Smartphone Tricks

Training employees is easier than ever before. Whether you're employing third-party training content from websites as diverse as Harvard.com to LinkedIn or using a business training and learning platform of your own, it's easy to train employees in new job skills, employee policies, or even general interest topics for off-hour enjoyment. However, to deliver custom training content, you'll either need to hire an expert to create such courseware or do it yourself by using eLearning authoring tools specific to the task. That's not only because creating courseware is different from a design perspective. It's also because today's business training platforms and academic learning management systems (LMS) use specific file formats and standards that aren't available in more generic content creation tools. In this article, we'll examine 10 of the best eLearning authoring tools we've seen, most of which deliver training content that's built to spec...

Would you take a full-time job that didn't offer good benefits? More importantly, would you stay at a job where accessing your insurance information, time off and paycheck, and other benefits was a hassle every time you logged into the company portal? Benefits administration (BA) software is there to make the perks, amenities, and core services your employer offers easy to set up for administrators, and even simpler for employees to use. Attractive benefits packages are not only a key factor in attracting top talent to your startup or growing small to midsize business (SMB) but they're also how you keep those employees happy and show them they're valued. But no matter how great the benefits and perks your business offers, you need a benefits administration (BA) experience within your HR management platform that makes it easy for human resources (HR) to administer and customize plans. HR also needs to give employees a straightforward and intuitive self-service portal fr...

Unfettered File Access From Anywhere In this age of high-resolution photos and near-constant video capture, the storage space in your PCs and mobile devices fills up faster than ever. While you can certainly use an external hard drive for offloading and backing up files from your PC (and by extension, your phone), if you disconnect the hard drive and leave it in your office, you won't be able to get to those files from home, and neither will anyone else. There are ways to allow other users to access the files on your hard drive, but they may be challenging to implement, or carry security risks. Instead, consider a good network-attached storage (NAS) device. As its name implies, a NAS is high-capacity storage that connects to your home or office network so that you and other users you designate can access your files from mobile devices and PCs without plugging in to the drive. Here's what you need to know to choose the right NAS. What Can You Do With a NAS? Once you deci...

A smart lock is arguably the most important part of a truly smart, connected home. Not only will it allow you to come and go as you please, it will also monitor who is entering and leaving your home while you're away. Some models simply let you use your phone to open and close doors. Some let you assign special privileges to friends, family members, or maintenance staff. Others can be activated using voice commands or triggers from other smart home devices and services. Here are a few things to consider when deciding on a smart lock, along with reviews of the top models we've tested. Price One of the first things you'll want to consider is how much it will cost to upgrade your traditional lock. After all, a smart lock costs a heck of a lot more than the standard-issue lock you can pick up at the local hardware store. You can find a few smart locks out there in the $100 range (not many of which made the cut for this list), but if you want a lock that you can control f...

Which Features Do You Need in a Power Bank? Watching your phone or tablet steadily run out of juice when you're nowhere near a power outlet is stressful. Fortunately, there's no shortage of third-party backup batteries. And they come in every size and capacity (and price range) to keep your device going when your battery icon starts to dip in the red. And it doesn't just end there. Some power banks are equipped with features like fast charging, built-in cables, LED flashlights—even the ability to jump-start your car. With so many options to choose from, how do you know which power bank is right for you? Read on for the most important points to consider, as well as the best battery packs we've tested. Size and Capacity Generally speaking, the bigger the battery, the higher the capacity. Power Banks that fit comfortably in your pocket are typically good for a full phone charge or two, while anything designed to keep you going all day is going to require a bag or...

What Is Time Tracking Software? Time tracking software lets individuals and businesses measure and record the intervals at which their workers perform specific tasks. Primarily used by professional services companies, freelancers, and contractors, time tracking tools use digital clock-punching features to quantify (to the second) how long workers take to complete assignments. Within this category there are two specific types of time tracking software: tools that are tied into larger project management (PM) suites which help professional services companies prove billable hours and improve future task delegation, and tools designed solely for measuring time and monitoring employee effort. In the former category you'll find tools such as Mavenlink, Wrike, and Zoho Projects while in the latter category you'll find software such as Hubstaff and our Editors' Choice tool TSheets. How Time Tracking Works On most systems, users log into the software, select a project (for exa...

What Is a Cheap Web Host? Every business—from sole-proprietorships to enterprises—needs a website. But not everyone needs a full-blown ecommerce presence that can stand up to hundreds of simultaneous customers hitting your shopping cart, and not everyone can afford one, either. Sometimes, you just need a static page listing your hours and location, with maybe a little blogging functionality to keep things interesting—and sometimes that's all you can afford, too. Cost is a critically important consideration when selecting a web host. But while it's a truism that you get what you pay for, it's also true that every penny counts and that there are some great Web hosting deals to be had. First, let's define Web hosts in general. A Web host is a company with servers that you use to store and deliver the files that make up your website. Large businesses can spend hundreds of dollars each year on dedicated web hosting or virtual private server (VPS) hosting, but there ar...

Why You Need an iPhone VPN When you hear about the latest outbreak of ransomware, the news almost always refers to something happening on Windows or Android devices. You don't hear nearly as much about trouble for macOS devices, and even less for iPhones. Apple built security into iOS from the ground up, which means that it's really tough for malware to get a foothold. However, Apple can't do a thing to protect your data as it travels between your iPhone and other devices. If you want to keep your communications safe and private, you need a virtual private network, or VPN. It's true that modern cellular communication is thoroughly encrypted, not easily tapped unless you have access to police-level tools like the Stingray device, or data dumps from cell towers. Oh, it's possible for bad actors to jam the secure 4G and 3G channels, forcing nearby phones to connect via insecure 2G to a briefcase-sized cell tower called a femtocell. In that scenario, the attacker...

Even Macs Need Antivirus Protection Did you ever think about the people who write viruses, spyware, ransomware, and other malicious software? Why do they do it? The answer is simple—for money. Trojans steal personal data to sell. Bot herders rent out their victims to spammers. Ransomware goes for the jugular; give us your money or your files are toast. More computers use Windows than macOS, but there's no reason for these malware entrepreneurs to ignore the macOS market. There are even some attack types—phishing in particular—that are completely OS-independent. Like it or not, in this dangerous world you need antivirus protection on your Macs, not just on your Windows boxes. As with Windows antivirus tools, the most common price is just under $40 per year for a single license. ProtectWorks is unusual in that a single $29.95 payment lets you protect all the Macs in your household, with no subscription needed. At the high end, you pay $99.99 per year for a three-license subsc...

More Portable Than a Laptop Although the tablet PC has long been a dream, it's only in the last few years that it's become a reality. Thanks to the popularity of Android and iOS tablets, the advent of the Windows 8 and Windows 10 operating systems, and manufacturers' ability to fit more powerful hardware into ever slimmer and lighter devices, it's now possible to hold in your hand a tablet that can do almost everything your laptop does—and, in most cases, is even more portable. Just as with any system, however, a Windows tablet requires you to make choices. How big and powerful do you want (or need) it to be? What sort of features are you looking for? And do you care about using it when you're out and about, or will you only need it while you're around a Wi-Fi connection? We'll help you answer all these questions and more, and tell you which of the many Windows tablets on the market are our favorites. Size Matters Just as laptops come in different...