Tag: news

  • Block Admits Data Breach Involving Cash App Data Accessed by Former Employee – The Hacker News

    Block Admits Data Breach Involving Cash App Data Accessed by Former Employee – The Hacker News

    Block, the company formerly known as Square, has disclosed a data breach that involved a former employee downloading unspecified reports pertaining to its Cash App Investing that contained information about its U.S. customers.
    “While this employee had regular access to these reports as part of their past job responsibilities, in this instance these reports were accessed without permission after their employment ended,” the firm revealed in a April 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
    Block advertises Cash App as “the easiest way to send money, spend money, save money, and buy cryptocurrency.”
    The breach is said to have occurred last year on December 10, 2021, with the downloaded reports including customers’ full names as well as their brokerage account numbers, and in some cases, brokerage portfolio value, brokerage portfolio holdings, and stock trading activity for one trading day.
    The San Francisco-based company emphasized in the filing that the reports did not feature personally identifiable information such as usernames or passwords, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, payment card information, addresses, and bank account details.
    It’s exactly unknown how many users were impacted by the breach, but Block — which said it discovered the incident only recently — said it’s contacting roughly about 8.2 million current and former customers as part of its response efforts.
    That said, there’s not much clarity as to when the breach was discovered and how a former employee with the company still managed to access several records containing customer information.
    While a formal investigation is underway, the financial platform also said it has notified law enforcement and that it “continues to review and strengthen administrative and technical safeguards to protect the information of its customers.”
    “The company does not currently believe the incident will have a material impact on its business, operations, or financial results,” Block added.
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  • How to Upload Free Books to Your Kindle – MUO – MakeUseOf

    How to Upload Free Books to Your Kindle – MUO – MakeUseOf

    Add your free ebooks to your Kindle and read them on the go. Here’s how.
    Amazon Kindle is one of the best ebook readers available right now. There are several variants available, and it's a handy device if you're into reading. It's affordable, ergonomic, and best of all, Amazon has got a massive library of ebooks that you can choose from.
    But, did you know that you can easily download and add free books to your Kindle from other places, too? In this guide, we'll run through the steps to download and put a free ebook on your Kindle.
    The first thing you need to do is to download Calibre, which is an ebook management solution. There are actually quite a few different ebook management options that you can choose from, but Calibre is generally a good choice since it's lightweight, easy to use, and more importantly, free.
    You can download Calibre for your operating system and install it. Calibre lets you convert your ebooks into different file formats, including AZW, which is officially supported by Amazon.
    The next step is to download a free ebook. There are several places from where you can get free ebooks, including a few where you can find especially unique ebooks, too.
    Remember that this guide is only for copyright-free ebooks. Downloading copyrighted content is illegal, and we are strictly against it. One of the best copyright-free libraries where you can find free ebooks is Project Gutenberg.
    On there, you can find thousands of copyright-free ebooks. Also, you can get links for Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. For instance, here's the download page for Homer's The Odyssey in Gutenberg:
    If you have an EPUB format downloaded, or choose to download that one, you can easily convert it using Calibre. To do that, simply open the program, and select your Kindle device.
    The next step is to enter your Kindle email address. Instead of having to manually transfer ebooks to your Kindle, you can simply email them.
    To find your Kindle email address, head to the Manage my Kindle page on Amazon, and select Personal Document Settings.
    Here, you can view your personal Kindle email, and you can also add new emails through which you can email to your Kindle directly. To prevent spamming, Kindle only lets you email files using pre-approved email addresses.
    You don't even need to include a subject in the email. Just attach the file and email it to your Kindle account. You will need to add these in Calibre as well to allow for seamless file transfer.
    Simply open Calibre and select the ebook that you downloaded earlier. In this case, it's Homer's Odyssey. Then, select AZW3 or MOBI from the output format, and click on Convert.
    It'll take a few seconds for the program to convert your ebook to the relevant format.
    The next step is to send your converted ebook to your Kindle. Through Calibre, just right-click on the ebook, and go to Connect/Share. You will see an option that says "email to [prefix]@kindle.com]," which is the email address you earlier selected.
    It will ask if you want to auto-convert the book to MOBI before sending it. Once you select, it'll show you the progress in the Jobs section.
    Or, you can also send the file directly using your approved email address. Simply open your email, compose a new email, select your attachment, and send it. Your newly downloaded free ebook will now appear in Kindle.
    You should know that Calibre gives you unprecedented control over your Kindle library, letting you organize your newly downloaded ebooks, or removing older ones. Do ensure that you only download copyright-free ebooks for your Kindle device, and only from legal, verified sources.
    Karim Ahmad is an experienced content marketer and copywriter with a focus on SaaS offerings, startups, digital agencies, and ecommerce businesses. He’s worked closely with founders and digital marketers over the past eight years to produce articles, eBooks, newsletters, and guides. His interests include gaming, traveling, and reading.
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  • Amazon Prime eBooks: Download the eBooks for Free and Read Them in Your Kindle – Tech Times

    Amazon Prime eBooks: Download the eBooks for Free and Read Them in Your Kindle – Tech Times

    Having an Amazon Prime membership has a lot of benefits. Most people are familiar with the two-day shipping and the Prime Video streaming features of the platform, but there is more. Amazon Prime members can access a catalog of eBooks, and they can be downloaded for free.
    Amazon’s eBook program is called Prime Reading, and it is 100% free for all members. It is like Amazon Prime’s version of a private library for all of its members.
    The catalog includes more than 1,000 books and magazines, and there are even audiobooks that you can listen to for free.
    Just like an actual library, you are borrowing the books. There is a limit of 10 titles at a time. Once you are done with a book, you will have to return one first if you try to add a new one when your library is full.
    Another benefit of Amazon Prime Reading is a program called Amazon First Reads. This gives Amazon Prime members a sneak peek at books from certain authors before they are released to the public. You can get one of these sneak peek offers each month.
    Also Read: Amazon testing ‘Kindle Unlimited’: All-you-can-read ebooks for only $9.99 per month
    You can explore the Amazon Prime catalog on the Amazon website via a web browser. Just make sure that you are signed in to your Amazon Prime account.
    You can also explore the Amazon Prime Reading catalog in the Amazon Kindle app. It is available for iPads, iPhones, Android devices, Windows PCs, and Mac. It also comes with preinstalled on Amazon Fire tablets, according to Make Use Of.
    You will see the Amazon Prime Reading section on the home page in the Amazon Kindle app. Just tap on See All so you can start exploring the full catalog.
    There are several ways that you can browse the Amazon Prime Reading catalog. You can choose a title to see the product page wherever you are scrolling through.
    On the product page, you will see the Amazon Kindle eBook listed as free for Amazon Prime members. Just click or tap Read for Free, or you can go for Listen for Free if you want to listen to an audiobook.
    The eBook will then be added to your Amazon account, and you can download it to read on your Amazon Kindle app or your Kindle device.
    If a free eBook has an audiobook, it will automatically be added to your Audible account. You can download the Audible app for iPad, iPhone, or Android, but it is preinstalled on Amazon Fire tables. The audiobooks can also be controlled via voice commands on Amazon Echo devices.
    Amazon Prime Reading may not have the biggest library or the most features, but it is a great perk. If you want more eBook options, you can get Kindle Unlimited for $9.99 per month.
    Amazon Prime members originally cost $199. However, Amazon just announced that it would be increasing its annual price to $139, according to CNN.
    The monthly Amazon Prime subscription price will increase from $12.99 to $14.99.

    Related Article: Amazon Prime Day: Amazon Rivals Target, Sears And Walmart Set To Offer Big Discounts On Same Day
    This article is owned by Tech Times
    Written by Sophie Webster
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  • How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 – TheWindowsClub

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 – TheWindowsClub

    The Windows Club
    TheWindowsClub covers Windows 11, Windows 10 tips, tutorials, how-to’s, features, freeware. Created by Anand Khanse.
    Here is a guide for you to convert an eBook into an Audiobook on Windows 11/10 PC. An audiobook is basically an audio file that contains the content of an eBook in speech form. Users those prefer listening to book than reading themselves use audiobooks. You can play existing audiobooks on PC, but what if you want to create your own audiobooks?
    if(typeof ez_ad_units!=’undefined’){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],’thewindowsclub_com-box-3′,’ezslot_4′,890,’0′,’0′])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!=’undefined’){__ez_fad_position(‘div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-box-3-0’)};In this post, we are going to show you how you can convert eBooks to speech and create an audiobook on Windows 11/10. This is possible by using freeware that lets you create audiobooks. There are some free software that allow you to create audiobooks from eBooks. Here, we are going to mention some of the better audiobook creator freeware that you can use. These software mainly support TXT, DOC, DOCX, HTML, and EPUB eBook formats to convert to MP3, WAV, and other audiobooks. Also, you can use these freeware as regular text-to-speech converters to read aloud your documents. Let’s check out these software now.
    How to Create an Audiobook from an Ebook in Windows 11/10

    Can you convert an eBook into an audiobook?

    Yes, you can turn your eBooks into audiobooks as we discussed in this post. Just download and install any of the discussed software to create MP3 and WAV audiobooks from existing eBooks. These software are absolutely free to use.if(typeof ez_ad_units!=’undefined’){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],’thewindowsclub_com-medrectangle-4′,’ezslot_6′,815,’0′,’0′])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!=’undefined’){__ez_fad_position(‘div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-medrectangle-4-0’)};

    What is the difference between an audiobook and an eBook?

    The difference between an audiobook and an eBook is simple. Ebooks are text files that you can read on your computer, tabs, and smartphones, while the audiobook contains the narration of a book that you can listen to.

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10

    Here are the tools to create an audiobook from an eBook on your Windows 11/10 PC:

    1. Balabolka
    2. Panopreter Basic
    3. eSpeak
    4. SpeakComputer
    5. Audio Book Maker

    Let us check out the details of the above audiobook creator software!

    1] Balabolka

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 1
    Balabolka is a free text-to-speech converter that lets you create audiobooks from eBooks in Windows 11/10. Using it, you can convert eBooks into different formats of audiobooks like MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA, Opus, AMR, and some other audio formats. As for input, it supports a wide number of eBook and other file formats that include DOC, DOCX, PDB, PRC, PDF, RTF, DjVu, EML, EPUB, FB2, HTML, LIT, MOBI, ODS, ODT,  TCR, WPD, XLS, XLSX, CHM, etc.
    Before creating an audiobook, you can preview and listen to it using the Read aloud feature of this software. Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI) versions 4 and 5 are used to perform the text to speech conversion. Furthermore, you can select a specific voice from several inbuilt voices to create an audiobook. Plus, you can also customize voice parameters like audio pitch, rate, and volume.
    A handy Improve Pronunciation feature is available in its Options menu that lets you use replacement rules and dictionary files to improve the pronunciation of inbuilt voices. Plus, you can set up an audio output device, spell checker, reader settings, and more configurations to customize the output. In its Text menu, you can get some nice text editing features like format text, setup foreign words and direct speech, find homographs, insert audio clips, insert XML tags, etc. To view images from an imported eBook, use its File > Images option.
    Some additional features like Batch File Converter, Extract Text from Files, File Splitter, Compare Two Files, Subtitle Converter, Download Subtitles, Translate, Spritz Reader, and more are provided in it that may come in handy to you.

    How to convert an eBook to an audiobook using Balabolka in Windows 11/10:

    if(typeof ez_ad_units!=’undefined’){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],’thewindowsclub_com-box-4′,’ezslot_5′,826,’0′,’0′])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!=’undefined’){__ez_fad_position(‘div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-box-4-0’)};
    Here are the main steps to create audiobooks from eBooks using Balabolka:

    1. Go to the File menu and click the Open option to import the source eBook in any supported format.
    2. Now, if you want, you can edit the text from its reader section.
    3. Next, you can set up output configurations to get desired output, like rate, pitch, volume, voice, audio metadata, etc.
    4. After that, you can listen to the audiobook by clicking the Play button from its main toolbar.
    5. If all is good, click the File > Save Audio File option to export the audiobook in a selected audio file format.

    Balabolka is one of the best free audiobook creator software that lets you make a customize audiobook from an existing eBook.

    2] Panopreter Basic

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 2
    Panopreter Basic is a nice audiobook creator for Windows 11/10. It lets you convert HTML, TXT, RTF, DOC, and MHT eBook and document files to audiobooks. It can create output audiobooks in WAV audio format only. The good part of this software is that it lets you import multiple eBooks and then convert them to audiobooks one by one.
    To create an audiobook through it, simply enable the Input and Speak or Read Batch Files button and then open your eBook file. The text content will show up in a dedicated section from where you can manually edit the content. Next, select the document language and then choose a voice. Furthermore, you can set up the voice parameters including volume and speed as per your requirement. Press the Speak button to listen to your audiobook before exporting. Now, if you want to save the audiobook with current voice parameters, click the Save as Audio option, provide output filename for the WAV audiobook, hit the Save button. Your audiobook will be saved at the given location.
    If you want to create an audiobook through this software, you can download it from panopreter.com.

    3] eSpeak

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 3
    eSpeak is a simple audiobook creator software for Windows 11/10. You can import your eBook in TXT or XML format and convert it to a WAV audiobook. It also works like a standard text-to-speech converter that lets you type text and then convert it to speech.
    To create an audiobook, you can use select a desired male or female voice from available ones. Also, it lets you customize the speech rate and volume as per your preference. You can preview the audiobook by clicking on the Speak button. If you want to make modifications to speech parameters, you can easily do that before saving the audiobook. Now, let us have a look at the steps to perform eBook to audiobook conversion.
    Firstly, click its Open File button to import an eBook in TXT or XML format. The content of the eBook will appear in the dedicated section from where you can add or remove text manually. After that, customize voice, speech rate, and speech volume. Also, you can select the desired audio format from 16kHz 16 Bit Mono, 16kHz 16 Bit Stereo, 22kHz 8 Bit Mono, 22kHz 8 Bit Stereo, and so on.
    When you are done customizing the above parameters, press the Speak button to preview the audiobook. Finally, click on the Save to .wav button to save the audiobook in WAV format.

    4] SpeakComputer

    if(typeof ez_ad_units!=’undefined’){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],’thewindowsclub_com-large-leaderboard-2′,’ezslot_8′,683,’0′,’0′])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!=’undefined’){__ez_fad_position(‘div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-large-leaderboard-2-0’)};SpeakComputer is a freeware that converts text to speech and also creates audiobooks. It is primarily a suite of TTS text readers. This software enables you to convert RTF and TXT eBooks to MP3 and WAV eBooks. In this software, you can find some other tools too, like TTS presentation designer, browser speaker application, and clipboard reader.
    It opens up the eBook content in its reader section from where you can manually edit the content as per your requirement. You can select a male or female voice to create an audiobook. It also lets you customize the voice speed as per your preference. In its Document Format tab, you can format your eBook and check for spelling errors. Then, you can save your audiobooks.
    Firstly, go to the yellow sphere icon present at the top-left corner and then click on the Open option and import an RTF or TXT eBook file.
    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 4
    Now, you can customize TTS parameters including voice and voice speed. Then, click on the Speak button to listen to the audiobook. At last, select the Export button from the MP3 or WAV section to convert eBook to respective audiobook format.
    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 5
    It is a nice and easy-to-use audiobook creator software that you can use without much hassle.

    5] Audio Book Maker

    How to convert an eBook into an Audiobook in Windows 11/10 - TheWindowsClub 6
    Audio Book Maker is a free Windows 11/10 app to create audiobooks from eBooks. You can convert DOCX and PDF eBooks to MP3 audiobooks using it. It can even extract text from JPG and PNG images using OCR technology and then convert the extracted text to speech. It is simple and easy to use. You can even edit the text before audiobook creation. Let us see how to use this Windows 11/10 app to convert eBooks to audiobooks.
    When you launch this app, you will see a Read File option on its home screen. Click on it, select document language, and then import an eBook in PDF or DOCX format. It will open up the eBook content in the dedicated section. You can also navigate from one page to another from the left panel. In the Reader section, you can manually edit the text. After that, select a voice to read the eBook and adjust the voice speed. Then, click the play button to convert text to speech.
    Finally, you can press the Create Audio Book button. Now, you can select the current, custom page range, or all pages of the imported eBook to convert to an audiobook. Again, click the Create Audio Book button to generate an audiobook. The audiobook will be saved in a default location prompted after the conversion is completed. You can also find all your audiobooks from its My File section.
    You can get this audiobook creator app for Windows 11/10 from Microsoft Store.

    How do I convert my Kindle books to audiobooks?

    You can convert Kindle books to audiobooks using Balabolka software explained earlier in this article. If you have Kindle eBooks saved in MOBI, HTML5, AZW, or AZW3 format, you can import them into Balabolka and then convert them to MP3, WAV, OGG, and other audiobooks. Follow the steps that we have mentioned above in this post.

    How do I convert PDF to an audiobook?

    You can convert a PDF document file to an audiobook. We have mentioned some free software that allow you to convert PDF eBooks or files to an audiobook. To name them, there are Balabolka and Audio Book Maker tools that enable you to convert an eBook saved in PDF format to an audiobook format.

    How do I convert text to an audiobook?

    All the mentioned software supports the conversion of text to an audiobook. You can either import a text file that is saved on your PC or you can manually type or copy and paste your text into their text reader section and then easily convert the text to an audiobook and save it in  MP3 or any other supported audio format.
    Hope this article helps you create an audiobook from an eBook file on your Windows 11/10 PC.
    Now read:

    Date: July 22, 2021

    Komal has done M.Tech in CSE. For the last 4 years, she has been writing technical blogs – and she is keen on finding and bringing solutions to day-to-day tech problems.

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  • Highly Rated McGraw Hill ReadAnywhere App Crosses 2 Million Download Milestone – PR Newswire

    Highly Rated McGraw Hill ReadAnywhere App Crosses 2 Million Download Milestone – PR Newswire

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    The Free eBook App Experienced Extraordinary Growth During COVID-19
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    Sep 22, 2021, 08:43 ET
    Share this article
    NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In 2018, as student use of eBooks and other digital course materials quickly expanded on college campuses, McGraw Hill recognized the need for mobile eBook technology that fit college students’ lives and that was accessible on the devices they own. What followed was the development of the McGraw Hill ReadAnywhere app. And the shift to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the use of tools like this. Today, ReadAnywhere has passed the milestone of 2 million downloads and has an above average 4.7 rating out of 5 on the Apple App Store, with more than 10,000 ratings from users.
    Throughout the pandemic, the ability to study in multiple environments with a variety of devices became more critical than ever. To fulfill this need, hundreds of thousands of students across the country turned to ReadAnywhere, which lets McGraw Hill eBook users access their course eBook anytime, anywhere on their smartphone or tablet. In March of 2020, the app had 863,788 downloads; one year later that number soared to over 1.7 million. As we begin a new school year, the app now has 2.1 million downloads and is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
    For more information about the ReadAnywhere app, visit: mheducation.com/readanywhere.
    ReadAnywhere lets students do just that – read anywhere – from any tablet or smartphone, no internet connection necessary. But the app goes further than just reading. Users can take notes, have content read aloud, highlight text, and complete assignments, all while offline. ReadAnywhere includes the same functionality as the McGraw Hill eBook and the eBook offered in its digital learning platform, McGraw Hill Connect. When connected to Wi-Fi, it will auto-sync across multiple platforms.
    "Now more than ever before, students need freedom and flexibility in where and when they study," said Michael Ryan, President of McGraw Hill’s Higher Education group. "We are thrilled that so many are using the ReadAnywhere app on their personal learning journey."
    During the pandemic, growth in the use of McGraw Hill Connect has accelerated as well. Student activations of Connect increased 27 percent from 2020 to more than six million globally in 2021. In the same period, college campuses participating in Inclusive Access programs with McGraw Hill increased from 1,100 to 1,400, reflecting the shift to online learning. Inclusive Access programs represent a partnership among institution, bookstore and publisher, delivering course materials to students by the first day of class at prices that are well below market rates. The reduced prices of course materials delivered via Inclusive Access programs saved students more than $150 million nationally last year alone.
    # # #
    McGraw Hill
    McGraw Hill is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that drive results for students, parents, educators and professionals. We focus on educational equity, affordability and learning success to help learners build better lives. Headquartered in New York City, McGraw Hill has offices across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions for PreK-12, higher education, professionals and others available in more than 80 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
    Contact:
    Tyler Reed
    McGraw Hill
    (914) 512-4853
    [email protected]
    SOURCE McGraw Hill
    http://www.mheducation.com/

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  • How to get tons of e-books on multiple topics for free – Komando

    How to get tons of e-books on multiple topics for free – Komando

    If you’ve run out of things to watch and are tired of scrolling through social media, how about reading a book? Sure, you can buy actual paper books online and have them shipped. But what if you want to save some money?
    How about an eBook? You can easily purchase those online, or you can borrow a digital version of a book just like you would at an actual brick-and-mortar library. Keep reading and we’ll tell you how to get eBooks from your local public library and other ways to get them for free.
    Thousands of free eBooks are just a click away on the sites we’re about to share. History, biographies, romance, mysteries and more.
    Public libraries these days don’t just offer old-school books for free. Now, you can borrow music CDs, movies and even eBooks. Here’s how.
    First, find your local library online and see if it’s offering free eBooks to borrow. In some cities, you can download a digital book from your library and you get to keep it anywhere from one to three weeks.
    Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.
    If you’re enrolled in college, check to see the options through the online campus library. You might be surprised at how much you’ll find. And don’t forget about the National Emergency Library that the Internet Archive launched. No library card is required.
    Public libraries are an excellent option for finding free eBooks. But, there are plenty of other options out there. Here are some of our favorites.
    Project Gutenberg has thousands of classic books in the public domain, and new titles are added daily.
    In addition to free books, this site offers sheet music, speeches and even music and videos. Several books are offered as audiobooks if you prefer to listen instead of reading. It’s a wonderful tool for researchers and students.
    There are currently over 800 free eBooks for you to choose from at OpenCulture, and the list is growing all the time. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean that all of these books are classics in the public domain.
    You can find newer works of fiction from big-name authors available here. Search alphabetically by author’s last name to find the titles you’re looking for. Downloading eBooks from there is a snap.
    OpenCulture also features free audiobooks, textbooks, movies and college courses. You’ll find what you want, or something new, no doubt.
    If you’re interested in science or technology, check these books out. NASA has compiled a list of books about the history and science of our national space program.
    These books cover everything from supersonic travel to atmospheric re-entry. And every book is available in different formats, so every eReader or computer can download them.
    Open Library is the largest site for free eBooks, with millions available for download, in all categories. You can get art books, biographies, recipes, science fiction, history — you want it, they got it.
    Each book’s page has information on the book, the author and relevant links. Find a mistake in the entry for your favorite book? You can edit mistakes and add information. You just need to set up an account using your name and email address.
    And now that you have all those free books crammed onto your computer, how do you find anything? Calibre is the perfect digital librarian for your eBooks. It helps you organize them so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
    Even better, Calibre converts your books into almost any format. You can customize title covers and get data about each book by automatically syncing to online booksellers. Caliber even downloads magazines and newspapers.
    Bonus: Best sites to download free audiobooks
    Kim’s eBooks are available on Amazon and Kobo.
    At Amazon, you can find “Windows 10: Secrets & Tips for Busy People,” “Android for Seniors,” “How to get Free HDTV and Cut the Cable,” and more.
    They can be downloaded on most digital devices, but specific gadgets like Amazon’s Kindle with big screens make reading eBooks easier on the eyes. You might as well check out some options when you can before your time gets otherwise “booked.”
    By clicking our links, you’re supporting our research. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Recommendations are not part of any business incentives.
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    Get tech updates and breaking news on the go with the Komando.com App, available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.


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  • How Much Do Graphic Designers Make? – Small Business Trends

    How Much Do Graphic Designers Make? – Small Business Trends

    Are you good at conveying ideas through visuals? If yes, then graphic design can be an excellent option to earn money. But before you take the plunge, wouldn’t you be interested in knowing how much do graphic designers make?
    Today, we will explore graphic design as a way of earning a livelihood. In addition to understanding how much money graphic designers earn, you will know the types of graphic design job opportunities, the ways to maximize your earnings, and much more. All aspiring graphic designers will find this post useful.
    Let’s dive in:


    if(typeof ez_ad_units!=’undefined’){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],’smallbiztrends_com-box-4′,’ezslot_8′,115,’0′,’0′])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!=’undefined’){__ez_fad_position(‘div-gpt-ad-smallbiztrends_com-box-4-0’)};

    What is a Graphic Designer?

    What is a graphic designer and why is graphic design important? In simple words, a graphic designer is a professional who designs visual concepts to convey information. From designing posters to logos to websites, graphic designers create a variety of visual concepts to communicate information.
    Here are some important qualities that can make someone an excellent graphic designer:

    • Verbal communication
    • Drawing and sketching skills
    • Research
    • Time management
    • Attention to detail
    • Analytical skills

    These days, companies use various kinds of design software. Therefore, designers are also expected to have essential software skills to get a job in a good design company.



    Types of Graphic Design Jobs

    There are different types of graphic design job openings. So you can pick one according to your creativity.
    Following are the key job types in the graphic design industry:

    • Photo editor
    • Logo designer
    • Web designer
    • Multimedia designer
    • Advertising designer
    • User-interface (UI) designer
    • User experience (UX) designer

    You can see that graphic design services are diverse. So, in addition to the above-mentioned job titles for designers, you can also find graphic design job openings for product packaging designers, publication designers, apparel graphic designers, and many more.

    How Much do Graphic Designers Earn Per Hour?

    If you’re thinking about being a self-employed designer, you would like to know whether you can make a respectable living or not. The good news is you can. According to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage of graphic designers is $28.06.


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    The average base hourly pay for freelance graphic designers, as per Payscale data, is $29.92.
    If you want to secure a strong position as a freelancer, you should work on multiple projects to build a powerful professional portfolio and keep on finding new projects.

    How Much do Graphic Designers Make Per Year

    If you want to know the average salary for a graphic designer, the answer is $ 58,370 (mean annual wage).
    However, job seekers may notice variations in graphic designer salaries on different sources. For example, Indeed data states an average base salary of $51,588 per year. According to Payscale data, the average base salary of a graphic designer is $47,085/ year.


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    Art directors, who often begin their careers as designers, earn way more than these mentioned salaries.

    How to Get Started with Graphic Design

    Now that you know common questions about graphic design as a career option, such as how much graphic designers make, types of graphic design jobs, and prowess required to become a great designer. It is time to get started.
    Here are some pointers to help you:

    • Get professional education (degree or certificate in design)
    • Master design software programs
    • Build a website to create an online presence
    • Be active on LinkedIn and job search websites
    • Build a network to get references

    Also, sharing your portfolio website on Behance, Dribble, and other sites in the related field can increase your chances of getting hired.


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    Different industries have different requirements. So, it’s a good idea to ask experience people in your chosen industry for additional information that can help you get started fast.

    10 Ways to Make Money as a Graphic Designer

    Working for a company is just one way to earn money as a designer. Here are ten ways you can explore to make money with your creative expertise:

    1. Freelance Work for Clients

    Hiring an in-house designer is a costly affair. So, many businesses choose to hire freelancers to get design work done. As a result, you can earn good money doing freelance work for clients. Upwork and Fiverr are good platforms to hunt for freelance gigs.

    2. GIFs or Animations

    The trend of using GIFs in increasing customer engagement is growing fast. With more and more companies including GIFs in their marketing materials, there are ample opportunities for you to sell GIFs and earn money.


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    3. Sell Canva Templates

    Canva is used by many people as the learning curve is minimal. So creating and selling Canva templates can be a good way to earn money.

    4. Social Media Graphics

    Social media has become a must for businesses of all sizes. And it goes without saying that eye-catchy visuals increase engagement on social media. Not all companies hire graphic designers, presenting you with tons of opportunities to sell social media graphic packages and earn money.

    5. Printable Wall Art

    People love to personalize the walls of their homes. Posters and wall stickers are among popular wall art items. You can sell readymade printable wall art or customizable packages online and make money.

    6. Design Fonts

    Do you love designing beautiful fonts? Why not make money out of it. Platforms like Etsy, Creative Market, or Creative Fabrica can help you sell your fonts and earn money.


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    7. eBook Covers

    Many small businesses publish eBooks to educate their audiences. And Kindle Direct Publishing has opened doors to self-publishing authors. So, selling eBook cover design can help you earn a decent income. You can sell both pre-made eBook covers and packages for custom eBook covers.

    8. Ready-to-Print Party Decorations

    In the time of Instagram, people spend a great deal of money on decoration for their kids’ birthday parties. You can easily sell printable party decoration files and supplement your income.

    9. Branding Packages

    Businesses use a variety of visual elements in their sales and marketing materials to build a distinguished identity. Logos, business cards, brochures, packaging materials, are just a few to mention. So selling branding packages can be great for designers to earn money.

    10. Run Workshops

    Do you love sharing your knowledge? If yes, then running personal or online design workshops can be an excellent way for you to earn money. However, you have to build a strong portfolio first. Only then, it will be easier for you to persuade people to join your workshops.


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    How to Maximize Your Graphic Design Earnings

    Whether you’re planning to start a graphic design business or begin your career in a graphic design company, you would defiantly want to earn more money.
    Here are a few ways to maximize your graphic design earnings:

    • Pick a profitable niche and stick to it
    • Join graphic design programs to sharpen your skills
    • Build a portfolio site to showcase your work
    • Make your own product (ebook, course, t-shirt design, etc.) to sell
    • Create a powerful web presence
    • Be active on LinkedIn to get noticed by a good paying company

    If you’re freelancing, you should never rely on one site for freelance work. Instead, you should create your profile on multiple websites to get more clients for your freelance services.

    Which graphic design job pays the highest graphic designer salary?

    A product design job pays the highest graphic designer salary. Indeed reports that a product designer, whose job is to create the foundation for the user experience of a product, gets a national average salary of $119,921 per year.


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    Which US states have the highest graphic design salaries?

    Illinois has the highest graphic design salaries when you adjust the salary based on the cost of living in a state. According to the Zippia data, graphic artists receive a $60,137 adjusted average yearly salary in Illinois. But if you consider actual wages employers pay, New York tops the list where employers pay a $64,840 average yearly salary.

    Final Thoughts,

    Now you understand how much money you can expect to earn working as a graphic designer. As every business invests in graphic design, you will have ample opportunities to earn provided that you keep yourself updated. You can explore these graphic design tools to maximize your success.
    Image: Depositphotos Comment ▼


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  • List of Entrepreneur Resources – New Hampshire Business Review

    List of Entrepreneur Resources – New Hampshire Business Review

    Sections
    Extras
    Connect With Us
    COMPETITIONS AND PROGRAMS
    INNOVATION SUMMIT
    The Innovation Summit highlights innovation in New Hampshire through all phases of growth. The Startup Showcase features early stage startups and is a great way to showcase the newest technology coming from New Hampshire. Mid-growth startups share lessons along the way and the annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given out at the event. For more information visit nhtechalliance.org/innovation-summit
    SOCIAL VENTURE INNOVATION 
    CHALLENGE
    Founded by the University of New Hampshire and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the SVIC was designed to be different from other traditional business plan competitions. Rather than full business plans, the Challenge is interested in jumpstarting innovative thinking among students and community members who design novel, sustainable, business-orientated solutions to some of
    society’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Winners receive awards that help bring needed resources to advance these promising models. The November event attracts more than 700 people to hear the keynote speaker and finalists’ pitch competition. For more information, visit unh.edu/sustainability/student-education-engagement.
    SPEED VENTURE SUMMIT
    Startups can apply to participate in a 90-minute speed pitch session to investors representing angel groups, various funds and VC firms from all over New England. Participating startups represent bio tech, ed tech, diagnostics therapeutics, and software and consumer products. The event also includes a featured speaker and networking reception with more than 140 attendees. Applications are available at nhtechalliance. org. Investors interested in participating can email stephanie@nhtechalliance.org for more
    information.
    THE PITCHFORK CHALLENGE
    The Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship runs an annual pitch competition with the purpose of boosting startups in the Monadnock region. Over the summer local entrepreneurs are coached to create a compelling pitch describing their business opportunity in pursuit of a cash award. Ultimately, one business winner will be chosen to receive a prize of $10,000 in cash along with national print and digital media coverage. The final event is part of the Radically Rural Summit. Eligible applicants must have businesses with no more than $250,000 in revenue or funding, must be a for-profit and currently earning revenue, and is located in a town with a population of 30,000 or less. For more information or assistance developing required materials, contact www.hannahgrimes.com/pitchforkchallenge or programs@hannahgrimes.com.
    TORY C. MARANDOS
    ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE
    Entrepreneurs with exemplary business ideas submit their business plan to be considered a finalist in the pitch competition that determines the winner of a $5,000 grand prize from the Tory C. Marandos Foundation. Entrepreneurs with startups less than three years in business or who have not yet started
    a business but have a well-thought-out idea are eligible to submit a two-page concept paper in PDF format to marandos@snhu.edu. More information can be found at www.alumni.snhu.edu/community-events/marandos-entrepreneurial-challenge.
    ANGEL INVESTORS AND VENTURE
    CAPITALIST FIRMS
    10X VENTURE PARTNERS
    www.10xvp.com
    10X Venture Partners invests predominantly in mobile, internet, wireless, security, med tech and
    green tech. A typical investment ranges from $50,000 to $500,000, but 10X is capable of larger investments. 10X invests in companies ranging from the idea stage through $5-10 million in revenue, for profitable companies.
    ALUMNI VENTURES
    www.av.vc
    Alumni Ventures is a co-investor whose network can help with connections, capital, and customers, offering alumni entrepreneurs a smart, simple way to back the ventures of fellow alums. Alumni Ventures typically invests $100,000 to $500,000 per deal, with the opportunity for up to $2
    million when several of its sibling Alumni Ventures Group funds participate. Key investment
    considerations: a Dartmouth alumni connection (on the executive team, board or investing group) and a strong co-investor in place. Alumni Ventures does not lead rounds, set valuations or take board seats; they aim to be a transparent, low-friction, value-add partner to its portfolio companies.
    BOREALIS VENTURES
    www.borealisventures.com
    Borealis Ventures partners with entrepreneurs who aim to create new markets or redefine existing ones, especially in areas such as life science platforms, digital health and animal health. Borealis seeks an initial institutional round of financing, including seed funding, and will invest anywhere from $100,000 to $2.5 million initially, with the potential for more over time.
    ECOAST ANGEL NETWORK
    www.ecoastangels.com
    eCoast Angel’s focuses on early-stage companies involved with advanced technology, e-commerce, healthcare, and industrial products and services, principally located in the New Hampshire coastal region. The group is most interested in companies requiring $250,000 to $2 million at pre-money
    valuations of less than $6 million, who have a credible, multi-option exit strategy and are led by an experienced core management team.
    HARBOR LIGHT CAPITAL PARTNERS
    hlcp.com
    Harbor Light Capital Partners focuses on investments in the $1 million to $5 million range. They target the “funding gap” for early- and growth-stage companies. Unlike institutional investment funds, they are not limited to traditional holding periods of 4 to 6 years. Harbor Light’s growth stage criteria: $5 million to $20 million in revenues; strong historical/projected revenue growth; companies with passionate, loyal
    customers; exceptional management teams with proven entrepreneurial leadership and vision.
    VESTED FOR GROWTH
    www.vestedforgrowth.com
    Vested for Growth, a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, provides
    risk-tolerant capital up to $1 million, business education and peer-learning opportunities
    to help owners of established small businesses increase profits and create higher-quality jobs. For investment needs greater than $1 million, VFG may be able to draw from other lending partners. The only business financing program of its kind, VFG creates sub-debt and royalty financing packages when banks and equity sources can’t provide enough capital to meet their needs. Training or technical support may be provided by some combination of a business performance coach, consultant, an advisory board or a business peer group.
    WASABI VENTURES PARTNERS
    www.wasabivp.com
    Wasabi Ventures is a venture capital, incubator and consulting firm that specializes in
    building and advising early-stage technology companies. In the last decade, Wasabi Ventures has built, financed and advised over 200 startups including some wildly successful ventures like RightNow Technologies, User Testing, Ustream and EtherPad.
    Source: NHBR Research
    © 2022 NH Business Review.

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  • How to Stream Torrent Files Without Downloading on Android – MUO – MakeUseOf

    How to Stream Torrent Files Without Downloading on Android – MUO – MakeUseOf

    You don’t need to download torrents on your phone. You can stream them instead. Here’s how to stream torrent files on Android.
    Finding and downloading legal torrents on your Android smartphone or tablet is not a difficult task. However, often because of the large size of the videos, you will need to wait for hours before you can watch the content.
    On a desktop, you can stream torrents with WebTorrent and other apps without downloading them. On Android, your options are limited but it is possible. Here we show you the three ways to stream torrent files without downloading them on Android.
    WebTor is a torrent streaming service available as a web app. You can paste the magnet link for a torrent and start streaming right away. It also supports subtitles, on-the-fly transcoding, and direct downloading.
    The only issue with the app seems to be the pop-up and in-page ads, which are quite annoying. Otherwise, WebTor is an excellent service to stream torrents on Android.
    Related: 7 Underground Torrent Sites for Getting Uncensored Content
    The uTorrent client on Android supports a preview file feature. You can use this feature to play torrents as they start downloading. While the torrent will continue to download in the background, you can continue to play the video without waiting for the download to finish.
    Download: uTorrent (Free, in-app purchases available)
    To stream torrent files using uTorrent:
    Related: How to Increase Torrent Download Speeds: 10 Tips and Tricks
    If you don’t want to use a web app, you can use the Telegram app and VLC Player to stream torrents on your Android device. You can get started by installing the apps from the Play Store if you don't already have them.
    Download: Telegram (Free) | VLC Player (Free, in-app purchases available)
    Now here's how to stream torrents on your phone.
    While this is a handy solution, it only works if you manage to find the torrent link with a multimedia extension. For example, if the Telegram bot returns a zip file link for the given magnet URL, it will not work with VLC Player.
    WebTor is an excellent all-platform torrent streaming client. It is on the web, supports on-the-fly transcoding, and you can even download torrents directly if you want.
    However, if you prefer to download torrents in the background while streaming, then the uTorrent app for Android is a good alternative. While the Telegram and VLC Player torrent streaming hack is a handy solution, it is tedious and unreliable.
    If you want to stream torrents on your Windows, Mac, or Linux systems, there are multiple desktop and web-based torrent streaming apps to stream torrents on the go.
    Tashreef is a developer and works as a technical writer at MakeUseOf. With a bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications, he has over 5 years of experience and covers Microsoft Windows and everything around it. When not looking for a missing semicolon or churning out text, you can find him trying FPS titles or looking for new animated shows and movies.
    Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!

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