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We are entering a new era where static solutions no longer hold the reins. People are smarter and more demanding, and so is email marketing. Old tricks are giving way to more sophisticated ones. It is time to switch to …View the full article

To successfully mitigate evolving attacks, security teams must use the exact same AI tools that create those attacks in the first place. View the full article

If you're spending a lot of time at home right now, the thought of starting a project or learning a new skill may have crossed your mind. It can be a daunting prospect though, and the pressure to use this lockdown period productively can feel overwhelming – especially when there are endless new Netflix shows also vying for your precious attention. If exploring your creativity in short, daily bursts sounds like a helpful place to start, Skillshare is currently offering two months of its Premium service for free. This gives you access to thousands of classes from illustrators, photographers, videographers and all sorts in between – with many videos clocking in at under fifteen minutes. So, if you've got a spare quarter of an hour, you could learn anything from writing to drawing (but don't forget to check out our best how to draw tutorials, of course). 'Visual Journaling' - a lesson by Jordan Sondler Among Skillshare's bite-size classes are New York-based illustrator Jordan Sondler's Visual Journaling series, which will help you "express yourself through art and connect more deeply with your feelings". These eight short exercises include drawing "What you want", "What you hate" and "What you fear", all with Sondler's unique, comic book style sense of humour. Another perfect short class for these locked down times could be 'Shooting at Home', with photographer Marte Marie Forsberg. One nice, community-focused feature of Skillshare is the ability to share what you create during the classes. Below Fosbergs videos are hundreds of photographs her students have taken at home (below). Some responses to Marte Marie Forsberg's 'Shooting at Home' class According to Skillshare's 'Become a teacher' page, top earning teachers on the platform make $100,000+ per year, "through monthly royalties based on the amount of minutes watched". While we can by no means promise you'll reach those heady heights, teaching on Skillshare could also be worth checking out if you're a creative pro looking for some extra cash. Head to Skillshare's website to grab those two free months of Premium right now. Whether you want to learn a new skill, or hone an existing one, we've no doubt you'll find a class (or 100). And if you're looking for more inspiration during these strange times, take a look at our list of the best free resources available for creatives stuck at home. Related articles: How to work from home more productively Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus Illustrator gives free drawing lessons to inspire kids stuck at home View the full article

The Razer Blade Advanced Model is a slight departure from the norm for Razer. Since its earliest beginnings, Razer has consistently focused on products with high-end features and performance, slanted slightly more towards gaming than creative work, but that has changed with this machine. Here, we examine whether this machine could be one of the most powerful laptops on the market, in particular looking at its capability for 3D work. Here's what we thought... Razer Blade 15: Design and specs With a solid black unibody aluminium case, the latest Razer Blade feels solid, even though it’s still thin. Both the keyboard and touchpad are noticeably roomy and aside from two speakers to the sides of the keyboard, it’s also a stark, highly minimalist design, which we consider superior to the gaming-oriented flashy LED design employed by other manufacturers. Its internal specification uses the same powerful combination of a GeForce RTX 2080 and Intel Core i7-9750H that we’ve seen on the other two laptops here. It also has a brilliant 15.6-inch OLED touch-sensitive display that is colour accurate with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. Razer Blade 15: Ports and storage Ports and connectivity are fairly generous too, with three USB-A ports, a USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 port, DisplayPort and HDMI, but no built-in Ethernet port though, so you’ll need a dongle for that. Support for the new WiFi 6 standard is a bonus. However in the test model we received, SSD storage was limited to 512GB and memory to 16GB, which seems disappointedly stingy on a laptop that costs thousands. It appears that if you want that, you’ll need to invest in a different Razer laptop. On Razer’s website, there seems to be quite a confusing range of configurations. Even though it’s more expensive, the newly announced silver Razer Blade Studio edition is probably better all-round value, as it not only nets you a Quadro RTX 5000 rather than the GeForce, you also get more memory and a larger SSD. Razer Blade 15: Graphics and performance Razer also sells Blade 15 laptops that have less powerful graphics cards, and some that omit the OLED colour-accurate display and instead offer either a 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rate. This is a fantastic feature for gaming, but for designers the colour-accurate option is arguably more useful. Also we noticed WiFi 6 is only available on the more high-end models. An extra investment you can opt for is Razer’s official Thunderbolt external graphics card array. While we didn’t get a chance to test this, it lets you connect a second desktop graphics card over Thunderbolt for a 3D performance boost. These kind of products are quite new and very pricey, and experiences with them can vary. In our benchmarks, the Razer Blade did not disappoint. In most of the tests it was extremely close, but certain results came out up to 10 per cent faster. Unlike the other laptops on test, even when running 3D benchmarks, it also remained silent. Razer Blade 15: Should I buy it? We’re torn over the Razer Blade Advanced Model. It’s definitely one of our favourite laptops for 3D work, but given that it’s expensive, and has relatively weedy storage compared to its competitors, it’s also arguably worse value. Saying that, you may pay slightly more for the Razer brand, but that also means better materials, and quieter operation. It's a tough one. This article originally appeared in 3D World magazine. Subscribe here. Read more: Gigabyte Aero 15X review View the full article

Nobody could have guessed at the beginning of the year that within a few months our entire lives would have been turned upside-down by a global pandemic. Companies all around the world have had to quickly figure out how to operate on a remote working basis, and it hasn't always been easy. While the mechanics of running a business during this lockdown are straightforward – ensuring everyone has the hardware and software they need, and nailing down video conferencing, chatrooms and systems to send large files, for example – keeping things running smoothly and ensuring staff are coping in isolation is a whole other matter. For design agencies, often based around small, close-knit teams in regular communication, this can be especially challenging. It's a whole new working world, and often we're having to make the rules up as we go along, but the creative industries are rising to the challenge. We spoke to five studios to find out how they're coping with the lockdown; here's what they had to say. 7 design exercises to keep your skills sharp 01. dn&co dn&co has been able to improve its workflow during the lockdown "This is hard," says Joy Nazzari, founder at dn&co, "and the first step is accepting we need to ease anxiety in order to make room for good thinking. "At dn&co, we've been able to find small opportunities from the lockdown challenge. We've improved our workshop process and they have been surprisingly effective by way of repurposed interactive conference-polling apps. The necessary structure of video conferencing has resulted in ordered, thoughtful and democratic feedback from our clients that has propelled many projects. "With new technology has come more presentation practice, making us feel and look sharper, coherent and professional. Yes we're doing Zoom workouts, quizzes and drinks like everyone is, but maybe it's actually the 1-1 calls without the noise of the studio that's giving us closeness with colleagues — and you hear the quieter voices more clearly. "But the most striking difference has been at an industry level, where it's really heartening to see how many studios have banded together in private Slack channels to share strategies for survival. The way it has brought agencies together will be, I hope, a lasting legacy of this terrible pandemic." 02. Superunion For Superunion, fostering a studio feel for remote staff has been essential For a global agency the size of Superunion, adapting to the lockdown is a much bigger challenge than for smaller studios. Executive creative director Stuart Radford notes that isolation and collaboration are two opposing forces; however the agency has learned three useful lessons to help keep things moving. Build a virtual studio "We've started using Milanote, an online platform that enables us to share ideas/images and comment and add content in real-time, so we can review projects in one place, just as you would on a studio wall – let the collective chin-scratching continue!" Keep up the 'What do you think of this?' chats "Structured reviews are important but they're no substitute for ad-hoc studio chats. A random 'How about this?' starts a conversation that makes a massive difference to the work and is one of the most rewarding parts of the process. So, we're encouraging 'What do you think of this?' calls – randomly and regularly." You can't isolate a strong culture "Lockdown is a real test for agency culture. It's been heart-warming to see 'Superunioners' finding any excuse to hang out: quiz nights, birthdays, team and Friday night drinks. Unexpectedly, some great memories have been made in this weird and difficult time – full credit to our people!" 03. Noughts & Ones Noughts & Ones, which recently won awards for its site for Fevered Sleep, has found plenty of ways to keep staff and clients engaged Like many agencies, Bristol-based Noughts & Ones is relying on Slack and Zoom to keep its team talking, but also making sure to inject a little levity into the process. So its Monday morning kick-off call includes a 'Show & Tell' segment where everyone shares a project they've been working on over the weekend. "The first couple of weeks have been very plant-focused," says founding director, Tom Locke. "Who knew we were such a green-fingered team!" Optional beers for the end-of-day team call are a welcome way to close off the working day; Noughts and Ones also organises a game every Friday, and its sent a care package of coffee and snacks to every team member, something it plans to do regularly. "Overall," says Locke, "I feel that the experience has been really quite positive for us as an agency, as it has got us focused on our own (and each other's) workload and communicating super clearly. We're also having to really thinking outside the box in terms of how we can 'add value' to our clients. "In terms of working with clients that are struggling, it's all about supporting them however we can in term of positioning – we're also exploring how we can facilitate collaboration and partnerships between some of our e-commerce clients that fall into the non-essential category with others that fall into the essential category. We're starting to see some really exciting and innovative conversations happen!" 04. Rose Like so many agencies, the team at Rose has found the adjustment to lockdown life to be disorienting and dislocating. Studio partner Simon Elliott tells us that the team have been brilliant in how they're coping and responding, and explains that one way they've found to cope with their newfound circumstances has been to create a daily 'Cultural Coffee Break'. "Many of our clients (past and present) are in the cultural and visitor attraction sector (including English National Opera, Bletchley Park, National Portrait Gallery, V&A, Tate, The Photographers' Gallery, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, The Old Vic etc)," says Elliott. "And in light of them all having had to close their doors indefinitely, we thought it would be nice to create a series of mini virtual tours on Instagram to share some of the many shows, exhibitions and events for theatres, galleries and museums we've been involved in over the past two decades, for our followers to enjoy during the lockdown. "We also hoped it might ensure the many amazing arts organisations and cultural institutions out there remain in people's thoughts throughout this difficult time, and can still be supported somehow, if not in person. "For our team, it's provided some welcome respite from the crisis, to keep them mentally active and agile, and given them an excuse to delve into our archive and discover some of the many projects we worked on before their time at Rose." Rose's Cultural Coffee Break happens every weekday morning on its Instagram account. 05. Magpie Studio Another agency turning to Instagram to keep team spirits up is Magpie Studio. "A strong studio culture has always been a priority for us," says creative partner Ben Christie, "so it was certainly a challenge to adapt to an entirely new way of working overnight. "Once we'd found our feet, we wanted to put a message out on our Instagram and LinkedIn to say that we're still here, still strong and still working together successfully as team. "For us, happiness fuels creativity – it's great for general wellbeing and contributes to a positive team spirit which, in turn, produces better work. So, amongst the hard graft, we also have a lot of fun in the studio. "It made sense that our post reflected this by being upbeat and making people smile. We also wanted it to have a family-like feel, so the Brady Bunch reference seemed to hit the spot. "It was great fun to make and a perfect excuse to get the whole team involved. We're already thinking about the next one!" Related articles: 3 ways freelancers can survive the crisis 8 simple pleasures we're looking forward to in safer times 6 of the hottest gadgets for designers View the full article

The usual sources of creative inspiration may not be readily accessible at the moment so many creative types are looking closer to home. So far, that may have meant joining art classes online or social media challenges. But what about TV? While parents (in particular) are probably becoming pretty familiar with Disney Plus' kids films right now, you'll also find a generous spark of creative magic in the platform's behind-the-scenes documentaries. From Marvel to Sleeping Beauty, this is your chance to spy on the world's finest animators – and get your own creative juices flowing. So, after you've taken a tour round the best online art galleries, turn on your TV and tune into these gems of inspiration. Don't have Disney Plus? You can try it now with a free seven day trial. The best streaming services in 2020 01. One Day at Disney One Day at Disney is a fascinating depiction of what it's like to work at Disney. The content comes in two forms: a feature-length documentary and an ongoing series of ten minute shorts, with each segment spotlighting someone who works at Disney. The film covers the vast range of jobs that exist behind the curtain at Disney, roles from animator to prop maker, theme park actor to railroad driver. With footage of CGI production and animation sketching to name just two creative processes, there's loads to inspire you here. 02. Waking Sleeping Beauty A fascinating look into Disney's most tumultuous era This documentary is a candid and somewhat uncomfortable watch, which shines a light on a turbulent time in Disney's history – the 1970s-1990s. With Disney's glory days seemingly behind it, the studio was sleepwalking into demise until a new management team implemented a massive shake-up of working practice that resulted in a new era of Disney magic. The dramatic reconfiguration of creative process at Disney resulted in animations such as The Lion King, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, not to mention the advent of Pixar. Waking Sleeping Beauty introduces you to the talent behind the finished product, and the turmoil surrounding it. If you enjoy making-of documentaries, watch out for Into The Unknown, the making-of Frozen II docu that'll be hitting our small screens later this year. 03. The Pixar Story Talking of Pixar, this fascinating film takes us behind the scenes in the early days of the Pixar animation studio. Cartoonist Ub Iwerks's granddaughter, Leslie, tells the story of Pixar in a format that's packed full of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage of film making (a highlight is seeing Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in the recording studio for Toy Story), and up-close footage of artists, too. There's loads to learn about creative process and the challenges the studio faced to bring the finished films to our screens. 04. Frank and Ollie Discover the creative processes of two of Disney's most prolific animators Made in 1995, Frank and Ollie is about two of the leading animators at Disney. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston worked at Disney from its early days until the 1970s, so were responsible for films such as Pinnochio, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book, and many more. The insight into the animators' creative processes is captivating, with footage showing not only the drawing, but how artists would act and gesticulate in the mirror to expand on character form and personality. 05. Empire of Dreams Learn about the first three films Fans of Star Wars will lap up this 2004 documentary about the first Star Wars trilogy. Featuring interviews with George Lucas and other key Star Wars creators, it explores the films in chronological order, with lots of explanation of the visual and special effects used in the film. A behind-the-scenes of The Mandolorian docu-series is expected to be released on Star Wars Day this year (May 4th, if you didn't know, because... well, work it out). It will be called Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Personally, we can't wait to find out more about how Baby Yoda was created. 06. Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop! Follow Marvel's journey from comic books to MCU Follow Marvel's story from its creation in 1939 to the modern day, experiencing the highs and lows as the studio graduated from comic books to Marvel Cinematic Universe. Featuring exclusive interviews and unseen footage, it's creative inspiration for artists and comic book fans everywhere. 07. Forky Asks a Question Forky may well be everyone's new favourite Pixar character, and he's back in this short series of animations. The confused piece of trash, sorry, toy, asks some of life's biggest questions, which are answered by a series of Toy Story characters. The universe's most profound questions have inspired some of the most famous pieces of art the world has seen, and Forky certainly deals with the big topics here. 'What is Art?', 'What is Love?', 'What is Time?' and 'What is a Friend?' are just a few examples that may inspire you create your own masterpiece. Read more: 11 top animation tools for digital artists Disney character 3D fossils are strangely adorable The best online art classes of 2020 View the full article

Researchers saw several IoT botnets using one of the bugs in the wild after a proof-of-concept was published in March. View the full article

Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF are plagued by several high-severity flaws that, if exploited, could enable remote code execution. View the full article

Like it or loathe it, there's no denying that the design of the Tesla Cybertruck is quite the conversation starter. The vehicle's eccentric, boxy design turned heads when it was launched in November (we still can't decide if it looks futuristic or old-fashioned). And it sounds like Tesla hasn't quite made up its mind about the design either, as new details tweeted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggest tweaks are still being made before the vehicle's release, slated for 2021. Last week, a Twitter user asked Musk what the biggest change to the production version of the Cybertruck (expected to arrive next year) will be. Musk responded that Tesla had “reduced the size by ~3%”, as well as levelling the centre line and lowering the window sill height. Thankfully, concept artists were quick to turn Musks' details into renders (such as Alwinart's, below) to show how these subtle differences could affect the overall look of the vehicle. Spoiler alert: it's not that different, and is still extremely boxy. We'd love to see some pixel art of the thing. Spot the difference: Alwinart's concept based on Musk's Tweets (above) vs the original revealed in November (below) If Alwinart's render is correct, the vehicle could be a little more squat than the version revealed last year, with a less dramatic downward slant. As design changes go, we'd say this is unlikely to change anyone's mind about the Cybertruck – with its boxy edges still very much intact, the many designers who mocked the vehicle back in November probably aren't about to do a U-turn. We can't help but wonder if, instead of a nip here and a tuck there, it would be more pressing for Musk to see to those windows. In what felt like something straight out of a sitcom during the Cybertruck's launch, the "shatterproof" glass broke after a metal ball was thrown at it. Twice. You can relive the smashing moment below. Still, like all controversial moments in branding, the Cybertruck has got us talking. If the vehicle does eventually appear next year, we'll be intrigued to see whether it looks like the render above, or whether, like the Cybertruck's windows, our expectations will be shattered once again. Related articles: BMW gets most radical logo change in over 100 years People drew car logos from memory and the results are hilarious TrueCar rebrand fails to reinvent the wheel View the full article

When lockdown first kicked in, we all thought we'd be watching a lot more TV and movies. But if you rely on free-to-air broadcast channels, you may have been disappointed. With many regular shows cancelled or scaled-down due to the pandemic, and most new programming stalled, we’re getting an increasing diet of repeats, and so many are turning to streaming services to plug the gap. But what if you’re strapped for cash and every penny counts right now? Well the good news is, there are ways to stream TV and movies that are safe, legal and free. In this post, we bring you 10 great options for adding some colour and variety to your televisual diet. Note that whether or not these are free and the content available does vary from country to country (you might also want to consider getting one of the best VPNs). Totally free services We'll start with five places you might not know about, where you can find lots of TV shows and films to watch for free, securely and within the law. From ad-funded television to classic movies that are now out of copyright, there’s plenty of great content to discover on these lesser-known platforms. 01. Rakuten Rakuten features a lot of ad-supported free TV and movies Based in Japan, Rakuten is a streaming service offering movies and TV series for subscription, rental and purchase, but it also features a good selection of ad-supported free content, including movies, kids TV shows and documentaries. Just click the ‘Free’ tab at the top to see what’s on offer. You just need to provide an email address and password, and then you can start watching on a PC or Mac (not Chromebook), smartphone (iOS or Android) or Xbox One. You can also cast to your TV using Chromecast. Watch first: Control 02. Pluto TV Pluto TV has both on-demand and 'live' content on its platform Based in the US and owned by Viacom, Pluto TV is a free, advertiser-supported streaming website that primarily offers a selection of content via ‘channels’ that are designed to replicate the experience of traditional live TV. This means that you can't stop and start a show when you want to; you have to 'tune in' at the right time. However, there’s also a selection of on-demand movies, boxsets and documentaries to enjoy. You can’t watch Pluto TV on a desktop computer, but there’s a free app for your iOS, Android and Amazon devices, and you can cast to your TV via the Amazon Fire Stick. Watch first: 21 Jump Street 03. Plex Plex is available in over 200 countries Launched last December by the software company of the same name, Plex is a US-based, ad-supported streaming service, which distinguishes itself from most of its rivals by operating outside of North America; in over 200 countries worldwide, in fact. It features a wide range of movies, TV shows, podcasts and news shows, which you can watch via the web browser or cast to your TV via Chromecast or Fire Stick. It doesn't always have the best-known TV or movies, to be frank; you'll need to subscribe to the premium version to get that. But have a look around and you'll probably find a few things that pique your interest. Watch first: We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists 04. BFI Player Take a trip back to Britain's past via the archive content on the BFI Player The BFI Player, the website of the British Film Institute, contains a wide range of shorts and features that are free to watch, including short films, classic TV dramas, documentaries, musicals, home movies, and even some classic British adverts from times past. Most of the content is vintage, black-and-white fare, but there are also some short films from modern BFI film festivals. Just click the 'Free' tab at the top to see what's available. There’s no signup required, you can watch in the browser, and there’s a Chromecast option to cast to your TV. Watch first: Self-Conscious Over You 05. Popcorn Flix Popcorn has plenty of TV and movies, and there's no signup needed Popcorn Flix is a website offering free ad-supported streaming video of feature-length, mainly independent, movies and webisodes. There’s no need to sign up, and you can just watch in your browser, your Xbox or Playstation, or cast to your TV via the Amazon Fire Stick. However, note that the service is currently unavailable outside of North America. Watch first: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Free trials While the first five services on our list are all very easy to access for free, you probably won’t find the latest movies and TV on these platforms. For that, you’ll need to sign up to a paid service… but here’s the good news. Many of them are currently offer free trials, ranging for one week to 90 days. Think about what that means. If you try them out one-by-one, taking great care to cancel before you get charged, you’ll end up enjoying around six months of the very latest, blockbuster entertainment, without paying a penny! To help you out, here are the best free trials on offer right now, and what you can get from them, in return for just a little administrative effort. 06. Disney Plus Disney Plus will keep both adults and kids happy Disney Plus brings together classic animated movies, from Snow White to Frozen, all in one place, not to mention all the Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar movies, content from National Geographic and the Disney Channel, and every season of The Simpsons. So if you’ve got little ones around, you won’t certainly won’t be short of things to watch, while adults will want to check out new Star Wars drama The Mandalorian. You can watch in your web browser, or stream to your TV using Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick. The free trial only lasts seven days, though, so make the most of it! Watch first: Coco 07. Quibi Quibi is a new service with high-quality, deliberately concise content Quibi is a new service launched on 6 April, which provides seven- to 10-minute slices of American drama, reality and news entertainment to your mobile device, to fill in short gaps in your day. All the content has been specially filmed so you can watch it in vertical or horizontal mode, whichever way suits you best. Annoyingly, you can't cast to your TV; a tablet is the biggest screen you'll be able to view it on. There’s still lot of loud and colourful shows to be enjoyed, though, and the best thing is that the trial period is a whopping 90 days. Watch first: Last Night’s Late Night by EW 08. Britbox Britbox brings together classic BBC and ITV shows from the past Ever feel nostalgic for vintage British shows like Fawlty Towers, The Office or 1960s-1980s Doctor Who? Or fancy catching up with more recent hits such as Downton Abbey, Life on Mars, or Gavin and Stacey? Well, Britbox has all of these boxset classics in one place, and many more, from crime dramas to sitcoms, BBC to ITV. For those outside the UK, it's also a great place to catch up on the latest episodes of British shows like EastEnders. You can watch all this content on the web, or via the free iOS and Android apps, and you can cast to your TV via Chromecast or Amazon Fire. And the generous 30-day free trial will let you enjoy plenty of your favourites. Watch first: Broadchurch 09. Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime TV is packed with modern, blockbuster content Amazon Prime Video has one of the most confusing interfaces of all the streaming platforms, but on the plus side there’s a generous 30-day free trial. There’s also a ton of great content, which is mainly geared towards slickly produced, adult-oriented TV and movies. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime TV app on your television already, you can stream this content via the Amazon Fire Stick, but somewhat petulantly, Amazon has not made the service work with Chromecast. Watch first: The Man in the High Castle 10. Hayu Love reality TV? Then Hayu is for you Hayu is a niche streaming service focused on reality TV shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Real Housewives of New Jersey, as well as home and design, cookery and true crime content. It’s currently offering a one-month free trial. There are free iOS and Android apps to let you watch on your mobile or tablet, or you can cast to your TV via Chromecast or Airplay. Watch first: Kim Kardashian-West: The Justice Project Read more: The 20 best shows on Netflix right now 7 downtime activities you might not have thought of Bad logos project is brilliantly awful View the full article

If you're struggling to analyse data on Google Analytics and don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. Designed for complete beginners, the Google Analytics Certification will help you gain an in-depth understanding of the digital platform in as little as two days for only $13.99! Google Analytics, one of the most popular digital analytics platforms in the world, allows you to analyse in-depth details about the visitors on your website and brings valuable insights into what is working and what is not online. These insights can help to shape the success strategy of any business and allows individuals to bridge the gap between data and a plan of action. Growing your business? Here are some stunning examples of letterpress business cards for inspiration. Everything you need to know With lifetime access to 20 lectures and two hours of engaging content, this Google Analytics certification course brings you everything you need to pass the free Google Analytics exam with flying colors. Taught by Daragh Walsh, a Google Certified Marketer who has worked with brands such as Amazon and Hertz and grown his own successful online business, the course contains proven study strategies that are guaranteed to reduce study time by 50 per cent or more. You'll prep for the exam with 200 practice questions and detailed tips and tricks on ensuring you pass the test the first time around. There's even a discussion forum designed to help answer your questions or provide extra explanations. You'll soon be earning your certification and bringing excellent credentials to your online business or your next job opportunity. Access to Google Analytics Certification: Get Certified In two Days will typically cost you $200. For a limited time, you'll be able to get certified for only $13.99 (that's 93% off). Learn how to grow your business online strategically and bring valuable professional and financial growth into 2020. Read more: 16 of Google's best dev and design tools in 2020 SEO tricks: 16 ways to outrank your competitors The best computer for graphic design in 2020 View the full article

It's a testament to the ridiculousness of Apple's newly-released Mac Pro Wheels Kit that, in a world where everything is ridiculous right now, it still seems really, really ridiculous. Sure, the wheels might be made of "custom-designed stainless steel and rubber". Sure, they might "make it easy to move your Mac Pro around." But for $699? ridiculous. The kit, which appeared on Apple's website last week, includes four wheels, an installation guide (which we hope is printed on very high quality paper) and a 1/4-inch to 4 mm hex bit (a tool, we assume – no doubt solid gold). Adding insult to expensive injury, Apple notes that "additional tools are necessary" for the installation of the wheels. Sure, the Mac Pro is an extremely powerful machine (which may well enter our list of the best computers for graphic design) but... $699... for wheels. Wheel not be ordering these in a hurry The wheels were already available as an add-on when purchasing the Mac Pro. We were shocked back then that, at $100 per wheel, they added $400 to the price of an already eye-wateringly expensive machine. But now that the four wheels are available as a separate purchase for an extra $299, we find ourselves compelled to ask: is Apple okay? If anyone is able to explain the extra cost for buying them separately, we're all ears. Apple doesn't even appear to have reinvented the wheels – which means your Mac Pro could still be prone to wandering off thanks to the absence of brakes. It goes without saying that we're not alone in our surprise about the price: We accept, of course, that the Mac Pro isn't aimed at most creatives – it's more likely to be found inside a high-powered production suite than your average apartment, but Apple is definitely on a roll when it comes to expensive accessories. You could bag yourself a new iPad for the same price as the $399 Magic Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, for example. And if you did originally opt for wheels with the Mac Pro and would prefer a set of feet instead, Apple has also released a new Feet Kit for $299. Bargain. The Mac Pro (with feet, not wheels) If the price isn't a barrier, there's no denying that the Mac Pro is one hell of a powerful machine for creatives. But if you're looking for a more portable (and affordable) powerhouse, check out the best MacBook Pro deals below. Related articles: The best MacBook Pro alternatives for designers MacBook Pro 2020: Latest rumour roundup Is this what Apple's new headphones will look like? View the full article

If you want to know how to test React, you're in the right place. Do you really know your code does what it is supposed to do? Have you tested it in the browser? What if you haven’t, or you can’t test everything, and it breaks in production? A testing library is a group of utilities developers use to write individual tests on application components. Some of the principle parts of a test are: Description: describes what the test is about Use/Render: uses the component in an environment where it can be tested Mocking: creates pretend functions, so that you can check your assumptions Over the course of this article, I’m going to explore some examples from the React Testing Library in order to help you get started with this valuable way of improving the robustness of your code output, as well as ensuring your code doesn’t throw up any nasty surprises once it goes into production. Want more useful resources? Here's our rundown of the best web design tools around that'll help you work smarter. Or if you need a new machine, try this roundup of the best laptops for programming. This content originally appeared in net magazine. Read more of our web design articles here. Read more: HTML6: What is it and when is it arriving? Write HTML code faster Mobile app design: A beginner's guide View the full article

Skylum Luminar 4 is a powerful AI photo editor, which offers endless creative possibilities. Capable of spectacular effects for all kinds of photography, Luminar 4’s toolset places a particular focus on portraits. And the recent Luminar 4.2 update adds even more impressive features, including a new Shine Removal tool. Luminar’s dedicated Portrait workspace houses all of its powerful AI enhancement tools, with two key panels: AI Skin Enhancer and AI Portrait Enhancer. Both use Skylum’s AI Neural Network technology to recognise and select human faces and individual facial features, allowing for highly targeted adjustments. Luminar 4’s enhancement tools have been developed to work alongside your portraits, keeping photography true to the subject and always maintaining a level of authenticity. Effective but not overpowering, here are five ways Luminar 4 AI enhancement features can help take your portrait photography to new heights… 01. AI Skin Enhancer A brilliant first step to enhance your portrait if needed. This tool automatically identifies and selects your subject’s face, which you can then apply various effects to. These include skin smoothing and shine removal. 02. AI Skin Defects Removal If the project you’re working on requires clear, flawless skin, then Luminar 4 has the solution. Its AI Skin Defect Removal tool can automatically detect small skin blemishes and remove them seamlessly. 03. Eye whitening and Eye enhancer Two very simple but highly effective tools. The eye whitener and enhancer sliders need little adjusting to achieve great, very natural-looking improvements. 04. Face Light Don’t have a reflector? No problem. This simple Face Light slider brightens faces naturally and subtly, without affecting the rest of the image. 05. Luminar Looks Want to give your image a specific, stylised look? Luminar has a whole library of Looks that can be applied directly to portraits. Plus you can keep them on a totally separate layer so as to not affect any existing enhancements. Get your copy of Skylum Luminar 4 today If you want to give Luminar 4 a go for yourself, you can download a free 14-day trial (for both macOS and Windows) via the Skylum website. If after a couple of weeks you'd like to buy, use discount code CB to get an exclusive $10/£10 discount on the retail price. View the full article

The DHS urged organizations to update their passwords and make sure that a critical Pulse Secure VPN flaw has been patched, as attackers continue to exploit the flaw. View the full article

While the design of Apple's original AirPods was widely mocked when they first appeared in 2016, the tech giant has had the last laugh – the white wireless earbuds are now a staple of the street. Even, perhaps, as recognisable as the original iPod earphones became back in the noughties. It's no surprise, then, that Apple is apparently planning to expand the line-up with a pair of over-ear wireless headphones. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on two versions of the headphones: a fitness-focussed model, and a more premium edition featuring "leather-like fabrics". Perhaps most excitingly, several elements such as the ear pads will attach magnetically "so they can be replaced by the user" – potentially making the headphones customisable (like the Apple Watch and its many straps, perhaps?). With no images doing the rounds, we can only guess what they'll look like – but we're sure they'll be a great-sounding set of cans for iPhone users (don't forget to check out our best iPhone apps for designers if that's you). While we have no idea how the headphones will look, German company Curved was ahead of the curve (sorry) back in 2018, when it put together this render (above) of what Apple headphones might look like if they took their design cue from the company's HomePod speaker. We love the retro styling – particularly the use of the old Apple rainbow logo. The headphones were first rumoured by Jon Prosser, an established Apple leaker. Prosser's track record is solid – he got this week's April 15th release date of the new iPhone SE spot on in various tweets. Prosser refers to these headphones as 'AirPods X', but if these are headphones and not 'ear pods', wouldn't 'AirPhones' be more appropriate? He also suggests Apple's longterm plan is to "phase out Beats", the company's other headphone brand. Whether Apple's over-ear headphones will become a fashion accessory like their older (but smaller) siblings remains to be seen. But with the sound quality of full-size headphones and the siri-powered wireless functionality of the rest of the AirPods range, we've no doubt they'll become a hugely popular piece of kit. Related articles: Is this what the iPhone 12 Pro will look like? Is this what iOS 14 will look like? (We really hope so) iPad Pro 2020: All there is to know about Apple's new tablet View the full article

Fans of America's most dysfunctional family, The Simpsons, will be familiar with the couch gag that kicks off every episode. From alien invasions to time travel, the famous sofa has been subject to extreme transformations over the course of the animation series. But this quarantine-themed offering, which sees the family fly off on an action-packed adventure around Springfield, is one of the most topical. Don't worry, no lockdown rules have been flouted here, the fast-paced jaunt takes place within the futuristic world of virtual reality, and the offbeat, abstract animation style deployed totally reflects that. This is Springfield as you've never seen it before. We just hope Homer is using one of the best VR headsets for 2020. Want to dive into The Simpsons? Try Disney Plus free for seven days. Bart's line writing punishment doesn't seem so bad here The sequence (below) supercharges the usual events of the opening credits, adding an extreme sport edge to everything the family does. Think Homer skydiving, Bart snowboarding and Marge surfing. Lisa gets to dive in the deep sea, and Maggie's tricycle skills are out of this world. Everything that happens is super-familiar, but not quite as you know it. It's the animation style that makes the piece so invigorating. The usual warm colours and soft lines are gone, replaced by a much edgier design. The colour palette is vibrant yet limited, while the abstract lines and graphic textures rough things up and emphasise that 'extreme' edge. Plus, the quick and often glitchy transitions offer pure adrenalin surges. We're all way too acquainted with our sofas at the moment, which this animation reflects perfectly. With a hard-hitting soundtrack, the sequence is fast, free and dreamlike, smashing that slight feeling of claustrophobia that's settled over the world and opening up new possibilities. We've recommended spicing things up with Google's AR app, but this takes it to another level that we'd love to try out. Read more: 11 top animation tools for digital artists 24 cool CSS animation examples to recreate How to make an animated video: Expert advice View the full article

He may be one of the most famously elusive artists around, but Banksy has welcomed followers into his home (specifically his bathroom) to share a brand new, lockdown-inspired artwork. Published on his official Instagram page this week, five photos show several rats, in what appears to be the artist's signature stencil style, wreaking havoc in the bathroom, along with the caption: "My wife hates it when I work from home". Can't say we blame her. Check out our guide to working from home like a pro if your job is a little more, er, traditional. There are nine rats in total, with one swinging from the light cord and another making a tally of numbers on the wall – possibly counting down the days of lockdown. Another rat appears to be doing something rather unsavoury on the toilet, complete with unidentified brown liquid. We're beginning to sympathise with Banksy's wife even more. It's certainly an entertaining artwork, filled with Banksy's trademark wit. While it's a rare treat to see his work indoors, it does make us realise how perfectly it works on the street – this isn't a piece we could see fitting in our own home. A detail from Banksy's bathroom artwork While pre-lockdown life feels like years ago, Banksy's last public artwork was revealed just a couple of months back, on Valentine's Day. The piece, featuring a stencil of a girl firing red flowers from a catapult, appeared in the artists' home town of Bristol. Sadly, it lasted just a few days before being vandalised and subsequently covered. Hopefully Banksy's bathroom masterpiece is slightly safer – although if his wife isn't keen, perhaps it isn't. Related articles: Street art: 45 incredible examples to inspire you New Banksy artwork discovered in Birmingham 34 top free graffiti fonts View the full article

Best Buy is running some amazing deals right now, perfect for creatives The event sees huge savings across a range of popular devices, but the one we're most excited about drops a brand new iPad down to just $299! The new 10.2-inch iPad is a powerful little device, with Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil support, it's a brilliant companion for busy creatives. There's over one million apps to choose from (don't miss our pick of the best iPad apps for designers), Wi-Fi and comes with iPadOS, which unlocks a whole new world of capability. Need different iPad specs, or looking for a bit more power with the iPad Pro? Be sure to check out our round up of the best iPad deals. Oh, and don't forget to grab yourself a stylus with our pick of best cheap Apple Pencil deals too. Best Buy has some incredible deals on other devices too, including headphones, tablets and TVs. Here's our pick of the best offers for creatives currently available: Outside the US? Here are the best offers on these and similar devices in your area: View the full article

There's nothing we love more than a great piece of design here at Creative Bloq, but that doesn't mean we don't secretly enjoy seeing something truly awful every now and again. That's the spirit behind a new contest asking designers (and non-designers) to create the worst possible logo for a fictional organisation named SMORTS: Simple Marketing Online Responsive Tech Solutions. Catchy. Devised by US creative agency Fuzzco, the contest (ingeniously named How Low Can Your Logo?) invites you to "strap on your mouse, throw away your inhibitions and forget what you learned in art school". The instructions are simple: read the brief ("or don't"), design "the baddest logo ever" and upload it to the contest's website for viewers to vote for the best (worst) entry. We're pleased to announce that none of the entries so far will be entering our best logos list – but many of them are truly hilarious. But while the project is brilliant fun, the aim behind it is to help educate, picking apart exactly what makes a good or bad logo design. The current top-rated entries From clip art to Comic Sans, the contest is both a treasure trove of graphic design faux pas and an often nostalgic look back at some of the early design trends of the nineties and noughties. Most of the designs are extremely busy, no doubt in response to today's abundance of minimalist aesthetics. The winner and runners up will be selected by a panel of six judges, including Pentagram partner Michael Beirut and Google Design's Carly Ayres – find out more about the judges here. The contest closes at 10pm BST on Tuesday 21st April. So, without further ado, below are some of our favourite ghastly takes on SMORTS. Related articles: Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus 8 fantastic non-profit logos The best logo designer: the best paid-for and free logo designer software View the full article

Cisco stomped out a critical vulnerability in its IP Phone web server that could enable remote code execution by an unauthenticated attacker. View the full article

A portfolio website is the quickest and easiest way of showcasing your work as a designer. Even if you have a physical portfolio, a website is still an expected extra – and it's vital that it makes your work sing. Not everyone has the web design skills to be comfortable creating a website with a stunning, easy-to-use layout. These tips will help to fill those knowledge gaps and have your website online in no time. For more portfolio inspiration, check out these stunning portfolio examples. And our pick of the best free graphic design portfolio themes, and paid-for Wordpress portfolio themes will make yours look super professional. Click on the icon at the top-right to enlarge it Illustration by Simon Middleweek. 01. Be yourself Don’t copy someone else’s site design just because you think it looks good. It’s vitally important that your portfolio website shows off who you are and what you do: by creating an original website you’ll help ensure that it comes to mind when people are searching for your services. 02. Make yourself available This cheeky contact page is part of designer Jo Mor's personality-filled website If your site doesn’t make it clear how visitors can get in touch with you, they won’t try very hard to find out. Devote space on your homepage to telling people how they can reach you. Different people prefer different methods of contact, so supply a couple of ways that they can do so – make it easy for them. 03. Show some personality Jessica Walsh put herself front and centre for her &Walsh website When visitors are looking at your website, they want to know who you are. Add a bit of personality, perhaps with a good headshot of yourself, to let them know you’re a real person with your own style and identity. Creativity is all about originality and sometimes people are put off by faceless, corporate websites. 04. Keep it quick The average person waits less than three seconds for a page to load before abandoning the website altogether. Choosing a suitable hosting package that allows for fast page-load speeds is crucial to the success of your website. Not every web host is the same so choose carefully to avoid a slow site. 05. Create fresh content Google loves fresh content, so a great way to improve the search ranking of your site is to keep it up-to-date through a blog. Always keep your posts relevant and linked to what it is you do, as that’s why people are looking at your site to begin with. Google also loves video, as do visitors – a short, engaging video could help keep people on your site for longer. 06. Show off Tangent's project page is sleek and engaging Your portfolio website is like a living CV: the content on it should be up-to-date and make it clear to people what you can do. It’s a vehicle for demonstrating your professionalism and talents, so make sure that you show off new projects and skills as soon as they’re ready for the world to see. 07. Shout about your clients Designer Julie Bonnemoy has a parallax background showcasing her big-name clients Another way of proving your pedigree is to show off your previous clientele. This tells potential new clients that you have been trusted to do important work before and shows you have a track record. If you have worked with a well-known company or brand, it’ll add more weight to your skills. 08. Get recommended Why should anyone just take your word for how great you are? Direct quotes from your clients act as reviews of your services and can be published on your site. These testimonials add a level of trust, reassurance and authenticity, further proving your experience and ability to produce top quality work. 09. Live examples Linking to existing pieces of work that your previous clients are currently using further demonstrates your prowess as a professional. Showing that other people are invested in your skills and trust your work can help to reassure new clients or employers that you really are as good as you say you are. 10. Target language David McGillivray's site delivers a clear message about the process of hiring a designer Who is your target audience and what is the overall aim of your website? Your portfolio site should showcase your skills and personality, so invest time in thinking about exactly what your message is – and who it’s aimed at – before considering how to best communicate it. You want the message that your site sends out to be consistent with the work you do. This article first appeared in The Portfolio Handbook, created by Computer Arts magazine. Read more: Tweak your portfolio for 2020 The biggest portfolio trends for 2020 How to refine your design portfolio View the full article

Alleged Windows flaw allows for remote code execution and is being flogged for $500,000. View the full article

As well as revealing a brand new iPhone SE, Apple yesterday announced that one of its most anticipated upcoming products is now available to preorder. The Magic Keyboard for the 2020 iPad Pro was unveiled alongside the new tablet last month, and said to be arriving in May. However, it appears to be hitting the shelves sooner than expected. As of yesterday, the keyboard is available to order from the Apple Store, with units set to be delivered next week. Apple has been touting the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement for years now, most (in)famously in its 2018 ads in which a young tablet user asks, "What's a computer?". While the ads were derided at the time, the tech giant has doubled down on the messaging – the message for the 2020 iPad and Magic Keyboard (below) proudly proclaiming: "Your next computer is not a computer." But with the addition of a trackpad, it's the new Magic Keyboard accessory that could make those claims a reality – and make the iPad an even better option for creatives (check out the best iPad apps for designers). There's just one problem: the price. The 11-inch version of the Magic Keyboard is $299, while the 12.9-inch is a whopping $349. To put that in perspective, you could buy an actual iPad for the same price. At $349, the 10.2-inch iPad certainly isn't a 'pro' tablet, but it's still a very capable machine. Still, if the Magic Keyboard is as transformative for the iPad Pro as Apple suggests, perhaps it's worth shelling out for. And there's always the trackpad-less Smart Keyboard Folio if you're after something a little cheaper. Despite the price, the Magic Keyboard was definitely the thing that really got us excited about the 2020 iPad Pro. It magnetically attaches to the iPad, and the tablet sits above the keyboard with what Apple calls a "cantilevered design" (basically, it floats), offering way more flexibility in terms of viewing angles. You can order the new Magic Keyboard now on Apple's website. If you're interested in picking up the 2020 iPad Pro (which definitely isn't a computer) or the Smart Keyboard Folio, check out the latest offers below. Related articles: MacBook Pro 2020: Latest rumour roundup New Apple gadget is not what we were expecting Illustrator for iPad now available in beta View the full article

After months of will-they-won't-they speculation, Apple has finally revealed its budget iPhone for 2020 – and instead of being named the iPhone 9 as rumoured, the new device is called the iPhone SE. It's the second iPhone to take the SE name – the original, released in 2016, was an affordable iPhone for those who preferred a smaller form factor. This new SE is certainly affordable at just $399, but if it's a small phone you want, you might be out of luck. Instead of the pleasingly pocketable 4-inch form factor of the original, the 2020 iPhone SE borrows the exact same 4.7-inch design of the iPhone 8, dashing the hopes of anyone who prefers small phones that are actually, you know, small. We loved the size of the original SE and found it perfect for one-handed use. Still, there's a lot more tech to pack into the device these days, so perhaps we need to suck it up and accept that small phones are now a thing of the past. Still, we can't help but feel the same as the Twitter user below. The iPhone is a great device for creatives – check out the best iPhone apps for designers. Speaking of tech, however, that's one area where the new iPhone SE doesn't disappoint. According to the Apple newsroom, It packs the same A13 Bionic chip as the much more expensive (and yes, bigger) iPhone 11, which should future-proof it for a good few years. Apple also claims that the SE features the “best-ever single-camera system for great photos and videos" – indeed, it's the first 4.7-inch iPhone to feature Apple's popular Portrait Mode. The original iPhone SE (left) vs. the new version (right) While a fast processor and great camera might not make this a bells-and-whistles iPhone release, that's the point of the SE. Not everybody needs Face ID, an LED display and 740 cameras – this is a device for those who want an iPhone that can do the basics, and do them fast. On the design front, the new iPhone SE is available in black, white and (PRODUCT)RED. The white model, however, appears to have the same black front as the other models – so it seems the device marks the end of white-fronted iPhones. Preorders begin tomorrow, and at $399, it's the cheapest iPhone since the original SE. We just can't help but wish the form factor was as small as the price. Want to grab the original iPhone SE while you still can? Check out the best offers below. Related articles: Is this what the iPhone 12 Pro will look like? Is this what iOS 14 will look like? (We really hope so) iPad Pro 2020: All there is to know about Apple's new tablet View the full article