In case you needed any more proof that America desperately needs more cybersecurity specialists, look no further than the U.S. Congress. Just this week, the release of a year-long congressional study of America’s cyber defense capabilities showed the nation was still “ill prepared” to fend off cyberattacks and requires a full overhaul of its entire cyberoperations strategy.

Whether you’re the U.S. military, an American company or just an organization that doesn’t want to fall prey to hackers and other cyber-criminals, you’re undoubtedly looking for trained and qualified professionals up to the task of keeping your digital systems safe. The training in The A-to-Z Cybersecurity Developer Bundle offers hours of introductory and advanced instruction in the areas where security specialists need it the most.

This 10-course, 170-hour massive collection is as comprehensive as security training comes, packed with basic training as well as in-depth advanced tactics for handling most of the challenges an IT security expert faces on the job.

A pair of courses spend almost 60 hours on ethical hacking and penetration testing, ensuring students have the most up-to-date training available in identifying system vulnerabilities and how to exploit those flaws to ultimately make any system as impervious as possible to attack.

Three of these courses are directly designed to help new students pass three critical CompTIA security exams — CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001), CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501), and CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) — each an elite certification for any aspiring IT pro.

Meanwhile, another 46 hours of coursework will lead students toward accreditation in three more important cybersecurity roles as a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), or Certified Information Systems Security Pro (CISSP). Read the rest

$21 billion is a lot of money—the kind most of us can't even fathom. That absurd amount is the estimate of how much Americans are overpaying for car insurance every year according to the Zebra, a trusted, independent source for industry research. Chances are, you're one of those Americans, which isn't great news. But here's the silver lining: you can absolutely do something about it. A recent survey by the Zebra revealed that drivers who know more about insurance tend to pay less.

So even if you don't have a big event on the horizon  —moving, getting married, changing jobs, having kids, or, ya know, buying a vehicle — motivating you to look into your car insurance, it would be a great investment of your time to educate yourself a bit about how it all works and how you can get some desirable rate quotes, easily and safely.

For example, though you may know that your deductible is the max amount you pay out of pocket for repairs before your insurance company pays anything, you may not know what or who exactly covers damage in an accident with an insured motorist vs an uninsured motorist. Hint: Insured = their liability coverage; uninsured = your uninsured motorist coverage (which is optional in some states). And not understanding how coverage works can lead you to pay for things you don't need or skipping things that would save you money in the long run.

If you're intrigued by the possibility of lowering your car insurance rates but bummed you'll have to wait for your policy term to end, you'll be pumped about this: You can switch car insurance providers at any time. Read the rest

It’s impossible to overstate the impact of pod brewing on the coffee-crazy consumer market. Over the past decade, the single-cup quick-and-easy pod brewing systems have taken over every kitchen and workplace breakroom on the planet. Keurig sold over 10 billion of its single-serving K-Cups in 2018 alone.

Unfortunately, there’s a problem with all those pods. Despite being made of recyclable plastic, they’re too small to be picked out by sorters in most recycling plants, meaning many of those pods just end up in world landfills. There’s even an estimate that there were enough coffee pods in landfills to circle the world about 12 times. And those numbers were calculated back in 2014.

If you’re hopelessly addicted to your pod brewer, but cringe at the thought of further befouling our already beleaguered planet, Woken is there for you. Their 60-pack of espresso pods not only come in three popular flavors, but they’re each housed in their own 100 percent compostable and fully biodegradable pod.

Made from Terrablend biocapsules, Woken pods can be used in Nespresso Original Line and a host of other compatible brewing machines then composted responsibly. Each pod will break down naturally in about 90 days and return to our eco-system.

And while the thought of ending your contribution to the world’s plastic problem is a happy one, the taste is the primary reason you buy — and this collection gives you a sampling of robust flavors to enjoy.

The assortment varies in flavor intensity with notes of chocolate, nuts, and fruit. Read the rest

It only took 10 years, but with the long-awaited adoption of Qi charging standards by Apple back in 2017 for the iPhone X, the era of wireless charging has now truly taken over. With wireless charging options available in everything from smartphones and smartwatches to tablets and earbuds, we’re now seeing charging pads showing up everywhere.

Apple even promised its own wireless charging pad dubbed the AirPower before quietly killing the project last year when it “could not achieve [their] high standards.” But that doesn’t mean other companies weren’t already rushing to satisfy that power demand with their own versions of a killer charging pad.

Now that you’ve probably already built up a small treasure trove of Qi-enabled tech, the AirZeus 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Pad stands as an heir apparent to the AirPower legacy and should probably get your attention.

Just like its Greek god of thunder namesake, the AirZeus hurls power like lightning, simultaneously charging a Qi-compatible phone, smartwatch, and earbuds at blistering speeds.

Simply place your Qi-enabled devices on the AirZeus and let the power flow. The unit is tailored to deliver up to 7.5 watts of power to your iPhone, the maximum safe charging rate for the device. Under those conditions, you can fully charge your completed dead phone in under two hours.

The AirZeus is even powerful enough to deliver a charge through phone and watch cases made from materials like leather or glass. In fact, if your case is less than 2 millimeters thick, you’ll have no problem getting uninterrupted power to your device. Read the rest

Right now, 27 percent of Americans would need to beg, borrow or steal if they were faced with an unexpected debt over $400. That’s a frightening number — and even more frightening still if you’re among that 27 percent.

With so many facing such precarious financial times, it’s never been more important to have a complete understanding of your money. And we don’t just mean knowing what’s in your wallet right now. You need to have complete command over your cashflow, knowing exactly what is coming into your accounts, what’s going out, and, more importantly, why it’s going out.

Wallet is a personal budgeting app that can crystalize your view of your money, helping you bring all of your transactions into one place so you can create a financial plan that actually works for your life.

With Wallet, users take a birds-eye view of their account picture. Once synced, all your bank account information and other financial statements feed directly into Wallet and automatically update in the app in real-time. Wallet can help you set up a budget taking all of your monthly expenses into account, so you’ll always know what you have and what you don’t.

But Wallet isn’t just an expense tracker. Wallet actually helps you spot trends in your spending so you can identify necessary purchases as well as those that probably shouldn’t continue. Shopping lists focus your money on needed expenditures like food, transportation or regular bills while helping you cut out impulse buying that detracts from your long term goals. Read the rest

Productivity isn’t just about working smarter or faster. It’s actually about making you a happier person. Ninety-two percent of employees said that having the right technology to help do their job with greater efficiency actually made them happier in their work. And the real question here is — what’s up with those other 8 percent?

Of course, the right tools make your life a better place. So when you’ve got a chance to secure a whole cache of new apps to have your Mac performing at the top of its game, you should jump at the chance.

You get nine-count ‘em — nine of those much-needed life hacks in The 2020 Mac Productivity Essentials Bundle, now over 90 percent off their regular prices at only $29.99 for the whole collection.

A full third of this bundle includes bedrock apps that any user has to own to create digital content in 2020. PDF is the most universally recognized e-document format in the world, so having a full-service editor like PDF Reader Pro for editing any text, images, style or more in a PDF is vitally important.

Meanwhile, the one-two combo of image editor Movavi Photo Editor and vector graphics creator Amadine: The Ultimate Vector Graphics Software for Mac can handle all the work you’d usually need Photoshop, Illustrator or both to accomplish — and without that sky-high monthly subscription fee.

As for your desktop operations, another tandem pair — MultiDock App Organizer and WindowSwitcher -- can streamline how you access all your files. Read the rest

If you’re a child of the 20th century, you grew up playing with blocks, dolls, action figures or some assortment of those traditional toys. But for a kid of the 2020s, they’ll be able to say, “When I was a kid, I built my own phone.” It’s a wonderful time to be alive, right?

As impossible as it might seem to believe, you can now actually buy your kid a kit to build their very own working mobile phone. With the CircuitMess Ringo DIY Mobile Phone Kit and Tools, you’ll literally have everything your kid needs to dive in and put together all the components to construct a mobile phone that supports calls and texts, plays games, shows the date and time and works with virtually any mobile network anywhere in the world.

It’s a project that raised over $300,000 on Kickstarter, probably because no one believed it was actually this doable. But give a kid around age 11 or older some basic electronics tools and the detailed build guide and tutorial along with this collection of pieces and in about five hours, they’ll have their own working phone.

The phone features a full-color LCD display screen that’ll play games, access apps and make calls or texts just like any smartphone.

But the project doesn’t end when the phone is assembled. Using Scratch, Python or Arduino code editing platforms, users can actually create their own games and apps, then share them via the included SD card. The games can be played using the phone’s own built-in gaming joystick, not to mention its own internal WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities. Read the rest

There are few experiences that match the sheer raw power of being front and center for a huge rock concert. It can be exhilarating. But without sounding too much like your mom, it can also be far more dangerous than you realize.

Hearing damage often happens from exposure to prolonged loud noises over 85 decibels (dB). Rock concerts can hit 115 dB, depending on where you’re standing. And if you’ve ever come away from a show with that muffled ringing sound in your ears for a few hours or maybe even a few days after, that’s tinnitus. While it’s often temporary, it’s also auditory Russian roulette — because the effect can become permanent. And while we’re on the subject, exactly how high do you crank the music on those earbuds?

The World Health Organization estimates 1.1 billion 12 to 35-year-olds face irreversible hearing loss as a result of exposure to loud noise. You can avoid becoming a statistic with some foresight and protection like the Eartune Live U Universal Ear Plugs.

Eartunes are engineered to retain all the clarity of your music, just at levels about 20 decibels lower than the unfiltered sound. Their proprietary acoustic filters reduce the volume of the world around you, yet modulate the sound waves, maintaining the sound in the medium frequency spectrum while expertly filtering out high and low range noise and distortion that can damage the fine hairs of the ear.

In the event that fashion moves you more than preventing hearing loss, the Eartunes are actually so small and unobtrusive that others can hardly tell you’re wearing them. Read the rest

As a parent, you likely start feeling a little guilty whenever you let your kid play video games for too long. Gaming is fun and most kids get completely enraptured, but you inevitably start thinking about all the more enriching and educational ways they could fill those hours spent rampaging through digital worlds and blasting enemies.

So how about a compromise? You’ll let them dig deep into cool games on a fun gaming console...but they have to build the whole thing first. And we don’t just mean plugging in controllers and making sure the AC cable is working.

The MAKERbuino Educational DIY Game Console is the perfect project for getting game-obsessed kids actually delving deeper into electronics and thinking about exactly how their games actually work. In fact, you may never find a more kid-friendly introduction to a STEM career than giving them the freedom to literally build their own gaming system.

Based on Arduino UNO electronics boards, this kit includes all the components and detailed instructions to help inquisitive youngsters or even curious oldsters assemble their very own working handheld gaming device with more than 30 preloaded games.

It does require some basic soldering and at least five hours to put together, so it’s best for kids who are tweens or older, but no kid will feel more rewarded than after they’ve actually constructed a gaming device all on their own.

Compatible with Arduino expansion modules and programmed in open-source Arduino IDE, the most popular programming environment for makers, the MAKERbuino is ultra-customizable. Read the rest

When it comes to DIY electronics, there are few brand names that carry more weight these days than Arduino and the Raspberry Pi. Over the past 15 years, Arduino has grown from a tool to teach electronics to the uninitiated into an environment of startling innovation where creative minds fashion their own Arduino slow-drip coffee makers, fully functioning LEGO Wall-Es and even a $100, open-source VR headset to serve as your own budget Oculus Rift.

Meanwhile, the single-board microcomputer known as the Raspberry Pi has been a creative hotbed of its own, prompting its devotees to use the Pi as the brain behind a home weather station, your own knockoff Gameboy, or your own version of Tony Stark’s JARVIS personal assistant.

With The 2020 Complete Raspberry Pi and Arduino A-Z Hero Maker Bundle, even users who have never dabbled in homespun electronics before can learn how to harness these two sneaky powerful tools to start crafting cool stuff you only dreamed about before.

And there’s plenty to catch up on here, including nine courses, two ebooks and almost 100 hours of instruction that’ll have you unleashing the mad inventor inside all of us.

Over six courses, you’ll unlock all the secrets of Arduino as you start building a whole mess of fun, mind-expanding projects. After two introductory courses give you a firm understanding of what a simple Arduino Uno circuit board can do from simple buttons to LEDs to environmental sensors, training dives in on how to create some truly amazing Arduino projects. Read the rest

Let's go ahead and assume you never thought you'd own a lamp that can chill a bottle of Albariño. And if that lamp that's also a cooler were also a Bluetooth speaker, it's even less likely the idea crossed your mind, but here we are. The Dutch company Kooduu designed a multifunction accent piece that looks great in any indoor—or outdoor—space and gives your gathering a level of chic ambiance you didn't know was missing.

Functioning as an LED lamp with warm yellow illumination, a 10-watt wireless speaker with 180-foot Bluetooth range, and a wine cooler and/or plant stand, the Synergy Pro comes in three sizes (small and medium both hold 1 bottle of wine; large holds 2) and can be mixed or matched however you please to create a focal piece in your room or offer surround sound for your playlist.

Yup, you can DIY a whole unexpected sound system in your living room, on your patio, or in your screen house: Through the built-in antenna, each lamp can be coupled to other Kooduu products. The genuine leather handle makes it easy to move around, and the rechargeable battery boasts up to 8 hours of playtime to keep the party going all evening or ensure your sleep cast runs through the night. It can help you chill things out or pump things up, and look like artwork while doing so.

Normally starting at $159.99 for the small size, the Kooduu: 3-in-1 Designer Lamp, Speaker & Cooler is available for 10% off when you use the coupon KOODUU10, lowering the final starting price to $143.99. Read the rest

Learning to code can be intimidating. It always takes some time and attention to develop any new skill, but for one with as many approaches as programming, it can be particularly nerve-wracking, especially when you’ve never dipped into those murky waters before.

Even if you fall into that absolute beginner category, the package of training in The 2020 Comprehensive Programming Collection offers up some solid primers on the basic languages, tools, and methods for building websites, creating apps and basically becoming a one-person digital content machine.

Ask a hiring manager the no. 1 skill they want to see on the resume of an IT job applicant and it’s knowledge of JavaScript. So this collection of nine courses starts with The Complete Beginner's JavaScript Course, introducing you to the basics of this core programming language.

While JavaScript serves as the backbone of web page building, it’s also instrumental in creating apps. It’s training that will serve you well in the four bundle courses centered around creating your own working apps. iOS App Development for Beginners and Intro to Java for Android Development will get you familiar with Android Studio and Swift, the two primary platforms for tailoring an app specifically to Android and iOS users.

You’ll expand that foundation with Discover React for Web Applications as you use the React JavaScript library for building cool interactive user experiences; and Develop an AR App for the Retail Industry, where you actually build a working augmented reality app that will show you how virtual furniture will look in your very real-world settings. Read the rest

The great thing about living your best life is that it means something different to each individual. So while you may not need new socks or a fishing camera, other people are clamoring for it. To prove the point, we’ve assembled 25 of the best deals we were able to scrounge up this week. Some you’ll probably love. Others, you’ll never need. But while we all don’t covet the same things, we can all share a deep appreciation for a damn good deal.

With spring almost here, time to consider what you’ll need for getting out and enjoying a quick weekend road trip or just going out for the day and basking in the glory of the land.

The STAG Ski, Bike & Base Unit Bundle ($494; originally $549) can cart all your equipment anywhere with a roof-positioned rack set for two 40-pound bikes and four snowboards or up to five pairs of skis.

And even the youngest family members can get in some pedal time too with the Brilrider FLIGHT: World's Lightest Balance Bike ($83.95; originally $159), a tough, durable and insanely light two-wheeler that can get kids even as young as 18 months up and riding.

With a minimalist look, a bunch of useful pockets and pouches and 100 percent weather-resistant, the VENQUE Explorer Bag ($169.99; originally $199) has enough room to stow just about everything as your A-1 travel companion. And if those adventures involve some angling, the GoFish Cam Wireless Underwater Fishing Camera ($239.99) Read the rest

Here’s a cool factoid about company branding and the importance of iconic imagery that you probably never considered. Brands that do a poor job of branding themselves to the public definitely pay the price. In fact, it’s a literal price...as in, salaries 10 percent higher than their better-branded competitors.

Not only does the lack of clear, effective brand identity hurt you with customers, but even prospective employers also end up being dubious that you’re a company that has the goods. So if your branding efforts are at all shaky, you can shore those up right now with a Designs.ai premium plan subscription.

As a Designs.ai user, you’ll have access to the full resources of their brand know-how as they craft a company logo for you that’s instantly identifiable and visually compelling. Enter some basic company information, offer a few of your preferences and Designs.ai swings into action, producing loads of potential logo ideas for you in a matter of seconds.

From there, Designs.ai’s simple interface makes it easy to start weeding through your options, finding the one you like, then making any color or stylistic tweaks or outright changes to get it looking exactly the way you want.

Once you’re locked down your decision, Designs.ai will export your logo into a full array of high resolution, fully scalable file formats so your new company image can be used in any medium, from print and digital to video and beyond. On top of that, a Designs.ai premium plan also entitles you to full mockups of how your new logo will look on a host of promotional merchandise, including everything from hats, jackets and the ever-popular t-shirts to pens, coffee mugs and more. Read the rest

The top security risk to any company’s vital IT systems isn’t hackers or malware. It’s basic, pure and simple human error, according to CompTIA, the industry’s most respected trade association.

Even though 75 percent of companies have cybersecurity training for their employees, less than 45 percent say their staff has adequate security expertise. It’s just another reason why the IT pro entrusted with safeguarding all those systems is so vital.

CompTIA provides the security certification programs that drive the industry — and you can receive top-level training from premier instructors to pick up a virtual armload of those certifications with The CompTIA Cyber Security Pathway Certification Prep Bundle.

In all, this collection features in-depth training in the exact knowledge needed to pass seven different CompTIA security certification exams, an industry-standard accreditation that proves you’re fully versed and up to speed in all the disciplines that matter for an IT security expert.

Your training begins with courses in passing IT Fundamentals, then the CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 exams, the best starting point foundation for anyone with IT career aspirations. From there, the coursework veers solidly into the security realm, including certification prep in CompTIA Security+ covering risk management, identifying threats and how to spot system intrusions; and CompTIA Network+, with all the background needed to manage and secure a thriving business network.

Next, CompTIA PenTest+ explains ethical hacking and testing for system vulnerabilities; then CompTIA CySA+ looks at security analytics and how exactly to respond to a cyber incident. Read the rest

Careers in IT are diverse and varied, but one of the most important is one you may not have ever considered — just how do all those networks and systems and devices get all that power, anyway? The work of a smart, knowledgeable electrical power engineer is how.

Armed with the training in The Introductory Electrical Master Class Bundle, students will not only have a better idea about how all of our information systems stay juiced up but how electrical distribution works across buildings, cities and even countries as well as how the impact of new power technologies like solar energy can be applied everywhere.

Complete Electric Circuits Course for Electrical Engineering starts at the absolute ground level for beginners, walking learners through the basics of electrical circuits, critical theorems, capacitors, inductors and all the crucial background knowledge any electrical specialist needs before current ever starts flowing.

The Complete Electrical Substations for Electrical Engineering course expands that vision, outlining how power is distributed through area substations and all the components that make it happen from circuit breakers and grounding systems to transmission lines and main units.

The Complete Electrical Design Engineering Distribution Course starts applying those principles on a broader level, explaining how electrical engineers work out a building’s lighting scheme from wiring to regulating to fixtures. You’ll even use design and drafting software like Autocad and Dialux to start creating digital environments that will be ready to work in the real world.

Of course, some structures need more power than others and the electrical requirements for an industrially-heavy machine shop are far different than an average business. Read the rest

Creative writing can be a nerve-racking endeavor. It’s just you, your thoughts and that very, very blank page or word doc. You might have an idea for the story you want to tell, but what form does that story take? A novel? A short story? An article? Maybe even a blog post?

Writing your story isn’t as simple as simply writing your story. However, you can start answering those tough questions and steering your creative output in the right direction with the truly massive Ultimate Creative Writing Course Bundle.

It’s a 10-course package that includes an almost ridiculously giant 1,500 hours of hands-on training. Yeah, 1,500. That’s over 62 days worth of materials aimed at making you a better writer. Of course, we don’t advise taking it all at once (you’d be mighty tired by the end!), but it’s nice to know how much quality instruction is available to devour at your own pace.

After you explore the mindset of professional writers and test yourself out in a variety of creative projects with the introductory Creative Writing course, then you can start digging into a whole universe of writing sub-genres.

If you want to write the next Great American Novel, Novel Writing can help you shape plotlines, characters, scenarios and more. If you’re more interested in telling real-world stories, you can flex those muscles and find out what makes for a solid news story with the Freelance Journalism course. Or if you’ve ever had dreams of writing about life on the road, there are a pair of Travel Writing and Travel Blogging courses that can light the way for that pursuit. Read the rest