When times are tough, the lure of easy money can be so seductive. I recently met up with a former colleague of mine and he tried to get me to "invest" in a "forex scheme" that pays out a regular 2% every month. To many, 2% a month of regular payouts sounds really attractive. The alternative, which is to keep the money in the bank only pays a paltry 0.1% a year. That doesn't even come close to beating inflation. I know how attractive that 2% a month sounds because he has managed to convince many people to sign up to the scheme. So much so that his commissions and recurring fees come up to more than his monthly salary.

Whether you're a blogger or a freelance writer, chances are you're always looking to earn some extra money doing what you love - writing! In this post, I share some of my favorite sites that will pay you to write or blog. This isn't an exclusive list and there are lots more, but i've either used these personally or done a fair bit of research on them.

Who doesn't love something for free, especially if it's free money? Many sites rely on freebies to attract users to their platforms. Here are some of my favorite sites which i regularly use myself, that will give you either free money or cryptocurrency if you use the sign up link.

One of the most frustrating things for all new bloggers is the lack of readers at the start. "Write well and they shall come", is probably the most frustrating piece of advice from some of the gurus out there. I've been blogging for nearly three years now and have seen some super ups and downs. This post is as much a reflection piece as it is some advice for all new bloggers looking to increase their traffic. If you want your blog to take off and succeed, here are some tips I've picked up along the way as well as some pitfalls you should avoid making.

In our earlier article on gadgets under $100 that everyone needs, but few have, we wrote about how important it is for every home to have a smoke detector. According to the National Fire Protection Association , sixty percent of home fire deaths were from fires in homes that didn't have smoke alarms. Their report goes on to mention that the death rate from fires in home without a working fire alarm was twice that of homes that did have a working alarm . Dead batteries as well as missing or disconnected batteries were the leading causes of smoke detectors not working during a fire. Given how just having a working smoke detector can save your own life as well as the lives of your loved ones, it boggles the mind that there are still homes out there without a working smoke alarm. In this article, we will explain what are some of the benefits of getting a Smart Smoke Detector, as well as our top picks when it comes to smart smoke detectors on the market today.

Got yourself a fancy new Digital Assistant like the Amazon Echo or Google Home recently? You're in good company then. According to market research firm IHS Markit, the AI-powered digital assistants market is poised to exceed 4 billion devices by the end of 2017 . That's more than one device for every two people on the planet! The digital assistants like Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod are fun to play with, allowing you to set timers, alarms, get weather information or just someone to talk to and have some funny questions answered. The real magic of home automation starts, however, when you pair the digital assistants with smart lights, smart thermostats, smart speakers, etc. In this beginner's guide, i'll be covering the main areas of home automation right now - thermostats, lighting, music & entertainment and smart hubs. While there are literally dozens of options to choose from in each category, i'll mention some of the more noteworthy device

The Smart Home concept continues to gain popularity with more and more people adopting the technology by purchasing devices like the Amazon Echo  and Google Home , and pairing them with other smart devices like light bulbs and refrigerators in their homes.

We were so excited when Facebook started allowing gifs to be posted as either comments or pictures. That excitement soon turned to disappointment, as the upload process was rather complicated and rife with errors. This guide explains how you can upload gifs that play automatically and avoid errors like posting static images or link pages instead.

Amazon coins can be a great way to save a decent amount of money on your apps, games and in-app item purchases. It's becoming increasingly popular and we'll show you how to make the most out of them and what are some things that you need to take note of before you decide to but them.

The number of skills available on the Amazon Alexa voice platform has now surpassed 15,000 as of the 30th of June. That's an amazing 50% increase in just over four month since the 10,000 skills mark was officially announced by Amazon back in February. Even more impressive is that in September 2016, that number stood at only around 3,000.

Just in case you hadn't heard, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and Litecoin, have been on a tear since the start of 2017. From a market capitalization of just under $20 billion at the start of the year, the total market cap of all cryptocurrencies is valued at above $100 billion. That's 5-fold increase in just 6 short months. No wonder there's so much hype about them recently, with just about everybody wanting to get a piece of the action.

Don't you just hate how you lose your 3G/4G signal when you go camping, hiking or anywhere off the grid. While not being able to access the Internet may be just an inconvenience, having no forms of communication poses a very real safety risk as well. The dreaded " No Signal " is the last thing you want to see in an emergency. Thanks to a new gadget from Sonnet Labs , you'll be able to stay connected to the outside world even when you go off the map. What Can Sonnet Do The Sonnet , is a device from Toronto-based Sonnet Labs, which will allow smartphone users to use an app to send text messages, voice messages and photos even when there's no network coverage. The device works by using long range radio signals to create a p2p network with other sonnet users who are "nearby". The Sonnet connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and allows you to use the sonnet app on your phone to communicate with other sonnet users within range, even if you don'

The Rolling Stones said that you can't always get what you want but when it comes to " googling ", you can make your search results a lot more precise by using the proper Google Search Syntax . No matter what you're looking for on the Internet, these easy to remember tips will help you find what you're looking for!

According to the classical Greek philosopher, Socrates, "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."  Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, said that “anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”  Both of these quotes highlight the importance of personal development -  a lifelong process where you assess your skills and qualities, consider your aims in life and set goals in order to realize your potential.

One of the great frustrations of living in a large or multi-story house is that a single Wi-Fi router isn't able to cover the entire house. Even homes around 2,000 square feet in size are likely to be plagued by Wi-Fi dead spots. If you'd like to say goodbye to terrible Wi-Fi, this guide will explain what Wi-Fi mesh is - one of the most exciting router technologies to emerge in recent years and also highlight what are some of the best mesh routers on the market today.

For ideal comfort and health, it's best to maintain your home and room's humidity level at between 40 to 60% . This is rather hard to do, especially during the winter months, so to humidify your room, you will need a humidifier. Humidifiers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and there are a few key factors you need to consider before you can determine the right humidifier for your needs. If you've decided that a single-room humidifier is right for you, this guide will tell you which are the best humidifiers on the market in 2017.

The low humidity is causing you problems. Your skin is dry, your throat and eyes are itchy, you're finding it hard to breathe, even your furniture is cracking, and you can't stand it any more. You're going to do something about this dry air. You're going to go out and buy a humidifier. As you check out what's on offer, you notice this other term, "vaporizer", as well. Aren't they the same thing? Well, not quite, as i'll explain in this article. People always confuse the terms vaporizer and humidifier so here's what you need to know about the difference between the two when deciding which one to buy.

It's hard to imagine life without Wi-Fi. As we reach the 20th anniversary of the first version of the 802.11 protocol in 2017, here's a look at how your Wi-Fi router, probably the device that causes the most frustration in your home is about to change for the better!

What is Alexa Jarvis visualization (via: Pinterest) When I saw Iron Man in 2008, the coolest thing that jumped right out was Jarvis , or J.A.R.V.I.S ( J ust A R ather V ery I ntelligent S ystem), to be more precise. More than the Iron Man suit, I wanted to have an Intelligent System at home that took care of all my mundane work for me while I chilled. We're not quite there yet but Alexa's probably the closest thing we have to J.A.R.V.I.S right now. Alexa is an intelligent personal assistant, modeled after the computer conversational system on board the starship Enterprise in Star Trek. It seems like Alexa's been around forever but it was actually only introduced to the world when Amazon launched the Amazon Echo in November 2014. Now, Alexa's capable of many tasks - setting alarms, music playback, to-do lists, playing audio books and even providing real-time information like traffic and the weather. But if you ask me, the best thing about Alexa is the v

Now that you have an overview of monitor technology and the terms that are frequently used , this monitor buying guide will list the best gaming monitors in 2017 and explain the practical considerations you need to make when choosing the best monitor that is right for you. The best gaming monitor may not be ideal for someone using it for work to improve productivity. In the end, we truly believe that the best monitor  is one that fits your needs, your computer's capabilities and your budget.

Choosing a humidifier isn't as easy as it seems. If you just head down to the nearest mall and buy whatever's on offer, there's a high chance you'll be left disappointed as the humidifier you just purchased doesn't fit your needs. There are a couple of key points and features you need to consider before buying that humidifier. There isn't a perfect humidifier for everyone, nor is there a one-sized fits all solution. Some humidifiers run using batteries while others require AC power. Some humidifiers can only cover a small room while industrial humidifiers can cover an entire house. With this in mind, let's take a further look at the factors to consider when you buy your humidifier for home. Area to Cover The area that the humidifier needs to cover is a major consideration. Make sure you take note of what room size the humidifier is designed to cover. A medium-sized humidifier like the Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier  is ideal for a medium-sized ro

When your ordinary detergent can no longer get the foul odors out of your clothes, eliminate them with these tried and tested methods. One of the biggest irritants for me was when I noticed that even after I had washed them, my workout clothes still had a lingering, for lack of a better word, 'stench'.They'd smell alright straight out of the wash and before I put them on, but as soon as I wore them and started sweating again, things got a little nasty.