The Fruitiest Pi Yet: Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Is As Smooth As Cream

Our verdict of the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB:
Representing the latest evolution of the tiny project board, the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB offers a desktop-like experience for under $100. All the usual hobby projects are compatible with the board, although some distros seem to be lagging in support.910

Since its first release in 2012 the Raspberry Pi has gone from strength to strength. An amazing 14 models have been released, with three form factors: 11 of them are still in production.

The most recent addition to the family is the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB model. It is the most powerful Raspberry Pi yet, with twice the RAM of its predecessor. It’s also the main feature of the Pimoroni Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Amazebundle.

A Slice of Pi

Whether you’re new to the Pi or you’re upgrading from an earlier device, this is a great stepping on point. The Raspberry Pi 4 8GB is the 2020 revision of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B board, released in 2019. While the earlier Raspberry Pi 4 releases featured 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB models, this new release doubles the RAM.

And while the 1GB model is discontinued, we’re assured that the “Raspberry Pi 4 Model B will remain in production until at least January, 2026.”

But should you take a bite of this Pi?

What’s So Good About the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB?

Well, there’s a good chance you probably should. The Raspberry Pi 4 release was significant, but this is a game-changer. Everything is (unsurprisingly, given the additional RAM) just so fast.

From installing an operating system from the bundled NOOBS installer to adding Kodi add-ons, the speed that additional 4GB of RAM brings to the table is considerable.

Given early versions of the Raspberry Pi had just half a gig of RAM, it’s not a total surprise. For those of us who used the Raspberry Pi back in 2012/13, the evolution of the platform is evident. If you’re new to Raspberry Pi, however, 8GB will not seem particularly unusual. After all, it’s the baseline RAM for most laptops these days.

It’s what people expect from a computer. In some ways, the Raspberry Pi now feels more like a PC than a hobby device.

What You Get in Pimoroni’s Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Amazebundle

The compact Amazebundle box contains an impressive list of components.

Primarily there is the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB model itself, along with the official USB-C power supply adaptor. This has a 15.3W maximum power output and removes any worries about using a phone charger. You’ll find is a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable, and a 32GB microSD card with the NOOBs operating system installer, so you can get started right away.

Also included is the Fan Shim, an easily assembled fan component to help manage the Pi’s cooling and performance. Given that other Raspberry Pi 4 models have struggled with heat management, this is a smart inclusion.

Note that no case is included in this bundle. Fortunately, Raspberry Pi 4 cases for all purposes are easy to get hold of.

Raspberry Pi 4 Tech Specs

Three types of Raspberry Pi board have been used: A, B, and Zero. Of those, A and B models have had revisions designated “+”.

The Raspberry Pi 4 8GB is a B board using the standard “credit card-sized” form factor (85.6mm × 56.5mm). It features Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C power supply, and two Micro HDMI ports, capable of supporting two 4K displays. There is also a combined stereo audio and composite video port.

Along with these standard hardware ports, the Pi 4 also features a two-lane MIPI DSI display port and two-lane MIPI CSI camera port. These ports accept ribbon cables only. The GPIO, meanwhile, is 40-pin and can accept connections from a range of devices, from fans to audio amplifiers.

The Pi’s SoC is a 64-bit Broadcom BCM2711 with a quad-core Cortex-A72 running at 1.5Ghz, and 8GB of SDRAM. Wireless internet is 802.11ac, capable of 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz networks, with Bluetooth 5.0 BLE.

This Raspberry Pi Needs a Cooling Fan

Earlier Raspberry Pi 4 models have been found to generate heat in ways the earlier devices did not. Linked to the enhanced overall speed and performance, various solutions have been suggested, from heatsinks and fans to standing the Pi 4 4GB model on its horizontal edge (no, really).

Offering a smarter, more complete solution, the Amazebundle features a Pimoroni Fan Shim.

Designed for “simple, effective Pi cooling” this is a fan that can be easily added to the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO. It features a button, RGB LED, and a cable to attach the fan to the shim’s body. This then sits on the GPIO using friction connectors, so it’s solder-free!

Setting Up the 8GB Raspberry Pi

Preparing a Raspberry Pi for use is straightforward. However, it makes sense to attach the Fan Shim before powering up the Pi.

This is thankfully straightforward. Simply attach the fan unit to the PCB using the nylon screws and bolts. Connect the wire to the socket on the PCB, then place the shim onto the Pi’s GPIO, over pins 1-12.

With this firmly in place, insert the microSD card, connect the HDMI cable, and hook up the USB Type-C power. A USB keyboard and mouse is handy at this stage, too. While you can remotely access the Pi later using SSH or VNC, initial setup requires direct input.

What Can You Do With 8GB of Raspberry Pi?

When the Pi boots for the first time the NOOBs menu appears. The version of NOOBs bundled with the Pi 4 8GB model features:

• Raspberry Pi OS Full, Desktop, and Lite versions (all based of the 32-bit Debian OS)
• Lakka
• LibreElec
• a 30-day trial of the TLXOS thin client from ThinLinX

As such, you have plenty of options for using this top-end Raspberry Pi. And that’s just the pre-installed options. Many more projects are available, from game streaming to managing amateur space programs. Or you might prefer to manage your greenhouse, set up a wildlife camera, or build a robot. (There’s also a 64-bit test version of Raspberry Pi OS available to install, although this is some way from being ready for all uses.)

The possibilities are endless.

But it’s important to check first that they will run with the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB model. For example, while LibreElec ran like a dream, Lakka wouldn’t boot, displaying this error:

Apparently, this is a common fault and seems to be due to the new Pi having more RAM than expected. For retro gamers there are workarounds, e.g. waiting for Lakka to release a Pi 4 8GB build, installing 32-bit builds

It’s not a massive issue, but one that you should be aware of. It seems booting from an older Pi 4 SD card with RetroPie already installed will work, however.

Comparing the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB With Other Models

With the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB model’s higher system spec and 64-bit architecture, comparison with the earliest models is tough. The Raspberry Pi 4 devices essentially represent a different generation—much like comparing the Xbox One with the Xbox 360.

In many ways, therefore, comparison is unfair.

There is little difference between the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB and older models. In terms of the Pi 4 range, this board is indistinguishable from the 2GB and 4GB versions aside from the RAM. It’s the power user board of the Raspberry Pi world, the equivalent of buying a top of the range phone. Running a basic benchmarking tool on the Pi 4 4GB and 8GB models, we found obvious advantages.

It is likely that that the Pi 4 8GB is a product of its time. A device that can double up as a competent desktop computer and thin client, as well as all of those other uses—media streamer, retro game hub, development device, robot brain, Twitter bot, the list goes on—is extremely valuable when events force people and students to work at home.

You probably don’t need it, but that 8GB is very nice to have.

Using the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB

To explore some of those possibilities, I spent a few days playing with the Pi 4. In that time, I used it mainly for desktop tasks, to explore the advantages of the 8GBs.

Everything performed well, leaving me with the strange sensation that I was using a desktop PC. For comparison, it felt a little like using a Pinebook, a budget ARM laptop not dissimilar to the Raspberry Pi. That extra RAM adds a dimension to the performance that is completely new to the Pi.

This is unparalleled with the Raspberry Pi. There has always been a trade-off between the device’s size and performance and the usual expectations of a computer. But with the addition of 8GB of RAM that trade-off is almost non-existent.

The implications of this are considerable. While a 16GB Raspberry Pi 4 is unlikely, when the next generation of boards comes along 16GB would not be out of place.

The Raspberry Pi 4 8GB: Basically, a Spare PC for Under $100

Retro gaming and media streaming is perhaps the most popular use for the Raspberry Pi, but there is so much more you can do with it. At a time when so many people are forced to work at home, this inexpensive computer makes an excellent desktop replacement. Alternatively, it can also work as a thin client to access a virtual desktop environment if that’s what your employer uses.

And then there is the endless list of enthusiast-developed projects. All of these, and more, work on this tiny budget British computer, available for under $100 without accessories.

The Raspberry Pi 4’s enhanced power represents a new stage in its evolution, and in the projects it can handle. To get you started, the Pimoroni Amazebundle Raspberry Pi 4 kit features everything you need.

Enter the Competition!

Raspberry Pi 4 Amaz Bundle from Pimoroni

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Which Spotify Subscription Is Best for You?

There are a range of Spotify subscription plans available to suit a variety of circumstances and budgets. There’s the free version, of course, plus a range of different paid options.

The music streaming service was one of the first to offer a free ad-supported tier alongside a fully-featured premium account. And now it offers a number of different subscriptions.

In this article, we’ll explain what each Spotify subscription offers, how much they cost, and help you decide which one is best for you.

What Is Spotify Free?

When you sign up for Spotify, you’ll be placed on the Spotify Free subscription tier by default. As the name suggests, this is a free account, so you don’t need to pay anything to use the music streaming service. However, it is feature limited compared to the paid-for Spotify subscription plans.

This account is ad-supported, so short audio and video advertisements play between tracks. The frequency of ads is based on your location and platform, but they are typically included after a handful of songs. More often than not, these are the company’s own ads encouraging you to sign up for Spotify Premium.

You can only shuffle playlists, albums, or artists rather than listening to them in your chosen order, and can only skip up to six tracks per hour. You do have access to the service’s personalized Daily Mix playlists, although the same restrictions apply. However, if you use Spotify Desktop rather than the iOS or Android mobile app, you get a little more flexibility on which songs to listen to and when.

As playlists are central to the streaming service, you’ll want to keep them organized, too. So, be sure to check out our tips to manage your Spotify playlists.

The free account has access to the service’s 50 million tracks and more than 700,000 podcasts, but the audio is limited to a bitrate of 160kbps on desktop and 96kbps on mobile devices. Similar restrictions apply to offline playback and downloads—you must be online to listen to music on Spotify Free.

What Is Spotify Premium?

Spotify Premium is the umbrella term for all paid-for Spotify subscriptions. This account unlocks all of the music streaming service’s features and removes ads. Restrictions on playback are removed, and you can download up to 10,000 tracks to listen to offline.

The audio bitrate is also bumped up to 320kbps. If you’re tempted to start paying for Spotify, check out our article discussing whether Spotify Premium is worth its premium price.

There are several Spotify Premium subscription plans with varying prices and use cases. Most plans allow you to make savings by including multiple users on a single subscription.

Spotify Premium Individual

Spotify Premium Individual is the standard premium subscription. This plan costs $9.99/month and gives you full access to Spotify’s features. Alongside the increased bitrate and ad-free experience, you also can listen to tracks in any order on desktop and mobile.

With a Premium account, you can listen while abroad, skip as many tracks as you’d like, and listen offline. In addition to the benefits listed above, you can control Spotify playback on smart speakers, streaming sticks, and smart TVs via Spotify Connect.

This feature also enables seamless playback across devices. So, if you’re listening on mobile, you can pick up where you left off on your desktop.

Spotify Premium Duo

If two people in the same household use Spotify, you can purchase a Premium Duo subscription. For $12.99/month, two users can share a Premium membership while using their own accounts to listen to music. This is ideal if you have different musical tastes or prefer to listen to music separately.

However, this combined subscription comes with a Duo Mix playlist based on both of your interests. So, rather than arguing about who gets to listen to music on the speaker, you can put on the Duo Mix and enjoy tracks you both like. The Duo subscription also includes all other Premium features and benefits.

Spotify Premium Family

Using Spotify Premium Family, up to six members of the household can share a Spotify Premium subscription for just $14.99/month. This is a significant saving on the standard Premium plan.

Like with Premium Duo, each user retains their own account, music library, and personalized playlists. However, the streaming service also creates a Family Mix playlist based on all of your shared musical interests. As this is a family plan, there are also options to block explicit lyrics and content.

This plan comes with access to the Spotify Kids music streaming service, which is suitable for children up to 12 years old. The simplified app features a hand-picked selection of music, singalongs, and audiobooks for younger listeners. That’s alongside bedtime stories, lullabies, and calming sounds.

Spotify Premium Student

It’s no secret that going to college is expensive. Keeping track of your expenses is crucial, and minimizing outgoings makes your money go further. Spotify offers the discounted Premium Student plan to help you out. For just $4.99/month, you get full access to Spotify Premium for up to four years.

Alongside that, Premium Student also grants you access to an ad-supported edition of Hulu and use of SHOWTIME at no extra cost. To qualify for this discounted offering, you’ll need to upload proof of enrollment during the sign-up process.

Spotify Premium With Headspace

Many people have taken up meditation thanks to the popular mobile app Headspace. To make the most of the service, you need a premium subscription. However, subscriptions can quickly build up, especially if you use other premium streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime as well.

With that in mind, Spotify and Headspace have teamed up to offer the Spotify Premium with Headspace plan. This combines the two premium subscriptions into a single discounted payment of $14.99/month. While this saves you some money, you’ll still need to use the Spotify and Headspace apps separately.

Choose the Best Spotify Subscription for Your Needs

Spotify has a range of music streaming subscription accounts to suit every need and budget. Some of these accounts save you money on multiple subscriptions, while also offering extra features like shared playlists, downloadable music, and offline playback.

Choosing which Spotify subscription is right for you means looking at the various options and picking the one which fits your needs the best. If you want the full Spotify experience you’re going to have to pay, so it’s then just a case of saving as much money as possible.

And of course, Spotify is far from the only streaming music service available. So if you’re interested in one of the alternatives, check out our comparison of Spotify vs. YouTube Music.

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The 6 Best Resume Review Websites to Help You Update Your Resume

When you create a resume, it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion. Having a professional look at your resume before sending your job application can prevent you from making a detrimental mistake. The last thing you want is a typo-filled resume that costs you an interview.

If you don’t trust your friends’ or family members’ proofreading ability, you can always turn to the online community of professional resume reviewers. Send your resume to one of these resume review sites and land your dream job.

1. ZipJob Resume Review

ZipJob provides you with an in-depth resume-checking tool that can benefit your job search. Start by uploading your resume to the site. Enter your email address and submit your resume.

In the next 48 hours, you’ll get a reply from a resume expert who has fully reviewed your resume. All of ZipJob’s experts are certified through the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches, so you can expect a trustworthy review.

The reviewer will provide feedback on your resume’s design, formatting, as well as presentation. ZipJob will also run your resume through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that most employers use to filter out job candidates. To make this tool even better, it’s completely free!

2. Jobscan

In case you don’t have the time to wait for a real-life reviewer to look at your resume, you can always use Jobscan’s AI-powered tool. Jobscan analyzes your resume and shows you how you can improve it.

When you access Jobscan’s tool, you’ll notice two boxes: one for your resume, and one for a job description. After you paste (or upload) your resume, you’ll have to paste the description of the job you’re applying for. Hit Scan and Jobscan will present you with a detailed report in a matter of seconds.

Here, you’ll see if your resume matches up to the job description you entered and whether it can make it past the ATS. Unfortunately, the free version of Jobscan limits the number of times you can use certain features (like the job match rate and keyword comparison tool), but it’s still worth trying.

3. TopResume Resume Review

Not only does TopResume offer paid resume writing services, but it also features a free resume review tool. After uploading your resume to the site, you can expect a reply within 48 hours.

TopResume’s experts will then read through your resume, and highlight the portions that you need to improve on. In addition to getting constructive criticism on your resume’s design, organization, mechanics, and writing, you’ll also see how well your resume did in the ATS.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to submit your resume to TopResume. If you’re feeling frustrated with the number of errors that your resume wracks up, you might want to consider starting over and rebuilding your resume on a free resume maker.

4. Resume Worded

ResumeWorded is one of the best resume review sites on the web. Once you get past the hassle of signing up for the website, you can finally upload your resume. As soon as you upload your file, you’ll see a page of changes that you should make to your resume.

ResumeWorded scores your resume from zero to 100, with 100 being the perfect resume. At the top of the page, you’ll see how your resume ranks in four different categories: impact, brevity, style, and skills. Mousing over any of these areas displays helpful hints on how to improve your score in each category.

When you scroll down the page, you’ll see the top three changes that you need to make to your resume. If you want to see even more specific advice, ResumeWorded provides you with a line-by-line analysis. Several helpful features are available with ResumeWorded’s free plan, but you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro version to get full access to the site’s tools.

5. RezScore

For a quick reality check on your resume, upload it to RezScore’s review service. This site will flat out tell you if your resume desperately needs help. It’s not the most thorough of the tools listed here, but it definitely can give you an idea of where you’ve gone wrong.

Upon uploading your resume, RezScore will provide you with a very honest score of A through F. Click the Resume tab at the top of the screen to see how your resume ranks in brevity, depth, and impact. RezScore will also give you some pointers on what exactly needs fixing.

In case the site-generated review isn’t specific enough for you, you can hit the Get a Human Review button. With this tool, you can submit your resume to the RezScore community and get some feedback from real people.

6. Ladders Resume Reviewer

Unlike the most popular job search engines, Ladders focuses solely on high-paying jobs—however, it does much more than track down six-figure opportunities.

Head to Ladders’ free resume review tool, and you can upload your resume for an instant review. While you have to sign up for an account to get access to the review, the insight you receive is worth it.

On the resume review page, Ladders will let you know what you did well, and what you could make better. Any red block in the lefthand column signals something that you need to add or improve on. Click on these boxes to expand them, and you’ll see a detailed explanation of how exactly you should fix your resume.

Ladders will provide you with a list of recommended jobs based on the contents of your resume, but you’ll have to pay for a Premium account to get the most out of the site’s job search tool.

Improving Your Resume With a Resume Review Site

Using one of these resume review sites will only improve your chances of landing a job. Having a second pair of eyes (or a computer) read your resume can help you recognize and fix your mistakes.

Need more help in creating a noteworthy resume? These top resume builder sites can help you create a resume that actually gets read.

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How You Might Attack Your Company Network With Shadow IoT

There are a lot of cool and interesting gadgets within the Internet of Things (IoT), but many of them don’t have proper security installed. This creates a problem called “shadow IoT,” where users may unknowingly allow hackers to break into corporate networks.

Let’s explore what “shadow IoT” is, and how you may be adding to the problem.

What Is Shadow IoT?

Shadow IoT sounds like an illegal market for smart home devices, but the reality is a little scarier. It’s when users introduce devices onto a business’ network without telling anyone about it.

A business needs to know what’s connected to their networks. The company needs to protect its assets from security breaches, so they need to keep a close eye on what’s connecting to prevent hackers from gaining access.

A decade or two ago, this was easy. The company network only featured the workstations around the office, so there was no real fear of outside devices being brought in.

These days, however, employees will often bring their own devices to the office and attach them to the company network. This includes smartphones, personal laptops, fitness trackers, and even portable consoles for break time.

Now the network admin has a bigger problem. People can bring in devices from outside and hook them up to the network without the admin knowing. This opens the door for attacks to take place from unknown sources.

How Bad Is the Shadow IoT Problem?

Of course, this threat only applies if employees are actually bringing devices onto company property. If nobody is, the shadow IoT problem solves itself. So, how many devices are “sneaking” onto the network without the network administrator knowing?

To answer this, let’s take a look at Infoblox’s report, “What’s Lurking in the Shadows 2020.” This report aims to figure out how many shadow IoT devices are on a company’s network, and which countries have the largest amount of them.

The report asked companies in different countries to locate shadow IoT devices on their network. On average, 20 percent of these companies found nothing. 46 percent found between 1-20 unknown devices, and 29 percent found between 21-50 devices. A tiny fragment found over 50 devices using their network that they didn’t know of before.

Why Is Shadow IoT a Problem?

So, why is it bad that employees are bringing their own devices to work? Why does it matter that there are “hidden” devices on the network?

The main problem is that there’s no guarantee that these “hidden” devices are properly secured. Badly-made IoT devices will have multiple security flaws ripe for exploiting. As a result, if a virus has snuck onto one of these devices, it may spread when connected to a network.

Not only that, but these devices often keep a connection open in case a user or service wants to access it. The end result is an insecure device that keeps its doors open for connections; a hacker’s dream.

When an employee puts an exploitable device on the company network, it creates an entry point for a hacker. Hackers are always scanning the internet for open ports, and if they find the employee’s insecure device, they may try to break into it.

If a hacker manages to get into an employee’s device, they can use it as a stepping stone to launch attacks on the company’s internal network. If this succeeds, the hacker is then in a strong position to distribute ransomware, access restricted information, or cause damage.

Which IoT Devices Are Safe to Use?

The big problem with IoT devices is that none of them are truly “harmless” to a network. As hackers have proved over time, if it can connect to the internet, it can be hacked, no matter how simple the device is.

For example, it’s easy to imagine what a hacker can do with a home CCTV system. However, a simple device like a smart bulb has to be safe. After all, what could a hacker do with a smart bulb?

As it turns out, they can do quite a lot. A recent study showed that Philips Hue bulbs could be used to launch an attack on a home network. As a result, this hack proved that an IoT device can’t be truly unhackable; the world just finds a better hacker.

This isn’t the first time that a hacker exploited a “too simple to hack” IoT device. A casino suffered a hacking attack where intruders got their hands on the high rollers database. The hacker’s entry point was an aquarium thermometer in the lobby.

There are plenty more scary IoT hack stories out there that show how hackers can exploit anything with an internet connection.

What Can You Do About Shadow IoT?

The best way to tackle shadow IoT is to not follow the IoT craze. While an internet-connected toaster may sound novel and fun, it creates another point of entry for a hacker to get onto your network. As such, it’s best to stick with “dumb” devices; it’s harder for a hacker to crack a device if it’s offline!

If you can’t live without an IoT device, you can put it on mobile data instead. If the device can’t connect to mobile data, turn your phone into a hotspot and connect the device to it. By moving the device off of your company’s network, it’s no longer a security threat.

When back home, use a separate network for your IoT devices, keeping your private PCs and phones on your primary one. If you do, your home devices are safe on your main network where an IoT hacker can’t get them. You may not need to purchase a new router; just create a guest network on your current one and put your IoT devices on it.

If you’re an employer or business owner, look into using another network for employee phones and gadgets. If you do this, any hackers that break into your employee’s devices can’t reach your main network where the sensitive data is.

Illuminating the Problems With Shadow IoT

IoT devices, by themselves, can be very dangerous. When an always-online design pairs with flawed security, it creates a hacker’s dream and a network manager’s nightmare. Fortunately, you can do your part by keeping IoT devices off of the main networks, whether you’re at work or relaxing at home.

If you’d like to learn how insecure IoT devices can be, check out these common IoT security issues and fixes.

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This $40 Course Bundle Shows You How to Make Money From Home via Amazon and Shopify

If you are currently stuck at home or looking for work, you might be wondering how to make some money. One of the easiest and most lucrative side hustles is selling products online. The Ultimate Amazon FBA & Dropship Master Class Bundle shows you how, with 40 hours of training on finding and marketing products. You can pick up the bundle now for just $39.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Amazon FBA and Dropshipping 

Everyone knows Amazon as the online store that sells everything. But did you know that around half of all sales (around $9 billion a year) are made by third-party sellers? This lucrative market is open to anyone with the right knowledge.

This bundle provides a complete blueprint, from sourcing hot products to writing the perfect description. You get seven courses in total, focusing on Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and dropshipping — two types of e-commerce where someone else handles the logistics for you.

Through concise video lessons, you learn how to set up an Amazon seller account or create your own store with Shopify. You also learn how to work out which products are selling fast, and reverse engineer the industry leaders. 

Just as importantly, the training helps you master key SEO techniques and sales tactics used by top sellers.

40 Hours of Content for $39.99

You would normally pay $1,292 for these courses, but you can grab the bundle now for only $39.99.

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The 6 Best Resume Review Websites to Help You Update Your Resume

When you create a resume, it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion. Having a professional look at your resume before sending your job application can prevent you from making a detrimental mistake. The last thing you want is a typo-filled resume that costs you an interview.

If you don’t trust your friends’ or family members’ proofreading ability, you can always turn to the online community of professional resume reviewers. Send your resume to one of these resume review sites and land your dream job.

1. ZipJob Resume Review

ZipJob provides you with an in-depth resume-checking tool that can benefit your job search. Start by uploading your resume to the site. Enter your email address and submit your resume.

In the next 48 hours, you’ll get a reply from a resume expert who has fully reviewed your resume. All of ZipJob’s experts are certified through the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches, so you can expect a trustworthy review.

The reviewer will provide feedback on your resume’s design, formatting, as well as presentation. ZipJob will also run your resume through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that most employers use to filter out job candidates. To make this tool even better, it’s completely free!

2. Jobscan

In case you don’t have the time to wait for a real-life reviewer to look at your resume, you can always use Jobscan’s AI-powered tool. Jobscan analyzes your resume and shows you how you can improve it.

When you access Jobscan’s tool, you’ll notice two boxes: one for your resume, and one for a job description. After you paste (or upload) your resume, you’ll have to paste the description of the job you’re applying for. Hit Scan and Jobscan will present you with a detailed report in a matter of seconds.

Here, you’ll see if your resume matches up to the job description you entered and whether it can make it past the ATS. Unfortunately, the free version of Jobscan limits the number of times you can use certain features (like the job match rate and keyword comparison tool), but it’s still worth trying.

3. TopResume Resume Review

Not only does TopResume offer paid resume writing services, but it also features a free resume review tool. After uploading your resume to the site, you can expect a reply within 48 hours.

TopResume’s experts will then read through your resume, and highlight the portions that you need to improve on. In addition to getting constructive criticism on your resume’s design, organization, mechanics, and writing, you’ll also see how well your resume did in the ATS.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to submit your resume to TopResume. If you’re feeling frustrated with the number of errors that your resume wracks up, you might want to consider starting over and rebuilding your resume on a free resume maker.

4. Resume Worded

ResumeWorded is one of the best resume review sites on the web. Once you get past the hassle of signing up for the website, you can finally upload your resume. As soon as you upload your file, you’ll see a page of changes that you should make to your resume.

ResumeWorded scores your resume from zero to 100, with 100 being the perfect resume. At the top of the page, you’ll see how your resume ranks in four different categories: impact, brevity, style, and skills. Mousing over any of these areas displays helpful hints on how to improve your score in each category.

When you scroll down the page, you’ll see the top three changes that you need to make to your resume. If you want to see even more specific advice, ResumeWorded provides you with a line-by-line analysis. Several helpful features are available with ResumeWorded’s free plan, but you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro version to get full access to the site’s tools.

5. RezScore

For a quick reality check on your resume, upload it to RezScore’s review service. This site will flat out tell you if your resume desperately needs help. It’s not the most thorough of the tools listed here, but it definitely can give you an idea of where you’ve gone wrong.

Upon uploading your resume, RezScore will provide you with a very honest score of A through F. Click the Resume tab at the top of the screen to see how your resume ranks in brevity, depth, and impact. RezScore will also give you some pointers on what exactly needs fixing.

In case the site-generated review isn’t specific enough for you, you can hit the Get a Human Review button. With this tool, you can submit your resume to the RezScore community and get some feedback from real people.

6. Ladders Resume Reviewer

Unlike the most popular job search engines, Ladders focuses solely on high-paying jobs—however, it does much more than track down six-figure opportunities.

Head to Ladders’ free resume review tool, and you can upload your resume for an instant review. While you have to sign up for an account to get access to the review, the insight you receive is worth it.

On the resume review page, Ladders will let you know what you did well, and what you could make better. Any red block in the lefthand column signals something that you need to add or improve on. Click on these boxes to expand them, and you’ll see a detailed explanation of how exactly you should fix your resume.

Ladders will provide you with a list of recommended jobs based on the contents of your resume, but you’ll have to pay for a Premium account to get the most out of the site’s job search tool.

Improving Your Resume With a Resume Review Site

Using one of these resume review sites will only improve your chances of landing a job. Having a second pair of eyes (or a computer) read your resume can help you recognize and fix your mistakes.

Need more help in creating a noteworthy resume? These top resume builder sites can help you create a resume that actually gets read.

Read the full article: The 6 Best Resume Review Websites to Help You Update Your Resume

This $40 Course Bundle Shows You How to Make Money From Home via Amazon and Shopify

If you are currently stuck at home or looking for work, you might be wondering how to make some money. One of the easiest and most lucrative side hustles is selling products online. The Ultimate Amazon FBA & Dropship Master Class Bundle shows you how, with 40 hours of training on finding and marketing products. You can pick up the bundle now for just $39.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Amazon FBA and Dropshipping 

Everyone knows Amazon as the online store that sells everything. But did you know that around half of all sales (around $9 billion a year) are made by third-party sellers? This lucrative market is open to anyone with the right knowledge.

This bundle provides a complete blueprint, from sourcing hot products to writing the perfect description. You get seven courses in total, focusing on Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and dropshipping — two types of e-commerce where someone else handles the logistics for you.

Through concise video lessons, you learn how to set up an Amazon seller account or create your own store with Shopify. You also learn how to work out which products are selling fast, and reverse engineer the industry leaders. 

Just as importantly, the training helps you master key SEO techniques and sales tactics used by top sellers.

40 Hours of Content for $39.99

You would normally pay $1,292 for these courses, but you can grab the bundle now for only $39.99.

Read the full article: This $40 Course Bundle Shows You How to Make Money From Home via Amazon and Shopify

UK U-turns on Huawei and 5G, giving operators until 2027 to rip out existing kit

The UK government has confirmed a widely expected U-turn related to “high risk” 5G vendors linked to the Chinese state — attributing the policy shift to the US recently imposing tighter sanctions on Huawei’s access to its technologies.

UK digital minister Oliver Dowden told parliament the new policy will bar telcos from buying 5G kit from Huawei and ZTE to install in new network builds from the end of this year. While any of their kit that’s already been installed in UK 5G networks must be removed by 2027.

Although legislation to enable the enforcement of the policy has still to be laid before parliament and could face challenges from MPs who want to seek a more rapid removal of Huawei kit.

Yesterday telco BT warned against any overly rapid rip-out of existing Huawei kit, suggesting it could cause mobile network outages, generate security risks and further delay upgrades to the country’s fiber broadband network which the government included in its manifesto. BT CEO Philip Jansen had suggested an ideal timeframe of seven years to remove existing Huawei 5G kit so the government appears to have served up its best case scenario, while still piling additional cost on next-gen network builds.

Dowden conceded that the new policy will also delay the rollout of UK 5G networks but claimed the government is prioritizing security over economic considerations.

“Clearly since January the situation has changed. On the 15th of May the US Department of Commerce announced that new sanctions had been imposed against Huawei through changes to the foreign direct product rules. This was a significant material change and one that we have to take into consideration,” he told parliament.

“These sanctions are not the first attempt by the US to restrict Huawei’s ability to supply equipment to 5G networks. They are, however, the first to have potentially severe impacts on Huawei’s ability to supply new equipment in the United Kingdom. The new US measures restrict Huawei’s abilities to produce important products using US technology or software.”

Dowden said the National Cyber Security Center had reviewed the new US sanctions and “significantly” changed their security assessment as a result — saying the government would publish a summary of the advice that had led to the policy U-turn when challenged on the U-turn by the shadow digital minister.

“Given the uncertainty this creates around Huawei’s supply chain the UK can no longer be confident it will be able to guarantee the security of future Huawei 5G equipment affected by the change in US foreign direct product rules,” Dowden added.

A Telecoms Security Bill had been slated to be introduced before the summer recess but will now be delayed until autumn given the policy swerve.

In terms of costs and time associated with restricting and then ripping out Huawei kit from UK 5G networks, Dowden suggested it would add between two to three years more to 5G rollouts — and cost up to £2BN.

“We have not taken this decision lightly and I must be frank about the consequences for every constituency in this country,” he said. “This will delay our roll out of 5G. Our decisions in January had already set back that rollout by a year and cost up to a billion pounds. Today’s decision to ban the procurement of new Huawei 5G equipment from the end of this year will delay the rollout by a further year and will add up to half a billion pounds to costs.”

The additional set of requiring operators to rip out existing Huawei 5G kit by 2027 will entail “hundreds of millions of pounds” more to their costs.

“This will have real consequences for the connections on which all our connections relay,” he further cautioned, warning against that going any “faster and further” than the 2027 target — saying to do so would add “considerable and unnecessary” additional costs and delays.

“The shorter we make the timetable for removal the greater the risk of actual disruption to mobile networks,” he also said.

It’s a very significant change of government policy vs the package of restrictions announced in January when Boris Johnson’s government expressed confidence it could manage any risk associated with vendors with deep links to the Chinese state.

And Dowden faced a barrage of questions from opposition politicians about the “screeching U-turn” and the associated delays to the UK’s 5G network infrastructure from not having taken this decision six months earlier. 

Shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah said the government’s digital policy lay in tatters — and called for it to set up a multi-stakeholder taskforce to lead the infrastructure charge. “This entire saga has shown that the government cannot sort this mess out on their own,” she said. “We need a taskforce of industry representatives, academics, startups, regional government and regulators to develop a plan which delivers a UK [5G] network capability and security mobile network in the shortest possible timeframe.”

On government backbenches, Dowden’s statement was more broadly welcomed. Although Johnson has faced significant internal opposition from a group of rebel MPs in his own party to his earlier Huawei policy so it remains to be seen whether they can be convinced to back the new package. One rebel MP source, speaking to the Guardian, warned the fight is back on — saying they’ll table amendments to the telecoms security bill to further shrink the timeframe to rip out Huawei kit, including also for 3G and 4G, not just 5G.

On the issue of what’s to be done with kit from high risk vendors that’s in use in non-5G networks, the government sought to slip in another delay today — with Dowden telling parliament the issue “needs to be looked at”, and announcing a “technical consultation with operators to understand their supply chain alternatives”.

“Given there is only one other appropriate scale vendor for full fiber equipment we are going to embark on a short technical consultation with operators to understand their supply chain alternatives. So that we can avoid unnecessary delays to our Gigabit ambitions and prevent significant resilience risks,” he said.

The technical consultation will determine government policy toward Huawei outside 5G networks, Dowden added.

The government has said before it’s taking steps to increase diversification in the supply chain around 5G network infrastructure kit. Dowden reiterated that line today, saying the UK is working with Five Eyes partners to try to accelerate diversification, while tempering the ambition by couching it as a global problem.

Over the longer term he said the UK wants to encourage and support operators to use multiple vendors per network as standard, though again he cautioned that the development of such open RAN networks will take time.

In the nearer, medium term, he suggested other large scale vendors would be needed to step in — saying the government is already having technical discussions with alternative telecoms kit makers, including Samsung and NEC, about accessing the UK market to plug the gap opened up by the removal of Huawei equipment.

“We are already engaging extensively with operators and vendors and governments around the world about supporting and accelerating the process of diversification. We recognize that this is a global issue that requires international collaboration to deliver a lasting solution so we’re working with our Five Eyes partners and our friends around the world to bring together a coalition to deliver our shared goals,” he added.

We’ve reached out to Huawei for comment.

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Spotify debuts new podcast top charts across 26 markets

Spotify is today introducing a new feature aimed at helping people discover interesting and popular podcasts. The company this morning announced the launch of two brand-new podcast charts, Top Podcasts and Trending Podcasts, which will showcase both the overall most-listened to and the biggest movers, respectively. The new feature will arrive in the Spotify mobile app across 26 markets. In addition, category-level charts will be available in 7 of the 26, including the U.S., U.K., Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Germany and Australia.

The new charts will replace the existing “Top Shows” chart to offer a better discovery experience that separates popular from trending and offers, in some cases, category-level detail.

Music services have long since used top charts to help users find new music and discover artists, and Spotify hopes the same will be true for podcasts. Like its music charts, Spotify’s podcast charts will also be updated regularly to help users keep up with which podcasts are seeing the most engagement and growth.

Image Credits: Spotify

The Top Podcasts charts will include the overall most popular audio programs, geared for stability and integrity, as determined by recent listener numbers, Spotify explains. This chart will be updated on a monthly basis, giving users a look at which shows have longer-lasting influence. Users will also be able to view the top podcasts for any market where they’re available, not just their own.

Meanwhile, the Trending Podcasts charts use an algorithm that will blend for discovery of newly-launched shows along with the fastest-climbing shows. This will be focused more on helping creators secure a place on the charts to help reach a new audience.

In the seven markets where category-level data is available, Spotify will also separate out the Top and Trending Podcasts by genre — like True Crime, Comedy, News, Lifestyle & Health, TV, Educational, Business & Technology, Celebrities, Sports & Recreation, and others. At the category level, the Top Podcasts charts will list the top 200 overall shows in the selected region and the Trending chart will show the top 50 rapidly rising shows.

Image Credits: Spotify

Related to this, podcasters will also see an updated experience in Spotify’s online dashboard, Spotify for Podcasters, which will now alert them when their podcast is charting. They can then turn this notification into a visual card to share across social media to help further market their podcast.

Podcasts have been of significant interest to all streaming services, and particularly Spotify, in recent years. The company has acquired podcasting software and studios, made deals to secure exclusive and original content (including Joe Rogan) and it has invested in software features like podcast playlists and algorithmic recommendations to introduce podcasts to Spotify’s millions of users.

Today, the service offers over 1 million podcasts, up from the 700,000-plus it was reporting in March. And despite the coronavirus impact on where users listen to podcasts, Spotify said podcast consumption was up by “triple digits” in the first quarter of the year, compared with Q1 2019.

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Asmoke’s portable pellet grill is super affordable and great for small spaces

Smokers and pellet grills are growing in popularity, likely because a lot more people are cooking at home – and looking for other ways to up their home chef game. The Asmoke Pellet Grill, which is currently in the final stretch of a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, has a price point that’s far below most other options out there – but don’t let the price tag fool you, the grill packs more punch than its cost and portable size might suggest.

Basics

If you’re not familiar with pellet grills, they’re a combination of smoker and BBQ that burn condensed hardwood pellets feed by an auger to create smoke and heat. The most popular options out there include Traeger’s grills, as well as Camp Chef, Pit Boss, and others. The Smoke Pellet Grill is a new, portable pellet grill that features a lot of the same features you’d see in higher-priced brand name options, but at a much lower cost when you factor in their accessories – particularly now, during the tail end of their crowdfunding campaign.

Asmoke’s $176 USD backer price includes one grill, a meat injector, a thermometer, grill gloves, shredding tools for breaking down smoked meat, tongs and a 5lb bag of their applewood pellets to get you started cooking right away. That’s over half-off their estimated retail price once the campaign ends. Even at the full final price you’re still going to come out cheaper than the closest brand name competitor – the Traeger Ranger – once you factor in all the included accessories.

The Asmoke is electrically-powered, so you can use it outside anywhere you have access to an outlet. It includes a larger cooking surface that can fit up to 8 burgers at once, or one full rack of ribs. As mentioned, there’s a temperature probe included that plugs into the front and displays the internal temp of any meat you insert it into within the grill itself while cooking. A dial on the front provides the only control you need, enabling setting temp from 180 all the way up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Design

The Asmoke Pellet Grill is designed to be portable, at just over 2 feet by around 1.5 feet, and 14.45 inches tall. It weights around 45 lbs, which is heavy, but that’s still portable compared to most pellet smokers, which tend to be very large and essentially designed to sit in a fixed location. The Asmoke is also made from steel and stainless steel primarily, so that weight represents durability, which is good for an appliance designed to be used exclusively outside.

Construction of the grill feels very sturdy and high-quality, with good fittings and finishes across the board. The heat resistant paint comes in four different colors, including the red and blue shown below, as well as an aquamarine green and black. Latches secure the lid while cooking, and there’s an insulating gasket that runs the length and width of the edge to keep the heat in while giving you a secure closure. A large handle opens and closes the lid, and four feet elevate the grill off whatever surface you’re resting it on.

Inside, there’s a hopper where you put the pellets on the left which is separated from the cooking area on the right. The cooking area includes a large grill surface, and an optional raised rack for a small second level cooking area. A stainless steel grease slide installs over the cup where pellets are driven by the auger to burn and smoke, and a second slide goes over that – giving you the ability to keep it closed for smoking and grilling, or opening it up to allow flame through for char-broiling.

On the front, you can see the control unit, which includes a large, readable display that uses a few different colors to clearly present information including the set temperature of the drill, auger speed, and sensor temperature when cooking with the probe. The large, single dial is your only control mechanism, providing temperature setting and letting you turn the grill on and off.

Some assembly is required to get the Asmoke ready to cook, but it’s actually super easy to do. Basically you just install the legs and front handle, and then remove all the internal components from their packaging and put them back in the grill. It took me about 20 minutes start to finish. The grill needs to be primed upon first use (and any time you run out of pellets), but that’s only a few more minutes. And the first time you ever use it, there’s a burn-off procedure that involves running the grill at higher temps for around 30 to 40 minutes, but it’s very easy to do.

Performance

The Asmoke punches above its weight class. In testing, I did an extended, 7-hour smoke of a pork shoulder blade roast using the provided Applewood pellets, and the results were fantastic. I’ve smoked a lot of meat using a Traeger Pro 575, and this was easily on par with the best results I’ve had out of that cooker in terms of the quality and flavor of the finished product.

Image Credits: Darrell Etherington

Best of all, the Asmoke is small enough to work on my condo deck, which is not somewhere I’ve typically been able to consider using a smoker cooker. The grill does put off a lot of smoke through its exhaust, particularly when it’s first heating up to reach temperature, but it also dissipates rather quickly, especially if you’re on a higher floor. Just be aware that especially in close proximity, the smoke produced from cookers like these will be powerful and strong-smelling – which is a benefit for me, but which might not be what you’re after if you’re living in a dense city environment.

Actually using the Asmoke is very simple. You can find smoker cooker recipes available readily on the internet, and then it’s a matter of just following those instructions. The Asmoke gets up to target temperature quickly, and is good at maintaining a constant temp throughout a cook once it reaches those levels. If you need to refill the hopper mid-cook, it’s simple enough to open the box and do so, and you won’t lose all that much temperature so long as you do it quickly. And since the hopper compartment is insulated separately from the cooking area, you can do it without fear of burning yourself, too.

Because the Asmoke offers such a wide temperature range, it’s also good or grilling, and even baking. I also made burgers on it at a much higher temp, and those results were fantastic, too – far exceeding standard BBQs in terms of retaining juices and adding subtle smoke flavor.

One thing to consider is that post-cook, especially after long ones like the pork roast I did, there’s a fair amount of cleaning up involved. It’s not difficult, but it is time consuming, and includes scraping the grease tray, cleaning the cooking grate, and vacuuming out the leftover ash from the pellet pot and the bottom of the cooking box. This isn’t specific to Asmoke: It’s part and parcel of operation any pellet cooker, and I found that Asmoke’s high quality materials ensured it was relatively easy to clean.

Bottom line

If you’re looking to bump up your outdoor cooking game, the Asmoke Portable Pellet Grill is a remarkably affordable way to do so, especially during this crowdfunding effort. Normally, I’d advise caution in any crowdfunding scenario, but in this case, grills are already in the process of shipping to customers, and they work exactly as advertised, providing high-quality results.

This is a category where top-brand incumbents rightly earn a lot of respect and customer loyalty for their long history of delivery reliable products, so it’s hard for a newcomer to break in. But Asmoke’s product and results far exceed their newcomer status.

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Google Cloud launches Confidential VMs

At its virtual Cloud Next ’20 event, Google Cloud today announced Confidential VMs, a new type of virtual machine that makes use of the company’s work around confidential computing to ensure that data isn’t just encrypted at rest but also while it is in memory.

“We already employ a variety of isolation and sandboxing techniques as part of our cloud infrastructure to help make our multi-tenant architecture secure,” the company notes in today’s announcement. “Confidential VMs take this to the next level by offering memory encryption so that you can further isolate your workloads in the cloud. Confidential VMs can help all our customers protect sensitive data, but we think it will be especially interesting to those in regulated industries.”

In the backend, Confidential VMs make use of AMD’s Secure Encrypted Virtualization feature, available in its second-generation EPYC CPUs. With that, the data will stay encrypted when used and the encryption keys to make this happen are automatically generated in hardware and can’t be exported — and with that, even Google doesn’t have access to the keys either.

Image Credits: Google

Developers who want to shift their existing VMs to a Confidential VM can do so with just a few clicks. Google notes that it built Confidential VMs on top of its Shielded VMs, which already provide protection against rootkits and other exploits.

“With built-in secure encrypted virtualization, 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors provide an innovative hardware-based security feature that helps secure data in a virtualized environment,” said Raghu Nambiar, corporate vice president, Data Center Ecosystem, AMD. “For the new Google Compute Engine Confidential VMs in the N2D series, we worked with Google to help customers both secure their data and achieve performance of their workloads.”

That last part is obviously important, given that the extra encryption and decryption steps do incur at least a minor performance penalty. Google says it worked with AMD and developed new open-source drivers to ensure that “the performance metrics of Confidential VMs are close to those of non-confidential VMs.” At least according to the benchmarks Google itself has disclosed so far, both startup times and memory read and throughput performance are virtually the same for regular VMs and Confidential VMs.

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Google Cloud’s new BigQuery Omni will let developers query data in GCP, AWS and Azure

At its virtual Cloud Next ’20 event, Google today announced a number of updates to its cloud portfolio, but the public alpha launch of BigQuery Omni is probably the highlight of this year’s event. Powered by Google Cloud’s Anthos hybrid-cloud platform, BigQuery Omni allows developers to use the BigQuery engine to analyze data that sits in multiple clouds, including those of Google Cloud competitors like AWS and Microsoft Azure — though for now, the service only supports AWS, with Azure support coming later.

Using a unified interface, developers can analyze this data locally without having to move data sets between platforms.

“Our customers store petabytes of information in BigQuery, with the knowledge that it is safe and that it’s protected,” said Debanjan Saha, the GM and VP of Engineering for Data Analytics at Google Cloud, in a press conference ahead of today’s announcement. “A lot of our customers do many different types of analytics in BigQuery. For example, they use the built-in machine learning capabilities to run real-time analytics and predictive analytics. […] A lot of our customers who are very excited about using BigQuery in GCP are also asking, ‘how can they extend the use of BigQuery to other clouds?’ ”

Image Credits: Google

Google has long said that it believes that multi-cloud is the future — something that most of its competitors would probably agree with, though they all would obviously like you to use their tools, even if the data sits in other clouds or is generated off-platform. It’s the tools and services that help businesses to make use of all of this data, after all, where the different vendors can differentiate themselves from each other. Maybe it’s no surprise then, given Google Cloud’s expertise in data analytics, that BigQuery is now joining the multi-cloud fray.

“With BigQuery Omni customers get what they wanted,” Saha said. “They wanted to analyze their data no matter where the data sits and they get it today with BigQuery Omni.”

Image Credits: Google

He noted that Google Cloud believes that this will help enterprises break down their data silos and gain new insights into their data, all while allowing developers and analysts to use a standard SQL interface.

Today’s announcement is also a good example of how Google’s bet on Anthos is paying off by making it easier for the company to not just allow its customers to manage their multi-cloud deployments but also to extend the reach of its own products across clouds. This also explains why BigQuery Omni isn’t available for Azure yet, given that Anthos for Azure is still in preview, while AWS support became generally available in April.

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Google Cloud launches Assured Workloads for Government, its version of a government cloud

Google Cloud today announced the private beta launch of Assured Workloads for Government, the company’s version of what some of its competitors would call their “government cloud.”

With Assured Workloads for Government, Google Cloud ensures that government agencies and their contractors can ensure that all data stays in its U.S. regions. Government agencies can also limit access to Google Cloud support personnel based on their citizenship, background check and geography.  Later this year, Google will also enable a new support option that ensures that these users will get access from a U.S. Person, in a U.S. location with a target response time of 15 minutes for P1 cases.

Google Cloud notes that its system is also designed to allow government customers and contractors to meet the standards of the Department of Defense, the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) — all while giving them users access to its full portfolio of services.

The company specifically notes that while other clouds build separate government cloud, the result of this is often that “government agencies having to run on less feature-rich, fortressed versions of commercial clouds to meet their needs.” It’s worth noting that Microsoft recently built out two new regions specifically for allowing government agencies to handle classified data on Azure, in addition to its regular Azure Government data centers. Similarly, with its GovCloud, AWS has long offered similar capabilities in two government-specific U.S. regions. 

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Writing app Ulysses gets new document dashboard and advanced grammar and style check

Ulysses, a popular writing app for the Mac, iPhone and iPad, is receiving an update with some new features. The user interface has been slightly redesigned with a new right-hand column that acts as a dashboard. There’s also a new grammar and style check feature that goes beyond what’s provided on Apple’s platform by default.

Let’s start with the dashboard. The new column is all about consolidating existing elements in a more cohesive interface. Previously, you could click on a button to see document statistics, click on another button to see the outline of your document and click on a clip-shaped button to access attachments, notes, tags but also your writing goal.

It was a bit confusing as you couldn’t see your statistics next to your goal. Or you couldn’t keep your outline next to your document unless you knew that you can drag the popover menu so that it doesn’t automatically closes.

Now, everything is consolidated under three buttons — a share menu, a formatting menu and the dashboard. There are multiple tabs within the dashboard and you can customize the widgets that you want to view in most tabs.

For instance, it’s much more comfortable to keep your outline in the right column next to your document. You can click on headlines and sub-headlines to jump to the right part of your work. You can also view a list of all your footnotes, images and links in that view. The new dashboard is also available on the iPad and iPhone.

Image Credits: Ulysses

When it comes to spell checking, Ulysses has always taken advantage of the native features on Apple’s platforms — your words are underlined in red when there’s a typo.

But the new version of Ulysses goes one step further by integrating with LanguageTool Plus, a proofreading service that works in your browser and provides an API to third-party developers. The result is a new feature that lets you review your text before exporting it from Ulysses.

LanguageTool Plus is a freemium product with a paid subscription beyond 2,500 characters. You hit that limit pretty quickly as the article you’re reading is longer than 2,500 characters for instance. If you’re a Ulysses user, the grammar and style suggestions are included in your subscription.

It analyzes your text for typos, but also punctuation errors, redundancy, typography, style, etc. Compared to Grammarly, LanguageTool Plus supports more than 20 languages. You can approve or reject suggestions one by one or browse them by category in the dashboard.

Grammar and style suggestions are only available on the Mac version of Ulysses for now and will come to the iPhone and iPad later this year.

Image Credits: Ulysses

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