The government and ASIC are demanding banks and financial service providers strengthen their scam and fraud defences. With this nefarious activity costing Australians $318 million in the past 15 months alone, the industry’s positive response has not come quickly enough.
With industry funds feeling the heat from APRA, it’s likely more members will look for a better option, especially if they are nearing or in retirement. Those choosing to do so need to tread warily.
Ten apps that open doors to new ideas and knowledge
That phone in your pocket does so much more than make calls and send messages and emails. If you haven’t spent time playing around with apps on your phone, then you’re missing out on one of its best features.
Finding the right app opens all kinds of doors to new knowledge and ideas. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn a new language or brush up on your maths or science skills? Whatever your interest is, with these 10 apps below, you’ll have a vast array of knowledge at your fingertips.
Duolingo: The go-to app if you want to learn a new language. It has all the obvious ones – French, Japanese an Spanish. But it also has more obscure languages, dead languages and even Klingon. Yes, the Star Trek language given prominence in The Big Bang Theory. Duolingo structures its lessons so you can learn a bit in five minutes every day – the perfect way to learn a new language.
Khan Academy: It offers a vast range of free courses on subjects such as maths, science, economics and history. The app provides video tutorials, practice exercises and personalised learning dashboards. It can support formal learning outcomes, but you don’t need to be enrolled anywhere to download this app and start teaching yourself.
Coursera: Partners with top universities and organisations worldwide to offer online courses on a wide array of subjects. From business and technology to arts and humanities, you can find courses that suit your interests. You can even earn actual certifications (for a cost) if you want.
Udemy: It’s a marketplace for online learning, featuring courses on virtually any topic you can think of. Whether you want to learn photography, web development or personal finance, Udemy has something to offer. The quality of knowledge is such that you’ll need to pay for the courses you access, but the app often has sales, making it affordable to pick up new skills.
Blinkist: For those who love reading but struggle to find the time, Blinkist offers summaries of non-fiction books. Each summary, or “blink”, distils the key insights from a book into a 15-minute read or listen. It’s a great way to stay informed and inspired without committing to full-length books. Or, better yet, it’s a useful way to discover something that you’re interested in, and once you’ve had that 15-minute read and become inspired, you can start researching the topic in more depth.
Skillshare: It’s a community-based learning platform where you can take classes on creative skills such as graphic design, writing and photography. The app features video lessons from industry professionals, but possibly the best feature is that it is community driven. Learning by yourself can be lonely and eventually you might give it away. Learning in a group is a great way to stay inspired.
TED: This app gives you access to thousands of TED talks on a wide range of topics, from science and technology to personal growth and social issues. These short, powerful talks are delivered by experts and thought leaders.
Rosetta Stone: It’s another excellent language-learning app that uses immersive techniques to help you learn new languages. The app focuses on building speaking and listening skills via interactive lessons and real-life scenarios. It’s a great tool for anyone serious about becoming fluent in a new language.
SoloLearn: If you’re interested in jumping into the world of coding, SoloLearn offers free courses on various programming languages, including Python, JavaScript and HTML. The app features interactive lessons, quizzes and a supportive community of learners. It’s perfect for beginners and those looking to expand their coding skills.
Lumosity: It’s a brain-training app designed to improve cognitive skills such as memory, attention and problem-solving. The app offers a variety of games and exercises developed by neuroscientists to challenge your brain and track your progress over time.
This is just the start, and as you find topics that you’re particularly interested in, you’ll find other apps with more specific information. There are literally thousands of apps released every week on to mobile devices. Enjoy finding new things.
