Mediaboss Marketing

Kim Komando| Special to USA TODAY

The average American will pay $32,400 for internet access throughout a lifetime. This number, calculated by researchers at Reviews.org, doesn't even include today's big dogs. I'm talking about your cable, streaming, cellphone, and other subscriptions.

When it comes to tech, there's no shortage of ways to spend your money. Why not use free software that's just as good as the paid versions? Tap or click for free alternatives to Word, Excel, Photoshop and more.

I also like to check every so often for lost or hidden money floating around that's mine. One of my national radio show listeners found $25,000 this way. Maybe you'll be lucky, too! Tap or click for the secret places to check for unclaimed funds.

And then there are all those monthly internet charges. If youre paying full price for everything or you havent scanned your needs in a while, its time.

When it comes to your home internet, speed definitely matters. If you browse the web and play Candy Crush on your phone, youre a lightweight. You can get away with less bandwidth than someones who likes watching 4K movies every night.

Take a look at your monthly recurring charge. Make sure you are getting the speed and bandwidth youre promised. I hear from people all the time who arent. Tap or click for my pro tips for doing a more scientific speed test you can report to your ISP.

When you first signed up for your cable TV, you probably got a great price. The providers like to throw in a bunch of free channels on a package deal. Unless you're paying attention, the free channels become pay channels after a few months or a year. Make sure that the channels you are paying for are ones that you watch.

It may be high time to ditch cable entirely and get a nice antenna to get local channels and more programming for free. You need to get the right antenna, or else you'll be totally frustrated. Tap or click here to see the difference between an indoor and outdoor antenna.

Next, scan your bills for any overage fees or extras. If youre going over your internet data cap, you may save money by stepping up to the next tier of service.

Be sure to compare your most recent bill with one from a year or two ago. Have prices gone up on anything? Are you paying to rent equipment each month? Are there any fees youre not sure of? If so, call your provider and find out why.

Monthly router and modem rental fees may seem small, but those dollars quickly add up. As a nice bonus, you can get better gear than your ISP provides.

When it comes to routers, Netgear, Linksys, ASUS, and TP-Link are all solid options. Make sure to get one with WPA-3 encryption, which is the latest security standard you can get.

If your Wi-Fi is crappy, you may want to consider stepping up to a mesh system for even better coverage. I have one, and it works like a charm to deliver strong Wi-Fi across my home.

It would be best for your internet speed and savings account if you bought your modem too. Just make sure it's DOCSIS 3.0. Here are my recommended modems for any internet provider.

You probably have other internet or cable service options in your area, and your current provider knows it. It pays to shop around. In all likelihood, a competitor will offer you a better deal, faster speeds, or both. Dont be afraid to haggle, and make sure they dont try to downgrade your speed, bandwidth, or options to reduce the price.

Do your homework ahead of time. Know what your provider's competitors offer and write down the intro rates you could get by switching.

Pro Tip: If you're not getting anywhere with a customer service rep, ask to speak with someone in the Retention Department. These folks are generally authorized to give you the best deals.

Bundles can go one of two ways. In some cases, you end up paying for something you otherwise wouldnt because youre swayed by the idea of getting more for less. Dont do that. The better option, of course, is to bundle together services youre already paying for and saving a bit each month.

Check what bundles are available to you by visiting your cable company or ISPs website or giving them a call. Dont get sucked into paying for a landline if you dont need one. Tap or click for my take on why its OK to ditch your landline for good.

You can get streaming bundles, too. Instead of paying for Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu separately, you can grab them all together for $13.99 and save about $5 a month. Not bad.

But why pay for any streaming services once youve already binged whats available? Cancel the streaming services youre not watching. You can always sign up again later.

Heres a streaming money saver. Pay for a year upfront and you will spend less than you would on a monthly subscription. Back to Disney+, you can pay $6.99 for a month-to-month plan or $69.99 for a year. Thats about $14 savings a year. No, its not a ton, but every dollar counts, right?

HBO Max charges $9.99 per month and $99.99 per year. Hey, thats $20 off or two trips to Starbucks.

You can get a federal subsidy toward your internet bill. If you qualify, you can get a discount of up to $50 per month for broadband service and up to $75 if you live on Tribal lands. A one-time discount of $100 for a computer or tablet is also available.

This assistance also includes people on government benefits, but it goes beyond that. If you lost your job or were furloughed during the pandemic and make under $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers, you may also qualify.

Tap or click here for more details on the program, as well as full eligibility requirements.

Check out free trials to see if the latest streaming service is worth the money. Be sure to cancel before you're charged, though. After you sign up for the trial, add a reminder in your calendar with the date you need to cancel. Tap or click here for more money-saving tips on streaming, including info on all those free trials.

Mobile providers often throw in a streaming option or other service free for customers. A perfect example is T-Mobile's "Netflix On Us" program free standard Netflix subscriptions to T-Mobile unlimited data plan subscribers with two or more voice lines. Verizon offers a year of Disney+ for free, too. Tap or click to see what else you can get for no extra charge.

There are also a ton of ways to watch TV and movies for free online. A word of advice: Dont go searching Google for free movies or you will end up on scammy sites full of sketchy popups. We did the work for you. Tap or click for 13 safe sites to find free movies.

Want free TV? Tap or click for free alternatives to Netflix and all the rest.

Bonus Tip: She died. Then he turned her into an artificial intelligence chatbot.

Check out my podcast Kim Komando Explains on Apple, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast player.

When tragedy struck, Joshua Barbeau decided to cope with the loss of his girlfriend by creating a chatbot based on her personality. In this podcast, I sat down with him as well as AI developer Jason Rohrer, who created a program you can use to create your own personalized chatbots for just $5. Its creepy and insanely fascinating at the same time.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, Komando.

Learn about all the latest technology on theKim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website atKomando.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

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8 proven ways to lower monthly internet, cable and streaming bills - USA TODAY

Gig workers without marketable skills could lose out if companies change their hiring policy, saidNational University of Singapore Business School's Professor Sumit Agarwal in a commentary for CNA earlier this year.

"Ideally, there would be schemes for gig workers to undergo training in skills tailored to their fields of freelance work that creates potential for progress within the sector," he wrote.

He suggested such workers could learnhow to generate business leads and start their own gig business, noting this would be in line with the Government's push to builda "skilled, relevant and future-ready workforce".

Simply making the time for skills upgrading is a tall order for many, said MP Yeo Wan Ling (PAP-Pasir Ris-Punggol).

Ms Yeo an adviser to the NPHVA,National Taxi Association and National Delivery Champions Association, whichare affiliated with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said this is especially so for gig workers, with their less predictable work schedules.

"This makes it challenging for gig workers to take on conventional training programmes as this would call for sacrifices in earnings, including future earnings, as incentives are dependent on the regularity and volume of work activity," she said.

One of the priorities for NTUC and its associations is making training possible for self-employed people, she said.

"This includes catering for training that accommodates the work patterns of gig workers, for example, in two-hour sessions during the lull periods of the day."

Ms Yeo also pointed to training in the form of "quality online courses", such as the NPHVA's initiative to provide and sponsor access to more than 60 online courses in areas such as safe driving and customer care and business fundamentals.

Companies like Grab or Deliveroo may be offering such upgrading opportunities for gig workers out of a sense of social responsibility, said career coach Adrian Choo.

These firms may be anticipating the longer-term career needs of their workers, who may not be able to drive passengers or deliver food indefinitely, noted the chief executive of career consulting firm Career Agility International.

Mr Choo notes that doing so also addresses the issue of underemployment defined by the Manpower Ministry as the underutilisation of the productive capacity of the labour force.

So we have graduates who train for managerial positions, but they end up driving for Grab, and they don't progress.And then when they're 40 years old and they go out and look for jobs, they don't have the relevant skills, he said.

This in turn becomes a problem, not just for gig workers, but for the economy, said Mr Choo, pointing to a potential huge skill supply gap.

Upgrading opportunities should be tailored to the individual, and this requires longer-term career planning, he adds.

The challenge is that the skills they have graduating from school, by the time they hit the job market their skills are not really relevant, he said.

As such, skills and training need to be continually updated, he said.

For Mr Farhan, his new job is very different from what was he used to. The nature of the job means he is constantly being challenged, and as such he does not get too comfortable, he said.

He also enjoys the opportunity to learn from his more experienced colleagues, whom he treats as mentors.

With that, at least I have an investment in myself, he said.In five to 10 years' time, I will still continue to grow.

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From Grab driver to software engineer: Why gig economy companies are upgrading their workers' skills - CNA

Promo If adversity is the mother of invention, the last year and a half should have fostered a whole slew of software innovation.

But is your organization ready to not just cope with the seismic changes weve all had to endure, but to use them as a launch pad for new directions and innovations? If it is, do you know where and how to begin?

Whatever your starting point, signing up for the NextStep conference on November 16 will put you on the path to thrive not merely survive in todays rapidly changing business environment.

The NextStep event from OutSystems will show you how a modern application development platform will turbo charge your digital transformation, helping you deliver agile applications that evolve with your business and customers, and wipe out technical debt.

This virtual event is aimed squarely at the leaders who govern innovation, including CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs, as well as business leaders, directors of application development, and enterprise architects. NextStep is the place for leaders who need to deliver innovation now and prepare the organization for change and the future. At NextStep youll understand why software development is the foundation of digital transformation, and how to activate your innovation strategy.

NextStep will feature more than 20 sessions with a mix of powerful keynote and breakout experiences, with top OutSystems executives and engineers, along with industry visionaries presenting on business imperatives for creating a culture of innovation and success.

Highlights include OutSystems CEO Paulo Rosados keynote, which will uncover the importance of the customer experience in the center of your digital transformation initiatives. Paulo will share the stage with some of the most successful companies who know how to innovate under pressure and turn their innovations into serious business impact.

Breakout sessions will dive deep into key topics such as delivering high quality omni-channel experiences for both customers and employees, using digital experiences to beat Silicon Valley at its own game, and applying AI to rethink processes and workflows, and eliminate silos.

NextStep will run for three and a half hours, and deliver a virtual experience across the world, so no matter where or when youre ready to dive in, you can benefit when the event works best for you.

Join, learn, connect and get back to your important work of rethinking how to innovate into the future.

Take your NextStep by registering for free today.

Sponsored by OutSystems

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Do you have what it takes to turn adversity into software innovation? - The Register

The Arm DevSummit 2021 is upon us! Happening this October 19-21, Arm invites hardware and software engineers to participate and join forces in this three-day virtual conference to discuss and share insights into the latest technology trends and to one-up your skills through technical sessions and hands-on workshops. Many other like-minded hardware and software engineers will be at the Arm DevSummit 2021, and we can network via the internet!

Arm, as many of you know, is leading the RISC microprocessor designers and its products are being used in our smartphones, tablets, cars, and many more low-powered devices. Its unique RISC microprocessor traits allow a great degree of freedom and accessibility of general-purpose computing, hence that is why we can have smartphones and not smart bricks.

Joining the Arm DevSummit 2021 will enable us to have the chance to network with other like-minded active developers in the community and shape the world of computing through our ideas. What might seem to be an impossibility can be made possible by refining and redefining the idea.

That is why talking to other people and discussing ideas is important. Its the perfect chance to discuss cutting-edge technology with both hardware and software developers and learn about the latest advancement in computing then grow our skills to accommodate that technology.

You can register the Arm DevSummit 2021 early too and gain the benefit of advanced access to the technical sessions, the Discord server (which is important for networking, as per mentioned earlier), and other perks too:

Watch over 72 early-release technical sessions before the live event.

Get early access to the official Arm Discord server for pre-event networking. (Excludes China)

Make your voice heard and reserve your seat around virtual campfires.

Secure your space and learn new skills in high-demand workshops.

Build your own agenda around the 7 tracks. Save items to your watchlist.

The big highlight about the Arm DevSummit 2021 is going to be the 7 conference tracks which focus on a broad range of topics, spanning from cloud to edge computing.

Cloud Native for the Endpoint, Edge, and the Cloud

The Future of Mobility is Software Defined

Developing Interactive Consumer Experiences

Practical Software Development for a Productive IoT

AI in the Real World: From Development to Deployment

Hardware Design Methodology

Optimizing Arm Technology for HPC, Cloud, and 5G Infrastructure

Ever wondered how a utopia of hardware and software engineers living together will be? Then join the Arm community where 1,000+ partners and millions of active developers are actively talking about how Arm is being integrated and enabling their ideas to bloom and turn into a reality.

The Arm community also comes with these benefits:

Prepare For The Future

o Find out whats trending in the industry from our ecosystem of 1,000+ partners.

Design Fast, Write Fast, Run Fast

o Get in-depth information and technical resources to enhance your capabilities.

Share Your Stories

o Find answers, ask questions, and share stories on a variety of topics with fellow engineers from all around the world.

Yes you read that right. You too can join the Arm DevSummit 2021 for free! There is free content themed around the 7 conference tracks and you can build your own agenda around it too.

To learn more and to join the Arm DevSummit 2021, click here.

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Learning and networking via the internet - Manila Bulletin

TORONTO -- For many years people assumed Apple devices were untouchable to cyber threats because they were too tough to hack, but experts say thats not the case anymore.

Consumer Reports said while many owners of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers may have thought they didn't need anti-virus software, a recent wave of attacks against Apple products are causing concern.

"Ive always thought Apple products were safer. Thats why I went with them to begin with," Apple user Mark Doherty said.

The good news is researchers say with a few simple steps you can keep your Apple devices safe.

Experts say all connected technology carries some level of risk.

Over the past year, Apple has rolled out a slew of software updates to fix flaws and even some critical vulnerabilities, including at least one that could have left Apple users susceptible to dangerous malware had the patch not been installed.

Dont ignore operating system and app updates. This is where known security flaws are fixed, but it is up to you to install them," Bree Fowler, Tech Editor with Consumer Reports said.

To make sure your iPhone or iPad is up to date go to settings, then general and then software update.

On a Mac computer go to Launchpad, then system preferences and then software update.

If your device isnt getting OS updates because its too old, Consumer Reports said its best to replace it.

You should also be aware of phishing attempts as they are one of the more common ways users get hacked.

Most of the time, cyber criminals can only get access to your device if you give them a way, say by clicking on a malicious link, or an attachment in an email, or even a social media post,"Fowler said.

If you thought Apple products dont need antivirus software, researchers said think again.

Consumer Reports recommends AVG antivirus for Mac. Testers found the free software easy to use and especially good at shielding online threats.

On your iPhone antivirus software can do things like block malicious websites, calls, and texts but because of Apple's security restrictions, antivirus software cant scan iPhones for viruses.

I never really thought that I needed antivirus or anything like that. I thought the security was already built into their IOS systems,"Doherty said

Since the security isnt foolproof, Doherty says hes thinking about adding extra protection to all his Apple devices

No matter what brand of phone, tablet or computer you have make sure you're using strong passwords with all your online accounts.

Use random words, numbers and special characters and consider using a password manager so you don't have to remember them all.

Go here to read the rest:
Why Apple devices aren't untouchable when it comes to getting hacked - CTV Toronto