Learn the ins and outs of Excel for $49

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used programs in business. It helps companies take care of their books, pay employees, build plans, and much, much more. You can probably get the very basics of Excel, but if you’re looking into a job where proficiency is a big asset and/or required, chances are you’ll need a little more help.

There are many courses that teach you how to use Excel — you can likely take many at local schools and colleges — but these courses can be quite costly, and then there’s the fact that you have to leave home and learn on someone else’s time.

eLearnExcel Microsoft Excel School is perfect if you want to learn all there is to know about Excel, on your own time. By enrolling in the school, you’ll receive a lifetime subscription to eight complete courses, so you can learn at your leisure and refer back to material when you need a little help. These courses are usually $1199 altogether, but through Android Central Digital Offers, you’ll pay just $49. That’s a savings of 95%.

If you’re looking to delve into the business world in any capacity, it’s a great idea to brush up on your Excel knowledge. If you want to truly excel (see what I did there?) in the business world, then it’s a great idea to know Microsoft Excel like the back of your hand. Just don’t go spending over $1000 on courses when you can spend just $49 for a lifetime subscription to Excel School at Android Central Digital Offers.

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Roku doubles down on cheap 4K HDR streaming with new hardware and updated Roku OS 8

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, Roku has announced the Express/Express+, Streaming Stick/Streaming Stick+, Ultra, and all-new Roku OS 8 update.

Roku has been one of the leaders in the media streaming game longer than anyone else, and over the years, we’ve seen a lot of changes and revisions to its hardware offerings. The company announced four new gadgets today as part of its latest hardware refresh, and alongside this, we also have new details on the latest Roku OS 8 software update.

Starting off with the hardware side of things, Roku actually cleaned things up a bit to create for a product lineup that doesn’t feel overly crowded or confusing.

Roku Express/Express+

The two cheapest streaming solutions are still the Roku Express and Roku Express+. The main goal with these two gadgets is to get the Roku experience in people’s homes as cheaply as possible, with the Express costing $29 and the Express+ selling for $39. Both can stream content in up to 1080p Full HD at 60 FPS, have quad-core processors, and support Dolby Audio. The Express works with any TVs that have an HDMI output, whereas the Express+ features HDMI and the older A/V cables for use on older televisions.

Roku Streaming Stick/Streaming Stick+

Roku’s Streaming Stick offers most of the same features as the Express, with the exception that it comes with dual-band Wi-Fi, has a more compact design that can be easily hidden, and costs more at $49. You’ll still be limited to 1080p streaming with the regular Streaming Stick, but ponying over a few more dollars will get you the Roku Streaming Stick+. For just $69, the Streaming Stick+ allows you to stream both 4K Ultra HD and HDR content – making it one of the cheapest streaming solutions for going beyond the 1080p threshold. Definitely a good Chromecast Ultra competitor.

Roku Ultra

Lastly, the Roku Ultra is the only new streaming hardware that takes the form of a traditional box rather than a sick or dongle. The Roku Ultra will set you back $99, but for that price, you’re getting 4K Ultra HDR and HDR video content, dual-band Wi-Fi, voice remote with TV power/volume controls and headphone jack, microSD and USB ports, and a remote finder. Both the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick+ also have the voice remote with power and volume controls for your TV, but only the Ultra offers the headphone jack for private listening.

Roku OS 8

In addition to all of this new hardware, Roku also introduced its latest Roku OS 8 software update. The overall look of the UI hasn’t changed must since last year, but Roku OS 8 has a lot of new goodies that integrate nicely with live TV channels.

A new Smart Guide connects to your antenna to display info for local channels with ties to your other streaming apps, Roku’s universal search now pulls results from local channels as well, the private listening mode for the Roku Ultra will extend to over-the-air channels, and users will also have access to a single-sign-on system for customers that pay for other TV services.

Roku OS 8 will start rolling out later this month and throughout November to older Roku hardware (including boxes, sticks, and televisions), but the company did say that not all devices will receive the new software. Roku wasn’t exactly specific as to which models will be upgraded and which ones won’t, but our guess is that hardware older than 2 or 3 years will probably remain on the software they’re currently running.

Looking forward

Just last week leading up to Roku’s latest hardware and software announcements, the company officially launched its IPO. Shares started at $14, but the stock is already trading at more than $24 with a current high of $26.28. Roku is one of the oldest names when it comes to media streaming, and although the company has faced stiff competition from the likes of Apple and Amazon over the years, it seems pretty clear that the Roku we know won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

See at Roku

Deal: Grab 2GB of 4G LTE data for just $10 per month!

Your next three months of phone service just got even more affordable thanks to Mint SIM!

It should be no surprise to anyone at this point that the Mint SIM plans are extremely affordable, but right now the popular alternative carrier is offering a discount to drop those prices even further. Using the coupon code FOXTOBER, you can save an extra $15 on any of the 3-month plans, including the 2GB, 5GB and 10GB options. This discount drops the prices to as low as $30 for three months of service, which is insane.

If you need more data, you can opt for the 5GB plan for $45 for all three months, or the 10GB plan for a total of just $60. These prices are lower than what most carriers charge for just one month of service.

For those not familiar with Mint SIM, it is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) which operates using T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network to provide customers with extremely-affordable cellular service.

Getting started is super simple. All you have to do is order a SIM kit for the plan you want to use (be sure to enter the promo code when ordering) and have an unlocked phone that you can pop the card into when you receive it.

After the promotional 3-month period ends, you will be billed at the normal rates for the plan that you pick. This coupon code cannot be combined with any other offers.

See at Mint SIM

Google Photos: Everything you need to know!

Save memories, store and catalog your photos, make edits, and more with Google Photos.

Google Photos is more than just an app for storing your photos. While on the surface it’s primarily for backing up photos, there are more ways to edit and share hidden inside. You also have some serious control over every aspect of the photos. This goes from which folders get backed up, to the image quality you upload your photos to, to seeing the photos that you have shared in the past. It gives you a solid place to store and sync all of your photos so that you never lose one again.

• Getting started with Google Photos
• Sharing with friends
• Manage your photos
• Additional features

How to set up Google Photos

Google Photos aims to be your one-stop shop for all of your Photos. Before you can start to take advantage of the many things you can do by using Google Photos, you need to know the basics. This includes things like choosing your image upload quality, understanding the Google Photos Assistant, and choosing which device folders get synced with Google Photos.

• How to set up Google photos
• What is Google Photos Assistant, and how does it work?

Share your photos with friends

Google Photos makes it so easy to share your memories and photos with friends, family, and colleagues. You have control over who can see the photos that you share, and even set up specific folders for sharing.

• How to share photos with Google Photos
• How to share your photo library with someone in Google Photos

Manage your photos

When it comes to keeping track of all of your photos, Google makes that easy for you to. You can create new folders, share specific folders, and even add to existing folders, or allow folks to collaborate and add their own photos to the folder you have invited them to.

• How to manage existing albums, and create new ones
• How to create collages, animations, and movies with Google Photos
• How to transfer your photos from an iPhone to Android
• How to use the archive feature in Google Photos

Additional features

Google Photos has plenty of additional features that you might not have heard about. Just because features are hidden a bit under the surface doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check them out, though. With powerful photo editing built right in, there are some things you may not have seen about Google Photos.

• How to edit photos in Google Photos
• The best part of a vacation is Google Photos

Are you a fan of Google Photos?

Google Photos delivers a great app that can be used to share, save, upload, and even edit, your photos. With plenty of features that are easy to use, it becomes a great storage tool for the photos you take every day. Do you use Google Photos for storing your snapshots? Be sure to drop us a line in the comments and tell us about it.

Update, October 2017: This article has been updated with all the latest links and relevant Google Photos information.

Ring Protect is a $199 home security system that launches this month

Compared to the $399 Nest Secure, the Ring Protect and its $199 starting price bring some heated competition into the home security market.

When it comes to smart home accessories, there are a few companies that truly stand out among the rest. Philips is known for its Hue lightbulbs, Nest has become iconic for its security cameras and thermostats, and Ring still has one of the best smart doorbells on the market. Home security is huge in the smart home world right now, and Ring is looking to step things up a notch with the announcement of the Ring Protect.

Ring Protect is an all-new home security solution from Ring, and the heart of the system lies with a base station that powers and connects all of its many accessories. A wall-mounted keypad is used for arming and disarming said accessories, and these include a motion detector, infrared camera, contact sensors for windows and doors, and even an extender for increasing the range of these gadgets.

Ring Protect can be controlled and monitored through the accompanying smartphone app, allowing you to get real-time alerts if a window or door has been opened, when motion is detected, etc. This is all stuff that we’ve seen before with other, similar solutions, but Ring has a big advantage when it comes to price.

Ring’s substantially lower price could cause some trouble for Nest.

You’ll need to shell out $199 for the Protect Security Kit, and this will get you the base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detector, and range extender. You can choose to leave your costs at that, but if you want to also have access to Ring’s 24/7 video recording and monitoring services, you’re looking at a subscription fee of $10/month. For that price, you’ll get 24/7 monitoring of your home by security professionals, unlimited cloud storage for any recordings from your Ring devices, and a discount of 10-percent on additional hardware that you buy from Ring.

Nest’s 24/7 security services also cost around $10 per month, and while its performance compared to Ring’s has yet to be seen, the starter kit for Nest Secure cost considerably more at $399.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Ring’s CEO Jamie Siminoff said:

All the other companies in this space are thinking about how to maximize value out of each person, and the prices show that. If you look at what Ring is charging for this, in terms of the $10 per month and $100 per year, we are breaking the sound barrier on pricing around home security.

The Ring Protect is available for preorder starting today, and it will be arriving in retail stores later in October.

See at Ring

Sony Xperia XZ1 coming to Canada through Bell and Freedom Mobile

Fingerprint sensor in tow, the Xperia XZ1 is coming to Canada.

It’s Sony’s best phone ever, and even without a fingerprint sensor earned a recommendation from our own Andrew Martonik — despite its $699 price.

Now we’re hearing that Sony’s 5.2-inch flagship is coming to Canada on October 26 through carriers Bell and Freedom Mobile. Pricing and availability will be shared at a later date, but given its near-$700 U.S. price tag it’s safe to say it will approach $1000 Canadian, or $400-$500 on contract.

What’s nice is that the phone has a working side fingerprint sensor to go along with its Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB internal storage, and 19MP rear camera that’s capable of capturing some amazing photos. The phone also comes with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

At this point, there’s no word on whether the smaller Xperia XZ1 Compact will make its way to Canada, but it’s currently up for pre-order in the U.S. if you want one starting October 4.

Sony Xperia XZ1 review: Sold, opinionated, and lovably flawed

How to retrieve your data if your phone screen breaks

Get your ducks in a row in case it happens to you.

When the screen on your phone dies or breaks, it’s the worst. Until you realize that you lost things like pictures or docs or anything else that you can’t get back because you need to tap stuff and can’t. Then that becomes the new worst. Don’t let it happen to you — there are a few easy things you can do to make sure you always have your stuff!

Don’t let a busted phone keep you from getting to those important things.

Over the years I’ve received some heartbreaking questions and cries for help on this. People desperate to retrieve photos and other personal files after their screen went belly up are something we see online every day. The worst are often things you can’t replace; recently I worked with a friend for hours to try and get some photos of a relative who unexpectedly passed away off a Galaxy S7. It was all in vain, and that phone is now in the hands of a professional data-recovery service that can hopefully repair the display without erasing or damaging the phone’s memory. I was left feeling helpless, my friend was left feeling helpless and desperate. Never think that men in their forties don’t cry, because both of us were in tears.

I’m writing this to do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. It’s too late after your screen stops working. Thankfully, preparing is easy and there are a few things to do to make sure you have access to everything important no matter what happens to your phone.

Your SD card

Most Android phones come with a slot for an SD card. While you hear a lot of talk about wanting to use this storage for apps, an SD card is the right place to store any file that’s not sensitive. If it’s something you don’t ever want anyone to see, don’t put it on your card. But put everything else there.

An SD card is a perfect place to keep photos and documents because it’s portable storage.

You’ll find a setting in your camera app that stores photos on the SD card. Usually, this setting is a toggle between your phone’s built-in memory or the SD card and every photo you take after you change the setting is stored in the location you picked. Your gallery still works exactly the same, you can share photos exactly the same and really, there is only one difference — if the phone dies or your screen stops working you can remove the card and use any other device that can read it to get to your photos.

Your Downloads folder is not on your SD card. You’ll need to use a file browser app to move anything important from the Downloads folder to a folder on your card. One probably came with your phone, but if not there are literally hundreds to choose from at Google Play. If you’re not sure which one to download, I’ll make it easy: Download the ASUS File Manager. ASUS isn’t exactly known for wonderful software but if you need a simple and light file manager, it has you covered.

A file manager on your phone works just like it does on a computer; you can copy and paste almost anything to a new folder.

Use the file manager to create a folder on your SD card and copy everything important from your Downloads folder into it. Do this any time you download something new and important. Just remember that if you can read your SD card on any device, so can everyone else. Don’t put anything you want to stay a secret on it.

Encryption and Adoptable storage

You can encrypt your SD card on most Android phones. But you should think about it before you do it. We go over it in detail in its own article, which you should read if you have any questions. The tl;dr is encrypting your SD card means you can only use it on the same phone that you excrypted it with without formatting it and erasing everything.

More: Should you encrypt your SD card?

Adoptable storage means using your SD card as an extension of your phone’s internal storage. Basically, instead of having something like 12GB free to install apps on, you can have like 140GB free if you use a 128GB card. There are phones that ship with a tiny amount of storage that need this setting enabled, but not very many nowadays.

Adoptable Storage is great for phones without a lot of on-board memory, but not needed for most of us.

Whenever you insert an SD card in a phone that supports Adoptable Storage you’ll be asked if you want to use it. If you’re running out of room to install apps and don’t have anything you want to uninstall, go ahead and enable this, but know it means you can’t use your SD card as a safety net like I’m describing here. In fact, you can’t even remove the card without a big mess.

If you don’t know a lot about SD cards and have never used one because you’re unsure about what to buy and where to begin, here is a foolproof mini starter guide:

• Buy this 64GB Sandisk card. It’s cheap and it’s fast enough to use for photos and video. If you need a bigger card or only shoot 4K video, buy this 128GB version. Don’t bother buying a smaller card, especially if you’ll be taking a video or two. And stay away from off-brands — let people who live on the edge try them first.
• Turn your phone off and put the card in. You’ll find information about this in the manual that came with your phone if you need some directions here.
• Reboot and look for a notification about your new card. If you’re asked to format your card as Internal storage say no.
• Open your camera app settings and find the entry to change the storage to the SD card. Take a photo.
• Use your file manager to find the new photo you took on your SD card. It will be in a folder named DCIM.
• Using your file manager, copy everything from the DCIM folder on your phone’s internal storage to the DCIM folder on your SD card.
• Now do the same for the Downloads folder, making sure nothing that needs to stay private gets copied.

The cloud

Google Photos is the best product Google has ever built.

Use the cloud to back up everything you never want to lose. Yes, Big Brother can probably see it (with the right warrant). But for every instance where either happens, there are millions and millions of users who weren’t hacked or had their stuff subpoenaed by the feds. Use good passwords and two-factor authentication if offered and chances are you’ll be fine. And have all your stuff if your phone konks out.

Google Photos

Every single person with an Android phone or an iPhone should be using Google Photos. Full stop. You can save a high-resolution (not full size, but still great for viewing and printing) copy of every photo you take for free. And it’s automatic! Even if you use a service like iCloud or OneDrive to keep things backed up, you should still use Google Photos.

More: Google Photos: Everything you need to know!

Google Photos lets you choose which folders get backed up so you can also save other pictures. The best part, and why it’s relevant here, is that you can get to your backed up photos from any device with a screen and an internet browser. If you’re not using Google Photos install and set it up now, before it’s too late. It’s easy and it’s free.

• Download Google Photos for Android
• Download Google Photos for iOS
• Visit Google Photos through your web browser (Google login required)

Online storage for other stuff

Your Google account comes with free space on Google Drive. Dropbox and OneDrive also offer free storage for personal accounts. Plenty of other companies do the same, but these are the “big three” and where to start if you’re unsure.

Google, Microsoft and Dropbox give free storage for new accounts. Use it!

They work just like storage on your phone or computer: you can make folders, put folders inside of folders, and share your stuff. The only differences are that you need to be connected to the internet to use them, and that it’s not a one-to-one copy of your phone. You’ll have to actively set up folders and upload files.

This is because mobile service providers aren’t very keen on any potentially high-traffic automatic syncing that could be used on their network. It’s a relic of the past that needs to change, but in the meantime it’s still easy to roll your own solution. Decide which service you want to use. There are pros and cons for each, but I’ll focus on Google Drive since everyone with a Gmail account already has it.

• Install the Google Drive app on your phone if it didn’t come pre-installed.
• Open it and make sure you’re signed in with the right account if you have more than one on your phone.
• Create a folder where your phone backups will live. You can move files out of it and into any other folder later, this is just the target for your back ups.
• Install the Autosync Google Drive app. This isn’t an “official” Google app, but it should be. The free version is great. Paying for the upgrade is even greater.
• Open the Autosync Google Drive app and follow the directions to set up syncing, including what folder(s) you want to sync and whether you want one way sync (from your phone to Google Drive only) or two-way sync (from Google Drive back to your phone). Tell it to use the folder you created in the step above as the destination.
• Make sure you move every file you want to keep forever to the folder(s) you told the Autosync Google Drive app to keep backed up. Use the file manager we talked about up the page and you’ll be good.

You’ll have access to your files from any device with a web browser and an internet connection. This is a lifesaver if you can’t get your phone to work and don’t want to lose the important stuff you have stored on it. The process using Dropbox or OneDrive is the same, you just need to use the right apps.

• Download Dropbox for Android | Download Autosync Dropbox for Android
• Download OneDrive for Android | Download Autosync OneDrive for Android
• If you use iOS, set up iCloud Drive. Apple does this right and Google could learn a thing or two from them.

An ounce of prevention

It’s great that security checks are in place so that you need to actually interact with your phone before you can pull photos and docs from it. When combined with a secure lock screen, it means nobody but you can get to them. It also means that you need to be proactive and keep your stuff backed up.

Shit happens. Your screen might break or your phone could die tomorrow.

Broken screens or phones that die are just a thing that happens. It happens every day, and it could happen to you. It’s happened to me more than once which is why I’m a preacher for keeping your stuff in the cloud and stored locally and everywhere else you can. You can never have too many backups.

Don’t be in the situation where a broken phone keeps you from the things you need or want to keep!

DribbleUp’s ‘smart’ soccer ball helps you train with an app

We live in a time when even the most conventional things around us, like balls to play sports, are becoming smart in some way. Over the past few years, brands such as Adidas and Wilson have introduced sensor-laden balls designed to track performance data, including shot accuracy and trajectory. But those products have been far from perfect: they’re not always precise and, in the case of Adidas’ miCoach Smart Ball, having to charge it is a tedious process. Here’s where DribbleUp, a startup based out Brooklyn, hopes to shine with its new app-enabled soccer ball.

One of the most interesting parts about DribbleUp’s ball is that doesn’t have any sensors inside of it. Rather than pairing it to an iOS or Android device via Bluetooth, that step is done when you scan a QR code-like optical marker on the ball’s design with your smartphone or tablet’s camera. I was actually quite surprised by how efficiently this worked during our demo, as the setup only took about a second or two. Once you’ve done that, DribbleUp says its proprietary computer vision and machine learning takes care of tracking the ball in real-time and uses that information to grade your footwork.

I’ll admit that it can be a little odd to practice your skills in front of a screen, but the virtual trainer does a great job of not being obtrusive. All you see is the ball, your feet and, depending on the lesson, a set of digital cones and a speed bar that show how well (or not) you’re doing. The companion application gives you access to more than 100 drills, ranging from juggling tutorials to side taps, ball steps and alternating sole flicks challenges — moves you’d practice in a typical soccer training session. At the end of each workout, you’ll get graded based on your efficiency: “A+” means you’ve done exceptionally well, “F” would suggest you should probably find another sport to play.

There are also playlists within the app that provide daily lessons, featuring different drill combinations that you can filter based on your level of expertise or how old you are. DribbleUp says the system is designed for all types of players, from someone who plays recreationally to pros and even kids who are just getting into the sport. I can see this as a great tool for people to practice indoors, since the reflection of the iPhone and iPad displays we were using don’t really make for a pleasant experience outdoors — especially if the sun is out.

The good news is that since the ball doesn’t come with sensors built in, you don’t have to worry about charging it or depend on the app for it to be useful. As is the case with most high-end soccer balls, DribbleUp’s own is hand-stitched and made out of synthetic leather and water-resistant materials. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time DribbleUp has created a “smart” ball. It has an app-enabled basketball, too, which it claims is one of the best-selling on Amazon — we checked and it has a 4.5-star rating, so it seems like most buyers are happy with their purchase.

At $90, DribbleUp’s soccer ball is worth a look when it launches on November 1st, especially since most high-quality ones cost between $100 and $150. And you need to remember that none of those come with a virtual trainer. Yes, that may be a bit gimmicky (because who really wants to train in front of an iPhone or iPad), but at least you have the option to see if the AR-esque drills can help improve your skills. Worst case scenario, you take it out with you and treat is as you would any other dumb ball.

HP Enterprise let Russia review the Pentagon’s security software

Last year, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) allowed a Russian defense agency to analyze the source code of a cybersecurity software used by the Pentagon, Reuters reports. The software, a product called ArcSight, is an important piece of cyber defense for the Army, Air Force and Navy and works by alerting users to suspicious activity — such as a high number of failed login attempts — that might be a sign of an ongoing cyber attack. The review of the software was done by a company called Echelon for Russia’s Federal Service for Technical and Export Control as HPE was seeking to sell the software in the country. While such reviews are common for outside companies looking to market these types of products in Russia, this one could have helped Russian officials find weaknesses in the software that could aid in attacks on US military cyber networks.

Echelon says it’s required to report software vulnerabilities to the Russian government but only after letting the software makers know. And HPE told Reuters that reviews are done at an HPE facility under the supervision of HPE staff and that no vulnerabilities were found during this particular review.

Even if a vulnerability was discovered and not disclosed, it wouldn’t allow attackers to just waltz into US military networks, but it could, in theory, make it easier to hide an ongoing attack, delaying defense responses and upping the chance of a successful breach. The review took place around the same time that the US was accusing Russia of initiating cyber attacks against a number of US agencies and politicians.

A Pentagon Defense Information Systems Agency spokesperson told Reuters that HPE didn’t let the Pentagon know about the review but that it also wasn’t required to. The ArcSight review may not have unearthed any backdoors or resulted in any additional cyber infiltrations, but at the very least it seems that, when it comes to the US military, using popular off-the-shelf security software might be a vulnerability in itself.

Source: Reuters

Dating app Bumble launches Bizz for professional networking

A few months ago, Bumble announced that it would be adding business networking features to its dating app. Now it’s here, and it’s called Bizz. It launches in the US, UK, Germany, France and Canada today.

Bumble’s claim to fame in the crowded dating app market is that it allows women to choose who they want to talk to; men must wait to be contacted. It’s a measure that’s also integrated into Bizz. Bumble told The Verge that they hope by allowing women to make the first move, they’ll “help clear up the gray areas in networking that often make women feel uncomfortable.”

This isn’t LinkedIn, though. While the app does have some surface similarities — verified photos, a skills section, digital resumes and work examples — it’s intended for networking and mentoring only, Bumble insisted to The Verge. It’s not meant for job searching and recruiting. That being said, Bumble is intent on hiring 10 employees through connections made in Bizz.

It’s not the first time Bumble has ventured outside the dating sphere; they also have a service that allows you to find new friends. This new venture seems like a smart move for Bumble, but it remains to be seen how well Bizz will work in practice.

Source: The Verge, Bumble