Indeed, there are a select few children’s books on iPad that are beautifully illustrated, enabling children to immerse themselves in the magic of storytelling. The power of a captivating picture book lies not just in the written words, but also in the vibrant illustrations that breathe life into the narrative. In this article, I’ve curated a list of the top 10 children’s book apps for 2023, featuring stunning illustrations that bring stories to life.

The Cat in the Hat

Check out Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” iPad app to explore a fun and magical world. It’s not just an electronic version of the much-loved story; it’s also a lively, interactive space that brings the tale to life. Kids will love to tap, drag, and tilt their devices to find fun surprises and get more into the story.

The unique feature of this app is its educational aspect. Apart from just being entertaining, it also includes learning activities. These activities have been designed with the help of literacy experts, focusing on enhancing kids’ skills in spelling, phonics, rhyming, and reading comprehension. They are in line with kindergarten level English Language Arts (ELA) standards. Hidden as stars throughout the book, these activities encourage kids to learn at their own speed and keep coming back for more.

To top it all off, parents can keep track of their child’s learning journey. They can check the number of minutes their child spends reading and the pages they have read in a dedicated section. This way, the app not only brings joy but also provides significant value.

• Author and Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
• Publisher: Oceanhouse Media

Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories

The “Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories” app lets your child dive into a magic-filled world of classic fairy tales. This amazing collection includes popular stories like “Puss in Boots”, “The Beauty and the Beast”, “Cinderella”, and “The Snow Queen”, plus so many more.

But this isn’t just about reading – the app brings each story alive. It does this with interactive scenes, characters who move and talk, and even educational games hidden inside the stories. This way, every fairy tale becomes an exciting way to learn.

Designed especially for children, this app is super easy to use. The “Read to Me” and “Read it Myself” modes let kids pick how they want to enjoy each story.

• Author and Illustrator: Vincent Herriau
• Publisher: AmayaKids

Nighty Night Forest

“Nighty Night Forest” is the delightful follow-up to the internationally adored bedtime apps “Nighty Night” and “Nighty Night Circus”. This third part takes kids on a magical journey into a sleep-filled forest with seven cute and playful animals. Designed to become part of your child’s nightly routine, it allows kids to help animals get ready for bed by switching off the lights. From deer to foxes, each animal performs funny and surprising activities before going to sleep.

Developed by renowned artist Jeremy Kool, this app masterfully combines 3D modeling and lighting with 2D drawings and textures to bring stunning landscapes to life. Features include an autoplay mode, hidden treasures, personalized sound effects and music, plus narration in 13 languages. Because of its perfect length, it’s an excellent way to establish a calming bedtime routine for children aged 2 to 5.

• Author and Illustrator:Jeremy Kool
• Publisher: Fox and Sheep GmbH

Little Stories: Bedtime Books

“Little Stories” is a fun collection of fairy tales designed to make your kid the star of the story. All you need to do is put in your child’s name and gender, and you’ll get a bunch of stories tailored just for them, complete with lovely pictures and captivating music. The app even lets you turn these stories into your own audiobooks. Parents can narrate the tales, adding a layer of comfort and familiarity.

This story collection has more than 50 thrilling tales and over 2200 stunning illustrations. It’s been awarded numerous times, even bagging 1st place in the “Entertainment” category at the 2018 Rating Runet.

• Publisher: Diveo Media OU

Even Monsters Get Sick

Children aged 3 to 7 are sure to enjoy this sweet tale about a little boy, Harry, and his unwell monster friend. The story is brought to life with cartoon-style drawings, enhanced with bold, eye-catching textures that make the lovable monster truly stand out.

• Author and Illustrator: Michael Bruza
• Publisher: Busy Bee Studios

Little Fox Music Box

Little Fox is a sing-along book that’s perfect for kids aged 2 to 6. This musical app allows you to teach your kids timeless tunes like “London Bridge” and “Old Mac Donald Had A Farm”. The award-winning artist, Heidi Wittlinger, has filled the app with fun characters, created using a unique style of textured illustrations and paper cutout art.

• Illustrator: Heidi Wittlinger
• Publisher: Fox & Sheep

The Heart and the Bottle

Oliver Jeffers, a celebrated author of children’s books, has crafted a book for kids aged 2 to 8. It’s all about a curious little girl who loves to discover new things. The book combines traditional art and digital illustrations to create fun, modern, doodle-like drawings.

• Author / Illustrator: Oliver Jeffer
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes

Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes has a fresh new twist that kids aged between 1 to 8 years will surely enjoy. Lucia Mascuillo spices up the traditional fairytale vibe with her illustrations. She uses a mix of watercolor and pencil to give her artwork a unique touch.

• Illustrator: Lucia Mascuill
• Publisher: BlueQuoll

Cinderella

This award-winning app breathes life into the timeless tale of Cinderella through fun animations and unique music. Kids aged 3 and up will be thrilled to engage with the story. The app also features beautiful illustrations, which blend real-world textures with paper cutout styles, adding a contemporary touch to the story.

• Illustrations: Edward Brya
• Publisher: Nosy Crow

Monster Games on StoryBots

This Halloween book is perfect for kids aged two to eight! It’s all about a little kid who goes on an adventure to a scary castle. You can make the story extra special by adding a picture of your child. Children will surely enjoy the fun and unique character illustrations by Nikolas Ilac. His art style beautifully combines bold shapes with delicate details.

• Illustrator: Nikolas Ilac
• Animator: Amelia Lorenz
• Publisher: JibJab Media Inc

The post 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books for iPad in 2023 appeared first on Hongkiat.

Zap

Zap is a plugin manager for Zsh that streamlines the installation, updating, and management of plugins, themes, and configurations. It provides a wide range of community-contributed plugins, including options for syntax highlighting, Git integration, NVM, and more, allowing you to enhance your computer’s Terminal experience.

Full Site Editing

Full Site Editing in WordPress introduces a new approach to theme development. It introduces a Site Editor for customizing templates, global styles for adjusting colors and typography, block themes for creating complete pages using blocks, and theme.json for developers to define default settings. This website aims to simplify the process of generating a theme boilerplate within this new paradigm by providing an easy to use form.

UnderscoreTW

UnderscoreTW is a tool that generates a WordPress starter theme optimized for modern development using Tailwind CSS and Tailwind Typography. It comes with pre-configured Tailwind settings and allows customization via the theme.json file. The theme is compatible with Tailwind 3’s JIT compiler and includes JavaScript bundling using esbuild for efficient development.

trurl

Trurl is a command-line tool that simplifies URL parsing and manipulation for shell script. It eliminates the need for reinventing the wheel by utilizing the same URL parser as the curl command-line tool. It is also designed to address security concerns and make URL handling easier, it’s a perfect companion tool for working with URLs in scripts and command-line interface.

Icones

Icones is a web tool that provides a collection of popular icon sets, including Tabler, Bootstrap Icons, Ionicons, Octicons, and more. It aims to simplify the process of finding and using icons in projects by providing a user-friendly interface and workflow. Icones is also available as a VS Code extension and is planning to introduce a desktop app in the near future.

Million

Million.js is a lightweight library that significantly enhances the performance of a React component. This library integrates seamlessly with React by merely wrapping the component. It optimizes the virtual DOM, leading to improved rendering and loading efficiency, which can be up to 70% faster. Utilizing Million.js can be an easy win for those who desire to optimize their React.js applications.

Gradient Style

Gradient.style is a user-friendly website for generating CSS gradients. It supports various gradient types, real-time previews, and generates corresponding CSS code for easy adding in your websites. On top of that, it supports the latest CSS Color 4 specification including oklch, lch, and hsl.

Vant

Vant provides a wide range of customizable and reusable UI components, such as buttons, forms, and navigation elements built for Vue.js. It aims to simplify the development process by offering ready-to-use components with consistent styles and behavior.

Infisical

Infisical is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted secret management platform. It centralizes secrets like API keys, database credentials, and configurations, offering a user-friendly dashboard for easy management across teams, projects and environments. It also provides seamless integration through SDKs, a CLI, including simple deployments to AWS or Digital Ocean.

EnvPane

EnvPane is a convenient app for managing environment variables on macOS. It allows you to easily view, add, edit, and remove environment variables through a user-friendly interface without the need for command-line operations or editing configuration files manually.

Pasteboard-Viewer

Pasteboard-Viewer is a macOS app that provides a convenient way to inspect the contents of the system clipboard. It allows you to view and analyze the data stored in the clipboard, which can be useful for troubleshooting, debugging, or simply understanding the data being copied.

Plugin PHP

The plugin-php is an extension of Prettier.io‘s capabilities that enables the automatic formatting of PHP code. You can utilize this tool to ensure your PHP code and your team adheres to a standardized and easily readable format. Try it out on its Online Playground to see how it operates.

Leantime

Leantime is an open-source lean project management system. It provides a range of features such as task tracking, milestone management, team collaboration, and time tracking. Serving as an excellent alternative to SaaS platforms like ClickUp, Notion, Asana, it’s a suitable fit for diverse needs, from startups to enterprise-level businesses.

Nitro

Nitro is an open-source TypeScript framework for running a web server. It offers rapid development with zero config setup and HMR for development. You can deploy anywhere, including AWS, Deno, DigitalOcean, and even Github Pages without needing additional configuration.

Katana

Katana is an open-source crawling and web-spidering framework. It provides powerful features such as customizable spidering rules, concurrency control, dynamic target discovery, and support for various output formats.

Lucia Auth

Lucia is a user and session management library that offers a straightforward and adaptable approach to authentication. It acts as an intermediary between your application and the database, providing a simplified and easily comprehensible solution. With a minimalist design, Lucia prioritizes simplicity and user-friendliness.

Plane

Lucia is a user and session management library that simplifies the process of managing users and validating sessions. It offers database adapters for seamless integration with popular databases and ORMs, and supports frameworks like SvelteKit, Next.js, Express, and Astro. It also includes packages for handling authentication strategies like OAuth, providing developers with a flexible solution.

Lychee

Lychee is a web-based photo management system that can be installed on your server within seconds. You can easily upload, organize, and share your photos as if using a native application. It provides all the necessary features, ensuring the secure storage of your precious photos.

HTTPie App

HTTPie has released a web app designed for interacting with APIs. This app provides the functionality of the Terminal version, but with a sleek UI. Users can utilize the web app to:

• Work easily with APIs
• Leverage AI-assistance to make their work more seamless
• Organize API with spaces and collections
• Add parameterized requests
• Achieve seamless sync across multiple devices

Furthermore, the app enables users to build and preview requests, even when offline or without having an account.

wp-now

wp-now is a development environment from WordPress.com, the same environment that powers WordPress Playground. It provides a more seamless setup and currently the fastest method to create a local WordPress site. This tool is believed to change how developers work with WordPress in the future.

The post Fresh Resources for Web Designers and Developers (May 2023) appeared first on Hongkiat.

Bokeh Photoshop Brushes

Bokeh is one of the best types of backgrounds for any kind of design, so it’s a good idea to add these cool bokeh effect brushes to your collection.

Download brush.

Cool Splatter Free Brush Set

A set of six high-quality paint splatter brushes that are cool and free for both commercial and non-commercial use.

Download brush.

30 So What

A set of 30 special Photoshop brushes created for designing magazines and other print materials.

Download brush.

Seamless Bokeh Textures

Do you want a quick and easy way to add bokeh to your images? Download these high-resolution seamless bokeh textures that are free to use.

Download brush.

Ballon

Create a collection of beautiful hand-drawn balloons with this simple and free brush.

Download brush.

Extreme Lashes

Ideal for magazine artists and fashion graphic designers, these 8 extreme faux lash brushes are perfect (including a set of 8 flipped brushes for easy use on both eyes).

Download brush.

Hair

Special brushes are available for different types of hair, including bangs, braids, wavy, straight, curly, and ponytails. These brushes are compatible with both Photoshop and GIMP.

Download brush.

Bokeh

Here are ten high-quality free bokeh brushes for Photoshop. However, please ensure that you read the terms of use before using these brushes.

Download brush.

Eye-Lashes PS-CS Brush Set

A lifesaver for graphic designers who work in fashion and human art, these eyelash brushes were created for Photoshop CS.

Download brush.

The post Free Photo Effect Photoshop Brushes appeared first on Hongkiat.

Each of these tools brings unique features and benefits to the table, catering to different business needs. Whether you’re a small business owner looking for a basic setup or a large enterprise seeking advanced functionalities, we hope this guide will help you navigate your options and make an informed decision.

Key Takeaways

1. Zendesk

Zendesk is recognized for its easy data visualization and is considered one of the best cheap CRM software systems. Here are some details about its features and pricing:

Features:

• Data Visualization: Zendesk’s Team Plan is equipped with plenty of data and reporting tools, including preset and custom dashboards, as well as deal, lead, and recurring revenue reports. This makes it easy for businesses to visualize and understand their data.
• Contact Management: It offers efficient contact management features including data import and export.
• Marketing Tools: It houses useful marketing tools such as an email design editor, automated workflow, and visitor tracking.
• AI-Powered Sales Assistant: Freshsales’ AI-powered sales assistant, Freddy AI, provides valuable insights into your contact list.

Pricing:

• Zendesk offers a program where eligible startups can use their services for free, for a period of six months.
• The Team Plan is priced at $19 per user per month.
• It offers no user limit and 2GB of file storage per person.

While Zendesk’s Team Plan offers a range of features, it lacks some functionalities, such as marketing features and customer service tools.

Learn more about Zendesk

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is a global leader in CRM software and is often used by medium and enterprise businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of customer relationship tools, excellent integration, and unrivaled customization.

Features:

• Comprehensive Functionality: Salesforce offers all-in-one functionality, with advanced customizable features, user-friendly design, and outstanding reporting tools.
• Integration: Salesforce Sales Cloud, the main CRM core, can be integrated with Marketing Cloud for email automation or with Einstein Analytics for AI-powered business intelligence.
• Advanced Customization: Salesforce offers advanced customization, including workflow approval and automation, which can automate standard business processes. Sales teams can designate the members of the team to work on individual deals.
• Reporting and Prediction: Enterprise plans and above include advanced reporting and prediction, app development, full sandbox, sophisticated process automations, and external system integrations via web services APIs.

Pricing:

• Salesforce pricing starts from $25 per user per month.
• It’s worth noting that Salesforce can get expensive on the upper tiers as it is billed per each individual user.

While there is no free tier, Salesforce offers a 30-day free trial that is available without a credit card and does not require any software download.

Learn more about Salesforce

3. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a standout tool in the extensive suite of SaaS business software offered by Zoho. It’s recognized for its comprehensive feature set that rivals even large-scale CRM systems like Salesforce.

Features:

• AI-Powered Analytics: Zoho CRM includes Zia, an AI-powered analytics engine for spotting sales trends and anomalies. This can provide valuable insights for your business.
• Customizable Interface: With Canvas, a drag-and-drop interface editor, you can customize the CRM to suit your specific needs and preferences.
• Integration: If you’re already using other products in the Zoho portfolio, integrating Zoho CRM into your workflow can be seamless and straightforward.
• Gamification Features: Zoho CRM includes integrated gamification features, which can help motivate your sales team and boost performance.

Pricing:

• Zoho CRM is priced at $24 per user per month, billed annually.

Zoho CRM has a lot of cool features, but it might take some time to learn how to use them all. Keep in mind that the more sophisticated tools are only available if you go for the pricier packages.

Learn more about Zoho CRM

4. Insightly

Insightly CRM is a tool designed to help companies connect with prospects and customers, reduce manual work, streamline business activity, and ultimately, grow revenue and profitability.

Features:

• Create Stronger Pipeline: Insightly CRM helps you build a strong customer relationship pipeline.
• Sell from Anywhere: It allows you to sell from anywhere, on any device, providing flexibility and mobility.
• Real-Time Sales Insights: Insightly provides real-time sales insights to help you make informed decisions.
• Seamless Project Delivery: It ensures seamless project delivery with its efficient project management features.
• Integrations: Insightly CRM integrates with the applications you use every day, enhancing productivity and efficiency.
• Model and Automate Business Processes: It allows you to model and automate your business processes, reducing manual work and increasing efficiency.

Pricing:

Insightly offers different plans with varying features. The record limit ranges from 100,000 to unlimited, file storage from 10GB to unlimited, and records per import from 25,000 to 50,000. Mass email (emails per day) ranges from 2,500 to 10,000.

Here are its paid plans:

• Plus: $29 per user per month
• Professional: $40 per user per month
• Enterprise: $99 per user per month

For specific pricing details, visit their official website.

Learn more about Insightly

5. Vtiger

Vtiger CRM is a comprehensive CRM tool that combines contact management, calendaring, email marketing, internal chat integration, and marketing automation in a single platform.

Features:

• Contact Management: Vtiger CRM offers features like contact and organization management, profile scoring, engagement score, touchpoints/contacts activity view, custom lists, tagging, and best time to contact.
• Sales Process Management: It includes campaigns, deals, deal revenue line items, invoices, playbooks, leads, multiple pipelines, multiple currencies, quotes, round-robin lead assignment, sentiment tracking, sales pipeline, sales forecasting, sales quotas, and sales insights.
• Support Management: It provides cases, work orders, internal tickets, knowledge base, email to case (ticket), round-robin case assignment, organization matching with email domain, assets, service contracts, and customer portal.
• Marketing Automation: Vtiger CRM provides email campaigns, auto-responder campaigns, automatic email personalization, campaign scheduling, tracking opens, clicks, and bounces, subscriber list, list segmentation, and email opt-out.
• Integrations: It integrates with Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, Digital Document Signing, Payment Systems, Shopping Cart, QuickBooks, Office 365, Xero, Mailchimp, Google Meet, MS Teams Meeting, MS Teams Channel & Bot Tab, Zoom Meet, Tally, and Exchange Connector.

Pricing:

• Free: This tier, also known as Vtiger Free Cloud CRM is free and allows up to 10 users with a maximum of 3000 records. It includes basic features like contact management, task and calendar management, email functionality, and sales process management.
• All-in-one Professional: This tier is priced at $30 per user per month (annual billing) or $42 per user per month (monthly billing). It offers unlimited users and records, and includes additional features like advanced contact management, sales insights, support insights, and marketing automation.
• All-in-one Enterprise: This tier is priced at $42 per user per month (annual billing) or $58 per user per month (monthly billing). It offers unlimited users and records, and includes all features of the Professional tier, plus additional features like advanced sales insights, advanced support insights, and advanced marketing automation.

Learn more about Vtiger

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing the right CRM tool is a crucial decision for any business. It’s not just about finding the cheapest option, but also about finding a tool that offers the right features to support your business growth. Zendesk, Zoho, Salesforce, Insightly, and Vtiger each offer unique features and pricing structures that cater to different needs and budgets.

Whether you’re looking for advanced customization, AI-powered analytics, or seamless project management, there’s a budget-friendly CRM tool out there for you.

The post 5 Affordable CRM Tools to Try (2023) appeared first on Hongkiat.

150 Cracked Photoshop Brushes

Here are some brushes made from cracks in trees, paint, and soil. This brush pack can be used for creating cuts and scabs.

Download brush.

Tribal Animals Tattoo Photoshop Brushes

These are ten free tribal animal tattoo brushes. Each brush features a unique animal representing a distinct design.

Download brush.

Sketchy Doodle Photoshop Brushes

Create a fun conversation with these free sketchy doodle brushes. The four brushes in this pack are skillfully designed and are always royalty-free.

Download brush.

Religious Cross Photoshop Brushes

This is a set of unique brushes that includes 6 high-resolution cross brushes that you will surely find useful.

Download brush.

Halloween Pumpkin Photoshop Brushes

Ideal for Halloween-inspired designs, these 20 high-resolution brushes are free for everyone to use.

Download brush.

Thanksgiving Vintage Turkey Photoshop Brushes

Here are 20 vintage Thanksgiving turkey Photoshop brushes that are perfect for creating Thanksgiving-inspired designs.

Download brush.

Floral Photoshop Brushes

A set of beautiful symbolic floral brushes is available for free use, both commercially and non-commercially.

Download brush.

Halloween Symbols Photoshop Brushes

Special Halloween lettering and symbol brushes are included in this set. The set includes symbols such as a witch’s hat, Jack-o-lantern, ghost, and owl.

Download brush.

Halloween Pack Photoshop Brushes

Cute yet creepy Halloween symbol brushes available for both personal and commercial use, free of charge.

Download brush.

Memes Range Faces Photoshop Brushes

A vast collection of 68 brushes showcasing a diverse range of symbols from various subjects.

Download brush.

Cute Arrows Photoshop Brushes

For anyone who loves to create internet memes, here is a treasure chest of 50 range face brushes that are free to use.

Download brush.

Trails Photoshop Brushes

This set of 16 cute arrow brushes is ideal for creating Valentine’s Day artwork, wedding invitations, or card designs.

Download brush.

Random Shapes Photoshop Brushes

A wide variety of trail brushes are available, including single, texture, stripes, and sprays. You can adjust their settings to achieve fascinating outcomes. Additionally, it is important to give credit to the author.

Download brush.

Texts Photoshop Brushes

10 random patterns and shapes brushes that are easily customizable for any project.

Download brush.

Emoji Photoshop Brushes

Beautiful hand-written text brushes are available with words such as “I love you,” “Bye!”, “With love,” and “Hello,” among others.

Download brush.

Crown Photoshop Brushes

Cute hand-drawn emoji brush set. Available for both commercial and non-commercial use.

Download brush.

Tentacles Photoshop Brushes

Who doesn’t like a crown? And if you have a set of 10 different types of high-quality crown brushes in your collection, it will make your designs even better.

Download brush.

Diamond Scatter Photoshop Brushes

There are four brushes in this set of horrifying, yet high-quality swirls and tentacles brushes. Feel free to download and use them in your projects.

Download brush.

DBD Photoshop Brushes

This set of brushes contains two brushes, both of which feature scattered diamonds or jewels. One brush is a solid color, while the other utilizes Color Dynamics to create a range of hues.

Download brush.

Arcane Circles II Photoshop Brushes

A freeware brush pack containing various types of circles that are highly versatile for any design work.

Download brush.

Vintage Lace Ornaments Photoshop Brushes

This is a collection of different arcane and magical circles and symbols, perfect for fantasy and science fiction illustrations!.

Download brush.

Fashioned Hearts Photoshop Brushes

Here is another set of lace brushes for this collection. These 6 hi-res lace ornament brushes have a vintage touch. However, they are only available for personal projects.

Download brush.

Smudged Vines Photoshop Brushes

Creative Photoshop brush set featuring heart shapes fashioned from various elements.

Download brush.

Nero’s smudgy magic Photoshop Brushes

The Smudged Vines bundle comes with ten brushes and is designed to work with Photoshop 7, but it should also work with Photoshop CS4 and newer versions.

Download brush.

4 Buttons Photoshop Brushes

Here is a useful set of smudge brushes that can help you create eye-catching designs.

Download brush.

DBD DitsyClouds Photoshop Brushes

This set of simple button brushes is useful and can be quite handy in multiple designs.

Download brush.

Tag Photoshop Brushes

The All-New Ditsy Clouds pack contains nine uniquely ditsy brushes, including various clouds and rain. These brushes are high-resolution, measuring 2500×2500.

Download brush.

Bows Photoshop Brushes

This is a set of eight tag brush files. Four of the tag brush files have strings attached, while the other four are natural. This is an excellent pack of label and tag brushes!.

Download brush.

Chain Photoshop Brushes

Using a bow brush and a round brush can be quite useful in creating formal designs.

Download brush.

Cool Photoshop Brushes

Usually, chain brushes are not very common. That’s why this particular set is among the few available and can certainly be used in a variety of designs.

Download brush.

Spring Flower Ornament Photoshop Brushes

This bundle offers a vast collection of impressive brushes that are suitable for any design needs.

Download brush.

5 Checkered Photoshop Brushes

There are no errors in the given sentence. It is grammatically correct and does not require any rewriting.

Download brush.

Line Photoshop Brushes

This set of checkered brushes can be used for a variety of designs and is equally useful for both graphic and web design.

Download brush.

My Sweet Diary Photoshop Brushes

An interesting and elegant set of simple solid and dotted lines.

Download brush.

Scribbles 4 Musical Notes Photoshop Brushes

The pack contains 70 adorable brushes for creating lines, random scribbles and drawings, animals, and a plethora of hearts!.

Download brush.

Rock Star Photoshop Brushes

This is an amazing collection of 20 hand-drawn musical note scribble brushes created in Photoshop 6.0. They will work flawlessly with all newer versions.

Download brush.

Syringe Photoshop Brushes

The set of rockstar brushes contains eight different brushes, and they were designed using Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Download brush.

Ischarm Pen Photoshop Brushes

This set of brushes is available in various variations and sizes to cater to different design requirements.

Download brush.

Pen Brushes

This set of seven pen brushes by Chantal Timmer is immaculate and perfect for use in any literary or academic design.

Download brush.

The post 30+ Symbols Related Photoshop Brushes to Download appeared first on Hongkiat.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive comparison of these two platforms, highlighting their features, strengths, and potential applications. Whether you’re a project manager seeking better workflow control, a data analyst in need of powerful computational capabilities, or simply someone looking to make sense of personal data, this comparison will help you understand which tool might be the right fit for you.

Google Sheets

In the realm of cloud-based spreadsheet tools, Google Sheets has established itself as a major player. Known for its real-time collaboration capabilities and deep integration within the Google Workspace ecosystem, this tool goes far beyond basic data entry and calculation.

Read also: 5 Best Alternatives to Google Sheets

Here are some Google Sheets features you should know:

• Spreadsheet Basics – Google Sheets provides fundamental spreadsheet functionalities including data entry, cell formatting, and mathematical calculations through built-in formulas.
• Real-Time Collaboration – Multiple users can work on the same Google Sheet simultaneously, seeing each other’s changes in real time. This is a key feature for teams working collaboratively on data analysis or content creation.



• Commenting and Revision History – Users can add comments to specific cells for others to see and respond to. Google Sheets also keeps a complete history of changes made to the document, allowing users to see who made changes and to revert back to previous versions if necessary.
• Formulas and Functions – Google Sheets supports a wide variety of formulas and functions, from basic mathematical operations to more complex functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, and array formulas.



• Data Analysis Tools – Google Sheets includes tools for data sorting, filtering, and validation. It also supports pivot tables, which are powerful for summarizing and analyzing large data sets.



• Data Visualization – Users can create a variety of charts and graphs in Google Sheets, including line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, scatter plots, bar codes, and more. There are also options to customize the appearance of these visualizations.



• Scripting and Automation – With Google Apps Script, users can write scripts to automate tasks, create custom functions, and build web applications. For example, a script could automatically send emails based on the contents of a spreadsheet.
• Integration with Google Workspace – Google Sheets integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace tools, such as Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Forms. This integration allows for easy sharing and collaboration across these tools.
• Add-ons and Extensions – Google Sheets supports a variety of add-ons and extensions, which can provide additional functionality such as mail merge, advanced data analysis, and integration with other software.
• Import and Export Capabilities – Google Sheets can import and export in a variety of formats, including Excel (.xlsx), OpenDocument (.ods), CSV, and PDF. This flexibility makes it easy to work with data from different sources and to share your work with others.

Smartsheet

Delving into the world of Smartsheet, we explore a tool that goes beyond traditional spreadsheet functions, positioning itself as a comprehensive project management and collaboration solution.

Let’s check out some of its unique features to understand why it stands out in the realm of data management and project execution.

• Project Management – Smartsheet offers a range of project management tools, including Gantt charts, dependencies, sub-tasks, and critical path visibility. These features help manage complex projects and track progress effectively.



• Collaboration – Like Google Sheets, Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration. Multiple team members can work on the same sheet simultaneously. Features like comments, proofing, and row sharing enhance collaboration further.



• Grid View – This is a traditional spreadsheet-style view, which can be used for tasks such as budgeting, project planning, and task tracking.



• Card View – This provides a visual, card-based view of tasks, which can be beneficial for workflows like agile project management, sales pipeline tracking, and customer relationship management (CRM).
• Gantt View – Gantt charts are used to visualize a project schedule. Tasks can be linked together to show dependencies.



• Calendar View – This view allows users to see any set of tasks that have start and end dates on a calendar.



• Forms – Smartsheet forms are a way to collect and capture data that automatically populates in a sheet. These can be used for surveys, data collection, and more.



• Automation & Workflows – Smartsheet allows for automated workflows, such as automated update requests, approval requests, and alerts. This can save time and reduce manual work. For example, see How to Automatically Update Smartsheet from Google Sheets.



• Reporting & Dashboards – Smartsheet offers powerful reporting capabilities, allowing users to create summary reports across multiple sheets. Dashboards provide real-time visibility into work status, so everyone knows what’s happening.
• Integration – Smartsheet can integrate with a variety of other tools, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, and more, allowing for a seamless work experience.
• Security & Administration – With features like user management, group management, and access controls, administrators can manage and secure data effectively.
• Mobile Access – Smartsheet has a mobile app for iOS and Android, enabling users to access their sheets, reports, and dashboards on the go.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Google Sheets and Smartsheet offer robust features that can significantly enhance your data management and collaborative workflows.

Google Sheets shines as a powerful, free-to-use tool for data manipulation and analysis, particularly for those already within the Google Workspace ecosystem.

On the other hand, Smartsheet stands out as a comprehensive project management solution, with advanced features like Gantt charts, automation, and robust reporting capabilities. Ultimately, the choice between Google Sheets and Smartsheet will depend on your specific needs, budget, and the nature of your projects. Regardless of which tool you choose, both are capable of transforming the way you work with data and collaborate with your team.

Remember, the digital tools landscape is ever-evolving, so it’s crucial to stay updated on the latest features and improvements these platforms introduce. Happy data handling!

The post Smartsheet vs. Google Sheets: A Comparative Analysis appeared first on Hongkiat.

Behind the scenes, white space also reigns as a design philosophy, with clean, elegant code being the sought-after ideal for functional web design. However, I’ve observed that some designers don’t truly grasp what white space is, or how to interpret it in less obvious ways to fully leverage this concept.

The What And Why of White Space

Early modernist painters were masters of white space, using the media of pencil and paint on canvas to elevate one essential idea, eliminating all else as unnecessary. When examining the sketches of artists such as Miró, Kandinsky, Mondrian, and especially Picasso, you will notice that the economy of form is often a key feature in their work.

White space emerged as a desirable feature in Western design (not merely an empty space to fill up with ornament or type) in the early part of the 20th century, at the peak of modernism. Artists and designers of the Bauhaus school in Germany united under the modernist idea of minimalism and had a profound effect on much of the art and design produced thereafter, continuing to influence creative professionals to this day.

The West has strongly embraced the feature of minimalist art and design in the last century or so. However, it’s crucial to highlight that Eastern art and design – specifically the art and architecture of East Asia – has delved into this concept for hundreds of years.

The late Apple mastermind Steve Jobs was heavily swayed by both the German Bauhaus aesthetic and the simplified forms and abundant use of white space characteristic of Japanese design.

Is White Space Really White?

In design, white space is, in essence, the absence of active design elements. It’s a common misconception that white space must, literally, be a) white and b) an open space.

Technically speaking, this is correct. However, most often, one can adopt a more figurative interpretation and still craft a “white space” as a non-active area.

Consider this: a blurred photo used as the background image on a website could be deemed “white space” under this broader definition, even if it’s neither white nor an empty space. Crucially, it’s not an active part of the site’s functionality—it doesn’t demand anything from the user. In this context, “white space” is about creating areas within a design that are free from active elements and allow the design to breathe.

You can rest your eyes while looking off to the side at this blurry image, and it will have a similar effect on your brain as a pure white box.

Reducing Back to White Space

Communication is the fundamental goal of any design. When you work through the design process, you determine how best to communicate with your audience. Frivolous details that simply obstruct this main goal don’t contribute positively. There’s an inherent challenge in the design profession to continuously think about how to achieve more with less.

Add Item, Reduce Space

As humans, our natural inclination is to fill up empty space with clutter.

Consider a disorganized garage or a room in your home that’s been awaiting a thorough spring cleaning for years now. When you first moved into your house, that room was empty and pristine. There was no need to create space – it was already present. However, through the process of everyday living, you actually reduced the amount of space in that room. This same phenomenon can occur in a design if we aren’t vigilant.

White space in design isn’t something you begin with. Rather, it’s something that must be intentionally created or “reduced” from what you’ve put up on your screen. It’s like a precious clue in a detective novel, needing to be discovered and coaxed out of hiding to shine and fill your viewer’s minds with the tranquility of zen-like peace.

Seeking White Space

In the realm of culinary arts, a reduction refers to a thick, syrupy liquid that remains after a chef combines various ingredients in a pot and lets them simmer for an extended period. This can serve as a helpful analogy when considering design white space. Much like unearthing a scrumptious gravy or sauce on your computer screen after “simmering” a myriad of design elements together for hours on end.

Admittedly, I might be slightly infatuated with the concept of white space. However, the crucial point is that white space rarely just “appears.” As designers, it’s our responsibility to intentionally seek out white space.

Drawing A Blank

One of the most effective methods to hone your “white space muscle” is to maintain a sketchbook. It may seem daunting if you believe your drawing skills are not up to par, or fear that someone might stumble upon your less-than-perfect doodles. However, rest assured, it’s perfectly alright. Sketching, in the realm of design, is simply a tool to fully exploit the potential of brainstorming.

Brainstorming by physically illustrating potential solutions is, in my view, the key to simplifying your designs, akin to the process used by a chef or an amateur sleuth. I personally favor responding to design questions through sketches. For instance, “what would occur if I omitted this color?” or “would the outcome be superior if I removed that type family entirely?” More often than not, the answer to most “should I eliminate this” inquiries is a resounding “yes.”

It’s fascinating to observe that the more you sketch, the more adept you become at minimizing clutter in your designs. Consider how many times Picasso had to put pencil to paper to master the delicate equilibrium between representation and abstraction? While I’m not a Picasso biographer, I’d venture to guess that the number would be “a substantial amount of times.”

Going Back To Functions

The students of the original Bauhaus not only incorporated minimalist concepts like white space in their work, but also embraced it as part of their mindset. Walter Gropius, the founder of Bauhaus and a renowned architect, was instrumental in pioneering the widely accepted philosophy in modern architecture and design – “form follows function”. This belief primarily stemmed from the observation that there is inherent beauty in the simple functionality of an object.

This, however, does not imply that ornamentation is unnecessary. There are instances where you might need to incorporate floral patterns or attractive navigation buttons. Yet, learning to recognize and appreciate the fundamental function of something is a skill that can be acquired, just like creating intricate illustrations or UI features.

In Conclusion

White space is more of an abstract concept rather than a rigid rule. To clarify, it is simply the inactive space in a design and the soothing effect it has on the viewer. There are no established guidelines for its use. It is advisable to use your own judgment, experiment extensively, and foster your unique relationship with white space.

The post A New Way of Thinking About White Space appeared first on Hongkiat.

We’ve also made a handy table that lists all iPhone models. Just click on your model’s name and we’ll show you exactly how to force restart it. So, whether your iPhone is brand new or a bit older, we’ve got the fix for you.

iPhone Models

Look for your iPhone model in the table below. Then, click on the model name to learn the right way to force-restart your iPhone.

Method 1.

1. Press Home button + Sleep/Wake (top of the phone) for about 10 seconds until Apple logo appears.
2. Give it about 10-20 seconds until the Home Screen reappears.

This method works for the following iPhone models:

iPhone (2007), iPhone 3G (2008), iPhone 3GS (2009), iPhone 4 (2010), iPhone 4s (2011), iPhone 5 (2012), iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone 5S (2013), and iPhone SE (2016)

Method 2.

1. Press Home button + Sleep/Wake (right side of the phone) for 10 seconds until Apple logo appears.
2. Give it about 10-20 seconds until the Home Screen reappears.

This method works for the following iPhone models:

iPhone 6 (2014), iPhone 6 Plus (2014), iPhone 6s (2015), iPhone 6s Plus (2015), iPhone 7 (2016), iPhone 7 Plus (2016).

Method 3.

1. Quick-press volume up.
2. Quick-press volume down.
3. Press and hold Sleep/Wake
4. Release when Apple logo appears.

This method works for the following iPhone models:

iPhone 8 (2017), iPhone 8 Plus (2017), iPhone X (2017), iPhone XR (2018), iPhone XS (2018), iPhone XS Max (2018), iPhone XR (2018), iPhone 11 (2019), iPhone 11 Pro (2019), iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019), iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 12 (2020), iPhone 12 mini (2020), iPhone 12 Pro (2020), iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020), iPhone 13 Mini (2021), iPhone 13 (2021), iPhone 13 Pro (2021), iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021), iPhone SE (2022), iPhone 14 (2022), iPhone 14 Pro (2022).

The post How to Force-restart or Reboot an iPhone (All Models) appeared first on Hongkiat.

We’ll walk you through 10 essential security measures that every Facebook user should implement to protect their account and personal information. From setting a strong password to enabling two-factor authentication, adjusting privacy settings, and more, we’ve got you covered.

Stay ahead of the cybercriminals and take control of your Facebook security today.

1. Strong Password

A strong password is your first line of defense against unauthorized access to your account. Go to “Accounts Center” > “Password and security” > “Login & recovery” > “Change password“.

Generate a strong password from password manager tool, or create a password that is at least 8 characters long and includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using common words, phrases, or personal information that can be easily guessed. Remember to update your password regularly and never share it with anyone.

2. Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account. When you enable this feature, you’ll be required to enter a special login code or confirm your login attempt each time someone tries accessing Facebook from a computer or mobile device we don’t recognize.

You can activate this feature by going to “Accounts Center” > “Password and security” > “Two-factor authentication“.

3. Login Alerts

Login alerts notify you when your account is accessed from a new device or browser. By enabling these alerts, you can quickly take action if your account is being accessed by someone else. To enable login alerts, go to “Account Center” > “Password and security” > “Security checks” > “Login alerts“.

4. Review Active Sessions

It’s important to regularly review your active sessions. This feature shows you a list of devices that are currently logged into your account. If you see any unfamiliar devices or locations, you can end those sessions immediately.

To review active sessions, go to “Account Center” > “Password and security” > “Security checks” > “Where you’re logged in“.

5. Secure Email

The email account associated with your Facebook account should also have strong security settings. This is because if someone gains access to your email account, they could potentially access your Facebook account by resetting your password.

Make sure to use a strong password for your email account and enable two-factor authentication if your email provider offers it.

6. Friends List Privacy

Limiting who can see your friends list can help protect your privacy as well as that of your friends. To adjust who can see your friends list, go to “Settings” > “Privacy” > “How people find and contact you” > "Who can see your friends list?".

7. App Permissions

Many third-party apps ask for access to your Facebook account. While some of these apps may be safe, they can still pose a risk if they’re hacked or if they don’t adequately secure your data. Regularly review and clean out your Facebook apps by going to “Settings” > “Apps and Websites“.

8. Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are attempts by hackers to trick you into giving out your personal information such as your Facebook login credentials. Be wary of suspicious emails or messages that appear to be from Facebook. You can report phishing attempts to Facebook via “Help Center” > “Policies and Reporting“.

9. Private Browsing

When accessing your Facebook account on public computers, use private browsing to prevent your login information from being saved on the computer. This feature is not a Facebook setting but a feature of your web browser. Look for “Incognito Mode” in Chrome, “Private Window” in Firefox, or “Private Browsing” in Safari.

10. Profile Information Privacy

The less personal information you share publicly on your profile, the less data there is for potential hackers to exploit. To limit the visibility of your personal information, go to your profile and click on the “About” section.

Here you can edit the privacy of various details about your life by clicking onthe “Edit” button and changing the visibility. Be mindful of the information you share in your posts, photos, and even in your interactions with friends. Remember, once something is shared online, it can be difficult to completely remove it.

Summary

Remember, maintaining your online security is an ongoing process. Regularly check and update your security settings to ensure your account stays secure. Also, be aware of the latest online scams and threats to keep your Facebook account safe.

The post 10 Essential Steps to Fortify Your Facebook Account Security appeared first on Hongkiat.

We’ve listed the best travel apps to help you on your visit to Singapore. From shopping, dining, navigation, and communication, you’ll find a lot of interesting apps. So, go on and give a look at the list below.

WhatsApp

Chat and communication.

WhatsApp is highly popular among Singaporeans for personal and professional communication.

iOS Android

Telegram

Chat and communication.

The Telegram app is also widely used in Singapore, thanks to its nature of anonymity and secure messaging.

iOS Android

Grab

Ride-hailing and food delivery service.

Grab is headquartered in Singapore, and its super app – the Grab app – is the most popular ride-hailing and food delivery app among the locals.

iOS Android

Gojek

Ride-hailing service.

Singaporeans would also commonly use Gojek, mostly as an alternative to Grab, when it comes to ride-hailing.

iOS Android

TADA

Ride-hailing service.

Tada is yet another ride-hailing service in Singapore that offers fixed fares and no surge pricing that can be a useful alternative to other ride-hailing apps.

iOS Android

Google Maps

Maps, directions, and navigation.

Google Maps helps travelers navigate the city’s public transportation system, find local attractions, and discover nearby restaurants and cafes.

iOS Android

Waze

Maps, directions, and navigation.

Waze is a popular GPS navigation app that offers real-time traffic updates and road alerts, widely used by motorists in Singapore.

iOS Android

Foodpanda

Food delivery.

The Foodpanda app is an alternative to Grab regarding food delivery in Singapore. You can grab a quick meal (with special daily meals) or shop for groceries.

iOS Android

Deliveroo

Food delivery.

And then there’s also Deliveroo, in case you are looking for more choices and options for food and local cuisines on delivery.

iOS Android

Eatigo

Restaurant information and reservation.

Eatigo is a restaurant reservation app that offers discounts at selected eateries in Singapore; it can be a useful tool for travelers looking to save money and discover new dining experiences in the city.

iOS Android

Chope

Restaurant information and reservation.

Chope is a restaurant booking app that allows users to reserve tables at popular eateries in Singapore can be a helpful tool for travelers looking to secure a spot at their desired restaurant and avoid long wait times.

iOS Android

Burpple

Restaurant information and reservation.

Burpple offers curated guides and recommendations for dining in Singapore.

iOS Android

Visit Singapore Travel Guide

Travel guide.

The Visit Singapore Travel Guide is a versatile app that provides useful information and insider tips for travelers visiting Singapore, including recommendations on attractions, events, and dining options.

iOS Android

MyICA Mobile

Immigration and checkpoints related.

The MyICA Mobile app allows travelers to check their visa status, apply for visas, and access other useful information related to immigration and customs while visiting or traveling through Singapore.

iOS Android

The post Must-Have Travel Apps for Exploring Singapore appeared first on Hongkiat.

Here are some tips to help us take a break from our hectic work schedules.

Tip 1: Learning When to Say “No”

It’s important to know when to say “no” to taking on additional work outside of your job scope. When you constantly help your colleagues with their work, it can lead to the assumption that it’s part of your responsibilities. This can become overwhelming and affect your ability to complete your own tasks effectively.

While some organizations may value employees who take on extra work, it’s important to find a balance between fulfilling your role and going beyond it. Prioritize completing your own job well before taking on additional tasks. By learning when to say “no,” you can simplify your work life and avoid unnecessary stress.

Tip 2: Don’t Aim for Perfection in Every Aspect of Your Job

When you have a job, there are certain parts of it that require perfection, but not everything does. It’s important to give yourself some flexibility and not stress over every little detail. If you try to be perfect in everything, you’ll end up overwhelmed and stressed out.

Instead, focus on the areas that require perfection and prioritize your efforts there. This doesn’t mean you’re giving up on excellence, just that you’re being realistic about where to put your energy. When you do well in your job overall, you’ll feel more satisfied and that positivity will spill over into your personal life.

Tip 3: Setting Personal Rules

Some people may be put off by the word “rules” because it sounds rigid and inflexible. However, when it comes to the things in life that we often sacrifice for work, it’s important to ensure that we spend not just time, but quality time on these activities. Just as we have to spend a designated amount of time at work each week, we should set aside time for other commitments.

In a sense, these “rules” will help us maintain a balanced life that doesn’t revolve solely around work. When we tell ourselves that we will go to bed by 11 p.m. every night, spend every Sunday with our family, and work out at least twice a week, these things are more likely to happen than if we simply say we’ll sleep early, have family time, and keep fit. Writing them down on paper will help us commit even more deeply.

By setting personal rules, we can prioritize the things that matter most to us and make sure they don’t get pushed aside by work. This can lead to a happier, more fulfilling life both inside and outside of the office.

Tip 4: Delegating Work

It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself. However, to truly improve productivity and enjoy what you do, you must learn to entrust certain tasks to others. Identify the tasks that you excel at and enjoy doing, and delegate the rest to those around you.

It may seem logical to trust yourself more than others, but delegating work can actually lead to a more balanced work life. By focusing on what you do best, you can organize your work more effectively and achieve better results.

Remember, you don’t have to do everything alone. Trust in the abilities of those around you and delegate tasks accordingly.

Tip 5: Be Sociable, But Beware of Politics

Work takes up a significant portion of our time, so it’s beneficial to spend it optimally. Getting to know your colleagues outside of work can make your time in the office less challenging. As social animals, we need social support when the going gets tough. Additionally, this makes it easier to ask for help when needed.

One thing to be careful of is getting involved in office politics unknowingly. When socializing with people more, you may discover things you like or dislike about some coworkers. This can lead to forming or joining cliques and sticking with what your group believes in. Politics are inevitable in the workplace, but you can minimize them by making an effort to mingle with people from different groups.

Tip 6: Work Hard & Play Hard

Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

What he meant was that if you love what you do, you will enjoy it so much that it won’t feel like work. That is great advice, but I still believe that work and play are distinct from each other. Once you accept that distinction, you can simplify your work-life by a notch.

As much as possible, when you’re out of the office, try to disconnect from work at home. Don’t bring work home with you. If that is not possible on a day-to-day basis, then consider taking a complete break from work during your vacation.

Communication technology has improved communication by leaps, but it has also created more stress for all workers. Switch off your mobile phone and resist checking your emails every fifteen minutes. Go out and enjoy yourself or attend to what is more important in your life.

Tip 7: Take Regular Breaks

Who would think of taking breaks when you have so many deadlines to meet? Most of us would be so absorbed in what we are doing and forget about them altogether. That’s all fine and dandy if we only get busy days once in a while, but if such tight schedules are habitual, it can have an overwhelming effect on your stress level.

It’s not just for the sake of yourself, but also for the sake of improving productivity. When you place sustained attention on a task, fatigue sets in, you get distracted, and make more mistakes. It ends up taking you much longer to finish the task. Taking short rests will rejuvenate your energy level and keep you motivated.

Many people do not realize the power of taking regular breaks and the damaging effect of not taking them. Sometimes, you are overwhelmed by work that you need to take a fifteen-minute tea break.

Tip 8: Have Something to Look Forward To

Some of us see work as a chore we slog through five days a week. For these people, work is drudgery, and they dread it. Time seems to crawl by every second of the day as they do what they hate. Work becomes a living hell.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. To simplify the pain of work, it helps to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, week, month, or year. Better still, try to connect the reason why you’re doing the work you dislike with what you look forward to. It could be that you’re working there because you’re fulfilling the needs of your family, whom you love to see after a long, hard day at work. Or you’re slogging your days away because you’re earning a trip to the Caribbean islands.

If you fail to derive enjoyment or find meaning from your work, then link your efforts to a certain cause outside work. You’ll realize that the days will get easier when you have a reason as to why you’re staying in your job, whether it’s lousy or not.

The post 8 Tips to Simplify Your Work life appeared first on Hongkiat.

Setting it up is pretty straightforward. In this tutorial, I’m going to guide you through just that. So, let’s jump right in and get started.

Note: This works for Linux and Windows too.

Step 1. Get an OpenAI API key

First, we need to get a new OpenAI API key. Sign up for an OpenAI account if you don’t have one, else just log in to your account.

Look for the ‘USER’ section, then click on ‘API keys‘.

Next, create a new secret key by clicking ‘+ Create new secret key‘.

Keep a copy of this API key as we’ll need it later.

Step 2. Install Homebrew

Next, we will need to install Homebrew. Homebrew help makes installing other stuff we need in later stage easy.

To install Homebrew, head over to the Homebrew’s website. There, you’ll find a line of code under the section ‘Install Homebrew‘.

Or, you can also use the following code. Copy it, then go to your Terminal, paste it in, and hit Enter.

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Note: Keep in mind, installing Homebrew may take a bit of time.

After everything is done, type the following command in the Terminal and hit Enter.

brew --version

This will show the version of Homebrew you’ve installed, confirming that the installation is complete.

Step 3. Install AIChat

After obtaining your API key and successfully installing Homebrew, our next step is to install AIChat.

On the same Terminal window, input the following command and hit Enter.

brew install airchat

This will begin the installation of AIChat on your Mac. The installation process should be pretty quick.

Step 4. Configure AIChat

With AIChat now installed, the next step is to configure it. Since we’re assuming this is your first time setting it up, you’ll need to provide the following, in sequence, for the configuration.

• Enter “y” to create a new config file
• Paste in your API key.
• Enter “y” if you don’t want to use Proxy. (You normally won’t need it.)
• Enter “y” if you want to save all chat messages, else, just hit “n”.

An editable version of the config file will be created and it can be found at the following location shall you want to make any changes later:

/Users/<your_username>/Library/Application Support/aichat/config.yaml

And that’s all there is to it. You can now start using ChatGPT right from your Mac’s terminal.

Step 5. Using AIChat

To start using AIChat, simply type in the following in Terminal and hit Enter.

aichat

That’s it! You can now type in your prompts and hit Enter. Wait for the responses just as you would when using ChatGPT online.

Bonus: Further Configuring AIChat

Earlier, I mentioned that a copy of your configuration is saved at this location: /Users/<your_username>/Library/Application Support/aichat/config.yaml.

When you open that file, you’ll see your API key. However, you can add more configurations to this file. For instance, you can specify a particular ChatGPT model to be used.

Let’s take a look at an example of the various settings you can define in your configuration file.

api_key: "<YOUR SECRET API KEY>"  # Request via https://platform.openai.com/account/api-keys
organization_id: "org-xxx"        # optional, set organization id
model: "gpt-3.5-turbo"            # optional, choose a model
temperature: 1.0                  # optional, see https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/chat/create#chat/create-temperature
save: true                        # optional, If set true, aichat will save chat messages to message.md
highlight: true                   # optional, Set false to turn highlight
proxy: "socks5://127.0.0.1:1080"  # optional, set proxy server. e.g. http://127.0.0.1:8080 or socks5://127.0.0.1:1080
conversation_first: false         # optional, If set true, start a conversation immediately upon repl
light_theme: false                # optional, If set true, use light theme
connect_timeout: 10               # optional, Set a timeout in seconds for connect to gpt.

FAQs

To help enhance your experience using AIChat on your Mac’s terminal, here’s some additional information you might find useful.

1. How to start AIChat?

To start AIChat, type in the following in Termimal and hit Enter.

aichat

2. How to quit AIChat?

To quit AIChat, type in the follow in Terminal and hit Enter

.exit

How to stop AIChat from generating response?

If you need to immediately stop the response that ChatGPT is providing, use the following shortcut key:

Control + C

3. One-off request, vs. Conversation aware.

Just like regular ChatGPT, AIChat isn’t able to handle follow-up questions. So, if you ask it, ‘how many times has Germany won the World Cup?‘, it will give you an answer.

However, if you follow-up asking, ‘what was their score in 1954?‘, it won’t be able to provide a relevant response.

If you want to ask questions that are part of a conversation, or follow-up questions, just enter the following command and hit Enter.

.conversation

Then type in your questions, one at a time.

4. How to quit conversation mode?

To quit conversation mode, use this command:

.clear conversation

5. How to change ChatGPT model?

You can change it right in the Terminal itself. If you have access to GPT-4, simply type in the following command and hit Enter.

.model gpt-4.

Alternatively, you can refer to the "Further Configuring AIChat" section above, where you can edit the ChatGPT model version in the config file.

Ending

Aichat’ has more capabilities than you might initially see. You can type .info or .help to discover more features. Also, you can visit the AIChat’s GitHub page for more detailed information.

The post How to Setup and Use ChatGPT in Mac Terminal appeared first on Hongkiat.

By leveraging next-gen CDNs, such as Accelerate CDN, companies can offer faster and more dependable content delivery. This not only helps to make websites load faster but also improves website security and enables further global reach that can optimize websites for various platforms, scenarios, and devices.

In this article, we will delve into the benefits of leveraging Accelerate CDN to enhance your website’s performance.

Why do you need a CDN for your website?

Think of your website as your storefront. It is where you showcase your products, tell people about your services. It also represents your brand identity to your customers and potential customers.

Now, how well does your website perform under heavy traffic (or a sudden traffic spike) and security threats? If you want to have a website optimized for these things, you will need to leverage a content delivery network.

What is a Content Delivery Network (CDN)?

CDN, in a nutshell, is a network of servers that deliver your website content to your users based on their geographic location. This helps reduces the latency and bandwidth consumption of your website, thus making it faster and more responsive.

On top of that, CDN also provides security features such as encryption, firewall, and DDoS protection, protecting your website from cyberattacks.

Types of CDNs

CDNs can be generally classified into three types based on how they store and deliver content:

• Push CDNs: These CDNs require you to upload your content to their servers or data centers manually or via FTP. Push CDNs are suitable for large and infrequently updated files.
• Pull CDNs: These CDNs automatically fetch your content from your origin server when a user requests it. Pull CDNs are suitable for small and frequently updated files.
• Hybrid CDNs: These CDNs combine the features of push and pull CDNs, allowing you to customize your content delivery based on your needs.

Understanding Next-Gen CDNs

When it comes to Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), not all of them are created equal. Conventional CDNs have limitations, such as restricted geographic coverage, sluggish speeds, and a lack of flexibility. Therefore, you should consider investing in a next-generation CDN, such as gcore.com.

Well, what are next-gen CDNs, you’d ask?

A next-gen CDN takes advantage of artificial intelligence and edge computing to distribute your website content across multiple edge locations worldwide. An edge location is a server closer to your users than your origin server, where your website content is stored.

And they generally offer the following advantages:

• Multinational reach: A next-gen CDN has servers in every continent and region, ensuring that your website content reaches your users no matter where they are.
• Fast speeds: A next-gen CDN uses advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing to optimize website delivery and performance.
• Flexible content delivery: A next-gen CDN allows you to customize your content delivery based on your users’ preferences, devices, and network conditions.

One great example of a next-gen CDN is Accelerate CDN. It is a content delivery network powered by artificial intelligence that can boost your website’s performance, security, and scalability.

Benefits of Leveraging Accelerate CDN for Your Website

Using a next-gen CDN solution like Accelerate CDN can positively impact your website’s success. In this section, you will learn how leveraging Accelerate CDN can improve your website’s user experience and engagement.

1. Global Reach for Your Website

Next-gen Accelerate CDNs are designed to serve website content to users from geographically distributed points of presence (POPs). This ensures that website visitors worldwide receive the same high-quality experience as those in the same region as the origin server. Here are some of the ways that next-gen CDNs offer global reach for your website:

Multiple Edge Locations

Accelerate CDNs leverage multiple edge locations to distribute website content across regions, countries, and continents. These edge locations are strategically placed worldwide to ensure that website content is delivered with low-latency access to users.

Geographically Distributed Points of Presence (POPs)

Next-gen Accelerate CDN has geographically distributed points of presence (PoPs) that act as delivery hubs for website content. PoPs are network nodes that cache and deliver content to nearby users, reducing the distance and time required for data transmission. These PoPs are equipped with powerful caching servers that store website content and serve it to users with low latency.

Low-Latency Access

By leveraging multiple edge locations and geographically distributed PoPs, next-gen CDN enables website owners to deliver content to users across regions, countries, and continents with low-latency access. This means website visitors worldwide can access content quickly and easily, regardless of location.

Improved Website Performance

Accelerate CDNs improve website performance by reducing latency and increasing website speed. By caching website content at edge locations and POPs, next-gen CDNs ensure website visitors receive content quickly and efficiently.

2. Blazing Fast Speeds for Your Website

When it comes to website performance, speed is king. Slow-loading pages can turn away visitors and negatively impact user experience. Accelerate CDNs offer a range of speed optimization features to help websites achieve lightning-fast load times and better overall performance. Next-gen CDNs offer various features to optimize the speed of your website, including:

Content caching

Accelerate Next-gen CDN stores copies of static content, such as images, CSS, and JavaScript files, on their servers or data centers near your users. This reduces the distance and time required for data transmission and lowers the load on your origin server. This means that when a user requests the content, it is served from the nearest edge location rather than the origin server, resulting in faster load times.

Content compression

Compression reduces the size of files transferred between the origin server and the end user, resulting in faster load times. Next-gen CDNs can compress your content before delivering it to your users, reducing your content’s size and bandwidth consumption. Compression techniques such as gzip and brotli can reduce the size of your content by up to 90% without sacrificing quality.

Image optimization

Images are essential to many websites, but they can load slowly. AccelerateCDNs can optimize your images for faster loading and better quality. Image optimization features include resizing, cropping, scaling, format conversion, quality adjustment, and lazy loading.

Faster Page Load Times

With the help of speed optimization features, Next-gen CDNs help websites load faster, which, in return, returns a lower bounce rate, higher engagement, and more conversions.

Dynamic Content Acceleration

Accelerate CDNs also help speeds up dynamic content of websites, such as HTML pages, API calls, and user-generated content. Its features may include the following: TCP optimization, SSL offloading, request routing, and edge computing.

3. Accelerating Visual Services for Your Website

Visual services are applications designed to deliver content that includes high-resolution videos and graphic materials like 4K streaming, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). To ensure users get to enjoy immersive and lifelike experiences, these services need a robust infrastructure with high bandwidth, minimal latency, and exceptional quality of experience (QoE).

However, them over traditional CDNs can be challenging due to the following factors:

• The large content size increases the network load and the buffering time.
• The dynamic nature of the user interactions requires low-latency feedback and synchronization.
• The network congestion and variability, which affects the content quality and availability.

Next-gen CDNs can overcome these challenges by leveraging edge computing and network-slicing technologies.

Edge computing

This enables next-gen CDNs to deploy servers or data centers closer to the end users, reducing the distance and time required for data transmission.

Network slicing

Network slicing allows next-gen CDNs to allocate dedicated network resources for visual services, ensuring optimal performance and availability.

Both edge computing and network slicing allow the latest content delivery networks (CDNs) to boost the speed of visual services right at the edge of the network, significantly improving the user experience and engagement. These advanced CDNs are also capable of more complex features such as adjusting the streaming quality based on your internet speed (adaptive bitrate streaming), optimizing content for better performance, and ensuring security for visual services.

4. Flexible Content Delivery for Your Website

The next-generation Accelerate CDN offers another advantage – it ensures flexible content delivery for your website. This simply means it’s capable of customizing content delivery to match different devices, platforms, user preferences, and content delivery rules.

A study by Econsultancy and Adobe found that an impressive 91% of consumers prefer to shop with brands that present them with relevant offers and suggestions. So, by using a next-gen CDN, you could potentially see a positive effect on your website’s ability to attract and keep customers.

Next-gen Accelerate CDN offers various features to enable flexible content delivery, including:

Content Routing

Next-gen CDNs can dynamically route content requests to the nearest or best-performing server or data center based on various factors, such as network conditions, user location, device type, and content type. Content routing can improve your content’s speed, performance, and availability. This helps reduce latency and ensures fast and reliable content delivery.

Content Customization

Next-gen CDNs have the capability to tailor your website’s content to fit the user’s device, their browser, and the conditions of their network. This approach significantly boosts user engagement and experience by offering personalized and pertinent content.

For instance, the Accelerate CDN can effortlessly adjust images to suit the user’s device and browser, including operations like resizing, cropping, scaling, and converting images.

API Integration

Accelerate CDN also offer API integration, allowing owners and developers to automate and customize content delivery based on specific rules, i.e., traffic volume, content type, or user behavior.

This allows websites to be more responsive and adaptive to user needs while, at the same time, reducing the workload on the website’s backend infrastructure.

Real-time content updates

The Accelerate CDN can also execute JavaScript code at the network’s edge, allowing developers to tweak your content instantly. It can perform content updating in real-time without impacting the cache performance or needing any manual adjustments. Any updates made to the website, like rolling out new products, running promotions, or making announcements, can be immediately seen by all users, no matter where they are or what device they’re using.

5. Better SEO Performance for Your Website

SEO is optimizing your website for search engines like Google to rank higher and attract more organic traffic.

One factor that affects your SEO performance is the speed and performance of your website. A fast and responsive website can

• improve your user experience.
• reduce your bounce rate.
• increase your conversion rate.
• signal to search engines that your website is reliable and user-friendly.

This is where Accelerate CDN can help you, in the following ways.

Content Compression

Accelerate CDN can compress your content before delivering it to your users, reducing your content’s size and bandwidth consumption. Compression techniques such as gzip and brotli can reduce the size of your content by up to 90%, improving your page load time and performance score.

Image Optimization

Accelerate CDN can optimize your images for faster loading and better quality. Image optimization features include resizing, cropping, scaling, format conversion, quality adjustment, and lazy loading. These features reduce the loading time required for image assets and, thus, improve user experiences.

SSL offloading

Accelerate CDN can handle the encryption and decryption of SSL/TLS requests, which are used to secure the communication between your website and your users. SSL offloading can reduce the load on your origin server and improve the response time of your website, which can benefit your SEO.

Content distribution

Accelerate CDN has the capability to spread your content across various servers or data centers globally. This feature can help you connect with a broader and more varied audience. Moreover, distributing your content in this way can help you dodge problems related to geographical restrictions and censorship, issues that could negatively impact your SEO results and user satisfaction.

Content security

Accelerate CDN offers a line of defense for your content against harmful attacks like DDoS, SQL injection, and XSS, which could potentially damage your website’s standing and ranking. Its content security tools encompass SSL/TLS encryption, a firewall, a Web Application Firewall (WAF), and DDoS protection. These protective measures can significantly enhance the security of your website, helping to prevent data breaches and minimize downtime.

Cost-Effective Solution for Your Website

The Accelerate CDN is a potent tool to enhance your website’s speed and overall performance, while also offering significant savings on hosting and bandwidth expenses. Crafted to be budget-friendly, Accelerate CDN offers flexible and straightforward pricing plans, tailor-made to fit your specific needs.

Here’s how Accelerate CDN can help you save money:

Flexible Pay-As-You-Go Model

With Accelerate CDN, you only pay for the bandwidth and requests you actually use, without any hidden fees or overage charges. You can easily monitor your usage and costs in real-time on the dashboard and adjust your settings as needed. Plus, you can set up alerts and limits to prevent any unexpected charges.

No Long-Term Contracts

There’s no need to worry about being locked into a long-term contract or minimum commitment with Accelerate CDN. You have the freedom to cancel or change your plan at any time without any penalties or cancellation fees. Plus, you can try Accelerate CDN for free for 14 days before deciding whether to upgrade or downgrade your plan.

Save on Bandwidth Costs

By caching and compressing content, Accelerate CDN helps you reduce bandwidth consumption and costs. It serves content from the closest server or data center and optimizes it for different devices and platforms. This not only lightens the load on your origin server but also decreases the amount of data you have to pay for.

How to Integrate Accelerate CDN into Your Website

Integrating Accelerate CDN into your website is an easy process that can be accomplished through various methods. In this section, we’ll discuss the three most popular integration methods and provide a step-by-step guide on how to integrate Accelerate CDN with your website.

API Integration

API integration involves using the Accelerate CDN API to connect your website to the CDN. This method is suitable for developers who have experience working with APIs. To integrate Accelerate CDN into your website using API integration, follow these steps:

• Get your API credentials from the Accelerate CDN portal
• Use the API documentation to create an integration that can communicate with the CDN
• Test the integration to ensure that it’s working correctly

CMS Plugins

If you’re using a content management system like WordPress or Joomla, you can easily integrate Accelerate CDN into your website using a plugin. To do this, just follow these simple steps:

1. Look for a plugin that works well with your CMS.
2. Install the plugin and make sure to activate it.
3. Input your Accelerate CDN API credentials into the plugin.
4. Set up the plugin to function seamlessly with your website.

CDN Providers

If you’re currently using a different CDN provider and want to switch to Accelerate CDN, simply follow these steps:

1. Get a hold of your existing CDN configuration settings.
2. Sign up for a new account with Accelerate CDN.
3. Adjust the Accelerate CDN settings to match your previous CDN settings.
4. Modify your DNS records, so they point to Accelerate CDN.

Conclusion

Next-generation content delivery networks have revolutionized website performance and user experience. With their global reach, blazing-fast speeds, flexible content delivery, and SEO benefits, these CDNs have become essential tools for website owners. By leveraging the power of next-gen CDNs like Accelerate CDN, businesses can optimize their websites for maximum performance and user engagement.

With the continued growth of online commerce, it is critical for businesses to invest in CDNs that can keep up with the demands of today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

The post Next-gen CDNs: Benefits of Leveraging Accelerate CDN for Your Website appeared first on Hongkiat.

Once you find a talented freelance content writer, hold onto them as if they were the last one on the planet. The good ones are either booked solid for months or have moved on to more gainful endeavors. Even if you can keep a talented content writer, they may not remain a content writer forever. Just like everything else in life, if someone is good at something, other opportunities will open for them to expand and broaden their horizons.

Woes of the Site Owner

Unfortunately, as a site owner, you have little to no control over when your writer needs to take leave. It often happens at the worst possible times. You may be in the middle of a huge marketing or branding campaign that just took off, or you might have a large boost in readership in your blog and require a steady in-flow of content for the next few weeks.

The last and worst possible thing you could hear at this precise moment is, "I’m leaving for greener pastures." So, what do you do?

8 Things to Do Instead of Panicking

1. Take Affirmative Action

As the Master and Commander of your ship, it’s time to take charge. Whatever you do, do not panic. Panic, at this point, would not only be counterproductive, it would make things much worse. It is not the end of the world until the deadline, which means there is still time before the iceberg hits the ship.

If you find yourself in panic mode, take a deep breath and get a hold of yourself. Remember that you are in control and that there are steps you can take to address the situation.

2. Hot Off the Press

New content writers are entering the internet every day, and the demand for their services is still higher than the supply.

Stop worrying about finding a content writer and go get one. However, be careful about how you go about it. Weeding out the bad writers from the good ones is a delicate process.

3. You May Already Have a Replacement

Don’t have time to engage with someone you can’t risk trusting? Have you spoken to your team, family, or a friend in the writing business lately? You may be surprised at how many people you know who write, dream of writing, or are already pursuing it.

By reaching out to those you know, you can get an inside look into the personality of a new writer and determine if they are someone you can rely on for steady content. This information can come directly from the horse’s mouth.

4. Go Social

Another digital option is social media marketing. LinkedIn is a great platform for Business to Customer or Business to Business marketing, as well as building brand recognition. With the help of a good content writer and six social media websites, you can create more buzz about your website than with two dozen magazine ads. LinkedIn is particularly useful as it has a wealth of content writers.

Overall, there are various methods available to promote your website. It’s important to consider your target audience and choose the methods that will be most effective for reaching them.

5. Be My Guest

Guest posting is a useful approach that can be utilized from time to time. You can put out a call for guest posts and usually, the guest blogger just wants a link in the content and a couple of links in their bio.

Some guest bloggers may even get paid for their submissions, but regardless, you get good content at half the time it takes to find a long-term replacement for your writer.

6. Editors Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

Editors are incredibly valuable for ecommerce websites and blogs. They can help increase your ROI by ensuring that your readers see what they need to see at the right time. Additionally, editors can edit the work of your content writers and even replace them temporarily if needed.

However, it’s important not to take advantage of an editor’s writing skills too often. Remember to respect their time and expertise and use them wisely. Overall, an editor is worth their weight in gold for any business looking to improve their content and increase their success.

7. Draw Ideas from the Web

The internet is a wondrous place, filled with all kinds of information on just about every subject you could possibly imagine, including your ecommerce endeavors. If your content writer disappears, there is plenty of material on the internet to pursue and draw ideas from.

However, don’t fall into the trap of copying content at liberty. Original content is still gold even in desperate times.

8. Unleash the Writer in You

Have you ever attempted to write your own content? As the one who knows the kind of content you desire, it may be worth a shot. Although it may not be the best content in the world, I can assure you that it will not be the worst either. In fact, you may even write better than some freelance content writers as nobody understands your readers’ preferences better than you do.

Take the opportunity to create your own content and express your thoughts in writing. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it and how well it resonates with your audience. So, why not give it a try?

The End Result

The end result of all this is actually much simpler than the 8 reasons not to panic and how to help yourself. If you panic, nothing gets done. So, if you need a content writer, don’t rush into anything. Take your time and find the one that is right for you. In the meantime, follow these simple tips to get through the rough patch and always keep your chin up.

Make sure to fix any grammar and spelling errors and break the text into easy-to-read paragraphs.

The post 8 Proactive Steps to Take When Your Writer Quits appeared first on Hongkiat.

This is great news for Photoshop users who are still on the waiting list for Adobe Firefly. In this guide, I will walk you through how to download and install the AI-powered Adobe Photoshop and give you an idea of what it is capable of doing.

Installing Photoshop with AI

Step 1

First, launch the Creative Cloud app and check for any updates. If an update is needed for the Creative Cloud app, complete it first.

Step 2

On the main page, you will likely see "Magically transform images with AI." Click on it.

Step 3

Next, you will see "Photoshop (Beta)." Click "Install." This process may take a while, depending on your internet connection speed.

Generative AI Art with Photoshop

Step 1

Once the installation is complete, a separate Photoshop (Beta) app will be available on your computer. Let’s start it up and see what it can do.

Step 2

Drag an image into the workspace and use the Lasso Tool to select an area, as shown below.

Step 3

Click "Generative Fill," type in a description (such as a prompt), and hit "Generate." If you don’t see this option for some reason, you can also find it by navigating to "Windows" > "Contextual Text Bar."

Step 4

Given the description or prompt of "big brown bear sitting down," here’s what we can create.

Step 5

The "Generative Fill" feature also functions without entering a description. Now, imagine you have an image with empty sides on both the left and right.

Step 6

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

Step 7

Select the left area, as shown, and then click "Generative Fill" > "Generate" without providing a description.

Step 8

Photoshop will analyze the image and fill in the left side accordingly. Isn’t that cool?

We are merely scratching the surface here in terms of what the latest AI-powered Photoshop can do. Now, go have fun with it!

The post How to Install and Use Photoshop with AI (Photoshop Beta) appeared first on Hongkiat.