floors and countertops, plus blue neon exterior lights that gives it a distinct nightclub feel. 

The house used to have some more distinguishing features, however. After neighbors complained that graffiti creatures on the house's walls were just too scary, Brown was ordered to repaint the front of his home. 

"There are lots of babies, lots of children, and they're literally frightened. It's like devils on the wall — big scary eyes and big scary teeth, and just the whole vibe is not what we're used to,"a neighbor said to the Los Angeles Times in May. 

The murals were painted over in July, though Brown claims that it was only because he is trying to sell the house. 

The house is more than four stories and has eerie blue lighting at night.

The living room has some more of those creepy graffiti monsters the neighbors were complaining about.

The kitchen's design plays it safe with black floors and countertops.

The best educations can sometimes be the most expensive.

It's common knowledge that college costs are on the rise. But you may be surprised to know that some schools currently charge over $60,000 to educate a student for just one year.

A list released earlier this year by the Department of Education charts the highest tuition in the country. Unfortunately, the tuition numbers used in the rankings are two years old, and fail to show the contemporary college landscape.

The list also ignores the total cost of an education. Most four-year residential colleges will tack on an extra ten grand or more for room, board, and a wide range of other fees. 

An administrator at Ohio University — which was included in the list of most expensive public universities — dismissed the Department of Education's rankings, saying, "The list does not describe the entire story of the costs of a quality education at Ohio University."

New York University — our most expensive school at a whopping $61,977 per year — falls at number 61 on the Department of Education's highest tuition list.

We've compiled a list of the colleges that are charging the most for tuition, required fees, and room and board for the upcoming academic year. These numbers are solely what you would directly pay to the school, so you're still going to have to cover books, travel, and beer, as well as the more recent requirement of a health care plan.

For schools that didn't offer a flat total on their website, we added up the fees that a typical first year student would incur.

#20 Northwestern University

Total Cost: $59,389

Tuition and Fees: $45,527

Room and Board: $13,862

Department of Education Rank: 54

#19 Pitzer College

Total Cost: $59,416

Tuition and Fees: $45,018

Room and Board: $14,398

Department of Education Rank: 41

#18 Haverford College

Total Cost: $59,446

Tuition and Fees: $45,636

Room and Board: $13,810

Department of Education Rank: 48

About a year ago, Kevin Blankenship's Instagram feed morphed from a place to share cute photos of his two young kids into one where he shows off what he cooks them for breakfast.

It's no ordinary waffles and eggs.

Blankenship puts very thin pancake batter into a squeeze bottle and draws everything from dinosaurs and viking ships to zombies and mugs of beer. 

The one-time newspaper cartoonist turned to advertising once he had a family. Between work and kids, there wasn't a lot of time for drawing. But Blankenship found a way to be creative every Sunday morning.

"My kids love pancakes," Blankenship told Business Insider, "so this was a way to put cartooning and parenting together." 

His kids make weekly requests, and the reception's been so good online, Blankenship decided to create a Tumblr he calls randomBreakfasts exclusively for his pancake art. 

He uses Bisquick as his base, one egg, some sugar and a bit of vanilla extract. Blankenship adds a little more milk than the recipe calls for and uses a mixer instead of hand stirring to get the smoothest batter possible. 

Lately, he's been interested in three-toned pancakes. With each layer, Blankenship puts a test dollop of batter on the griddle so he can see how dark it will be before he flips the whole pancake.

"With ink, you usually work from light to dark, but this medium is the reverse." Blankenship said, "Whatever is the darkest part of the picture, I put that down first. That's usually the outline, and then I give it time to cook before I fill it in with more batter for the lighter parts. It's all about timing and patience."

Most people wouldn't want to eat something that looks so pretty, but for Blankenship, his pancakes are first and foremost meant to make breakfast fun for his kids. After they watch him make his amazing pancakes, he wants them to enjoy eating as well. 

"As long as the pancakes taste good," Blankenship said, "You don't have to worry too much about messing up the shape."

Blankenship is really into three-toned pancake art right now.

He added the eye after he flipped this rattlesnake pancake.

This time, Blankenship laid the eye down with the first layer of batter.

The viking ship's thin lines made this pancake especially precarious to flip.

The clipper ship was a little harder to flip because it's taller.

This zombie pancake based on the Walking Dead is Blankenship's favorite.

Here's an ironic breakfast: Bacon and eggs made out of pancakes.

The symbol of the Mandalorians, a nomadic clan from Star Wars. 

Blankenship thinks the color came out great in this beer mug pancake.

SEE ALSO: It's Impossible To Compete With This Woman's Snapchat Art

Join the conversation about this story »

One of the most exciting things about Disney theme parks for children is meeting the real-life princesses.

Known as "face characters," the beautiful princesses not only have to look the part, but they need to know quotes from their movies, be able to sing and dance, and stay in character at all times.

Reddit user doublenn held an AMA a year ago about her time as Snow White at Disneyland — even posting a picture to prove it — and broke down what it really takes to work at the park as a princess.

NOTE: Answers have been edited for grammar and punctuation. While the woman's identity was verified by Reddit moderators, it can't be verified by Business Insider. The following Disney Princesses pictured in the slideshow are not associated with the Reddit AMA.

What's the audition process like?

The audition process is LONG. The first is a 'type out' where they look to see if you have similar features, second is usually a dance, then a 'read' to have you act as the character, and an interview.

via Reddit/r/IAmA

What are the specific look requirements?

Tink has a specified height requirement, as do all the other princesses. Princesses are usually 5'4''-5'7'', Fairies and Alice or Wendy are all 4'11''-5'2''.

via Reddit/r/IAmA

What's the average age range for "face characters"?

Most girls are between 18 and 23, and a few of the girls who have been there awhile are 25-27. Rarely is a girl over 27 who does princesses or fairies.

via Reddit/r/IAmA

Winter is always a good time to stay in and catch up on a little finance reading.

In case you missed them, we've compiled a list of 22 classic works that every Wall Streeter should read.

These are the books that show up time and again in lists of books recommended by the pros themselves.

Topics covered include everything from the fundamentals of investing to the stories behind some of the Street's most speculative episodes in history.

"The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham

"This classic text is annotated to update Graham's timeless wisdom for today's market conditions... The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham, taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham's philosophy of "value investing" -- which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies -- has made The Intelligent Investor the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949."

Find it on Amazon »

"Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits" by Philip Fisher

"Widely respected and admired, Philip Fisher is among the most influential investors of all time. His investment philosophies, introduced almost forty years ago, are not only studied and applied by today's financiers and investors, but are also regarded by many as gospel. This book is invaluable reading and has been since it was first published in 1958."

Find it on Amazon »

"The Theory of Investment Value" by John Burr Williams

"This book was first printed in 1938, having been written as a Ph.D. thesis at Harvard in 1937. Our good friend, Peter Bernstein mentioned this book several times in his excellent Capital Ideas which was published in 1992. Why the book is interesting today is that it still is important and the most authoritative work on how to value financial assets. As Peter says: "Williams combined original theoretical concepts with enlightening and entertaining commentary based on his own experiences in the rough-and-tumble world of investment." Williams' discovery was to project an estimate that offers intrinsic value and it is called the 'Dividend Discount Model' which is still used today by professional investors on the institutional side of markets."

Find it on Amazon »

It's no coincidence that so many successful people get up early.

The early bird schedule is good for responding to people and events around the world, getting a head start on people in your own time zone, and also finding time for exercise and family. What's more, research shows that early risers tend to be happier and more proactive.

While a late schedule may make sense for some occupations, most people should take notes from the executives and other successful people on this list.

GE CEO Jeff Immelt

Immelt gets up at 5:30 in the morning every day for a cardio workout, during which he reads the papers and watches CNBC, he told Fortune. He claims to have worked 100 hour weeks for 24 straight years.  

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns

Burns uses early morning hours to get caught up on emails, getting up at 5:15 and sometimes working until midnight, she told Yahoo Finance.

She also uses the time to stay in shape, scheduling an hour of personal training at 6:00 A.M. twice a week, according to Laura Vanderkam's "What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast."

Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne

Marchionne splits his time between Turin, Italy and Auburn Hills, Mich.

When in the U.S., he gets up at 3:30 in the morning to deal with the European side and still have time for everything else, he told "60 Minutes."

"You and I have lived among workaholics in our day. I have never seen anything like Sergio," Obama "car czar" Steve Rattner said on the show. "When it was a holiday in Italy he'd come to America to work. When it's a holiday in America he goes to Italy to work. Saturdays and Sundays were just workdays to him and for his whole team. And anybody who signed up with Sergio signed up for the program.

Over the past decade China saw rapid economic expansion. But its growth model and controversial politics have not come without their fair share of problems.

Rising property prices, rising food prices, restrictions on investment, an emphasis on speed over safety, and lax environmental standards have led to some truly unique and sometimes crazy situations in China.

Rich people build mountain villas on top of apartment buildings, local governments incentivize burials at sea, and people are pour their money into everything from walnuts to cockroach farms.

We identified 35 strange things that have happened in China.

Businesses hang nets to prevent employees from committing suicide.

Foxconn installed nets outside its worker dormitories and hired mental health professionals to prevent suicides.

Firefighters are on hand to prevent self-immolations.

Immolations are a very popular form of protest. Before and during the leadership transition in 2012, Beijing positioned firefighters in Tiananmen Square to prevent self-immolations.

A national pork reserve exists to combat inflation.

China has replaced the U.S. to become the world's largest consumer of pork. The country has a national pork reserve that it releases when prices soar.