If the last minute holiday rush is stressing you out, a meditation app might help you calm down. The market is packed with options, and they’re raking in the bucks to relieve your stress.
Boost your photo editing skills with an 8-class course - now 97% off
StackCommerce
For decades now, Adobe’s Photoshop has been the go-to software tool for a variety of creatives. The program is so ubiquitous it’s even become a verb.
But if you’re just breaking into the biz as a photographer or designer, don’t judge Adobe’s flagship software by the “photoshopped” celebrity memes you see scattered casually around the web.
This tool has more time-saving features and image enhancement capabilities than casual users will ever access. Tap or click here to see how older versions of Photoshop can put users at risk for lawsuits.
If you really want to unlock the true potential of Photoshop, whether for a high-paying design job or to enhance your creative side, there’s a quick way to get up to speed: The Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud Certification Bundle.
All told, the package is a roundup of 8 linked classes, totaling more than 40 hours of instruction. It’s largely taught by professional retoucher Marcin Mikus, who has used the program in a wide variety of jobs and situations.
At the end of each course, you’ll get a certificate of completion, too. Each one is a feather in your cap that any job recruiter will notice.
Here’s a complete breakdown of what you’ll get:
- Photoshop for Photographers: Beginner to Professional – A great place to start. The course is geared toward photographers, but anyone who has worked with photos can use this as a jumping off point to Photoshop’s endless editing capabilities.
- Photoshop CC: Adjustement Layers, Blending Modes & Masks – A look at some of the basic tools you’ll need to make changes on any image. With these three, you can manipulate nearly any file into a work of art.
- High-End Beauty Retouching in Photoshop 2.0 – If you’ve ever wondered how models looks so good on every magazine cover, this is your class. Most of the glow on a magic, high-profile cover girl comes from post-production in photoshop – not the makeup room.
- Photoshop CC: Lifestyle Photography Retouching – There’s an art to making photos look better without telegraphing your high-tech tweaks. This course is for those who need to make the most of their selfies and outdoor shots.
- Professional Photoshop Retouching: Lingerie & Swimwear – This is a specialized course on retouching with a focus on skin and hair.
- Creating LUTs in Photoshop – LUTs are Look Up Tables, and they control the RGB channels of any image. Master them, and you can save a ton of time when you want a batch of photos to have the same look.
- Photoshop CC: Color, Lights and Contrasts Mastery – Learn RAW conversion and other final minute adjustments that will turn your photos from eye-catching to hypnotic.
- Photoshop CC Master Class: Be A Creative Professional – A roundup of all Photoshop’s professional tips and inside tricks.
Right now, Komando readers can get the entire bundle on deep discount: 97% off the MSRP.
Software not included. Prices subject to change.
This real estate analytics tool puts you ahead of the market
StackCommerce
Putting down money in the real estate market? As anyone who’s done it knows, it can be a volatile game. But for the most part, anyone who tells you to “go with your gut” on a property isn’t doing it right.
Savvy real estate investors keep an eye on housing prices, rental rates, population fluctuations and a ton of other commercial factors. In other words, they do their homework.
This tasking tool isn't a day planner – It's a life planner
Every day, there’s a new gadget or a supposedly better version of an old one. We’re surrounded by widgets and programs promising to make it easier for us to commute, communicate, clean and more.
But technology hasn’t really answered the big-picture question: With all these time-saving devices around, why are we still so busy?
Be your own accountant with this QuickBooks master class
StackCommerce
Let’s face it: Accounting just isn’t sexy. We can’t blame you if you’re not familiar with QuickBooks, one of the most widely-used pieces of software for small business finance.
But longtime users get excited for every update, because they know what QuickBooks does best is streamline those books, automate the process and let business owners spend much less time doing accounting and more time doing literally anything else.
This time-saving app summarizes books into 15-minute reads
StackCommerce
Some people walk into a library filled with wonder. But it’s also pretty overwhelming. So much knowledge to absorb, so little time.
These days, that knowledge is still out there, waiting to be absorbed by voracious readers. In fact, there’s more of it each day. But time is shorter than ever in this fast-paced world, especially for the movers, shakers and up-and-comers who could benefit from the business and entrepreneurial books written by their peers.
You can back up handwritten notes online with these erasable notebooks
StackCommerce
Although apps like Evernote and Google Docs are great for storing text, they cannot replace a pen and paper. There is something more intuitive about scribbling notes, and you have the option to sketch your ideas.
The Rocketbook Everlast Mini is a notebook that offers the best of both worlds. It works just like a traditional notebook, but you can back up every page to the cloud using your smartphone. Better still, you can easily erase the whole thing and start again.
7 apps and subscriptions you'll want to use in the new year
© Tommaso79 | Dreamstime
There’re a lot of subscriptions out there clamoring for a piece of your paycheck each month — everything from the latest streaming service to cologne-of-the-month clubs.
A lot of them are frivolous, but there are services out there that actually give you a lot more than you put in.
Learn graphic design, photo editing and more with this Adobe CC training
StackCommerce
As we head toward a brand new decade, creative skills are more valuable than ever. From social media posts to instructional videos, there are countless tasks that involve some level of creative skill.
The Complete 2020 Adobe CC Certification Bundle features nine video courses, helping you master graphic design, photo editing, video editing and more. The training focuses on the software used by creative pros, including Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.
This customizable language app lets you learn your way
StackCommerce
Are you thinking about learning a new language? It’s never a bad idea. Being multilingual can not only be a bankable skill on your resume, it can actually make you smarter.
It can seem like there are nearly as many language learning apps out there as there are languages, and that’s good. Not everybody learns the same way. But ask yourself, how did you learn to speak growing up? Everyone used the same method for that: Listening to and mimicking a native speaker.
5 apps to help you find TV shows to binge watch
Streaming services have changed the way we watch TV. Instead of settling in to watch the newest episode of your favorite show as it airs, we now watch on our schedules or even binge watch entire seasons in one go. But this convenience comes with a downside: It’s tough to keep track of when your favorite shows air. Kim and co-host Mike have five apps to help manage your binge watching so you don’t miss a thing.
Founding father of virtual reality, dash cam apps, useful gadgets under $50
In this episode of Komando On Demand: Insider Edition, Kim talks to one of the founding fathers of VR, Jaron Lanier, about his revolutionary idea for how consumers can earn money from our data. Plus, find out if dash cam apps really work or you need a full-fledged camera to do the job. And don’t miss this week’s trivia. Can you guess the eight-digit password created by President Kennedy to authorize a nuclear launch?
Turn your phone into a dashcam (kind of)
Looking to add a dashcam to your car? It can be a pricey endeavor. But your smartphone can get the job done for free with just an app. Need more features than a free app offers? I’ve got you covered, too.
How kids get seduced, enticed and recruited online
Kids run away in search of love only to be held captive by sex traffickers, hate groups and terrorists. Every 40 seconds, a child goes missing in the United States. Learn how innocent-looking apps and recruiters are luring in our kids in this can’t miss episode of Komando On Demand. It might just save a life.
Neighborhood watch has gone digital
Is the neighborhood block watch a thing of the past? In many communities, social networking has replaced the need for people to wander their neighborhoods. Now sites and apps are your digital connection to your neighbors.
6 big screen 4K TVs worth buying right now
This time of year is a paradise for sports fans. College and pro football are underway, baseball playoffs have just begun, hockey hits the ice this week and we’re only a couple of weeks from tip-off for the new basketball season. Talk about needing more hours in a day.
Amazon's stupid decision, tips from the Contest Queen, 7 apps for forgetful people
Amazon has a new, but dumb, plan to help Alexa next time you ask a tough question. Feeling forgetful? These apps will help keep you organized, remind you to pay your bills on time and more. Kim talks with the Contest Queen, Carolyn Wilman, who has won more than $250,000 in prizes from contests and sweepstakes. Plus, meet an engineer who makes big money developing Alexa skills.
The viral FaceApp is facing serious heat
FaceApp, the Russian-backed app that produces aged selfies, is under fire. Celebrities, politicians and all your friends on social media are doing the #AgingChallenge, and it could have consequences.
Stay connected to your neighbors — through your phone
Technology is giving us all new ways to stay connected to our neighbors. Whether you’re worried about crime and security, looking to buy or sell items or just want to stay in the know, these sites and apps are your digital connection to what’s happening in your neighborhood.
Backfire! Sleep apps may actually be causing insomnia
Is there an app for that? People wanting a good night’s sleep are downloading apps they think will help them go to dreamland. But now, a doctor in London says the apps often make us so anxious about getting sleep that we’re getting full-blown insomnia.