On October 19, NATO kicked off its largest military exercise in over a decade with an opening ceremony in Tripani Air Base, Italy. 

The exercise, called Trident Juncture 2015, includes approximately 36,000 troops, over 140 aircraft, and 60 ships from more than 30 participatory nations. The exercise's participants include both NATO countries and nations that are close with the various NATO states without officially being part of the alliance, such as Australia, Austria, Finland, and Ukraine. 

Trident Juncture is taking place entirely in the western Mediterranean, with the majority of the exercise occurring in Spain and Portugal, as well as in Italy. The operation will last until November 6. 

We have collected some of the most amazing images of the exercise so far below. 

SEE ALSO: This is the South Korean military exercise that made North Korea promise to launch a 'sacred war'

NATO kicked off Trident Juncture 2015 with an opening ceremony at Tripani Air Base, Italy on October 19.

The starting ceremony featured displays of military prowess, like Italian soldiers rappelling out of helicopters ...

... and aircraft flying in formations and refueling in midair.

Why did Apple 'think different?'

Because, Steve Jobs said while introducing the iPad, the Mac maker was never just a tech company. 

"The reason that Apple is able to create products like the iPad is because we've always tried to be at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts," he said.

Jobs' lifelong interest in the humanities gave Apple a human touch.

By combining tech and the liberal arts, Jobs said that Apple was able to "to make extremely advanced products from a technology point of view, but also have them be intuitive, easy-to-use, fun-to-use, so that they really fit the users." 

Jobs arrived at that perspective through a lifetime of reading, as reviewed in Walter Isaacson's biography and other places. We've put together a list of 14 books that most inspired him. 

SEE ALSO: 17 books Bill Gates thinks everyone should read

'King Lear' by William Shakespeare

Jobs really began his literary bent in the last two years of high school. 

"I started to listen to music a whole lot,"he told Isaacson, "and I started to read more outside of just science and technology — Shakespeare, Plato. I loved 'King Lear.'" 

The tragedy may have provided a cautionary tale to a young Jobs, since it's the story of an aged monarch going crazy trying to divide up his kingdom. 

"'King Lear' offers a vivid depiction of what can go wrong if you lose your grip on your empire, a story surely fascinating to any aspiring CEO," says Daniel Smith, author of "How to Think Like Steve Jobs." 

Buy it here »

'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville

Another epic story colored Jobs' outlook in his adolescence: "Moby Dick," the deeply American novel by Herman Melville. 

Isaacson draws a connection between Captain Ahab, who's one of the most driven and willful characters in literature, and Jobs. 

Ahab, like Jobs, did lots of his learning from direct experience, rather than relying on institutions. 

"I prospectively ascribe all the honour and the glory to whaling,"the captain writes early in the story, "for a whale-ship was my Yale College and my Harvard."

Buy it here »

'The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas' by Dylan Thomas

But the intellectual flowering that Jobs had in late high school wasn't confined to hard-charging megalomaniacs — he also discovered a love for verse, particularly Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. 

"How To Think Like Steve Jobs" author Daniel Smith says that Thomas' poems "drew him in with its striking new forms and unerringly popular touch."

"Do not go gentle" became a reported favorite:  

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Buy it here »

The top 10 Republican presidential candidates — and the bottom four — are set to square off Wednesday night in the third GOP debates of the cycle.

With just more than a year until the election, we took a look at where the GOP's top contenders stand heading into the debate.

Our rankings are based on the Real Clear Politics averages of national polls and those in New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina — the first three voting states. We also factored in candidates' momentum (or lack thereof) over the past few weeks.

Here's a look at where all the candidates stand.

(Poll numbers as of Tuesday.)

13. Rick Santorum, Republican, former senator from Pennsylvania

It's easy to forget that Santorum won 11 states in his 2012 primary matchup with Mitt Romney, the eventual Republican nominee — including the Iowa caucus.

That's because so far — even though he is the first candidate to crisscross all of Iowa's 99 counties this time — he hasn't been even a blip on the radar in the 2016 race.

He is facing much stauncher competition this time around, and he has not solved his biggest problem from 2012: money. He raised less than $400,000 in the latest fundraising quarter, the kind of money that doesn't bode well for staying power in a crowded field.

The state that provided his biggest win in 2012, Iowa, also hasn't given him the same kind of love. Despite focusing on the Hawkeye State, he still barely registers in polling there, placing 11th in an average of recent polls.

National polling average among Republican voters: 0.4% (T-12th)
Iowa: 1.4% (11th)
New Hampshire: 1% (T-10th)
South Carolina: N/A

STOCK: Neutral

12. Bobby Jindal, Republican, Louisiana governor

Coming out of 2012 and into the 2016 cycle, Jindal was viewed as one of the GOP's rising stars. But his stock both nationally and in his home state of Louisiana has plummeted over the past few years, as his state has fallen into financial disarray.

The result is what is showing up in polls: He has yet to break out of the bottom of the GOP pack. And a Louisiana poll recently showed he would lose his home state to Hillary Clinton in a general-election matchup.

Jindal raised less than $600,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter, and he has been relegated to another lower-tier GOP debate.

National polling average among Republican voters: 0.4% (T-12th)
Iowa: 2.8% (8th)
New Hampshire: 0.5% (13th)
South Carolina: N/A

STOCK: Neutral

11. Lindsey Graham, Republican, senator from South Carolina

Graham was the clear winner of the "kid's table" debate in September, but he has been unable to build any quantifiable momentum off it.

He's not registering in Iowa. He barely shows up in New Hampshire polling. In his home state of South Carolina, he's just seventh in a crowded field.

The Republican base has soured on Graham's support of immigration reform. He has rejected Donald Trump's comments on immigration. But far more voters, as polls have shown, have instead rallied around Trump. And lately, he sounds exasperated about the phenomenon of Trump and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

"On our side, you got the number two guy — tried to kill somebody at 14," Graham said. "And the number one guy is high energy and crazy as hell. How am I losing to these people?"

National polling average among Republican voters: 0.6% (11th)
Iowa: N/A
New Hampshire: 0.8% (12th)
South Carolina: 3% (7th)

STOCK: Rising

“Harry Potter” may be one of the most beloved series in the world, but that doesn’t mean J.K. Rowling’s books are perfect.

“As obsessive fans will tell you, I do slip up!” Rowling said on her archived fan site. “Several classrooms move floors mysteriously between books and these are the least serious continuity errors! Most of the fan sites will point you in the direction of my mistakes." 

We’re not here to point out every single error — like dates that don’t make sense, continuity errors, or mistakes fixed in future additions — but instead to focus on plot points that still plague fans eight years after the final book was released.

Keep reading to see the biggest plot holes in "Harry Potter."

James or Lily Potter could have been their own Secret Keepers.

The reason Harry’s parents were murdered by Lord Voldemort was because he was able to find their hiding place after their Secret Keeper Peter Pettigrew betrayed their location and broke the Fidelius Charm. 

But fans have wondered why James Potter chose one of his friends to perform the charm when he could have been his own Secret Keeper?

In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” it was revealed Bill Weasley and Arthur Weasley became their own Secret Keepers: Bill for Shell Cottage where he lives with his wife Fleur and Arthur for Aunt Muriel’s home.

Since the most fool-proof form of protection would be if the Secret Keeper stayed in the protected home, why couldn’t James or Lily have performed the charm themselves?

Ollivander loses money on every wand he sells.

The “Harry Potter” tribute band Harry and the Potters has a fantastic song about how wizard economics make absolutely no sense. The best example is how a unicorn hair costs 10 galleons while a wand from Ollivander — some of which contain unicorn hair and other expensive cores like dragon heartstring and phoenix feathers — will only cost you seven galleons.

Assuming he doesn't cut the hair while making the wand, Ollivander is selling his wands at a loss of at least three galleons.

Wizard children learn no basic reading, writing, or math skills.

Harry, Hermione, and the other Muggle-raised witches and wizards are all taught at least basic math and reading skills before attending Hogwarts.

But once they get to Hogwarts, their Muggle education is done and they focus on magical classes like Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Charms, and others. During the seven years the students spend at Hogwarts, they are never taught advanced math, literature, music, health, or any foreign languages.

That would be tragic enough, but as far as we can tell, students from magical families don’t go to any school at all until they’re 11 years old and receive their letter from Hogwarts.

Is this why Hagrid and Mr. Weasley have so much trouble with Muggle money? Is this the reason Ron needs Hermione to help him so often with his school work since he was never taught to properly write an essay?

So many questions, so little education.

Two Italian researchers are working on creating an entirely new mode of autonomous public transportation slated for release in 2020.

Tommaso Gecchelina and Emmanuele Spera are working to develop Next, which are self-driving pods that can connect while in motion.

Different modes of driverless public transportation are beginning to pop up in various corners of the world, but what sets Next apart from others is that they can act as a train, bus, or personal vehicle. This is because the pods can travel on their own, like a personal self-driving vehicle, or can connect, according to the Next website.

When the pods connect, passengers can walk through them the same way they would walk to different compartments on a train.

The self-driving pods are also electric. They have six seats and can fit an additional four people who wish to stand.

Here's how they work: somebody seeking a lift downloads an app to call a Next, placing in details like where they're going and how many people will be in the pod. The self-driving pod will pick them up at their disclosed location.

The pod will then connect with other pods currently on the road to get passengers to their destination faster.

Here's a breakdown of how the system works:

First, a person calls a Next pod on their app the same way they would an Uber.

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 Also like Uber, it'll automatically charge your credit card for the trip when it's complete.

The pods will then connect with other ones currently on the road.

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 Each pod comes with foldable doors so passengers can walk to different pods easily.

The Next app will tell passengers to switch to different pods so they can reach their final destination.

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"The smart routing system of Next will autonomously drive the vehicles and join together modules, in order to redistribute passengers and optimize occupancy rate, cutting energy consumption and traffic footprint," the website says about the system.

You can't escape Drake's "Hotline Bling." It's everywhere.

The Internet has been overrun with user-generated memes, Vine remixes, and GIFs spawned from Drake's dad-like dance moves since the release of the music video October 22. But for ever longer, since Drake put out the earmworm-y song in late July, artists have been covering it in recorded and live performances. 

Here are the eight best renditions of Drake's hit song not by Drake:

SEE ALSO: The 32 best Vine remixes to Drake's new 'Hotline Bling' video

Sam Smith and Disclosure

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How the cover happened: Disclosure and Smith united in BBC Radio 1's "Live Lounge" to perform and pulled off this version of "Hotline Bling." 

Why it works: Disclosure's signature electronic rendition of the beat paired with Sam Smith's vocals is a match made in heaven. It makes you want to invent your own meme-worthy dance moves (not necessarily that you should).

Erykah Badu

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How the cover happened: Earlier this month, Badu dropped a seven-minute remix of "Hotline Bling" on Soundcloud, which will be released on her upcoming mixtape, "BUT U CAINT USE MY PHONE."  

Why it works: Rather than just cover the song, Badu worked with musicians to recreate the song with a new intro, spoken interlude, and instrumental breakdowns. 

Yuna

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How the cover happened: Earlier this month, Malaysian singer Yuna released covers of two popular songs on YouTube: "Hotline Bling" and Justin Bieber's "What Do You Mean?" 

Why it works: Unless you focus on the lyrics, it's hard to believe that this slow, whispery rendition is a cover of "Hotline Bling." It's oddly comforting.

We've shown you the 100 best apps in the world, and now it's time to take a look at the most innovative ones on the list.

These 10 apps are changing the way we communicate, get things done, travel, and learn. They're pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished through software, whether it's something as complex as revolutionizing the shipping industry or making us feel more connected to people we care about.

WeChat

If you live outside of China, it's unlikely that you use — or perhaps have even heard of – WeChat. But with more than 600 million users, it's one of the largest messaging apps in the world.

One of the keys to WeChat's success is that it's actually much more than just a messaging app.

You can use WeChat to do just about anything — play games, send money to people, make video calls, hail a taxi, order food, buy movie tickets, read the news, book a doctor appointment, and more. For millions of people in China, it's the first app they open in the morning and the last one they look at before bed.

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WeChat is the all-in-one app experience done right, and it "points to where Facebook and other messaging apps could head,"according to Connie Chan, a partner at the prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Snapchat

With more than 100 million daily active users and a primary audience of 18 to 24-year-olds, Snapchat is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

The app’s premise (and Snapchat is just an app — there is no web interface) is the idea of ephemeral messaging: once a message, or “snap,” is viewed, it disappears forever.

Its 25-year-old CEO Evan Spiegel has a portrait of Steve Jobs hanging in his office, and he has a grand vision for his multi-billion dollar startup. In essence, “It’s all about talking with pictures and expressing yourself in the moment."

But Snapchat is also about consuming media. The app’s Discover section features interactive content from a range of publishers, including BuzzFeed, Mashable, CNN, People, and Vice. The goal seems to be keeping Snapchat’s users in the app as long as possible — and it’s working.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android

Uber

No app exemplifies the burgeoning on-demand app economy more than Uber, which made hailing a ride with a smartphone app go mainstream. Tap a button to summon a car, type in where you want to go in the app, and pay for the ride with your credit card you have stored.

If the company has its way, Uber could eventually become the way we get everything from our packages to our groceries.

The app can get you a ride in 58 countries and 300 cities worldwide, but it's also experimenting with other services in a smaller number of cities.

UberEATS, the company's meal delivery service, is already delivering lunch in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto, and the UberRUSH delivery service works in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android

Maybe the following is familiar: You arrive at a networking cocktail hour in hopes of meeting some cool people relevant to your career. You grab a drink and stand off to the corner, scanning the room but recognize no one.

After a few moments of sipping your drink, you decide to introduce yourself to the guy next to you and you each take turns talking about your jobs. One of you says you're heading to the bathroom and soon you're back by yourself in the corner.

You'll never be able to completely avoid awkward social situations, but you can definitely start reducing them by adopting some new techniques.

Influencers founder Jon Levy was able to overcome a natural tendency toward being shy to becoming the head of an eclectic network of professionals that includes Nobel laureates, Grammy-winning musicians, and Olympic medalists. He runs TED Talk-like "salons" and dinner parties at his Manhattan apartment with the intention of connection interesting people who otherwise never would have met.

Here are some of Levy's top tips for building better relationships by avoiding cringe-worthy moments.

SEE ALSO: A master networker shares his top 20 networking tips

Have something to talk about other than your job.

Most people just aren't interesting in the way they communicate, Levy says. It's why he has his dinner guests spend the majority of the evening refraining from discussing any aspect of their occupation. He encourages Salon guests to do the same, so that they can get to know each other personally.

When you meet someone new, skip the mindless back-and-forth about going through your CV or talking about the weather, and start a real conversation you'd have with a friend. If that prospect makes you nervous, have a topic ready to start talking about, Levy says.

"I always have a story of something I've been doing recently or a book that I've been reading," he says.

Create a unique memory with your new acquaintance.

Even those with terrible emotional intelligence can tell when someone has forgotten who they are, despite speaking with them several times. And while that may have happened to you, you've probably been guilty of it as well.

Rahzel, former member of The Roots and beatboxing legend, is a member of Levy's Influencers group and says that Levy's memory has consistently impressed him.

Levy says that he doesn't have any special gift, but rather deliberately creates situations that will help him remember names and faces. "For the most part our memory is visual, and it works based on novelty for something to really stick out," he says. "If there's somebody I meet that I really want to connect with, I try to create a moment that's memorable and that can serve as tradition."

Maybe that means taking a shot of tequila with your new acquaintance, or sending a selfie to someone you discover to be a mutual friend.

Tell a story that is clear and compelling.

Don't get caught up in tangents that cause the other person's eyes to glaze over and stop listening to you.

When you tell a story, make sure it has a clear point and a punchline, whether it's a takeaway or a joke. The best way to be memorable is through good storytelling.

The lending industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by digital. A new class of companies called peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders are creating online marketplaces that are pulling both borrowers and investors away from traditional banks.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck highlighting the biggest trends in the new digital lending industry. Access the full deck now for free by clicking here.

Here are some of the topics we cover in the deck:  

• A brief history of P2P lending, including the factors that led to its rise.
• An explanation of how P2P lending works.
• The size of the P2P lending industry in the US, UK, Continental Europe, and China.
• How banks are responding.
• The risk factors that could derail the industry. 

The companies mentioned in this year's presentation include Lending Club, Prosper, Zopa, and China Rapid Finance.

Below are 5 sample slides from the 46-page deck.  Want the full deck? Access it Here.

 Want the full 46-page deck?

Access it Here.

Late author Tom Clancy's 12,000-square-foot penthouse in Baltimore's Ritz-Carlton Residences just hit the market for $12 million. 

Shawn Breck, of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, told the Wall Street Journal that the home is Baltimore's priciest listing. But the asking price of the four-unit penthouse is actually less than the spy novelist paid for his initial three units six years ago. 

Clancy, who died in 2013, moved into the Ritz in 2009, when he bought three units for $12.6 million. A year later, he and his wife, Alexandra, bought three more units for a reported $4 million. While two of the six units are being rented out and are not part of the sale, the four units that make up the penthouse are asking a lower price than Clancy paid for the initial three six years ago. 

Keep scrolling for a tour of the sprawling penthouse in the late author's hometown. 

SEE ALSO: Michael Jordan is trying really hard to sell his outrageous Chicago mansion

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

The combined four-unit penthouse overlooks Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor.

Here's what that $12 million view looks like.

Many of the walls have been knocked away, resulting in an open, dreamlike floor plan.

C-Suite executives are known for pulling in a pretty penny. But as it turns out, doctors make even more.

That's right: On average, those sporting scrubs and stethoscopes bring home fatter paychecks than those donning suits and ties, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates survey.

The survey, which reflects May 2014 salary and employment data gathered from more than one million businesses, found that 16 of the nation's top 30 highest-paying occupations are in the medical field.

The best-paying job of all: anesthesiologist. 

On average, anesthesiologists in the US earn an average annual salary of $246,320.

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), these medical doctors are responsible for the safety and well being of patients before, during, and after surgery. In the US, they're required to complete a four-year undergraduate college degree, four years of medical school, and a four-year anesthesiology residency program. Most anesthesiologists become board certified, and many complete an additional fellowship year of specialty training.

A 2014 physician compensation report by Medscape found that nearly 80% of anesthesiologists spend 40 hours or more per week with patients.

Here are the 30 highest-paying jobs in the US:

SEE ALSO: 27 jobs to avoid if you hate stress

30. Physicists

Mean annual pay: $117,300

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 16,790

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 10%

29. Pharmacists

Mean annual pay: $118,470

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 290,780

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 14%

28. Compensation and Benefits Managers

Mean annual pay: $118,670

Number of people who hold this job in the US: 16,380

Projected growth (2012 - 2022): 3%

The first Apple Store in the Middle East is getting ready to open in Dubai. It's rumored to be the biggest Apple Store in the world.

Currently, the world's biggest Apple Store is the Covent Garden Store in London, which covers 40,000 square feet. The new Dubai store will reportedly cover 50,000 square feet, although its interior decor will reportedly be very similar to the new Brussels Apple Store.

Here's your first look at the new Dubai Apple Store:

The first Apple Store in the Middle East is in the majestic Mall Of The Emirates.

It has a beautiful glass dome. A fitting place for an Apple Store.

From the outside, we see the same black, bold borders around the windows, doors, and framing around light fixtures.

Astronaut Scott Kelly now officially holds the record for the longest US single spaceflight, surpassing Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria's record of 215 days.

And here at Business Insider, we can't get enough of Astronaut Scott Kelly's Instagram account.

Right before Kelly took off for his year in space, President Obama told him, "Good luck Captain. Make sure to Instagram it."

So in celebration of his most recent milestone, here are some of the best shots from his time in space.

CHECK OUT: Russia just announced that it's sending humans to the moon

NEXT: Astronomers discovered a new component of the Milky Way galaxy that they never expected to find

Here's Kelly's first stunning shot of Earth from space, taken 27 weeks ago.

Good morning, Texas from the @ISS. Looks like Houston and Austin have some weather headed your way. #YearInSpace #ISS #Goodmorning #saturday #weekend #Texas #Houston #Austin #weather #wx #houwx #space #earth

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 4, 2015 at 11:32am PDT

His photos are filled with striking colors, from neon greens ...

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... to vibrant yellow. Unfortunately, Kelly used to not include where these photos were taken, leaving his Instagram audience to guess.

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I'm a firm believer that no one should have to endure the nightmare that is interacting with the United States Postal Service. 

In New York City, a trip to the local post office can mean long waits, unpleasant interactions with other people, and lugging whatever you're trying to mail through the subway and streets.

So when I heard about an app called Shyp, I had to give it a try.

For a flat fee of $5 plus normal shipping costs, Shyp will send a courier to your front door, pick up whatever you want to mail, package it, and send it on its way for you.

After trying Shyp, I'm convinced it's the future of shipping. And I plan on never setting foot in the post office again.

Shyp currently operates in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. My apartment in deep Brooklyn was too far out for its couriers to do a pickup, so I waited to request one from my office in Manhattan.

Anyone can receive mail you send with Shyp, but its courier service is only available in the aforementioned cities. Shyp operates its own packaging facilities in those areas.

You can choose to send a new shipment or an online order return through the app. I had to send back a suit jacket that was too small, so I selected the return option.

Shyp integrates directly with a bunch of online retailers, like Amazon, Banana Republic, Bloomingdales, and more, to help automate the return process.

Since most retailers give you a prepaid label for returns, the app confirms you have it printed and ready to give to your courier.

The overwhelming majority of interviewees who fail to impress a hiring manager do so because they are unable to incorporate dynamic and thoughtful phrases within their interview answers.

You can have the most impressive theories on business, the most intriguing insight on success, and the most pertinent information to deliver, but if you don't learn how and when to get those messages across, you fail to gain any competitive advantage.

In order to assist, our sales and marketing recruiters have set forth a list of phrases that, when put into your own words and used in the right context, will work magic for you.

Here are 13 engaging and ear-catching thoughts to keep in mind for your interview:

SEE ALSO: One CEO says résumés are a thing of the past — here's what he looks at instead

DON'T MISS: The 30 highest-paying jobs you can get with an associate degree

1. "I am someone who takes responsibility for their actions...

and when things go wrong I don't look to outside forces to blame. Rather, I logically analyze what happened, how the situation could have been handled more effectively and determine how to prevent the mishap going forward."

2. "I am the type of person who is in control of their consciousness...

and who is able to focus attention at will, to be oblivious to distractions, and to concentrate for as long as it takes to achieve a goal."

3. "I have high earnings expectations because I am confident in my abilities...

to produce and while I prepare for the worst, I do the work necessary to tilt the odds that the best will happen."

Tech Insider has combed the far reaches of the App Store to bring you the 100 best and most innovative apps in the world.

Now it's time to take a look at the best productivity apps out there. These 15 apps will make your life easier and help you get things done.

Slack is where you communicate with your coworkers.

Think of Slack like the modern equivalent of an internet chat room that eliminates the need for email. Log in to communicate with your colleagues in public channels or private groups, share files, and more.

The app is geared toward businesses large and small that need a way for their employees to communicate internally, and it’s hugely popular. Other apps and services can integrate directly with Slack too, which makes it kind of like a command center for getting stuff done at work.

Thousands of companies use Slack, including Tech Insider. Your team should be using it too.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android, web

Outlook is an email app for getting things done.

Leave it to Microsoft to take one of the most despised corporate email platforms, Exchange, and give it one of the best mobile email apps.

Thanks to its acquisition of the email app Acompli late last year, the Microsoft Outlook app has become quite good. It integrates with Exchange (of course), Office 365, Outlook.com, Apple’s iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. There’s a built-in calendar view, quick access to files stored in attachments, and some smart filters that once you use, you find hard to live without.

It's simply the best email app you can use.

Price: Free
Available on:iOS, Android

1Password

It seems like there’s another massive customer data breach every day, and it’s more important than ever to make sure your passwords are not only strong but also unique for each service you use.

The problem with passwords is that they can be easy to forget, especially if you have more than a few, which you should.

But thankfully there's 1Password. It's the best app for managing your web logins and sensitive information. It has a user-friendly interface and it's available on whatever device you have with you at the moment, whether it be your desktop, phone, or even Apple Watch.

1Password will generate secure passwords for you and fill them in on websites using its free Safari and Google Chrome extensions.

Price: Free, but there's an optional upgrade with more features for $9.99.
Available on:iOS, Android

Freelancing has its perks, such as flexible hours. And its pitfalls, like inconsistent pay.

I've been a freelancer for nearly a decade now, so I've had time to develop budgeting skills for riding out the salary highs and lows. But becoming a published author required taking my budgeting to an entirely new level: I received my book advance in four installments spanning two years.

And those two years were busy — I spent the time doing revisions, promoting the book, and working on the next one.

I wasn't able to take on enough freelance work to support my family during that time, and I needed the advance to last as long as possible.

SEE ALSO: Here's the budgeting strategy of a family who lived comfortably on $14,000 a year

I made a household budget for monthly expenses.

I listed all my regular monthly bills; using the previous year's payments, I calculated the average cost of each, including insurance, mortgage, phone, electricity, and my quarterly tax payments.

I accounted for incidentals.

Variable expenses formed a smaller portion of my budget, but were harder to predict: clothes, entertainment, travel, doctor bills, car repairs, vet expenses, the kids' gymnastics, piano classes, etc. These were inconsistent from month to month, and were the riskiest areas for going over budget. I made sure to include the extra expenses in the summer months when the kids were out of school and we did more activities, the holidays when we had gifts to buy, and the winter months when we hunkered down and didn't go out as much.

To figure out how much to allocate, I added up all the incidental expenses from the previous year, divided by 12 months, and combined that figure with my regular monthly bill estimate. It was tempting to trim my budget, to pretend I'd suddenly be spending less on clothes and groceries, but I didn't. I kept it realistic.

I break it down by day.

I divided my monthly incidentals budget and divided by 30, so I had an idea of what I could afford to spend each day. Beyond the monthly bills, our daily budget is $40 per day. That means if I spend $60 on groceries today, I have only $20 to spend tomorrow. I keep myself honest by saving receipts for everything I buy, and since I need a lot of these receipts for tax purposes, it's an easy habit to reinforce. At the end of each day, I sat down with my receipts and tallied my expenses. It was a minor hassle at first, but once it became a habit, I found it easy and handy to always have a mental note of where I was in my monthly allotment. It takes me only about three minutes a day to keep track, and I like that my money is never a mystery.  

My system is pretty low-tech: I just stack the receipts together all month and write the new total on the bottom of the top receipt. They live in my top desk drawer. Using an app each time I needed to do my daily tallies felt too time-consuming for me, but apps and spreadsheets work well if you prefer not to keep a stack of receipts on hand.

Habit Burger is on fire.

The regional burger chain beat out In-N-Out, Shake Shack, Five Guys, and McDonalds to take the title of best burger in America, according to a survey by Consumer Reports released earlier this year.

Now, The West Coast based chain is expanding from fewer than 100 restaurants to more than 2,000 nationwide.

I visited one of Habit Burger's restaurants in Alameda, California, to see if the "Charburger" meets the hype.

I stopped by Habit Burger's Alameda, California, location to see how the sausage — er, burger — is made and why it's America's favorite.

The restaurant had a sleek, earthy feel with lots of stainless steel and potted succulents. The design takes inspiration from fine dining and beachy Santa Barbara, California, the chain's place of origin.

Tony Serritella, Habit Burger's COO, and Pete Whitwell, chief quality officer, greeted me at the door. They've been with the brand 18 and 11 years, respectively.

Every Monday morning, you wake up with your stomach in knots and a looming sense of impending dread.

Even the mere thought of throwing off the covers and turning on your coffee pot makes you grit your teeth and clench your fists. Why? Well, you absolutely hate your job.

I totally get it — dragging yourself out of bed every morning in order to spend the day working in a position you positively loathe isn’t fun.

In fact, it’s downright draining. But, we all know that leaving your soul-sucking job involves a lot more than simply packing up your cubicle, waving goodbye to your boss, and heading off for greener pastures.

As discouraging as it might seem, plenty of people survive in jobs that they strongly dislike. And, believe it or not, there are actually a few logical reasons for sticking it out and hanging on. In fact, here are five good motives to do just that — even just for a little while longer.

SEE ALSO: How to completely reinvent yourself

1. Money

Maybe it seems a little trite to bring up finances right off the bat. But, let’s be honest — feeling fulfilled and emotionally enriched by your position doesn’t pay the bills.

However taboo, money is an important factor for you to consider when you’re thinking about switching jobs. So, if your current position is granting you a hefty paycheck for your misery, it might be worth hanging onto.

No, you don’t need to tough it out for your entire career. But, building up a decent savings account will allow you to have a sense of comfort and security when you move onto something better — especially if that next, more fulfilling position involves a pay cut.

2. A Promising Future

Oftentimes, you can love the company you work for. The culture is great, your co-workers are phenomenal, and you even have a somewhat flexible schedule. It’s simply just your day-to-day job duties that are causing your unhappiness.

If you hate your job, it’s still important to think about your potential within your current company. Do you just need to pay your dues in this position for a certain period of time before you get moved up to something better? Is your employer notorious for starting people at the bottom, just so they have to prove themselves before advancing?

If this is the case (and, if the idea of that prospective next position excites you), you should consider sucking up your pride and putting in your time. It might be worth it in the long run. And, if you still haven’t made any forward progress within the next six months to a year, you can always reevaluate then.

3. Prestige and Connections

You might hate your position, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely worthless on your resume. And, this is especially true when it comes to the reputation of your employer. So, think about your current company.

Is it an organization that’s well-known and highly respected within your chosen industry? Will sticking around for at least a year provide a nice resume boost and open other career doors for you? Are you meeting powerful and well-connected people who might come in handy down the road?

Maybe those factors won’t make your daily job duties any more enjoyable. However, considering your company’s influence is still an important part of the process. Because — let’s face it — most employers are immediately skeptical of the candidate who stayed with that super awesome company for only two months.

It's Halloween on Saturday, so we're nearing peak haunted house season.

Margee Kerr, author of "Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear," is a sociologist who studies fear — and she recently told us what goes into the perfect scare.

Kerr came across Pittsburgh's ScareHouse haunted house in 2008 while she was working on her dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh.

It had the perfect mix of fun and fright. Along with a colleague, she started tracking visitors before, during, and after a visit to discover the ingredients of a perfect scare.

The warning for the attraction reads "You will be touched, restrained, and blindfolded. You will be tormented, challenged, and scared out of your mind."